AlphaTauri will emerge from the Formula 1 winter break with an all-new team name after the decision was made to undergo a rebranding to RB ahead to the 2024 campaign.
Red Bull’s sister outfit joined the grid back in 2006 and initially raced under the Toro Rosso guise but were renamed as AlphaTauri from 2020 to promote the company’s fashion brand.
From 2024 onwards, they will be known as RB (with the full team name being Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team) marking a stronger reference to the Red Bull operation who have benefitted from bringing in a host of junior drivers with the Faenza squad.
Over the years, the likes of four time champion Sebastian Vettel, three time champion Max Verstappen and multiple race winner Daniel Ricciardo built up valuable experience at the outfit before progressing to Red Bull.
Highlights of AlphaTauri’s spell in F1 include a remarkable victory for Pierre Gasly at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, a result that brought back memories of Vettel’s breakthrough triumph in 2008 during the Toro Rosso days.
This year, Yuki Tsunoda will enter his fourth F1 season at RB, while Ricciardo keeps his spot after replacing Nyck de Vries midway through the 2023 season and returning from injuries he sustained in a practice session at Zandvoort.
In addition to Mekies arriving at Tost’s replacement after the Austrian’s 18 year stint at the team, another recent change at the top of team saw Peter Bayer come in from the FIA, overseeing operations as CEO.
The newly-rebranded RB team have unveiled their 2024 challenger – the VCARB 01 – at a glittering event in Las Vegas.
It has been all change for the Faenza-based quad for 2023, after they brought their AlphaTauri era to a close following the conclusion of last season, and that includes a livery change.
While AlphaTauri’s design predominantly showcased dark blue and white, the new RB car will sport a sparkling blue and white livery, which takes it back to the designs of the Toro Rosso car.
The car was obviously the star of the show at the launch event in Las Vegas, with the team’s new CEO Peter Bayer present and the new Team Principal Laurent Mekies. Also on stage at the event, alongside drivers Ricciardo and Tsunoda, was Amna Al-Qubaisi, who will be carrying the team’s colours in F1 Academy this year.
There’s also been a host of changes to the operation ahead of this year’s campaign, with three experienced technical and trackside personnel signing on recently.
One of those is Alan Permane – who departed Alpine as their Sporting Director midway through last season – as he takes up the role of Racing Director. Tim Goss will also take on the role of Chief Technical Officer in October. While Guillaume Cattelani joined the team as Deputy Technical Director, reporting to Technical Director Jody Egginton.
As for the drivers, they will be hoping for a more successful season, with AlphaTauri finishing P8 in the constructors’ last year. The Australian will be wanting a smoother campaign, having started 2023 away from the F1 grid before his dramatic return was halted by a broken hand after the summer break.
Formula 1 has announced that the Spanish Grand Prix will be held in Madrid from 2026 to 2035 following an agreement with IFEMA Madrid to bring an all new circuit to the Spanish capital, which will incorporate both street and non-street sections.
Built around the world-class IFEMA exhibition centre, the 5.47km circuit – subject to FIA homologation and final design specification – will feature 20 corners, with a projected qualifying lap time of 1 minute 32 seconds.
It is projected to have capacity to host more than 110,00 fans per day across grandstand, general admission and VIP hospitality, while there are plans to grow the circuit’s capacity to 140,000 per day over the first half of the agreement, making Madrid one of the largest venues on the F1 calendar
Located five minutes from the Madrid-Barajas Aldolfo Suarez airport, the Spanish Grand Prix will become one of the most accessible races on the F1 calendar, with the circuit just a short commute away by Metro, train and city lines.
F1 is committed to reaching Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and IFEMA Madrid shares the vision to make the Spanish Grand Prix one of the most sustainable F1 events of the season, having greatly reduced its carbon emissions over the last five years and move to 100% renewable energy across all exhibition halls, while any temporary structure built for the race will be constructed using recyclable materials.
Madrid is an incredible city with amazing sporting and cultural heritage, and today’s announcement begins an exciting new chapter for F1 in Spain. I would like to thank the team at IFEMA MADRID, the Regional Government of Madrid and the city’s Mayor for putting together a fantastic proposal. It truly epitomises Formula 1’s vision to create a multi-day spectacle of sport and entertainment that delivers maximum value for fans and embraces innovation and sustainability.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.
Modern Formula 1 cars racing on a new circuit in the Spanish capital city of Madrid is an enticing prospect.As we build towards the introduction of the FIA 2026 Formula One regulations, which have been framed with Net Zero carbon by 2030 in mind, it is pleasing to see that the local organisers have placed a sharp focus on environmental sustainability in their plans for the event. As is customary, the proposed circuit will be subject to FIA homologation and safety checks and calendar approval by the World Motor Sport Council.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA.
Our dream of hosting a major F1 event around IFEMA MADRID has come true. We are thrilled to announce the return of F1 to Madrid after more than four decades. We have the ambition to organise a Grand Prix that will become a reference in the F1 worldwide calendar, specifically conceptualized and designed to offer a distinctive and unique experience for both fans and teams participating in the competition. With this, Madrid wants to deep dive into the development of a new concept that combines sport and entertainment, while delivering a memorable event.
Jose Vicente de los Mozos, President of the Executive Committee of IFEMA Madrid.
Alpine have pulled the wraps off their latest F1 challenger – the A524 – ahead of the 2024 season, gathering at Enstone for a full ‘Motorsport Launch’ event that also saw the French brand’s WEC car formally presented.
Alpine’s new F1 car, which will be driven by continuing team mates Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, is inspired by their partnership with contemporary artist Felipe Pantone and features a predominantly black livery with blue and pink highlights to build on previous designs.
Meanwhile, Austrian water treatment company BWT entering the third year of their title partnership, Alpine’s livery will be pink dominated at eight of this season’s 24 races. having also started the beginning of the season in 2022 and 2023 in that style.
Alpine will head into the new campaign, looking to bounce back from a low 2023, which saw them fall from fourth to sixth in the constructors’ standings and finish in the midfield.
It’s a great moment for Alpine Motorsports to come together and officially present its programmes for the 2024 season. It is certainly a unique moment to have both the A524 Formula 1 car and A424 Hypercar along with all the drivers in the same room as both projects prepare for what will undoubtedly be a busy and intense 2024 year. To see both the real cars here today is testament to all the hard work conducted behind the scenes at our factories from our thousands of talented employees in the United Kingdom and in France. The next stage on our journey is deploying everything to the track, applying operational excellence across the board and growing a greater dynamic and mindset from all our teams. We are all very much looking forward to continuing the hard work to bring the Alpine name success.
Bruno Famin, Alpine VP of Motorsports and Team Principal of Alpine F1 Team.
The A524 approach has been aggressive but deliberate in the fact we are creating a wider scope to add performance to the car. We have really focused on learning and reacting to what we have learnt rather than on results. The project has been bold where we have focused on realising concepts, which we aim to add to the car. We’ve built ourselves a strong platform to add performance when we can and we have set ourselves targets to deliver those. We have pushed some elements to the limit and, in some cases, beyond that. That is all in line with our approach and exactly what we have set out to achieve in progressing this project to the best possible level.
Stake have unveiled their 2024 challenger the C44, which sports a dazzling new fluorescent green and black livery, at a glittering event at London’s Guildhall.
The Sauber-run team, who will run under the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber name this year, are embarking on a new era after saying goodbye to Italian sponsor Alfa Romeo.
The Swiss-operation say the C44 is “a marked departure from its predecessor” and a “slew of changes have been introduced”. One of the most significant tweaks is a move from push-rod to pull-rod suspension.
The C44 also features revised sidepods and engine cover plus a new floor – one of the most important areas for development when pursuing pure lap time. The team adds “some important updates” will be brought to the car in the opening rounds.
The car will hit the track for the first time on Friday when it completes a shakedown at Barcelona and then onto pre-season testing.
The new car we unveiled today, the C44, is a tribute to the work done by James Key and the technical team, and to every man and woman in Hinwil, who all contributed to the car we see today. Witnessing the launch of a new car is always a special moment, and even more so when it marks the start of a new era, that of Stake F1 Team. We have a fresh new identity and we are excited about everything we have planned, on and off the track: today, though, it is all about the C44 and its potential. We are confident about this car and our team: we won’t speak about specific targets, because it’s always difficult to put commit to numbers, but our targets are clear – to improve the performance of our car and our package. By package, I mean every area, from the race team to the operations on track, the pit stops, the strategy: it’s more than just the car performance, and we are committed in all departments to make this step, this is the target. Then, we will see where our position will be as the season progresses: but the key target is to improve this year and to deliver a better job than we did in 2023.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative.
The C44 is virtually a completely new car, with a few carry-over areas at the rear of the car. The team had to take an ambitious direction well before I joined: there are many mechanical changes, some of which you can’t see at all, but some are very visible. The front suspension is completely new, a tough and ambitious project for a team of our size. There are many aerodynamic changes, too, as would be expected given that this remains the primary area of development – so, overall, the car will really look quite different to last year’s car. We took a lot of new, exciting directions, all of which appear to hold quite a bit of potential, so we’re looking forward to seeing them on track.
Williams have shown off the livery that will adorn their cars during the upcoming F1 season at a special launch ceremony in New York.
After livery reveals from McLaren and Haas, it was the Grove outfit’s turn to present their colour scheme for the year ahead, with an evolved deep blue design which, according to the team “links Williams’ championship-winning heritage with its mission to return to the front of the grid”.
Williams also took the opportunity to announce a new multi-year headline partnership with Komatsu, who are a leading manufacturer of construction, mining, forestry and industrial heavy equipment. The two parties previously enjoyed a successful partnership in the 1980s and 1990s, when Williams won a host of races and championships, including the supply of gearbox components for the title winning 1996 and 1997 cars.
James Vowles was brought in as Team Principal early last year, to spark a new era of success, the operation enjoyed an immediate rise from the foot of the F1 constructors’ standings to seventh position in 2023 – with Alex Albon scoring all but one point.
Albon will be continuing with the squad for a third successive campaign in 2024, with Logan Sargeant being retained for his second season in F1.
It is a significant milestone to unveil the 2024 livery at an iconic location in New York City. Since joining Williams Racing a year ago, I’ve seen this team pull together to overcome a number of challenges and claim seventh in the Constructors’ Championship, which meant a great deal for everyone involved. We’ve also shown the world that we’re building the foundations for moving forward. We’ll continue to strengthen the team both on and off the track through improvements to our infrastructure, investing in our people, and attracting fantastic new partners like Komatsu. Of course, there’s still a long way to go on this journey together but I know our fans, partners and everyone at Grove HQ is pushing as one to create new history for this iconic team. It will take time, but everyone’s support is integral to help drive us towards success in the years to come. I’m looking forward to seeing what this season holds for us.
Haas have revealed a series of digital renders of their 2024 challenger the VF-24 that is adorned by an evolution of their traditional black, red and white livery.
As has been the case for several years, the American team have gone for a low-key launch, preferring to send out imagery of their new challenger before revealing the real things when it hits the track for a shakedown at Silverstone on February 11th with Nico Hulkenberg behind the wheel.
This will be their first season in F1 without Guenther Steiner at the helm, with Ayao Komatsu stepping up from his engineering leadership role to take the reins.
The team, will once again run Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, aiming to improve on their last place finish in 2023 constructors’ championship.
Following the car’s shakedown at Silverstone on February 11th, a second shakedown will take place in Bahrain eight days later, before pre-season testing begins at the same venue on February 21st.
I’m looking forward to seeing the VF-24 running and racing – a sentiment. I know I share with our partners and indeed the entire team. In Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, we also know we’ve got a great pair of drivers behind the wheel, their experience will prove invaluable again as we develop our program through the year. We’ve used the off-season to put the processes in place to be better and ultimately improve our overall performance. Soon we get to see how we’re doing.
Gene Haas on the new car.
We’re realistic about our expectations for the VF-24 to start but it’s still an exciting moment in any Formula 1 season to showcase the car. There’s a lot of work ahead of us to make progress and increase our performance but everyone here is highly motivated and eager to get on track with the VF-24. I know we’ll be maximizing our time in Bahrain with all the various items we need to push through. Bottom line, we can’t wait to get going and get the season underway.
Mercedes Technical Director, James Allison has signed a long-term contract extension, the news coming after Toto Wolff signed a new deal with the Silver Arrows.
Allison joined Mercedes in 2017 as Technical Director, with the team going on to win four drivers’ titles and five constructors’ championship during that stint.
He moved up to Chief Technical Officer four years later, focusing on longer term strategy for the F1 project and working on other projects outside the sport such as the INEOS Britannia America’s Cup team.
The 55 year old returned to a more frontline role as Technical Director in April last year, swapping positions with Mike Elliot.
Allison boasts a wealth of F1 experience beyond his championship-winning time at Mercedes, the Brit also picked up drivers’ and constructors’ championships at Renault and Ferrari in an illustrious career that began in the early 1990s and has marked him as one of the greatest technical mind in Formula 1.
Mercedes has endured a challenging couple of seasons, having secured just one victory in that period as they have been comfortably outperformed by rivals and reigning world champions Red Bull.
F1 has brought me a lot of good fortune, but none greater than answering Toto’s call to join Mercedes in 2017. It is a great privilege to continue this adventure, working alongside brilliant colleagues and fighting together for championship success.
Allison on the news.
I am thrilled that James has committed his long-term future to the team. Put simply, he is the most impressive technical leader in our sport. His gladiator spirit, along with his knowledge, experience, and determination, make him second-to-none. His influence and impact, however, goes so much further than that. Since joining in 2017, he has been a key ally and sparring partner for me personally. We can challenge each other openly and honestly; an embodiment of the ‘tough love’ culture of the team that is vital in helping us all perform at our very best. Most importantly though, James is a true friend you can rely on, not only in times of success but in difficult moments too. It has been a pleasure to work with him over the past seven years and I look forward to doing so for many more to come.
Haas have announced that they will be showing their 2024 car this week!
After a winter overhaul, at the outfit that’s seen Team Principal Guenther Steiner replaced by Ayao Komatsu and Technical Director Simone Resta also departs. The new VF-24 is set to be presented in digital form on February 2nd – sticking to Haas’s usual pre-season approach.
Schedule for 14:00 UK time, it will slot in as the second F1 launch of any kind so far this year, following on from McLaren’s livery reveal earlier this month.
Hass’s car will break cover during a shakedown at Silverstone on February 11th, before another run in Bahrain ahead of pre-season testing at the same Sakhir venue from February 21st-23rd.
It means all 10 teams have now confirmed when their new machines will be seen for the first time – the opening two weeks of February crammed with launch events.
McLaren have become the first Formula 1 team to unveil their 2024 look by revealing their livery for the upcoming season.
The 2024 challenger will be named the MCL38 and is due to break cover on February 14th, when the team complete a shakedown at Silverstone. It will then head to Bahrain for pre-season testing, which begins on February 21st.
It features more papaya, which has been a staple of the colour scheme since 2018 in referring to their early cars, compared to last year’s livery. Anthracite is the other dominant colour – along with hints of chrome, the latter being a colour used more extensively by the team from 2006 to 2014.
The British team will run an unchanged line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with Team Principal Andrea Stella set for his second season in charge. He’s been joined by respected ex-Red Bull technical wizard, Rob Marshall and former Ferrari aerodynamic David Sanchez, the duo starting work on January 2nd.
We’re delighted to launch our 2024 Formula 1 livery ahead of the new season. The design looks awesome, and I can’t wait to go racing and see it come to life on track next month. We didn’t start 2023 as we wanted but Andrea and the team did a great job following the organisational restructure coming into action, and the hard work continues as we carry that excellent momentum into the 2024 campaign. I’m confident the exciting pairing of Lando and Oscar will continue to create more mega memories together after such an impressive second half of last year, which saw the team finish fourth in the championship with 302 points. These are all steps forward from the year before as we continue our mission to push and compete at the front of the grid.
Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.
After a busy and productive off season, we head into 2024 with our sights set on continuing our journey towards the front of the grid. Last year allowed the team to set a strong foundation for the future through continued hard work, commitment, effort and talent. With our new infrastructure upgrades and people in place, we must continue to elevate our standards and incorporate high performance in everything we do. The 2024 livery looks great and I’m looking forward to seeing our exciting driver line-up of Lando and Oscar take the MCL38 to track next month.
Stella adding to the news.
I’m looking forward to the new season ahead, it will be my sixth in Formula 1 and I’m hoping to carry the momentum we gained as a team at the end of last season to hit the ground running in Bahrain. The new livery looks great with the inclusion of segments from last year’s enhancements, I’m sure the fans will love it as much as me. Everyone at the factory has worked incredibly hard in the off season, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the 2024 car to challenge our competitors towards the front of the grid.
Norris on the livery.
The 2024 livery looks really cool and I’m looking forward to racing in the iconic colours of McLaren for a second season. I made some special memories with the team in my rookie year, securing two podiums and a Sprint win. I‘m going to work hard alongside the whole team to take those results into the start of the new season and compete well with our competitors to give the fans more memorable moments.
Reigning world champions Red Bull, have followed swiftly in the footsteps of Mercedes and Alpine by confirming the launch date for their 2024 challenger.
Red Bull are preparing for their 20th season in Formula 1, having debuted back in 2005, and will show off their car on February 15th.
Following F1’s move to ground effect regulations in 2022, Red Bull have dominated proceedings to rack up drivers’ and constructors’ titles for the last two seasons. It was a particularly commanding display from the Milton Keynes quad last year, who won 21 out of 22 races, with Max taking 19 of them.
Verstappen will be pushing to make it four drivers’ crowns on the bounce in 2024, having also claimed the 2021 title after a fierce battle with Mercedes rival, Lewis Hamillton. Whilst his teammate Sergio Perez is looking to build on a personal best P2 in the standings.
Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal and also owns one-third of the team, will remain in his role until at least the first year of F1’s next big rule change.
Wolff, INEOS and Mercedes-Benz said the trio decided “let’s do it again” as they plot a way back to the summit of the sport.
The Austrian has held the team principal role in addition to shareholding at Mercedes since joining from Williams in 2013, which led them to a record eight successive Constructors’ Championships from 2014 to 2021.
There was some speculation over Wolff’s future in the day-to-day team boss role at Mercedes, but the 52 year old feels he remains the best person for the job.
Mercedes this year are looking to build on respective P3 and P2 finishes in the 2022 and 2023 constructors’ standings.
I think the most important thing between the three of us is that we trust each other. At the end of the day, as a shareholder myself, I want the best return on investment. And the best return on investment is winning. I’m not going to try to hang on to a position that I think somebody is going to do better than me. I make sure that I have people around who can tell me otherwise. In the end the three of us decided: ‘Let’s do it again’. I’m part of this team in various functions. I’m a co-shareholder. I’m on the board. These are things which will not change whatever executive, or non-executive, role I have. But I feel good. The risk for me is always more bore-out than burnout. And that’s why I embrace the challenges we have today, even though they sometimes feel very, very difficult to manage.
Mercedes and Alpine are the latest teams to confirm their launch plans ahead of the 2024 season, meaning more than half of the F1 grid have done so.
Slotting in a couple of days after the Williams and Sauber outfits, Alpine will stage what they have described as a ‘motorsports season launch’ for their F1 and World Endurance Championship operations on February 7th.
Alpine, finished the 2023 season sixth overall, falling down two places since the 2022 season. The team will add to their F1 programme with an assault on the hypercar class of WEC – with Mick Schumacher having being signed as one of their drivers.
One week later, and coming just after Aston Martin and Ferrari, the Mercedes W15 is set to break cover on February 14th via a digital launch event broadcast live from Silverstone.
It is a car the Silver Arrows hope will bring them back into contention after their run of eight successive constructors’ titles came to an end in 2022, with only just one race victory recovered over the last two campaigns.
Guenther Steiner has left his role as Team Principal of Haas F1 Team, with Director of Engineering Ayao Komatsu stepping up to replace him.
Steiner has led the team since the American squad entered F1 in 2016. The Italian was F1’s third longest-serving team principal, behind Red Bull’s Christian Horner and Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, and a popular figure in the sport.
The team enjoyed genuine highs while under Steiner’s guidance, including points on debut in Australia in 2016, a maiden pole position in Brazil last year and a fifth placed finish in the constructors’ championship in 2018.
However, when there is highs, there is lows… Last year was tough for the Haas team, the finished last in the constructors’ championship, a drop of two places on the previous season, as they struggled to transform one-lap pace in qualifying into points-scoring race pace on Sunday.
After discussions between Steiner and owner Gene Haas over the winter, it was decided that Steiner would leave the team with immediate effect.
His replacement Komatsu, 47, has worked with Haas since they debuted in F1 in 2016, starting out as Chief Race Engineer and rising to Director of Engineering.
He has over 20 years of experience in Formula 1, working across engineering and management roles with British American Racing, plus a long stint at Renault before he joined Haas.
Haas say Komatsu will take responsibility for the team’s overall strategy, and ultimately on track performance with a brief to maximise the team’s potential through employee empowerment and structural process and efficiency.
With Komatsu focused on the on-track performance, Haas plan to recruit a European-based Chief Operating Officer who will look after all non-competition matters and departments, including areas such as HR, admin, finance, marketing and communications.
I’d like to start by extending my thanks to Guenther Steiner for all his hard work over the past decade and I wish him well for the future. Moving forward as an organization, it was clear we need to improve our on-track performances. In appointing Ayao Komatsu as Team Principal we fundamentally have engineering at the heart of our management. We have had some successes, but we need to be consistent in delivering results that help us reach our wider goals as an organization. We need to be efficient with the resources we have but improving our design and engineering capability is key to our success as a team. I’m looking forward to working with Ayao and fundamentally ensuring that we maximize our potential – this truly reflects my desire to compete properly in Formula 1.
Gene Haas, Owner.
I’m naturally very excited to have the opportunity to be Team Principal at Haas. Having been with the team since its track-debut back in 2016 I’m obviously passionately invested in its success in Formula 1. I’m looking forward to leading our program and the various competitive operations internally to ensure we can build a structure that produces improved on-track performances. We are a results-based business at the end of the day, and we obviously haven’t been competitive enough recently which has been a source of frustration. We have amazing support from Gene and our various partners – particularly MoneyGram, and we want to mirror their enthusiasm with an improved on-track product. We have a great team of people across Kannapolis, Banbury and Maranello and together I know we can reach the kind of performances we’re capable of.
Williams have announced that Mercedes-Benz will remain as their power unit supplier from the 2026 Formula 1 season onwards.
Mercedes started supplying Williams with engines in 2014, when the turbo-hybrid got underway, and the new deal means the partnership will extend into the 2026 technical regulation changes.
F1’s future power units will exclusively use 100% sustainable fuel, reducing overall consumption, while their electrical systems will be upgraded to achieve higher performance.
Williams’ Team Principal, James Vowles spent more than a decade at Mercedes and will have an impressive knowledge of the work Mercedes HPP do at Brixworth to create such a successful power unit.
For Mercedes it makes sense as they have enjoyed a long relationship which helps them to gather data to develop the new generation of power units, also it’s about maintaining the relationship for Mercedes to potentially run one of their juniors with Williams in the future, as they did with George Russell.
We have enjoyed a long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz, and we are thrilled to extend this collaboration into the next era of Formula 1. The expertise, support and technology that Mercedes brings to the table align perfectly with our team’s aspirations in the medium and long term. This long-term agreement with Mercedes is a positive step and forms part of our objectives for the future, whilst we will still retain our design and manufacturing expertise and capabilities in-house.
James Vowles on the news.
We are delighted to confirm Williams Racing as the second customer team that we will supply for the 2026 power unit regulations. Today’s news highlights the strength of the Mercedes-Benz offering in F1 and importantly not only validates, but reinforces, our overall motorsport strategy. Since 2014, we have continued to build and develop our relationship with Williams. As the team continues to put the foundations in place to challenge at the front of the grid, we look forward to supporting them with our power unit supply
Tim Maylon has been confirmed as the new FIA’s Sporting Director within the Single-Seater department, replacing Steve Nielsen.
In his new role, Maylon will oversee all sporting matters, including Race Direction and the Remote Operations Centre (ROC) in Geneva. He will report to Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s Single-Seater Director. Under Maylon’s direction, Niels Wittich will continue in the role of Race Director.
The Canadian has had a distinguished career within motorsport, which includes a 12 year period with Red Bull Racing, whom he joined when the team was previously Jaguar Racing. He helped contribute to Red Bull’s four constructors’ and drivers’ title from 2010 – 2013 as he worked in various engineering roles.
He went on to work for Sauber Motorsport in 2015, becoming their Head of Track Engineering, before joining BMW Motorsport as a Chief Engineer for its DTM programme in 2016. Following two successful years, and one championship, Maylon would then take the roles of both Track Engineering Department Leader and Chief Engineer for BMW’s Formula E team.
In 2019, he went on to join the FIA as Head of Research and was then appointed to the position of Safety Director in 2021. He also had a key role in the establishment of the ROC and has performed the operational duties of ROC Project Leader since May 2022.
I am delighted to be taking on the role of Sporting Director. We have already brought significant change to our Race Direction operation with the support of the ROC and I look forward to taking that to the next level. We are also committed to a broad regulatory review of sporting matters, and I look forward to applying a sharper focus to those efforts in the future.
Maylon on the news.
I am excited to welcome Tim to the role of Single-Seater Sporting Director. Tim has a wealth of motorsport experience and expertise at the highest level. He will play a major role as we continue to bring rigour to our sporting and regulatory practices and procedures, and he will drive the innovation we have brought to our Race Control operation. Tim has been pivotal in creating a strong synergy between Race Control and the ROC with the introduction of new technology including artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art data analysis and processing systems. He will continue to oversee advances in that area as well as taking the lead on the evolution of FIA sporting regulations.
Sporting Director, Tombazis.
With Maylon stepping in as the new Sporting Director, the FIA have confirmed that his predecessor Nielsen will be leaving the organisation at the end of January.
I’d like to thank the FIA for the opportunity to work on the regulatory side of the sport, which has been a fantastic experience for me over the past year. The FIA team working in Formula 1 are a hugely passionate, dedicated group of people who work incredibly hard to achieve the best outcomes for the sport, and I am sure that the positive work that we have done together already will continue into the future.
Nielsen on the news.
It has also been confirmed that Tim Gloss will leave his position as Technical Director at the FIA to take up a position outside of the federation.
It’s been an honour to work as Technical Director at the FIA and to help shape the future of the sport. I take immense pride and satisfaction from the numerous achievements of the Technical Department during my stint at the FIA. The department boasts a number of highly-talented individuals and I believe the organisation is on a firm footing in terms of technical expertise for the tasks which lie ahead – particularly the introduction of the 2026 regulations. I leave with fond memories of my time with the FIA.
Aston Martin have become the fourth team to confirm their 2024 car launch plans, with the new AMR24 set to be revealed on February 12th.
It follows on from announcements that Williams and Sauber will kick off their seasons on February 5th, and Ferrari on February 13th a day after Aston Martin.
Aston Martin were one of the surprises of the 2023 campaign as a busy winter of development saw them initially emerge as Red Bull’s nearest challengers.
While that strong start did fade throughout the season, the team and new signing Fernando Alonso ended the year with eight podium finishes, as well as rising from seventh to fifth in the constructors’ standings.
As per the rest of the F1 grid, the Silverstone based team will field an unchanged driver line-up in 2024 as Alonso continues alongside Lance Stroll, who is set for his fourth season in green.
Alonso recently commented that Aston Martin had opportunities to win races in 2023 and set a series of targets for the AMR24, including improved top speed, a wider operating window and more consistency.
The Sauber-run Formula 1 team that previously operated as Alfa Romeo has officially launched its new identity ahead of the 2024 F1 season, now known as Stake F1 Team.
Betting, entertainment and lifestyle brand Stake has stepped up its involvement after joining the then Alfa Romeo-branded team as a title sponsor in 2023. Stake will now be the squad’s official name for two years before it transitions to Audi in 2026.
Audi is in the process of taking over what’s now Stake, before entering F1 as a manufacturer in 2026 with its own team and engine. It bought a minority stake in the team at the start of 2023 and is set to increase that to 50% and then 75% over the next year or so.
But while Audi gears up for 2026 and Sauber’s existing Ferrari engine deal runs till the end of 2025, Sauber has struck new naming rights deals for the intervening years.
It has run under the Alfa Romeo name for the last few seasons, initially just in title sponsorship form in 2018 before selling the team and chassis name to the Italian manufacturer from 2019 through to the end of 2023.
The end of the Alfa Romeo deal could have led to a revival of the Sauber name, which the team ran under until its BMW takeover in 2006 and then again after BMW’s exit from 2010 until the Alfa tie-up.
Williams and Sauber will launch their respective 2024 Formula 1 campaigns on February 5th.
Williams did not reveal many details about their launch plans, as they look on to build a superb seventh-place finish in the constructors’ championship this season.
The British team have been working on their car for a significant amount of time, having shifted all of their resources to 2024 after race eight in Canada.
Sauber, who will be known as Stake F1 Team from 2024, also didn’t reveal much in details. However, the Swiss team did reveal they will hold an early evening event that will take place in London for the first time.
The London launch will be the first chance to see their new team identity in the flesh, with the team saying it will delivery the wow factor to our sport.
Williams and Sauber are the second and third teams respectively to send out a save the date for their season launch, after Ferrari got in first when they pencilled in February 13th.
Ferrari will unveil their Formula 1 car that they hope can help them challenge world champions Red Bull in 2024 on Tuesday, February 13th.
The Italian team are the first to reveal their 2024 launch date, but they have chosen not to release any specific details about their launch plans.
The launch is set to take place eight days before the start of pre-season testing, which runs across three days in Bahrain from February 21st to 23rd.
Team Principal, Fred Vasseur says Ferrari are changing 95% of the components of the car, which finished third in the constructors’ championship behind Red Bull and Mercedes.
The 2024 season will be Vasseur’s second season at the helm of the Prancing Horse, and the third car built in Maranello to sweeping new regulation introduced in 2022.
Ferrari, field Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz for a fourth straight season. Both drivers are out of contract at the end of the season, with supposed talks ongoing with both parties regarding an extension into 2025 and beyond.
Alpine have announced that they will be mutually parting ways with Director of Racing Expansion Projects, Davide Brivio at the end of the year, allowing the Italian “to pursue other career opportunities”.
Brivio joined Alpine as Racing Director ahead of the 2021 season, having carved a name for himself in the motorcycle world with stints as Team Manager of Yamaha in World Superbike and MotoGP as well as Suzuki in MotoGP.
Since then, he took on a role working as Director of Racing Expansion Projects, which included managing the team’s young driver programme, the Alpine Academy.
Interim Sporting Director, Julian Rouse will continue to oversee the Alpine Academy programme, which currently features nine drivers of eight nationalities, spanning four different series from Formula 2 to European karting.
Brivio’s exit follows on from a host of mid season changes at Alpine, including Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and Sporting Director Alan Permane both leaving after the Belgian Grand Prix.
Firstly, we would like to thank Davide for his hard work and commitment over the last three seasons. His experience in motorsports has been extremely valuable, especially in the development and progression of the Alpine Academy. Davide’s wish is to leave Alpine to pursue other opportunities and we have accepted his desire by mutually agreeing to part ways. We extend our best wishes to him in his next chapter of an already impressive career in motorsports.
Bruno Famin, VP Motorsports Alpine Racing.
It has been a proud chapter in my motorsport career to be involved in Formula 1 with Alpine. I would like to thank Alpine for the opportunity to experience Formula 1 which was my desire and also for the chance to pass on some of my experience in motorsport onto its young drivers in the Alpine Academy. I wish the team and the Academy the best in the future and I’m sure we will see many young drivers go on to achieve fantastic things in their careers. To play a small part in some of that success will certainly be something I will cherish. I am grateful to Alpine for accommodating my wish to pursue other opportunities which may (and I hope that they will) arise in the future.
Formula 1 has announced the six venues that will host F1 Sprint events during the 2024 season.
F1’s Sprint Calendar is designed to feature circuits which encourage overtaking and make for closer and entertaining racing.
Since its introduction in 2021, the Sprint format has had a positive impact on audience figures, especially on a Friday compared to the normal regular practice sessions, and has also provided promoters and fans with extra competitive on-track action at the six events.
Brazil is set to host its fourth Sprint weekend, with Austria to host its third, Austin and Qatar return for a second year and China and Miami join the line-up for the first time.
During discussions at the F1 Commission meeting in November, there was overall support for an update to the Sprint Format for 2024 to further rationalise the weekend by separating Sprint activities from those for the Grand Prix.
The Sporting Advisory Committee will work through specific details, particularly regarding timing and parc ferme regulations, for a final proposal to be presented to the F1 Commission for the first meeting of 2024. Following that meeting, any potential changes to the Sprint format will be announced.
I am delighted to announce six exciting venues for next season’s F1 Sprint events, including two new hosts China and Miami, both of which will be fantastic additions and provide great racing for all our fans at the race and watching at home. Since its creation in 2021, the Sprint has been consistent in delivering increased audiences on TV, more on track entertainment for the fans at events and increased fan engagement on social and digital platforms, and we are looking forward to the exciting events next year.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.
I’m pleased to confirm the six Sprint events for next season and am looking forward to the return of four host venues that have provided some thrilling action in the Sprints this year. The addition of Shanghai will be a challenge for the teams and drivers as Formula 1 heads back to China for the first time since 2019, while a Sprint in Miami will add a new dimension to an enthralling weekend. We must continuously develop and adapt to ensure we are doing what is best for the sport, and as such we are working with FOM and the teams to define the future direction of the Sprint format.
Logan Sargeant will keep his spot at Williams in 2024, the Grove outfit have announced, with the American driver earning an extension following his rookie season.
Sargeant stepped up to F1 as a race winner in Formula 4, Formula 3 and Formula 2, where he placed fourth in the 2022 standings behind Red-Bull backed Liam Lawson, Sauber’s Theo Pourchaire and Aston Martin reserve, Felipe Drugovich.
While his first campaign in the top echelon brought several incidents and plenty of scrutiny, the 22 year old made gains as the year went by, this was enough that Williams ultimately decided to keep faith and retain him alongside the already-confirmed Alex Albon.
Sargeant claimed one point over the course of the 2023 season, combined with the 27 points scored by team mate Albon, was enough for Williams to rise from the bottom of the F1 Constructors’ standings to seventh position.
Williams confirmation stated that Sargeant had “demonstrated the fundamental speed required to perform at the highest level, building on these foundations race by race”.
I am thrilled to be continuing with Williams Racing for the 2024 season. It has been an incredible journey with the team so far, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue developing as a driver within such a talented and dedicated group. We have exciting plans for the future, and I can’t wait to contribute to the team’s success in the coming year.
Sargeant on the news.
I am pleased to continue our journey with Logan into the 2024 season. Logan has demonstrated immense skill whilst under the pressure of the world stage, making him a perfect fit for our team. We have great confidence in his abilities and believe that together we can achieve even greater success in the upcoming season.
McLaren has announced that Stephanie Carlin is to join the team as it’s Formula 1 Business Operations Director next year.
Carlin who was team principal of Rodin Carlin’s Formula 3 and F1 Academy Teams as well as fulfilling a similar role at Team X44 in Extreme E, will oversee a range of activities in support of McLaren’s F1 operations.
Her position will also include involvement in McLaren’s participation in the 2024 F1 Academy season. She starts in January will report directly to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.
Carlin is very well known within international motor racing circles, having operated across many different championship’s before moving into a senior management role.
Having originally worked in press and marketing, in 2011 she became commercial manager at Carlin, which was run by husband Trevor. The in May 2022, she stepped up to the overall deputy team principal role, and took specific responsibility for running the squad’s efforts in multiple series’.
Throughout last year, the team participated in British F4, FIA F3 and FIA F2, along with British GB3 and raced in F1 Academy and Spanish F4 for the first time.
Carlin is one of the most successful racing teams outside of F1, having claimed over 470 race victories and 30 titles since 1999 across F4, F3, F2, Indy Lights, IndyCar, ELMS and Asian Le Mans Series. Not only this, but the team has helped promote more than 30 drivers to F1.
McLaren have opted for continuity and stability by extending their deal to run Mercedes power units until 2030.
The British team have run Mercedes power since 2021 and previously between 1995 and 2014 – and already had an arrangement that run until 2025.
However, with new power unit regulations – with an enhanced focus on electrical power looming in 2026, McLaren and Mercedes have moved to get a deal done quickly.
After returning to Mercedes following a disappointing partnership with Honda, followed by three seasons of Renault power, McLaren have since won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix – the most recent win for any customer team in F1.
They have also had 15 podiums in that period, plus pole at the F1 Sprint in Brazil and pole and a victory in the F1 Sprint in Qatar earlier this year – and they have emerged as the second-fastest team on pure pace behind Red Bull in the second half of this season.
Mercedes-Benz have been a brilliant and reliable partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team. The extension signifies the confidence that our shareholders and the wider team have in their powertrains and the direction we’re taking with them into the new era of regulations ahead. We have been successful together, both in the last three seasons and when they previously powered the team, so we look forward to the success to come as we continue our journey to fight consistently at the front of the grid.
Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.
We are pleased to confirm a long-term renewal of our power unit deal with Mercedes-Benz into the new era of regulations. We have great confidence in Mercedes and our relationship with them. They’ve supported our journey back to the front of the grid so far, and the security and stability this partnership brings is vital in ensuring we remain on this upward trajectory. I would like to thank them for their collaboration so far and we look forward to the years to come.
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal.
It has been a cornerstone of our motorsport strategy to work with strong customer teams. This has many advantages. It gives a clear competitive benchmark, accelerates our technical learning, and strengthens the overall F1 business case for Mercedes-Benz. McLaren have been fierce and fair competitors since 2021, especially in the second half of this season. McLaren’s strong performances underline the importance of transparent and equal supply to all customer teams in the sport, if we wish to achieve the goal of 10 teams capable of fighting for podium finishes.
Mexican driver, Pato O’Ward has earned a promotion to McLaren’s reserve driver pool for the 2024 season, dovetailing the role with his driving duties for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar.
O’Ward has steadily been increasing his experience with F1 machinery, taking part in several development tests in the MCL35M as well as driving in the 2021 young driver test in Abu Dhabi and FP1 at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
After finishing fourth in this year’s IndyCar championship with seven podiums, he accrued enough points to qualify for a Super Licence that paved the way for him to step up into the reserve role for McLaren.
The 24 year old, who first joined the McLaren Racing family in 2020, will join Le Mans 24 Hours winner Ryo Hirakawa in the papaya team’s reserve pool for 2024. They will be available to step in if regular race drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are unable to drive.
The McLaren Formula 1 team are pleased to welcome Pato O’Ward to our pool of reserve drivers for the 2024 season. Pato had an impressive season in the NTT IndyCar Series and has performed well in his Driver Development tests, so it felt natural to take this next step now he’s been granted an FIA Super Licence. With the expansive calendar, it’s prudent to ensure we have a wide pool of drivers that we can call upon if required. We look forward to seeing him progress in this new role.
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal.
Pumped to take on this new role within the McLaren Racing family. I’ve spent a lot of time with the F1 team having driven previously in free practice and taken part in a few tests. I’ve always said it’s never a bad day when you get to jump into an F1 car, so I look forward to joining the reserve driver pool for next year alongside my driving duties with Arrow McLaren. Thank you to Andrea and Zak for this great opportunity.
Mick Schumacher has announced he will be racing for Alpine in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) next season – his first foray into racing outside of single seaters.
Schumacher has been serving as Mercedes’ reserve driver during the 2023 campaign, having lost his place on the F1 grid after two seasons with the Haas team in 2021 and 2022.
With Williams the only outfit year to confirm their full line-up for 2024, Schumacher has been weighing up his options outside F1, which included a recent test at the wheel of the A424 hypercar Alpine have been preparing.
Having impressed the team, the 24 year old German has been named as part of Alpine’s line-up, which also includes French racers, Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Charles Milesi amd Paul-Loup Chatin, and Austrian Ferdinand Habsburg.
Following Alpine’s announcement, Mercedes confirmed that Schumacher will continue as their F1 reserve driver for 2024, providing support to regular racers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in a combined programme.
A new chapter is beginning for me with Alpine in the FIA WEC hypercar category. The car is impressive, and I can’t wait to get started. I’ve grown up with single-seaters, so driving a car with a closed cockpit and covered wheels is a great opportunity to hone my driving skills. I sorely missed racing this year; it’s what I’ve loved to do since I was a kid, and it was sometimes difficult to watch the other drivers take to the track. Endurance racing is a new challenge for me, and I’m sure we will share great moments together next year with Alpine.
Schumacher on the news.
With [Team Principal] Philippe Sinault, we wanted drivers who are not only fast and reliable, but also showing a real team spirit and good racing acumen to best represent the Alpine colours in the premier category of the World Endurance Championship. It might be [Schumacher’s] first foray into endurance, but his enthusiasm for the project and his will to join us are palpable. I’m sure he will be a real asset.
The 2023 season is officially over which means Round 23 is done! Let’s take a look at how it went in Abu Dhabi…
Max Verstappen once again converted pole position to victory, where he made it win number 19 of the season. Charles Leclerc grabbed P2 and George Russell P3, after Sergio Perez had a five second time penalty due to a clash with Lando Norris which promoted both drivers up a spot.
The full top 10 is: P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Russell, P4: Perez, P5: Norris, P6: Piastri, P7: Alonso, P8: Tsunoda, P9: Hamilton and P10: Stroll.
A great result for Red Bull, having Max win the final race of the season, ideally they would have wanted Perez on the podium too but with the penalty looming over his head they probably knew they weren’t going to get there.
Leclerc, the only Ferrari in the points, unfortunately it wasn’t enough to beat Mercedes to P2 in the Constructors. Carlos Sainz ended up finishing in 18th due to the alternative strategy which caused him to do a late pit stop which ruined his chance of points.
Overall a strong result for McLaren, a double points finish! I still find it crazy to see that they ended P4 in the Constructors after a shocking start at the beginning of this season, but it makes you think, what can they do next season with a car which is great from the start…
Points for Tsunoda, but it wasn’t enough to grab P7 in the Constructors, they were only 4 more points away and they would’ve been successful.
Alonso came out on top for the fight for P4 in the Driver Standings with 206 points, Leclerc finished P5 with 206 points but Alonso just ahead with higher finishes. Norris in 6th on 205 points and Sainz 7th with 200 points.
Now we have a bit of a wait till the next race… It’s only 97 days away until the new season starts and we have cars back on track!
The last qualifying session of the season is done with a few drivers out of place, so let’s take a look at how it went down!
Max Verstappen claimed another pole position, with Charles Leclerc claiming P2 and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top three.
The full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Piastri, P4: Russell, P5: Norris, P6: Tsunoda, P7: Alonso, P8: Hulkenberg, P9: Perez and P10: Gasly.
The only team which had both drivers do well i’d say is McLaren both in the top 5, where as Ferrari and Mercedes one driver is outside the top 10 and the other driver inside the top 10.
Piastriiii, what a result from the Australian driver, a nice way to end the season for him and the team, he will be hoping to grab a podium in the race, and help McLaren in their fight for P4 in the Constructors standings with Aston Martin.
A lovely result from Leclerc and Russell, just what the teams would want from them, however with both their teammates starting outside the top 10 they have a lot of work to do, and will be wanting to score as many points as available. Hamilton starts 11th and Sainz 16th.
A really good result from Tsunoda, P6! That equals his best qualifying result in his F1 career. The team will be wanting him to secure points so that they get that P7 in the constructors.
Nicoooo Hulkenbergggg! A lovely little P8 from the Haas driver, he will have high hopes to score points so Haas don’t finish the season at the bottom of the Constructors.
A bit of a rough one from Aston Martin, P7 for Alonso which isn’t too bad, but Lance Stroll 13th, quite a bit of work to do from the Canadian driver if he wants to score some decent points.
Battles to look out for-
As it’s the last race of the season, there will be a lot to look out for the fight in the constructors, so here are the main ones…
Mercedes VS Ferrari for P2
McLaren VS Aston Martin for P4
Williams VS AlphaTauri for P7
Alfa Romeo VS Haas for P9
Sainz, Alonso, Norris and Leclerc all fighting for 4th in the Driver standings.
Jak Crawford has announced that he will leave the Red Bull Junior Team in 2024, but has already secured his racing future with a second season in Formula 2.
The 18 year old became a Red Bull junior in early 2020, and that year he finished second in the ADAC Formula 4 Championship. He was Euroformula race-winner in 2021, took a first FIA Formula 3 Championship win in his second there last year then became a winner on his 13th F2 start in Austria.
He currently sits in 13th in this season’s F2 standings ahead of this weekend’s season finale, and has so far stood on the podium five times and claimed a pole position.
Crawford has been racing for HiTech Pulse-Eight this year, and has not indicated if his 2024 F2 deal is with the British outfit or a different team.
We are thankful for the Red Bull funding for four years, and honestly, we could not have done much of it without their substantial support. We were wanting to make key decisions and we let them know mid-year. After that, they didn’t pick up my fifth and final year, so we are in control now. I truly appreciate everyone at Red Bull, especially Rocky [Guillaume Rocquelin]. I really enjoyed the last two years with him at the factory. Everyone has a different path, but mine has been to be moved up fast and to a different team every year. In two years, I will be only 20 years old, so we are going to slow it down and work a more thoughtful plan. That is all I can say about our plans at this point in time. Again, I am grateful for Red Bull for four years of support.
Crawford in a statement issued by the Sunday Group Management firm.
Jordan's Track Talk 