The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the classics on the Formula 1 calendar and this year it reaches am impressive milestones as its the 70th edition of the race!
As usual, Pirelli choice of slick tyre compounds falls to the three softest available this year, which means the C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft), As is generally the case on street circuits the track has a particularly smooth surface, given it is in daily use for road cars so the tyres must provide as much grip as possible.
In Monaco, the tyres are subjected to some of the lowest forces of the whole season as the average speed over the 3.337 kilometre-long track is very slow with some corners taken at less than 50 km/h, while the cars are only at full throttle for 30% of the lap.
On a track where the margin for error is pretty much non-existent, one factor which affects how quickly a driver’s lap times come down is the confidence they gradually gain, regardless of how well they know the track, as they tackle its 19 corners and all the other hazards it harbours.
The driver must work towards finding the best lines, getting ever close to the barriers, often brushing them with the shoulder of the tyres. The skill is in doing this without breaking anything on the car and it is the key to securing a good grid position. Which is essential in a race where overtaking is pretty much impossible, even when there is a performance gap between cars that can run into seconds.
On a track like this, an appearance from the Safety Car is almost inevitable with past experience rating it at 77% probable, on average almost twice per races. Although curiously, last year’s race ran smoothly with no neutralisation periods.
For the Monaco Grand Prix, Pirelli’s choice of slick tyre compounds falls to the three softest available this year, which means the C3 as Hard, the C4 as Medium and the C5 as Soft.#F1#MonacoGPpic.twitter.com/yA0il8LERS
McLaren will run a vibrant one-off Ayrton Senna-inspired yellow, green and blue full wrap livery at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The livery takes inspiration from Senna’s iconic helmet and is designed to celebrate the Brazilian’s “incredible racing legacy”.
Three-time world champion Senna is McLaren’s most successful driver, racing for the British operation between 1988 and 1993 – during which time, he secured 35 of his 41 Grand Prix wins, plus three drivers’ titles and four constructors’ championships.
McLaren chose Monaco as the Monte Carlo track has become synonymous with Senna, the Brazilian – who passed away 30 years ago – winning six times in the Principality, including five times in a row from 1989. The race will come a week after a weekend at Imola that saw Senna, and Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger’s lives celebrated three decades on from their fatal accidents at the track.
In Monaco, the McLaren team will also wear Senna-inspired team kit for the weekend, with race drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri wearing bespoke overalls.
The livery is a collaboration with Senna Global and McLaren’s partner OKX.
The team is proud to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary life and racing legacy of Ayrton Senna through this McLaren livery. Senna remains revered and respected as Formula 1’s greatest icon, and McLaren’s most decorated driver. His impact on McLaren is enormous, not only through his racing record but also presence within the team, and now his legacy, so it’s an honour to race for him at his most successful circuit in his green, yellow and blue colours. With it being the 30th anniversary of his passing, the team are choosing to recognise and celebrate his life at one of his favourite and most successful places to race, Monaco. We look forward to racing in this vibrant and beautiful livery this weekend. Zak Brown, McLaren CEO.
It’s an honour to recognise Ayrton through these liveries in collaboration with both McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate his life and legacy through his iconic colours on both cars. McLaren meant a lot to him, and together they achieved a lot of success, much of which he is still remembered for today by so many. It will be special to see it race the streets of Monaco, a circuit which gave him so much joy and many triumphs. Senna’s niece Bianca Senna of Senna Global.
Hitech Pulse-Eight driver Paul Aron was the fastest of all during the Imola Free Practice session, setting a time of 1:28.852 to top the timesheets. He finished ahead of Invicta Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Rodin Motorsport’s Zane Maloney.
It was a busy start to the session as Trident’s Roman Stanek set the early pace, competing a lap of 1:30.784 to lead Campos Racing’s Isack Hadjar by just 0.028s.
The Frenchman then lowered the time to beat to a 1:29.805, edging out his nearest rival in Invicta Racing’s Kush Maini by just 0.040s.
The fastest time continued to change hands and Dennis Hauger was the next driver to top the leaderboard. His lap of 1:29.539 put him clear of Championship leader Maloney by 0.088s.
As the session entered its final stages, Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Paul Aron eclipsed Bortoleto’s time by 0.071s to take the top spot, before Maloeny crossed the line to go up third.
There was a late red flag waved after PREMA Racing’s Oliver Bearman crashed into the barrier at the exit of Turn 4, and with little time remaining the session was not restarted.
Qualifying-
Gabriel Bortoleto earned pole position in an action-packed Imola Qualifying, a session impacted by track limits violations. The Invicta Racing driver completed a lap of 1:27.056 to take the top spot ahead of PREMA Racing’s Oliver Bearman and Campos Racing’s Isack Hadjar.
With tyre preparation done, the early times started to filter through, and it was Bortoleto that led the way thanks to a alp of 1:28.044 edging out Hadjar by just 0.026s.
The Invicta Racing driver then lowered the time to beat on his next flying effort, completing a 1:27.739 on this occasion. Also improving was Zane Maloney, with the Rodin Motorsport driver moving up to second, albeit 0.271 off the leading time.
After returning to the pitlane for a new set of the Pirelli Supersoft tyres, the drivers returned to the track with 12 minutes left and this time it was Bearman who rocketed to the top of the timesheets.
The PREMA driver’s 1:27.111 put him on top briefly pushing his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli down to second. Hadjar split the pair moments later as he went back up to P2. But then came Bortoleto on his final flying lap, and the Invicta rookie set a time of 1:27.056 to snatch pole position.
Bearman and Antonelli did have their final laps provisionally deleted track limits, although the Stewards reinstated their times, along with several others, following the conclusion of the session.
The full top 10 are- P1: Bortoleto, P2: Bearman, P3: Hadjar, P4: Antonelli, P5: Durksen, P6: Maloney, P7: Stanek, P8: Aron, P9: Colapinto and P10: Cordeel.
Day 2-
Aron made a fast start from P3, getting ahead of Colapinto and teammate Amaury Cordeel to take the lead into Turn 3. But the Safety Car was immediately required following contact between Roman Stanek and Isack Hadjar that led to several other incidents.
We were back to racing on lap 6 as Aron extended his lead over his teammate Cordeel. A lap later, the Belgian went wide at the penultimate corner giving Colapinto the chance to overtake him for P2 down the main straight.
By lap 9, Colapinto was beginning to close the gap to Aron while Cordeel, having dropped back from the top two, was coming under pressure from Zane Maloney, Oliver Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto.
On lap 12, Colapinto was now within DRS range of Aron, while Maloney was beginning to attack Cordeel. However, both Hitech’s were proving difficult to pass.
After biding his time behind the Hitech car, Maloney finally made his move past Cordeel around the outside at Turn 3 on lap 22, putting him on course for his fourth podium of the year.
On the penultimate lap and having dropped back from the leader, Colapinto closed on Aron once more before making a last lap move past his fellow rookie around at the outside at Tamburello.
The move earned the MP driver his first victory in Formula 2, while Aron took second place ahead of Maloney. The full top 10 are- P1: Colapinto, P2: Aron, P3: Maloney, P4: Cordeel, P5: Bearman, P6: Bortoleto, P7: Verschoor, P8: Maini, P9: O’Sullivan and P10: Antonelli.
Day 3-
Pole-sitter Bortoleto suffered a slow getaway and dropped down to fourth at the start giving Oliver Bearman the lead of the line. This promoted Hadjar up to second, while Duerksen went to P3 from fifth on the grid.
The conclusion of lap 6 brought the first pit stops, with Hadjar and Duerksen swapping their supersofts for the Mediums. Also coming into the pitlane was Zane Maloney and Roman Stanek, the latter jumping ahead of the Rodin Motorsport driver during the exchange.
Bearman then led a gaggle of cars including Bortoleto, Colapinto and Aron into the pitlane on the next lap. The Prema driver stalled twice as he tried to pull away, handing Hadjar the effective race lead.
Back in the battle for the effective race lead, Bortoleto was closing the gap to Hadjar. The Campos driver’s two second lead now just 1.3s by the end of lap 16.
Further back, there was frustration for Maloney, who was being held up by Stanek and on lap 17, the Championship leader could see Jak Crawford, Richard Verschoor and Dennis Hauger closing in on his wing mirrors.
Maloney was beginning to struggle and after giving the Bajan driver the hurry up on the radio Crawford made the move past him at the exit of Turn 7.
By lap 30, the drivers on the alternative strategy were beginning to pit, but it was two bad stops for Cordeel and Marti, as both drivers had tyres come off their cars as they looked to come back out on track, ruling them out of the race.
Back on track, Bortoleto had closed right up to Hadjar, but the Frenchman was proving tough in defence. The Red Bull Junior did just enough in the end to take his second feature race victory in F2, with Bortoleto settling for second, while Duerksen ran a strong race to finish third and making him the first driver from Paraguay on the podium in F2.
The full top 10 are- P1: Hadjar, P2: Bortoleto, P3: Duerksen, P4: Antonelli, P5: Colapinto, P6: Aron, P7: Crawford, P8: Correa, P9: Martins and P10: Verschoor.
Polesitter Kacper Sztuka had Leon tucked intot he slipstream from lights out and with the tow, the Mexican rounded the MP rookie to take the lead into the first chicane. Tramnitz followed through on his teammate to take second place before Goethe then moved himself up to third, having started sixth on the grid.
Contact for Campos’ Mari Boya left the Spaniard spinning at Turn 6 and in the gravel. That brought out the Safety Car before the opening lap was even completed.
Leon led the restart entering lap 4, with a comfortable buffer over Tramnitz in second and the VAR driver’s lead was 1.2s after the first lap under racing conditions.
The Safety Car came back out on lap 5, after Callum Voisin found the barriers on the exit of Turn 7. Contact with the Jenzer Motorsport car belonging to Charlie Wurz bounced the Rodin Motorsport driver wide and then into the wall.
Leon didn’t get the same launch as first time around as racing got back underway on lap 8, but despite his best efforts, Tramnitz couldn’t find room to pass into the first chicane.
Further back, Sami Meguetounif went spinning into the gravel after the slightest of touches with the rear of Dino Beganovic’s PREMA ahead of him into Turn 2. The Trident driver was left beached in the gravel and out of the race, requiring another Safety Car.
Gabriele Mini had been tucked up behind the ART Grand Prix car of Laurens van Hoepen, but the Italian driver finally cleared him into Turns 5 & 6 with a brave pass into the chicane.
There was a fourth Safety Car deployed on lap 13, but it was quickly withdrawn, and racing resumed on lap 15. Once again, Leon managed the restart perfectly to keep hold of the lead as the top three broke clear of the chasing pack.
Beganovic was able to pass Sztuka for fourth with two laps to go, as the Swede made his way by the MP rookie into the first chicane. Browning tried to follow the PREMA through but suffered contact with the Polish driver that broke his front wing and left him in the gravel at Turn 7.
The brief Virtual Safety car which was withdrawn on the final lap allowed Goethe to catch Leon unaware and take the lead out of Turn 15. The German led through the final corners to earn the Imola Sprint victory.
The full top 10 are- P1: Goethe, P2: Tramnitz, P3: Leon, P4: Beganoivc, P5: Sztuka, P6: Mini, P7: van Hoepen, P8: Lindblad, P9: Bedrin and P10: Ramos.
Day 3-
Santiago Ramos perfected his start and led the trio of Tridents flying in formation to the first chicane, Fornaroli and Meguetounif with tows close behind.
Sprint race winner, Oliver Goethe was following the Prema of Arvid Lindblad in the battle for fourth after climbing up three spots on the opening lap. The Campos driver was able to find a route through on the second lap to take P4 from the Briton.
Onto Lap 3 and Fornaroli had the tow with DRS to sweep into the lead of the race into the first chicane. Further back, Goethe took third from Meguetounif while Luke Browning made a move on the Prema of Dino Beganovic into the same corner.
With DRS, Goethe was by the pole sitter Ramos at Turn 2 on lap 5, brave on the brakes to sweep around the outside of the Mexican for P2. One lap later and the Red Bull Junior had the lead of the race after an issue for Fornaroli on the main straight put him down to fifth position.
Trident teammates Ramos and Meguetounif were in battle on lap 12 as the Frenchman cleared taking second position into Turn 2. Goethe meanwhile had built up his advantage in the lead and was ahead by 2.5s at the halfway point.
Fornaroli’s fightback continued at the expense of Ramos on lap 14, clearing his teammate to take third. Browning moved ahead of the Mexican driver on the next lap to move himself into P4 to keep title rival Fornaroli in sight.
Up ahead, Meguetounif had slowly closed down the gap on race leader Geothe and moved to within DRS range going into lap 17, just 0.7s behind across the line.
With five laps to go, the Frenchman rounded the Campos driver to take the lead at the first chicane, though Fornaroli was catching the pair with a lap over a second quicker that the top two.
The Italian was into DRS range of Goethe on lap 19 but couldn’t find a way to pass the Campos driver before the end. This left Meguetounif to take his maiden Formula 3 race win on Trident home soil ahead of Goethe and Fornaroli.
The full top 10 are- P1: Meguetounif, P2: Goethe, P3: Fornaroli, P4: Browning, P5: Beganovic, P6: Mini, P7: Lindblad, P8: Ramos, P9: Boya and P10: Montoya.
Jerome d’Ambrosio will be joining Ferrari as their Deputy Team Principal after departing his role as head of Mercedes’ young driver programme.
Reporting directly into team boss Fred Vasseur, D’Ambrosio will make the same move that Lewis Hamilton is set to make next year – from Brackley to Maranello – while D’Ambrosio will also take on the role of Head of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy.
Born in Belgium in 1985, D’Ambrosio was a successful racing driver up until 2020, as he notched up a win in GP2 and three in Formula E, along with 20 F1 Grands Prix appearances from 2011 to 2012 for Virgin Racing and Lotus.
Before he joined Mercedes in 2023 as their Driver Development Director, D’Ambrosio had also been Team Principal for Venturi Racing in Formula E.
Joining him in swapping Mercedes for Ferrari is the Silver Arrows’ performance director Loic Serra, who will take on the role of Head of Chassis Performance Engineering for the Scuderia. Both are due to take on their new roles at Ferrari on October 1st this year.
Serra, who will be reporting to Ferrari’s Technical Director Enrioc Cardile, will oversee various areas in his role at Maranello, including Track Engineering, Aero Development, Aero Operations and Vehicle Performance. As well as his experience at Mercedes, he has also worked for Michelin and the former BMW-Sauber team.
Max Verstappen has returned to winning ways by taking victory in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, with the Dutchman holding off a late charge from McLaren’s Lando Norris.
A thrilling end to the event ensued as Norris continued to cut into Verstappen’s advantage, but a snap of oversteer seemed to take further life out of the McLaren’s tyres, allowing the Red Bull to hold onto P1 by just 0.725s as the chequered flag was waved.
The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Norris, P3: Leclerc, P4: Piastri, P5: Sainz, P6: Hamilton, P7: Russell, P8: Perez, P9: Stroll and P10: Tsunoda.
What a result for McLaren, off the back of Lando’s win the other week in Miami, to then be challenging for another win and coming home with P2 is not bad at all! It makes you think if Piastri didn’t have the 3 place grid drop would he of got McLaren’s first double podium of the year?
Obviously a very good result for Max after a tough weekend, even after qualifying the car wasn’t 100% where he would like it but he made the most of it. A bit of a poor race from Perez, obviously he started P11, and finished P8, it’s a hard track to over take on so he knew from the beginning of the race it wasn’t going to be easy.
A good result for Ferrari on home turf, P3 and P5, I think we all expected much more from them in the race, but they didn’t have a terrible day so they will take it as a win two very good points positions with decent strategies aswell.
A decent result for Mercedes! P6 for Lewis and P7 for Russell, as well as an extra point for fastest lap. Obviously the upgrades they’ve brought this weekend have improved the car a little bit but we will have to wait and see fully at another track!
Points for Tsunoda!! His fourth time scoring points this season, the Japanese driver sits 10th in the Drivers’ standings so far.
Not a good result for Aston Martin at all, especially for Fernando Alonso. He spent pretty much all afternoon at the back of the pack after a challenging qualifying. He then retired his Aston Martin in the latter stages of the race.
Now we don’t have to wait too long for the next race, as it’s only next week and we head to one of the classics! The Monaco Grand Prix is Round 8, will it be Max Verstappen or can McLaren and Ferrari take home another win?
Max Vertappen added to his run of pole positions by claiming P1 on the grid for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, with the Dutchman narrowly triumphing over his rivals with an unbeatable lap in Imola.
Verstappen first set a strong benchmark during the initial runs of Q3 and then improved even further during his final effort, pumping in a time of 1m14.746s in the Red Bull. This put him 0.074s clear of Australian driver, Oscar Piastri – who has now been penalised with a 3 place grid drop for impeding the Haas of Kevin Magnussen – and McLaren teammate Lando Norris in third.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Verstappen, P2: Piastri, P3: Norris, P4: Leclerc, P5: Sainz, P6: Russell, P7: Tsunoda, P8: Hamilton, P9: Ricciardo and P10: Hulkenberg.
A very good result for McLaren P2 and P3 effectively, but even with Oscar’s penalty it is still a very good result, and they will want this going into the race, and challenge for the win again and maybe get a podium too.
Ferrari have some pace too, P4 and P5 for Leclerc and Sainz, all they need now is a good strategy in the race and they could be fighting for podiums.
A decent result for Mercedes! P6 for Russell and P8 for Hamilton, which is roughly where they thought they would be. The team will be wanting to score some points today as they are trailing behind in the constructors compared to last year.
A very good result for RB! Both Tsunoda and Ricciardo in the top 10 with there upgrades clearly working, now they will be wanting to capitalise on their performance and grab some all important points!
A shock in qualifying was Sergio Perez, not making Q3! He didn’t manage to improve on his final lap in Q2, which means the Red Bull driver has a lot of work to do in the race…
Another shock I’d say is Fernando Alonso out in Q1! He will be lining up P19, so far this weekend the Spaniard has had a shocker of a weekend! It will be interesting to see what he can do in the race.
Campos Racing’s Oliver Goethe was the man to beat in Free Practice around Imola, with the German driver’s 1:32.047 the time to beat in the opening session of the weekend. Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Luke Browning finished in P2, 0.3s down on the top time while Mari Boya made it two Campos cars in the top three.
A very quiet opening 10 minutes gave way to some early laptimes, and it was Joseph Loake that went quickest for Rodin Motorsport. His 1:36.795 put him fastest in the initial stages before the rest of the field ventured out.
PREMA Racing’s Arvid Lindblad lowered the benchmark to a 1:33.784 on his first lap, with ART Grand Prix driver Christian Mansell slotting into P2, 0.2s down.
There was a red flag with 24 minutes of the session to go after Campos Racing’s Sebastian Montoya found the barriers at the exit of Turn 15, running resumed with 18 minutes left.
Wurz’s teammate Max Esterson was next to take over in P1, before Browning put in a 1:32.367 to go comfortably quickest with just over 10 minutes to go.
Goethe closed the gap down to the leader to just under a tenth of a second before then going to the top of the times on his next effort. A 1:32.047 put him 0.3s clear of the pack with five minutes left.
A second red flag quickly followed after Piotr Wisnicki slid into the barriers at Turn 9, with little time left, the session wasn’t restarted.
Qualifying-
Santiago Ramos saved his best for last to lead teammates Leonardo Fornaroli and Sami Meguetounif in an exciting Imola Qualifying session. The Mexican’s 1:31.767 put him on pole in the final moments to top a Trident 1-2-3 result!
With tyre preparation laps completed, PREMA Racing’s Gabriele Mini led the way on a 1:32.598 ahead of compatriot Fornaroli. ART Grand Prix rookie Laurens van Hoepen filtered through in third, 0.172s down on the top effort.
There was a red flag with 10 minutes gone after Rodin Motorsport’s Callum Voisin spun into the gravel at Turn 4. The session resumed and Oliver Goethe took over at the top. The Campos Racing driver carried on his form from Practice to pip Mini and to take provisional pole by 0.081s.
Most drivers returned to the pits with just under half of the qualifying session remaining, but Fornaroli stayed on track and put in his personal best to go 0.3s clear in P1 on a 1:32.159. MP Motorsport’s Alex Dunne followed suit and move himself up to second, 0.141s behind with 12 minutes to go.
Dino Beganovic was the first to improve, just 0.003s quicker than Fornaroli’s earlier time. Teammate Arvid Lindblad then took over with a 1:32.109.
Into the final two minutes and there were green and purple sectors throughout the field. Fornaroli restored himself onto provisional pole to go 0.2s quicker than Lindblad.
The full top 10 are- P1: Ramos, P2: Fornaroli, P3: Meguetounif, P4: Lindblad, P5: Beganovic, P6: Mini, P7: Goethe, P8: Van Hoepen, P9: Browning and P10: Tramnitz.
Alex Albon has signed a multi-year contract extension with Williams, which will keep him at the team into Formula 1’s new regulation era when it kicks off in 2026.
The London-born Thai driver was handed a race seat opportunity by Williams for the start of the 2022 season having lost his drive with Red Bull at the end of 2020 and then spent a year as the team’s test and reserve driver.
Upon his return to front-line racing, Albon quickly showed his class with a series of assured drivers, using his prowess in the improved 2023 Williams FW45 to net 27 of the team’s eventual 28 points that season, a feat that earned them P7 in the constructors’ standings – their best finish since 2017.
And despite Williams being one of two squad in 2024 – along with Kick Sauber – yet to get off the mark, Albon put his faith in the Dorilton Capital-backed team heading into Formula 1’s new regulation cycle in 2026, signing a multi-year extension to remain at Williams.
With Albon’s future confirmed, attention now switches to who will be racing next to him in 2025, with team having recently admitted that they’re speaking to “four or five Drivers” as they weigh up whether to continue with Logan Sargeant for a third season.
The team are believed to be one of several considering employing the services of Mercedes junior and F2 racer, Kimi Antonelli.
I am incredibly happy to be remaining with Williams Racing and to continue working with such a talented and dedicated team of people. It has been a difficult start to the year but since joining Williams we have made significant progress together and I have seen the huge changes happening behind the scenes to take us back to the front of the grid. This is a long-term project that I really believe in and want to play a key role in which is why I have signed a multi-year contract. The journey will take time but I am confident we are building the right team to move forward and achieve great things in the years to come. Albon on the news.
We are delighted to secure Alex’s long-term future with Williams Racing. He has exceptional talent, technical input and dedication to the cause and this is a huge vote of confidence in Williams and the journey back to competitiveness that we are on. Since joining, Alex has consistently demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, and signing him for the long-term is a big piece of the puzzle of moving us up the grid. James Vowles, Williams Team Principal.
Formula 1 returns to Europe after eight months on from the previous Grand Prix to be held on the old continent and in the same country, Italy.
This weekend’s race is only the fourth edition of the Gran Premio Del Made in Italy E dell’Emilia Romagna, previously held from 2020 to 2022 as last year’s event had to be cancelled because of floods that hit large parts of the region.
For the seventh round of the season, Pirelli has decided to go with the softest trio of tyre compounds: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft). It will be the first time this trio will be put to the test at the Emilian track, although it was to have been the choice for last year’s cancelled event.
Imola is one of the oldest fixtures on the championship calendar, known for being a technical track which highlights the skills of the drivers who have to tackle quite complex combinations of corners and braking zones.
The track is not particularly hard in terms of the forces exerted on the tyres, even if the asphalt is still relatively abrasive, despite the fact that the last time resurfacing work was carried out on 70% of its almost five kilometre length dates back to 2011.
With 19 corners and a significant 30 metre elevation change from the highest point to the lowest, the track is rather narrow and there is only one DRS zone, making overtaking far from easy.
On paper, having the three softest compounds could produce more options in terms of pit stop strategy in a race that usually would require just on tyre change, especially as time lost in the pit lane is one of the highest of the year. There is also the strong possibility of the race being neutralised at some point, something that has happened in over 70% of races run at Imola to date.
Andretti has announced that the team will be extending its partnership with Porsche Motorsport through Season 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The extended collaboration will see Andretti continue to use the Porsche 99X Electric and underscores the outfit’s commitment to leveraging Porsche’s renowned expertise and technology for future success in the all-electric racing series.
Since joining forces at the start of Season 9, the Porsche 99X has yielded a Drivers’ World Championship, three race wins, 15 podium finishes, five fastest laps, 112 laps led and a total of 365 points in Andretti colours.
The Porsche-powered teams of TAG Heuer Porche and Andretti has also yielded 209 points jointly scored in the newly-established Manufacturers trophy, which the German manufacturer currently leads.
The relationship between Andretti and Porsche Motorsport precedes the announcement of then GEN3 agreement. The partnership dates back to 1983, when Mario and Michael Andretti debuted at Le Mans in a Porsche 956, marking the beginning of shared victories including podium finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
It’s an exciting time to be a part of Formula E and we feel confident in our position in the series, which is due in large part to our partnership with Porsche. From day one our goal has been to win races and championships, and Porsche has helped us achieve both since joining forces in Season 9. With all the success we’ve shared with the GEN3 car, I can’t wait to see what we can do together in the GEN3 Evo era. Michael Andretti, Chairman and CEO of Andretti Global.
We are very pleased to announce the extension of the Andretti and Porsche agreement to work together for the next two seasons. There was never any doubt in our mind about who we’d want to be working with. We have had a very special relationship with Porsche Motorsport, both on and off the track, and we have seen an awful lot of success together. Hopefully, we can share more success in the future. Roger Griffiths, Andretti Team Principal.
We are obviously very pleased about the continuation of our partnership. he Andretti name is one of the most renowned in global motorsports, so the contract extension is of particular importance to us. Andretti and the Porsche factory team work together in many areas in Formula E. We drive each other to peak performances. The standings at the halfway mark are proof for this: both teams find themselves in the top three, and so do two of the four drivers. Plus, together we are leading the Manufacturer’s Trophy for Porsche. Thomas Laudenback, Vice President, Porsche Motorsport.
We have enjoyed working with the Andretti team since we partnered up for the GEN3 era, and we are more than happy to continue to do so for GEN3 Evo. It’s also thanks to Andretti that the Porsche 99X Electric has had great results over the last one and half seasons, including Jake Dennis’ World Championship win. The exchange between the two teams contributes to the car’s performance, and that’s exactly what we’re all looking for. To enter GEN3 Evo in a well-working partnership makes me very optimistic for Seasons 11 and 12. Florian Modlinger, Director of Porsche Factory Motorsport.
Alpine have announced the appointment of David Sanchez in the newly-created role of Executive Technical Director. It marks a return for Sanchez, who left McLaren just last month.
Sanchez, who joins Alpine immediately, will be overseeing the team’s recent restructured technical department, with Ciaron Pilbeam (Performance), Joe Burnell (Engineering) and David Wheater (Aerodynamics) all reporting to him.
French engineer Sanchez started his F1 career at Enstone in 2005 as a junior aerodynamicist for the then Renault team, and later spent over 10 years with Ferrari, where he headed their aerodynamics department and later working as Head of Vehicle Concept, before signing with McLaren last winter.
Alpine have experienced a difficult start to their 2024 campaign, with drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. With Ocon scoring their first point of the season last time out in Miami.
I’m excited by this challenge at Alpine. I’m looking forward to working at Enstone again, the place where I started my Formula 1 career. This team has always had so many fantastic people involved and there is clearly so much potential to unlock. We have a big task ahead to improve on-track performance and it is this type of challenge that motivates me. I’m very much ready to begin and look forward to working with the Enstone-Viry technical teams again with the sole aim of bringing regular success back to this great team. Sanchez on the news.
This is a key appointment to ensure we are optimising everything we do as a team and focusing on the right performance areas. It is clear that the performance of the car and development path has not moved at a sufficient pace relative to our ambitions as a team. We look forward to welcoming David and working hard together to achieve the ultimate success. Famin on the news.
Jaguar has confirmed its commitment to the Gen4 era of Formula E until 2030.
This announcement aligns with both Formula E, FIA and Jaguar’s long-term goals for sustainability and innovation in the automotive industry – both on and off track. The landmark agreement highlights a sustained partnership focused on driving forward electric racing technology, emphasising the dedication of all three organisations in pushing the limits of electric mobility and innovation worldwide.
Not only this, it cements Jaguar as one of the pioneering Formula E manufacturers to readily embrace the championship’s forthcoming phase: Gen4.
The upcoming GEN4 technology will witness a revolutionary leap in electric racing, promising significant breakthroughs in energy efficiency, race performance and safety standards. This next gen platform will introduce features such as regeneration capacity reaching up to 700kW and a power output surge up to 600kW.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s embrace of Formula E’s Gen4 platform reaffirms its commitment to pioneering sustainable racing solutions while propelling its own technological journey to new heights.
The Jaguar team is one of the longest-standing in the Formula E paddock, boasting a legacy of success that few can rival. Since its entry into Formula E in Season 3 (2016/17) Jaguar has continuously been at the forefront of competition. As they mark the midpoint of their eighth season, their track record speaks volumes: over 100 race starts, 14 thrilling victories, 38 podium finishes and eight Julius Baer Pole Positions.
Jaguar’s pledge to the Gen4 era extends it ABB FIA Formula E World Championship involvement to at least 14 years. This landmark decision heralds a remarkable chapter in the company’s motorsport narrative – choosing the Formula E grid for their return to motorsport competition after a 12 year break.
As a global icon with a rich heritage, Jaguar’s commitment to the Formula E Gen4 era will no doubt play a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of sustainable mobility. This renewal of an already-successful partnership displays their vision for a cleaner, safer and more inclusive world.
We are thrilled that Jaguar TCS Racing are committing to the GEN4 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Jaguar’s dedication to innovation and sustainability perfectly aligns with our mission to redefine the future of racing. As we look forward to the exciting advancements that the GEN4 era promises, Jaguar’s continued partnership underscores the significant impact that Formula E has had on the development of electric vehicle technology, and on setting the pace for greener, more exhilarating motorsport. Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E.
This is great news for Jaguar TCS Racing and for Jaguar. As a team we recently celebrated our 100th race in Formula E and, with Jaguar being reimagined as a pure-electric brand from 2025, the timing couldn’t be better. Our commitment to the next, GEN4 era of Formula E is clear demonstration of the JLR Board’s confidence in the value of competition at the highest level, our race to innovate ethos and, importantly, how this aligns perfectly with our wider Reimagine business strategy. I am extremely proud of what the team has achieved to date in what is the pinnacle of electric racing, and we are all very excited for the future. Jaguar TCS Racing will continue to drive the rapid development of EV technology on the track, for the benefit of our future customers on the road. James Barclay, Managing Director of JLR Motorsport and Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal.
We’re delighted to confirm Jaguar as our second committed manufacturer for Formula E’s GEN4 era. Jaguar has been a mainstay of the championship since Season 3 and a consistent title contender in recent campaigns, with the brand’s racing activities and future electric road car range underscoring its firm focus on sustainable solutions. As we simultaneously present the GEN3 Evo single-seater which will race in Seasons 11 and 12 before GEN4 takes over for Season 13, we do so with confidence that the roadmap we are following is in line with manufacturers’ expectations when it comes to race-to-road relevance. That bodes well for a successful future for Formula E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President.
TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein was the fastest person on track in the third and final free practice for the 2024 Sun Minimeal Berlin E-Prix.
Just behind Wehrlein was Round 9 winner, Nick Cassidy of Jaguar TCS Racing. DS PENSKE’s Stoffel Vandoorne finished in third.
ABT’s Lucas di Grassi continued his quick pace that he showed topping the session early on. Ten minutes into the session, rookie Paul Aron was quickest.
There was an unusual moment between Antonio Felix da Costa and Sergio Sette Camara during the third practice where the two drivers made minor contact.
Drivers were pushing their cars to the limit in the final practice session of the weekend, with the likes of Jean-Eric Vergne experiencing some snaps of oversteer and understeer on one of his laps.
Qualifying-
Andretti’s Jake Dennis achieved his first Julius Baer Pole Position since Rome last season. It was a huge turnaround for Jake Dennis, as he managed to secure his first pole of the season having voiced his concerns over the Andretti’s qualifying pace.
It was the first time that the Semi-Finals have been two pairs of teammates in the three years of the duels format – Jaguar versus Jaguar and Andretti versus Andretti.
The full top 10 are- P1: Dennis, P2: Cassidy, P3: Nato, P4: Evans, P5: Guenther, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Mortara, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Vergne and P10: Da Costa.
Round 10-
Antonio Felix da Costa sealed the title of Berliner Meister with a record third win at Tempelhof to hand Porsche a first win on home soil in Formula E.
Cassidy jumped Dennis into Turn 1 with Nato following, before Wehrlein was able to fire his Porsche into second come the end of lap 2.
A tour later and Cassidy decided to take his first of two mandatory 50kW Attack Mode power boosts, dropping him to third and promoting Wehrlein to the lead before the rest of the lead pack made the jump.
Da Costa made his first trip through the Attack Mode activation loop on lap 8, leaving Wehrlein to take the lead although again, only for a short spell as the Porsche team swapped their drivers around on track leaving da Costa to attack Cassidy.
Another shunt for Maximilian Guenther left him pointless on home soil and the Safety Car on track while the pieces were picked up. On the restart lap 15, da Costa and Wehrlein led the pack away in the Porsche’s with Evans, Rowland, Cassidy, Dennis, Nato, Mortara, Vergne and Fenestraz the top 10.
Lap 20 and the lead group were running millimetres apart in a constant battle with remaining energy levels looking even – it was anybody’s game at just over the half way stage.
The safety car was required again as Nato and Fenestraz came to blows towards the back end of the points-paying positions. The Nissan was left in the wall requiring recovery, while Nato found himself shuffled well down the order.
Evans gained track position on lap 31, moving by teammate Cassidy and then leader da Costa though the Kiwi was yet to take his final Attack Mode boost. Dennis and Wehrlein’s scrap continued at the hairpin – the Andretti driver nudging the Porsche, damaging his front wing in the process.
Cassidy made his claim for third with a move up the inside of Evans at Turn 9 on lap 39, before setting about Rowland and leader da Costa. Into the hairpin, Cassidy made further progress, dispatching Rowland, but da Costa had more than a second in-hand out front.
The full top 10 are- P1: Da Costa, P2: Cassidy, P3: Rowland, P4: Wehrlein, P5: Dennis, P6: Evans, P7: Daruvala, P8: Barnard, P9: Eriksson and P10: Vergne.
TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa was the quickest guy on track for the first Free Practice Session for the 2024 Sun Minimeal Berlin E-Prix.
Getting to grips with the new layout at the iconic Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit, with the Season 6 champion joined by ERT’s Sergio Sette Camara and the DS PESNKE of Stoffel Vandoorne in the top three.
There was also some early drama as championship leader Pascal Wehrlein came to a dramatic halt a few minutes into the session. The German was forced to jump out of the car before even setting a time, not the ideal start to his and the team’s home race weekend.
The super substitutes made the most of the running, with Joel Eriksson being the fastest of the bunch, who has experience in Formula E with eight race starts to his name.
Ten minutes was left of the session, and the grid was separated by a second from Dennis to McLaren’s Taylor Barnard.
FP2-
Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilan Guenther was top of the timesheets in the final free practice session before qualifying.
Guenther was able to set a time of 1m 02.177s in the final moments of the 30 minute session to give his home crowd something to cheer about. Just behind him was the ABT of Lucas di Grassi, and Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein in third after a technical issue in FP1.
Making the most of the last practice session before qualifying, drivers were pushing their cars to the limits. Yet, one going a bit too much was Envision’s Joel Eriksson who clipped the wall on one of his runs.
With ten minutes left on the clock, a brief red flag was deployed to collect a rogue advertising banner, however teams were quickly sent back out again.
Qualifying-
Edoardo Mortara sparked delight in the Mahindra Racing garage, as the Swiss-French-Italian steered to Julius Baer Pole Position and the team’s first points of the season.
Nothing split Mortara and Vandoorne over more than half of the lap at the reconfigured Tempelhof circuit. Two thirds of the lap were down before the two could be separated – with the Mahindra Racing driver pulling out a couple of tenths over the DS racer.
Some big names were knocked out in the Groups, including Antonio Felix da Costa, Mitch Evans, Jake Dennis and Nick Cassidy.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Mortara, P2: Vandoorne, P3: Vergne, P4: Sette Camara, P5: Guenther, P6: Wehrlein, P7: Daruvala, P8: Di Grassi, P9: Da Costa and P10: Cassidy.
Round 9-
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy produced a stunning comeback drive having slipped to 21st at the half-way stage, to take the chequered flag first and the race win.
Mortara covered off Vandoorne into Turn 1 as the pack filtered through unscathed – only Sette Camara of the top six made moves, passing Vergne for third at the final corner but only temporarily.
Once the first round of Attack Mode shook out, Vergne led Vandoorne, with the DS pair working in tandem to maximise efficiency while keeping track position. The Porsche pair of Wehrlein and da Costa followed.
At a quarter race distance, Vergne led Vandoorne, Wehrlein, Mortara, da Costa and Sette Camara the top six while Joel Eriksson’s Envision was recovered under a full course yellow then a safety car – the Swede clipping the wall and breaking his right-rear suspension.
On lap 17, the race went green once again, with the lead a fluid concept between any of four cars out front as the second round of attack mode activations began.
Mortara hit the front once again as the race hit lap 22, before being passed again by early leaders Vergne and Wehrlein, with da Costa third on lap 24. Jake Dennis, meanwhile had clambered from the back of the pack to eighth with as much as six percentage points of energy in-hand on some of the leaders.
Less than a second split the top eight with 27 laps down. Wehrlein and da Costa were the current leaders, though things were changing by the sector.
Guenther’s forward foray came to an abrupt end, as contact with Hughes on lap 30 speared the Maserati into the wall and out of the race- which then required a second appearance for the Porsche Safety Car.
Evans led things away on lap 34, with Wehrlein holding off Rowland before the Yorkshireman fired it up the inside of the Porsche and Evans for the lead at the hairpin before da Costa sliced by just a turn later.
Dennis ran deep into the hairpin on lap 36, losing four spots and ultimately having to pit due to a right-front puncture having come into close contact with da Costa’s Porsche. With six laps left and energy in-hand, having driven from 20th on the grid, it proved to be a super costly coming together.
Six laps were added for those spells under caution, and Evans headed the way from Vergne – having taken his remaining Attack Mode.
Every corner seemed to be three-wide for the lead and beyond as the laps ticked away. Cassidy meanwhile, had come for nowhere – 21st on lap 21, having slipped down from ninth – to take second from Rowland with just three laps left to run and hit the front.
From there, he bolted – the Jaguar driver some 1.5 seconds quicker than Vergne behind and striding to a two-second advantage out-front as second to eighth squabbled.
The full top 10 are- P1: Cassidy, P2: Vergne, P3: Rowland, P4: Evans, P5: Wehrlein, P6: Da Costa, P7: Vandoorne, P8: Mortara, P9: Fenestraz and P10: Barnard.
Jaguar TCS Racing will be welcoming back Sheldon van der Linde for the Rookie Test, alongside new debutant Enzo Fittipaldi.
The team will be bring back Sheldon van der Linde, who represented the Jaguar squad during last season’s Berlin test as well as last month in Misano during the Rookie Free Practice.
The South African, who is the younger brother of ABT CUPRA driver Kelvin van der Linde, showed some impressive pace and went fastest in the opening session of the Berlin test last year.
As well as being the 2022 DTM Champion, van der Linde also won the South Africa Polo Cup Championship and Volkswagen Cup South Africa during his younger career. He was also a part of BMW i Andretti Motorsport as a test and reserve driver, during the seventh Formula E season before joining Jaguar as their Test Driver from Season 9.
Alongside him will be Brazilian racer, Enzo Fittipaldi, who will be getting behind the wheel of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 for the first time.
Fittipaldi comes from a long line of motorsport legends, with him also having a very impressive start to his 2024 racing season. The 22 year old won the FIA Formula 2 Feature Race in Jeddah with Van Amersfoort Racing, as well as picking up a podium in the Sprint Race that same weekend.
I’m very excited to get back for my fourth test with the Jaguar TCS Racing team within one year – I feel a bit of a veteran at these rookie tests by now. Formula E is a really exciting championship to be racing in, one I hope to be competing in in the future, so hopefully this is a stepping stone to that opportunity. Sheldon on the news.
This will be my first time driving a Formula E race car and I am really looking forward to the opportunity. I’ve spent some time in the simulator at the team’s headquarters in Kidlington to give myself the best chance to have a successful test in Berlin. The rookie test is a great opportunity for young drivers to try an all-electric motorsport category and I can’t wait to get some experience. Fittipaldi on the news.
NEOM McLaren announce Ugo Ugochukwu and Gregoire Saucy for the Berlin Rookie Test.
Ugochukwu, from New York City, US, has had an impressive junior career to date and is currently a member of the McLaren Driver Development programme, having initially signed with the team in 2021.
In his short career so far, he’s sealed the FIA OK-Junior European Karting Championship title, amongst other karting achievements. Moving up to single seaters, he finished his rookie season third overall and winning the Rookie trophy, and his second season as Italian Formula 4 vice champion and Euro 4 Champion, where he grabbed a total of 11 wins and 44 podiums to his name.
This season he is competing in the Formula Regional European Championship and at selected rounds of the GB3 Championship, whilst continuing his progression with the McLaren Driver Development programme where he will be supported in his journey from junior motorsport to professional racing driver. Ugochukwu has already spent time in the Formula E simulator at the MTC as part of his current role.
Gregoire Saucy, from Switzerland, began racing on his family kart track at three years old and quickly established himself as a talent, where he became the youngest licensed competitor at just seven years old.
His early career saw him regularly on the podium throughout karting championships and in 2015 he progressed to single seaters, claiming his first title in the Formula Regional Championship in 2021. He currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship with United Autosports, in partnership with McLaren Motorsport.
I’m looking forward to the Berlin Rookie Test in May with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team. It’s an amazing opportunity to take the Nissan e-4ORCE 04 to track and I’m grateful to be given this chance through the McLaren Driver Development programme. I’m excited to learn and develop my driving further with a new category of car. I’ll be working closely with the great team at Bicester and MTC in the build-up, getting prepared for the test and making sure I’m as prepared as possible to help the team. Ugo on the news.
I’m really excited to start this new challenge. It will be my first time in a Formula E car. I’ve been driving single seater cars up until last year, before changing direction for this season, competing in GT3 and LMP2, so it will be nice to step into a single seater again. I want to thank the NEOM McLaren team for this opportunity. I’m looking forward to discovering Formula E first hand. See you in Berlin. Saucy on the news.
It’s great to see that Formula E is continuing to provide opportunities for talented drivers to show what they are capable of, by hosting another official rookie test this season. It is also a good way for us as teams to evaluate these drivers in the current GEN3 machinery. I’m especially excited about our line-up for this test; both Ugo and Grégoire have stood out in the categories they’ve competed in to date. I look forward to seeing them hit the track in Berlin. Ian James, Team Principal & Managing Director.
DTM star, Ricardo Feller is set for an outing at the Berlin Rookie Test with ABT CUPRA.
Fresh from the podium of DTM, Feller will be making his debut for ABT CUPRA team at the rookie test on the 13th May. The Swiss driver will take over the number 51 car for one day, which is normally driven by Nico Mueller in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Feller is in his third year in DTM for ABT and started the new season with a podium finish at Oschersleben. Last year he finished 3rd overall with ABT in DTM. Not only this he also competed in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Sprint Cup where he finished 1st.
To prepare for the new challenge, Feller will be spending a day at the simulator in Kempten to familiarise himself with the track in Berlin and the car’s systems.
We have already experienced victories and many great moments with Ricardo in the DTM – so he has more than earned his trip into the electrified world and we are all looking forward to seeing him in the Formula E car. Ricardo is a great race driver, he knows the team well and will certainly be able to support us perfectly in our test program – but of course he should also have a lot of fun during the day in Berlin. ABT CEO and Team Principal, Thomas Biermaier.
I’ve been following the team’s upward trend closely and now I’m looking forward to being a part of it. I want to help with the development – if my times in Berlin are reasonably good, that’s even better. Feller on the news.
DS PENSKE have announced Jonny Edgar will drive for the team alongside Robert Shwartzman at the Berlin Rookie Test.
Jonny Edgar is a British racing driver who is set to compete in the European Le Mans Series with AO by TF. Edgar has been busy since he went into single seaters back in 2019, in 2020 competing in ADAC Formula 4 Championship where he won the championship, he also competed in Italian F4 Championship in the same year where he came fourth.
He has been racing in FIA Formula 3 since 2021 until 2023, where he only managed one win and one podium. But in 2022 he pulled out of a couple rounds due to being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.
Robert Shwartzman, reserve driver for the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team, will continue his work alongside the DS PENSKE squad at the Berlin Rookie test after appearing in Misano earlier this season.
I am thrilled to get the chance to drive a Formula E car, and I thank Jay Penske and the team for giving me this amazing opportunity. As a driver I am always keen to be able to gain experience with different cars and this test offers me the chance to try a new kind of single-seater! This championship is like no other, very exciting and I cannot wait to be behind the wheels of this stunning car. Edgar on the news.
Alice Powell and Dries Vanthoor will line-up for Envision Racing at the Rookie Test.
Powell, has played a crucial role for many years with Envision Racing as the Test & Development driver, and previously tested the Gen2 in Marrakesh and Valencia.
The British driver, who has five W Series victories to her name, has completed shakedowns in the Gen3 car but will soon embark on her first full day of running in Berlin.
Dries Vanthoor is currently racing in the World Endurance Championship, who has an impressive racing CV. This includes a win in the LMGTE category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this test with Envision will mark his debut in Formula E.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to take part in the rookie test day in Berlin. I’ve been working with the team for a long time and have completed a lot of simulator work over the past few seasons, so to get the chance to have a full day in the GEN3 on track is going to be really useful for me, and hopefully also for the team. Powell on the news.
I’m really looking forward to my first ever Formula E test. It’s a great championship, and I’m excited to try out the Gen3 car with Envision Racing. It’s a good learning opportunity to try out a different discipline of motorsport, especially the advanced technologies in Formula E. Vanthoor on the news.
We are happy to have two very talented drivers step into our cars for the rookie test day. Dries and Alice have both achieved a lot in their careers, and we’re looking forward to seeing them out on track in Berlin. Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director and CTO of Envision Racing.
Mahindra Racing will field Frederik Vesti in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s upcoming Berlin Rookie Test on 13th May.
The Dane is among the standout talents to emerge from the FIA’s single-seater pathway in recent times, where he has grabbed an impressive 37 race victories and 81 podium finishes across stints in Formula 4, Formula Regional, FIA Formula 3 and FIA Formula 2.
The 22 year old from Langelund narrowly finished runner-up in Formula 2 last season where he scored an impressive six victories and 10 podiums.
Since departing Formula 2, Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Reserve Driver Vesti has been a pillar of the team’s simulator programme, and concentrated his racing efforts on sportscars in the European Le Mans Series but will get his first experience of the Gen3 with Mahindra Racing in Berlin.
Lining up alongside one of Formula 2’s current leading lights and of Mahindra’s current Reserve Drivers, Kush Maini.
In preparation, he has already visited Mahindra’s purpose-built factory in Banbury for a seat fit, and to begin building up his knowledge and understanding the car on the team’s simulator.
First of all, I’d like to say a big thank you to Fred for giving me this opportunity. It’s a great chance to test, and to prove myself as a rookie in a new championship. It’s an amazing opportunity to learn, which is only going to help me grow as a driver. It’s what motivates me, I’m really looking forward to trying the GEN3 Formula E car, which I understand is quite a challenge. That’s probably what I like most about Formula E, it is challenging and the fact it’s a competitive World Championship that attracts some of the best drivers – and teams – is a great platform for me. I’ve finished up my preparations together with the team, so now I’m counting down the days until Berlin! Vesti on the news.
We’re delighted to welcome Frederik to the team for the Berlin Rookie Test. This event is important for the team, in order to continue our testing programme and development work, but there is an equal focus on giving new talent the opportunity to experience the world of Formula E. He’s young, enthusiastic, and very quick – all the right traits for us to give him a chance in the car. His record in the junior categories speaks for itself. I’m confident that, with a drivers of Frederik’s abilities and experience, and together with Kush, we will be able to have a productive test and keep the team moving forward from there. Frederic Bertrand, Mahindra Racing CEO and Team Principal.
Sam Bird will sit out this weekends Berlin E-Prix double header, as he recovers from surgery on his hand.
NEOM McLaren have confirmed that 19 year old Taylor Barnard will be continuing his duties as Reserve Driver, covering for an injured Sam Bird.
Barnard was drafted in after Sam Bird broke his hand in an accident during Monaco in FP1, when his car locked up and went down an escape road near Sainte Devote. Despite his best efforts to rescue the car, Bird hit the barrier and failed to let go of the steering wheel which then led to the injury.
Bird has now undergone a successful surgery on his left hand, with the team supporting Sam and his recovery to ensure he can compete again as quickly as achievable.
During his Formula E debut, Barnard managed to finish the Monaco E-Prix in 14th after he started at the back of the pack.
We’re very pleased to report positive progress on Sam’s recovery, with a successful operation on his hand supporting his journey back into the car. Taylor did a stellar job in his last-minute call-up in Monaco, as did the team, who provided him with great support and guidance throughout. He will now be able to build on that experience, while Sam works on his recovery – with the team’s full support. We’re looking forward to having Sam back in the car soon. Ian James, Team Principal.
Nissan will field Caio Collet and Gabriele Mini in the Berlin Rookie Test, set for Monday 13th May, straight after the Berlin E-Prix double header.
Collet got his first taste of the Nissan e-4ORCE O4 during rookie free practice at the Misano E-Prix earlier this month. The Brazilian racer has been working with the team since the beginning of Season 10, helping to prepare for upcoming events in the simulator.
Collet has a strong junior CV, having taken a dominant French F4 title in 2018 and finishing second in the highly competitive Formula Renault Eurocup in 2020.
That earned him a seat in FIA Formula 3 for 2021. In the three years that followed, he was a regular feature at the front of the pack, taking three victories and several podiums, alongside his membership of the Alpine Academy. This season, in combination with his reserve and simulator role with Nissan Formula E Team, Collet is tackling the full Indy NXT campaign.
Meanwhile, fellow F3 race winner Mini is part of the current Alpine Academy and will be at the wheel of Formula E machinery for the first time.
Victory in the 2020 Italian F4 championship led him to the Formula Regional European Championship, clinching second in 2022. This then attracted the attention of the Alpine Academy, which signed him up ahead of his debut F3 campaign in 2023, where he picked up two wins, including the Monaco Feature Race.
The Italian driver currently sits third in the F3 standings after two round, having scored points at every race, including a podium finish in Melbourne.
It was my first time in the Nissan e-4ORCE 04 in Misano, so in Berlin I’m looking to use that experience to help me develop my driving. It’s a very different car to what I’m used to, so it takes a while to understand what to do and how to get the best out of it. My target is to learn as much as I can and help the team continue to improve. To have more track time will also be useful for my simulator work, to make the sim more accurate. I’m looking forward to being with the team again and will do my best! Collet on the news.
I’m very pleased to test the Nissan e-4ORCE 04 for the first time in the Berlin Rookie Test next month. It will be a great chance to discover the car and to challenge myself in a different type of single-seater. I’m looking forward to giving my best and learning more about this category of racing. I would like to thank both Alpine and Nissan for their trust and for this exciting opportunity. Mini on the news.
We’re looking forward to the Berlin Rookie Test with two very talented drivers in Caio and Gabriele. After participating in FP0 in Misano, it will be important for Caio to continue developing in the car, becoming more and more comfortable. As our reserve and sim driver, it’s vital for him to have as much experience as possible to support the team at his best. This will be a good opportunity to gain confidence and make a step forward with plenty of track time available. The test also presents us with a great chance to introduce Gabriele to the team. He’s a very promising driver, part of the Alpine Academy and it’s great to count on cross Alliance synergies to bring young drivers these opportunities. It’s very positive for us to work with young, up-and-coming drivers like Gabriele and Caio, so we can not only play a role in their professional development, but also build a rapport and set important basis for potential future collaborations. Tommaso Volpe, Managing Director and Team Principal of Nissan Formula E Team.
Drivers’ Standings leader Abbi Pulling ran the show in Qualifying, going from strength to strength to secure both F1 Academy pole positions on offer in Miami.
Her hold onto P1 was unrelenting, with a time of 1:58.507 in the final minutes of the session putting her over five tenths clear of Doriane Pin and Hamda Al Qubaisi. The Alpine driver will have different company for race 2, as Bianca Bustamante’s consistency was rewarded for P2, four tenths off, ahead of Pin in third.
With only 30 minutes on the clock, there was not a lot of time to lose as the field flooded out as the lights went green. Having set the pace in Free Practice 2, laid down the initial benchmark at 1:59.882.
Ferrari’s Maya Weug took over the top spot heading into the halfway mark, going 0.024s faster than Pulling’s latest attempt.
Benefitting from the track evolution, Bustamante pushed on, deposing Pulling momentarily with a 1:59.122, whilst Pin moved inside the top three. Pulling immediately responded with a 1:58.714.
As Pin improved to just over three tenths off, one flying lap solidified Pulling’s place at the top of the timing sheets, where she broke 0.574s clear of the Mercedes driver.
Hamda Al Qubaisi’s late burst of pace elevated her to third for Race 1 ahead of McLaren driver Bustamante.
The full top 10 for race 1 are- P1: Pulling, P2: Pin, P3: Hamda Al Qubaisi, P4: Bustamante, P5: Weug, P6: Marti, P7: Chambers, P8: Nobels, P9: Hausmann and P10: Lovinfosse.
The full top 10 for race 2 are- P1: Pulling, P2: Bustamante, P3: Pin, P4: Hamda Al Qubaisi, P5: Marti, P6: Weug, P7: Nobels, P8: Chambers, P9: Edgar and P10: Hausmann.
Race 1-
Controlling the race from pole, the Alpine driver led every lap and never looked back, taking the chequered flag with a 5 second advantage over second-placed Doriane Pin. Chloe Chamber gave her home crowd something to celebrate, battling hard to go from P7 to her first podium in the series.
Acing her getaway at lights out, Pulling kept Pin at bay into Turn 1 and immediately set out creating a 1 second buffer to the Mercedes driver in the space of a lap.
At the tail end of the top 10, Tina Hausmann’s race came to an early end after contact with Aurelia Nobels sent the Aston Martin driver off into the wall at Turn 8. Nobels would later be handed a 10-second penalty for the incident.
A three car battle for fourth saw Weug forced to go on the defensive heading into lap 3, as Nerea Marti attempted to move around the outside of Turn 1. Just behind, Chambers sat patiently, waiting to pounce when the opportunity arrived one lap later.
Marti found her way past Weug on lap 6, but a mistake undid all her work and allowed the Ferrari driver and Nobels to slip through momentarily.
Bustamante continued to make up lost ground, diving to the inside of the final corner with a move on Amna Al Qubaisi. Going side-by-side with RB driver, Bustamante managed to eke out ahead, but received a 5 second penalty for going off track and gaining an advantage a few laps earlier.
Out front, Pulling’s mirrors were clear as she crossed the line to win by 5.2s to Pin and Chambers. The full top 10 are- P1: Pulling, P2: Pin, P3: Chambers, P4: Marti, P5: H Qubaisi, P6: Weug, P7: Edgar, P8: A Qubaisi, P9: Bustamante and P10: Lovinfosse.
Day 2- Race 2-
Abbi Pulling made it two for two as she brought home her second win on the streets of Miami. Bianca Bustamante righted her wrongs from Race 1, fending off a late push from Doriane Pin to earn her first podium for McLaren in second.
Pole sitter Pulling was instantly on the defensive from Bustamante as the lights went green, locking up slightly into Turn 1, managing to outbreak the ART car, she managed to hold the lead.
Chambers was once again on a charge after her race 1 podium. A storming start from P8 for the Haas driver saw her slide past Aurelia Nobels, Nerea Marti and Maya Weug in turn through the opening corners and moved to fifth.
Behind her, Tina Hausmann found herself out on the opening lap for the second race in a row. Locking up into Turn 1, Lola Lovinfosse tagged the Aston Martin car ahead, forcing her to retire with a puncture. Lovinfosse later received a 10 second time penalty.
On lap 5, Weug dispatched the Hamda Al Qubaisi, but found her mirrors full of a train of cars behind from P6 to P13. Two laps later, Lovinfosse gambled on another move as Nobels left the door open, with the two running side-by-side.
Bustamante’s hold over P2 had a momentary scare, as Pin closed right in on her tail. However, the Filipina racer kept up her pace to break the slipstream advantage to the Mercedes driver behind.
At the tail end of the top 10, Block hunted down her first points of her F1 Academy campaign. Eyeing a move on Carrie Schreiner in 10th, the Williams went in too deep, allowing Emely De Heus to capitalise and overtake the American driver.
Jessica Edgar was on the march as she overtook Marti for seventh. However, the Spainard wasn’t giving up, diving up the inside of Turn 1 but she overshot the corner and allowing the American Express driver to cutback through. However, Edgar’s race unravelled a few corners later, losing the rear through Turns 6 and 7 and spinning wide over the runoff.
Completing her 27th tour of the Miami circuit, Pulling brought home a comfortable second win of the season. The full top 10 are- P1: Pulling, P2: Bustamante, P3: Pin, P4: Chambers, P5: Weug, P6: H Qubaisi, P7: Marti, P8: A Qubaisi, P9: Schreiner and P10: Block.
Now we have a little wait till the next round, which is Round 3 and we head to Barcelona on the 21st to 23rd of June.
WOW… What a race we had in Miami for Round 6 out of 24! We had a first time winner in F1, and some drama along the way, so let’s take a look at it…
McLaren driver, Lando Norris has now added his name to the list of Formula 1 race WINNERS with a sensational driver for victory in Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix.
Joining him in the top three is Max Verstappen in 2nd, and in third is Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc!
Norris ran sixth in the early stages of the race, with fast-starting team mate Oscar Piastri the McLaren man who initially looked most likely to cause an upset, however… A safety car at the midway point played perfectly into the Briton’s hands after he extended his opening stint. Norris emerged from the pits in the lead, with Verstappen in second after stopping under normal racing conditions, and despite an initial attack from the latter at the restart. A cool, calm and collected performance thereafter and balance problems for Verstappen, meant there was no stopping Norris.
The full top 10 are- P1: Norris, P2: Verstappen, P3: Leclerc, P4: Perez, P5: Sainz, P6: Hamilton, P7: Tsunoda, P8: Russell, P9: Alonso and P10: Ocon.
What a result for Mr Lando Norris… I honestly can’t believe it and I bet he can’t either!! Lando had a lovely drive, he kept it cool and calm. I’m so happy for him and the team. His teammate, was doing so well, he was running in P2 for a while at the beginning of the race, until he had a collision with Carlos Sainz where he needed to pit for a new front wing which saw the Australian drop all the way down to the bottom of the grid.
A decent result for Red Bull, obviously Max in P2 and Checo in P4, a nice points haul for the team and keeping their lead in the constructors!
Ferrari had a very good result aswell, P3 for Leclerc and P5 for Sainz the team will be happy with that result aswell.
Esteban Ocon has scored his first point this season which is also Alpine’s first point this season as well! It’s just what the team needs, which hopefully will set them onto a better path.
An unlucky driver was Logan Sargeant, Magnussen was attempting a move on Sargeant through the Turn 2 flick, where contact sent the American into the barriers and the Dane back to the pits for repairs, with the American sustaining terminal damage upon impact which was a disappointing end to the first of three home Grand Prix he is set to take part in. Magnussen got given a 10 second time penalty for the clash.
Now we have a little wait till the next race, we head to Italy for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix which is round 7, on the weekend of 17th to 19th May.
Max Verstappen has claimed his seventh consecutive pole position by taking P1 on the grid for the Miami Grand Prix, despite failing to improve during his final flying lap.
The Dutchman had provisionally put himself into pole in the first runs of Q3 having set a time of 1m 27.241s and this proved to be enough to maintain the position. Charles Leclerc will join the red bull driver on the front row, with his teammate Carlos Sainz rounding out the top three.
The full top 10 is – P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Sainz, P4: Perez, P5: Norris, P6: Piastri, P7: Russell, P8: Hamilton, P9: Hulkenberg and P10: Tsunoda.
A good result for Max once again, it was just a copy and paste for him! Perez one position down than compared to sprint qualifying, but it’s not the end of the world for the Mexican.
A very good result from Ferrari, I can see them challenging for the win as they have had quite good pace this weekend. If not they will want to try their hand at a double podium.
A good result from McLaren P5 and P6, Lando will be wanting to make up for a disappointing sprint where he DNF’ed. The McLaren’s have brought some upgrades this weekend and they seem to be working, so they have got pace this weekend which could see some potential for a podium…
A much better result for Mercedes, both cars in the top 10, P7 for Russell and P8 for Hamilton. They will be wanting to capitalise on that as much as they can.
Hulkenberg and Tsunoda had a good qualifying both in the top 10, both drivers will be wanting to score once again in the race.
A bit of a shocker qualifying for Aston Martin. Both drivers not in the top 10, Stroll starts P11, which is okay but his in the middle of the pack which isn’t the best place. And Alonso starts P15 which is not good at all.
Ricciardo had a bit of a bad qualifying, a bit of a different one to the sprint qualifying… He starts P18, he needs to have a really good drive and do some lovely overtakes to make up for the qualifying position.
Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory during Saturday’s Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix, leading home Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc and Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez at the end of an action packed encounter.
The Dutchman defended his lead at the start and overcame an early Safety Car before building up a comfortable advantage at the head of the field.
The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Perez, P4: Ricciardo, P5: Sainz, P6: Piastri, P7: Hulkenberg, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Gasly and P10: Sargeant.
A great result for Red Bull as usual! It’s not surprising at all, especially Perez he is being really consistent at the moment.
A nice result from Ferrari, P2 and P5, some more points on the board which will mean everything when it comes to the closing stages of the season!
Now, we are talking about him again. Mr Daniel Ricciardo, P4! It was looking like P3 at one point during the Sprint but P4 is a very good result for the Aussie and the team. And for his teammate got in the points aswell, so double points!
A nice result from Piastri, a few points on the board for the team. Not a very good race for Norris, he was involved in a lap one incident where he was tipped into a spin at the first corner, where he had terminal damage after contact between Hamilton, Alonso and Stroll.
Not a very good sprint for both Mercedes, which was partly due to a bad qualifying but the race wasn’t much better. Hamilton was obviously involved in the lap 1 incident. And Russell ended up dropping back at the start and then had a few troubles getting past other drivers.
Hulkenberg in P7 aswell, a great result for Haas and a couple points for the team in their home grand prix. His teammate, Kevin Magnussen played a big part in this, helping to stop other drivers come past so his teammate can score some points.
Max Verstappen will be starting from pole for the Sprint in Miami after storming to P1, while an earlier challenge from McLaren seemed to fall away.
With every driver opting for just one flying lap in SQ3, Verstappen went quickest of all with a 1m 27.641s. The Red Bull driver will be joined on the front row by Leclerc, who was only 0.108s away. Rounding out the top three is Sergio Perez.
The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Perez, P4: Ricciardo, P5: Sainz, P6: Piastri, P7: Stroll, P8: Alonso, P9: Norris and P10: Hulkenberg.
A great result from Red Bull both drivers, Max on pole, even though he didn’t have a very good lap… and also a very good performance from Perez aswell.
A very good result from Leclerc, P2 especially after him not running in FP1 as he caused a red flag to recover his Ferrari after getting stuck on the track. So considering not much running for the Monegasque its a decent result.
Now the standout for me, Mr Daniel Ricciardo, P4!! In an RB aswell, he will be wanting to capitalise on this result as much as he can. And the team will be wanting him to do that aswell. But this is what the Australian driver needed to prove he deserves a seat next season whether its in the Red Bull or the RB car…
A decent result for Aston Martin both cars in the top 10, just what the team wants, but especially for Lance Stroll, whose had some up and down performances.
A shock in sprint qualifying was both Mercedes out in SQ2, not at all what the team wants. They had some decent pace in free practice and made a few little changes but they were not the right ones clearly. They have three more chances this weekend so hopefully something will go right.
Red Bull have announced that Adrian Newey is to leave the team, with the esteemed F1 designer departing after almost 20 years at Milton Keynes.
Newey first joined Red Bull ahead of their second season in 2006 and has been instrumental in the squad’s success over the years, helping to turn the operation from midfield runners and point scorers into Grand Prix winners and world champions.
Which has led Red Bull to claim six constructors’ titles and seven drivers’ titles – between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen respectively – with Newey designed cars to date, and they are currently on course to do the double again in 2024.
However, it has now been confirmed just before the Miami Grand Prix that Newey will be departing from his Chief Technical Officer role in the first quarter of 2025.
A Red Bull statement also confirmed that Newey would be stepping back from Formula 1 design duties to “focus on final development and delivery of Red Bull’s first hypercar, the hugely anticipated RB17.” He will see out this project until its completion and will continue to attend specific race to support the F1 team trackside to the end of 2024.
Ever since I was a young boy, I wanted to be a designer of fast cars. My dream was to be an engineer in Formula 1, and I’ve been lucky enough to make that dream a reality. For almost two decades it has been my great honour to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team. However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself. In the interim, the final stages of development of RB17 are upon us, so for the remainder of my time with the team my focus will lie there. I would like to thank the many amazing people I have worked with at Red Bull in our journey over the last 18 years for their talent, dedication and hard work. It has been a real privilege, and I am confident that the engineering team are well prepared for the work going into the final evolution of the car under the four-year period of this regulation set. On a personal note, I would also like to thank the shareholders, the late Dietrich Mateschitz, Mark Mateschitz and Chalerm Yoovidhya for their unwavering support during my time at Red Bull, and Christian, who has not only been my business partner but also a friend of our respective families. Also, thanks to Oliver Mintzlaff for his stewardship and Eddie Jordan, my close friend and manager. Newey on leaving the team.
All of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with Adrian’s hand on the technical tiller. His vision and brilliance have helped us to 13 titles in 20 seasons. His exceptional ability to conceptualise beyond F1 and bring wider inspiration to bear on the design of grand prix cars, his remarkable talent for embracing change and finding the most rewarding areas of the rules to focus on, and his relentless will to win have helped Red Bull Racing to become a greater force than I think even the late Dietrich Mateschitz might have imagined. More than that, the past 19 years with Adrian have been enormous fun. For me, when Adrian joined Red Bull, he was already a superstar designer. Two decades and 13 Championships later he leaves as a true legend. He is also my friend and someone I will be eternally grateful to for everything he brought to our partnership. The legacy he leaves behind will echo through the halls of Milton Keynes and RB17 Track Car will be a fitting testament and legacy to his time with us. Christian Horner on the news.
F1 Academy has announced that American racer Courtney Crone will join the grid as the Wild Card entry for Round 2 of the F1 Academy season in Miami, in a deal that will see her team up with reigning Teams’ Champions PREMA Racing and shoppable entertainment retailer QVC.
The Wild Card initiative, introduced to help strengthen the talent pool in the regions where F1 Academy races, sees Wild Card entries presented by partners at select rounds of the calendar.
Crone will take to the track at the Miami International Autodrome in a QVC-branded livery and race suit as the series takes its place alongside Formula 1.
The 23 year old driver’s preparation for the entry began two weeks ago in Zandvoort as she got behind the wheel of an F1 Academy car for the first time as part of a two-day Official test event.
Hailing from California, Crone started racing karts at 3 year old and has achieved success in multiple racing disciplines including Sprint Cars, LMP3 prototypes, speedway motorcycles, and most recently Lamborghini Super Trofeo.
The Wild Card entries are designed to promote regional talent and show young women in all our race locations that there is a clear pathway into our sport for anyone who is committed and talented. We’ve had a huge amount of interest in the Wild Card since it was introduced in Jeddah and I’d like to thank QVC for supporting our vision and joining us to present our Wild Card entry, Courtney Crone, for the second round of our season alongside Formula 1 at the Miami Grand Prix. Susie Wolff, MBE, F1 Academy Managing Director.
It’s a huge opportunity that F1 ACADEMY is giving drivers through Wild Card entries, especially in America. It can be difficult for young girls from outside Europe to know how to get into international series like this, and the support that I’ve been given by F1 ACADEMY, and the PREMA Racing team, has been hugely positive for me. I’d also like to say thank you to QVC for their support of the Wild Card initiative here in Miami. I think this is an amazing opportunity to grow both this series and the sport. Courtney Crone, speaking about being the F1 Academy Wild Card.
QVC is a leader in live shoppable entertainment, bringing our customers — largely women over the age of 50 — to unexpected places to discover new finds and experiences. Our new Age of Possibility campaign is all about supporting our customers to live their best and most empowered lives. F1 has been innovating and influencing live sports for more than 70 years. The launch of the all-female driver category, F1 ACADEMY, is a testament to their commitment of elevating women in the sport and we are proud to support this vision and Courtney Crone in the race. Annette Dunleavey, VP, Brand Marketing from QVC said.
Jordan's Track Talk 