F1 Sprint will return for a fourth season this year and a format tweak is set to make the spectacle more engaging than ever.
As confirmed in December, Brazil will host its fourth consecutive Sprint weekend, with Austria to stage its third, Austin and Qatar return for a second year, and China and Miami joining the line-up for the very first time.
The F1 Commission met to discuss a range of matters and, shorting after the gathering concluded, the Sprint format update was communicated.
For this year, the Sprint Shootout will move from Saturday to Friday, following an initial free practice session for track acclimatisation and set-up work.
The 100km Sprint will then take place on Saturday, ahead of qualifying for the Grand Prix later that day. With the Grand Prix itself sticking to Sunday.
The regulatory refinements for these changes will be presented to the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) on February 28th.
Away from the Sprint, a proposal to increase the power unit allocation to four per driver for the 2024 and 2025 season was agreed. Additionally, DRS activation for the race will be anticipated to one lap as opposed to two laps after the start of the race, or the re-start following a Safety Car.
Formula 1 returns to Bahrain for the first round of the 2024 season, with the usual grand prix weekend schedule being brought forward a day, as will be the case next week in Saudi Arabia.
The teams always come to Sakhir with plenty of information about how the car and tyre package works on this particularly abrasive track, where traction and braking stability are key to performance.
Track evolution is somewhat limited, with temperature being the biggest influence with two of three free practice sessions tale place in the heat of the day, making it harder to get a read on race data. Another factor often affecting the cars is wind, which causes sand to blow onto the track and making the balance unpredictable.
The Bahrain Grand Prix offers a number of different overtaking opportunities, particularly in Turns 1, 4 and 11. Tyre degradation also playing a part in it, with different race strategies coming into play. Last year, a two-stopper using the C1 and C3 was the favoured strategy with the C2 used by only one team (McLaren).
Nikola Tsolov will continue with ART Grand Prix this year, completing the 2024 Formula 3 grid. The Bulgarian driver will be racing in his second season in the Championship.
Tsolov finished his rookie campaign 22nd in the Drivers’ Standings, earning two points finishes in the second half of the season. He also became apart of the Alpine Academy last year in February, after he was an Affiliate in March 2022.
Prior to joining Formula 3, the 17 year old was victorious in Spanish F4, where he won the 2022 Championship with a dominant campaign. He accumulated a record 400 points, taking 13 race wins and a further five podium finishes en route to the title.
Not only this, he has had stints in Formula Regional Middle East Championship, Macau Grand Prix and Eurocup-3.
I feel very much at home at ART Grand Prix, which is one of the greatest teams ever, so it’s a pleasure to continue with them for a second year in F3. I know the team, the circuits, the procedures and, apart from the tyres, I won’t have to learn anything new. Winter testing showed that we were consistently at the top of the timesheets, and the main target will be to be at the front at every race weekend.
Tsolov on the news.
Niko has had to take a giant step forward coming from Spanish F4 and, despite the difficulties faced by the team in 2023, his determination and focus have only strengthened. The raw results haven’t been there, but we’ve seen Niko’s formidable talent grow throughout the season and the entire team is looking forward to getting off to a good start in 2024 so we can deliver results together in line with our ambitions and our work.
PHM AIX Racing have finalised their driver line-up for the 2024 Formula 3 season following announcement that Nikita Bedrin will race for the team.
Bedrin returns for a second year in Formula 3 after sealing two podium finishes in 2023 at the Budapest Sprint Race and the Spa-Francorchamps Feature race with Jenzer Motorsport.
However, Bedrin has plenty of history with PHM AIX Racing, previously racing for the team in 2022 at the Formula 4 UAE, ADAC F4 and Italian F4 Championships – where he became a race winner at the former two events. He also won two races for the team at the Formula Regional Middle East Championship in 2023.
Welcome Back to the team, Nikita. Besides Taylor Barnard, PHM AIX Racing is supporting and educating Nikita in the third season now. No doubts about his raw speed and talent, Nikita matured on and off track and convinced us to give him another chance to prove himself, after a difficult first season in 2023. Although being compromised by some bad luck, he was able to show some respectable highlights last season with two podiums under very difficult conditions in F3. No doubts, with Nikita, his former FRMEC Teammate Joshua Dufek and Tasanapol, we have a very promising driver line-up, and I am sure, that with all the effort and work the team has done through the winter break, we will compete consistently for points and podiums.
The 2024 Formula 2 grid is now complete following PHM AIX Racing’s announcement that Taylor Barnard will be making the step up from Formula 3.
The Brit progresses to F2 after racing for Jenzer Motorsport last year in F3, finishing 10th in the Championship with the highlight being his maiden victory at the Spa-Francorchamps Feature Race.
The 19 year old, shares a strong history with PHM AIX as he raced for the in the Formula 4 UAE Championship in 2022, as well as in both the Italian and ADAC F4 categories that same year – finishing as the runner-up in the latter after achieving five wins and 10 podiums.
The following year, again with PHM AIX, he took part in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship, scoring two wins and seven podiums on his way to finishing second.
I am delighted to announce I will be competing in FIA Formula 2 with PHM AIX Racing. It is another step up the ladder towards my dream and of course I wish to be more prepared, but I will do everything in my power and more to perform.
Barnard on the news.
On behalf of the whole team I can say that we are more than pleased and happy to have Taylor onboard. Being the most successful PHM Academy Driver, it is the logical step to evaluate Taylor as best promising option to be as successful as possible. He deserves the chance and until now, he fulfilled our expectations through all classes with pure dedication, will, natural talent and speed and increasing technical precision. All these efforts brought up good results, meaning in the last three FIA F3 Rounds 2023 he was the most successful driver by points. Taylor is teaming up with Joshua Duerksen and they know each other very well. We, as a still young PHM AIX Racing team, are aware that we are facing the most competitive Grid below Formula 1. The team is highly excited to have these two extremely motivated F2 Rookies in the field and I am expecting an increasing performance throughout the season and some positive surprising results.
MP Motorsport have confirmed that Alex Dunne will join the team for the 2024 FIA Formula 3 campaign. The Irishman finished second in the 2023 GB3 Championship and took part in post-season F3 testing with Hitech Pulse-Eight.
Dunne claimed five race victories during the GB3 campaign, falling just short of taking the title in what was his rookie season in the series.
Prior, to GB3, Dunne made his single seater racing debut in 2021, taking part in partial Spanish and ADAC F4 Championship campaigns. He took three poles, three fastest laps and three podiums across both series’.
In 2022, he competed in a trio of F4 Championships, winning the British F4 title and also winning races in the UAE and Italian Championships with multiple race wins across the trio. His 11 wins, poles and 17 podiums in British F4 gave him his first ever single seater title while 11 trips to the rostrum and three victories in the Italian series put him runner-up in the standings.
Dunne also topped the final Formula 3 test of 2023 around a rainy Imola circuit in what was his first taste of F3 action.
I’m thrilled to start my first full season of FIA F3 with MP Motorsport. They are proven winners in every category that they compete in, and I’m sure that they will use their experience to help me build on my initial experiences with the F3 car in the post-season FIA F3 test at Imola and then at Macau. I will be up against the best drivers at this level of single-seater racing, but that’s what I’m here for. I relish the challenge ahead and can’t wait to get started!
Dunne on the news.
We are truly excited to welcome Alex to our FIA F3 team. He has had an outstanding year in GB3 and then, fresh into an FIA F3 car, proved his innate pace at Imola and Macau. His Macau performance in particular was hard to overlook, so we were happy to pounce and snap him up for our final FIA F3 seat. Along with Tim and Kacper, we will have three very quick young drivers all eager to prove their point. I’m confident that they will all shine in their debut seasons.
F1 Academy has announced that the top five classified drivers in the 2024 Drivers’ Standings will get FIA Super Licence points. This important development represents recognition of F1 Academy’s competition structure, commitment to driver development and the technical skills required to race in the series.
The Champion of the 2024 season will receive 10 Super Licence points, while the drivers in second and third place will collect seven and five points respectively. Three points will go to fourth and fifth place gets 1 point.
A further initiative designed to help strengthen the talent pool in the regions in which F1 Academy races, from this season the series will also introduce Wild Card entries at select races across its calendar. Working with race promoters, F1 Academy will identify talented young women from the host region and offer the Wild Card entry for a specific weekend.
At races where there is a Wild Card entry, reigning Team Champions, Prema Racing, will operate the wild card car in addition to their three cars and offer support and training to the selected driver. Further details of Wild Card entries will be announced in due course.
Not only this, but an additional update has been made to the Sporting Regulations to specify that drivers may only compete in two seasons of F1 Academy. The introduction of this rule will ensure that every year there are opportunities for the most talented young women coming through the karting and single seater ranks to compete in the series.
After a positive inaugural season we are making two significant steps forward for 2024. Our top five drivers receiving FIA Super Licence points is testament to the strength of F1 Academy’s on track proposition and will help fuel their progression as they move up the single seater pyramid. The introduction of the Wild Card entrants will promote regional talent, engage with local communities, and increase the talent pool in the regions in which we race which will be important for our long-term growth and ensure we are creating even more opportunities for women to get involved in our sport.
MP Motorsport will be fielding an unchanged roster with race winners Hamda Al Qubaisi, Amna Al Qubaisi and Emely De Heus all embarking on their second F1 Academy season.
Driving for Red Bull Racing, Hamda will be the highest-placed returning driver in the field. The 21 year old Emirati racer fought hard to secure third in the Drivers’ Standings with four wins to her name.
23 year old, Amna will be competing for Visa Cash App RB, having claimed two wins in Spielberg and Barcelona alongside a further two podium finishes last year.
Emely De Heus will drive for Red Bull and will be looking to build upon her top nine finish last year after achieving one victory and two podiums.
We are thrilled to be welcoming Hamda, Emely and Amna, three incredibly talented drivers, into the Red Bull Academy Programme and are looking forward to working with them closely this season. This is a landmark moment for us and is testament to our complete commitment to the future of women’s motorsport. F1 ACADEMY provides an opportunity to promote genuine change in our industry and this is a great stepping-stone to help ensure that the drivers progress to the next level. This is a pivotal moment for women in motorsport and we are excited to see what this season brings.
Sarah Harrington, Red Bull Academy Programme Manager.
I’m happy to confirm Hamda, Amna and Emely as our F1 ACADEMY line-up for 2024 and as members of the Red Bull Academy programme. This means we will stick with the drivers whose talent we are familiar with — all three have already become true members of the MP Motorsport family in recent years. Together, we look forward to a challenging new F1 ACADEMY season in which we hope to repeat and further improve on our strong 2023 results. Hamda proved to be one of the title favourites while Amna and Emely each took their wins. And since we narrowly missed out on the teams’ title last year, we hope to go one better this year! Also, I’m grateful for Red Bull’s unwavering support of our efforts and we aim for a successful partnership together.
Formula 1 has announced a five-year extension with the Japanese Grand Prix that will see the Suzuka circuit remain on the F1 Calendar until 2029.
The high-speed 18 corner Suzuka Circuit is a favourite of drivers and fans alike, with the iconic ‘S’ Curves and 130R amongst the highlights at what is one of F1’s most celebrated tracks. Suzuka has played host to many memorable moments in Formula 1, with 12 drivers’ championships settled there, including most recently in 2022 when Max Verstappen sealed his second consecutive title.
In 2024, the Japanese Grand Prix will move to a new slot in April – between races in Australia and China – as part of F1’s effort to rationalise its calendar, creating a more efficient flow of races and reducing the distance that freight travels around the world as part of its journey to become net zero carbon by 2030.
This new slot will also see Formula 1 visit Japan during the world-famous cherry blossom season, offering fans the opportunity to take in fantastic racing and see one of the earth’s most iconic natural spectacles.
Last year’s Japanese Grand Prix was attended by 222,000 passionate fans across the race weekend, up from 200,000 in 2022. It also saw more than 20,000 people attend the first F1 Fan Festival in downtown Tokyo, with appearances by drivers including Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon and hometown hero Yuki Tsunoda.
Suzuka is a special circuit and part of the fabric of the sport, so I am delighted that F1 will continue to race there until at least 2029. As we prepare to return to Japan earlier than usual this season, I would like to express my huge gratitude to the promoter and team at Honda MobilityLand for supporting our effort towards greater calendar rationalisation as we look to make the sport more sustainable. Our fans in Japan embrace Formula 1 with a unique passion and we look forward to working with the promoter to give fans the experience they deserve for years to come.
Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1.
I am pleased that we will be able to continue hosting the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit from 2025 onwards. I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Stefano Domenicali and other related Formula 1 members. We aim to create a sustainable future and currently we are preparing to welcome many fans for the 2024 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix in April, the first time the event will be held in the spring season. We will continue to work together with the local communities and government agencies, including Mie Prefecture and Suzuka City, so that Suzuka can continue to be loved by fans around the world and contribute to the prosperity of motorsports culture and industrial development.
Tsuyoshi Saito, President and Representative Director of Honda Mobilityland Corporation.
Lewis Hamilton, seven-time F1 World Champion will be making a sensational switch from Mercedes to Ferrari next year on a multi-year contract.
Hamilton has raced for the Silver Arrows since the 2013 season and has won six of his seven world titles with the team, adding to the crown he achieved at McLaren earlier in his career.
Not only this, but he re-committed to Mercedes last summer, signing a new deal to keep him aboard through 2025, but he used the release clause which has allowed him to move to the Italian team.
Hamilton’s decision comes after two challenging seasons for the Brackley squad, who have struggled to adapt to F1’s latest ground effect era and have dropped behind Red Bull in the pecking order.
It means Hamilton will link up with Charles Leclerc, who recently agreed an extension with the Scuderia “beyond 2024” while Carlos Sainz will have to make way at the end of this year.
I have had an amazing 11 years with this team [Mercedes] and I’m so proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. It’s a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make. But the time is right for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge. I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together. I am 100% committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows, one to remember.
Lewis Hamilton on the news.
In terms of a team-driver pairing, our relationship with Lewis has become the most successful the sport has seen, and that’s something we can look back on with pride; Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history. However, we knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come. We accept Lewis’s decision to seek a fresh challenge, and our opportunities for the future are exciting to contemplate. But for now, we still have one season to go, and we are focused on going racing to deliver a strong 2024.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal and CEO.
Following today’s news, Scuderia Ferrari and myself will part ways at the end of 2024. We still have a long season ahead of us and, like always, I will give my absolute best for the team and for the Tifosi all around the world. News about my future will be announced in due course.
Pietro Fittipaldi and Oliver Bearman have been named as Haas’s reserve drivers for the upcoming F1 season, providing back-up to regular racers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen.
Brazilian-American driver Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time world champion Emerson, has represented Haas since 2018, initially carrying out test duties before stepping up to reserve.
He also has two F1 starts to his name with the US-led operation, having replaced Romain Grosjean at the 2020 Sakhir and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix following the Frenchman’s crash in Bahrain.
A former Formula Renault, MRF Challenge and World Series Formula V8 3.5 champion, the 27 year old is preparing to embark on a full campaign in the IndyCar series in 2024, racing for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Bearman meanwhile, is back by Haas’s power unit partner, Ferrari where he will hold similar reserve duties for 2024 after impressing in his rookie F2 season.
The Brit who also took part in FP1 with Haas in Mexico and Abu Dhabi last season, was back in action for Ferrari earlier this week when he took to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya aboard the 2022 specification F1-75 as part of a Pirelli tyre test.
I’m happy and proud to be going into my sixth season with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. I’m looking forward to continuing our work in development and supporting the team in the best way I can throughout the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Fittipaldi on the news.
I’m really happy to be part of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team for the upcoming season. I had a great experience last year working with everyone at the team and I’m looking forward to building on that this year. There are several events I’ll be doing FP1s at – alongside the reserve duties, which is exciting. I’m grateful to Haas F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari for their faith and for supporting me.
Bearman on the news.
Oliver did a tremendous job for us last season settling in well and working through both his FP1 run programs in Mexico and Abu Dhabi and then with his test program. We’re looking forward to giving him the opportunity for more outings in FP1 in 2024 – with testing at a premium this is key running time, both for us to evaluate Oliver’s progress but also to enable him seat time in a Formula 1 car. Having Pietro with us for a sixth season is valuable as he again provides continuity and he’s been a great contributor to our program over the years – both on and off-track. We’re excited he’s landed a full-time IndyCar ride this season, so he can do what he loves to do – and that’s to race, but he’s there for us too as part of the Haas family.
Charlie Wurz will join Jenzer Motorsport for the 2024 FIA Formula 3 campaign, filling out the final spot in the Swiss team’s line-up for this season.
Wurz, son of ex-F1 driver Alexander, arrives in F3 after a partial campaign in Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine and Euroformula Open Championship. The Austrian took five podiums en route to P6 in the Standings as well as a maiden win at Monza in the latter.
Prior to that, the 18 year old began his single seater career in the Italian F4 Championship back in 2021, taking part in six races before returning for a full campaign the following year.
That same season, he won the 2022 Formula 4 UAE title with two wins and 10 podiums in total. He finished the Italian F4 season fourth, also taking one win and six podiums in total.
I am thrilled to be racing with Jenzer Motorsport for the 2024 FIA F3 season. I feel confident and comfortable having a team with such high motivation behind me. I can’t wait to get started in Bahrain in a few weeks time.
Wurz on the news.
Part of Charlie’s blood seems to be pure fuel and passion! The FIA F3 official test days we did together at the end of 2023 as well as how he was able to shine in the demanding FIA F3 Macau World Cup event was very positive. Let’s push together to achieve great results and bring the Jenzer Motorsport car – featuring the new livery – once more to the front.
Formula 1 has rejected Andretti’s bid to join the grid as an 11th team in the 2025 or 2026 seasons, but the door remains ajar to a potential entry in 2028 for the American team.
Andretti’s bid, which has been headed up by former McLaren driver, Michael Andretti and his father Mario, the 1978 world champion, had been passed to F1 for commercial considerations after its application had passed the first two stages of the application process, which were run by the FIA, the sport’s governing body, in October.
But Formula One Management, as the sport’s commercial rights holder, had the final say, and after several months of detailed analysis into submission, has announced that Andretti’s application has not passed the final test for entry, at least for now.
Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the Championship. The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the applicant would be a competitive participant. The need for any new team to take a compulsory power unit supply, potentially over a period of several seasons, would be damaging to the prestige and standing of the Championship.
F1 explaining the steps it took to review Andretti’s case and the reason for its conclusion on the matter.
Andretti have since released a statement strongly disagreeing with the conclusions reached by Formula 1.
Andretti Cadillac has reviewed the information Formula One Management Limited has shared and strongly disagree with its contents. Andretti and Cadillac are two successful global motorsports organizations committed to placing a genuine American works team in F1, competing alongside the world’s best. We are proud of the significant progress we have already made on developing a highly competitive car and power unit with an experienced team behind it, and our work continues at pace. Andretti Cadillac would also like to acknowledge and thank the fans who have expressed their support.
Andretti on the news.
The door to entry has however, been left open for 2028 by F1 on the provision that General Motors, the American car giant whose Cadillac brand had been backing Andretti’s entry, joined the bid as full works team or customer team.
Sauber has expanded their roster of young drivers for 2024 after revealing that Formula 2 racer, Zane Maloney is joining the team’s development programme.
A former British Formula 4 champion, and FIA Formula 3 runner-up, Maloney makes the move to the Swiss operation after leaving Red Bull’s own junior team, having placed 10th in last year’s F2 standings with four podiums to his name.
In addition to bolstering Sauber’s talent pool, the 20 year old Barbadian racer will take on the role of reserve driver for the F1 team at several Grands Prix during the upcoming season, where he will share duties with fellow Sauber Academy member and reigning F2 champion Theo Pourchaire.
Maloney will continue in F2 for a second season this year, sticking with the Rodin Motorsport team which is now supported by the Sauber Academy.
I am honoured to join the Sauber Academy, and to take on the role of one of [Sauber’s] reserve drivers. The Sauber name resonates with Formula 1, as it has been part of the sport for over 30 years, paving the way for so many drivers who went on to achieve great success. I am pleased to become part of this family, and I am looking forward to working together this season, as I move closer to my goal of becoming a Formula 1 driver.
Maloney on the news.
We are delighted to welcome Zane as the latest addition to the Sauber Academy. His path through the junior series has been remarkable so far and, with his speed and potential, he surely makes a great addition to our talented roster. On behalf of the whole team, I give him my warmest welcome onboard, and look forward to working together and achieving great success.
Ferrari have announced that Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc will step up to respective reserve and development driver roles for the 2024 season, providing extra support to the iconic F1 team.
Bearman will share the reserve role with former F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Shwartzman ready to step in should either Leclerc or Sainz be unable to race.
Arthur Leclerc, meanwhile joins Antonio Fuoco and Davide Rigon in the development driver ranks, which includes working in the simulator, car development, set up works and any updates throughout the season.
After an impressive rookie season that saw him take four race wins, six podium finishes and placed sixth in the championship standings, British driver Bearman will stay in F2 for a sophomore campaign with Prema Racing this year.
As for Leclerc, brother of Charles, the Monegasque will move from the single-seater category to the Italian GT Championship, having recently left the Ferrari Driver Academy but stayed within the manufacturer’s overall set-up.
Red Bull have become the 10th and final team to unveil their car for the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Ahead of their title defence in the year ahead, the RB20 was revealed to the world at the squad’s Milton Keynes base on Thursday, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez amongst the team members on hand as their new challenger was revealed.
There are no surprises in terms of livery, with the car continuing to carry the traditional navy blue colour scheme. The team has opted for a more aggressive concept, they will also be hoping for no big changes in regard to their car’s level of performance.
Its predecessor, the RB19, enjoyed unprecedented levels of success in 2023, netting victory in all but one of the 22 Grands Prix. With Verstappen taking 19 of those 22 wins as he sealed his third drivers’ title in Qatar with several races to spare.
The Dutchman ended the campaign with a 290 point advantage over second place Perez. Whereas in the constructors’ championship, Red Bull racked up a staggering 451 more points than nearest challengers Mercedes.
Verstappen was given his first chance to get behind the wheel this week, as they had a shakedown at Silverstone.
It does look a bit different. I think the team definitely pushed on quite a bit from last year and I think that’s very positive. I’m just looking forward to get to Bahrain, start testing and really see what the car is capable of.
Verstappen on the RB20.
You can see that the team has done an incredible job. We’ve gone very aggressive with the concept, so I’m looking forward to it. I find it great from Red Bull that we’ve had such a dominant car last year, that we just changed completely our concept. It’s something that I think requires a lot of hunger in the team, to keep pushing all the boundaries. [It] will be interesting to see how everything feels on track.
Rodin Motorsport have finalised their line-up for the 2024 FIA Formula 3 season by announcing that Polish racer, Piotr Wisnicki will be joining the team.
Wisnicki joins the team having raced in F3 previously for part of the 2023 campaign with PHM AIX Racing. The 20 year old has experience in Formula Regional and the Italian F4 championships, becoming a multiple time points scorer in the latter.
Wisnicki completes Rodin’s line-up for the 2024 season with the team having previously announced the signings of Callum Voisin and Joseph Loake.
I’m pleased to be able to announce that I’m joining Rodin Motorsport for the upcoming season. I’ve already raced in the championship so that’s given me a really good understanding going into this year; I’m looking forward to putting everything I’ve learned in the past into this season. It’s great to be joining the team, I’ve been working closely with them over the past few weeks, and everything looks great, so I think we’re going to have a good year together.
Wisnicki on the news.
Piotr had a part season racing in the championship last year and despite his limited track time, he’s learned a lot from this valuable time behind the wheel. Piotr has a fantastic attitude which matches our own ethos here in the team. I’m really looking forward to working with him this season, I’m sure he’s going to be a great asset to the team and an exciting driver to watch on track.
Sam Waple, Rodin Motorsport’s Formula 3 Team Manager.
Mercedes became the penultimate team to launch for 2024 by revealing their new F1 car with a new livery.
After McLaren showed an online presentation of their 2024 car, Mercedes posted digital renders of the W15 on their social media, with an on track shakedown after.
Mercedes joined McLaren on track at Silverstone for some initial running with their new car before heading off to Bahrain for pre-season testing next week.
The team will be hoping to take a step forward in 2024 in what will be Lewis Hamilton’s final season with the team. He will again be joined by George Russell as his teammate, with the Brit entering his third campaign as a Silver Arrows driver.
After a difficult 2022 season amid the introduction of the new ground effect era in the sport, Mercedes initially stuck with their car concept entering into 2023. However, when their issues continued last season, the team started on what they called a “period of renewal”, which should put them in a new direction.
There are no miracles in this sport. But our ambition and determination are strong. Since charting this new course, development has progressed well. We had several items on our priority list for this car. We will soon see if we’ve made the step we’ve aimed for. As the saying goes: when it stings, it sticks. I believe the previous two years were necessary for us to readjust, recalibrate and reinvent ourselves in certain areas.That root-and-branch approach is never easy. But we’ve made progress and look forward to taking the next step with the W15. It won’t be a linear path, but when we stumble, we will get back up and keep climbing.
Toto Wolff on the struggles over the past few years.
Ferrari have kept the F1 launch season rolling by showing off their eagerly anticipated new challenger in an online presentation.
Following swiftly in the footsteps of Aston Martin, the famous Italian marque virtually unveiled their SF-24 – which continues Ferrari’s recent naming tradition – via a special video and series of images.
It keeps the traditional red livery and has white and yellow stripes throughout the car. Ferrari hope it marks a return to title contention as they hunt for their first constructors’ championship since 2008 and first drivers’ crown since 2007.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will remain as teammates for a fourth consecutive season this year, however the build up to the new campaign has been dominated by the news of Lewis Hamilton joining the Italian team next year.
This means, that Sainz has had to make way for the 7 time world champion, which leaves him without a seat as Leclerc has just signed a new deal.
For now, the focus will be on the 24-race season ahead and taking another step forward with SF-24 package after Ferrari claimed the only non-Red Bull victory of 2023 in Frederic Vasseur’s first term as team boss.
Presenting a new car to the world for the first time is always a very exciting moment for me and the drivers, even if we are all already thinking about the moment we will go head to head with our rivals on track. This year, we must start off where we left off at the end of last season, when we were consistent front runners, with a view to constantly improving in all areas. The longest ever Formula 1 season awaits us and Charles, Carlos and I all agree, we must be more clinical and effective in how we manage the races, making bold choices, in order to get the best possible result at every Grand Prix. It’s often said that your fans can give you an extra gear and that will definitely be true in what will be a very closely contested championship and we are proud to know we can count on our ‘tifosi’ from around the world.
Another contract extension is here, and this time it’s Lando Norris and McLaren, with the Brit committed his long-term future agreeing an extended multi-year contract.
The Brit took six second-place finishes in 2023 on his way to sixth in the drivers’ standings in what was his most competitive season since he made his F1 debut in 2019.
Norris’s contract was set to expire at the end of 2025 – having signed a four-year agreement in February 2022 – but following another strong campaign, both parties have moved to extend that stay. After team mate Oscar Piastri signed a new deal last September, Norris’s new agreement will see McLaren run an unchanged line-up for at least the next three seasons.
The news came just a day after Charles Leclerc signed a new multi-year deal to extend his stay at Ferrari.
McLaren hope to bring the fight to Red Bull this season, and with their drivers locked in for the next few seasons they will aim to do so.
It’s a great feeling to be staying in papaya. I’ve grown up with McLaren and feel at home here, the team are like family to me. The journey so far has been exciting, we’ve had ups and downs, but last season showed our desire to get back to competing at the front of the grid. The work Zak [Brown, McLaren Racing CEO], Andrea [Stella, McLaren Team Principal] and the whole team have put in over the last year has been incredible and I’m confident in challenging for wins with McLaren. I’m excited to create more amazing memories and continue working hard with everyone at MTC for the next few years.
Norris on the news.
I’m delighted that we’re continuing our relationship with Lando for multiple years to come. It’s been a fantastic journey over the last six years, and he has shown fantastic commitment and desire to push the team forward and get McLaren back to the front of the grid. Last season we saw the fundamental role Lando played with the impressive turnaround in results and I’m looking forward to continuing this push forward together with lots more podiums.
Brown on the news.
I’m pleased to confirm the extension of our partnership with Lando on a multi-year contract beyond 2025. This reflects the commitment and confidence we have together, with our shared ambition to ultimately win championships again in the future. Lando has grown as a driver and a person since initially joining McLaren in 2017. He impressed last season, playing an important role in our progress throughout the year, securing seven podiums with many fantastic drives. Alongside Oscar, our exciting driver pairing will play an instrumental part in our objective to move towards the front of the grid. They have impressed in their first season together and I’m looking forward to continuing the hard work with them both on this exciting journey.
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc have agreed a fresh contract extension, with the Monegasque continuing to race for the Italian team beyond the end of 2024.
Leclerc has enjoyed a long relationship with the Scuderia, having first joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016. After making his F1 debut with Sauber in 2018, he became a full-time member of the Ferrari team a year later and from there he has grabbed five race wins, as well as claiming 23 pole positions.
Now the partnership looks set to continue for several more years as Leclerc remains set on his aim of winning his first world championship with Ferrari.
Leclerc will enter into his sixth season as a Ferrari driver in 2024, where he will again by joined by team mate Carlos Sainz, who is contracted to the team until the end of the year.
The Italian outfit will launch their new challenger on February 13th, ahead of pre-season testing taking place in from February 21st-23rd in Sakhir before the first race of the season a week later.
I’m very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come. To race for this team has been my dream since I was three years old: I used to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the window of a friend’s apartment at Ste. Devote corner and I would always look out for the red cars. This team is my second family ever since I joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years. However, I believe the best is yet to come and I can’t wait for this season to start, to make further progress and be competitive at every race. My dream remains that of winning the World Championship with Ferrari and I’m sure that in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy.
Charles on his new contract.
Charles’ bond to the Scuderia goes beyond that of just a driver and a team, as he has been part of the Ferrari family for eight years now, dating back to a time before he first sported the Prancing Horse emblem on his race suit. His values and those of our team are intertwined and so it was natural for us to be in agreement on extending our collaboration. We know him for his incessant desire to push himself to the limit and we appreciate his extraordinary abilities when it comes to fighting and overtaking in a race. We are determined to give Charles a winning car and I know that his determination and commitment are elements that can make the difference in helping us reach our goals.
Aston Martin have become the latest team to show off their new car for the 2024 season. Following on from Haas, Williams, Kick Sauber, Alpine and RB.
Owner, Lawrence Stroll, Team Principal Mike Krack, Technical Director Dan Fallows and drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were all on hand for the unveiling of the AMR24, which once again sports a British racing green livery.
Aston Martin will head into the new campaign hoping to make a similar start to 2023, when a productive winter of development saw them shoot up the pecking order and emerge as Red Bull’s nearest challengers.
However, the added challenge for 2024 will to be achieve this level on a consistent basis, having gradually faded away as last season wore on.
F1’s launch season will continue this week as Ferrari present their new car tomorrow, followed by Mercedes and McLaren on Wednesday and Red Bull Thursday. Coincidentally, it is those four teams Aston Martin will be hoping to mix it with more frequently in 2024 as they aim to improve on their fifth place classification in last year’s constructors’ standings.
We have tried to focus on all areas of our predecessor, the AMR23, which had a great season, full of positives, last year. But then we have not left any stone unturned. We have really tried to look at every area, be it the car, be it the operations, be it reliability, to make a step forward in all directions. It has been very intense over the couple of months since we finished the [last] season and we hope we have done enough. We are sure that we will have a strong contender.
Mike Krack.
We have managed to make a step on last year’s car. We’re very pleased with what we’ve been able to achieve. Really, it’s the first step, and this season we want to make sure we’ve got a good platform for development. That’s what we’ve been really focusing on and I think we’ve managed to achieve that. We’ve made changes all over the car. It’s very different in many ways and the majority of the parts have changed on it. But it is really still essentially a strong evolution of last year’s car, so we have kind of built on the end of AMR23. The obvious things you’ll see that are different are things like the front nose and front wing, the bodywork is different, but there’s also quite a lot under the hood which hopefully you won’t see! We will obviously try and keep some of that under wraps.
PHM AIX Racing have confirmed the first of their three drivers for the 2024 season, with Joshua Dufek joining the team. Dufek was a final round substitute at Campos Racing at the end of last year, driving for them in the Sprint and Feature Races at Monza, but will now gear up for his first full campaign.
The Swiss driver arrives in FIA Formula 3 after competing in half a season of Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine before switching over and finishing the year with Euroformula Open Championship action.
He ended up 13th in FRECA after leaving at the halfway stage but finished up seventh in the Euroformula standings, taking seven podiums and one win.
Dufek also took part in post-season testing with PHM AIX Racing, driving for the team in Jerez, Barcelona and Imola.
The 19 year old started out his single seater career in Spanish F4 back in 2020, where he finished fourth overall. He then moved to ADAC Formula 4 where he once again achieved podiums en route to P7 in the standings. He also completed a season on Italian F4 alongside that in 2021 securing one win and ending the season seventh.
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be teaming up with PHM once again to make my debut in FIA F3! It’s an exciting opportunity and I can’t wait to hit the track and show what I can do. The official tests at the end of last year really helped us in setting a solid baseline and I hope to build on that to make this season together a memorable one!
Dufek on the news.
Servus Joshua. We are very glad to welcome Joshua back in our team. We have been following Joshua for a long time now. Joshua is part of our closer circle of drivers, since he has already driven for us in the FRMEC 2023. He has had a challenging 2023 at the beginning, but showed his real speed and abilities in various classes before and in our post-season testing. Joshua is part of our very strong driver line up and encourages the whole Team with his positive attitude and teamwork. We are convinced to be on a very competitive Level this season.
AlphaTauri will emerge from the Formula 1 winter break with an all-new team name after the decision was made to undergo a rebranding to RB ahead to the 2024 campaign.
Red Bull’s sister outfit joined the grid back in 2006 and initially raced under the Toro Rosso guise but were renamed as AlphaTauri from 2020 to promote the company’s fashion brand.
From 2024 onwards, they will be known as RB (with the full team name being Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team) marking a stronger reference to the Red Bull operation who have benefitted from bringing in a host of junior drivers with the Faenza squad.
Over the years, the likes of four time champion Sebastian Vettel, three time champion Max Verstappen and multiple race winner Daniel Ricciardo built up valuable experience at the outfit before progressing to Red Bull.
Highlights of AlphaTauri’s spell in F1 include a remarkable victory for Pierre Gasly at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, a result that brought back memories of Vettel’s breakthrough triumph in 2008 during the Toro Rosso days.
This year, Yuki Tsunoda will enter his fourth F1 season at RB, while Ricciardo keeps his spot after replacing Nyck de Vries midway through the 2023 season and returning from injuries he sustained in a practice session at Zandvoort.
In addition to Mekies arriving at Tost’s replacement after the Austrian’s 18 year stint at the team, another recent change at the top of team saw Peter Bayer come in from the FIA, overseeing operations as CEO.
The newly-rebranded RB team have unveiled their 2024 challenger – the VCARB 01 – at a glittering event in Las Vegas.
It has been all change for the Faenza-based quad for 2023, after they brought their AlphaTauri era to a close following the conclusion of last season, and that includes a livery change.
While AlphaTauri’s design predominantly showcased dark blue and white, the new RB car will sport a sparkling blue and white livery, which takes it back to the designs of the Toro Rosso car.
The car was obviously the star of the show at the launch event in Las Vegas, with the team’s new CEO Peter Bayer present and the new Team Principal Laurent Mekies. Also on stage at the event, alongside drivers Ricciardo and Tsunoda, was Amna Al-Qubaisi, who will be carrying the team’s colours in F1 Academy this year.
There’s also been a host of changes to the operation ahead of this year’s campaign, with three experienced technical and trackside personnel signing on recently.
One of those is Alan Permane – who departed Alpine as their Sporting Director midway through last season – as he takes up the role of Racing Director. Tim Goss will also take on the role of Chief Technical Officer in October. While Guillaume Cattelani joined the team as Deputy Technical Director, reporting to Technical Director Jody Egginton.
As for the drivers, they will be hoping for a more successful season, with AlphaTauri finishing P8 in the constructors’ last year. The Australian will be wanting a smoother campaign, having started 2023 away from the F1 grid before his dramatic return was halted by a broken hand after the summer break.
Formula 1 has announced that the Spanish Grand Prix will be held in Madrid from 2026 to 2035 following an agreement with IFEMA Madrid to bring an all new circuit to the Spanish capital, which will incorporate both street and non-street sections.
Built around the world-class IFEMA exhibition centre, the 5.47km circuit – subject to FIA homologation and final design specification – will feature 20 corners, with a projected qualifying lap time of 1 minute 32 seconds.
It is projected to have capacity to host more than 110,00 fans per day across grandstand, general admission and VIP hospitality, while there are plans to grow the circuit’s capacity to 140,000 per day over the first half of the agreement, making Madrid one of the largest venues on the F1 calendar
Located five minutes from the Madrid-Barajas Aldolfo Suarez airport, the Spanish Grand Prix will become one of the most accessible races on the F1 calendar, with the circuit just a short commute away by Metro, train and city lines.
F1 is committed to reaching Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and IFEMA Madrid shares the vision to make the Spanish Grand Prix one of the most sustainable F1 events of the season, having greatly reduced its carbon emissions over the last five years and move to 100% renewable energy across all exhibition halls, while any temporary structure built for the race will be constructed using recyclable materials.
Madrid is an incredible city with amazing sporting and cultural heritage, and today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain. I would like to thank the team at IFEMA MADRID, the Regional Government of Madrid and the city’s Mayor for putting together a fantastic proposal. It truly epitomises Formula 1’s vision to create a multi-day spectacle of sport and entertainment that delivers maximum value for fans and embraces innovation and sustainability.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.
Modern Formula 1 cars racing on a new circuit in the Spanish capital city of Madrid is an enticing prospect.As we build towards the introduction of the FIA 2026 Formula One regulations, which have been framed with Net Zero carbon by 2030 in mind, it is pleasing to see that the local organisers have placed a sharp focus on environmental sustainability in their plans for the event. As is customary, the proposed circuit will be subject to FIA homologation and safety checks and calendar approval by the World Motor Sport Council.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA.
Our dream of hosting a major F1 event around IFEMA MADRID has come true. We are thrilled to announce the return of F1 to Madrid after more than four decades. We have the ambition to organise a Grand Prix that will become a reference in the F1 worldwide calendar, specifically conceptualized and designed to offer a distinctive and unique experience for both fans and teams participating in the competition. With this, Madrid wants to deep dive into the development of a new concept that combines sport and entertainment, while delivering a memorable event.
Jose Vicente de los Mozos, President of the Executive Committee of IFEMA Madrid.
Alpine have pulled the wraps off their latest F1 challenger – the A524 – ahead of the 2024 season, gathering at Enstone for a full ‘Motorsport Launch’ event that also saw the French brand’s WEC car formally presented.
Alpine’s new F1 car, which will be driven by continuing team mates Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, is inspired by their partnership with contemporary artist Felipe Pantone and features a predominantly black livery with blue and pink highlights to build on previous designs.
Meanwhile, Austrian water treatment company BWT entering the third year of their title partnership, Alpine’s livery will be pink dominated at eight of this season’s 24 races. having also started the beginning of the season in 2022 and 2023 in that style.
Alpine will head into the new campaign, looking to bounce back from a low 2023, which saw them fall from fourth to sixth in the constructors’ standings and finish in the midfield.
It’s a great moment for Alpine Motorsports to come together and officially present its programmes for the 2024 season. It is certainly a unique moment to have both the A524 Formula 1 car and A424 Hypercar along with all the drivers in the same room as both projects prepare for what will undoubtedly be a busy and intense 2024 year. To see both the real cars here today is testament to all the hard work conducted behind the scenes at our factories from our thousands of talented employees in the United Kingdom and in France. The next stage on our journey is deploying everything to the track, applying operational excellence across the board and growing a greater dynamic and mindset from all our teams. We are all very much looking forward to continuing the hard work to bring the Alpine name success.
Bruno Famin, Alpine VP of Motorsports and Team Principal of Alpine F1 Team.
The A524 approach has been aggressive but deliberate in the fact we are creating a wider scope to add performance to the car. We have really focused on learning and reacting to what we have learnt rather than on results. The project has been bold where we have focused on realising concepts, which we aim to add to the car. We’ve built ourselves a strong platform to add performance when we can and we have set ourselves targets to deliver those. We have pushed some elements to the limit and, in some cases, beyond that. That is all in line with our approach and exactly what we have set out to achieve in progressing this project to the best possible level.
Trident have retained Roman Stanek for the 2024 Formula 2 season, announcing that their partnership is set to continue for a third consecutive campaign.
Stanek first raced with Trident back in 2022 when he finished fifth in his second season of FIA Formula 3, scoring one victory and pole position along with two fastest laps and four podiums.
He then made the step up to Formula 2 last year, and wound-up 18th in the Championship after scoring 15 points. Stanek’s return completes Trident’s 2024 line-up with the team having already announced that they had reunited with Dutchman Richard Verschoor.
We are delighted to continue our collaboration with Roman Stanek, who has been part of our family for a long time and was able to provide winning results in the past. We are certain that all the ingredients are there to do well and achieve increasingly ambitious goals together. The experience acquired in 2023 will prove pivotal to start the new season with the best conditions and maximum determination.
Stake have unveiled their 2024 challenger the C44, which sports a dazzling new fluorescent green and black livery, at a glittering event at London’s Guildhall.
The Sauber-run team, who will run under the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber name this year, are embarking on a new era after saying goodbye to Italian sponsor Alfa Romeo.
The Swiss-operation say the C44 is “a marked departure from its predecessor” and a “slew of changes have been introduced”. One of the most significant tweaks is a move from push-rod to pull-rod suspension.
The C44 also features revised sidepods and engine cover plus a new floor – one of the most important areas for development when pursuing pure lap time. The team adds “some important updates” will be brought to the car in the opening rounds.
The car will hit the track for the first time on Friday when it completes a shakedown at Barcelona and then onto pre-season testing.
The new car we unveiled today, the C44, is a tribute to the work done by James Key and the technical team, and to every man and woman in Hinwil, who all contributed to the car we see today. Witnessing the launch of a new car is always a special moment, and even more so when it marks the start of a new era, that of Stake F1 Team. We have a fresh new identity and we are excited about everything we have planned, on and off the track: today, though, it is all about the C44 and its potential. We are confident about this car and our team: we won’t speak about specific targets, because it’s always difficult to put commit to numbers, but our targets are clear – to improve the performance of our car and our package. By package, I mean every area, from the race team to the operations on track, the pit stops, the strategy: it’s more than just the car performance, and we are committed in all departments to make this step, this is the target. Then, we will see where our position will be as the season progresses: but the key target is to improve this year and to deliver a better job than we did in 2023.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative.
The C44 is virtually a completely new car, with a few carry-over areas at the rear of the car. The team had to take an ambitious direction well before I joined: there are many mechanical changes, some of which you can’t see at all, but some are very visible. The front suspension is completely new, a tough and ambitious project for a team of our size. There are many aerodynamic changes, too, as would be expected given that this remains the primary area of development – so, overall, the car will really look quite different to last year’s car. We took a lot of new, exciting directions, all of which appear to hold quite a bit of potential, so we’re looking forward to seeing them on track.
Williams have shown off the livery that will adorn their cars during the upcoming F1 season at a special launch ceremony in New York.
After livery reveals from McLaren and Haas, it was the Grove outfit’s turn to present their colour scheme for the year ahead, with an evolved deep blue design which, according to the team “links Williams’ championship-winning heritage with its mission to return to the front of the grid”.
Williams also took the opportunity to announce a new multi-year headline partnership with Komatsu, who are a leading manufacturer of construction, mining, forestry and industrial heavy equipment. The two parties previously enjoyed a successful partnership in the 1980s and 1990s, when Williams won a host of races and championships, including the supply of gearbox components for the title winning 1996 and 1997 cars.
James Vowles was brought in as Team Principal early last year, to spark a new era of success, the operation enjoyed an immediate rise from the foot of the F1 constructors’ standings to seventh position in 2023 – with Alex Albon scoring all but one point.
Albon will be continuing with the squad for a third successive campaign in 2024, with Logan Sargeant being retained for his second season in F1.
It is a significant milestone to unveil the 2024 livery at an iconic location in New York City. Since joining Williams Racing a year ago, I’ve seen this team pull together to overcome a number of challenges and claim seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, which meant a great deal for everyone involved. We’ve also shown the world that we’re building the foundations for moving forward. We’ll continue to strengthen the team both on and off the track through improvements to our infrastructure, investing in our people, and attracting fantastic new partners like Komatsu. Of course, there’s still a long way to go on this journey together but I know our fans, partners and everyone at Grove HQ is pushing as one to create new history for this iconic team. It will take time, but everyone’s support is integral to help drive us towards success in the years to come. I’m looking forward to seeing what this season holds for us.
Jordan's Track Talk 