Jordan's Track Talk

Category: 2024

  • RW 21 – Brazil

    Max Verstappen has stormed to a remarkable victory in a frenetic Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the Dutchman climbed through the field from an original starting position of P17 to score his first race win since June amid changing weather conditions and huge drama along the way – which saw Alpine score a double podium result.

    The chaos started before the event had even got under way after Lance Stroll spun off during the formation lap, leading to some confusion over the aborted start procedure as pole sitter Lando Norris led a number of cars away while others stayed on the grid.

    When the Grand Prix did begin, Russell enjoyed a stronger launch and led from Norris while Verstappen worked his way through the pack in the early stages.
    As the event unfolded amid changing levels of rainfall, a red flag was thrown on Lap 32 following a crash for Franco Colapinto in the Williams – shortly after Russell and Norris had lost out by pitting just as a Virtual Safety Car period ended.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Ocon, P3: Gasly, P4: Russell, P5: Leclerc, P6: Norris, P7: Tsunoda, P8: Piastri, P9: Lawson and P10: Hamilton.

    What a drive by Max Verstappen! P17 to First! The best result for the Dutchman, especially in him wanting to retain his title. He capitalised on the red flag whereas Norris and McLaren made the wrong strategy call… It was a proper champion drive from Max and this might be the race which changes it all!
    However, Perez finished P11 – so after all the red flags, yellow flags and safety cars he still didn’t get any points even though he started above Verstappen so he should’ve really got points…

    What a result for Alpine! P2 and P3 a double podium for the team, which is just wow they now have made a jump from ninth to sixth in the constructors’ standings! They now are in a fight for for P6 in the standings with Haas and RB.

    A good result for Russell, P4 for the Brit, obviously a podium would of been what they were aiming for but with everything which went on during the race they still finished a decent position.
    Not the best race for Hamilton, he finished P10, he really struggled with the car, which is a shame as I think everyone knows he loves the wet weather and Brazil in general.

    A bad result for McLaren, Lando finished sixth and lost a lot of ground to Verstappen in the Championship, he will now have a lot of work to do in these coming races to try and get the championship back in his court, but it’s not looking good…
    His teammate finished 8th after a penalty for causing a collision with Lawson, he crossed the line in 7th. This isn’t good for McLaren at all for the constructors’ they only have a 36 point lead from Ferrari and 49 to Red Bull in third. They need a couple of good races from both drivers to secure it.

    A double points finish for RB! Tsunoda 7th and Lawson 9th! Which is what they expected especially after their amazing qualifying session!

    Sainz and Colapinto both recorded retirements following their separate crashes, while Nico Hulkenberg was given a black flag just prior to the restart after the Haas driver received assistance from marshals when returning to the track following an earlier off.

    Now our next race is in a few weeks and it will be our final triple header of the 2024 season, we start of with Las Vegas on the 21st to 23rd for round 22!

    My emotions today have been a rollercoaster, with qualifying being really unlucky with that red flag. Starting P17, I knew that it was going to be a very tough race but we stayed out of trouble, we made the right calls, we stayed calm and we were fine. All of these things together of course made that result possible. I mean, unbelievable to win here from so far back.
    Verstappen on the win.

  • New start times for rescheduled Sao Paulo Grand Prix

    The FIA and Formula 1 have confirmed rescheduled timings for both qualifying and the Sao Paulo Grand Prix itself after Saturday’s qualifying session was postponed due to poor weather conditions.

    The session had been due to run at 1500 local time on Saturday afternoon at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, but the start of Q1 was postponed when torrential rain – along with thunder and lightning – arrived, resulting in pools of water forming on the track.

    With the session unable to take place on Saturday, it has now been confirmed that qualifying will take place today at the new time of 7:30 local time (10:30am GMT) and the Sao Paulo Grand Prix itself brought forwards to 12:30 local time (15:30pm GMT).

    Following the conditions in São Paulo today the decision was taken not to proceed with Qualifying due to poor visibility, standing water on the track and fading light. Safety is always the paramount consideration in such circumstances and while as much time as possible was given to allow conditions to improve they sadly did not. We have huge appreciation for all the fans that stayed at the circuit in hope of seeing cars on track today. Therefore the decision has been taken, after consultation with the stewards, to schedule Qualifying for 07:30 local time on Sunday morning ahead of the Grand Prix at 12:30 local. This will ensure we maximise the chances of providing the fans with a day of racing action, given the ongoing weather forecast for tomorrow afternoon, and both the FIA and Formula 1 believe this time change is necessary and the right thing to do for all our passionate fans. We thank everyone for their patience today including the fans, drivers, teams, marshals, circuit staff and media and hope to give everyone an exciting event on Sunday.
    An FIA and Formula 1 statement.

  • Magnussen out, Bearman in for Sao Paulo

    Haas have announced that Kevin Magnussen will not be returning to action for the rest of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend, meaning that Ollie Bearman will again race for the team.

    Prior to today’s action getting underway at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, the news came that Magnussen would not participate in the day’s running after feeling unwell, with Bearman stepping in for free practice, Sprint Qualifying and Saturday’s Sprint.

    However, in the hours after Sprint Qualifying, a further announcement was made that Magnussen would not return to compete in Saturday’s qualifying or Sunday’s Grand Prix.
    Bearman will continue his substitute duties for the remainder of the weekend.

    Despite receiving a call just hours before jumping in the car today, the Brit put in an eye-catching performance as he made his third stand in appearance of the season, having previously raced for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia and then getting behind the wheel for Haas in Azerbaijan after Magnussen was hit was a one-race ban.

    Bearman progressed to SQ3 of Friday’s Sprint Qualifying – outperforming team mate Nico Hulkenberg who qualified in P12.

  • Formula E moves pre-season test

    Formula E has cancelled its Valencia pre-season test in the light of the horrific flash flood in the region and will instead head to fellow Spanish circuit Jarama.

    At least 155 people have died in Valencia and its surrounding areas since the devastating floods hit parts of Spain on Wednesday, with that total expected to rise further.

    Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo has hosted Formula E’s pre-season tests since 2017 and this year was due to host the first public outing for the Gen3 Evo car design that will be used for the next two seasons.

    But the damage to some of the circuit’s facilities – notably its main access road – and consideration for the wider situation meant it soon become clear that holding the test there was impossible.

    Its place will instead be taken by the Jarama circuit, approximately 20 miles north of Madrid.
    Running at the former Formula 1 grand prix venue, which is now primarily used for testing and national series, will still take place across four days but commence a day later, running from November 5th to 8th.

    We have all been monitoring the tragic situation in Valencia, where flash floods have devastated the region and claimed many lives. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by these terrible events and we at Formula E are looking at how we can practically support the region during this awful time. Following consultation with local authorities, the FIA and our colleagues at Circuit Ricardo Tormo, we have decided not to proceed with our pre-season test in Valencia, planned for 4-7 November. While it may have been possible to go ahead logistically, it is important not to create any distraction or use valuable resources that are much better served supporting the local community. We have a number of Formula E team members who have been working on the ground in Valencia over the past week, and we want to personally thank them for everything they’ve done, and continue to do, to support the area.  The pre-season test is an important moment in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship calendar ahead of Season 11 starting in Sao Paulo on 6-7 December, as it allows us to check the new Gen3 Evo cars for safety, and also to establish that we can safely and effectively deploy new technologies. We have also planned for the first-ever women’s test to take place during this event. Therefore, we have taken the decision to secure an alternative location, and Circuit del Jarama in Madrid will host both the FIA Formula E Official Test and the Women’s Test next week, scheduled for Tuesday 5 to Friday 8 November. The full event schedule will be confirmed in due course, as we navigate a number of logistical and operational challenges which will determine if it’s possible to move our test operations to Madrid within this timeframe. Our first thoughts are with the community of Valencia. The city has a special place in our hearts: it has been ever-present on our calendar since 2017 and we have recently moved our operations base there. It is like a second home for Formula E. We will support the community to recover from these tragic events in any way we can, and ensure that while our testing continues in Madrid, it is done with the utmost sensitivity.
    Formula E’s statement.

  • RW 21 – Tyre Selection

    The Sao Paulo Grand Prix brings the curtain down on Formula 1’s long trip in the Americas, as we head to our final stop on the triple header.

    There is a common thread, that links all three of the tracks together, namely new asphalt. However, while in Austin and Mexico City only sections of the tracks had been resurfaced, in Sao Paulo all 4.309 kilometres has been renewed including the pit lane.

    Therefore, the track surface will be a completely unknown factor for drivers and teams this weekend. Complicating the puzzle further is the fact Pirelli have chosen to bring a softer trio of compounds than last year, they are: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft).

    On top of that it’s a Sprint weekend, so that there is only free practice session for teams to find the best set-up.

    At Interlagos, the lateral and longitudinal forces exerted on the tyres around the 15 corners of this anticlockwise track are medium to low intensity and well distributed across both axles.

    Usually the fastest strategy is a two-stop, favouring the use of the softer compounds. Last year, all bar one of the drivers chose to start on the Softs, but a red flag after the start allowed for a switch to Mediums.

    https://twitter.com/pirellisport/status/1851256011983630551?s=46&t=aXLQ2Py0qaT52rhG6u6Lig

  • Crawford stays with DAMS for 2025

    DAMS Lucas Oil have retained Jak Crawford for the 2025 Formula 2 season, announcing that their partnership with the American driver is set to continue for a second consecutive campaign.

    Crawford switched to DAMS for 2024, achieving five podiums including a Feature Race victory in Barcelona and with two rounds remaining the 19 year old is currently fifth in the Drivers’ Championship.

    The American driver left the Red Bull junior team at the end of 2023 and has now joined Aston Martin, where he carried out his first Formula 1 test with the team back in June.
    He is expecting further opportunities with the team before the end of this year and an expanded role in 2025.

    I’m really happy to be continuing with DAMS Lucas Oil for 2025 following on from a positive campaign so far in 2024. We’ve still got two rounds of this season to go as we’re pushing for a top five finish, and I hope that we can take a further step forward next year, to be challenging more regularly at the front. I can see how determined everyone in the team is to compete further up the grid, which is why I’ve decided to stay for a second year. Motor racing is a team sport and not an individual one, so we’ll improve together and hopefully next year we can see the rewards on track.
    Crawford on the news.

    We’re thrilled to retain Jak for the 2025 season after a year that has produced both high and low points. Throughout the campaign, Jak has kept his head down and worked hard, which shows his great attitude. It’s a pleasure to continue with Jak for a second season, and our objective is to consistently compete at the front of the grid. Jak has shown his ability this year, appearing on the podium five times and putting in several strong performances.
    Charles Pic, Team Owner.

  • Ella Lloyd joins F1 Academy with McLaren

    Ella Lloyd will be embarking on her first full F1 Academy season next year, with the Welsh racer joining the McLaren Driver Development programme to represent the team next season with Rodin Motorsport.

    As part of her role in the programme, Lloyd will also compete in Formula E’s Women’s Test – for NEOM McLaren in November, as part of pre-season testing for the 2024/25 season.

    The 19 year old made her car racing debut back in 2022 in the Ginetta Junior championship, scoring points in 15 of 25 races that season.
    The next year, saw her progress to the Ginetta GT Championship, scoring 10 victories and a further eight podiums on her way to Vice Champion title in the Pro Class.

    This year, has seen Lloyd achieve the Female Driver Trophy several times in the Formula Winter Series. She also followed that up with a success rookie British F4 campaign in which she secured three second-place finishes, one third place and multiple points finishes to finish 11th in the Standings.

    Lloyd has already had her first taste of racing in F1 Academy, where she scored points twice as the Wild Card Entry for Round 5 in Singapore last month.

    I’m really excited to be joining the McLaren Driver Development programme as the team’s F1 ACADEMY driver in 2025. It’s an honour to drive for a team that has such a great racing history, and also a long track record for developing talent. With McLaren, I now have everything I need to keep developing and pushing the boundaries as a female in motorsport. Thank you to Zak Brown, Stephanie Carlin and the entire McLaren team for their faith in me. I can’t wait to get racing in papaya.
    Lloyd on the news.

    I am pleased to welcome Ella to the McLaren Driver Development programme ahead of her debut as our F1 ACADEMY driver for the 2025 season. Ella has great talent and potential and has already cemented herself in the series, performing brilliantly as the Wild Card entry in Singapore, so we’re excited to see what she can do with us. We look forward to supporting her development.
    Stephanie Carlin, Director of F1 Business Operations at McLaren.

  • Camara completes Trident’s line-up

    Trident have become the first team to finalise their 2025 Formula 3 line-up as they have announced that Rafael Camara would be racing for them next season.

    Camara makes the step up to F3 after a title winning campaign in the Formula Regional European Championship, where he has recorded 10 podiums which includes six victories.

    Prior to that, the Brazilian driver had several title successes in karting before graduating to single seater racing in 2022.
    That year, he finished second in the Formula 4 UAE Championship and third in both the Italian F4 and ADAC F4 categories.

    In 2023, he finished third in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship and fifth in his rookie Formula Regional European campagin.
    He then returned to both categories this year, and after finishing third in this year’s Formula Regional Middle East Championship, the Scuderia Ferrari junior went on to win the FRECA title.

    I’m very happy to join Trident, it is such a great Team and it’s very nice to be part of it. I can’t wait to start working with everyone and see what we can achieve together. Of course the expectations are high, I think next year we will for sure be targeting to fight for the championship. I know it will not be easy and we still need to do a lot of work for the moment as it is not only a new car but also a new team, so everything will be new for me. As I said, I can’t wait to start to work. I always want to win but we keep our head down and we do the best we can. My goal is to be prepared for the beginning of the season, to do a good job with the team and do the best I can, always, and be on the top with Trident.
    Camara on the news.

    We are extremely happy and proud to announce that Rafael Câmara will be part of our line-up for the 2025 season. He is an undeniably talented driver, the reigning champion of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, as well as a Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy driver, and we are truly proud to have him with us. Additionally, we are excited to renew our relationship with the FDA program and its drivers.
    Giacomo Ricci, Trident Team Manager.

  • Taponen steps up to Formula 3

    ART Grand Prix have confirmed their second driver signing for the 2025 Formula 3 season, with Tuukka Taponen set to race for the French team.

    Taponen made the step up to single seater racing after a trophy-laden career in karting and finished second in the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship, all thanks to his 10 podiums, which included four victories.

    The Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy talent finished fifth in both Italian F4 and Euro 4 categories that same year, before winning the Formula Regional Middle East Championship at the start of this year.

    Since then, Taponen has been competing in the Formula Regional European Championship and currently sits third in the standings with four victories.

    The Finn has already made his debut with ART this season at the penultimate round in Spa-Francorchamps and is now excited to make the step up full time.

    I am really excited about the F3 contract with the ART GP team for the 2025 season. They already showed interest in me in the summer, giving me the opportunity to participate in last season’s FIA F3 Spa competition. The team immediately impressed me both on and off the track and it felt like coming home. ART GP has a long and successful history and I want to be a part of it in the future. ART GP is a familiar team to us Finns. For example, Valtteri Bottas won the championship with ART GP team before moving up to the Formula 1 series.
    Taponen on the news.

    We are very pleased to welcome Tuukka Taponen to the team for 2025. He’s a young driver with great potential, and his performance with us at Spa showed that he has what it takes to succeed. We’re excited to see how he will develop in the new era of Formula 3 and are confident that he will be a strong asset to the team.
    Sebastien Philippe, Team Principal.

  • RW 20 – Mexico City

    Carlos Sainz has sealed an assured victory in the Mexico City Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver bouncing back after initially losing the lead to Max Verstappen to score a fourth win in Formula 1.

    Verstappen had initially moved into first place during an eventful start, but Sainz snatched the position back on Lap 9. Drama then unfolded in the laps that followed as Verstappen engaged in a scrap with title rival Lando Norris – leading to Verstappen having two 10-second penalties for his move on the Brit.

    That melee allowed Charles Leclerc through into second, and from there the Ferrari duo enjoyed a mostly unchallenged drive at the front – until Norris managed to chase Leclerc down in the latter stages and take second place after a wide moment for the Monegasque.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Sainz, P2: Norris, P3: Leclerc, P4: Hamilton, P5: Russell, P6: Verstappen, P7: Magnussen, P8: Piastri, P9: Hulkenberg and P10: Gasly.

    A great result for Ferrari! Just what the team needed and it now means with their result of 1st and 3rd, they leapfrog Red Bull in the constructors’ and now they are only 29 points away from McLaren!
    A good strategy for the team for both drivers as well, and they managed to snatch the fastest lap point.

    A good result for Norris! P2 which helps in his championship fight, it does make you think what would’ve happened if he didn’t get into that fight with Verstappen at the beginning of the race, possibly of been fighting Sainz for the win? Who knows!
    A bit of work for Piastri he ended up finishing 8th, after climbing through the field after a tough qualifying on Saturday, hopefully he has a better weekend this weekend!

    A very good result for Mercedes, unfortunately not enough pace for a podium, but P4 for Hamilton and P5 for Russell, which is very good for the team.
    Now they will be looking forward to this weekend, Mercedes normally perform very well around Brazil and as you know both drivers love it here.

    An okay result for Verstappen, P6, it could’ve been a lot better for him, don’t get me wrong I don’t think he would’ve won the race but at least a podium was on the cards – however instead his gave 10 points towards Norris’ title fight…
    As for Perez – he had a good start making up quite a few places but he was also given a penalty for being too far in his grid box – he had some tough battles aswell and ended up getting damage he ended up finishing 17th which is last as we had 3 drivers retire! A weekend to majorly forget, but this really isn’t helping his fight for his seat next year…

    A good result for Haas – they have managed to turn it around in the race to convert their qualifying results into points which is really good – I now feel like they will be hopefully like this for the rest of the season, they managed to grab 7th and 9th.

    Gasly was the last of the points scorers, it is nice to see him back in the points – he makes it 6 different teams scoring points!

    Now we don’t have to wait too long for the next race as it is this weekend, and it’s our final stop in this triple header! We are in Brazil for Round 21 where the Sprint returns!

    Gracias Mexico! It’s incredible to see this crowd, I’ve been feeling their support all week. I feel like I have a lot of fanbase here in Mexico and they gave me a lot of strength to do the weekend that I’ve done. Honestly, I really wanted this one, I really needed it also for myself – I wanted to get it done. I’ve been saying for a while I wanted one more win before leaving Ferrari and to do it here in front of this mega crowd is incredible. Now, four races left, I want to enjoy as much as possible and if another one comes, I will go for it.
    Sainz after winning.

  • RW 20 – Mexico City Qualifying

    Carlos Sainz has taken a stunning pole position for the Mexico City Grand Prix, with the Ferrari driver going fastest from Max Verstappen and Lando Norris during what had been a dramatic qualifying session featuring a red flag and two shock exits in Q1.

    While Verstappen looked like he initially sealed provisional pole in the first runs of Q3, the time was deleted due to track limits, which promoted Sainz up into the top spot.
    And when it came to the second runs, the Spaniard went even quicker by pumping in an impressive 1m 15.946s.

    Verstappen claimed P2, the Red Bull man’s time 0.255s back from Sainz, while Norris took third after previously setting the pace in Q1 and Q2 for McLaren.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Sainz, P2: Verstappen, P3: Norris, P4: Leclerc, P5: Russell, P6: Hamilton, P7: Magnussen, P8: Gasly, P9: Albon, P10: Hulkenberg.

    A lovely result for Ferrari, especially coming off the back of last weekend aswell! It’s Carlos’ best ever qualifying at Mexico and his first pole position of this season, which makes Ferrari the only team with both drivers on pole this season.
    Leclerc starting fourth aswell, which is a good result, he will be hoping to grab a podium at least. As coming into this weekend, Ferrari look like they are the team to win again.

    A good result for Max, he had some struggles over the weekend in practice so to turn it around in qualifying is good, now to just hope that it all goes okay in the race.
    Perez made a bit of a shock Q1 exit at his home grand prix, starting 18th, which is a shame as no one wants to perform badly at home, but this is unfortunately just normal now…

    McLaren have had a bit of a mixed result, Norris qualifying third, which is I believe the best place out of the top three to qualify here, as it is quite a long run down to turn one.
    His teammate qualified in P17, which was a shock, and his run of Q3 appearances comes to an end. He has a lot of work to do if he wants to score some points for the constructors championship.

    A good result for Mercedes, P5 and P6, hopefully they can capitalise on it during the race and score some good points, maybe even score a podium if they are lucky.

    A good result for Haas, P7 and P10, there having really good results at the moment, due to the upgrades they have brought, if they keep having good results and scoring points this is going to help their battle in the Constructor’s championship fight with VCARB…

    I’m very happy. A great couple of laps. A lot of times around Mexico you always have the feeling like you cannot put a lap together and it’s extremely difficult with how much sliding there is, but today honestly my two laps of Q3 were pretty much identical, almost perfect. I just put two really solid laps in Q3, enough for pole, and I’m very happy because that’s not normally the case around Mexico with how tricky it is.
    Carlos Sainz on pole.

  • Hitech retain Stenshorne for 2025

    Hitech Pulse-Eight have confirmed that Martinius Stenshorne will be staying with the team for a second season of FIA Formula 3 in 2025.

    Stenshorne returns to F3 after a strong rookie campaign in which he achieved one victory in the Melbourne Sprint Race before adding another podium in the Barcelona Sprint.
    The Norwegian driver ended the season in 18th in the Drivers’ Championship.

    Prior to joining Formula 3, Stenshorne finished second in the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, where he achieved five wins and an additional six podiums.

    In 2022, Stenshorne competed in the Italian F4 Championship, where he finished the season in seventh place overall, which included two podiums.

    The McLaren Development driver will now be returning for a second season, he is keen to help the team challenge on both fronts in 2025.

    I’m really happy and excited to be entering my second season of FIA Formula 3 and with Hitech. 2024 was a strong first year in the championship and we achieved some good results that also contributed to the team being able to fight for both titles – something I hope we will see again next season. I’m looking forward to getting down to work with the new car in the new year
    Stenshorne on the news.

    I’m delighted to confirm that Martinius will continue with us for the 2025 campaign. In only his first year on the international stage – one of the most competitive seasons F3 has ever seen – he punctuated his obvious potential with a win in the second round, a podium, and he was regularly in the fight for points. When the field is as tight as it was last season, it can be difficult for strong performances to translate to the standings, but within the team, Martinius’ progress was clear for all to see and I feel confident that he will really make his mark in a second season of F3.
    Paul Bellringer, Hitech Team Manager.

  • Van Hoepen returns with ART Grand Prix

    ART Grand Prix have confirmed that Laurens van Hoepen will be staying with the team for the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season, the Dutch driver returned for a second campaign.

    The 19 year old enjoyed a strong rookie year with ART, achieving one pole position and three podiums on his way to finishing 13th in the Drivers’ standings.

    Prior to his debut F3 campaign, van Hoepen raced in ART colours for two season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, finishing 10th with two podiums in 2023.

    He is now getting ready to race with the French team for a fourth consecutive season, and van Hoepen is excited for the challenges that lie ahead.

    I’m really excited to continue with ART Grand Prix for the 2025 season. We’ve built a strong foundation together this year, and I feel ready to take on the new challenges that the next era of Formula 3 will bring. The team has been incredible in supporting my development, and I’m confident we can achieve great things together in 2025.
    Van Hoepen on the news.

    We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Laurens Van Hoepen as we enter the exciting new era of Formula 3 in 2025. Laurens has shown great promise and dedication in his debut season with ART, and we believe that together we can achieve even greater success in the coming year.
    Sebastien Philippe, Team Principal on the news.

  • RW 20 – Tyre Selection

    The second stop of our triple header is Mexico City, where the circuit is named in honour of the brothers, Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez.

    The tyres for this this weekend are C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft), which is a step softer than past race weekends, this decision was taken in order to open up more strategic options for the race.

    The first day of track action, Friday, will be slightly different than usual. The second free practice session will be entirely given over to validate the softer compounds in Pirelli’s 2025 race (C4, C5 and C6).
    The session is extended to 90 minutes instead of the usual 60 minutes, and all drivers and teams will have to follow a specific programme established by Pirelli.

    The Hermanos Rodriguez track is 4.304km long, with 17 corners and a surface that is low in terms of its severity on tyres. They have resurfaced the section between turns 12 and 15 in the third sector – the smooth asphalt and the fact the track is hardly used means that grip levels are rather low at the start of the weekend.

    Mexico City is located at over 2000 metres above sea level and the rarified air has an influence on car performance, reducing the aerodynamic downforce generated by the cars.
    One of the consequences of this is that top speeds reached are very high, despite a configuration that actually looks typical of tracks that require maximum downforce.

    In terms of strategy, this is a usually a one-stop race. Last year, the majority of drivers tried to manage the Medium to lengthen the first stint as much as possible.

  • Antonelli to drive in FP1 session in Mexico

    Mercedes junior, and next year’s replacement for Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli, will get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car as he takes part in his second FP1 session of the season in Mexico.

    The 18 year old Italian will take over Hamilton’s W15 in Mexico City, having also driven on Friday at Monza in September.
    However, the session in Italy came to an early end as a high-speed crash saw him put his borrowed car into the Monza wall just minutes into his debut.

    The crash had no bearing on Mercedes’ decision to promote the youngster, with Antonelli confirmed as Hamilton’s replacement at the Silver Arrows the very next day.

    Antonelli is currently competing in Formula 2, where so far he has took two wins and 3 podiums, he currently sits sixth in the drivers’ championship with two rounds to go!

    FIA regulations state all F1 drivers must sit out one FP1 each season for a rookie who has no more than two Grand Prix starts.

    I’m looking forward to driving in FP1 and playing my part in helping the team make a good start on track this weekend. It is a new circuit for me and one I have been working hard to prepare for. The altitude makes it unique and it’s a challenge I’m excited to experience. I want to thank the team for giving me this opportunity to contribute.
    Antonelli on the outing.

  • Drugovich set for FP1 run for Aston in Mexico

    Aston Martin have announced that test and reserve driver, Felipe Drugovich will make another free practice appearance for the team at the upcoming Mexico City Grand Prix.

    Brazilian racer Drugovich, is set to driver Fernando Alonso’s car during Friday’s opening session, partially fulfilling the requirement for each team to run a rookie driver in two FP1’s per season.

    It will mark Drugovich’s first outing in the AMR24, which he has helped develop through simulator work at Aston Martin’s factory.
    He add’s to past FP1 runs in Abu Dhabi in 2022 and Italy and Abu Dhabi last season.

    I’m really excited to drive the AMR24 for the first time – I’ve been looking forward to it for a while! I’ve spent a lot of the year working on the development of this car in the team’s simulator, so it will be valuable for me to feel the correlation between the sim and the real thing. Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is a track I haven’t driven before. It’s a challenging circuit with a mix of long straights and technical corners, so I’ll be spending time on the simulator ahead of the event so that I’m ready to go come FP1.
    Drugovich on the news.

    We’re excited to give Felipe this first opportunity to drive the AMR24 during Free Practice 1 in Mexico City. Felipe is regularly in Silverstone on our simulator, contributing towards the development of this car with his detailed and thoughtful feedback, so it will be a rewarding experience for him to get out on track in Mexico. During the session, Felipe will be working his way through the team’s run plan, collecting vital data to support our decision-making throughout the rest of the weekend and aiding with the set-up of the car.
    Mike Krack, Aston Martin Team Principal.

  • Gerrard Xie signs with HiTech

    Hitech Pulse-Eight have confirmed that Gerrard Xie will be driving for them in FIA Formula 3 next year, becoming their first signing for the 2025 season.

    Xie stepped up to single seater racing from karting and had instant success by winning the 2022 Chinese F4 Championship with 13 victories in 14 races.
    That same he year he also won the Formula Renault Super Challenge and finished second in the Macau Grand Prix.

    In 2023, he competed in GB3 Championship driving for Hillspeed, where he achieved one win after a difficult season.
    Xie, then returned for a second campaign this year with Hitech, he ended the season seventh in the standings, with three podiums including a win.

    I’m thrilled to be making the step up to FIA Formula 3, and to be doing so with Hitech. t’s been a strong season for me and the team in GB3 and I’m proud of everything we achieved together. The results were there but we also had a bit of bad luck along the way that could have brought us even greater success in both title fights. I feel ready and I hope to play a big part in ensuring Hitech’s F3 challenge is as strong as it was this season.
    Xie on the news.

    It is always exciting and rewarding for us to see one of our young drivers progressing through the ranks with Hitech. Gerrard has been ‘there’ throughout the GB3 Championship season. As well as his impressive victory and podium finishes, he has consistently been in the hunt for many more podiums, and racked up the strong points finishes that secured him seventh in the Drivers’ title and contributed so much to Hitech securing the runner-up spot in the Teams’ battle. Gerrard is ready for Formula 3. I’m confident he will be a significant force within our line-up for next season and we’ll be able to fight for both Championship titles once again.
    Paul Bellringer, Team Manager.

  • RW 19 – United States

    Charles Leclerc took a flawless victory in the United States Grand Prix, the Monegasque driver lead home team mate Carlos Sainz in a one-two after storming through into the lead on the opening lap.

    Pole-sitter Norris initially looked to have held the lead off the line when the lights went out for the 56 lap race, but the McLaren went side-by-side with Verstappen into the first, which led to the Brit being pushed wide allowing Leclerc to sneak through and grab P1.

    From there, Leclerc enjoyed an unchallenged drive to victory, while team mate Sainz benefitted from an undercut to put himself into second place ahead of Verstappen following his pit stop.

    As the race entered the final stages, Norris overtook Verstappen for P3 following a close duel between the championship rivals – but the nature of the move prompted discussion over the radio, with Verstappen and Red Bull claiming that Norris had overtaken outside of the track limits.
    Norris ended up receiving a five second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. He crossed the line in P3 but as Verstappen was only 4 second behind he grabbed the last podium spot.

    The full top 10 are P1: Leclerc, P2: Sainz, P3: Verstappen, P4: Norris, P5: Piastri, P6: Russell, P7: Perez, P8: Hulkenberg, P9: Lawson and P10: Colapinto.

    What a lovely result for the Ferrari boys, a lovely 1-2 for the Italian team, it has helped massively in the Constructors standings they are only 8 points between them and Red Bull in 2nd.
    Charles drove a fantastic race, the team had the perfect strategy for the team and especially with Carlos aswell performing the undercut.

    A good race for Verstappen – however, he did have a few problems in the race with the car and tyres which tell us they haven’t sorted out all of their problems…
    Perez finished 7th – nothing amazing from him I feel like he wasn’t there much with overtaking. he just seems to be struggling with the car so much in comparison to Max.

    A good result for McLaren, P4 for Norris and P5 for Piastri – unfortunate for Norris with the penalty but it was good to see a nice fight between Norris and Verstappen. Piastri had a pretty okay race, I think he mostly wanted to stay out of trouble and score some decent points.

    A very good day for Russell – he ended up starting in the pitlane due to Mercedes repairing his car out of parc ferme from his crashing in qualifying. He finished P6 which is a lovely recovery drive from the Brit.
    Unfortunately for Hamilton spun out early in the race where he beached his Mercedes in the gravel.

    Hulkenberg finished P8, a double points finish for himself at the teams home Grand Prix which is a lovely result for the team, especially with Magnussen grabbing points in the sprint as well.

    Lawson and Colapinto rounded out of the top 10, points back on debut for Liam Lawson in the VCARB, his performing in a way in which he deserves a full time seat for next season.

    I’m very happy. It hasn’t been an easy weekend, until now I have been struggling a bit with the feeling with the car but I had the confidence that in the race the feeling was better, and it was the case. We’ve seen it yesterday in the Sprint race, we were a bit… not scared, but we thought the others would improve a lot more today but we still had the upper hand so really happy with today. A one-two for the team, we couldn’t have dreamed for better.
    Leclerc on winning the race.

  • RW 19 – United States Qualifying

    Lando Norris has grabbed pole position for the United States Grand Prix, with the McLaren driver’s solid first effort in Q3 ultimately unable to be beaten as the session was brought to an early end following a crash.

    Norris had initially taken P1 during the opening runs with his effort of 1m32.330s, disrupting Max Verstappen’s run at the top through Q1 and Q2.
    And while the Brit’s second lap was slower, nobody was able to improve when the double yellows made an appearance due to Russell who hit the wall at Turn 19.

    That confirmed Norris is on pole, with Verstappen 0.031s back in second and Carlos Sainz for Ferrari rounded out the top three.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Norris, P2: Verstappen, P3: Sainz, P4: Leclerc, P5: Piastri, P6: Russell, P7: Gasly, P8: Alonso, P9: Magnussen and P10: Perez.

    A lovely result for Norris, a lot better than Friday’s qualifying. I know Norris said he feels lucky, but luck does play a part in F1, so I think he should be happy about it, as it is the best place for him.
    For his teammate a much better position, Piastri has qualified P5, a decent qualifying for the Australian.

    Obviously a good result for Verstappen, it is definitely one of his better weekends of recently, he will want this win today so it’s just a wait and see what happens tonight…
    Perez had a slightly better qualifying, but still not amazing he will be starting P10, right smack bang in the middle of it all.

    Another good qualifying for the Ferrari duo, P3 for Sainz and P4 Leclerc. I feel like this weekend they are the team which has got it all together, both drivers are qualifying well, and they scored double points in the Sprint. Let’s hope the team’s strategy is good, so they can grab a podium.

    A bit of a 50/50 qualifying for Mercedes, Hamilton was out in Q1 and will be starting 18th, which was a bit of a shocker but I have a feeling he is a man on a mission this race. And for George he qualified P6 which isn’t bad, however he ended qualifying early by crashing out, which isn’t the best.

    A decent result for Gasly, P7 for Alpine, which is a lovely step forward! Now the team needs to have the right strategy for Gasly to score some points.

    Another good result from Magnussen for Haas this weekend, the team will be wanting to score more points for the constructors’ championship.

    It was a beautiful lap. I was not going to go much quicker than what I did. You know when you just do a lap and you think it’s going to be tough to beat that, but I put everything out on the line. It’s all we needed to do. We’ve been on the back foot pretty much the whole weekend. We’ve not had the pace of the Ferraris or the Red Bulls so I had to do something, and today I did that. A cool lap and a nice way to start the race tomorrow.
    Norris on pole position.

  • RW 19 – United States Sprint

    Sprint Qualifying-

    Max Verstappen has clinched pole position for the Sprint at the United States Grand Prix, the Dutchman having beaten Mercedes’ George Russell in Sprint Qualifying by just 0.012s.

    After Russell set the benchmark by going out early on track in SQ3, the likes of Lando Norris and the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz – who had been looking strong earlier on – tried to better this. All were unable to do so, but Verstappen left it late to put his Red Bull into P1.

    The full top 10 are – Pole: Verstappen, P2: Russell, P3: Leclerc, P4: Norris, P5: Sainz, P6: Hulkenberg, P7: Hamilton, P8: Magnussen, P9: Tsunoda and P10: Colapinto.

    A great result for Verstappen, it’s good to see him back on pole position but it doesn’t surprise me as he loves a sprint race and always excels on them.
    Perez didn’t have the best of days compared to his teammate he will be starting the Sprint from 11th… Obviously the top 8 score points in the Sprint so he has to make some decent moves to get valuable points.

    A lovely result from Russell, P2! The Mercedes so far seems like it has got some pace, which will be good for the Silver Arrows in the fight for moving up in both Championships. Obviously there is still a long way to go this weekend, so we will see how the team gets on…
    Lewis qualified 7th, isn’t the worst place to be, and I expect him to move up the grid a bit.

    Now onto the Ferrari’s, a very good sprint qualifying from both drivers, Leclerc in P3 and Sainz P5, a good opportunity for the team to score some valuable points as they edge closer to Red Bull who are in 2nd in the Constructors.

    A very good result for Haas, both drivers in the top 10! Hulkenberg P6 and Magnussen P8, a great way to start their home race weekend, the next step would be double points, they have two chances for that to happen!

    A very good result from Colapinto getting into the top 10! For Williams its their best Sprint Qualifying of the year so far. But I have to say it seems like Colapinto is pulling all the right moves to keep his name mentioned to be in contention for a seat next year.

    Sprint-

    Max Verstappen has returned to winning ways in the Sprint at the United States Grand Prix, the Dutchman taking an assured win from pole position to add to his points tally as Championship rival Lando Norris lost P2 to Carlos Sainz in the final moments…

    After Verstappen made a strong launch from P1 on the grid, Norris also impressed by getting ahead of both Ferrari cars and George Russell to put himself second.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Sainz, P3: Norris, P4: Leclerc, P5: Russell, P6: Hamilton, P7: Magnussen, P8: Hulkenberg, P9: Perez and P10: Piastri.

    A good Sprint race for Max, this is what he would’ve set out to achieve after he got pole position for it. His teammate made some moves too, hopefully more points can be scored for the team over the weekend.

    A very good result for Ferrari! A P2 and P4, shame it wasn’t a P2 and P3 but sometimes its the way it is in racing. But points are points at the end of the day and they have scored a few so far…

    Somewhat of a decent result for Norris, P3 for the Brit, however he will be kicking himself for loosing P2 in such a tense title fight, however he can redeem himself.

    A very good result for Haas, they capitalised on their performance in qualifying to score points in the Sprint, now to copy and paste again for a successful home grand prix.

  • Marti & Chambers to drive for Andretti

    Andretti Formula E has announced that Chloe Chambers and Nerea Marti will represent the team in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s Women Test in Valencia.

    Making her Formula E debut in the first-ever Women’s Test hosted by an FIA World Championship, Chambers brings an extensive racing resume to the Indianapolis-based Andretti lineup that includes a win and three podiums with two rounds remaining in her first season of F1 Academy.

    Chambers started in karting at the age of eight, rising through the karting ranks over the next 10 years before moving into the Formula 4 United States Championship in 2021.
    The 2022 season saw her compete in W Series Championship before she went on to dominate the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, winning eight of 12 races and making history as the first woman to win a race and claim pole position in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship.

    Rounding out Andretti Formula E’s testing lineup, Marti will take her first Formula E laps on her hometown track in Valencia.
    The Spanish driver moved up through the competitive karting ranks on her family’s track before moving into the Spanish F4 Championship in 2019.

    The 2021 season saw Marti claim the title of highest-ranking rookie in the W Series Championship, finishing fourth overall and gaining an FIA Formula 3 test day as her prize.
    Currently competing, in her second F1 Academy season, the 22 year old has scored one win and nine podium and currently sits fifth in the standings.

    I’m thrilled to be joining the Andretti Formula E team in Valencia. It will be different for me, being my first experience in electric racing, but I’m excited to take on this new challenge and expand my horizons. The Andretti Formula E team has had great success in Formula E, and I’m glad to be learning from some of the best! As an American, it’s especially exciting to be working with such an iconic name in racing. Thank you to F1 Academy, A14 Management and Monoflo International for enabling this opportunity. I’ll be putting 100% into learning all I can during the test.
    Chambers on the news.

    Getting behind the wheel of a Formula E car is an incredible opportunity. Formula E represents the future of racing, and I’m going to soak up every moment and learn as much as I can from the experience. The Series is all about innovation and pushing boundaries, and as a female driver, it’s what I’ve been striving for throughout my career, so I’m thrilled to be part of it. It’s very special that the test is taking place in Valencia, my hometown. Circuit Ricardo Tormo is where I got my first taste of racing, so I have some very special memories there. I’m focused on making the most of every lap and showing the Andretti Formula E team what I can do. I feel humbled by Andretti’s rich history, passion and dedication across all the series they compete in, and I couldn’t have dreamed of wearing better colours. I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got.
    Marti on the news.

    We are super excited to announce both Chloe and Nerea as the Andretti drivers for the all-women test in Valencia. As an organization, we have been leaders in promoting women in motorsport, fielding multiple drivers over the years across our varied programs, and being the only Formula E team to run a woman driver for a full season with Simona de Silvestro in Season 2. Both Chloe and Nerea have shown their pedigree in F1 Academy with regular visits to the podium, and we are eager to see how they get on in the Andretti Porsche 99X Electric Formula E car. I’m sure they will be following closely on the progress that Jake and Nico make throughout the week to learn as much as they can before they take to the track.
    Roger Griffifths, Team Principal.

  • Trident sign Noah Stromsted

    Trident have announced that Noah Stromsted will be driving in FIA Formula 3 next season – which is their second confirmed signing for the 2025 season.

    Stromsted stepped up to single seater racing in 2021 making an instant impact by finishing second in the F4 Danish Championship as a rookie thanks to his nine wins in 11 races.

    The 17 year old then competed in six races of the 2022 Spanish F4 Championship, taking pole position once before returning for a full season in 2023, where he ended up seventh in the standings with three podiums.

    This year, Stromsted has been competing in the Formula Regional European Championship and he is currently sixth in the standings having achieved one pole position and four podiums.

    The Dane also has previous experience in F3, as he was a final round substitute for Campos Racing this year at Monza, taking part in both Sprint and Feature races.

    I am very happy to join Trident for my debut season in the 2025 FIA Formula 3. Their success the past years speaks for itself, I will work very hard to be competitive since the beginning of the season and help the team as much as possible with the development of the new car. I would like to thank Trident for their trust and giving me this opportunity, and of course my sponsors, family, coach and management for making this happen.
    Stromsted on the news.

    We are extremely happy to announce Noah Strømsted in our line-up for the 2025 season. We had the opportunity to evaluate the Danish driver both on our test car and on our simulator and we immediately had excellent feedback. Despite being a very young driver, he is already very mature from our point of view. Noah has been the best rookie in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine in 2024. He is a young guy, with great potential and with a great margin for growth. We are really proud to have him on board our team competing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, and we are convinced that he will be able to be among the key players of the category in his rookie season.
    Giacomo Ricci, Trident Team Manager.

  • RW 19 – Tyre Selection

    Formula 1 is back and this year’s United States Grand Prix is the first leg of an all-American triple-header also sees changes to the track at COTA as most of it has been resurfaced.

    The abrasiveness of the track could therefore have changed since last year, given that a new layer of bitumen is usually smoother than an old track surface.

    The compounds chosen are the same as those used for the past two editions of the Austin round which are, C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), C4 (Soft).

    In terms of the forces exerted on the tyres, the loads at COTA are fairly evenly distributed between the front and rear axles, and are more lateral that vertical.
    Usually, degradation is thermal and is therefore linked to the ambient temperature which in Texas in October can fluctuate considerably from one day to the next.

    In terms of strategy, we will need to wait and see how the new surface may affect it. But with Saturday’s Sprint that should provide plenty of useful data.
    In last year’s short race, the Medium was chosen by the majority of drivers, although some risked the soft.

    Normally a two stop has always been the quickest here, especially as a one-stop involves a lot of careful degradation management.

  • McLaren reveal Austin livery

    McLaren are the third Formula 1 team to present a special livery for the United States Grand Prix weekend, following on from reveals by fellow teams Haas and Alpine.

    In collaboration with team partner Google, McLaren have created a second edition of their striking chrome-inspired livery, which was first re-imagined at Silverstone last year.

    Featuring in their ‘Chrome Shines Again’ campaign, the livery is a nod to some of McLaren’s former cars, including a modern twist to represent the team’s enduring legacy, with the enhanced chrome representing the two brands’ pursuit of innovative design.

    In addition to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s cars, touches of chrome will be present on their race suits for this weekend.

    McLaren approach the 19th race weekend with a 41 point lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ standings, while Norris is 52 points behind Max Verstappen as they battle for the drivers’ championship heats up.

  • Alpine present Indiana Jones livery

    Alpine have joined Haas in showing off a special car livery for the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin, with their striking design celebrating the return of legendary adventure character Indiana Jones in an upcoming video game.

    Via a collaboration with team partner Xbox, Alpine are building up to the release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – which is scheduled for Spring 2025 – with a ‘sunset orange’ colour scheme and themed driver suits inspired by the franchise logo.

    Diving into the car livery, it features an ancient map and red travel routes as showcased in the iconic film series, with the title of the game also emblazoned on the vehicle, while the suits include a world map with golden notes.

    This is not the first time that Alpine have produced a film-inspired livery and race suits in 2024, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon sporting another bold look inspired by the Deadpool & Wolverine movie at the Belgian Grand Prix.

    Working with the Xbox team to bring alive the incredible Indiana Jones and the Great Circle livery for the United States Grand Prix has been fantastic. The new look will be right at home in the Austin setting this weekend.
    Oliver Oakes, Alpine Team Boss.

  • Haas to run special livery for home race

    Haas have revealed a special car livery for the United States Grand Prix weekend at the Circuit of the Americas, celebrating their second of three of home races during the 2024 season.

    Complementing the usual black, red and white colour scheme are some additional blue highlights and features such as white and black stars – a nod to the United States flag.

    Haas have raced under the American flag since debuting in 2016, with their headquarters located in Kannapolis, North Carolina, alongside a European base in Banbury, Oxfordshire.

    The team have not only made a change to the liveries on Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen’s cars, though, with a range of upgrades set to be unleashed at the Austin round as the team aim to overhaul RB for sixth in the constructors’ standings.

    Haas have 31 points to their name so far ahead of the final six rounds, they are only three points away from RB.

    In Austin we’re bringing our main update for the final part of the season which will mainly involve another step of development in the floor and bodywork. The target, as always, will be to improve aero load in order to make the car faster. It’s difficult to be making a big step in lap time, so we’re speaking about small numbers, but in the tight midfield fight everything is an important step, and we hope to deliver. This is a development and further evolution of our package, not something new, although the car will look a bit different. We’re fighting for P6 and that’s a very nice feeling. We really need to put everything in we can to achieve that because it would be amazing for everyone at this team who’s put so much work into making this season a success.
    Technical Director, Andrea De Zordo.

  • Badoer joins PREMA & McLaren development

    PREMA Racing have announced the signing of Brando Badoer for the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season with the Italian also joining McLaren as a full-time member of their Driver Development programme.

    Badoer will graduate to F3 after a strong 2024 campaign in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine where he is currently fifth in the standings with seven podiums.

    Not only that, he finished sixth in the 2023 editions of the Formula 4 UAE, Italian F4 and Euro 4 Championships, achieving several podiums across the three categories.

    The 18 year old will now step up to Formula 3 with PREMA with the backing on McLaren as he is their recently signed member of the Development Programme, Badoer is excited for what is to come.

    I’m really happy to announce that I will be racing with PREMA in the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship. Working with all the people here is special, the chemistry is excellent and it makes the work really enjoyable on and off the track. We have had two positive seasons together and I’m looking forward to building on that and I’m sure we will have a good year.
    Badoer on the news.

    Brando is a very interesting prospect, and we are delighted to give him an opportunity for 2025. We have kept an eye on him because we noticed his potential from F4 to FRECA, and we saw him make an impressive step this season. Formula 3 will be challenging, as it usually is, but he has the right attitude to quickly gel with the team and series
    PREMA Racing Team Principal, Rene Rosin.

    We’ve kept a close eye on him over the past year and have been impressed with his performances as a rookie in the competitive Formula Regional championship, so it made sense to exercise our option and bring him into the programme full-time. We look forward to seeing him racing in papaya and supporting his development as he moves to compete in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Prema Racing.
    Stephanie Carlin, Director of F1 Business at McLaren.

  • Tasanapol moves to Campos for 2025

    Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak is set to return for a second campaign in FIA Formula 3, making the move to Campos Racing for the 2025 season.

    The Thai driver spent his rookie year with AIX Racing where he achieved one podium with a second place finish at the Budapest Sprint Race before ending up P24 in the Drivers’ Championship.

    It wont be the first time Inthraphuvasak and Campos have linked up, as they have history together with the 18 year old raced for them in 2023 Eurocup-3 season.
    He managed to grab two pole positions and four podiums on his way to finishing sixth in the standings.

    I’m delighted to join Campos racing for the F3 season in 2025. Having been with the team in the past, I’m sure we will work very well together for this upcoming season. It will be my second year in Formula 3 so I will try to use all the experience gathered to deliver the results and I am confident with the team I have behind me that we will have a successful year together. I cant wait to start working with the team and begin the preparations for next year. I would like to thank everyone that has made this possible!
    Inthraphuvasak on the news.

    I want to welcome Tasanapol back to Campos Racing as we reunite, having already worked together in the past. He is a great driver, fast and consistently improving race by race. 2025 is going to be a very demanding year with the new single-seater, but we are building a team of drivers with the experience and talent needed to achieve the results we have set for ourselves.
    Adrian Campos Jr, Team Principal.

  • Rodin Motorsport confirm Louis Sharp for 2025

    Rodin Motorsport have announced their first driver for the 2025 campaign, that Louis Sharp will step up to FIA Formula 3 with the team.

    Sharp and Rodin share a strong history of success together which started back in 2022, when he finished fourth in the British F4 Championship after scoring 12 podium finishes including two victories.

    He then went on to continue with them in 2023, this time winning the British F4 Championship thanks to four pole positions, six victories and an additional eight podiums!

    Their partnership was once again successful this year with Sharp winning the GB3 Championship, achieving five victories and a further five podiums on his way to winning another title.

    I’m obviously excited to be making the next step up to FIA Formula 3 – even more so as I’m back with Rodin Motorsport which has been such an important factor in all my successes to date. Though I’m still coming to terms with what I’ve achieved winning back-to-back titles, I’m already starting to concentrate on what’s ahead. I’m really looking forward to be racing alongside Grands Prix in 2025 and will do everything I can to maintain my current momentum. I’m now looking forward to starting my F3 preparations later this month in Spain and confident both the team and I will be ready when the lights go out in Australia.
    Sharp on the news moving up.

    It is great to have Louis join our Formula 3 effort for 2025, especially off the back of a dominant performance in GB3. Having the new chassis will provide a level playing field for the rookies and Louis has shown throughout his British F4 and GB3 campaigns how quickly he adapts to new cars and tracks. We are really looking forward to working with Louis once again.
    Sam Waple, Rodin Motorsport Team Manager.

  • Chloe Chambers teams up with Red Bull Ford for 2025

    Chloe Chambers has become the first driver announced for the 2025 season, with the American driver joining the Red Bull Ford Academy Programme for her sophomore F1 Academy next year.

    Chambers currently sits fourth in the Drivers’ Standings, driving for Haas operated by Campos Racing. The 20 year old scored her maiden win in Barcelona Race 2 alongside two further podium finishes, with only two rounds remaining.

    Prior to that, she has also completed in the Formula 4 United States Championship and W Series, and in 2023 she became the first woman to start on pole and win a race in the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship.

    She got her first outing in the Red Bull Ford colours last weekend when she competed in the final round of the IMSA Mustang Challenge 2024 at the SRO Indianapolis 8 Hour.

    The Red Bull Ford Academy programme team took the opportunity to thank current driver Emely De Heus for her commitment and hard work over the season, with the Dutch driver set to depart F1 Academy at the conclusion of her maximum two-season stint, as per the series’ regulations.

    I am thrilled to be driving for the Red Bull Ford Academy Programme for the upcoming 2025 season. As an American driver, it is an honour to team up with an iconic American automotive company like Ford. It is a privilege to be partnering with the Red Bull Ford Academy Programme to continue improving female representation in the sport, and I am grateful for the support to achieve my own career goals in motorsport. I am excited to take part in the Ford Mustang Challenge this week and to have more opportunities to race outside of my role in F1 ACADEMY. My focus for the rest of the year remains on delivering performance with Haas, but I’m looking forward to the next chapter in 2025 with the Red Bull Ford Academy Programme.
    Chambers on the news.

    Continuing our partnership with Ford as a title sponsor of the Red Bull Academy Programme is hugely exciting and further cements their commitment to female participation in motorsports. Everyone at the Team is looking forward to welcoming Chloe to the Red Bull family where she is a key part of our line-up for the 2025 F1 ACADEMY season. Welcoming an American driver that has previously been linked to Ford, marks an exciting progression in our partnership with Ford Performance. Red Bull and Ford share common values and are united in providing more opportunities for young and emerging talent in motorsports, and we can’t wait to see Chloe hit the track in Red Bull Ford colours in 2025.
    Christian Horner, CEO & Team Principal of Red Bull Racing.

    It’s so great to welcome Chloe to the Ford family as she joins the Red Bull Ford Academy Programme. Chloe is not only a real racing talent but also has the ability to race in different series and to see her lining up in the Mustang Challenge in our Dark Horse R is really cool. To have an American driver representing an iconic American brand is the perfect scenario for us and we are excited for all that 2025 will hold. This partnership is also part of a much larger relationship that we now enjoy with Red Bull across many race series and our partnership is getting stronger all the time.
    Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsport.