Formula 1 returns to North America after two European rounds in Imola and Monaco. The Canadian Grand Prix therefore means a change of continent.
The race in Montreal will be the third in a row to feature the three softest compounds in the 2024 range, the C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft).
The 4.361 kilometre track is named in honour of Gilles Villeneuve and features six lefthand corners and eight to the right and it has one of the lowest average speeds of the season. Stability under braking and traction coming out of the chicanes and the slowest corners, which include the hairpin leading onto a very long straight.
Unlike the previous race weekend in Monaco, overtaking here is possible, especially at the end of the straight leading to the final chicane, the exit to which features the “Wall of Champions” thus named after three world champions, Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve, all ended their races there in 1999, crashing into the wall on the outside of the turn.
The entire track has been resurfaced for this year and the kerbs have been replaced. On paper, the track’s existing characteristics of low abrasiveness and therefore reduced grip should remain the same. For most of the year, the track is only used by people on foot or cyclists and so lap times generally drop significantly as the cars rubber-in the surface.
Setting a quick time in qualifying involves getting very close to the barriers and walls, while making the best use of the kerbs, so it’s also important for the driver to do as many laps as possible to gain confidence.
In last years race, all three dry compounds came into play with a mix of strategies with some drivers, including the three who finished on the podium, going for a two-stop while others pitted just the once. They also have to take into consideration that the Safety Car is a frequent visitor and that a longer first stint therefore offers the best chance of minimising time lost changing tyres.
F1 returns to North America after two European rounds. The Canadian GP therefore means a change of continent but it’s a case of status quo when it comes to tyre compound choice, because it will be the third in a row to feature the three softest ones in the range (C3, C4 and C5). pic.twitter.com/PBdfUlydjw
Sergio Perez will continue as a Red Bull Racing driver through the 2026 season after the Milton Keynes team confirmed a multi-year extension to the Mexican’s contract.
Perez’s existing deal – which he signed in 2022 – was set to expire at the end of this season, but Red Bull have moved to keep him onboard for at least the next two seasons.
It comes amid a particularly busy driver market, with most outfits yet to confirm their full driver line-ups and plenty of conversations taking place behind the scenes.
Perez, will be extending his stay at Red Bull into a landmark fifth season and beyond having joined the squad from Racing Point – which is now Aston Martin – back in 2021. Since then Perez has taken five Grand Prix victories – spread across 2021, 2022 and 2023 and bagged three pole positions, claimed over the latter two years.
The Mexican finished a career-best second behind teammate Max Verstappen in the championship last season, helping Red Bull achieve a maiden one-two result alongside the constructors’ title.
Perez currently sits fifth in the standings after eight of this season’s 24 rounds, behind Verstappen, the two Ferrari drivers and McLaren’s Lando Norris, while Red Bull lead the Scuderia by 24 points in the constructors’ battle.
I am really happy to commit my future to this great team. It is a challenge like no other racing for Oracle Red Bull Racing, both on track and off track. I am delighted to be staying here to continue our journey together and contribute to this team’s great history for two more years. Being part of the team is an immense challenge, and one I love. We have a great challenge this year and I have full trust in the whole team that the future is bright here and I am excited to be part of it. I want to thank everyone for all the trust they are putting in me, it is a lot and I want to pay it back with excellent results on track, and off track. I think we have a lot of work to do, we have a lot more championships to win together. Perez on the news.
Now is an important time to confirm our line-up for 2025 and we are very pleased to continue working together with Checo. Continuity and stability are important for the team and both Checo and Max are a successful and robust partnership, securing our first ever one-two finish for the team in the championship last year. Checo has had a strong start to 2024 with second places in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan and then his podium in China. The past few races have been tough, there is convergence on the grid, but we are confident in Checo and look forward to his return to proven form and performance, that we so often see. Last year was a unicorn season and we will need to work hard to retain our titles, but we are assured in our line-up and with the team as a whole, which is imperative in what is shaping up to be a close fought championship this year. Horner on the news.
Esteban Ocon and Alpine will be parting ways at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, ending a five-year relationship.
Ocon first joined the Enstone-based team in 2020 where he went on to achieve his and Alpine’s first Grand Prix win when he triumphed in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix..
He picked up two further podiums – at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix and 2023 Monaco Grand Prix – and achieved a best year-end finish of eighth in 2022.
However, Alpine boss Bruno Famin has been considering the options for his 2025 driver line-up in recent months and the French manufacturer has decided not to renew Ocon’s contract.
Alpine have said they will announce their 2025 line-up in “due course” while Ocon who will be racing for Alpine for the remainder of the season – said he would confirm his future “soon”.
The news comes after a difficult race weekend for Alpine in Monaco, when Ocon collided with Pierre Gasly on the first lap, earning him a five-place grid penalty for this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix. But sources say that the decision to part ways with Ocon was not a response to the Monaco clash as his future had been under discussion for a while, however naturally, such an incident did not help the situation.
It’s been a significant period of my life to be racing at this team in Formula 1. While I’ve been here for five years as a full-time racing driver, my professional career started at Enstone back when I was a teenager, so it will always be a special place for me. We have had some great moments together, some tough moments as well, and I am certainly grateful to everyone at the team for these memorable times. I will announce my plans very soon but, in the meantime, my full focus is on delivering on track for this team and having a successful remainder of the season. Ocon on the news.
We would like to firstly thank Esteban for his commitment to the team for the past five years. During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which coming at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with a memorable race win. We still have 16 races to complete in 2024 together with a clear objective: to continue to work tirelessly as a team to push for the best on-track results. We wish Esteban the very best for the next chapter of his driving career when that moment comes. Bruno Famin, Team Principal.
Porsche has committed to Formula E until at least 2030. Formula E has announced that Porsche has committed at least an additional four years to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Ahead of the 2024 Shanghai E-Prix, Porsche AG and Porsche Motorsport alongside Formula E and the FIA have confirmed Porsche’s registration to continue to be a manufacturer in the World Championship from Seasons 13 to 16, committing their involvement until at least 2030.
This decision ensures that the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer will be on the grid when the next generation of vehicles, known as Gen4, debuts in the all electric racing series. With features like all-wheel drive that can be activated at certain points in the race, the new generation presents an additional technical challenge for the teams.
Gen4 will be introduced in Season 13 (2026/2027) providing manufacturers with greater scope for development and offering valuable insights for their series production.
This announcement aligns with the long-term goals of Formula E, the FIA, and Porsche for electrification and innovation in the automotive industry, both on and off the track. The landmark agreement highlights a sustained partnership focused on advancing electric racing technology, showcasing the dedication of all three organisations in pushing the boundaries of electric mobility and sustainability worldwide.
Furthermore, it solidifies Porsche’s position as one of the pioneering Formula E manufacturers, ready to embrace the championship’s exciting Gen4 phase, ahead of its official debut.
FIA Formula 3 has announced the calendar for the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship. With next season will consist of a total of 10 round again, and all support events of the FIA Formula One World Championship and the FIA Formula 2 Championship. The 10 teams and 30 drivers will contest a total of 20 races across three continents.
F3’s seventh season will kick off in Melbourne, Australia on March 14th to 16th. With the final and tenth round of the 2025 F3 season will be taking place in Monza, Italy on September 5th to 7th.
Round
Date
Location
1
14th – 16th March
Melbourne, Australia
2
11th – 13th April
Sakhir, Bahrain
3
16th – 18th May
Imola, Italy
4
22nd – 25th May
Monte Carlo, Monaco
5
30th May – 1st June
Barcelona, Spain
6
27th – 29th June
Spielberg, Austria
7
4th – 6th July
Silverstone, Great Britain
8
25th – 27th July
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
9
1st – 3rd August
Budapest, Hungary
10
5th – 7th September
Monza, Italy
F3 is providing fantastic action on track for our fans this year and I am delighted that the series will again be joining Formula 1 at 10 events next season. The skill of the drivers and the intense action on track is thrilling for our fans and demonstrates the talent in the pipeline we have for the future. F3 is a vital part of our pyramid system, and I want to thank the FIA, Bruno Michel, CEO F2/F3, and his team, all the competitors for the amazing job they do, and pay tribute to Dallara, Mecachrome, Aramco, and Pirelli for their continued support of the series. We are all looking forward to the rest of the season and an exciting 2025. Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1.
The FIA Formula 3 Championship provides a wonderful opportunity for young drivers from regional and national series to race at venues which feature on the schedule of the pinnacle of the sport – the FIA Formula One World Championship. Once again, we have an exciting calendar for 2025. F3 demonstrates the FIA’s commitment to nurturing young talent and broadening their horizons. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
I’m very pleased to keep ten rounds, 20 races, for Formula 3 in 2025. Next season’s calendar comprises the same tracks as in 2024. We’re bringing F3 on three different continents, which is fantastic for these young drivers, who are able to learn new tracks and race in front of the F1 and F2 paddocks. So far, in 2024, we’ve seen some incredible racing, so I expect the same for next year. FIA Formula 3 CEO, Bruno Michel.
FIA Formula 2 announce the calendar for the 2025 FIA Formula 2 Championship. Once again, fourteen rounds will make the new season, all support events of the FIA Formula One World Championship with a total of 28 races across 13 countries.
The ninth season of Formula 2 will open in Melbourne at Albert Park from 14th to 16th March. While the season will once again conclude at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi on December 5th to 7th.
Round
Date
Location
1
14th – 16th March
Melbourne, Australia
2
11th – 13th April
Sakhir, Bahrain
3
18th – 20th April
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
4
16th – 18th May
Imola, Italy
5
22nd – 25th May
Monte Carlo, Monaco
6
30th May – 1st June
Barcelona, Spain
7
27th – 29th June
Spielberg, Austria
8
4th – 6th July
Silverstone, Great Britain
9
25th – 27th July
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
10
1st – 3rd August
Budapest, Hungary
11
5th – 7th September
Monza, Italy
12
19th – 21st September
Baku, Azerbaijan
13
28th – 30th November
Lusail, Qatar
14
5th – 7th December
Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
It is fantastic to publish the F2 calendar that will again see the series join Formula 1 at 14 Grands Prix next season. The pyramid system is vital to the long-term success of Formula 1, and to have this close connection between these two series is not only great for our fans who are treated to even more wheel-to-wheel action, but for the drivers who gain competitive experience racing on F1 circuits and can showcase their talent in front of full grandstands, global TV audiences and watching F1 teams. The Championship this year is once again delivering exciting racing at every event and I want to pay tribute to the work of Bruno Michel, CEO F2/F3 and his team and all the competitors across the grid. I would also like to thank the FIA for their strategic and fundamental support on this important championship, as well as our long-standing partners Pirelli, Aramco, Dallara and Mecachrome. I am excited to follow the rest of this season and look forward to another great year in 2025. Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1.
As a crucial step on the FIA single-seater pyramid, the FIA Formula 2 Championship provides an opportunity for emerging single-seater talent to showcase their skills to a global audience. The 2025 calendar provides challenges for drivers with a blend of traditional and modern circuits and destinations as they strive to become our champions of the future. I look forward to seeing the class of 2025 in action. FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
I’m very pleased to announce the F2 2025 calendar, which will comprise the same amount of rounds than the current season – fourteen. It’s the right balance between European rounds and fly-aways, across three continents, and keeping in mind the costs for our teams and drivers. It’s also a good mixture between old-school tracks and more modern layouts, which both have seen thrilling F2 races in recent years. I’m sure, this will be the case once more in 2025. FIA Formula 2 CEO, Bruno Michel.
Half a second split the top 17 runners as Nick Cassidy topped the times for Jaguar TCS Racing in Free Practice 3 ahead of the Shanghai E-Prix Round 12.
A warm, steamy morning saw 27 degree air temperatures early on in Shanghai, and times matching free practice 2’s.
Cassidy ran to a 1m13.500s late on and said he’d found something in himself to get there, while praising the team’s work over the weekend so far.
Dan Ticktum, on home soil for ERT followed just 0.089s back with Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa rounding in third.
Qualifying-
NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes achieved his second Julius Baer Pole Position of the season around the Shanghai International Circuit.
In a very intense qualifying battle, NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes managed to beat DS PENSKE’s Stoffel Vandoorne by just 0.001s!
The insane margin between the two in the final of the duels ties the record set by Lucas di Grassi in Berlin back in 2017. And it’s the second time we’ve seen a pole decided by such a small gap this season, with Wehrlein of TAG Heuer Porsche putting it on pole by only 0.002s in Sao Paulo.
Several of the big names were knocked out early on including reigning world champion, Jake Dennis who will start 16th. Yesterday’s pole sitter Jean-Eric Vergne couldn’t replicate his success a second consecutive day and will line up ninth.
Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries managed his best qualifying performance of the year to start fourth after making his first Duels appearance of the year.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Hughes, P2: Vandoorne, P3: Da Costa, P4: De Vries, P5: Cassidy, P6: Evans, P7: Nato, P8: Rowland, P9: Vergne and P10: Guenther.
Round 12-
A good start from Vandoorne saw the DS driver beat Hughes to Turn 1 with da Costa in tow. The Portuguese driver took Hughes’ second spot at Turn 10 a lap later, aiming to drag himself up to leader Vandoorne in the slipstream on lap 2.
Hughes, Nato, de Vries and Cassidy – third to seventh – all jumped for Attack Mode on lap 3, though could stick with the lead pair with the race pace as it was early on.
The Jaguars running sixth and seventh, Evans from Cassidy once again looked to play the team game, though the latter exclaimed over team radio at his unhappiness at the change of tactics for round 12.
Norman Nato led Vandoorne, da Costa, Hughes, de Vries, Cassidy, Evans, Guenther, Bird and Vergne – with da Costa a percent to the good on energy on those around him. Sure enough, the Portuguese’ progress started in earnest as he caught Vandoorne unawares with a dive around the outside into the final chicane complex to set about leader Nato.
On lap 9, da Costa jumped to the front, beating Nato to Turn 1’s apex before ceding P1 again to take his first Attack mode boost – a contrasting strategy for the Porsche driver.
Drama on lap 12, saw title contender Pascal Wehrlein forced into pitting to have his left-rear tyre replaced, punctured following contact with NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird.
Da Costa looked to be the man to beat given the energy he had in-hand on the rest 0 some three percent of usable energy to the good on the leaders, enabling him to jump to the front again on lap 16 and looked to dictate.
Hughes in third got the call to use more energy to move forward and set about Nato in second and da Costa in first on lap 18. A lap later, Cassidy tried to make a move on Hughes into Turn 1 and clipped his front wing in the process. Then at Turn 6, Hughes then it out around the outside of Nato to make it by the Frenchman for P2.
The battling in-behind da Costa was playing into the Porsche driver’s hands, despite being the car punching through the air first. From lap 16 to the end, da Costa had the energy, pace and temperature margin to hold fast and dictate to the end, despite severe pressure from podium debutant Hughes.
The full top 10 are- P1: Da Costa, P2: Hughes, P3: Nato, P4: Cassidy, P5: Evans, P6: Vandoorne, P7: Vergne, P8: Gunther, P9: Frijns and P10: Rowland.
Despite a slower getaway than fellow front row starter Bortoleto, Barnard was able to keep a hold of the lead while Hauger tucked into third. However, a safety car was required after Victor Martins’ race ended early in the barriers at Turn 1.
The ART Grand Prix driver appeared to collide with DAMS Lucas Oil’s Jak Crawford and Campos Racing’s Josep Maria Marti, taking off his front wing and sending him into the wall.
At the restart, Barnard kept a hold of the lead, but the Safety Car was deployed again on lap 6 when Marti crashed into the wall at the swimming pool section. Racing then resumed on lap 8 and by the end of the next tour of the track, the top four from Barnard to Andrea Kimi Antonelli were separated by a second and a half.
The Virtual Safety Car was then deployed on lap 11 after Richard Verschoor sustained damage on his front wing after hitting the apex at Mirabeua. The Trident driver appeared to receive a tap from Joshua Duerksen causing him to lose control.
Out in front, Barnard’s lead over Bortoleto was now over two seconds by the start of lap 19, the Brazilian driver now coming under pressure from Hauger.
Bearman’s day was made worse when he a slow moment out of Portier following an issue which dropped him down a few places. This promoted Maloney to 11th, who was looking to dive down the inside of Zak O’Sullivan for P10.
The Championship leader’s day then came to an end at La Rascasse after he locked up into the corner before being sent into a spin by Juan Manuel Correa. This also left Maini without a place to go causing him to stop next to Maloney, with the track blocked it triggered a red flag.
Racing got back underway with a rolling start on lap 26 and Barnard was now nearly four seconds clear of Bortoleto as they rounded the track for the 28th time.
As they started the final lap, the gap out front was five seconds leaving Barnard to cross the line in first, giving him and AIX Racing their maiden Formula 2 victory. Boroleto finished in P2 while Hauger followed him across the line to take P3.
The full top 10 are- P1: Barnard, P2: Bortoleto, P3: Hauger, P4: Antonelli, P5: Colapinto, P6: Stanek, P7: Aron, P8: Hadjar, P9: Fittipaldi and P10: O’Sullivan.
Day 4-
Richard Verschoor made a fast start from pole in the Trident, but his fellow front row starter Victor Martins fell down the order. It allowed Hadjar and Aron to move up to second and third.
Further back, Gabriel Bortoleto was using his supersoft tyres well as he went round the outside of Dennis Hauger at the Turn 6 hairpin putting him up to eighth. He was right behind Oliver Bearman who made his way up from 12th to P7.
It was not good news however for DAMS Lucas Oil driver Jak Crawford, who stopped on track at Turn 7 after colliding with the Invicta Racing car of Kush Maini.
On lap 4 of 42, Verschoor was being put under pressure by Hadjar, while Aron was falling back in third. Just behind the top three, Colapinto was feeling the presence of PREMA’s Antonelli for P4.
The drivers then held station but by lap 10, Bortoleto was given the hurry up from his Invicta Racing team and told to catch berman ahead.
Trouble came for Trident and Verschoor, with the Dutch driver coming on the radio to report an issue. The Dutchman was able to keep things going but his three second lead to Hadjar was now gone.
At the halfway stage, Hitech and PREMA rolled the dice by pitting Aron and Antonelli for the supersoft tyres. The latter came out ahead his teammmate Bearman, though the two went wheel to wheel and the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy talent claimed the position.
On lap 36, Hadjar came on the radio to say he had hit the wall but was able to continue, although he was still coming under attack from Aron. Elsewhere, Maloney and Barnard made contact at the Turn 6 hairpin, with the AIX racer losing a piece of his front wing.
Lap 40, Joshua Duerksen was next to pit but collided with Maloney at Turn 1. The AIX driver stopped on track while the Rodin Motorsport driver continued on.
This gave Zak O’Sullivan, the last remaining runner on the alternative strategy yet to pit, the chance to come in from the lead. Crucially, he was called in by ART moments before the VSC was deployed, making his stop under VSC legal.
The Brit re-joined ahead of Hadjar on the penultimate lap before holding him off on a tense final lap to take his maiden victory in Formula 2.
The full top 10 are- P1: O’Sullivan, P2: Hadjar, P3: Aron, P4: Bearman, P5: Correa, P6: Hauger, P7: Antonelli, P8: Bortoleto, P9: Martins and P10: Maloney.
Tsolov got the launch he needed to retain first, but Tramnitz was able to leapfrog the ART of van Hoepen to take second into Turn 1.
Further back and coming through Casino Square, contact between the third ART of Christian Mansell and PREMA Racing’s Arvid Lindblad put both into the wall. Their clash left the AIX Racing car of Joshua Dufek, MP Motorsport driver Alex Dunne and Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Cian SHields unable to avoid a collision behind.
It brought out the Safety Car before the first lap was completed, but with five cars needing to be cleared a red flag followed.
Racing got back underway entering lap 4 with a rolling start and Tsolov retained his lead comfortably over Tramnitz.
The gaps fluctuated between those in the top 10 in the early phases of green flag racing, as Tsolov was able to repel Tramnitz thereby preventing the MP driver from gaining the DRS advantage.
Lap 13, the race was run for Kacper Sztuka, who stopped on the inside of Turn 1 with a puncture after contact with Var’s Sophia Floersch, bringing out a Safety Car once again. It was a short interruption and racing action then resumed going onto Lap 16, and Tsolov re-launched into a decent lead.
Over the line to start lap 20, the gap was up to 3.5s over Tramnitz, who had van Hoepen and Leon charging and within a second in the fight for the podium positions.
The full top 10 are- P1: Tsolov, P2: Tramnitz, P3: Van Hoepen, P4: Leon, P5: Loake, P6: Boya, P7: Beganovic, P8: Browning, P9: Fornaroli and P10: Goethe.
Day 4-
Mini got a good launch to hold onto the lead over Mansell into Turn 1 as Browning followed the pair in third position. Further round the opening lap, Jenzer Motorsport driver Charlie Wurz was left in the barriers at Portier after contact with Rodin Motorsport’s Piotr Wisnicki to bring out a Safety Car.
Racing got back underway entering lap 3, with Mini retaining the lead over the chasing pack but with Mansell was right in his wheel tracks.
Joseph Loake proved overtaking was possible around the Principality, diving to the inside of Mari Boya’s Campos Racing car at La Rascasse on lap 6.
With the opening third of the race run, Mini still had Mansell for company in second, unable to break out of DRS range to the Australian driver, while Browning had dropped several seconds back in third.
ART’s Laurnes van Hoepen was on the move next, making a brave dive to the inside of Van Amersfoort’s Noel Leon at Mirabeau to move into 10th.
Lap 20, and there was three-car collision at Turn 5 involving Leon, ART driver Nikola Tsolov and Sami Meguetounif. The Trident driver was left out of the running, the other pair rejoined but not before the safety car was deployed.
Tsolov had attempted a pass on the inside but tagged the VAR driver into a spin, leaving Meguetounif nowhere to go in avoidance. The Safety Car was withdrawn entering lap 23, and Mini got a good enough restart to keep Mansell behind him.
Loake attempted another pass on Boya, but with the door firmly shut on him at the Turn 6 hairpin, MP Motorsport’s Tim Tramnitz profited to seize eighth position.
Mini repelled the last gasp challenge from Mansell to secure his first victory of the season and his second Feature Race triumph on the streets of Monte Carlo.
The full top 10 are- P1: Mini, P2: Mansell, P3: Browning, P4: Lindblad, P5: Fornaroli, P6: Beganovic, P7: Boya, P8: Tramnitz, P9: Loake and P10: Goethe.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans was the quickest person on track during the first free practice session in Shanghai, as the grid was separated by just over half a second.
The Jaguar team looked strong throughout the session, which was disrupted by a technical problem for several cars.
Just behind Evans, was the Andretti of Norman Nato, with his championship winning teammate Jake Dennis down in 14th. DS Penske’s Jean-Eric Vergne found himself rounding out the top three in third.
No sooner we had the 30 minute session got going it was brought under red flag conditions after several cars stopped on track. Both the Porsche and ERT’s as well as Nyck de Vries all had to be recovered from the Shanghai circuit for the technical problem.
FP2-
Andretti’s Norman Nato and DS PENSKE’s Jean-Eric Vergne both set an identical time to top the running in Free Practice 2 ahead of the Shanghai E-Prix Round 11.
Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein’s second in the standings and just 0.013s back in third.
The fast sweeping corners in Shanghai made things difficult for the drivers, with plenty of correction on the steering wheel to keep things in order. Engineers will be busy getting the setup right for their drivers, and making sure all the simulator work tallies with how things felt for real on track.
Qualifying-
DS PENSKE’s Jean-Eric Vergne will be starting the inaugural Shanghai E-Prix from the front of the grid as he secured the Julius Baer Pole Position in China.
The close qualifying battle saw all the drivers fight their was around the popular Shanghai International Circuit to sort the starting grid for the race.
Going up against Oliver Rowland in the Nissan, this pole position now sees Vergne equal the Formula E record for the most pole positions – 16 – which ties him with Sebastien Buemi.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Vergne, P2: Rowland, P3: Evans, P4: Wehrlein, P5: Hughes, P6: Da Costa, P7: Nato, P8: Vandoorne, P9: Frijns and P10: Cassidy.
Round 11-
Polesitter Vergne launched cleanly and into Turn 1 while Rowland bogged down from second passed immediately by Wehrlein and Evans.
Wehrlein was the first driver to take his first mandatory Attack Mode power boost – only he and Rowland jumping for it of the top 10 runners on lap 3. Robin Frijns briefly found himself in P1, before he took an initial two-minute Attack Mode boost, handing the lead back to Wehrlein.
The Porsche’s teamwork continued as da Costa hit the front at the start of lap 5, before taking his attack mode activation, and dropping behind teammate Wehrlein.
Jaguar’s Evans fired himself into the top three on lap 7, splitting the Porsches with a move through Turn 1 and a lap later, the Kiwi then took the lead.
The top six looked the place to be with the pack jostling to hit that front quarter of the field, steering clear of the mid-pack melee and positioning themselves for a potential podium push.
Evans led once again on lap 13, with the Porsches and Vergne still in that top four biding their time and waiting for their moment. The top 10 runners at the half-way stage had all used boosts, except reigning champion Dennis.
Berlin winner, Cassidy found himself in the top six and two percent of usable energy to the good. The Porsche pair, Wehrlein from da Costa, swept back to the lead on lap 16, by Evans – the Jaguar driver their closest company, though absolutely nothing split the field.
However, on lap 19, Evans had a percent of energy in-hand and managed to slice by da Costa through Sector 1, while the sister Jaguar TCS Racing of Cassidy had two percent energy over the leaders.
Wehrlein outbraked himself into the hairpin, allowing Evans to pounce and bolt into the lead, while Dennis finally went for Attack mode and made it into third.
Wehrlein had it all on to hold P1, with all of the defensive moves in the book on show but into Turn 1 of the final lap, Evans broke the German’s resistance right around the outside of Turn 1.
The full top 10 are- P1: Evans, P2: Wehrlein, P3: Cassidy, P4: Rowland, P5: Dennis, P6: Vergne, P7: De Vries, P8: Buemi, P9: Vandoorne and P10: Di Grassi.
Round 8 out of 24 is complete, and we had a different winner this season!
Charles Leclerc has finally taken his victory in the Monaco Grand Prix, having enjoyed a mostly serene drive to P1 in front of his home crowd. He led home McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in P2 and his teammate Carlos Sainz rounding out the top three.
The red flags were thrown before the first lap of the iconic event had even been completed after a huge collision which involved 3 cars!
But before we get into that the full top 10 are- P1: Leclerc, P2: Piastri, P3: Sainz, P4: Norris, P5: Russell, P6: Verstappen, P7: Hamilton, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Albon and P10: Gasly.
A VERY good result for Ferrari, Charles finally done it! He kept it cool calm and collected to secure this very needed win! A fab result for Ferrari in general as Sainz finished 3rd, a really good points haul for the team, they will be looking to do the same quite a few more times this year.
The same goes to McLaren a very good result, Oscar getting his first podium this year in P2, and Norris in P4, a good points haul again for the team.
Max Verstappen finished 6th, not a thrilling race from the world champion, but then again what else did we expect from Monaco… The Dutchman will be looking forward to the next race after this horrible weekend. Now onto his teammate, Perez had a shocker in qualifying so would of wanted to at least have a decent race… well he didn’t, he was involved on the lap 1 incident which saw him being tagged by Magnussen up the inside, before he ricochet across the track and then collecting Hulkenberg back past. This put all three drivers out of the race immediately, all drivers were okay thankfully. But Perez will also be looking forwards to the next race weekend as well.
A decent result for Mercedes, both cars in the top 10 and finishing where they started so not a bad result at all for the team.
First points of the season for Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly! It was touch and go with the Alpine at the beginning of the race due to have a dramatic collision with his teammate, as Ocon tried to overtake him, which caused the driver to bounce into the air following contact, who then later retired.
Now we have a little wait till the next race, the next grand prix weekend is the 7th – 9th June and it’s the Canadian Grand Prix!
Victor Martins made a quick start to the Monte Carlo weekend by setting the fastest time in a rain-affected practice session. The ART Grand Prix driver’s lap of 1:39.237 lead the field ahead of Richard Verschoor and Dennis Hauger.
Heavy rain hit the track just before the start of the session, meaning drivers headed out onto a damp circuit. This made for tricky running with Enzo Fittipaldi the first to have a close call with the barrier at the hairpin section.
As conditions improved and the drivers gained more confidence in the wet, the fastest time changed hands multiple times. But after 10 minutes of running, Martins led an ART 1-2, his time of 1:40.531 put him half a second clear of Zak O’Sullivan.
Martins continued to set the pace and once again lowered the benchmark time to a 1:39.237. Trident’s Verschoor followed him across the line to go to P2, albeit nine-tenths behind.
But red flags were waved with Franco Colapinto stationary in his MP Motorsport car after contact with the barrier at La Rascasse.
The action resumed with 20 minutes left, and Dennis Hauger was the next driver to improve, moving up to second. The rain began to worsen as the session entered into the final 10 minutes leading the teams to bring their cars back into the pitlane.
Day 2-
Group A-
The 11 even-numbered drivers headed out on to the track with 16 minutes on the clock looking to set their fastest times.
After crossing the line to complete their first flying laps, it was ART driver Zak O’Sullivan who was the one to beat with a 1:23.118 putting him P1. His time was over half a second quicker than his nearest rivan in Campos Racing’s Isack Hadjar.
The Briton continued to set the pace on his next effort, completing a lap of 1:22.202. On this occasion, the gap to second place Verschoor was just 0.113s.
As the first segment entered into the closing stages, green and purple colours lit up the timing screens as Verschoor went quickest with a 1:21.283 for Trident, a tenth ahead of Hadjar.
Gabriel Bortoleto was third for Invicta Racing, but he came on the radio to inform his team that he had hit the wall in the swimming pool section.
The drivers then set off on their final attempts, but despite their best efforts, no one could beat Verschoor’s time.
Group B-
The second set of 11 drivers headed out on to the track with Verschoor’s 1:21.283 their target time for pole.
As the drivers started their flying laps, the red flags were waved early after Rafael Villagomez lost the rear of his Van Amersfoort Racing car on the entry to Turn 1, sending him straight into the barrier.
With the track clear, drivers left the pitlane with nine minutes left in the segment. They wasted no time going for their push laps and it was Rodin’s Zane Maloney who went to the top of the leaderboard with a 1:21.941.
But Martins went back to the top of the leaderboard but not for long as Roman Stanek’s 1:21.466 to put him ahead of the Frenchman.
One final attempt was all there was time for, but Stanek’s hopes were dashed when he collided with the barrier in the second sector. Martins crossed the line to go fastest with a 1:21.310. This left Verschoor on pole position ahead of Martins for the feature race.
The full top overall are- P1: Verschoor, P2: Martins, P3: Hadjar, P4: Aron, P5: Colapinto, P6: Stanek, P7: Antonelli, P8: Hauger, P9: Bortoleto and P10: Barnard.
However, Bearman, Correa and Maini all have been given a three place grid penalty for impeeding.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc charged his way to a wonderful pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix with a stunning display on home soil. He managed to get the better of McLaren rival Oscar Piastri and Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz in the all important grid deciding session.
Leclerc avoided any slip-ups to safely make it through Q1 and Q2 before he unleashed his full potential in Q3.
The full top 10 are- P1: Leclerc, P2: Piastri, P3: Sainz, P4: Norris, P5: Russell, P6: Verstappen, P7: Hamilton, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Albon and P10: Gasly.
A great result for Ferrari! A Pole and a third, they will be looking to grab the win tomorrow, especially as it’s Leclerc’s home race, so they are probably hoping to break the Monaco curse.
The same goes to McLaren a 2nd and 4th! Qualifying around Monaco is always important, as it pretty much gives the finishing position for the race without strategies coming into play. So McLaren will want to be on their pit-stops and strategies tomorrow to see if they can secure their second win this season.
A decent result for Mercedes too, the team have definitely made an improvement as George starts 5th and Lewis in 7th. Lewis has pretty much been on the pace all weekend aswell, so it’s looking like a hopeful turn round for the Mercedes team.
A bit of a shocker for Verstappen and Sergio Perez, the Dutchman starts P6, which means his consecutive 8 poles in a row has stopped at that for now. Perez qualified 18th but will be starting 16th due to both Haas’s getting disqualified. Not a good weekend at all for Perez, it’s very unlikely he will be scoring points tomorrow.
A good result for both Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly both drivers getting into Q3 and hoping to score their first points of the season!
Both Aston Martins didn’t have the best qualifying, Alonso out in Q1 and Stroll out in Q2, the Silverstone based team have dropped down the order quite a bit compared to last season where Fernando Alonso started 2nd.
PREMA’s Gabriele Mini led the opening session of the Monte Carlo weekend on a 1:27.400 in a session heavily disrupted by Red Flags.
Overcast conditions gave way to rain, ensuring the Italian’s early laptime remained quickest ahead of Leonardo Fornaroli and teammate Dino Beganovic.
There were rumbles of thunder as the session got underway though the drops of rain didn’t warrant a move away from dry tyres. Rodin Motorsport’s Joseph Loake was the first driver of the weekend to use the run-off area at Sainte Devote before rejoining the track.
But moment’s later, AIX Racing’s Tasanapol Inthraphyvasak went off into the barriers at the same place to bring out an early Red Flag. With running resumed 32 minutes remaining of the session.
However, another Red Flag quickly followed as Rodin’s Callum Voisin repeated the same incident as the first red flag at Turn 1 to half the session.
The field went back out onto track with 24 minutes remaining as Mini still led the way with a 1:27.400 for PREMA. Rain began to fall though just as the first flying laps began and it was Sami Meguetounif that this time found the barriers.
With 13 minutes left of practice, the green light was back on and drivers ventured back out fitted with wet Pirelli tyres as the rain intensified, preventing any further improvements.
Day 2-
Group A-
The even numbered cars hit the track first with Oliver Goethe of Campos Racing leading the first 15 runners out onto the circuit.
P2 in the championship, Luke Browning set the first benchmark to beat laying down a 1:26.170. That was bettered by championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli right away, as he put in a 1:25.963 in the Trident.
Browning went quicker as the track continued to improve, recording a 1:24.532 on his next effort to return to P1. Whilst Fornaroli couldn’t get back on terms as he filtered through half a second down on the Brit’s lap.
With three minutes to go Browning found more pace to bring the time to beat down to a 1:24.230, Having gone purple in sector one, Gabriele Mini moved up into P2.
Under a minute left of qualifying and Boya was pushing to the absolute limit and tagged the inside wall at Turn 15, undoing his effort having gone fastest in sector one.
Browning had been up on his time and a fastest middle sector put him on course for an improvement. But exiting Turn 16 he tapped the wall, damaging his suspension and forcing him to abandon his lap.
Mini obliged and set the provision pole time moments later on a 1:23.942, 0.288s quicker than Brownings earlier time.
Group B-
Just at the flying laps were about to get underway, the Jenzer Motorsport car of James Hedley went into the barriers at Turn 1, losing his front win and bringing out the red flags.
Once the session resumed, it was Dino Beganovic that laid down the initial time to beat a 1:25.569, 0.249s quicker than next-best Mansell in the ART car.
Further improvements from the PREMA duo of Beganovic and Arvid Lindblad took the pace down to a 1:24.9 in the Briton’s favour, that was until Mansell leapfrogged the pair with a 1:24.921.
Joseph Loake popped his Rodin Motorsport car up to P2 as the drivers began to push the limits further approaching the closing stages.
Into the final two minutes of qualifying and Lindblad went quickest of all in the first sector, while teammate Beganovic was purple in the middle sector. Just before the Swede could finish his lap, the Red Flags were out as Sebastian Montoya and Charlie Wurz were off at Turn 1.
The full top 10 overall is – P1: Mini, P2: Mansell, P3: Browning, P4: Lindblad, P5: Fornaroli, P6: Beganovic, P7: Boya, P8: Loake, P9: Leon and P10: Tramnitz.
McLaren have announced that two more drivers are joining their development programme – Alex Dunne and Martinius Stenshorne. Both currently race in Formula 3, Dunne for MP Motorsport and Stenshorne for Hitech Pulse-Eight.
Dunne impressed McLaren when he won the 2022 British F4 Championship with Hitech Grand Prix, with the 18 year old from Ireland also put in an eye-catching performance in Bahrain earlier this year securing his first F3 points.
Norwegian Stenshorne comes for a rallying background and was a prolific karter in his junior days, and has already tasted victory in F3 with a Sprint race win in Australia.
McLaren’s Driver Development programme was established in 2022, and funnels young talent towards F1, Formula E and IndyCar.
McLaren have a history of developing and promoting young talent – notably very happy to advance both Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris to F1, with both drivers going straight into the sharp end of the grid.
We’re pleased to announce that Alex and Martinius have joined our Driver Development programme. They are both exciting and promising young talents within motorsport, with proven records on track in their respective junior categories including this season’s FIA Formula 3 Championship. The entire team is looking forward to welcoming Alex and Martinius to the McLaren family and we’ll be working closely to support their development within our talent pipeline. Stephanie Carlin, Director of F1 Business Operations – who runs the junior programme.
It’s an honour to join the McLaren Driver Development programme. I’m looking forward to getting started with the team. McLaren provides the perfect environment for me to develop my skillset as I continue my journey in motorsport. I’m grateful for Zak [Brown] and Stephanie’s support and I’m excited to meet the rest of the team at MTC. Dunne on the news.
I’m incredibly excited to join the McLaren Driver Development programme, it’s an honour to now be part of the McLaren family. The team has a great history of developing talent, so I’m looking forward to growing with the team and learning from their expertise as I continue on my journey towards the top of motorsport. Thank you to Zak, Stephanie and the entire team for their faith in me, I can’t wait to get started. Stenshorne adding to the news.
NEOM McLaren have confirmed the return of Sam Bird, following his absence in Berlin due to injury.
Bird was found to have broken his hand after an incident in Free Practice 1 at the 2024 Monaco E-Prix which saw the Brit lock up and hit the wall in the run-off area at Turn 1, Sainte Devote.
McLaren confirmed the injury in a statement after the session, once Bird had been examined and sent to hospital for further checks.
The Brit then went on to have a successful procedure to rectify the injury to the same hand he’d injured back in July 2022 during the London E-Prix.
He was on-site in both Monaco and Berlin to support and advise Barnard who had replaced Sam in both races, with the youngster calling out the positive impact Bird had on his Formula E debut weekends.
Barnard went on to score points in Berlin finishing 10th and eighth to set another record as the youngest points-scorer in Formula E. The Brit is continuing in his role as the team’s Reserve and Development Driver, dovetailing that work with an ongoing FIA Formula 2 campaign.
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.
Jordan's Track Talk 