F1 Academy has announced that British racer Ella Lloyd will join the grid as the Wild Card entry for Round 5.
Lloyd is currently competing in ROKiT FIA British Formula F4 with JHR Developments and has registered three podium finishes this season, sitting ninth in the standings out of 29.
Singapore will see her get behind the wheel of an F1 Academy car for the first time under the lights at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
The Wild Card initiative was introduced to help strengthen the talent pool in the regions in which F1 Academy races and prioritises talented young driver from each race region. At races where a driver from the local region is not available, the opportunity is made accessible to drivers from other regions who aspire to compete in F1 Academy in the future.
The 18 year old will compete in a special-edition livery and race suit to spotlight F1 Academy Discover Your Drive, the series’ global programme aimed at changing perceptions of motorsport and inspiring the next generation of female talent.
I am very excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to be the F1 ACADEMY Wild Card entry in Singapore. My hard work and dedication throughout my rookie season in single seaters have led me to this amazing moment in my career and I am looking forward to putting everything I have learned into practice and making the most of the weekend. I will show everyone what I can do behind the wheel while making the most of the experience and hopefully inspiring other young female drivers to push for their dreams. I would like to thank Susie Wolff, F1 ACADEMY and everyone involved for making this possible. Ella Lloyd on being the Wild Card Entry.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc made it four successive poles in a row at the Baku City Circuit.
Leclerc produced a blistering lap of 1m 41.365s to finish some three-tenths clear of Piastri in the final Q3 phase, adding to his 2021, 2022 and 2023 poles. He also had teammate Carlos Sainz round out the top three.
The full top 10 are – Pole: Leclerc, P2: Piastri, P3: Sainz, P4: Perez, P5: Russell, P6: Verstappen, P7: Hamilton, P8: Alonso, P9: Colapinto and P10: Albon.
What a result for Ferrari! Especially Leclerc taking pole, he loves this circuit so much so he will be wanting to grab the win today! It helps Sainz is in third, so hopefully the strategy will be good enough to get a double podium.
A semi decent day for McLaren’s drivers, a lovely result for Piastri P2, he will be looking for that win today aswell – so it will be an interesting fight between the two teams. However, Lando Norris was a shock Q1 exit he will be starting 17th which isn’t what the championship contender would have wanted. He has a lot of work to do in the race…
A decent result for Red Bull! Perez starts P4 which is a lovely result from the Mexican! He does love these streets, so don’t count him out in the race. Verstappen starts 6th – it could’ve been better but it also could’ve been worse.
Now onto the Silver Arrows, a decent qualifying for them! P5 for George and P7 for Hamilton, they will be looking to get a good haul of points this weekend.
Now onto Williams, what a performance!! Colapinto outperforms Albon and will be starting 9th and 10th respectively. Both drivers in Q3 for the first time this season. It will be interesting to see how Colapinto does this weekend with it being his second F1 race.
Bearman who is in for Haas this weekend was close to the top 10, the Brit will be starting P11 and will be looking to score more points aswell…
Round 17 is here and we are officially in the final third of the season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
For the first time ever, the race takes place in September rather than the usual April or June and that will be the case next year aswell due to wanting to achieve a more logistically coherent calendar.
Pirelli has chosen the three softest compounds in the range C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft).
The track is 6.003 kilometres in length and has pretty much unchanged since 2016, it features 20 corners.
Some of these, such as the first seven are practically right angle turns while others through the city are slow and some flat out.
The track also varies in width, going from seven metres at turn 8 to being wide enough to accommodate three cars abreast down the main straight.
The track evolution is an important factor as the circuit is normally open to city traffic not only that but the weather can also play a part. Usually it’s hotter in September, than the usual race in April. With track temperature varying around the race track depending on which parts are in sunlight or the shade from surrounding buildings.
Baku is a typically one-stop race, with the hardest tyre doing the majority of the work. Although a glance at the circuit layout may seem like overtaking is straightforward, but that is not always the way.
The final third of the season gets underway in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. As usual for a street circuit Pirelli has chosen the three softest dry compounds in the range, namely the C3 as Hard, the C4 as Medium and the C5 as Soft. https://t.co/RMCKwgj04Dpic.twitter.com/UUi0Yj0zCu
PREMA Racing have confirmed that Gabriele Mini will replace Oliver Bearman for Round 12 of the FIA Formula 2 season. It will mark the Italian’s F2 debut.
Mini finished the 2024 Formula 3 campaign second in the standings with PREMA after narrowly missing out on the Drivers’ Championship to compatriot Leonardo Fornaroli.
He secured a race victory in the Monte Carlo Feature Race along with a further four podium finishes en route to P2 in the Standings.
The Alpine Academy driver said that he was looking forward to learning as much as possible about the car and the Championship across the weekend in Azerbaijan.
The 19 year old is expected to step up to an F2 seat next season, likely with Prema given both Mercedes-bound Antonelli and Bearman with Haas are both graduating to F1 for 2025.
He knows Prema very well as he competed for the team in the Italian F4 and ADAC F4 championship in 2020, before he went on to link up with Hitech and ART as he competed in Formula Regional competitions.
He then continued on with Hitech for his maiden F3 season last year, but rejoined Prema for the Macau Grand Prix, a relationship which continued into the recently ended F3 season.
Very happy to be joining PREMA Racing for the FIA Formula 2 event at Baku. We had a strong season in 2024, and we have been fighting for the title until the last corner. Formula 2 is the main option for 2024 so it’s also very important to join early at Baku. It’s a good opportunity for me to learn with the new car and series. Mini on the news.
We cannot wait to see Gabriele make his FIA Formula 2 debut. It’s very rewarding to see him graduate to the top junior single-seater series after making his very first steps with our team back in 2020. It will be a useful opportunity for both him and the team. On the other hand, we want to wish Ollie the best in his second Formula 1 start and we look forward to having him back for the final part of the year. Rene Rosin, PREMA Racing Team Principal.
Ollie Bearman will be standing in for Kevin Magnussen at Haas for this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix following the Dane’s race ban for reaching the maximum 12 penalty points on his super licence.
Magnussen was handed a 10-second penalty and two penalty points when the stewards deemed he was “wholly to blame” for banging wheels with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly when trying a pass at the Italian Grand Prix.
With Bearman set to race full-time for Haas in 2025 alongside Esteban Ocon, the team decided to promote Bearman – who is dovetailing his role as reserve for both Haas and Ferrari aswell as his campaign in F2 this year – for the race in Baku.
It made the most sense for Haas to give Bearman the weekend in the Haas so he can familiarise himself with the team for a full weekend before he makes his debut.
It means Bearman who won his second F2 race of the season in Monza will be missing the F2 Sprint and Feature races in Baku.
The young Brit has been building up his F1 preparations with runs in FP1 for Haas this year, the fourth of six taking place in Hungary just before the summer break.
Magnussen can return back to his Haas for the following race in Singapore, as his Super Licence will be wiped clean of points.
It’s definitely more of a challenge stepping in to race as a reserve driver, with limited prep-time and so on, but I’m in the fortunate position of having done it earlier in the year with Scuderia Ferrari, so I can at least call on that experience. I’ve also had four FP1 sessions with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team in the VF-24 already this season, so undoubtedly that will also prove to be valuable in tackling the full race weekend in Baku. The team is in good form at the moment and I’ll do my best to be prepared with the time we have available. The aim is to get out there and have a solid weekend in Azerbaijan. Bearman on his reserve duties.
I’m excited that Ollie will be driving the VF-24 alongside Nico in Baku. He’s already shown great promise in his FP1 outings and post-season test, and he performed very well when he drove for Scuderia Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, picking up points in the process. This is another excellent opportunity for both Ollie and the team to work together, this time throughout an entire race weekend, and he couldn’t ask for better teammate than Nico to provide him with a reference. Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal.
Ferrari have confirmed that Loic Serra will assume the role of Technical Director Chassis when he officially joins the team on October 1st.
It was announced earlier this year that Serra and ex-F1 driver Jerome d’Ambrosio – both who previously worked for Mercedes – had been signed by the Scuderia to bolster their work force.
Experienced engineer Serra was initially set to report to Technical Director Enrico Cardile, but the latter’s exit and move to Aston Martin means that will now be Team Principal Frederic Vasseur.
D’Ambrosio meanwhile is still set to join Ferrari at the start of next month as their Deputy Team Principal after departing his role as head of Mercedes young driver programme.
Serra will be responsible for a host of different departments in his new position. This includes, Chassis Project Engineering, Vehicle Performance, Aerodynamics, Track Engineering and Chassis Operations.
The Italian team also highlighted that the position of Technical Director Power Unit continues to be assigned to Enrico Gualtieri.
Aston Martin has announced a significant milestone in its preparation for the new 2026 F1 regulations – with a technical collaboration agreement signed by the representatives of the team, Aramco, Honda and Valvoline Global Operations (VGO).
The dynamic partnership is united in the aim to drive forward the development of the 2026 Formula One car under new FIA regulations for on-track success.
As part of this strategic partnership, Aramco will deliver advanced fuels, with Honda developing a new works power unit that incorporates a 50/50 spilt between electric and combustion power.
Additionally, Valvoline will provide leading-edge lubricants for the power-unit and expertise from its 150 years in automotive and industrial solutions. All parties will work together with aim of placing the team at the forefront of performance, reliability and sustainability.
The partnership’s technical development builds on Aramco’s existing sponsorship agreement with the team, which has enabled close collaboration on a range of technologies that could potentially be deployed in road vehicles – from light-weighting of cars to safety enhancements.
This milestone marks a significant step forward in our journey towards the 2026 F1 season – with the aim of pushing the limits of what is possible. The collaboration with Aramco, Valvoline Global, and Honda is now moving at pace, and we are on track to achieve our ambitious goals. The joint-efforts in developing advanced fuels and lubricants, along with our new Honda power unit, are set to elevate our on-track performance and we are confident that this partnership will bring substantial success to everyone involved. Lawrence Stroll on the news.
We are incredibly excited about our collaboration with Aston Martin Aramco, Honda Racing Corporation, and Valvoline Global. This partnership not only underscores our work with the team, but also highlights our dedication to developing advanced technologies for use in motorsport and the wider automotive industry. Yasser Mufti, Aramco Executive Vice President of Products & Customers.
Working together with Aston Martin, Valvoline Global, and Aramco is a unique collaborative experience. We are excited to power the Aston Martin Aramco race car into the new era of Formula One regulations and are proud to be part of this unique partnership with four incredible brands. Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation.
Our collaboration with Aston Martin Aramco is a unique opportunity to push the boundaries of what is possible in motorsport. Valvoline’s advanced lubricant technologies are playing a mission-critical role in this partnership, and we are excited to see the results of our combined efforts on the track in 2026. Jamal Muashsher, CEO of Valvoline Global.
Leonardo Fornaroli will step up to Formula 2 next season with Invicta Racing the team have confirmed.
After winning the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Drivers’ Championship at the final round in Monza, Fornaroli’s next step is finalised, with the Italian driver the first to be announced for the 2025 campaign.
As part of his preparations for the 2025 season, the team has confirmed that Fornaroli will be participating in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi later this year with the team.
Fornaroli enjoyed his finest season to date, achieving seven podium finishes, two pole position and two fastest laps en route to the title with Trident.
I’m so happy to be able to celebrate winning the F3 championship with this news and I cannot wait to step up to Formula 2 next season. Invicta Racing has proven itself over many years to be one of the best teams in Formula 2, including this season. I’m really excited to work with the team for the 2025 season. I want to take this opportunity to thank Trident for the past three years, they really are the best team in F3. To go from the best team in F3 to the best in F2 is a truly a dream come true. Fornaroli on the news.
We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Leonardo to the team for 2025. Winning the FIA Formula 3 Championship is an incredible achievement for him and I have no doubt that he’ll do a brilliant job in 2025. We’ve followed Leonardo’s single-seater career for a few years now and it’s clear that he’s an outstanding talent. Following in the footsteps of Gabriel this year, we’re thrilled to have the FIA Formula 3 Champion join our team for the second year in a row. Andy Roche, Team Principal of Invicta Racing.
Kevin Magnussen has been hit with a one-race ban after being penalised for clashing with Alpine rival Pierre Gasly during the Italian Grand Prix, with the penalty points received tipping him over the limit for the season.
It was an eventful race for Haas at Monza as Nico Hulkenberg was handed a 10 second time penalty earlier on in the race following a collision with the RB of Yuki Tsunoda, before Magnussen later received the same punishment but with Gasly.
The Dane tried to overtake the Alpine down the inside of Turn 4 but locked up and subsequently made contact. In their verdict, the stewards felt that Magnussen was “wholly to blame for” this, having deemed that he did not drive in a “safe and controlled manner through the manoeuvre”.
Despite scoring a point by crossing the line in P10, Magnussen’s penalty means that he has received an additional two penalty points on his licence. This takes his total to 12 and should a driver reach this total over a 12 month period, they will be issued a one-race ban.
As such, Magnussen will now be forced to miss the next Grand Prix in Azerbaijan, with an official document from the FIA confirming the punishment.
Stating a breach of Article 4.2 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, the note reads: “The Super Licence of the driver of Car 20 is suspended for the next Competition of the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship. Following this suspension, 12 penalty points will be removed.”
The last F1 driver to receive a race ban was Romain Grosjean back in 2012, when he was racing for Lotus, after he caused a multi-car crash at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix.
The FIA Formula 3 Championship presented the F3 2025 car to the international media in the Formula 1 paddock in Monza on Saturday 31st August.
The design philosophy of this new car, which will be raced in the 2025, 2026 and 2027 F3 seasons, is to give young drivers who aspire to race in Formula 2 and Formula 1 the best opportunity to progress through the pyramid.
The new look of the F3 2025 car is in line with the latest F2 and F1 family, reflecting the same safety, systems and performance at affordable costs. It complies with the latest FIA safety standards and is powered by a bespoke 6-cylinder 3.4 litre naturally aspirated Mechachrome engine, which deliver 380 horsepower at 8000 rpm.
The new car is planned to run on Aramco’s advanced fuel, which is being developed to be compliant with the FIA’s 100% sustainable fuel standard in 2025. This fuel which is also planned to be used in the F2 Championship, is intended as a step forward in the Formula 1 group’s drive to be Net Zero by 2030.
The new car will also be running new Pirelli 16″ tyre which from 2025 will have a natural rubber component certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
The F3 2025 car has been designed to boost overtaking capabilities, which will produce exciting on track action and the new cockpit has been designed to improve the ergonomics and driver installation to accommodate a wide range of racers.
The car systems will still include marshalling such as Virtual Safety Car (VSC), an optimised Drag Reduction System (DRS) and a new Marelli Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), identical to the current F2 car.
A first car will be delivered to the teams before the end of December 2024, and the other two cars will be supplied in mid-January 2025. The teams and drivers will first be able to experience the new generation car at the official pre-season tests, in early 2025.
The unveiling of the FIA Formula 3 2025 car marks a pivotal moment in our commitment to developing the next generation of racing talent. This car is more than just a step forward in technology and sustainability; it represents a critical step in the FIA’s single-seater ladder. By aligning closely with FIA Formula 2 and Formula 1 aerodynamics, the new F3 car offers young drivers an essential platform to develop their skills, preparing them for the challenges that lie ahead in the higher categories. In addition to updated safety and performance, we are proud that this new generation of cars integrates cutting-edge technology initiatives aimed at helping to reduce racing carbon emissions, running on advanced fuel that meets the FIA’s 100% sustainable fuel standard, just like Formula 1 from 2026. This demonstrates our commitment to work towards lowering motorsport’s greenhouse gas emissions while driving innovation. Moreover, the enhanced cockpit design reflects our ongoing efforts to make motorsport more inclusive, ensuring that drivers of all physical profiles have the opportunity to compete at the highest level. This new FIA Formula 3 embodies the FIA’s vision of a sport that is progressive, inclusive, and sustainable. FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The F3 Championship continues to deliver exhilarating racing, close title fights and most importantly is a fundamental training ground for future members of the Formula 1 grid. It is important that the next generation of stars can continue to hone their skills in an F3 car designed to help all drivers progress through the motorsport pyramid. This new car also takes a significant step forward in our sustainability journey by running on fuel that meets the FIA’s 100% sustainability fuel standard, an innovation that will come to Formula 1 in 2026. I’m excited to see it on the track in 2025 and I want to pay tribute to the great collaboration between the FIA and our Team, led by Bruno Michel. Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.
I am very pleased to unveil our new F3 car, which will race for the next three seasons. Just like the current F2 car, together with the FIA, we have designed a machine that is challenging, safe, and the perfect tool to prepare young drivers who aspire to race in F1 in the future. The 2025 F3 car has been designed to provide exciting racing, with a lot of overtaking opportunities. We have also worked to ensure this new car fits all types of drivers, taking into account the FIA’s requirements regarding the steering effort. With this in mind, we have enhanced our car’s driveability and comfort to further ensure the new generation car is more inclusive. I’m also very proud of reaching another important milestone in terms of sustainability: thanks to our partner Aramco, the F3 car will run on advanced fuel, meeting the FIA 100% sustainable fuel standard as early as 2025, and several parts of the F3 2025 will use recycled carbon. As always, controlling costs has remained a hot topic when designing the F3 2025, so we have made sure to keep them as low as possible. We have also ensured that this new car can be managed with 11 operational people, as per the Sporting Regulations. Once again, I would like to thank our partners Aramco, Pirelli, Dallara, and Mecachrome, whose expertise and knowhow make this new car the best tool to prepare the F3 drivers on their way to the pinnacle of motorsport. Bruno Michel, FIA Formula 3 CEO.
Mercedes have officially announced that Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be George Russell’s team mate for 2025, with the Italian stepping up from F2 to replace Ferrari bound Lewis Hamilton.
The Silver Arrows have been mulling the identity of who would race for them next season after Hamilton told them he was leaving at the end of the season to join Ferrari.
But on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix and just a day after Antonelli, 18, made his FP1 debut with the team at his home event in Monza, they announced the news.
Antonelli has had a stellar junior career, as he rapidly climbed through the ranks. After winning the ADAC and Italian F4 titles in 2022 and Formula Regional European Championship in 2023, the Mercedes junior skipped F3 and entered Formula 2 with PREMA this season.
He has won two races and currently lies 6th in the championship. The 18 year old has dovetailed competing in F2 with a testing programme in old-spec F1 machinery with Mercedes.
In stepping up to F1, it now means both drivers in Mercedes’ 2025 line-up have graduated from their junior programme – with Russell set for his fourth season with the Silver Arrows having joined the junior squad in 2017.
The Italian is expected to get another run for Mercedes in FP1 this year, with the team considering doing it in Mexico.
It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025. Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me. I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team. I’m also really excited to become George’s team-mate. He came through the team’s junior programme just like myself and is someone I have a huge amount of respect for. He is super-fast, a multiple Grand Prix winner, and has already helped me improve as a driver. I am looking forward to learning from him and working together to deliver on track. Antonelli on the news.
Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and out-and-out raw speed. We are excited about what George and Kimi bring to the team both as individual drivers, but also as a partnership. Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior programme and our belief in home-grown talent. George has proved that he is one of the very best drivers in the world. He is not only fast, consistent, and determined, but has also developed into a strong leader within the team. Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport. We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way in the learning process. In George, he has an experienced team-mate from which he can learn and hone his craft. I am confident that both will contribute greatly as we continue to build momentum and fight at the front of the field. Toto Wolff on the junior driver stepping up.
I’m really excited to be partnering with Kimi for 2025. His record in junior formula has been formidable and his promotion is truly deserved. He’s a fantastic young talent and a fellow graduate of our junior programme. I look forward to using the experience I’ve gained from my own journey to provide guidance to Kimi as he makes the step up to F1. I know how much of a support Lewis was for me throughout my time as a junior driver and since I’ve been his team-mate. I’ve learned so much from him and I hope to play a similar role for Kimi. As a team, we’re building a lot of positive momentum heading into next year. We continue to make progress on track and are working hard to put all the pieces in place to fight for world championships. It is a really exciting journey we are on; I am confident Kimi and I can continue to push the team forward and help deliver on the promise we are showing. Russell on the news.
Zane Maloney made a strong start to his Monza weekend, finishing the practice session fastest of all, thanks to Rodin Motorsport driver’s time of a 1:32.285.
The Bajan driver was in strong form throughout and ended the session over a tenth clear of Invicta Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto, as Zak O’Sullivan rounded out the top three for ART Grand Prix.
However it was O’Sullivan who was fastest of all after the first set of laps on a 1:34.577 beating Oliver Bearman to the top time by 0.174s.
But after rounding the track for the second time, Maloney went to the top of the leaderboard with a 1:34.060 only for Trident’s Richard Verschoor to eclipse him by 0.048s.
The Rodin driver later set a time of 1:33.664 to return to P1 with Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Paul Aron now his nearest rival, 0.076s behind. The fastest time changed hands again, as Maloney went fastest once more. Moments later though, Dennis Hauger’s lap of 1:33.209 put him on top for the first time in the session.
The majority of the grid opted to pit with 20 minutes but returned to the track a few minutes later with Joshua Duersken now fastest on a 1:32.953, two-tenths clear of Verschoor in second.
Rodin were showing good pace and while Maloney jumped to second, he was pushed down to third by his teammate Ritomo Miyata who went fastest on a 1:32.946.
As we headed into the final 10 minutes of the session, times began to tumble as both Bearman and Bortoleto went quickest. However it was Maloney again who ended up on top thanks to a 1:32.532.
As we entered the final couple of minutes, the red flags were waved as Roman Stanek collided into the barrier at Serraglio. The session was not restarted leaving Maloney on top ahead of Bortoleto and O’Sullivan.
Qualifying-
Zane Maloney left it late in the day to seal pole position at a dramatic Monza qualifying. The Rodin Motorsport driver completed a lap of 1: 32.160 to win out in a battle with fellow title contenders Isack Hadjar and Paul Aron.
It was a slow start to the session as while the rest of the field chose to stay in the pit lane, Roman Stanek decided to go out on track, The Trident driver completed a lap of 1:34.992 just as most of the grid made their way out on the circuit.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was next to set a lap, and he lowered the benchmark to 1:32.941 with Enzo Fittipaldi going closest to the PREMA Racing driver’s time in second, 0.256s off top spot.
Practice pace setter Maloney had been on a good lap and was about to cross the line but the red flags were waved with the marshals needing to clear a polystyrene board from the track.
The session resumed with 16 minutes left on the clock, but as the times started to pour in once more, the red flags were out for a second time.
This time it was Gabriel Bortoleto stuck in the gravel at the second Lesmo. The Invicta Racing driver had not set a lap and will now start both races from the back of the grid, a blow to his title challenge.
The action resumed with only seven minutes left to go as the drivers poured out of the pitlane with just eight out of 22 having set a representative lap time.
A flurry of laps followed soon after with Hadjar going to the top of the timesheets on a 1:32.249 while Aron followed him across the line to go second.
But Maloney was on a charge and went fastest in the middle sector before beating the Campos Racing driver to the top spot 0.089s.
The drivers pushed on for a second set of laps and while there were some improvements, no-one could match Maloney’s time giving him his first pole position.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Maloeny, P2: Hadjar, P3: Aron, P4: Hauger, P5: Martins, P6: Antonelli, P7: Marti, P8: Bearman, P9: Cordeel and P10: Fittipaldi.
Day 2-
It was a fast start for pole-sitter Enzo Fittipaldi but a slow getaway for fellow front row starter, Amaury Cordeel dropped down to fourth before reaching Turn 1.
However, Fittipaldi went wide at Turn 1, giving Josep Maria Marti the chance to take the lead from the Van Amersfoort Racing driver at the Curva Grande with Martins watching on in third.
But there was drama at the back of the field as Zak O’Sullivan made contact with debutant Oliver Goethe on the run to Turn 1.
The ART driver was then involved in another collision moments later as he and Andrea Kimi Antonelli collided heading into the first chicane. O’Sullivan was out of the race while the PREMA Racing driver pitted with a puncture and front wing damage.
Marti led the pack away as we resumed racing on Lap 4, following a Safety Car, but Fittipaldi was able to use the tow to get ahead on the main straight.
Fittipaldi struggled for the rest of the lap as Martins and Bearman got ahead of him, demoting him to P4.
On to Lap 5 and the battle for P2 commenced, as Bearman got ahead of Martins into the Roggia chicane. Bearman was showing great pace and was right on the back of Marti heading to Turn 1 at the start of Lap 7.
A few laps on Martins overtook Marti for P2 heading to Turn 1. Marti though was not giving up on the position and made a late lunge on the Frenchman heading into Turn 1. Both drivers ran wide but kept the position, as Fittipaldi and Duerksen closed in as Lap 9 got underway.
Bearman’s lead was over two seconds as we started Lap 10, but the fight for the podium was heating up. Marti was now being attacked by Fittipaldi, and the VAR driver took P3 into the first corner.
Campos were struggling as Isack Hadjar lost out to a charging Gabriel Bortoleto, who after starting from last, claimed P12 down the main straight.
The battle for the points was incredibly tight and Aron shut the door on Crawford into the first chicane, allowing Hauger to take P8 from the DAMS Lucas Oil driver at the Curva Grande.
On to Lap 17, Fittipaldi ran wide at the exit of the Roggia chicane, giving Marti and Maloney the chance to close right in on him. He held them off until Turn 1 on the following lap before Marti dived down the inside to take P4.
As the same time, Maloney and Aron made contact at the same corner forcing the Hitech driver to pit with front wing damage.
Back at the front, the top three had separated themselves from the rest of the field as Bearman crossed the line to take his second consecutive victory at Monza.
The full top 10 are- P1: Bearman, P2: Martins, P3: Duerksen, P4: Marti, P5: Maloney, P6: Crawford, P7: Fittipaldi, P8: Bortoleto, P8: Hauger and P10: Hadjar.
Day 3-
It was a brilliant start from pole for Maloney, likewise for third-placed Paul Aron, although it was a slow getaway for Championship leader Isack Hadjar.
However, there was drama at Turn 1 as Josep Maria Marti locked up into the corner following his fast start, sending him into the back of Aron, who was out of the race following the contact.
The Safety Car was called upon and with the track cleared, racing resumed on Lap 3 as Maloney led Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Just behind them, Hadjar, who had dropped to fifth, made up one position after getting ahead of the fast-starting AIX Racing car of Joshua Duerksen only for the AIX driver to retake the position down the main straight on lap 5.
As Lap 6 got underway, Maloney had a lead of over a second a half to Bearman, while Duerksen was on the charge, getting ahead of Antonelli heading into Turn 1.
Just as some of the drivers came out of the pit lane, the Safety Car was called upon with Dennis Hauger having spun at Turn 1 following contact with Ritomo Miyata.
Significantly, Bortoleto was now the net race leader having started in P22 with Verschoor behind and Maloney third in the queue of those to have made their mandatory pit stop.
We returned to racing on lap 11 of 30 with the MP Motorsport debutant Oliver Goethe leading Invicta’s Kush Maini.
As the drivers got ready to start Lap 13, Maloney made a significant move as he got ahead of Verschoor heading to parabolica. This then put him right on the back of Bortoleto, but only briefly as the Brazilian got ahead of Juan Manuel Correa heading to Turn 1.
Bortoleto and Maloney were picking their way through the filed as the former got ahead of Goethe for P2, while the latter pulled off another move at the Parabolica on Correa.
On to Lap 19 and Maloney was losing time to Bortoleto in the battle for the race win as he struggled to get past Goethe. He eventually made the move heading into the Ascari chicane later in the lap, but he was now over four seconds behind Bortoleto.
The two PREMA drivers went wheel to wheel into Turn 1 with Antonelli getting ahead at the exit of Turn 2. Bearman tried to stay on the outside but dipped a tyre in the gravel, giving Duerksen the chance to go around him.
The Italian was on the charge and got ahead of Martins down the main straight to get up to P5, with Goethe having finally pitted and dropped to P16. Martins then lost another place a lap later with Duersken getting ahead under braking into Turn 1.
Maini came in on Lap 29, leaving Bortoleto out front by himself for the final two laps before crossing the line to take his second victory of the season.
The full top 10 are- P1: Bortoleto, P2: Maloney, P3: Verschoor, P4: Antonelli, P5: Duerksen, P6: Martins, P7: Bearman, P8: Villagomez, P9: Crawford and P10: Fittipaldi.
NEOM McLaren has confirmed Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard for the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Barnard has been Reserve and Development driver at NEOM McLaren and had his first competitive experience behind the wheel of Formula E machinery for the team across the 2024 Monaco E-Prix and Berlin E-Prix, stepping in last-minute for the injured Sam Bird.
Finishing those races in 14th, 10th and eight respectively, Barnard impressed – becoming the youngest points-scorer in Formula E history at the age of 19.
Barnard entered single seater racing in 2020. On his way up the motorsport ladder, the Brit became 2022 ADAC Formula 4 runner-up as well as the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship runner-up.
In 2023, during his debut season in FIA Formula 3, he took his maiden victory in the championship at Spa-Francorchamps.
In 2024 Barnard shared duties in FIA Formula 2 with AIX Racing alongside his role as Reserve and Development Driver for NEOM McLaren.
Following his first season with NEOM McLaren, Bird will be continuing with the team for Season 11. The 37 year old has competed in Formula E since Season 1 and is one of only five drivers to have done so.
Bird is among the most successful drivers on the grid with 12 wins, 26 podiums and six Julius Baer Pole Positions to his name over the course of those 10 season.
Bird secured the team’s first and only win to date in Formula E with last lap heroics at the 2024 Sao Paulo E-Prix one of the series’ most memorable.
I am delighted to be racing for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team in Season 11. In Season 10, I was the team’s Reserve and Development Driver and during that time I learnt a lot, putting my new knowledge into practice in Monaco and Berlin. I am excited to race alongside Sam this season, and I am sure I will learn a lot from him. He is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, and I hope that together we can score plenty of points and collect some trophies for the team. It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to continue the journey with the team as full-time Formula E driver, and I can’t wait to get started. Barnard on the news.
I’m very happy to be staying with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team for Season 11. This team has become like family to me, and I believe that we can achieve even better things together in the upcoming season. We’ve done some good work in our first season together; now it’s time to build on that and create even better memories in my second year. Bird on sticking with McLaren.
Campos Racing’s Mari Boya started the Monza weekend on top, setting a 1:38.172 to lead the pack in Free Practice.
The Spaniard saved his best time for last, able to pip Christian Mansell and Callum Voisin who wound up second and third for ART Grand Prix and Rodin Motorsport respectively.
Gabriele Mini was the first driver to put down a laptime, setting a 1:41.324 to lead early on. The Italian lowered his personal best shortly afterwards to a 1:40.583 with the opening 10 minutes gone.
Teammate and title rival Arvid Lindblad had a minor off track excursion at Lesmo 2 as the PREMA driver ran wide and through the gravel but was able to rejoin.
A Virtual Safety Car was deployed with just over half an hour to go after Kacper Sztuka came to a halt ahead of the Parabolica.
With the car cleared, green flag running resumed but a Red Flag followed with 25 minutes remaining. Several drivers ran through the gravel at the Variante della Roggia chicane to leave the track covered in gravel.
Into the final 15 minutes and the times rolled in, with Boya putting his Campos car at the head of the field on a 1:39.998 before Noel Leon beat that for Van Amersfoort Racing by 0.139s.
Luke Browning then put his first time on the board to go quickest of all by almost three-tenths of a second on a 1:39.574. Leon returned to P1 on his next lap to lower the benchmark time to a 1:39.470 heading into the final 10 minutes of running.
Mini then restored himself to the top spot with a 1:38.998, 0.4s quicker than Leon’s effort and comfortably fastest of the title contenders. Mansell lifted himself up the order with a 1:39.153 to go second-fastest for ART Grand Prix inside the final five minutes.
Boya then displaced the Australian to go within 0.031s of Mini’s time until the Italian finished off his final effort to improve one last time.
Qualifying-
Group A- The even-numbered cars lined up to get on track first, including the top three in the Drivers’ Championship.
There was just one time on the board with just over five minutes to go, though Max Esterson’s 2:10.419 was not a push lap as everyone began to play for track position.
Contact between Laurens van Hoepen and Kacper Sztuka out of Lesmo 1 left debris on the track and both with damage, leading to a red flag.
The first segment resumed with five minutes to go and everyone else was straight back out onto the circuit.
Esterson headed out the queue without a tow and recorded the first proper lap to beat with a 1:40.558 but that was beaten immediately.
Luke Browning went quicker but his time was bettered by Mari Boya and Joshua Dufek, with the latter taking provisional top spot with a 1:38.287
Championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli wound up seventh on his first attempt, seven-tenths down on the time to beat. The Italian reset and on his second and final effort, he recorded a 1:38.287 to go quickest of all while title rival Gabriele Mini moved himself up to second at the chequered flag.
Group B-
The odd-numbered half of the grid followed suit in waiting before getting out on track for their first attempts.
ART Grand Prix were the first to blink and sent Nikola Tsolov and Christian Mansell out in front, with the rest of the pack trailing the pair out of the pitlane.
Mansell had overtaken his teammate but then backed off in hopes of gaining a tow as the clock ticked to three minutes remaining. With nobody obliging, the Australian headed up the train for the first attempts but backed off before he completed the lap as others followed suit.
Martinius Stenshorne wasn’t one of them though and recorded the first time to beat on a 1:39.273. That was beaten by fellow McLarn Driver Alex Dunne, who went provisionally quickest in Group B with a 1:38.818.
Everyone had time for one final attempt but nobody could beat the MP driver’s effort, though no one was close to Fornaroli’s time from Group A.
With the results aggregated together, Fornaroli will line up on Pole for Sunday’s Feature Race ahead of Dunne on the front row in P2. Mini will go from third with Meguetounif in P4. Ramos rounded out the top five.
Day 2 Sprint Race-
Before the lights could go out, title contender Christian Mansell radioed into his ART Grand Prix that he was stuck in third gear. A second formation lap was required but the Australian was able to get off the grid, though he had to start from the pitlane for causing the delay.
At the race start, reverse grid pole sitter Tramnitz covered off Dino Beganovic on the run to Turn 1 before going wheel to wheel with Montoya, who had to skip over Turn 2 but settled into second after passing the PREMA driver.
A Safety Car was deployed on lap 2 after Noel Leon and Nikita Bedrin wound up in the gravel after contact at Turn 2 with Tommy Smith, requiring the former cars to be cleared away/
Racing got back underway entering lap 6 but a big snap through Parabolica put Montoya under immediate pressure from Beganovic. However, the Colombian held onto the second into the first chicane.
Joseph Loake and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak ran through the gravel at Turn 4, allowing Lindblad and Fornaroli to move up into the points in ninth and 10th places respectively, with Browning and Mini followed directly behind.
With DRS on the run to Ascari, Fornaroli battled by Lindblad on lap 7 to secure ninth position from the PREMA driver. Teammate Ramos meanwhile was able to move ahead of Beganovic to take third place, and he was quickly onto the rear wing of Campos’ Montoya.
Lap 10 and after two previous unsuccessful attempts, Browning passed Lindblad for 10th position to move into the points. Meanwhile Fornaroli’s charge continued as he passed Mari Boya for seventh.
Montoya stuck with Ramos after being passed and re-took second into the first corner on Lap 12, while teammate Sami Meguetounif was able to move ahead of Beganovic at the same spot. Alex Dunne meanwhile relegated Beganovic to sixth just before the second Safety Car of the race.
Max Esterson and Piotr Wisnicki had collided at the first chicane and were out of the running. Both drivers were OK, but their cars needed clearing away.
Tramnitz retained the lead but further back, Browning cleared Fornaroli into Turn 1 to take eighth place. The leader held on from Montoya and Ramos, while Dunne and Beganovic rounded out the top five.
Meguetounif cleared Boya after the Campos driver ran through the gravel at Ascari, a mistake that allowed Browning to move up one place further to earn seventh.
The full top 10 are- P1: Tramnitz, P2: Ramos, P3: Dunne, P4: Beganovic, P5: Meguetounif, P6: Browning, P7: Boya, P8: Fornaroli, P9: Mini and P10: Stenshorne.
Day 3 Feature Race-
Fornaroli covered off Alex Dunne immediately at lights out and retained his lead into the first chicane, with MP Motorsport following ahead of Mini in third.
Into Parabolica the Irish driver was down the inside of the Championship leader to take first. Just behind, teammate Sami Meguetounif took third from Mini with a slipstream into the first corner going into Lap 2.
Further back, Luke Browning was up to 11th from 13th on the grid after the opening lap, but dropped to 12th after compatriot Joseph Loake was able to get the tow on Lap 3.
Battling into Ascari, Browning was side-by-side with Nikola Tsolov but spun on corner entry, Several drivers then made contact in a separate incident further on in the corner to bring out a Safety Car with Shields, Floersch and Zagazeta left out of the running with damage. Browning was able to continue but was down in 26th position.
Back to racing conditions entering Lap 7, Dunne kept hold of the lead ahead of Fornaroli, but Mini dropped down to fifth after Christian Mansell got ahead into the first corner.
Fighting for the lead into Ascari, Fornaroli went wide mid-corner and took a trip through the gravel, dropping him down to fifth position and crucially behind Mini.
Up ahead, Meguetounif moved ahead of Dunne at Turn 1 under braking to take the lead on Lap 10. Mansell was on the move on the following lap, rounding Dunne at the Roggia chicane to take second place in ART.
Onto Lap 15 and Fornaroli was in the DRS of Dunne and through for third position at Turn 1 to put a car between himself and Mini. The PREMA driver put a pass on Dunne himself on the following lap to move into fourth position and keep Fornaroli in his sights.
Lap 18 and Fornaroli was on the move again, this time taking second position from Mansell at the first corner despite a sizeable lock-up. Mini followed through later on in the lap at Ascari to remain within a second of the championship leader.
Another lock-up on Lap 20 at Turn 1 for Fornaroli allowed Mini to close right onto the back of the Trident.
Onto the penultimate lap and Mini got the move down to pass his title rival who then had Mansell attacking into the Roggia chicane and the ART driver got ahead, tipping the title battle in favour of the PREMA driver.
Onto the final lap and Mini was desperate to keep Mansell behind and worked hard to break the tow. Fornaroli was in the wheel tracks of the ART out of the first chicane and tried to get a late-braking move done but had to skip across the second chicane, forcing him to hand the place back.
Meguetounif was clear to take his second win in F3 ahead of Mini, but with a final corner lunge on Mansell, Fornaroli cleared the Australian taking P3 and sealing the title.
The full top 10 are- P1: Meguetounif, P2: Fornaroli, P3: Mansell, P4: Dunne, P5: Stenshorne, P6: Tramnitz, P7: Leon, P8: Van Hoepen, P9: Beganovic and P10: Dufek.
After the conclusion of the Feature Race, several drivers have been given post-race penalties, while Gabriele Mini has been disqualified as the car had not met the minimum requirement with regards to its tyre pressures.
Consequently this promotes Leonardo Fornaroli to second and Christian Mansell to third.
Round 16 is officially complete, and it was Charles Leclerc who took a stunning victory at the Italian Grand Prix after utilising a bold one-stop strategy to hold onto the lead.
The Monegasque thrilled the Tifosi at their home grand prix as he clinched P1 ahead of the McLaren drivers.
After making a decent start off the line from pole position, Lando Norris initially stayed in P1 before Oscar Piastri swept past into the second chicane later in the lap. From there, the Australian driver stayed out in front for much of the race.
However, with much of the field opting for a two-stop strategy, Ferrari made the risky decision to try a one-stop for Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, resulting in the pair running at the front of the field in the latter stages of the race.
Sainz was unable to hold on given his ageing tyres, with both Piastri and Norris overtaking him to move into second and third. But Leclerc held out to grab an emotional win on Ferrari’s home soil, crossing the line 2.6s ahead of Piastri.
The full top 10 are- P1: Leclerc, P2: Piastri, P3: Norris, P4: Sainz, P5: Hamilton, P6: Verstappen, P7: Russell, P8: Perez, P9: Albon and P10: Magnussen.
The best result ever for Charles Leclerc! P1 at Ferrari’s home Grand Prix. Going into the weekend they would’ve wanted this to happen but at some points it didn’t seem like it would. But their strategy this weekend was on point. Obviously unfortunate for Carlos Sainz as if he didn’t have his tyres go off it would’ve been an easy 1-2 for the Ferrari team.
A good result for McLaren, 2nd and 3rd. Obviously its not what the team wanted as they are their to win but sometimes its the way it goes. But going home with two podiums is a good result either way. It does makes me think when will they bring team orders into play as Norris is obviously battling for the championship…
A semi decent result for Mercedes, Lewis in P5 and George in 7th, unfortunate for George with the damage early on in the race, but he managed to achieve damage limitation and still scored points.
Not the best result for Red Bull, they will be walking away from this weekend wanting to forget about it as a whole. Max finished 6th and Perez 8th so not too bad but it should’ve been better. I think the team will use this week off in the simulator seeing where to go from here and why it isn’t working, as if they carry on like this then it’s not going to end well with the championship…
Albon back in the points! It’s what we like to see, fully deserved aswell as he got in the top 10 for qualifying. As for his new team mate, Franco Colapinto a very good first race finishing 12th, he stayed out of trouble which is a good sign of things to come.
Now onto Magnussen finished P10, a point for Haas, which is really good for the team, but its unfortunate for both drivers as they both got time penalties for separate incidents, so it’s a what could of been for the team.
Yuki Tsunoda was the sole retiree from the race, having retired his RB following a collision with Hukenberg.
Now, next up is Round 17 and its the Azerbaijan Grand Prix which isn’t too far away its the 13th to 15th September!
Lando Norris has continued his promising run of form by taking a stunning pole position for the Italian Grand Prix with the Brit and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri locking out the front row.
After initially claiming P1 during the first runs of Q3, Norris secured his place by pumping in a time of 1m19.327s just 0.109s ahead of Piastri.
While the Woking team came out on top, the first six cars were all covered by less than two tenths of a second, with George Russell the closest in P3.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Norris, P2: Piastri, P3: Russell, P4: Leclerc, P5: Sainz, P6: Hamilton, P7: Verstappen, P8: Perez, P9: Albon and P10: Hulkenberg.
A lovely result for the McLaren team a 1-2 in qualifying, which is just what they wanted but now its all eyes to the race as they will want to copy and paste and take another victory this season.
A good result from George, it was so close to pole but not close enough unfortunately, however he will be looking to fight for the win against Norris and Piastri and its not going to be easy. Lewis qualified 6th, it could’ve been better but he wasn’t that far away from pole, the top 6 are just so bunched up. He will be looking to
A very good result for Ferrari at their home grand prix, P4 and P5 for Leclerc and Sainz, I know their not overly happy with it but when you’ve got six drivers fighting for pole you would be disappointed with 4th and 5th. Their aim today will be to get a podium at home, maybe fight for the win depending on their set ups against the other teams.
Now onto Red Bull, it’s not looking good for the team this weekend. Verstappen qualified 7th and Perez 8th. There is something just not right, Verstappen is saying it, Horner is saying it and no one knows really where to go from here. It’s going to get to the point if they carry on like this and Norris / McLaren keeps on being consistent there championships will be under threat…
A good result for Alex P9! He will be looking for some points this weekend. As well as Nico Hulkenberg who qualified P10, so far the Haas driver has been on fire this weekend his got so much pace!
Fernando Alonso just missed out on Q3 by one hundredth of a second, which would be quite frustrating for the Spanish driver he will be starting 11th. His teammate Lance Stroll had a bit of shocker being out in Q1 where he will start P17.
Now to talk about our newest F1 driver, Franco Colapinto, he will be starting his first F1 race 18th, but he did make a slight mistake which could of possibly seen him higher up but his done well so far, it will be interesting to see how he goes in the race!
Oliver Goethe will step up to FIA Formula 2 with MP Motorsport this weekend, taking part in Round 11 of the 2024 season at Monza.
The Red Bull Junior Team member will replace the Formula 1-bound Franco Colapinto following the announcement that the Argentine will be racing for Williams for the rest of the season.
Goethe graduates following two seasons in Formula 3, racing for Trident in 2023 and Campos Racing in 2024. The German also took part in two rounds for Campos at Budapest and Spa-Francorchamps in 2022.
Goethe finished eighth in his rookie campaign and graduates from the Championship while sat seventh in the current Standings having been a contender for the Drivers’ title. During that he won two races and achieved a further two podium finishes.
He will now make the move up to Formula 2 with MP, starting at Monza this weekend.
Although I haven’t got any experience in this F2 car, the two seasons I spent in FIA F3 gave me a great foundation for this step. My goals for this weekend are to soak up all the information MP Motorsport provides me with and learn as much as I can. It won’t be easy even on a track I know well because all my competitors have so much more experience than me and I got the call so late that I didn’t have a chance to do simulator prep for F2. But in some way, this is similar to my FIA F3 debut in 2022, where I joined the series mid-season and scored points on my first attempt and finished P4 in the Feature Race in Spa. Overall, I’m happy with my consistency this year and my win and podiums. I am a bit sad that I can’t finish my F3 season as planned, I would have loved to go out with a bang with my Campos Racing team. I wish good luck to them and to the drivers still in the fight for the title. I will be following the races for sure. Goethe on moving up.
The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is known as the Temple of Speed, an appropriate moniker given that, at the 2003 Italian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher and his Ferrari set a record for the highest ever average speed over a race distance of 247.585km/h.
One of the most important change for this year’s Italian Grand Prix concerns the asphalt. The circuit has embarked on a process of renovation and modernisation of its facility, aimed at ensuring its future and part of the first phase of this work has been the complete resurfacing of the entire track.
As is usually the case with newly-laid asphalt, the surface is smoother than its predecessor and darker in colour. This latter factor will have an impact on track temperature, which if the sun is shining could see it get hotter than in the past. In theory the new surface should offer more grip, which will impact tyre performance and their operating temperature range.
At Monza, cars usually run in the lowest aerodynamic configuration of the season to reduce drag, in order to favour top speed. Stability under braking and traction coming out of the two chicanes are the factors that most test the tyres. For this year’s event, the three dry compounds selected are the same as in 2023: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft).
This is a track where the time needed for a pit stop is one of the longest of the year so, on paper, a one-stop strategy is quickest. In free practice, it will be important to evaluate what effect the new surface might have on tyre behaviour over a long run, both in terms of performance and of degradation.
Last year, the race was very linear, with the two hardest compounds being the clear choice. 17 of the 20 drivers chose to start on the C4, while only three – Hamilton, Bottas and Magnussen – preferred the C3. 14 drivers pitted just the once, six pitted twice.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has confirmed that protege Kimi Antonelli will be making his Formula 1 weekend debut on home soil at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix, with the youngster being handed a practice run.
Formula 2 racer Antonelli, who turned 18 on Sunday, has been widely tipped to replace Lewis Hamilton as George Russell’s team mate from the 2025 campaign, though Mercedes are yet to formally announce their plans.
What Wolff has now confirmed, however, is that their junior driver will be given a chance to appear for Mercedes during Friday’s first practice session at Monza next weekend, as one of the two outings teams are required to fulfil each season.
It comes amid a rapid rise for Antonelli, who has impressed on the junior scene via successive titles in Italian F4, ADAC F4, Formula Regional Middle East and Formula Regional European over the last two years.
He is currently competing in F2, where with a solid run of early-season points finishes paved the way for breakthrough Sprint and Feature Race victories at the recent Silverstone and Hungaroring rounds.
Williams have announced that academy driver and F2 racer Franco Colapinto will contest the remainder of the season with the squad, replacing Logan Sargeant as Alex Albon’s team mate from the Italian Grand Prix this weekend.
Colapinto joined the Williams Racing Driver Academy early in 2023 and made his FP1 debut with the F1 team at this year’s British Grand Prix – giving him an initial taste of the FW46.
A race winner in an array of categories on the junior single-seater scene, the 21 year old had been contesting his second season in the F2 feeder championship, holding sixth in the 2024 standings with a race win and two second-place finishes to his name.
He will become the first Argentine driver in F1 for 23 years, after Gaston Mazzacane’s last appearances for Prost back in 2001, and only the second Argentine to drive for Williams, following on from his countryman Carlos Reutemann.
In their press release, Williams took the opportunity “to thank Logan Sargeant for his hard work and contribution over the past two seasons” adding he “will remain in the Williams family and we will support him to continue his racing career.”
It comes after a particularly challenging run for the American, who crashed his updated Williams at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, a few weeks on from confirmation that he will be replaced by Carlos Sainz next year.
It is an honour to be making my Formula 1 debut with Williams – this is what dreams are made of. The team has such amazing history and a mission to get back to the front which I can’t wait to be part of. The team has such amazing history and a mission to get back to the front which I can’t wait to be part of. Colapinto on the news.
To replace a driver mid-season is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we believe this gives Williams the best chance to compete for points over the remainder of the season. We have just brought a large upgrade to the car and need to maximise every points-scoring opportunity in a remarkably tight midfield battle.We have just brought a large upgrade to the car and need to maximise every points-scoring opportunity in a remarkably tight midfield battle. We also believe in investing in our young drivers in the Williams Racing Driver Academy, and Franco is getting a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what he is capable of across the final nine rounds of the season. This is undoubtedly incredibly tough on Logan, who has given his all throughout his time with Williams, and we want to thank him for all his hard work and positive attitude. Logan remains a talented driver and we will support him to continue his racing career for the future. I know that Franco has great speed and huge potential, and we look forward to seeing what he can do in Formula 1. Williams Team Principal, James Vowles.
Round 15 is officially complete, and it was McLaren’s Lando Norris who charged to a statement victory during the Dutch Grand Prix, overhauling Max Verstappen denying the Dutchman what would have been a fourth-straight home triumph.
Norris lined up on pole position for Sunday’s race but his hopes of converting it into the win took a hit when Verstappen jumped off the line and slotted ahead at the first corner, before moving clear and breaking free of the DRS window.
However, Norris gathered himself to mount a fight back as the race developed, finding another level of pace to close back in on the three time world champion and reclaim a lead he would not relinquish.
The top 10 are- P1: Norris, P2: Verstappen, P3: Leclerc, P4: Piastri, P5: Sainz, P6: Perez, P7: Russell, P8: Hamilton, P9: Gasly and P10: Alonso.
A lovely result for McLaren, P1 for Lando, another win for the Brit! The upgrades McLaren brought to Zandvoort clearly worked as they dominated that race. Piastri finished P4, he will probably be a little disappointed with it as he could’ve got on the podium, but he was close, and gave a good fight to Charles Leclerc during the race.
A good result for Max, P2, I think he was slightly gutted he couldn’t win his own Grand Prix (like anyone would be), but I think from the beginning of the weekend and how they struggled to how they finished it they need to be walking away happy, and look at what is needed to improve on. Perez finished in P6, an okay result from the Mexican, I think it could’ve been better but still a good amount of points.
What a result for Leclerc! Another podium to add to his tally, apparently for the team it was quite unexpected but sometimes that is the best podiums as you know you’ve put a lot of hard work into it. Sainz finished P5 which is a very good result for the whole team.
Now onto Mercedes, a decent drive from Lewis Hamilton after he started P14 and then went onto finish P8, so for him it was probably damage limitation, get into the points and see how many he can get. As for Russell, I feel like he kind of got swallowed up by the field, he had a great start to the race getting into P3 but by the time pit stops went around etc he ended up finishing the race in P7…
A good result for our final points positions, P9 for Gasly which is good to see and P10 for Alonso, probably not the points he wanted after his qualifying position but being realistic with the cars around him it was probably going to end up this way anyway!
Now, we don’t have to wait too long until the next race as it is this week! We head to Italy for Round 16 where it is the Italian Grand Prix – Ferrari’s home race.
Lando Norris has secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix in triumphant style, with the Briton pumping in a time over three tenths of a second clear of nearest challenger Max Verstappen.
After he put himself on provisional pole during the initial runs in Q3, Norris bettered that effort by setting a sensational lap of 1m09.673s in the McLaren.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Norris, P2: Verstappen, P3: Piastri, P4: Russell, P5: Perez, P6: Leclerc, P7: Alonso, P8: Stroll, P9: Gasly and P10: Sainz.
A good result for McLaren, pole for Lando and P3 for Piastri, just what the team would of wanted coming back from the summer break, they will be wanting to go for the win today.
A good result for Max Verstappen, he would of wanted to get pole position as it is his home race this weekend, but Norris has now broken that chain. Perez has had a good qualifying too! P5 for the Mexican will be interesting if he can improve on that position.
A very good result for Aston Martin, P7 and P8 for the team, which is very good as before the summer break they were struggling or pretty much all season have been struggling compared to last season…
A somewhat of a decent result for Ferrari, P6 for Leclerc, however for Sainz he failed to get into Q3 and ended up in 11th but he will start 10th due to a disqualification.
A good result for George Russell, P4! He will be wanting to get on the podium today, so watch out for that battle. Hamilton didn’t have a very good qualifying, out in Q2 in 12th and to makes matters worse, he has been given a three place grid penalty for impeding Perez.
Alex Albon has been disqualified from qualifying after being P8, due to a breach of the technical regulations, the stewards’ conclusion read: The floor body of Car 23 was found to lie outside the regulatory volume mentioned in Article 3.5.1 a) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. The team did not dispute the calibration of the FIA measuring system and the measurement of the car, but stated that their own measurements have produced different results. The Stewards determine that the result of the measurement conducted with the FIA system in Parc Ferme is the relevant one and the due process prescribed by the regulations has been followed. Therefore the standard penalty for such an infringement is applied.
And to makes matters worse, Logan Sargeant didn’t participate in the qualifying session at all, due to a heavy crash in FP3, despite the best efforts of the crew trying to fix the car.
An amazing day. It’s nice to be back and start with a pole. It was a nice lap, honestly. The qualifying was always pretty smooth and I put in some good laps, especially the one at the end, which is always the most important. A great job by the team and I’m happy with today. I’m excited for tomorrow. I’m sure it’s going to be tough. Max has been quick all weekend. I know we got him today, but he’s still second and he’s going to be putting up a good fight, specially at his home race. I’m looking forward to it. Norris on claiming pole position.
Alpine have announced that current reserve driver, Jack Doohan, will complete their line-up for the 2025 season – who is replacing Esteban Ocon as Pierre Gasly’s team mate.
Australian racer Doohan, 21, has been part of Alpine’s dedicated academy since 2022, moving over to the operation after parting ways with the Red Bull junior set-up.
Son of former 500cc motorcycle world champion, Mick, he placed third in last year’s F2 championship with three race wins, adding to a runner-up classification in the 2021 F3 standings.
Doohan has been linked to a potential promotion with Alpine throughout the 2024 season, with those rumours stepping up a gear in the wake of the news that Ocon is moving to Haas.
The Australian has racked up plenty of mileage in F1 machinery with Alpine over the last couple of years to prepare for an opening, completing a host of private tests and appearing in six FP1 sessions to date – Mexico and Abu Dhabi in 2022 and 2023, and Canada and Britain earlier this year.
Alpine added that Doohan will continue his role as reserve driver for the remaining of the season, taking part in regular tests with the 2022-spec A522 F1 car, as well as duties in the team’s simulator on select race weekends.
I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with BWT Alpine F1 Team. I am very grateful for the trust and belief by the team’s senior management. There is so much work ahead to be prepared and ready and I will give my best in the meantime to absorb as much information and knowledge to be ready for the step up. It’s exceptionally satisfying to be the first graduate of the Alpine Academy to be in a race seat with the team and I’m extremely thankful to those who supported me along the way to make this a reality. It’s an exciting moment, a proud day for my family, and I look forward to taking it all in and pushing hard behind the scenes. Doohan on the news.
We are very excited to promote Jack into the race seat from next season and, in doing so, giving him the opportunity to showcase his skill and talent in Formula 1. Jack will become the first driver to graduate from the Alpine Academy into a race driver position with the team, so that is exceptionally pleasing for the team and its young driver pathway. Personally, I have worked with Jack back in 2019 and I am fully aware of his raw talent and potential. He is a very hard worker behind the scenes and his commitment is hugely valued by the entire team. Alongside Pierre, we have a well-balanced driver line-up with a good combination between youthful energy, experience, and pure speed. We look forward to working with both Jack and Pierre in order to keep developing the car and bring the team up the grid. Oliver Oakes, Alpine’s Team Principal.
Formula 1 is back in action at a track that presents one of the most complicated challenges of the season. The Dutch Grand Prix takes place at the classic Zandvoort circuit, nestled in the dunes on the North Sea coast.
Banked corners are not that common in Formula 1 and therefore present an unusual challenge for both car and driver. It has an effect on the tyres, because the higher speeds of the banked turns compared to the normal ones subjects them to even greater forces.
That explains why the dry weather compounds chosen for Zandvoort are the three hardest in the 2024 race: C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium), C3 (Soft).
On paper, thermal degradation is a very significant factor, but it will depend on the weather in late August. The Netherlands borders Belgium and we saw before the break how climatic conditions at these latitudes can change from one day to the next and even within the space of a day.
Conditions changed so much during last year’s race that all five types of available tyre were used. The most popular slick was the Soft, chosen for the start by 19 of 20 drivers, with Hamilton being the only driver to opt for the Mediums.
In stable dry conditions, pre-event simulations point to a one-stop as the quickest strategy, especially in theory, overtaking is a rare event, because the track is very narrow and there are few straights.
Formula 1 is back in action this week in Zandvoort, a track that presents one of the most complicated challenges of the season. Here is our preview 👇#F1#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/3LXOfaToTF
Red Bull have confirmed that there will be a change on Sergio Perez’s side of the garage for the foreseeable future, with long-time Race Engineer Hugh Bird going on paternity leave.
Bird has been Perez’s Race Engineer since the Mexican’s first season with Red Bull in 2021 but that responsibility will move to performance engineer Richard Wood from this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
In Red Bull’s official pre-event preview, Perez commented that “everyone will notice a change on the radio” when the action gets underway at Zandvoort.
Hugh my Race Engineer is expecting a baby very soon so will be spending some time at home and I wish him and his family the best of luck with their new arrival! Woody, my Performance Engineer, will step up in the meantime. Perez said.
Perez also added that he is returning from the summer break feeling “refreshed and ready to go” after a challenging runs of Grands Prix – featuring Q1 and Q2 exits and minor points finishes – led to plenty of speculation over his Red Bull future.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner recently described Perez’s form as unsustainable with the squad looking to fend off the likes of McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.
However, fresh from Red Bull stating that they are standing by the six-time Grand Prix winner. Perez commented “I am looking forward to getting back in the car this weekend. The summer break was very important for everyone in the team and the whole sport, with so many races now everyone needs the rest and reset time more than ever. I spent my time in Mexico with family and I feel refreshed and ready to go for the second half of the season. I know all my team feel the same, I have been in Milton Keynes this week with them. I know what we can extract from the car in the coming weeks and we will do our best to maximise the second half of 2024.”
Kick Sauber have confirmed that Robert Shwartzman will get behind the wheel of Valtteri Bottas’ car to participate in Free Practice 1 at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Shwartzman – who acts as a reserve driver for Ferrari – is set to jump in the C44 when the second half of the 2024 season kicks off at Zandvoort on August 23rd.
This isn’t Shwartzman’s first FP1 appearance, with the 24 year old previously taking part in sessions for Ferrari during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
After winning the Formula 3 championship with PREMA Racing in 2019, Shwartzman went on to drive for the squad in Formula 2 from 2020 to 2021, finishing in fourth and second place of the drivers’ standings respectively.
Since then the Russo-Israeli driver has competed in sports cars as well as racing in the World Endurance Championship with Ferrari.
Under Formula 1’s current regulations, each team must run a rookie in two FP1 sessions each campaign, and Shwartzman’s appearance will mark Kick Sauber’s first young driver outing of 2024.
After announcing the news, Kick Sauber stated: “As in previous occasions, we work in partnership with Scuderia Ferrari to give young talent an opportunity in practice sessions. Good Luck, Robert!”
The driver market kicked in early this year, all thanks to Lewis Hamilton making his way to Ferrari which was a shock no-one really saw coming, and it has shaken the drivers market up quite a bit.
Summer break is normally where everything seems quiet, but rumours are flying everywhere, however it was quite a quiet one this year. But now we’re back racing for the second half of the season this seats will soon be announced!
So let’s see what drivers are confirmed for 2025!
Red Bull-
Max Verstappen Sergio Perez
Red Bull is sticking with the same driver line-up for a fifth-successive season for 2025, having announced Sergio Perez will continue to partner three-time champion Max Verstappen, whose contract runs until 2028.
Ferrari-
Charles Leclerc Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari’s audacious and successful move to lure Hamilton away from Mercedes kicked the 2025 F1 driver market into gear before the 2024 campaign had even begun.
Seven time world champion, Hamilton joins Charles Leclerc at the team, with Leclerc having been announced on a deal covering “several more seasons” in January.
Mercedes-
George Russell
With Hamilton’s departure means George Russell is at present the only confirmed Mercedes drivers for 2025, after which his contract expires.
The team is keen to promote Kimi Antonelli – who is currently competing for Prema in Formula 2.
McLaren-
Lando Norris Oscar Piastri
McLaren was the first team to have its 2025 line-up locked in. Lando Norris is contracted at the team he’s spent his entire top-level career with until at least the end of 2026. As is his team-mate Oscar Piastri who will be part of an unchanged line-up for a third year in a row in 2025.
Aston Martin-
Fernando Alonso Lance Stroll
Aston Martin is one of three teams that will boast an F1 champion in its 2025 line-up, as 42 year old Fernando Alonso ruled himself out of the silly season early by committing his future to the team with which he scored eight podiums last season.
At the end of June, the team confirmed a new deal for Lance Stroll that will keep him at the team through the first year of F1’s next rules in 2026.
Alpine-
Pierre Gasly
Alpine confirmed a “new multi-year” deal for Gasly that should extend beyond the end of 2025 just before the Austrian Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon is obviously leaving the team, that means there is one seat remaining at Alpine, which is yet to be confirmed.
Williams-
Alex Albon Carlos Sainz
Williams has tied down Alex Albon – who’s scored all but five of the teams 38 points in the ground effect era. That vision has clearly impressed Carlos Sainz, who eventually picked Williams as his post-Ferrari destination.
RB-
Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull officially exercised its option to keep Yuki Tsunoda at RB for 2025 ahead of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, but there is still a question mark over his team-mate.
Perez’s new deal marked the official end of Daniel Ricciardo’s chance of returning to the main team, though his hopes have gradually faded during what has been a flat start to 2024.
Red Bull also has to find Liam Lawson a driver otherwise he is contractually free to race for another team if he doesn’t get a seat with them in 2025.
Sauber-
Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg’s career revival at Haas has been impressive enough to catch the eye of Sauber for the 2025 season ahead of the team’s rebirth as the factory Audi team for 2026.
The identity of his team-mate isn’t yet known, but it seems all but certain it won’t be either of Sauber’s current driver, Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu.
Haas-
Ollie Bearman Esteban Ocon
Hulkenberg’s exit left Haas with two vacancies for 2025 as his team-mate Kevin Magnussen is also out of contract at the end of the year.
But it was announced on the eve of the British GP weekend that Ferrari protege Ollie Bearman will make his F1 graduation in 2025.
Hass then confirmed prior to the Hungarian GP that Magnussen would not be retained, with one week later it confirmed Ocon will replace him on a multi-year deal with the team.
Nico Mueller will be making the switch to Andretti for the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship campaign.
Mueller joins ahead of Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship alongside confirmed teammate and Season 9 World Champion, Jake Dennis.
The Swiss driver joins the team following Norman Nato’s exit piloting the Andretti Porsche 99X Electric machine in his fifth season of Formula E competition as the series enters its GEN3 Evo era.
Mueller finished Season 10 strong with a streak of four top-six finishes to round out his fourth Formula E campaign and best finish in the Drivers’ World Championship standings.
Outperforming the machinery underneath him on more than once occasion, with his former ABT CUPRA teammate and Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi scoring only four points to Mueller’s 52.
In his 46 Formula E starts, the 32 year old has one podium finish (Valencia, Season 7) two fastest laps and has led 13 laps. In addition to his Formula E success dating back to his official rookie test in Marrakesh, Mueller has served as an official Audi factory driver, won the prestigious Nurburgring 24h and fought for the DTM title twice (2019, 2020) winning nine races and standing on the podium 24 times.
Adding to the Swiss driver’s varied racing career, he has also competed in the World Endurance Championship, World Rallycross, GT Series and Stock Car racing.
I’m very excited to join the Andretti Formula E Team. It’s a team that has seen success from the very beginning of the championship, particularly in the GEN3 era in their partnership with Porsche Motorsport. To work with Jake, a former World Champion is an honour and I’m looking forward to the opportunity. I’m going to give it my very best to contribute to the team’s success and hopefully aim for some podiums and my first Formula E win – that’s the target. I can’t wait to get going. Mueller on the news.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been brought into a lot of conversations the past couple of months, so shall we spread some light on who he is?
Mercedes protege, Kimi Antonelli has been the talk of the Formula 1 paddock since the Miami GP – with some suggesting his arrival in the sport is imminent while others say there’s no rush.
The Italian driver is the reigning Formula Regional European champion, backed by Mercedes, who has performed so strongly that he has skipped F3 and gone straight to F2 this season with Prema.
Alongside his F2 duties, Mercedes have carefully crafted a Formula 1 acclimatisation programme for Antonelli, which began with a run in a 2021-spec Mercedes in Austria and was then followed up with a run in the 2022 Mercedes at Imola.
Several more tests are planned across the year, with the focus on getting the 17 year old plenty of mileage in F1 machinery to prepare him as best as they can for a step up to F1 at some point.
Mercedes do not want to rush Antonelli into Formula 1 and risk damaging a talent so good, he has been likened to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at this stage of his career.
However, things have changed since Hamilton told Mercedes he was leaving a year earlier than planned to join Ferrari. This then forced the Silver Arrows to consider the possibility of bringing Antonelli into F1 at least a year earlier than they had ever contemplated.
Then in Miami, the prospect of Antonelli making his debut in Formula 1 this season was raised when it emerged that governing body the FIA had received a request to give the Italian – who already has the 40 Super Licence points to race in F1 – dispensation to race in the championship before he turns 18 which he will do on August 25th of this year.
There was rumours for the Italian to be brought in halfway through this season but for Williams and Logan Sargeant if he isn’t performing. But Mercedes priority will be to stick to the plan with Antonelli and prepare him properly and then guide him into Formula 1 and nurture what could be an incredible talent.
How do you think Antonelli will get on for his first possible year in F1?
Andretti has announced that Norman Nato will be leaving the team. Nato joined Andretti for Season 10, making the move from Nissan.
The Frenchman secured a season-best result of third place his first and only podium for the American team on Formula E’s return to Shanghai in May.
Nato finished the season in 15th in the Drivers’ World Championship on 47 points. Eight positions and 75 points lower than teammate Dennis managed.
The team have indicated that they will make its 2024/25 line-up clear in the next few days, with Season 9 Champion Jake Dennis now set to be partnered by a fresh driver to the team.
However, Andretti is a Porsche customer team, and it is rumoured that Mueller is expected to move to the manufacturer after testing with it earlier in the year. He subsequently left both ABT Cupra in Formula E, and vacated his Peugeot seat in the World Endurance Championship.
Jordan's Track Talk 