Jordan's Track Talk

Category: Formula One

  • Sainz signs for Williams

    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.

  • Alpine confirm Famin to leave his role as 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.

  • RW 14 – Belgium

    Lewis Hamilton has won the Belgian Grand Prix after team mate George Russell, who had originally come home in first, was disqualified following the race for an underweight car.

    The Mercedes duo had engaged in a thrilling late chase, with two-stopper Hamilton charging down his one-stopping team mate, but he was unable to pass on track for the victory, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finishing third.

    However, following the conclusion of the Grand Prix, a technical delegate’s report stated that Russell’s car had been found to be underweight, with the matter referred to the stewards.
    The Brit was subsequently disqualified from the results with Mercedes acknowledging a “genuine error” by the team.

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

    Obviously gutting for George Russell, he did a wonderful drive and made a very good call for the one-stop. But sometimes this is racing… So Lewis now inherits the win, which he did somewhat deserve, he led quite a bit of the race, it makes the Brit the second driver to win two races so far this season!

    A very good race for Piastri, he stuck with the Mercedes duo quite a bit during the race. He did overshoot his pitbox, which meant he lost a couple of seconds doing so, so it makes you think, what if he didn’t would the Australian be celebrating his second win?

    And Leclerc, a very good race for him, unlucky for the Monegasque not to get the win, but he and the team should be very happy with the 3rd place. Sainz, didn’t have the best race he finished 6th but he seemed like he lost time if anything as Leclerc had pace?

    An okay race for Verstappen, again he didn’t really make any massive steps forward apart from the start where he climbed a couple of places. The same also goes for his teammate, he finished P7 after starting P2, this isn’t good for the Mexican as he really needed to be on the podium this race to prove he should be in the Red Bull, so time will only tell what happens next…

    A decent race for Alonso, back in the points again, which is probably is exactly what the Spanish driver would want going into the summer break.

    Now, we have a bit of a wait for the next race, as it is the summer break which means we are not racing for quite a few weeks. But we are back on the 23rd to 25th August for Round 15 of 24 which is the Dutch Grand Prix.

  • RW 14 – Belgium Qualifying

    Max Verstappen set the fastest time in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, but the Dutchman has a 10 place grid penalty for making a power unit change, so Charles Leclerc will inherit pole position.

    Verstappen looked impressively quick as the qualifying session progressed and set an unbeatable lap of 1m53.159s in the Red Bull, half a second clear of Ferrari’s Leclerc.

    The full top 10 after penalties are- Pole: Leclerc, P2: Perez, P3: Hamilton, P4: Norris, P5: Piastri, P6: Russell, P7: Sainz, P8: Alonso, P9: Ocon and P10: Albon.

    A good result for both Red Bull cars! A pole is always what you want when you have a 10 place grid penalty looming over your head. Verstappen could quite easily get on the podium here, but I don’t think its going to be easy. His teammate Sergio Perez will be there to help him out if it comes to it, as he starts on second, which is a great qualifying from him!

    A really good qualifying result for Charles Leclerc, I even think he was surprised himself, he will want to win this race, he will now have the confidence with the car, the only trouble is the drivers behind him have also got very quick cars…

    Hamilton in P3! Again a good result for the 7 time world champion, he will be pushing everything to win here. It is going to be an interesting race as so many drivers will be wanting to go for the win.

    A good result for McLaren, P4 for Norris and P5 for Piastri, hopefully this race we see a bit more team work from the drivers and work together to get further up the grid and onto those podium places.

    A decent result for Esteban Ocon he will be starting 9th! The French driver will be wanting to score some valuable points, as Williams are only 5 behind them, and there’s still a long way to go this year.
    Gasly done quite well, he will be starting 12th, so improvements have been made with the car!

    Lance Stroll is starting in 15th, not the best result for the Canadian driver, especially when his teammate is starting in 8th. But Stroll was lucky to be in this qualifying session as he had quite a crash in Free Practice 3.

    That was a nice qualifying. Luckily the weather was ok – it was raining a little bit but at least we could do a decent qualifying. Everything worked well, every tyre set that we were on we could do good lap times and I was also of course thinking about Q3, not knowing if it was going to dry out so was trying to keep two new sets for Q3 and luckily we escaped Q1 and Q2. So, yeah, very happy. The car was working quite well in the wet so I could just do my laps and try to do clean lap times in the wet which is always quite tricky. But tomorrow I know it’s going to be quite a different day. It’s going to be warmer, normally no rain, so it’s all about tyre degradation and we just need to make sure we’re good on that. But of course I have to start 10 places back so this is the best I could do today and then go from there. I don’t know how quick we’re going to be, I hope we can be in the mix to try and move forward.
    Verstappen on going fastest in qualifying.

  • Haas confirm Ocon for 2025

    Haas have signed Alpine’s Esteban Ocon on a multi-year contract to partner rookie Ollie Bearman in 2025.

    The team announced last week that Kevin Magnussen would be leaving at the end of the season, leaving a vacant seat that was widely believed to have been allocated to 27 year old Ocon.

    On Thursday in Belgium, ahead of the final race before the break and at the track where Ocon first made his F1 debut in 2016.
    Haas announced Ocon would become the first Grand Prix winner to race one of their cars since they entered the sport in 2016.

    Ocon has 146 career starts under his belt and has driven for Manor, Force India, Renault and Alpine – scoring 425 points in that period including three podiums, one of which was his maiden win in Hungary in 2021.

    The Frenchman has know Haas Team Principal, Ayao Komatsu a while, as the Japanese boss engineered Ocon in his first F1 test back in 2014, with Lotus (which now operates under the Alpine banner) at Valencia.

    I’m delighted we’ve secured Esteban Ocon’s services for Haas. I’ve obviously been aware of his talents for a long time and our personal history dates back to Esteban’s maiden run in a Formula 1 car – I was his race engineer that day with Lotus. He displayed his talents back then coming off the back of strong performances in the junior categories – he’d just won the 2014 European Formula 3 Championship. Esteban’s gone on to become an established talent in Formula 1 and of course a Grand Prix winner. The experience he brings, not just from his own talent base but also from working for a manufacturer team, will be advantageous to us in our growth as an organisation. It was vital we had a driver with experience in beside Oliver Bearman next year, but Esteban’s only 27 – he’s still young with a lot to prove as well. I think we have a hungry, dynamic driver pairing and I look forward to welcoming Esteban into Haas for 2025.
    Ayao Komatsu on the news.

    It was important to me that we have a driver with a known pedigree in Formula 1, and as a Grand Prix winner, Esteban undoubtedly fits that brief. Esteban’s proved himself in the teams he’s raced for as someone who’s continually in the mix and scoring points – it’s that continuity we’re keen to capitalise on as we look for increased performance gains on-track. We have a blend of youth and experience in our future driver line-up and I’m excited to see the results.
    Owner, Gene Haas on the news.

    I’ll be joining a very ambitious racing team, whose spirit, work ethic, and undeniable upward trajectory has really impressed me. I’d like to thank Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for their trust and support, and for our honest and fruitful discussions these last few months. On a more personal note, I’m very happy to be working with Ayao again, as he’s been a part of my debut when I first stepped into a Formula 1 car during my Lotus Junior days more than 10 years ago. Haas has exciting plans and clear targets for the future, and I’m very much looking forward to working with everyone in Kannapolis, Banbury and Maranello, and being part of this great project.
    Ocon on the news.

  • Alpine to run Deadpool & Wolverine livery

    Alpine will be racing with a special red and black livery for this weekend’s Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix to celebrate the release of Deadpool & Wolverine.

    Alpine will drop its usual black, pink and blue livery for a one-off Deadpool vs Wolverine – inspired livery.

    The livery features the red and black of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool character as well as yellow slashes as a nod to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. The team’s mechanics will also wear Deadpool red at Spa.

    Esteban Ocon will recreate the red Deadpool mask with his helmet, while Gasly will sport a yellow and black Wolverine design.
    Ocon first used a similar design as one-off at the Las Vegas Grand Prix last year.

    Reynolds was a part of the investment group that acquired a 24% stake in Alpine’s F1 team in June last year.

    This is far from the first film-inspired F1 livery and its fair to say there’s been mixed results over the years.
    The fact it was Red Bull’s first podium made its one-off Superman Returns livery at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix and driver capes all the more iconic.

    But there hasn’t been a properly good film tie-up that’s fully committed to it in the way that Alpine has.
    To ditch its traditional Renault colours and go with red – about as un-Renault-like as you can get.

  • RW 14 – Tyre Selection

    The last Grand Prix before the summer break takes place at Spa-Francorchamps, one of the most awe-inspiring race tracks in the world.

    Eau Rouge, Raidilon, La Source, Kemmel, Stavelot and Malmedy are just some of the names that have made the venue for the Belgian Grand Prix famous around the world.

    There’s been racing in the Ardennes for over a century with the first race, for motorcycles, taking place in 1921. The first Belgian Grand Prix was held the following year on a road circuit making use of three sides of a triangle which joined the towns of Spa-Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot.

    Pirelli has already been able to assess the new asphalt, a month ago during the 24 Hours of Spa, the classic GTWC race for which the Italian company is the sole tyre supplier.

    For this, the 14th round of the season, Pirelli has chosen the same trio of compounds as used for the last two years, C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium) and C4 (Soft).

    In terms of stress on the tyres, it is one of the tracks with the highest average levels, even if it does not reach the peaks seen at Silverstone and Suzuka.

    The track features all corner types, linked by very fast sections, which makes it difficult for the teams to identify the ideal aerodynamic compromise.
    In fact, it is not unusual to see cars that are very strong in the fastest first and third sectors, struggling in the second slower one or vice versa.

    If there is a single venue on the motor racing calendar, not just F1, where variable weather can play a role, it is this one.
    not only can conditions change from one day to the next, but also grip levels can be dramatically different at various points on the track at the same time.
    Furthermore, because it is such a long lap, the slightest little mistake in judging the right moment to switch from dry to wet tyres or vice versa can carry a severe penalty in the race and even more so in qualifying.

  • Audi announce Binotto as new F1 boss as Seidl departs

    Audi have announced former Ferrari Team Principal, Mattia Binotto is returning to Grand Prix racing as the new leader of their Formula 1 project.

    Earlier this year German car maker Audi took full ownership of the Sauber team, which will be run under the Audi banner from 2026, with an all-new power unit currently being developed in-house in Germany.

    Binotto, 54, will assume leadership of the operation on August 1st, as Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer based at the Sauber factory in Hinwil, Switzerland and will report directly to the board of directors.

    As part of a restructure, former McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl – who joined Sauber in January 2023 and was CEO of the Audi team – is leaving alongside Audi executive Oliver Hoffmann, who was overseeing the project.

    Binotto was Chief Technical Officer at Ferrari until being promoted to Team Principal in 2019. He left Maranello in 2022 after three years in the job, and having been with the Scuderia since the mid-1990s.

    The first driver confirmed to be part of Audi’s new F1 project is Nico Hulkenberg, who will make the switch to Kick Sauber from Haas at the end of the season in what the German described as an “interesting” and “very exciting” move.

    Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas and Chinese racer Zhou Guanyu have represented the Hinwil team since 2022, but the futures of both drivers are unknown beyond the end of the current campaign.

    I am delighted that we have been able to recruit Mattia Binotto for our ambitious Formula 1 project. With his extensive experience of more than 25 years in Formula 1, he will undoubtedly be able to make a decisive contribution for Audi. Our aim is to bring the entire Formula 1 project up to F1 speed by means of clear management structures, defined responsibilities, reduced interfaces, and efficient decision-making processes. For this purpose, the team must be able to act independently and quickly. I would like to thank Oliver and Andreas for their important work in establishing our entry into Formula 1 and their commitment in preparing it.
    Audi CEO, Gernot Dollner.

  • RW 13 – Hungary

    Oscar Piastri has taken his debut Grand Prix victory in Hungary after team drama played out, with Norris belatedly responding to an order to hand back the lead to the Australian…

    After the duo went three wide with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen off the line, it was Piastri who emerged as the leader into Turn 1 and from there led much of the Grand Prix.
    However, when Norris was pitted first during the second round of stops – seemingly to cover off Hamilton – the Brit was the one to emerge ahead.

    This then prompted the team to make several calls to Norris to give the position back but it took until lap 68 of 70 for Norris to comply.

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

    Obviously a great result for Piastri, his first win in F1! And it was well deserved in my opinion, and a good result for Norris too, with a 1-2 finish which obviously helps with the constructors. But I do think Piastri’s win has been downplayed a little just because of the situation on the radio with Norris and not wanting to let his teammate pass etc.
    As everyone knows if it was roles reversed Piastri would do it for Norris, so I have no doubt it will be an awkward debrief for the team.

    A very good result for Hamilton, another podium which makes it 200 career podiums for the seven time world champion. He had a bit of drama with Verstappen in the closing stages of the race where they collided and the Dutchman went up in the air and leaving the track which then dropped him down to fifth.
    Hamilton will be looking towards the next race now, seeing what they can improve on in qualifying to get closer to the McLaren’s and Verstappen and then the race too.

    Charles Leclerc had a good race, finished in P4, a step in the right direction for the team, hopefully they will get back on the podium some time soon… His teammate Carlos Sainz finished 6th which isn’t too bad but from starting P4 he would’ve preferred to finish higher but sometimes it doesn’t always go your way.

    Obviously we have spoke about Verstappen, but I want to touch on him a little bit more. He was having a good race, not the best but he was struggling a little before the collision with Hamilton, he couldn’t quite catch up to the McLaren’s, so those upgrades Red Bull brought so far aren’t working… And the radio fights with his team, they were quite shocking and he just didn’t want to drop it.
    Whilst we are talking about Red Bull, Sergio Perez, obviously started 16th but he finished 7th which is a decent recovery drive from him, but the Mexican still has a lot of work to do if he wants to keep his seat for the remainder of this season and next…

    Things keep going from bad to worse for Alpine, Pierre Gasly retired after suffering a hydraulic leak, his 2nd retirement in two races and Ocon finished P18…

    Not long to wait until the next race as we head to Spa-Francorchamps this weekend!

  • RW 13 – Hungary Qualifying

    Lando Norris has taken pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix after a bit of a dramatic qualifying which featured wet-dry conditions, two red flags and a frantic dash to the line.

    After the McLaren driver set an impressive provisional pole time of 1m 15.227s during the opening runs of Q3, the on track action was brought to a halt when Yuki Tsunoda suffered a heavy crash in the RB. As such, the session resumed with just over two minutes remaining.

    Given the changing weather, most of the field were unable to improve and Norris retained P1, ahead of team mate Oscar Piastri by just 0.22s. Max Verstappen who opted not to go for another lap in the final moments finished P3.

    The full top 10 are- Pole: Norris, P2: Piastri, P3: Verstappen, P4: Sainz, P5: Hamilton, P6: Leclerc, P7: Alonso, P8: Stroll, P9: Ricciardo and P10: Tsunoda.

    A lovely result for McLaren, really can’t get better than a 1-2! Both Norris and Piastri will be wanting to go for the win tomorrow, and for the Australian will be wanting to grab his first win in Formula 1, but will Norris allow him to pass?

    A decent result for Verstappen P3, not the worst position to be in for the Dutchman, no doubt he will enjoy himself doing some overtakes.
    However for his teammate, again it wasn’t the best qualifying session where he was out in Q1 where he crashed out and hit the barriers and was unable to continue…

    A good result for Sainz! I feel like he has slipped under the radar in P4, the Spaniard will be aiming for the podium or even try and challenge for the win. His teammate Charles Leclerc had a decent qualifying session to in P6.

    Lewis Hamilton will be starting 5th, and he will be wanting to go for that win again wanting to make it two in a row, will it be in his favour? He won’t have his team mate near him to help out as Russell qualified in P17, who has a lot of work to do to get into the points…

    A decent result for Aston Martin and VCARB, both drivers in the top 10, Ricciardo will be wanting to grab some points this weekend, as he is yet to have a contract for next season…

    I’m very, very happy. Not an easy qualifying, difficult conditions like you said, but always ending up on top is the best part of it also. Happy, especially for the team, a one-two is even better to see, so congrats to the team. It does give us confidence, but we’ve already got confidence so it’s not like we need a lot more of it, or we’re searching for it. We’ve come into this weekend and the last few happy and confident we can do a good job, and we’ve got a good car to fight for pole and that’s exactly what we did today, so like I said a great job by the team; we’ve been improving every weekend, so to end up on pole today is sweet.
    Pole-sitter Norris.

  • Magnussen to leave Haas at the end of 2024 season

    Kevin Magnussen will vacate his race seat with Haas when the Dane’s contract expires at the end of the season – although boss Ayao Komatsu says he hopes they can “find a way to keep working together in some capacity.”

    Magnussen is currently in his seventh season with Haas, split across two spells 2017 – 2020 and 2022 – 2024 and has scored five points to team mate Nico Hulkenberg’s 22 this season.

    The former McLaren and Renault driver secured a career-high ninth in the standings for Haas back in 2018 when he scored points in 11 of the 21 races that season, as the American team finished a best-ever fifth in the constructors’ championship.

    Just weeks after Haas announced Ollie Bearman would make his full-time racing debut with the team in 2025, and on the eve of the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest they have revealed Magnussen will not be partnering him.

    Some sources say that Esteban Ocon is favourite to join the team – though Haas have made no reference to their plans for the second seat.

    I’d like to thank Kevin for everything he’s given us as a team – both on and off the track. He’s truly been a bedrock of our driver line-up over the years. Nobody’s driven more races for us and we’ve had some memorable highlights together – not least a remarkable fifth place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2022 when Kevin returned to start his second spell with the team. He wasn’t expecting to be driving a Formula 1 car that weekend, but he put in a remarkable performance that was a tremendous boost to the entire organization and once again showcased his own talents behind the wheel. There’s plenty of racing to go this year so I’m looking forward to seeing what else we can achieve with Kevin as we push together in the championship. Beyond that, and with Kevin’s special relationship with the team, I’m hoping we can find a way to keep working together in some capacity. We can hopefully define that in the near future, but his extensive experience in Formula 1 and knowledge of our working operations are undoubtedly of value in our on-going growth and development.
    Komatsu on the news.

    I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone at MoneyGram Haas F1 Team – I’m proud to have raced for such a great team of people these last few years. In particular I’d like to thank Gene Haas for his commitment to me, notably in bringing me back once again in 2022 when I thought, at that time at least, my time in Formula 1 had ended. I’ve enjoyed some great moments with this team – memories I’ll never forget. While I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my racing career, I remain fully focused on giving everything I’ve got for the rest of 2024 with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team.
    Magnussen on leaving Haas.

  • RW 13 – Tyre Selection

    It’s one last push before Formula 1’s summer break, with a double-header on two tracks that could not be more different from one another, the Hungaroring and Spa-Francorchamps.

    Cars must run with a high level of aerodynamic downforce this weekend, which is almost on par with Monaco.
    The Hungaroring is very twisty with only one real straight that includes the start-finish line. It provides the most likely if not the only overtaking opportunity.

    There are 14 corners, six to the left and eight to the right, some of them being 180 degree turns. The track climbs and drops its 4.381 kilometres make it one of the shortest on the calendar.

    In terms of the forces exerted on the tyres, the Hungaroring is not particularly severe. Pirelli has chosen the same three softest compounds as last year, with them picking the C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft).

    Traction is one of the most important factors, especially across the rear axle. Degradation can be high, especially when it is very hot and the forecast for this weekend is definitely not favourable in this regard.

    The Hungaroring is a permanent race track, but it does not get that much use, which is why grip levels increase significantly the more it gets rubbered-in. That will be even more likely this year as there was no track activity for a longer time than usual while the facility was modernised.

    Max Verstappen won here last year at the end of the race when the entire field opted for a two-stop strategy.
    Medium and Hard were the most popular choices for the start, although four drivers opted for the soft, intending to make use of the extra grip off the line.

  • Haas extend technical partnership with Ferrari

    Haas F1 Team have confirmed the extension of their technical partnership with Ferrari through 2028, meaning they will be powered by the Italian manufacturer into the sport’s next era of engine regulations.

    Haas’s relationship with Ferrari dates back to their debut F1 season in 2016, with the two parties contesting 178 Grands Prix together since then.

    F1’s new for 2026 power unit will see the current 1.6-litre, V6 turbocharged hybrid Internal Combustion Engine complemented by increased electrical power and fully sustainable fuels.

    Haas rose to a person best of fifth in the F1 constructors’ standings in 2018, and hold seventh at the halfway stage of the 2024 campaign.

    The team also recently announced that they will be giving Oliver Bearman his full-time F1 debut in 2025, with Nico Hulkenberg heading to Kick Sauber and Kevin Magnussen’s future yet to be confirmed.

    I’m thrilled to extend our relationship with Scuderia Ferrari until 2028. As an organisation we’ve only ever raced with Ferrari power units and to have that continued stability moving into the next set of power unit regulations is a key part of our on-going development. The relationship with Scuderia Ferrari has always been a special one to us – they were instrumental in the genesis of the program back in the early days and have continued to be a valuable technical partner to us throughout the past nine seasons. I’m delighted we now have more seasons ahead and my thanks go to [Ferrari team boss] Fred Vasseur and many others at Scuderia Ferrari for continuing to show faith in our project. This announcement is just another example of the long-term ambition of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team – our investment and growth in the sport continues.
    Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal of Haas F1 Team.

  • Lawson vs Ricciardo

    Red Bull’s Formula 1 advisor, Helmut Marko has hinted that Liam Lawson could replace Daniel Ricciardo at RB in 2025.

    RB’s announcement early last month that Yuki Tsunoda will be remaining with the team next season which has guaranteed that either Ricciardo or Lawson will miss out on a seat.

    While Ricciardo currently races for the team, the Australian driver has failed to extract consistent results and lies 9 points behind his teammate this season.
    So his struggles this year have dashed his chances of a dream return to the senior Red Bull team as Sergio Perez has been handed a multi-year contract extension.

    RB has admitted that retaining Ricciardo with Tsunoda would be its preference, but Marko has revealed that Red Bull shareholders are angling to see youth integrated.

    Lawson has completed several F1 outings as he deputised at five rounds last season when Ricciardo was sidelined with a broken metacarpal from a crash at Zandvoort.

    The New Zealander, who has been linked to Sauber, will be allowed to chase a move elsewhere should Red Bull not promote him, indicating Marko is referencing 2025.

    So, who will it be? Liam Lawson or Daniel Ricciardo in the VCARB… time will only tell.

    Liam Lawson of New Zealand and Visa Cash App RB looks on from the pitwall prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 30, 2024 in...

  • FIA & F1 announce 2025 Sprint Calendar

    Formula 1 and the FIA have today announced the venues that will be hosting F1 Sprint events during the 2025 season, with six circuits set to play host to the 100km dash.

    In 2025 – a year that will mark the 75th anniversary of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and the fifth season of the Sprint – Sao Paulo will keep up its run of hosting the Sprint every year since 2021, while Belgium returns for the first time since 2023.

    Shanghai and Miami are set to host the Sprint for the second consecutive year, and Austin and Qatar return to the calendar for a third time.

    The format has sometimes delivered excellent racing in the past four season and multiple winners from across the grid including Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas, George Russell, Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri.

    The F1 Sprint has consistently proven its popularity since its introduction in 2021, with the format delivering some strong numbers across all traditional broadcast, digital and social platforms, as well as providing extra and exciting racing that promoters can offer to the fans and bringing large attendances on the Friday of a Sprint weekend.

    DateCountryVenue
    March 21st – 23rdChinaShanghai
    May 2nd – 4thUSAMiami
    July 25th – 27thBelgiumSpa-Francorchamps
    October 17th – 19thUSAAustin
    November 7th – 9thBrazilSao Paulo
    November 28th – 30thQatarLusail

    The Sprint has been a great success for Formula 1, bringing all our fans more action and racing on the track. We are seeing the proof of this in our audience data, fan attendance on Fridays and from the promoters and partners. As we prepare to celebrate our 75th anniversary in 2025 we will always celebrate our incredible history, but we must always be looking ahead, innovating, and improving to deliver the best for our growing and diverse fanbase. The Sprint is a great example of bringing new elements to our sport in a way that is respectful of the Championship, and I want to thank the six venues that will host the Sprint in 2025 and look forward to those incredible events throughout the season.
    Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.

    As the FIA Formula One World Championship celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2025, the Sprint will also enter its fifth year as part of the competition. Over that time, and through our strong collaboration with Formula 1 and with the input of all the teams, it has been through several different iterations and the regulations and format have evolved to give us the exciting and popular Sprints we have today. The six events for 2025 once again take in an interesting range of circuits and are sure to provide fans with plenty of additional action across the season.
    Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA.

  • Andy Cowell joins Aston Martin as CEO

    Aston Martin have signed former Mercedes power unit chief Andy Cowell as their Group Chief Executive Officer, replacing Martin Whitmarsh.

    Cowell oversaw the production of the V6 hybrid power units that won six consecutive double world titles for Mercedes in his role before leaving his role as Managing Director in the summer of 2020.

    He will be joining Aston Martin on October 1st with current Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh handing over responsibility “before the end of the year”.

    The news comes as Aston Martin continue their bid to become a World Championship-winning team, with owner Lawrence Stroll pumping huge resource into a state of the art facility, that will include a new wind tunnel.

    Engine guru Cowell’s arrival is timely as the team are set to embark on a works partnership deal with Japanese manufacturer Honda from 2026, when the new Power Unit regulations that include the use of 100% sustainable fuels will be introduced.

    I would like to thank Martin who has been instrumental in our growth phase as a business. In the last three years, he has developed the team and has helped us achieve some significant milestones, including fostering our relationship with Honda and delivering our state-of-the-art AMR Technology Campus at Silverstone. I am delighted to welcome Andy to our team at a crucial time. Together with our works partnership with Honda, the commitment from our title partner Aramco and Andy’s leadership we are on track to become a world championship winning team. Andy has my full backing and will have every resource available to win.
    Lawrence Stroll on the news.

    I am thrilled to join Lawrence’s exciting project and look forward to working with the talented group of people that has been assembled. F1 has always been my competitive passion, and I am joining Aston Martin Aramco at an exciting time with the imminent completion of the AMR Technology Campus and our transition in 2026 to a full works team with our strategic partners Honda and Aramco.
    Cowell on joining Aston Martin.

    I have known Andy for many years and brought him to Mercedes HPP in 2004 where he became Managing Director between 2013 and 2020, achieving huge success in the business and sport. He will be an incredible asset to Aston Martin Aramco and will make a significant contribution to the execution of our strategy going forward. Andy’s arrival in October and the completion of the AMR Technology Campus will allow me to step away and focus on other projects in my life, knowing that the foundations have been established with an impressive team, inspiring vision and advanced facilities to achieve success in F1.
    Whitmarsh on the news.

  • Alpine bolster technical team

    Alpine have bolstered their technical team with a plethora of new employees, including three senior personnel with recent experience at rivals Red Bull and Ferrari.

    Michael Broadhurst and Vin Dhanani return to Enstone as Chief Aerodynamicist and Head of Vehicle Performance respectively, while Jacopo Fantoni takes on the role of Deputy Chief Engineer.

    Broadhurt – who spent seven years at Enstone earlier in his career – was Principal Aerodynamicist at Red Bull during a period when they won two constructors’ titles and previously worked at McLaren as Deputy Head of Aerodynamics.

    Dhanani joins after seven years at Red Bull, most recently as Vehicle Performance Team Leader. Before that, he spent around five years at Sauber and around the same time at Lotus.

    Fantoni has been on gardening leave since leaving Ferrari, where he spent 13 years – most recently as Head of Simulation in the design office alongside David Sanchez who has since joined Alpine.

    The trio started working at Enstone on 1st July and slot into Alpine’s three-pillared technical structure, centred around aerodynamics, performance and engineering.

    Alpine are in the midst of a rebuild following a suite of senior staff leaving the team over the last year or so – including their CEO, Chief Technical Officer, Technical Director, Sporting Director and Head of Aerodynamics.

    Alpine announced in Austria that Pierre Gasly had agreed a deal to stay until at least the end of 2026 – with the team now focused on securing the return of Carlos Sainz for the second seat.

  • Matt Harman heads list of 26 Williams hire

    Williams have unveiled a bolstered technical structure that features 26 new recruits from rival Formula 1 teams, including former Alpine Technical Director, Matt Harman.

    Team Principal, James Vowles has been working with Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry to reshape and reinforce a team that was once one of the dominant forces in F1.

    On the Thursday of the Austrian Grand Prix, the team announced the fruits of their significant recruitment drive – with the influx of 26 personnel in total joining from Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and Alpine.
    Between them, they have worked on cars and power units that have secured 12 constructors’ titles and 13 drivers’ championships.

    Harman joins the team after the summer shutdown as Design Director. He left Alpine earlier this year and brings with him a wealth of experience collected during a 24 year career in F1.

    Fabrice Moncade joins as Chief Engineer, Computing Science on July 1st – having previously worked as Head of Performance Analytics at Ferrari.

    Juan Molina will become Chief Aerodynamicist, reporting to Head of Aerodynamics Adam Kenyon and will start on July 15th, he was previously at Haas and Red Bull.

    Steve Winstanley will be Chief Engineer, Composites and Structures, with a focus on leading and transforming the structures department within the design office, he has 22 years of experience in F1 including 14 with Red Bull.

    Richard Frith is to become Head of Performance in 2025. He was formerly Head of Performance at Alpine and has 25 years of experience in sport, including working with Jordan, Force India, Sauber, Marussia and McLaren.

    Of the 26 hires in total, 11 are in the aerodynamics team and 13 in the design office.

    I am delighted to welcome these six incredible people to Williams. We are on a mission to fight our way back to the front and being able to attract experienced, Championship-winning talent from other teams demonstrates huge belief in the journey we are on. Williams is investing in what it takes to win, and this is just the start as we prepare to welcome more new faces from across the grid in the months ahead.
    James Vowles on the news.

  • Ollie Bearman promoted to F1 with Haas

    Ferrari junior Ollie Bearman has secured a full-time seat in Formula 1 from 2025 after agreeing a multi-year deal with American team Haas.

    The 19 year old impressed the world of Formula 1 when he stood in at late notice for the unwell Carlos Sainz at Ferrari in Saudi Arabia. The Brit scored points on debut with a superb drive to seventh.

    Bearman is currently competing in F2 with PREMA and took his first win of the season and fourth of his career a few weekends ago in Austria in the Sprint Race.

    He dovetails those duties with his role as reserve drivers for Haas and Ferrari in Formula 1. He is also completing six FP1 appearances with Haas this year, the third of which was at Silverstone last weekend.

    With Nico Hulkenberg departing for Sauber/Audi next year and Kevin Magnussen’s contract expiring at the end of 2024, that leaves seat still up for grabs at Haas.

    Alpine’s Esteban Ocon is a leading contender for the seat, with Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas also believed to be under consideration. However, Magnussen could also fight his way into contention to keep his seat if he can consistently repeat performance like his one in Austria.

    t’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me. To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for Haas F1 Team makes me so immensely proud. To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing what they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible. To Gene [Haas, team owner], Ayao [Komatsu, Haas Team Principal] and everyone at Haas, thank you for believing in me and for trusting me to represent your team. I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone since the first time we met in Mexico and I can’t wait to enjoy this moment with them and hopefully many more in the future. To everyone at the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, quite simply, I wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you for preparing me since F4 for this incredible opportunity and know I will give it everything I have.
    Bearman on the news.

    It’s an exciting thing to be able to give a young driver as talented as Oliver Bearman his first full-time seat in Formula 1. He’s developed into an incredibly mature driver under the guidance of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy and the world saw that for themselves when he was called in at the last minute to compete at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Oliver proved he was more than ready for the task, and we’ve seen that for ourselves running him in the Haas cars in our FP1 sessions over the past two seasons. We’re looking forward to further developing him as a driver and reaping the benefits of his talent – both inside and outside of the car. Oliver’s a great guy and a very welcome addition to the team when he joins us for the FP1 weekends. Now we know that relationship is going to be longer-term, it’s a positive thing for all concerned.
    Haas Team Principal, Komatsu.

  • RW 12 – Silverstone

    Lewis Hamilton has claimed a long-awaited and record-breaking ninth British Grand Prix victory in a thrilling race at Silverstone!

    While pole sitter, George Russell had led away from Hamilton as the event got underway, an exciting battle soon unfolded between the two Mercedes cars and the McLaren pair of Norris and Oscar Piastri amid changing weather conditions.

    The lead changed hands as the field began to switch to intermediate tyres after the opening phase of the race, before the skies later became dry and Hamilton capitalised from pitting for slicks on lap earlier than Norris – who also face a slow pit stop.

    While Russell retired with a water system issue, and Max Verstappen snatched P2 from Norris in the latter stages – Hamilton held his position to clinch an emotional victory, a record ninth win in a single Grand Prix and his first P1 since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

    The full top 10 are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: Norris, P4: Piastri, P5: Sainz, P6: Hulkenberg, P7: Stroll, P8: Alonso, P9: Albon and P10: Tsunoda.

    WOWWW! What a result from Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes! His first win of the season, and he done it in style, this really does show you how much Mercedes have put so much into getting their car into a race winning way again and it hasn’t been easy but they’ve done it!
    Obviously unfortunate for Russell, as he could’ve easily been on the podium if he didn’t have to retire but I’m sure he will bounce back next race.

    A great result for Max Verstappen, it wasn’t the easiest of races for the world champion and that showed a few times as even himself wasn’t sure where he would finish the race, but it was a good recovery back to P2. However his teammate didn’t make massive moves in the race… He finished 17th… and was two laps down aswell. Not good at all, when is it time for Red Bull to rethink the second seat?

    A decent result for McLaren, P3 for Norris and P4 for Piastri. I think the team threw away a victory here, they definitely left Oscar out for too long when it was raining as they could’ve double stacked like Mercedes did and giving Norris options for slick tyres instead of picking him a certain set. I think the team has to iron out a few little problems as this won’t win them more races…

    Ferrari, P5 for Carlos Sainz, a decent drive for him, didn’t really see much from the Spanish driver but a decent point haul from him. As for the other Ferrari, Charles Leclerc didn’t have the best race either it was a disappointing outcome for him after he made places up at the beginning of the race and then slipped backwards after making an early switch to intermediate tyres.

    Another great result for Hulkenberg! P6, he is on fire at the moment, Haas really have pulled it out of the bag recently and it just seems to be working at the moment!

    A decent result for Aston Martin, a double points finish for the team which is good to see after their recent struggles.

    Albon in the points aswell for the teams home grand prix which is good! His teammate, Logan Sargeant just missed out on points in P11, unfortunate for the American but a decent drive by him.

    Alpine didn’t have the best of weekends, Pierre Gasly didn’t even get to start the race he went into the pits on the formation lap due to a gearbox problem and that was him done for the day. As for his teammate, Esteban Ocon, finished 16th.

    Now the triple header is over, and we have a little break before a double header which starts on the 19th to 21st July and its the Hungarian Grand Prix

  • RW 12 – Silverstone Qualifying

    George Russell clinched an impressive pole position in qualifying for the British Grand Prix, with the Mercedes team locking out the front row after Lewis Hamilton claimed second place.

    Having set the initial pace during the first runs of Q3, Russell improved further on his final effort by pumping in a time of 1m 25.819s, putting him 0.171s clear of Hamilton, while Lando Norris followed in third for McLaren to complete an all British top three.

    The full top 10 are – Pole: Russell, P2: Hamilton, P3: Norris, P4: Verstappen, P5: Piastri, P6: Hulkenberg, P7: Sainz, P8: Stroll, P9: Albon and P10: Alonso.

    What a result for the Mercedes duo! Honestly I was hoping for a Brit to be on pole and I really didn’t mind who, but it just makes it even more special that Mercedes have managed to qualify P1 and P2 at their drivers home grand prix! They will be pushing for a double podium, so it’s going to be an interesting race!

    Lando in the top three aswell, making it 3 Brits in the top 3 which we love to see! But he will be bringing the battle to the Mercedes drivers, as he will want this home win more than anything. His teammate, Oscar Piastri starts P5 which isn’t too bad, he will have the hard job of overtaking Max Verstappen.

    A really good result for Hulkenberg, P6! He will be hoping for a good result in the race and grab some more points for the team.

    Verstappen didn’t have the best of qualifying, it just didn’t seem to be all hooked up for the Dutch driver. But starting P4 isn’t all too bad, he can easily make up places. However, his teammate starting all the way down in 19th… not a good day for the Mexican driver, he got beached in the gravel and that was his session over in Q1.

    Not the best result for Ferrari, Carlos Sainz had the better qualifying session finishing in 7th, whereas his teammate Charles Leclerc is starting P11 after he got pushed into the elimination zone of Q2, so a lot of work to do for the Monegasque driver.

  • Hadjar to make FP1 appearance for Red Bull

    F2 racer Isack Hadjar will turn out for Red Bull in FP1 at the British Grand Prix weekend, taking over Sergio Perez’s RB20.

    The Red Bull junior currently sits second in the 2024 F2 standings in what has been an impressive campaign so far for the 19 year old, with feature race victories in Melbourne and Imola particular highlights.

    The French driver’s upcoming appearance in first practice at Silverstone is his latest outing with F1 machinery, having made two FP1 appearances in 2023 – one for AlphaTauri in Mexico and one for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi.

    He will be joining some of his other F2 colleagues in FP1 with Franco Colapinto turning out for Williams, while Ollie Bearman will also be making another practice appearance for Haas.
    Alpine reserve driver, Jack Doohan, who race in F2 last year and finished third, will also be getting behind the wheel of Pierre Gasly’s car as he pushes for a seat on the 2025 grid.

    With a packed schedule over the British Grand Prix weekend, Hadjar will have to dovetail FP1 duties with Red Bull alongside his F2 duties for Campos Racing but it’s a chance he will surely relish.

    Under F1’s current regulations, each team must run a rookie in two FP1 sessions each campaign.

  • RW 12 – Tyre Selection

    The British Grand Prix marks the midpoint of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship and round 12 of 24 takes place where it all began 74 years ago.

    5.861 kilometres long, the track is the fifth longest on the Calendar after Spa-Francorchamps, Jeddah, Las Vegas and Baku.
    It features 18 corners and is one of the most exciting and also one of the most demanding for the car-tyre package.

    Some corner combinations, such as those from 10 to 14 – Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel – are taken at high speed and generate lateral forces on the tyres and drivers of over 5g.
    This along with other technical aspects, mean that as is always the case at Silverstone the chosen compounds are: C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium), C3 (Soft).

    The weather in England in the summer can be changeable, a further factor which is to be taken into consideration, especially as conditions can change very rapidly.

    Last year the entire race was run in the dry, with the soft somewhat a surprising protagonist, with only two teams not using it.
    However, the most used compound was the medium, which was used to complete half the overall mileage.
    The great majority of drivers went for a one-stop strategy, even if in the past, a two-stop had been the popular choice.

  • Alpine confirm Doohan for FP1

    Alpine have confirmed that Jack Doohan will make his second FP1 outing of the Formula 1 season at the British Grand Prix weekend.

    Doohan previously drove Esteban Ocon’s A524 in FP1 in Canada, but was only able to complete three laps – without setting a time – due to the wet weather seen in Montreal that day.
    But the Australian will get a second chance behind the wheel – this time Pierre Gasly’s car – during FP1 at Silverstone.

    A former FIA Formula 3 runner-up and the third-placed driver in last year’s F2 standings, with the 21 year old continuing to push for a drive with Alpine on next year’s F1 grid.

    The team currently have one seat vacant for 2025 following the confirmation, in the run-up to the Austrian Grand Prix that Pierre Gasly has committed his future to the team with a new multi-year extension.
    With Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz still to decide on his future, and Alpine reported to be interested in securing his services, Doohan’s Silverstone opportunity gives him another chance show his talent.

    In addition to his FP1 outings and simulator duties at Enstone, Doohan – son of former 500cc motorcycle world champion Mick – has also completed several test sessions with Alpine over the last couple of years in his quest to become a full time member of the F1 grid.

  • Colapinto to take part in FP1 for Williams

    Argentine F2 racer, Franco Colapinto will be making his Formula 1 debut this weekend when he drives Logan Sargeant’s Williams at the British Grand Prix in FP1.

    So far this year, the 21 year old is enjoying a strong rookie season in Formula 2, having won one race and scored two podiums in the last four rounds to sit fifth in the standings.

    The Williams Driver Academy racer will dovetail this opportunity, which will see him share the garage with Alex Albon, with his F2 duties on the same race weekend.

    It will be the second time Colapinto has got behind the wheel of Formula 1 machinery, after he drove for Williams in last year’s young driver test in Abu Dhabi and it is part of a requirement for every team to run a young driver in FP1 at least twice during a season.

    Colapinto has fond memories of Silverstone having won the Sprint race at the venue last year in F3, on his way to fourth in the drivers’ championship.

    I have so many emotions. I am extremely delighted and it’s a very important moment in my life and my career. I will be the most prepared I can; I will be doing a lot of laps in the simulator and studying the details needed to drive this year’s car. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the new car after driving last year’s in Abu Dhabi. To be able to drive it at a track like Silverstone is a privilege, it is one of my favourite tracks and to drive it at the team’s home race means a lot. To all the Argentine fans – I hope you enjoy FP1 as much as I’m going to! It’s an important moment for our country and I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve been given. I’m going to give my all to make you proud.
    Colapinto on the news.

    Franco has had a very encouraging start to his debut season in F2 and we are delighted to reward his performances over the past two years with his first FP1 session. We are proud of our talented group of drivers in the Williams Racing Driver Academy and it is important for us to give them the opportunity to progress and have these important chances as they move up the ladder. To showcase our talent at our home race at Silverstone is a nice moment and, of course, this is going to be a great day for the Argentine F1 fans.
    Sven Smeets, Sporting Director.

  • Aston Martin confirm Stroll

    Aston Martin have announced that Lance Stroll will continue to race for the team into the new era of F1 regulations in 2026, ending speculation over his future in Formula 1.

    It is the latest development in a fluid and fast-moving driver market, with Alpine also confirming Gasly earlier on.

    Stroll’s renewal with the Silverstone team comes after he hinted ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix that news of his plans would be following soon.

    Stroll first made his F1 debut with Williams back in 2017, where he spent two seasons at Grove before switching to Racing Point, which then became Aston Martin in 2021 following the team’s purchase by a consortium led by his father, Lawrence Stroll.

    This means that Aston Martin will keep the same driver line-up into a third campaign, as two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, recently signed his own contract renewal.

    I’m super happy to have committed to staying with the team for 2025 and beyond. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come in the last five years; we’ve grown so much as a team and there’s still so much more to look forward to.
    Stroll on the news.

    He has played a key role in building this team and his technical feedback, alongside his committed simulator work, has helped contribute to the continuous development of the car each season. The consistency and stability of both Lance and Fernando remaining with our team is a great platform to continue to realise our ambitions. We look forward to creating some incredible memories and achieving further success together.
    Mike Krack, Team Principal.

  • RW 11 – Austria

    Wow! What a race we had in Austria, it all looked plain sailing for most of the race until a collision took place and it all changed…

    Mercedes’ George Russell claimed a somewhat unexpected victory in the Austrian Grand Prix after a dramatic end to the race which saw Max Verstappen and Lando Norris collide in the battle for the lead, which dropped Verstappen down the order and forced Norris to retire.

    Verstappen originally made a strong start from pole position to hold P1 for much of the race, a thrilling duel with McLaren driver Norris unfolded when both made their final pit stops on lap 52, where RB suffered a rare slower stop due to an issue with the rear left wheel.

    Norris was then hot on the tail of his rival and made more than one attempt to snatch P1. But it all came to an end of lap 64 when the pair made contact, causing the pair to limp back to the pits.

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

    Russell’s second victory in F1! This just shows that Mercedes have made a step forward, I know he didn’t battle for the win, but this is a part of racing, if the top 2 crash into each other the driver in third 9 times out of 10 will take the lead and go on to win the race especially so late on in the race.
    A very good result, for Mercedes, Hamilton finished 4th aswell a very good points haul for the team!

    Piastriii, McLaren’s last man standing, the Australian made up good ground after qualifying and having his lap time deleted. It makes you think if that didn’t happen and he started P3, would he have won the race?

    Podium for Carlos Sainz! A good result for Ferrari, just what the team needs. However for Charles Leclerc it is a different story, he had contact on the first lap which saw him have to pit for a new front wing and that was basically his race over he finished P11 out of the points.

    A very good result for Nico Hulkenberg P6 for him! And the same goes to Magnussen he finished P8, just what the team needs. And I do have to say their team work between them is great, we have seen it quite a few times this year and they just capitalise on other’s misfortune or go through the field together.

    Ricciardo in the points, it was what he needed, and probably wanted aswell. But he will be needing more than one good performance to get a seat for next year and his only bet really is going to be sticking with VCARB.

    Gasly in the points aswell! The French driver, is on a run of points at the moment with it being his fourth consecutive race with points, so a good drive from him.

    Now we don’t have to wait too long for the next race, as it is only next week! And it is the home race of 7 time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, as well as race winners, George Russell and Lando Norris!

  • RW 11 – Austria Qualifying

    Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix after a commanding performance in Saturday’s qualifying, beating closest challenger Lando Norris by four tenths of a second.

    Having set an impressive early benchmark in the initial laps of Q3, Verstappen bettered his time on his second effort to record a lap of 1m 04.314s in the Red Bull.

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

    Pole again for Verstappen! He will definitely be wanting to turn it into a victory, but I don’t think he will be able to sail away with it, he has Norris and Russell right behind him and we have seen the battles those three drivers have had recently…

    A wonderful result for the remaining top 3, I have no doubt that they would of been up there, it is all eyes onto the race now…

    Another decent qualifying by Carlos Sainz! His teammate Charles Leclerc also had a lot better qualifying that the sprint qualifying. Now the drivers will need to work as a team and score some big points, especially because of McLaren catching them in the constructors standings.

    Not the best result from Piastri, he was P3 however he had the lap time deleted due track limits so he got bumped down to P7, he will have a bit of work to do in the race.

    A decent result for Nico Hulkenberg! P9 for the Haas driver, he will be wanting to capitalise on this result for the race and score as many points as he can.

    Ricciardo just missed out on the top 10, the Australian will be wanting to score some points this weekend, especially because his seat is under threat so will be wanting to prove that he possibly deserves a seat.

    Again not the best result for Aston Martin, P15 for Alonso and P17 for Stroll. They really are struggling at the moment and they have gone backwards to where they were last year…

  • RW 11 – Austria Sprint

    Sprint Qualifying-

    Max Verstappen will be lining up in pole position for the Sprint in Austria, after he stormed to the top of the timesheets ahead of McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

    With every driver in SQ3 posting just one flying lap in the final minutes, the pressure was on to deliver a decent time.
    And that’s what Verstappen did, pumping in a time of 1.04.686s.

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

    A lovely result for Max Verstappen, it would be just what he wanted and he will want to turn this into victory.

    A very good result for McLaren P2 and P3, both drivers will be wanting to try and win the sprint as well as get on the podium and get a good points haul before the race.

    Ferrari had a semi decent result with Carlos Sainz in P5, however not the best result with Charles Leclerc. He failed to set a time after he stopped in the pitlane before being unable to cross the line before the chequered flag, leaving him in 10th.
    He has a lot of work to do in the race, especially as he is in the middle of the pack and will want to stay out of trouble.

    A decent result from Mercedes, P4 and P6, not the worst for the Silver Arrows but also not the best from the team. They still have a bit of work to do if they want to consistently be battling with the McLaren’s etc…

    Not the best result from Perez, but at least he qualified in the top 10, I really cant work out how he has these bad qualifying’s and then go on to the race and not really make a massive difference…

    Sprint Race-

    Red Bull driver, Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory in the Sprint Race at the Austrian Grand Prix, overcoming the McLaren’s of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

    While Verstappen held his lead at the start, Norris soon closed in and briefly moved in P1 with a bold overtake, only for the reigning world champion to reclaim the position moments later in a squabble that enabled Piastri to pass his team mate.

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

    A wonderful result from Max, turning sprint pole into sprint victory! That makes it 3 sprint victories out of 3 so far this year. His team mate, Sergio Perez, finished in the final points paying position in 8th which isn’t the best result the Mexican driver has had.

    A lovely little result from McLaren, both cars finishing the podium in P2 for Piastri and P3 from Norris, just what the team expects from their drivers. They also had quite a good battle with Max at the beginning and it was good to see how close the top 3 was at times.

    Russell finished P4 which isn’t bad and Hamilton P6 so where they both started. To be honest most drivers don’t really risk it too much in the sprint as they have qualifying later on and don’t want to risk damaging their cars.

    Leclerc moved up a few spots which is good, the Ferrari’s clearly have a bit of pace under their cars this weekend, so they will be wanting a better qualifying session for the race.

    Magnussen finished P9! Just outside the points unfortunately but all he needs to do is repeat the same again tomorrow for the race.

    Gasly and Ocon didn’t have the best race, they started in the top 10 and finished 11th and 12th…

  • Gasly commits to Alpine

    Alpine has agreed a multi-year extension with Pierre Gasly that will see the Frenchman stay with the Enstone-based team for 2025 and beyond.

    Gasly joined the French team at the start of last season, scoring 67 points over that 18 months period including third in the 2023 Belgian GP Sprint and third in the Dutch Grand Prix.

    Alpine had been pushing to secure Gasly following their decision to part ways with his current teammate Esteban Ocon at the end of the season.

    Alpine are chasing Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz for his signature to become Gasly’s teammate but it is believed the Spaniard is still undecided on his future.

    But should Sainz choose to drive elsewhere the team do have other options.
    They are considering promoting reserve driver Jack Doohan, or fellow academy driver Victor Martins, or going for experience like a 10 time race winner, Valtteri Bottas…

    I feel very much at home at this great team. I enjoy being a real part of both the Formula 1 project and the wider Alpine Cars vision. I’ve been officially here for over 18 months and it has always been the plan to build a long-term project with the Team. While on-track it’s been a challenging season so far, I remain faithful to the project and I am not going anywhere. I am happy with the changes made, the hard work, and the direction the team is taking. There is a lot of potential in this team’s personnel and resources. I’m excited for what is to come in the future and right now I’m focusing on the everyday details that we are putting in to improve our performances.
    Gasly on the news.

    The extension of Pierre’s contract with the team is very pleasing. He is a driver with huge experience in Formula 1 and continues to show huge amounts of potential on-track. For Alpine as a brand, he is a great ambassador and we therefore look forward to continuing our collaboration. While this is important for our future, we do have to keep our eyes close to what is coming and that is focusing on improving our current package. We have high ambitions this current season and we will work tirelessly to achieve those things. We will take our time in deciding Pierre’s team-mate and we are excited with the options we have on the table.
    Team Principal, Bruno Famin.