Mercedes have officially announced that Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be George Russell’s team mate for 2025, with the Italian stepping up from F2 to replace Ferrari bound Lewis Hamilton.
The Silver Arrows have been mulling the identity of who would race for them next season after Hamilton told them he was leaving at the end of the season to join Ferrari.
But on the eve of the Italian Grand Prix and just a day after Antonelli, 18, made his FP1 debut with the team at his home event in Monza, they announced the news.
Antonelli has had a stellar junior career, as he rapidly climbed through the ranks. After winning the ADAC and Italian F4 titles in 2022 and Formula Regional European Championship in 2023, the Mercedes junior skipped F3 and entered Formula 2 with PREMA this season.
He has won two races and currently lies 6th in the championship. The 18 year old has dovetailed competing in F2 with a testing programme in old-spec F1 machinery with Mercedes.
In stepping up to F1, it now means both drivers in Mercedes’ 2025 line-up have graduated from their junior programme – with Russell set for his fourth season with the Silver Arrows having joined the junior squad in 2017.
The Italian is expected to get another run for Mercedes in FP1 this year, with the team considering doing it in Mexico.
It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025. Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me. I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team. I’m also really excited to become George’s team-mate. He came through the team’s junior programme just like myself and is someone I have a huge amount of respect for. He is super-fast, a multiple Grand Prix winner, and has already helped me improve as a driver. I am looking forward to learning from him and working together to deliver on track. Antonelli on the news.
Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and out-and-out raw speed. We are excited about what George and Kimi bring to the team both as individual drivers, but also as a partnership. Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior programme and our belief in home-grown talent. George has proved that he is one of the very best drivers in the world. He is not only fast, consistent, and determined, but has also developed into a strong leader within the team. Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport. We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way in the learning process. In George, he has an experienced team-mate from which he can learn and hone his craft. I am confident that both will contribute greatly as we continue to build momentum and fight at the front of the field. Toto Wolff on the junior driver stepping up.
I’m really excited to be partnering with Kimi for 2025. His record in junior formula has been formidable and his promotion is truly deserved. He’s a fantastic young talent and a fellow graduate of our junior programme. I look forward to using the experience I’ve gained from my own journey to provide guidance to Kimi as he makes the step up to F1. I know how much of a support Lewis was for me throughout my time as a junior driver and since I’ve been his team-mate. I’ve learned so much from him and I hope to play a similar role for Kimi. As a team, we’re building a lot of positive momentum heading into next year. We continue to make progress on track and are working hard to put all the pieces in place to fight for world championships. It is a really exciting journey we are on; I am confident Kimi and I can continue to push the team forward and help deliver on the promise we are showing. Russell on the news.
Zane Maloney made a strong start to his Monza weekend, finishing the practice session fastest of all, thanks to Rodin Motorsport driver’s time of a 1:32.285.
The Bajan driver was in strong form throughout and ended the session over a tenth clear of Invicta Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto, as Zak O’Sullivan rounded out the top three for ART Grand Prix.
However it was O’Sullivan who was fastest of all after the first set of laps on a 1:34.577 beating Oliver Bearman to the top time by 0.174s.
But after rounding the track for the second time, Maloney went to the top of the leaderboard with a 1:34.060 only for Trident’s Richard Verschoor to eclipse him by 0.048s.
The Rodin driver later set a time of 1:33.664 to return to P1 with Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Paul Aron now his nearest rival, 0.076s behind. The fastest time changed hands again, as Maloney went fastest once more. Moments later though, Dennis Hauger’s lap of 1:33.209 put him on top for the first time in the session.
The majority of the grid opted to pit with 20 minutes but returned to the track a few minutes later with Joshua Duersken now fastest on a 1:32.953, two-tenths clear of Verschoor in second.
Rodin were showing good pace and while Maloney jumped to second, he was pushed down to third by his teammate Ritomo Miyata who went fastest on a 1:32.946.
As we headed into the final 10 minutes of the session, times began to tumble as both Bearman and Bortoleto went quickest. However it was Maloney again who ended up on top thanks to a 1:32.532.
As we entered the final couple of minutes, the red flags were waved as Roman Stanek collided into the barrier at Serraglio. The session was not restarted leaving Maloney on top ahead of Bortoleto and O’Sullivan.
Qualifying-
Zane Maloney left it late in the day to seal pole position at a dramatic Monza qualifying. The Rodin Motorsport driver completed a lap of 1: 32.160 to win out in a battle with fellow title contenders Isack Hadjar and Paul Aron.
It was a slow start to the session as while the rest of the field chose to stay in the pit lane, Roman Stanek decided to go out on track, The Trident driver completed a lap of 1:34.992 just as most of the grid made their way out on the circuit.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was next to set a lap, and he lowered the benchmark to 1:32.941 with Enzo Fittipaldi going closest to the PREMA Racing driver’s time in second, 0.256s off top spot.
Practice pace setter Maloney had been on a good lap and was about to cross the line but the red flags were waved with the marshals needing to clear a polystyrene board from the track.
The session resumed with 16 minutes left on the clock, but as the times started to pour in once more, the red flags were out for a second time.
This time it was Gabriel Bortoleto stuck in the gravel at the second Lesmo. The Invicta Racing driver had not set a lap and will now start both races from the back of the grid, a blow to his title challenge.
The action resumed with only seven minutes left to go as the drivers poured out of the pitlane with just eight out of 22 having set a representative lap time.
A flurry of laps followed soon after with Hadjar going to the top of the timesheets on a 1:32.249 while Aron followed him across the line to go second.
But Maloney was on a charge and went fastest in the middle sector before beating the Campos Racing driver to the top spot 0.089s.
The drivers pushed on for a second set of laps and while there were some improvements, no-one could match Maloney’s time giving him his first pole position.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Maloeny, P2: Hadjar, P3: Aron, P4: Hauger, P5: Martins, P6: Antonelli, P7: Marti, P8: Bearman, P9: Cordeel and P10: Fittipaldi.
Day 2-
It was a fast start for pole-sitter Enzo Fittipaldi but a slow getaway for fellow front row starter, Amaury Cordeel dropped down to fourth before reaching Turn 1.
However, Fittipaldi went wide at Turn 1, giving Josep Maria Marti the chance to take the lead from the Van Amersfoort Racing driver at the Curva Grande with Martins watching on in third.
But there was drama at the back of the field as Zak O’Sullivan made contact with debutant Oliver Goethe on the run to Turn 1.
The ART driver was then involved in another collision moments later as he and Andrea Kimi Antonelli collided heading into the first chicane. O’Sullivan was out of the race while the PREMA Racing driver pitted with a puncture and front wing damage.
Marti led the pack away as we resumed racing on Lap 4, following a Safety Car, but Fittipaldi was able to use the tow to get ahead on the main straight.
Fittipaldi struggled for the rest of the lap as Martins and Bearman got ahead of him, demoting him to P4.
On to Lap 5 and the battle for P2 commenced, as Bearman got ahead of Martins into the Roggia chicane. Bearman was showing great pace and was right on the back of Marti heading to Turn 1 at the start of Lap 7.
A few laps on Martins overtook Marti for P2 heading to Turn 1. Marti though was not giving up on the position and made a late lunge on the Frenchman heading into Turn 1. Both drivers ran wide but kept the position, as Fittipaldi and Duerksen closed in as Lap 9 got underway.
Bearman’s lead was over two seconds as we started Lap 10, but the fight for the podium was heating up. Marti was now being attacked by Fittipaldi, and the VAR driver took P3 into the first corner.
Campos were struggling as Isack Hadjar lost out to a charging Gabriel Bortoleto, who after starting from last, claimed P12 down the main straight.
The battle for the points was incredibly tight and Aron shut the door on Crawford into the first chicane, allowing Hauger to take P8 from the DAMS Lucas Oil driver at the Curva Grande.
On to Lap 17, Fittipaldi ran wide at the exit of the Roggia chicane, giving Marti and Maloney the chance to close right in on him. He held them off until Turn 1 on the following lap before Marti dived down the inside to take P4.
As the same time, Maloney and Aron made contact at the same corner forcing the Hitech driver to pit with front wing damage.
Back at the front, the top three had separated themselves from the rest of the field as Bearman crossed the line to take his second consecutive victory at Monza.
The full top 10 are- P1: Bearman, P2: Martins, P3: Duerksen, P4: Marti, P5: Maloney, P6: Crawford, P7: Fittipaldi, P8: Bortoleto, P8: Hauger and P10: Hadjar.
Day 3-
It was a brilliant start from pole for Maloney, likewise for third-placed Paul Aron, although it was a slow getaway for Championship leader Isack Hadjar.
However, there was drama at Turn 1 as Josep Maria Marti locked up into the corner following his fast start, sending him into the back of Aron, who was out of the race following the contact.
The Safety Car was called upon and with the track cleared, racing resumed on Lap 3 as Maloney led Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Just behind them, Hadjar, who had dropped to fifth, made up one position after getting ahead of the fast-starting AIX Racing car of Joshua Duerksen only for the AIX driver to retake the position down the main straight on lap 5.
As Lap 6 got underway, Maloney had a lead of over a second a half to Bearman, while Duerksen was on the charge, getting ahead of Antonelli heading into Turn 1.
Just as some of the drivers came out of the pit lane, the Safety Car was called upon with Dennis Hauger having spun at Turn 1 following contact with Ritomo Miyata.
Significantly, Bortoleto was now the net race leader having started in P22 with Verschoor behind and Maloney third in the queue of those to have made their mandatory pit stop.
We returned to racing on lap 11 of 30 with the MP Motorsport debutant Oliver Goethe leading Invicta’s Kush Maini.
As the drivers got ready to start Lap 13, Maloney made a significant move as he got ahead of Verschoor heading to parabolica. This then put him right on the back of Bortoleto, but only briefly as the Brazilian got ahead of Juan Manuel Correa heading to Turn 1.
Bortoleto and Maloney were picking their way through the filed as the former got ahead of Goethe for P2, while the latter pulled off another move at the Parabolica on Correa.
On to Lap 19 and Maloney was losing time to Bortoleto in the battle for the race win as he struggled to get past Goethe. He eventually made the move heading into the Ascari chicane later in the lap, but he was now over four seconds behind Bortoleto.
The two PREMA drivers went wheel to wheel into Turn 1 with Antonelli getting ahead at the exit of Turn 2. Bearman tried to stay on the outside but dipped a tyre in the gravel, giving Duerksen the chance to go around him.
The Italian was on the charge and got ahead of Martins down the main straight to get up to P5, with Goethe having finally pitted and dropped to P16. Martins then lost another place a lap later with Duersken getting ahead under braking into Turn 1.
Maini came in on Lap 29, leaving Bortoleto out front by himself for the final two laps before crossing the line to take his second victory of the season.
The full top 10 are- P1: Bortoleto, P2: Maloney, P3: Verschoor, P4: Antonelli, P5: Duerksen, P6: Martins, P7: Bearman, P8: Villagomez, P9: Crawford and P10: Fittipaldi.
NEOM McLaren has confirmed Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard for the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Barnard has been Reserve and Development driver at NEOM McLaren and had his first competitive experience behind the wheel of Formula E machinery for the team across the 2024 Monaco E-Prix and Berlin E-Prix, stepping in last-minute for the injured Sam Bird.
Finishing those races in 14th, 10th and eight respectively, Barnard impressed – becoming the youngest points-scorer in Formula E history at the age of 19.
Barnard entered single seater racing in 2020. On his way up the motorsport ladder, the Brit became 2022 ADAC Formula 4 runner-up as well as the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship runner-up.
In 2023, during his debut season in FIA Formula 3, he took his maiden victory in the championship at Spa-Francorchamps.
In 2024 Barnard shared duties in FIA Formula 2 with AIX Racing alongside his role as Reserve and Development Driver for NEOM McLaren.
Following his first season with NEOM McLaren, Bird will be continuing with the team for Season 11. The 37 year old has competed in Formula E since Season 1 and is one of only five drivers to have done so.
Bird is among the most successful drivers on the grid with 12 wins, 26 podiums and six Julius Baer Pole Positions to his name over the course of those 10 season.
Bird secured the team’s first and only win to date in Formula E with last lap heroics at the 2024 Sao Paulo E-Prix one of the series’ most memorable.
I am delighted to be racing for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team in Season 11. In Season 10, I was the team’s Reserve and Development Driver and during that time I learnt a lot, putting my new knowledge into practice in Monaco and Berlin. I am excited to race alongside Sam this season, and I am sure I will learn a lot from him. He is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, and I hope that together we can score plenty of points and collect some trophies for the team. It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to continue the journey with the team as full-time Formula E driver, and I can’t wait to get started. Barnard on the news.
I’m very happy to be staying with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team for Season 11. This team has become like family to me, and I believe that we can achieve even better things together in the upcoming season. We’ve done some good work in our first season together; now it’s time to build on that and create even better memories in my second year. Bird on sticking with McLaren.
Campos Racing’s Mari Boya started the Monza weekend on top, setting a 1:38.172 to lead the pack in Free Practice.
The Spaniard saved his best time for last, able to pip Christian Mansell and Callum Voisin who wound up second and third for ART Grand Prix and Rodin Motorsport respectively.
Gabriele Mini was the first driver to put down a laptime, setting a 1:41.324 to lead early on. The Italian lowered his personal best shortly afterwards to a 1:40.583 with the opening 10 minutes gone.
Teammate and title rival Arvid Lindblad had a minor off track excursion at Lesmo 2 as the PREMA driver ran wide and through the gravel but was able to rejoin.
A Virtual Safety Car was deployed with just over half an hour to go after Kacper Sztuka came to a halt ahead of the Parabolica.
With the car cleared, green flag running resumed but a Red Flag followed with 25 minutes remaining. Several drivers ran through the gravel at the Variante della Roggia chicane to leave the track covered in gravel.
Into the final 15 minutes and the times rolled in, with Boya putting his Campos car at the head of the field on a 1:39.998 before Noel Leon beat that for Van Amersfoort Racing by 0.139s.
Luke Browning then put his first time on the board to go quickest of all by almost three-tenths of a second on a 1:39.574. Leon returned to P1 on his next lap to lower the benchmark time to a 1:39.470 heading into the final 10 minutes of running.
Mini then restored himself to the top spot with a 1:38.998, 0.4s quicker than Leon’s effort and comfortably fastest of the title contenders. Mansell lifted himself up the order with a 1:39.153 to go second-fastest for ART Grand Prix inside the final five minutes.
Boya then displaced the Australian to go within 0.031s of Mini’s time until the Italian finished off his final effort to improve one last time.
Qualifying-
Group A- The even-numbered cars lined up to get on track first, including the top three in the Drivers’ Championship.
There was just one time on the board with just over five minutes to go, though Max Esterson’s 2:10.419 was not a push lap as everyone began to play for track position.
Contact between Laurens van Hoepen and Kacper Sztuka out of Lesmo 1 left debris on the track and both with damage, leading to a red flag.
The first segment resumed with five minutes to go and everyone else was straight back out onto the circuit.
Esterson headed out the queue without a tow and recorded the first proper lap to beat with a 1:40.558 but that was beaten immediately.
Luke Browning went quicker but his time was bettered by Mari Boya and Joshua Dufek, with the latter taking provisional top spot with a 1:38.287
Championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli wound up seventh on his first attempt, seven-tenths down on the time to beat. The Italian reset and on his second and final effort, he recorded a 1:38.287 to go quickest of all while title rival Gabriele Mini moved himself up to second at the chequered flag.
Group B-
The odd-numbered half of the grid followed suit in waiting before getting out on track for their first attempts.
ART Grand Prix were the first to blink and sent Nikola Tsolov and Christian Mansell out in front, with the rest of the pack trailing the pair out of the pitlane.
Mansell had overtaken his teammate but then backed off in hopes of gaining a tow as the clock ticked to three minutes remaining. With nobody obliging, the Australian headed up the train for the first attempts but backed off before he completed the lap as others followed suit.
Martinius Stenshorne wasn’t one of them though and recorded the first time to beat on a 1:39.273. That was beaten by fellow McLarn Driver Alex Dunne, who went provisionally quickest in Group B with a 1:38.818.
Everyone had time for one final attempt but nobody could beat the MP driver’s effort, though no one was close to Fornaroli’s time from Group A.
With the results aggregated together, Fornaroli will line up on Pole for Sunday’s Feature Race ahead of Dunne on the front row in P2. Mini will go from third with Meguetounif in P4. Ramos rounded out the top five.
Day 2 Sprint Race-
Before the lights could go out, title contender Christian Mansell radioed into his ART Grand Prix that he was stuck in third gear. A second formation lap was required but the Australian was able to get off the grid, though he had to start from the pitlane for causing the delay.
At the race start, reverse grid pole sitter Tramnitz covered off Dino Beganovic on the run to Turn 1 before going wheel to wheel with Montoya, who had to skip over Turn 2 but settled into second after passing the PREMA driver.
A Safety Car was deployed on lap 2 after Noel Leon and Nikita Bedrin wound up in the gravel after contact at Turn 2 with Tommy Smith, requiring the former cars to be cleared away/
Racing got back underway entering lap 6 but a big snap through Parabolica put Montoya under immediate pressure from Beganovic. However, the Colombian held onto the second into the first chicane.
Joseph Loake and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak ran through the gravel at Turn 4, allowing Lindblad and Fornaroli to move up into the points in ninth and 10th places respectively, with Browning and Mini followed directly behind.
With DRS on the run to Ascari, Fornaroli battled by Lindblad on lap 7 to secure ninth position from the PREMA driver. Teammate Ramos meanwhile was able to move ahead of Beganovic to take third place, and he was quickly onto the rear wing of Campos’ Montoya.
Lap 10 and after two previous unsuccessful attempts, Browning passed Lindblad for 10th position to move into the points. Meanwhile Fornaroli’s charge continued as he passed Mari Boya for seventh.
Montoya stuck with Ramos after being passed and re-took second into the first corner on Lap 12, while teammate Sami Meguetounif was able to move ahead of Beganovic at the same spot. Alex Dunne meanwhile relegated Beganovic to sixth just before the second Safety Car of the race.
Max Esterson and Piotr Wisnicki had collided at the first chicane and were out of the running. Both drivers were OK, but their cars needed clearing away.
Tramnitz retained the lead but further back, Browning cleared Fornaroli into Turn 1 to take eighth place. The leader held on from Montoya and Ramos, while Dunne and Beganovic rounded out the top five.
Meguetounif cleared Boya after the Campos driver ran through the gravel at Ascari, a mistake that allowed Browning to move up one place further to earn seventh.
The full top 10 are- P1: Tramnitz, P2: Ramos, P3: Dunne, P4: Beganovic, P5: Meguetounif, P6: Browning, P7: Boya, P8: Fornaroli, P9: Mini and P10: Stenshorne.
Day 3 Feature Race-
Fornaroli covered off Alex Dunne immediately at lights out and retained his lead into the first chicane, with MP Motorsport following ahead of Mini in third.
Into Parabolica the Irish driver was down the inside of the Championship leader to take first. Just behind, teammate Sami Meguetounif took third from Mini with a slipstream into the first corner going into Lap 2.
Further back, Luke Browning was up to 11th from 13th on the grid after the opening lap, but dropped to 12th after compatriot Joseph Loake was able to get the tow on Lap 3.
Battling into Ascari, Browning was side-by-side with Nikola Tsolov but spun on corner entry, Several drivers then made contact in a separate incident further on in the corner to bring out a Safety Car with Shields, Floersch and Zagazeta left out of the running with damage. Browning was able to continue but was down in 26th position.
Back to racing conditions entering Lap 7, Dunne kept hold of the lead ahead of Fornaroli, but Mini dropped down to fifth after Christian Mansell got ahead into the first corner.
Fighting for the lead into Ascari, Fornaroli went wide mid-corner and took a trip through the gravel, dropping him down to fifth position and crucially behind Mini.
Up ahead, Meguetounif moved ahead of Dunne at Turn 1 under braking to take the lead on Lap 10. Mansell was on the move on the following lap, rounding Dunne at the Roggia chicane to take second place in ART.
Onto Lap 15 and Fornaroli was in the DRS of Dunne and through for third position at Turn 1 to put a car between himself and Mini. The PREMA driver put a pass on Dunne himself on the following lap to move into fourth position and keep Fornaroli in his sights.
Lap 18 and Fornaroli was on the move again, this time taking second position from Mansell at the first corner despite a sizeable lock-up. Mini followed through later on in the lap at Ascari to remain within a second of the championship leader.
Another lock-up on Lap 20 at Turn 1 for Fornaroli allowed Mini to close right onto the back of the Trident.
Onto the penultimate lap and Mini got the move down to pass his title rival who then had Mansell attacking into the Roggia chicane and the ART driver got ahead, tipping the title battle in favour of the PREMA driver.
Onto the final lap and Mini was desperate to keep Mansell behind and worked hard to break the tow. Fornaroli was in the wheel tracks of the ART out of the first chicane and tried to get a late-braking move done but had to skip across the second chicane, forcing him to hand the place back.
Meguetounif was clear to take his second win in F3 ahead of Mini, but with a final corner lunge on Mansell, Fornaroli cleared the Australian taking P3 and sealing the title.
The full top 10 are- P1: Meguetounif, P2: Fornaroli, P3: Mansell, P4: Dunne, P5: Stenshorne, P6: Tramnitz, P7: Leon, P8: Van Hoepen, P9: Beganovic and P10: Dufek.
After the conclusion of the Feature Race, several drivers have been given post-race penalties, while Gabriele Mini has been disqualified as the car had not met the minimum requirement with regards to its tyre pressures.
Consequently this promotes Leonardo Fornaroli to second and Christian Mansell to third.
Round 16 is officially complete, and it was Charles Leclerc who took a stunning victory at the Italian Grand Prix after utilising a bold one-stop strategy to hold onto the lead.
The Monegasque thrilled the Tifosi at their home grand prix as he clinched P1 ahead of the McLaren drivers.
After making a decent start off the line from pole position, Lando Norris initially stayed in P1 before Oscar Piastri swept past into the second chicane later in the lap. From there, the Australian driver stayed out in front for much of the race.
However, with much of the field opting for a two-stop strategy, Ferrari made the risky decision to try a one-stop for Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, resulting in the pair running at the front of the field in the latter stages of the race.
Sainz was unable to hold on given his ageing tyres, with both Piastri and Norris overtaking him to move into second and third. But Leclerc held out to grab an emotional win on Ferrari’s home soil, crossing the line 2.6s ahead of Piastri.
The full top 10 are- P1: Leclerc, P2: Piastri, P3: Norris, P4: Sainz, P5: Hamilton, P6: Verstappen, P7: Russell, P8: Perez, P9: Albon and P10: Magnussen.
The best result ever for Charles Leclerc! P1 at Ferrari’s home Grand Prix. Going into the weekend they would’ve wanted this to happen but at some points it didn’t seem like it would. But their strategy this weekend was on point. Obviously unfortunate for Carlos Sainz as if he didn’t have his tyres go off it would’ve been an easy 1-2 for the Ferrari team.
A good result for McLaren, 2nd and 3rd. Obviously its not what the team wanted as they are their to win but sometimes its the way it goes. But going home with two podiums is a good result either way. It does makes me think when will they bring team orders into play as Norris is obviously battling for the championship…
A semi decent result for Mercedes, Lewis in P5 and George in 7th, unfortunate for George with the damage early on in the race, but he managed to achieve damage limitation and still scored points.
Not the best result for Red Bull, they will be walking away from this weekend wanting to forget about it as a whole. Max finished 6th and Perez 8th so not too bad but it should’ve been better. I think the team will use this week off in the simulator seeing where to go from here and why it isn’t working, as if they carry on like this then it’s not going to end well with the championship…
Albon back in the points! It’s what we like to see, fully deserved aswell as he got in the top 10 for qualifying. As for his new team mate, Franco Colapinto a very good first race finishing 12th, he stayed out of trouble which is a good sign of things to come.
Now onto Magnussen finished P10, a point for Haas, which is really good for the team, but its unfortunate for both drivers as they both got time penalties for separate incidents, so it’s a what could of been for the team.
Yuki Tsunoda was the sole retiree from the race, having retired his RB following a collision with Hukenberg.
Now, next up is Round 17 and its the Azerbaijan Grand Prix which isn’t too far away its the 13th to 15th September!
Lando Norris has continued his promising run of form by taking a stunning pole position for the Italian Grand Prix with the Brit and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri locking out the front row.
After initially claiming P1 during the first runs of Q3, Norris secured his place by pumping in a time of 1m19.327s just 0.109s ahead of Piastri.
While the Woking team came out on top, the first six cars were all covered by less than two tenths of a second, with George Russell the closest in P3.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Norris, P2: Piastri, P3: Russell, P4: Leclerc, P5: Sainz, P6: Hamilton, P7: Verstappen, P8: Perez, P9: Albon and P10: Hulkenberg.
A lovely result for the McLaren team a 1-2 in qualifying, which is just what they wanted but now its all eyes to the race as they will want to copy and paste and take another victory this season.
A good result from George, it was so close to pole but not close enough unfortunately, however he will be looking to fight for the win against Norris and Piastri and its not going to be easy. Lewis qualified 6th, it could’ve been better but he wasn’t that far away from pole, the top 6 are just so bunched up. He will be looking to
A very good result for Ferrari at their home grand prix, P4 and P5 for Leclerc and Sainz, I know their not overly happy with it but when you’ve got six drivers fighting for pole you would be disappointed with 4th and 5th. Their aim today will be to get a podium at home, maybe fight for the win depending on their set ups against the other teams.
Now onto Red Bull, it’s not looking good for the team this weekend. Verstappen qualified 7th and Perez 8th. There is something just not right, Verstappen is saying it, Horner is saying it and no one knows really where to go from here. It’s going to get to the point if they carry on like this and Norris / McLaren keeps on being consistent there championships will be under threat…
A good result for Alex P9! He will be looking for some points this weekend. As well as Nico Hulkenberg who qualified P10, so far the Haas driver has been on fire this weekend his got so much pace!
Fernando Alonso just missed out on Q3 by one hundredth of a second, which would be quite frustrating for the Spanish driver he will be starting 11th. His teammate Lance Stroll had a bit of shocker being out in Q1 where he will start P17.
Now to talk about our newest F1 driver, Franco Colapinto, he will be starting his first F1 race 18th, but he did make a slight mistake which could of possibly seen him higher up but his done well so far, it will be interesting to see how he goes in the race!
Oliver Goethe will step up to FIA Formula 2 with MP Motorsport this weekend, taking part in Round 11 of the 2024 season at Monza.
The Red Bull Junior Team member will replace the Formula 1-bound Franco Colapinto following the announcement that the Argentine will be racing for Williams for the rest of the season.
Goethe graduates following two seasons in Formula 3, racing for Trident in 2023 and Campos Racing in 2024. The German also took part in two rounds for Campos at Budapest and Spa-Francorchamps in 2022.
Goethe finished eighth in his rookie campaign and graduates from the Championship while sat seventh in the current Standings having been a contender for the Drivers’ title. During that he won two races and achieved a further two podium finishes.
He will now make the move up to Formula 2 with MP, starting at Monza this weekend.
Although I haven’t got any experience in this F2 car, the two seasons I spent in FIA F3 gave me a great foundation for this step. My goals for this weekend are to soak up all the information MP Motorsport provides me with and learn as much as I can. It won’t be easy even on a track I know well because all my competitors have so much more experience than me and I got the call so late that I didn’t have a chance to do simulator prep for F2. But in some way, this is similar to my FIA F3 debut in 2022, where I joined the series mid-season and scored points on my first attempt and finished P4 in the Feature Race in Spa. Overall, I’m happy with my consistency this year and my win and podiums. I am a bit sad that I can’t finish my F3 season as planned, I would have loved to go out with a bang with my Campos Racing team. I wish good luck to them and to the drivers still in the fight for the title. I will be following the races for sure. Goethe on moving up.
The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza is known as the Temple of Speed, an appropriate moniker given that, at the 2003 Italian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher and his Ferrari set a record for the highest ever average speed over a race distance of 247.585km/h.
One of the most important change for this year’s Italian Grand Prix concerns the asphalt. The circuit has embarked on a process of renovation and modernisation of its facility, aimed at ensuring its future and part of the first phase of this work has been the complete resurfacing of the entire track.
As is usually the case with newly-laid asphalt, the surface is smoother than its predecessor and darker in colour. This latter factor will have an impact on track temperature, which if the sun is shining could see it get hotter than in the past. In theory the new surface should offer more grip, which will impact tyre performance and their operating temperature range.
At Monza, cars usually run in the lowest aerodynamic configuration of the season to reduce drag, in order to favour top speed. Stability under braking and traction coming out of the two chicanes are the factors that most test the tyres. For this year’s event, the three dry compounds selected are the same as in 2023: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft).
This is a track where the time needed for a pit stop is one of the longest of the year so, on paper, a one-stop strategy is quickest. In free practice, it will be important to evaluate what effect the new surface might have on tyre behaviour over a long run, both in terms of performance and of degradation.
Last year, the race was very linear, with the two hardest compounds being the clear choice. 17 of the 20 drivers chose to start on the C4, while only three – Hamilton, Bottas and Magnussen – preferred the C3. 14 drivers pitted just the once, six pitted twice.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has confirmed that protege Kimi Antonelli will be making his Formula 1 weekend debut on home soil at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix, with the youngster being handed a practice run.
Formula 2 racer Antonelli, who turned 18 on Sunday, has been widely tipped to replace Lewis Hamilton as George Russell’s team mate from the 2025 campaign, though Mercedes are yet to formally announce their plans.
What Wolff has now confirmed, however, is that their junior driver will be given a chance to appear for Mercedes during Friday’s first practice session at Monza next weekend, as one of the two outings teams are required to fulfil each season.
It comes amid a rapid rise for Antonelli, who has impressed on the junior scene via successive titles in Italian F4, ADAC F4, Formula Regional Middle East and Formula Regional European over the last two years.
He is currently competing in F2, where with a solid run of early-season points finishes paved the way for breakthrough Sprint and Feature Race victories at the recent Silverstone and Hungaroring rounds.
Williams have announced that academy driver and F2 racer Franco Colapinto will contest the remainder of the season with the squad, replacing Logan Sargeant as Alex Albon’s team mate from the Italian Grand Prix this weekend.
Colapinto joined the Williams Racing Driver Academy early in 2023 and made his FP1 debut with the F1 team at this year’s British Grand Prix – giving him an initial taste of the FW46.
A race winner in an array of categories on the junior single-seater scene, the 21 year old had been contesting his second season in the F2 feeder championship, holding sixth in the 2024 standings with a race win and two second-place finishes to his name.
He will become the first Argentine driver in F1 for 23 years, after Gaston Mazzacane’s last appearances for Prost back in 2001, and only the second Argentine to drive for Williams, following on from his countryman Carlos Reutemann.
In their press release, Williams took the opportunity “to thank Logan Sargeant for his hard work and contribution over the past two seasons” adding he “will remain in the Williams family and we will support him to continue his racing career.”
It comes after a particularly challenging run for the American, who crashed his updated Williams at last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, a few weeks on from confirmation that he will be replaced by Carlos Sainz next year.
It is an honour to be making my Formula 1 debut with Williams – this is what dreams are made of. The team has such amazing history and a mission to get back to the front which I can’t wait to be part of. The team has such amazing history and a mission to get back to the front which I can’t wait to be part of. Colapinto on the news.
To replace a driver mid-season is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we believe this gives Williams the best chance to compete for points over the remainder of the season. We have just brought a large upgrade to the car and need to maximise every points-scoring opportunity in a remarkably tight midfield battle.We have just brought a large upgrade to the car and need to maximise every points-scoring opportunity in a remarkably tight midfield battle. We also believe in investing in our young drivers in the Williams Racing Driver Academy, and Franco is getting a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what he is capable of across the final nine rounds of the season. This is undoubtedly incredibly tough on Logan, who has given his all throughout his time with Williams, and we want to thank him for all his hard work and positive attitude. Logan remains a talented driver and we will support him to continue his racing career for the future. I know that Franco has great speed and huge potential, and we look forward to seeing what he can do in Formula 1. Williams Team Principal, James Vowles.
Round 15 is officially complete, and it was McLaren’s Lando Norris who charged to a statement victory during the Dutch Grand Prix, overhauling Max Verstappen denying the Dutchman what would have been a fourth-straight home triumph.
Norris lined up on pole position for Sunday’s race but his hopes of converting it into the win took a hit when Verstappen jumped off the line and slotted ahead at the first corner, before moving clear and breaking free of the DRS window.
However, Norris gathered himself to mount a fight back as the race developed, finding another level of pace to close back in on the three time world champion and reclaim a lead he would not relinquish.
The top 10 are- P1: Norris, P2: Verstappen, P3: Leclerc, P4: Piastri, P5: Sainz, P6: Perez, P7: Russell, P8: Hamilton, P9: Gasly and P10: Alonso.
A lovely result for McLaren, P1 for Lando, another win for the Brit! The upgrades McLaren brought to Zandvoort clearly worked as they dominated that race. Piastri finished P4, he will probably be a little disappointed with it as he could’ve got on the podium, but he was close, and gave a good fight to Charles Leclerc during the race.
A good result for Max, P2, I think he was slightly gutted he couldn’t win his own Grand Prix (like anyone would be), but I think from the beginning of the weekend and how they struggled to how they finished it they need to be walking away happy, and look at what is needed to improve on. Perez finished in P6, an okay result from the Mexican, I think it could’ve been better but still a good amount of points.
What a result for Leclerc! Another podium to add to his tally, apparently for the team it was quite unexpected but sometimes that is the best podiums as you know you’ve put a lot of hard work into it. Sainz finished P5 which is a very good result for the whole team.
Now onto Mercedes, a decent drive from Lewis Hamilton after he started P14 and then went onto finish P8, so for him it was probably damage limitation, get into the points and see how many he can get. As for Russell, I feel like he kind of got swallowed up by the field, he had a great start to the race getting into P3 but by the time pit stops went around etc he ended up finishing the race in P7…
A good result for our final points positions, P9 for Gasly which is good to see and P10 for Alonso, probably not the points he wanted after his qualifying position but being realistic with the cars around him it was probably going to end up this way anyway!
Now, we don’t have to wait too long until the next race as it is this week! We head to Italy for Round 16 where it is the Italian Grand Prix – Ferrari’s home race.
Lando Norris has secured pole position for the Dutch Grand Prix in triumphant style, with the Briton pumping in a time over three tenths of a second clear of nearest challenger Max Verstappen.
After he put himself on provisional pole during the initial runs in Q3, Norris bettered that effort by setting a sensational lap of 1m09.673s in the McLaren.
The full top 10 are- Pole: Norris, P2: Verstappen, P3: Piastri, P4: Russell, P5: Perez, P6: Leclerc, P7: Alonso, P8: Stroll, P9: Gasly and P10: Sainz.
A good result for McLaren, pole for Lando and P3 for Piastri, just what the team would of wanted coming back from the summer break, they will be wanting to go for the win today.
A good result for Max Verstappen, he would of wanted to get pole position as it is his home race this weekend, but Norris has now broken that chain. Perez has had a good qualifying too! P5 for the Mexican will be interesting if he can improve on that position.
A very good result for Aston Martin, P7 and P8 for the team, which is very good as before the summer break they were struggling or pretty much all season have been struggling compared to last season…
A somewhat of a decent result for Ferrari, P6 for Leclerc, however for Sainz he failed to get into Q3 and ended up in 11th but he will start 10th due to a disqualification.
A good result for George Russell, P4! He will be wanting to get on the podium today, so watch out for that battle. Hamilton didn’t have a very good qualifying, out in Q2 in 12th and to makes matters worse, he has been given a three place grid penalty for impeding Perez.
Alex Albon has been disqualified from qualifying after being P8, due to a breach of the technical regulations, the stewards’ conclusion read: The floor body of Car 23 was found to lie outside the regulatory volume mentioned in Article 3.5.1 a) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations. The team did not dispute the calibration of the FIA measuring system and the measurement of the car, but stated that their own measurements have produced different results. The Stewards determine that the result of the measurement conducted with the FIA system in Parc Ferme is the relevant one and the due process prescribed by the regulations has been followed. Therefore the standard penalty for such an infringement is applied.
And to makes matters worse, Logan Sargeant didn’t participate in the qualifying session at all, due to a heavy crash in FP3, despite the best efforts of the crew trying to fix the car.
An amazing day. It’s nice to be back and start with a pole. It was a nice lap, honestly. The qualifying was always pretty smooth and I put in some good laps, especially the one at the end, which is always the most important. A great job by the team and I’m happy with today. I’m excited for tomorrow. I’m sure it’s going to be tough. Max has been quick all weekend. I know we got him today, but he’s still second and he’s going to be putting up a good fight, specially at his home race. I’m looking forward to it. Norris on claiming pole position.
Alpine have announced that current reserve driver, Jack Doohan, will complete their line-up for the 2025 season – who is replacing Esteban Ocon as Pierre Gasly’s team mate.
Australian racer Doohan, 21, has been part of Alpine’s dedicated academy since 2022, moving over to the operation after parting ways with the Red Bull junior set-up.
Son of former 500cc motorcycle world champion, Mick, he placed third in last year’s F2 championship with three race wins, adding to a runner-up classification in the 2021 F3 standings.
Doohan has been linked to a potential promotion with Alpine throughout the 2024 season, with those rumours stepping up a gear in the wake of the news that Ocon is moving to Haas.
The Australian has racked up plenty of mileage in F1 machinery with Alpine over the last couple of years to prepare for an opening, completing a host of private tests and appearing in six FP1 sessions to date – Mexico and Abu Dhabi in 2022 and 2023, and Canada and Britain earlier this year.
Alpine added that Doohan will continue his role as reserve driver for the remaining of the season, taking part in regular tests with the 2022-spec A522 F1 car, as well as duties in the team’s simulator on select race weekends.
I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with BWT Alpine F1 Team. I am very grateful for the trust and belief by the team’s senior management. There is so much work ahead to be prepared and ready and I will give my best in the meantime to absorb as much information and knowledge to be ready for the step up. It’s exceptionally satisfying to be the first graduate of the Alpine Academy to be in a race seat with the team and I’m extremely thankful to those who supported me along the way to make this a reality. It’s an exciting moment, a proud day for my family, and I look forward to taking it all in and pushing hard behind the scenes. Doohan on the news.
We are very excited to promote Jack into the race seat from next season and, in doing so, giving him the opportunity to showcase his skill and talent in Formula 1. Jack will become the first driver to graduate from the Alpine Academy into a race driver position with the team, so that is exceptionally pleasing for the team and its young driver pathway. Personally, I have worked with Jack back in 2019 and I am fully aware of his raw talent and potential. He is a very hard worker behind the scenes and his commitment is hugely valued by the entire team. Alongside Pierre, we have a well-balanced driver line-up with a good combination between youthful energy, experience, and pure speed. We look forward to working with both Jack and Pierre in order to keep developing the car and bring the team up the grid. Oliver Oakes, Alpine’s Team Principal.
Formula 1 is back in action at a track that presents one of the most complicated challenges of the season. The Dutch Grand Prix takes place at the classic Zandvoort circuit, nestled in the dunes on the North Sea coast.
Banked corners are not that common in Formula 1 and therefore present an unusual challenge for both car and driver. It has an effect on the tyres, because the higher speeds of the banked turns compared to the normal ones subjects them to even greater forces.
That explains why the dry weather compounds chosen for Zandvoort are the three hardest in the 2024 race: C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium), C3 (Soft).
On paper, thermal degradation is a very significant factor, but it will depend on the weather in late August. The Netherlands borders Belgium and we saw before the break how climatic conditions at these latitudes can change from one day to the next and even within the space of a day.
Conditions changed so much during last year’s race that all five types of available tyre were used. The most popular slick was the Soft, chosen for the start by 19 of 20 drivers, with Hamilton being the only driver to opt for the Mediums.
In stable dry conditions, pre-event simulations point to a one-stop as the quickest strategy, especially in theory, overtaking is a rare event, because the track is very narrow and there are few straights.
Formula 1 is back in action this week in Zandvoort, a track that presents one of the most complicated challenges of the season. Here is our preview 👇#F1#DutchGPpic.twitter.com/3LXOfaToTF
Red Bull have confirmed that there will be a change on Sergio Perez’s side of the garage for the foreseeable future, with long-time Race Engineer Hugh Bird going on paternity leave.
Bird has been Perez’s Race Engineer since the Mexican’s first season with Red Bull in 2021 but that responsibility will move to performance engineer Richard Wood from this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
In Red Bull’s official pre-event preview, Perez commented that “everyone will notice a change on the radio” when the action gets underway at Zandvoort.
Hugh my Race Engineer is expecting a baby very soon so will be spending some time at home and I wish him and his family the best of luck with their new arrival! Woody, my Performance Engineer, will step up in the meantime. Perez said.
Perez also added that he is returning from the summer break feeling “refreshed and ready to go” after a challenging runs of Grands Prix – featuring Q1 and Q2 exits and minor points finishes – led to plenty of speculation over his Red Bull future.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner recently described Perez’s form as unsustainable with the squad looking to fend off the likes of McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.
However, fresh from Red Bull stating that they are standing by the six-time Grand Prix winner. Perez commented “I am looking forward to getting back in the car this weekend. The summer break was very important for everyone in the team and the whole sport, with so many races now everyone needs the rest and reset time more than ever. I spent my time in Mexico with family and I feel refreshed and ready to go for the second half of the season. I know all my team feel the same, I have been in Milton Keynes this week with them. I know what we can extract from the car in the coming weeks and we will do our best to maximise the second half of 2024.”
Kick Sauber have confirmed that Robert Shwartzman will get behind the wheel of Valtteri Bottas’ car to participate in Free Practice 1 at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Shwartzman – who acts as a reserve driver for Ferrari – is set to jump in the C44 when the second half of the 2024 season kicks off at Zandvoort on August 23rd.
This isn’t Shwartzman’s first FP1 appearance, with the 24 year old previously taking part in sessions for Ferrari during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
After winning the Formula 3 championship with PREMA Racing in 2019, Shwartzman went on to drive for the squad in Formula 2 from 2020 to 2021, finishing in fourth and second place of the drivers’ standings respectively.
Since then the Russo-Israeli driver has competed in sports cars as well as racing in the World Endurance Championship with Ferrari.
Under Formula 1’s current regulations, each team must run a rookie in two FP1 sessions each campaign, and Shwartzman’s appearance will mark Kick Sauber’s first young driver outing of 2024.
After announcing the news, Kick Sauber stated: “As in previous occasions, we work in partnership with Scuderia Ferrari to give young talent an opportunity in practice sessions. Good Luck, Robert!”
The driver market kicked in early this year, all thanks to Lewis Hamilton making his way to Ferrari which was a shock no-one really saw coming, and it has shaken the drivers market up quite a bit.
Summer break is normally where everything seems quiet, but rumours are flying everywhere, however it was quite a quiet one this year. But now we’re back racing for the second half of the season this seats will soon be announced!
So let’s see what drivers are confirmed for 2025!
Red Bull-
Max Verstappen Sergio Perez
Red Bull is sticking with the same driver line-up for a fifth-successive season for 2025, having announced Sergio Perez will continue to partner three-time champion Max Verstappen, whose contract runs until 2028.
Ferrari-
Charles Leclerc Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari’s audacious and successful move to lure Hamilton away from Mercedes kicked the 2025 F1 driver market into gear before the 2024 campaign had even begun.
Seven time world champion, Hamilton joins Charles Leclerc at the team, with Leclerc having been announced on a deal covering “several more seasons” in January.
Mercedes-
George Russell
With Hamilton’s departure means George Russell is at present the only confirmed Mercedes drivers for 2025, after which his contract expires.
The team is keen to promote Kimi Antonelli – who is currently competing for Prema in Formula 2.
McLaren-
Lando Norris Oscar Piastri
McLaren was the first team to have its 2025 line-up locked in. Lando Norris is contracted at the team he’s spent his entire top-level career with until at least the end of 2026. As is his team-mate Oscar Piastri who will be part of an unchanged line-up for a third year in a row in 2025.
Aston Martin-
Fernando Alonso Lance Stroll
Aston Martin is one of three teams that will boast an F1 champion in its 2025 line-up, as 42 year old Fernando Alonso ruled himself out of the silly season early by committing his future to the team with which he scored eight podiums last season.
At the end of June, the team confirmed a new deal for Lance Stroll that will keep him at the team through the first year of F1’s next rules in 2026.
Alpine-
Pierre Gasly
Alpine confirmed a “new multi-year” deal for Gasly that should extend beyond the end of 2025 just before the Austrian Grand Prix.
Esteban Ocon is obviously leaving the team, that means there is one seat remaining at Alpine, which is yet to be confirmed.
Williams-
Alex Albon Carlos Sainz
Williams has tied down Alex Albon – who’s scored all but five of the teams 38 points in the ground effect era. That vision has clearly impressed Carlos Sainz, who eventually picked Williams as his post-Ferrari destination.
RB-
Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull officially exercised its option to keep Yuki Tsunoda at RB for 2025 ahead of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, but there is still a question mark over his team-mate.
Perez’s new deal marked the official end of Daniel Ricciardo’s chance of returning to the main team, though his hopes have gradually faded during what has been a flat start to 2024.
Red Bull also has to find Liam Lawson a driver otherwise he is contractually free to race for another team if he doesn’t get a seat with them in 2025.
Sauber-
Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg’s career revival at Haas has been impressive enough to catch the eye of Sauber for the 2025 season ahead of the team’s rebirth as the factory Audi team for 2026.
The identity of his team-mate isn’t yet known, but it seems all but certain it won’t be either of Sauber’s current driver, Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu.
Haas-
Ollie Bearman Esteban Ocon
Hulkenberg’s exit left Haas with two vacancies for 2025 as his team-mate Kevin Magnussen is also out of contract at the end of the year.
But it was announced on the eve of the British GP weekend that Ferrari protege Ollie Bearman will make his F1 graduation in 2025.
Hass then confirmed prior to the Hungarian GP that Magnussen would not be retained, with one week later it confirmed Ocon will replace him on a multi-year deal with the team.
Nico Mueller will be making the switch to Andretti for the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship campaign.
Mueller joins ahead of Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship alongside confirmed teammate and Season 9 World Champion, Jake Dennis.
The Swiss driver joins the team following Norman Nato’s exit piloting the Andretti Porsche 99X Electric machine in his fifth season of Formula E competition as the series enters its GEN3 Evo era.
Mueller finished Season 10 strong with a streak of four top-six finishes to round out his fourth Formula E campaign and best finish in the Drivers’ World Championship standings.
Outperforming the machinery underneath him on more than once occasion, with his former ABT CUPRA teammate and Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi scoring only four points to Mueller’s 52.
In his 46 Formula E starts, the 32 year old has one podium finish (Valencia, Season 7) two fastest laps and has led 13 laps. In addition to his Formula E success dating back to his official rookie test in Marrakesh, Mueller has served as an official Audi factory driver, won the prestigious Nurburgring 24h and fought for the DTM title twice (2019, 2020) winning nine races and standing on the podium 24 times.
Adding to the Swiss driver’s varied racing career, he has also competed in the World Endurance Championship, World Rallycross, GT Series and Stock Car racing.
I’m very excited to join the Andretti Formula E Team. It’s a team that has seen success from the very beginning of the championship, particularly in the GEN3 era in their partnership with Porsche Motorsport. To work with Jake, a former World Champion is an honour and I’m looking forward to the opportunity. I’m going to give it my very best to contribute to the team’s success and hopefully aim for some podiums and my first Formula E win – that’s the target. I can’t wait to get going. Mueller on the news.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been brought into a lot of conversations the past couple of months, so shall we spread some light on who he is?
Mercedes protege, Kimi Antonelli has been the talk of the Formula 1 paddock since the Miami GP – with some suggesting his arrival in the sport is imminent while others say there’s no rush.
The Italian driver is the reigning Formula Regional European champion, backed by Mercedes, who has performed so strongly that he has skipped F3 and gone straight to F2 this season with Prema.
Alongside his F2 duties, Mercedes have carefully crafted a Formula 1 acclimatisation programme for Antonelli, which began with a run in a 2021-spec Mercedes in Austria and was then followed up with a run in the 2022 Mercedes at Imola.
Several more tests are planned across the year, with the focus on getting the 17 year old plenty of mileage in F1 machinery to prepare him as best as they can for a step up to F1 at some point.
Mercedes do not want to rush Antonelli into Formula 1 and risk damaging a talent so good, he has been likened to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton at this stage of his career.
However, things have changed since Hamilton told Mercedes he was leaving a year earlier than planned to join Ferrari. This then forced the Silver Arrows to consider the possibility of bringing Antonelli into F1 at least a year earlier than they had ever contemplated.
Then in Miami, the prospect of Antonelli making his debut in Formula 1 this season was raised when it emerged that governing body the FIA had received a request to give the Italian – who already has the 40 Super Licence points to race in F1 – dispensation to race in the championship before he turns 18 which he will do on August 25th of this year.
There was rumours for the Italian to be brought in halfway through this season but for Williams and Logan Sargeant if he isn’t performing. But Mercedes priority will be to stick to the plan with Antonelli and prepare him properly and then guide him into Formula 1 and nurture what could be an incredible talent.
How do you think Antonelli will get on for his first possible year in F1?
Andretti has announced that Norman Nato will be leaving the team. Nato joined Andretti for Season 10, making the move from Nissan.
The Frenchman secured a season-best result of third place his first and only podium for the American team on Formula E’s return to Shanghai in May.
Nato finished the season in 15th in the Drivers’ World Championship on 47 points. Eight positions and 75 points lower than teammate Dennis managed.
The team have indicated that they will make its 2024/25 line-up clear in the next few days, with Season 9 Champion Jake Dennis now set to be partnered by a fresh driver to the team.
However, Andretti is a Porsche customer team, and it is rumoured that Mueller is expected to move to the manufacturer after testing with it earlier in the year. He subsequently left both ABT Cupra in Formula E, and vacated his Peugeot seat in the World Endurance Championship.
McLaren have handed Team Principal Andrea Stella a multi-year contract extension following a strong first-half of the season that has seen the iconic British team become genuine world championship contenders.
Stella joined McLaren in 2015, working as Head of Race Operations and Performance Director before earning promotion to Executive Director of Racing in 2019.
Since becoming Team Principal in 2022, the team has progressed rapidly – earning two Grand Prix wins, 18 further podiums and a Sprint victory.
McLaren are currently on a run of 10 successive podiums and sit just 42 points (less than the number of points you can earn in a single Grand Prix weekend) behind championship leaders Red Bull.
Within the last year, McLaren have agreed multi-year extensions with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as the team focuses on stability on their quest to return a first World Championship since 2008.
It’s a privilege to be part of the McLaren Formula 1 team, and I am honoured to continue in my role as Team Principal. We’ve made great strides forward in the past year and a half and we still have a lot more work to do to consistently fight at the front of the grid, which poses an exciting challenge. Success comes through the team working in synergy, and I am enjoying my role, which has allowed me to help unlock individual talent and empower people to work together towards our Team’s objectives. My thanks go to Zak for his confidence in me as a leader, to my entire leadership team and all my colleagues in the Team, for their continued collaboration and support. I am excited for what we can continue to achieve together. Stella on the news.
I am delighted to confirm we’ve extended Andrea’s contract as our F1 Team Principal for multiple years. His excellent leadership, expertise and the respect he holds within the team and Formula 1 means we could not have a better person in place to continue the pursuit of consistently fighting at the front of the grid. His impact on McLaren F1 in his role as Team Principal has been profound, not only through our results on track and the trajectory of the team but also in his development of our culture and mindset. With multi-year extensions already agreed with Lando, Oscar, and now Andrea, we can confidently continue on our quest to become World Champions. We’re all looking forward to the years to come under Andrea’s leadership. Zak Brown on the news.
Jonathan Wheatley will be leaving his role as Red Bull’s Sporting Director to become Team Principal of the Audi F1 Team.
Wheatley has become a significant senior figure during nearly two decades with the organisation and played a major key role in winning 13 World Championships.
Red Bull say Wheatley will remain in his position until the end of the 2024 season, before entering a period of gardening leave in 2025.
The news comes just after it was announced Audi CEO Andreas Seidl and Audi executive Oliver Hoffman were leaving the project with ex-Ferrari Team Principal, Mattia Binotto arriving to head it up.
Binotto’s official title is Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer with Audi saying he and Wheatley will together head the new management team at Sauber Motorsport AG. In their new positions, both will report directly to Dollner.
Wheatley is now the second major player to this year announce their departure from Red Bull, with design guru Adrian Newey set to leave after almost 20 years with the team.
It has been a long and successful relationship with Jonathan, over 18 years. His contribution to six World Constructors’ Titles and seven World Drivers’ Championship, first as Team Manager and latterly Sporting Director will forever be a marker in our Team history. Horner on the news.
I am delighted that we have been able to gain Jonathan Wheatley as Team Principal for our future Formula 1 team. Jonathan has played a major part in many Formula 1 race victories and World Championship titles in his Formula 1 career so far, and has extensive experience in the paddock. He is a very valuable addition to our team. Gernot Dollner, CEO of Audi AG.
I am extremely proud to have been a part of the Red Bull Racing journey over the last 18 years and will leave with many fond memories. However, the opportunity to play an active part in Audi’s entry into Formula 1 as head of a factory team is a uniquely exciting prospect, and I am looking forward to the challenge. Also I am glad to be working together with Mattia, whom I have known for many years and who is the right person to collaborate with in this exciting project. Wheatley on leaving Red Bull for Audi.
I have known Jonathan for many years and rate him highly as an experienced and committed motorsport expert. 2026 is not a long time away now, and I’m looking forward to setting up the new racing team for Audi along with Jonathan and leading it to success. Binotto on joining forces with Wheatley.
Alpine have confirmed that Oliver Oakes is joining the team as their new Team Principal, following the news during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend that Bruno Famin would step down from the role.
Famin stated at Spa-Francorchamps that he will depart the position at the end of August in order to focus on all other motorsport related activities for the Renault Group at Viry-Chatillon.
It has now been announced that Oakes – a former racing driver who was once a member of the Red Bull Young Driver Programme – will fill the role.
After competing in karting and single seater racing in the 2000s, Oakes moved into management and founded Hitech Grand Prix – a team that competes in both Formula 2 and Formula 3 – in 2015.
Oakes will start in his new role after the summer break and will report to Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo. At 36 years old, the Brit becomes the second youngest Team Principal in Formula 1 history.
I am extremely grateful to Luca de Meo and Flavio Briatore for this opportunity to lead BWT Alpine F1 Team back to competitiveness. The team has talented people and excellent resources at its core, and I am confident that we can accomplish a great deal together during the remainder of this season and the longer term. I look forward to getting started after the summer break. Oakes on the news.
It is a pleasure to welcome Oli to the team and for him to become one of the youngest Team Principals that this sport has ever seen. This team is being built for future success and this is highlighted by Oli’s appointment in a senior role. We look forward to harnessing his enthusiasm, energy and passion for racing and realising that mindset across the entire team. De Meo added.
I am delighted that we have been able to recruit Oli Oakes for our Formula 1 project. Oli is highly talented with a great record of leadership and success in racing. His move into this role is a great example of the strength and belief we have in our team and by young, upcoming people, and I’m excited to work closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races. Briatore also commented.
Season 3 champion Lucas di Grassi will continue his long association with the ABT team as it heads into Season 11 as ABT Lola.
The Brazilian and the German team have extended their 10-year cooperation to enter a new era together and from next season.
ABT CUPRA will form a team with Lola Cars, using a powertrain developed by the iconic British brand together with Yamaha Motor Company.
Di Grassi has competed in 131 Formula E races, more than any other driver and is among the most successful – with an unparalleled 47 podiums alongside that Drivers’ title to his name.
The Brazilian has turned the first wheel of the new era himself, in mid-June at the shakedown of the Lola Yamaha race car in the UK – the first outing for the new GEN3 Evo design with a newly-developed powertrain.
After a one-year break, ABT returned to Formula E at the beginning of 2023 with CUPRA as its partner and has since started with a powertrain from Mahindra Racing.
The new set-up will see ABT continue to leverage its extensive experience to run the operations of the race team, with specialist support from Lola as manufacturer.
ABT Lola will decide in the coming weeks who will take the second cockpit alongside di Grassi, before all teams meet for the official test in Valencia, Spain.
We are delighted to continue our journey in Formula E with Lucas. Not only is he a great ambassador for our team and the entire championship, but like all of us, he is eager and fully motivated to finally be successful again. We know that working with a new manufacturer brings many challenges. This makes it all the more important for us to have the most experienced driver at our side in Lucas, in addition to the permanent members of the team. Thomas Biermaier, ABT CEO.
Having a driver with such experience, skill and dedication as Lucas is a huge boost as a new manufacturer entering the series. These attributes, combined with his existing relationship with ABT, make Lucas the ideal person to have at the wheel for our return to motorsport. His knowledge and feedback during testing have already proven invaluable and we look forward to hitting the track together in Season 11. Mark Preston, Lola Cars Motorsport Director.
ABT is my family. I have experienced the best moments of my career there and have full confidence in the people who work hard every day to achieve success – so I am happy that we are also tackling the new challenges together. It’s a very exciting project with people who know what it takes to be successful in Formula E, alongside two renowned brands in Lola and Yamaha with a wealth of motorsport heritage and technical prowess. We have a few busy weeks ahead of us. Together we will do everything we can to be successful as soon as possible. Di Grassi on the news.
Carlos Sainz has committed his future to Williams with the Spaniard agreeing a multi-year deal to race alongside Alex Albon.
The 29 year old has been on the look out for a seat for next season since he lost his Ferrari drive to Lewis Hamilton.
However, Sainz has had no shortage of teams, with Williams, Sauber/Audi and Alpine all keen to get his signature – but it was James Vowles’ Williams project that ultimately got the Spaniard’s seal of approval.
He will race for the British team for 2025 and 2026, giving Williams continuity across a major regulation change that will see a new aerodynamic profile and sweeping new power unit rules that include the use of 100% sustainable fuel.
With the confirmation that Sainz will be joining the Grove outfit, it also means that Logan Sargeant will be vacating the Williams seat for next year with the team saying they “will give Logan every support as he looks to continue his racing career for 2025 and into the future.”
I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams Racing from 2025 onwards. It is no secret that this year’s driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons and that it has taken me some time to announce my decision. However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport. The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity. I am convinced that this team has all the right ingredients to make history again and, starting on January 1, I will give my absolute best to drive Williams forward alongside every single member of the team. I want to thank James Vowles and the entire Board of Williams for their trust and determination. Their solid leadership and convictions have played an important role in my decision-making. I truly believe that the core of every successful team lies amongst their people and their culture. Williams is synonymous with heritage and pure racing, the foundations of the project that lies ahead of us are very strong and I am really looking forward to being part of it starting next year. Sainz on the news.
Carlos joining Williams is a strong statement of intent from both parties. Carlos has demonstrated time and again that he is one of the most talented drivers on the grid, with race-winning pedigree, and this underlines the upwards trajectory we are on. Carlos brings not just experience and performance, but also a fierce drive to extract every millisecond out of the team and car; the fit is perfect. In Alex and Carlos we will have one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid and with huge experience to guide us into the new regulations in 2026. Their belief in this organisation’s mission demonstrates the magnitude of the work going on behind the scenes. People should be in no doubt about our ambition and momentum as we continue our journey back to competitiveness – we are here, we are serious and with Dorilton’s backing we are investing in what it takes to return to the front of the grid.I also want to thank Logan for everything he has done for the team and know he will continue to fight hard for us in the races ahead. Vowles on Carlos signing for the team.
Maserati MSG Racing announces all-new driver line-up of Season 8 World Champion Stoffel Vandoorne and Jake Hughes.
Vandoorne heads into a seventh season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, while Hughes sets about a third campaign – with Maserati earmarking him as one of the brightest talents on the grid since his and NEOM McLaren’s bow in Season 9 at the start of GEN3.
Vandoorne has been a fixture at the sharp end of the Formula E grid since joining from McLaren’s Formula 1 team. He claimed the Drivers’ World Championship in Season 8 with Mercedes-EQ and the Belgian has three wins, 16 podiums and eight Julius Baer Pole Positions to his name.
Hughes put together one of the strongest rookie campaigns in Formula E, with the British driver securing pole in his third race in the series.
After serving as Maserati MSG Racing’s Reserve Driver in Season 7, when the team previously competed under the guise of Venturi, Hughes is a familiar face to the team and as such will make a natural return in Season 11.
The drivers will make their first appearance with Maserati MSG Racing in Formula E’s pre-season test at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain in a critical week of preparation from 4th to 7th November.
I’m very happy to be joining Maserati MSG Racing next season and I’m proud to be associated with such an iconic name within motorsport as Maserati. I’m excited to start working with the team – although I haven’t worked directly with them before, I know the team well, both from my time at DS PENSKE but also from my time with Mercedes when we shared a powertrain with Venturi. They are a great bunch of people, very skilled, very determined and I’m really looking forward to working with together moving forwards. Hopefully we’ll have a lot of success and fight for victories and championships together. Vandoorne on the news.
I’m over the moon to be joining Maserati MSG Racing. The success that the team has had, as one of the founding teams in Formula E, speaks for itself. On a personal level, I have worked with the team previously so I know them well and I’m genuinely looking forward to going back. I know that the season has only just finished but I honestly can’t wait to get over to the HQ in Monaco and start working with the engineers, get on the simulator and really get cracking with our prep for Season 11. This marks the start of an exciting new chapter in my career, and I know that the best is yet to come. Hughes on the news.
NEOM McLaren has announced the departure of Jake Hughes. Hughes made his competitive debut in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in the 2023/24 campaign with the team.
He went on to score 96 points, four Julius Baer Pole Positions and a second-placed podium finish at the 2024 Shanghai E-Prix.
In his first Formula E race, the 2023 Mexico City E-Prix, Jake qualified third, finishing the race in a promising fifth. He then went on to secure the team’s first pole at only his third race weekend in Diriyah, before clinching a second at the 2023 Monaco E-Prix.
In 2024, Hughes notched another pair of poles and achieved a career best P2 finish, his first podium in the championship.
The team says Hughes has been crucial in its success for a long spell, going back as far as 2020, in which he started out as Reserve and Development driver for the Mercedes-EQ the team that laid the foundations of what is NEOM McLaren today.
Leaving the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team will feel very strange for me in the coming weeks, based on the fact this team has been my home for the last four-and-a-half years. I have a lot of thanks to give to so many different people within the team for what they have given me, and how they have prepared me and allowed me to grow into the racing driver I am today. Everything I am in Formula E is down to this team, and for that I am extremely grateful. I wish the team all the best, and I have no doubt that we’ll have some good times racing on track against each other in the future. Hughes on leaving the team.
Jake has made a significant contribution to this team over the years, both on and off the track, and we are incredibly grateful for his input and dedication throughout. During this time, he has flourished into a proven talent in Formula E; particular highlights being his four pole positions – of which one came in only his third ever event in Formula E – and his P2 finish in Shanghai this year. On a personal note, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Jake. Alongside his natural talent as a driver, he is a consummate professional and yet has an easy sense of humour which has endeared him to all in the Formula E paddock. Ian James, Managing Director and Team Principal.
Bruno Famin will move away from his role as Alpine Team Principal, the team have announced.
The Frenchman had been confirmed as the Enstone-based outfit’s Team Principal before the start of the current F1 season, following an interim period in charge after the departure of previous team boss Otmar Szafnauer at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Just before last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix weekend, it had been announced that Famin will move away from his role by the end of August and will be in charge of all other Motorsport activities of the Renault Group at Viry-Chatillon.
The news comes after several changes at Alpine across recent months, with the squad undergoing a technical restructure that saw Technical Director Matt Harman and head of Aerodynamics Dirk de Beer leave earlier in the year.
David Sanchez was then appointed as Executive Director in May, having previously worked for the outfit earlier in his career. He was later joined by Michael Broadhurst and Vin Dhanani as Chief Aerodynamicist and Head of Vehicle Performance respectively.
In June, Flavio Briatore became Executive Advisor at Alpine, with the remit of his role being “predominantly focus on top level areas of the team” it was stated at the time.
On the driver front, charges are being made for 2025, with Esteban Ocon departing the team at the end of the season which was confirmed in June. While Pierre Gasly has singed a multi-year extension to remain with the squad, his team mate has not yet been revealed.
The background is there are many things together. The main one is we are at a very interesting moment for the Alpine brand, where we have a project that is even stronger than one year ago. Then there is a project of reallocating the resources within the brand from the Formula 1 power unit, where we have equally skilled people, to the brand itself in developing these high-end technologies. On the other hand, we have our new Executive Advisor [Briatore] who has arrived a few weeks ago – I work well [with him], I’m fine with him, I work well since he has arrived. But I think he has seen things with his own eyes, and on one hand I need to dedicate my time to the Viry-Chatillon people, who are doing an amazing job, and we need to be together to be able to deliver this transformation if it’s confirmed, and on the other hand I think the global governance of the F1 team will be clear. Famin on his exit as Team Principal.
Maximilian Guenther and Jehan Daruvala are to leave Maserati MSG Racing, the team confirmed.
Guenther joined Maserati MSG Racing at the start of Formula E’s GEN3 era and made history by becoming the first driver since Juan Manuel Fangio in 1957 to win a World Championship single-seater race for the Trident.
Alongside a further victory at the inaugural Tokyo E- earlier in 2024, the German represented the team on Formula E podium on six occasions, while also claiming two pole positions across 32 races.
Daruvala who became the first Indian racing driver to compete in World Championship motorsport since 2012 in Season 10. He joined Maserati MSG Racing for Formula E’s most recent campaign and showed continual progression to secure two top 10 finishes in his time with the team.
I’d like to thank Max and Jehan personally and on behalf of the Maserati Family for all their commitment and all the work they have done. Both made contributions to the team’s achievements and did their best in every race to put both of the Maserati Tipo Folgore in the best possible positions. Max brought us so much excitement, taking the Trident back to the podium several times, whereas Jehan – the only rookie on the track in Season 10 – did an amazing job with his growth and had no hesitation in facing leading drivers with determination and passion. We’re proud to have had Max and Jehan with us, to have worked together and to have shared so much that will stay with us forever as part of Maserati’s history in Formula E. I’d like to wish them both a great future in motorsports. Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse.
On behalf of the team I would like to sincerely thank Max and Jehan for the work they have put in over the course of Season 10. Since joining the team in 2022, Max has played a critical role in our development and has been responsible for some of our biggest achievements in Formula E’s Gen3 era so far. Being a rookie in this championship is not easy however Jehan showed his speed over one lap right from the second round in Saudi Arabia. He was consistently quick in qualifying and towards the second half of the season he was regularly challenging for points. It has been a pleasure to watch Max and Jehan grow as part of our team, and we wish them nothing but the best for the future. Jose M Aznar, Team Principal & Managing Partner, Maserati MSG Racing.
DS PENSKE has announced that Stoffel Vandoorne, the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E World Champion, will be parting ways with the team at the end of Season 10.
The team signed Vandoorne alongside double champion, Jean-Eric Vergne for Season 9 and the start of the Gen3 era in what was at the time hailed as something of a super line-up, counting three titles between the pair.
While he hasn’t added to his haul of three race victories over the last two years, he did finish on the podium in Monaco earlier this year. He rounded out the current campaign with a pair of ninth place finishes in London last week.
Vandoorne’s next destination is currently unclear, with speculation linking him to a move to NEOM McLaren – which was previously the HWA and Mercedes squad which Vandoorne raced for in Season 5 to 8.
The other Stellantis-affiliated team, Maserati is a more likely destination, as both drivers have left the team this season.
Outside of Formula E, Vandoorne currently drives for another Stellantis brand, Puegeot, in the World Endurance Championship and serves as a test and reserve driver for Aston Martin’s Formula One team.
We are truly grateful to Stoffel for his commitment and the outstanding performances he has delivered for DS PENSKE. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors. Jay Penske, Team Principal of DS PENSKE.
My journey with DS PENSKE has been an incredible experience. I am thankful to the team for their unwavering support and look forward to new challenges ahead. Vandoorne on leaving the team.
Jordan's Track Talk 