Jordan's Track Talk

Category: Formula One

  • Haas retain Magnussen & Hulkenberg for 2024

    Haas have opted for continuity next season, as they have announced that Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen will continue to race for them for a second successive season in 2024.

    Hulkenberg has been impressive on his full-time racing return to Formula 1 this season, the German driver had reached Q3 six times in 12 races and scoring the team’s best finish of seventh in the Australian Grand Prix.

    Magnussen has scored two of the team’s three points finishes – a brace of 10th places in Saudi Arabia and Miami – in his sixth season with Haas.

    Between the two drivers, they have 346 Grand Prix starts, and it is that experience Haas will hope can help take the team to the next level.
    The American team currently sit eighth in the constructors’ championship, the same position they ended in 2022 season.

    I think it’s safe to say that we’ve had an extremely solid driver pairing this season in Formula 1 and ultimately there was no reason to look to change that moving forward. Kevin is obviously a very well-known quantity to us, and I’m delighted he’ll return for what will be his seventh season in Haas colours. With 113 starts for our team alone, we know where his strengths lie and his knowledge and experience of our organisation pairs very well with that too.On the other side of the garage, Nico’s simply slotted in without fuss or fanfare and proved himself to be a valuable member of the team. He’s approaching 200 starts in Formula 1 and we’re very happy to be the beneficiary of that experience behind the wheel. We’ve had to tackle our issues this season with regards to the VF-23, we don’t hide from that, but we’ve been extremely fortunate to have had two drivers whose feedback is invaluable in assisting our engineering objectives. Kevin and Nico gelled well right from the get-go and together they’ve both scored points, and in particular, Nico has excelled in qualifying – getting into Q3 on six occasions. In turn, now it’s down to us as a team to look ahead to 2024 and ensure we have a car that’s capable of scoring points consistently.

    Team Principal, Guenther Steiner.

    I’m obviously very happy to see my relationship with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team extended once again. My return in 2022 had been unexpected but was filled with numerous highlights, and although this season hasn’t gone quite as we’d hoped, we’ve still managed to get into the points and shown potential in the package we have. There’s plenty of racing remaining in 2023 and we’ve got a lot of work to do to continue to understand the VF-23 – that learning can be applied into the 2024 car. My thanks, as always, go to Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner for giving me the opportunity to keep racing in the sport I love.

    Magnussen on the news.

    It’s nice to get things sorted early for next season to just keep the focus on racing and improving performance. I enjoy being part of the team and share Gene and Guenther’s passion for it. We’re competing in a very tight midfield and I’m looking forward to building on what we’ve done together so far and taking that forward into 2024.

    Hulkenberg added.

  • Zandvoort Tyre Selection

    We are back racing this week and we head to Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix and the tyres have been selected!

    The chosen compounds are: C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium) and C3 (Soft). This is the same choice as the last two years (since it returned) with the difference being that the current C1 compound is softer than its predecessors.

    There has been 32 Formula 1 Grands Prix held at Zandvoort since 1952, with F1 returning to the track in 2021 after a 35 year absence.
    With the most successful team at the track being Ferrari with eight wins while the driver with the most is Jim Clark with four.

    Most drivers made three pit stops last year. On paper, the best and fastest strategy is a two-stopper, but it’s possible to stop just once with careful tyre management.

    Overtaking is quite tricky because of the narrow track and constant sequence of corners. This makes qualifying even more important in terms of the end result.

    The second half of the season gets underway with a unique race. The Dutch Grand Prix takes place in Zandvoort: one of the most traditionally demanding tracks on the calendar that returned to the Formula 1 schedule three years ago on the wave of all the local support for Max Verstappen, who repaid his fans amply with a pair of victories from the last two races. It’s a very twisty track with two banked corners – Turn 3 and Turn 14 – that are steeper than Indianapolis, by way of comparison. On corners like this the stress on the tyres is greater than it would be through normal corners, as the vertical forces increase with the much higher speeds due to the banking. We’ve brought the same tyres as 2022, at least as far as the names are concerned: C1, C2, and C3. However, the current C1 is actually a new compound for this year, positioned between the C2 and the previous C1, which is now called the C0. Last year, in a race that was characterised by two neutralisations, no fewer than 14 drivers – including the top three – used all three compounds, underlining the wide variety of options available to the strategists on the pit wall.

    Mario Isola – Motorsport Director.

  • Schumacher contender to replace Sargeant

    Mick Schumacher has been named as the ‘obvious contender’ for replacing Williams driver, Logan Sargeant if there is no improvement in his performances.

    Williams, currently hold seventh place in the Constructors Standings with Alex Albon accounting for all 11 points being scored this season.

    Sargeant hasn’t had the best start to his rookie season, and has failed to score points 10 races in, and struggled to match his teammates performances. This has now led to speculation of where his future lies.

    Earlier on in the season, there was speculation of a mid-season swap with Schumacher replacing Sargeant, however Williams chose to support their drivers development and provide him with an opportunity to improve his performance first.

    Schumacher, currently holds the position of Mercedes’ reserve driver, also recently testing for the team. Not only this he is also an active presence in the garage during grand prix weekends.

    With the strong partnership and share engine between Williams and Mercedes, the possibility of Schumacher taking over Sargeant’s seat for the 2024 season is certainly credible if the current conditions persist.

    Rookie Logan Sargeant has had a solid but unspectacular start to life in Formula 1, and knows he needs to up his game to stick around for another season. Williams have thrown their collective arm around the American’s shoulders and tried to keep the pressure off him in a bid to help him find a rhythm. They are backing him to succeed and earn a second campaign in blue – but he needs to not only find consistency but also close the gap to Albon, particularly in qualifying, and get himself on the scoreboard. If he doesn’t, his seat is under threat. Mick Schumacher would be an obvious contender, having briefly had talks with the team last year and having kept his hand in through his Mercedes reserve role, where he has earned public praise for his efforts from [Lewis] Hamilton and [George] Russell.

    Lawrence Barretto, F1 Correspondent in an article for Formula 1.
    Mick Schumacher of Germany, Reserve Driver of Mercedes walks in the Paddock prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami...
    Photo by Clive Mason – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

  • Domenicali request to FIA on cost cap punishment

    Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali wants the FIA to be handing out sporting sanctions, not financial ones to any team found to be in the breach of the cost cap, amidst rumours of further transgression’s.

    Last season (2022), the FIA handing out certificates of 2021 cost compliance for the 10 Formula 1 teams.
    Seven passed with flying colours, Aston Martin and Williams were called out on procedural breaches, while Red Bull were found guilty of an overspend breach and fined $7 million as well as being docked 10% of their allotted wind tunnel time.

    Should the FIA find any fresh breaches this time around in the 2022 figures, which could reportedly come to pass with three teams said to be heading for a breach, then sporting penalties, like the wind tunnel time portion of Red Bull’s punishment is the route which he wants the FIA to go down.

    The range of penalties on the sporting side available to the FIA is rather broad, including a reprimand all the way up to points deductions or a reduction in the cap ceiling for the offending team.

    And while it claimed at the time Red Bull would feel the pinch of their 10% reduction in wind tunnel time, that has certainly not yet manifested on track. But the impact is expected to show up towards the end of the season.

    If the FIA then is to set a proper deterrent for breaking the boundaries of the cap, then it seems like they made need to dig deeper into penalties to make sure that happens.

    Do you think the FIA needs to hand out sporting sanctions? Let me know!

    I would like the penalty to be sporting in case of infringement, it is something we asked for very clearly. There are three regulations to be respected: sporting, technical and financial. Any infractions must be punished with sporting measures. You can’t go in other directions. Control is in the hands of the FIA. Personally what I have asked is to anticipate as soon as possible the publication of the investigations made by the staff of the FIA.

    Domenicali talking to Autosport.

  • Vesti to make F1 debut for Mercedes

    Mercedes junior driver and F2 championship contender Frederik Vesti will take part in an official F1 session for the first time later this year, during Free Practice 1 in Mexico.

    Vesti, 21, sits second in the F2 standings – 12 points behind Sauber-backed Theo Pourchaire with three rounds remaining, having claimed four wins and seven podium finishes so far this season.

    Having made his F1 test debut with Mercedes at the end of 2022 season in Abu Dhabi, the Danish driver’s next step will be the opening 60 minute session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

    Each Formula 1 team is required to run a rookie driver in two FP1 sessions across the season, defined as a racer with less than two grand prix of experience.

    Toto Wolff believes that with Vesti impressing in Formula 2, this FP1 outing will now serve as the next key step in his progression.

    I’m incredibly proud to be doing the FP1 session in Mexico City with the team – it’s a dream come true. To think in less than two months that I’ll be doing my first official Formula 1 session with Mercedes, who have won eight consecutive constructors’ championships, is amazing. This has been my dream since I was very young and something I’ve been fighting for through my whole junior career. It’s taken a lot of hard work, and this is a very important step for me on my journey. This has been my dream since I was very young and something I’ve been fighting for through my whole junior career. It’s taken a lot of hard work, and this is a very important step for me on my journey. I want to thank Mercedes for this incredible opportunity, as well as my sponsors and manager for always believing in me. I can’t wait to be driving W14 for the first time.

    Vesti on the test.

    Fred has executed an impressive Formula 2 campaign so far this season. Driving in an FP1 session is the next step in his development and we’re looking forward to giving him that opportunity. Fred has executed an impressive Formula 2 campaign so far this season. Driving in an FP1 session is the next step in his development and we’re looking forward to giving him that opportunity.

    Mercedes team boss, Toto Wolff.

  • Changes at Alpine…

    Alpine have made some changes as team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane leave the team, whilst chief technical officer Pat Fry has left to join Formula 1 rivals, Williams.

    The exits are confirmed with the French team who currently sit sixth in the constructors’ championship after 11 rounds of the 2023 season, following successive double DNFs for both drivers at the British and Hungarian Grand Prix.

    Alpine Motorsports vice president, Bruno Famin will take over from Szafnauer as interim team principal, while Alpine academy director, Julian Rouse is named interim sporting director and technical director Matt Harman takes leadership of the “technical team”.

    Fry, the only member of the trio who appears to have chosen to exit, will be able to work at Williams in November after taking up the same role with the British team.
    He replaces, Francois-Xavier Demaison, who left Williams in December amid a shake-up that also saw James Vowles replaces Jost Capito as team principal.

    The Alpine exits come little more than a week after Laurent Rossi was replaced as brand chief executive by Philippe Krieft, amid apparent infighting at the Enstone-based team.

    Szafnauer, has paid the price for Alpine’s disappointing first half of the 2023 season, which sees them sit 134 points adrift of Ferrari, who currently hold the fourth position in which the French team finished last year.

    BWT Alpine F1 Team announces today it will part ways with Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer by mutual agreement following the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix. Otmar will continue his duties as normal for last weekend’s race in Belgium, before leaving the team ahead of the summer break. The team would like to thank Otmar for his hard work over the past 18 months and for leading the team in achieving fourth place in the 2022 Constructors’ Championship. The team wishes him the best for the future. The team can also confirm it will part ways with Sporting Director Alan Permane by mutual agreement. Alan will also continue his role last weekend in Belgium before departing ahead of the summer break. After 34 distinguished years at Enstone, the team extends its thanks to Alan and wishes him the best in his future endeavours. The team also announces that Pat Fry will leave the team to continue his career in Formula 1 elsewhere.

    A Team Statement.

  • RND 13 – Belgian Grand Prix

    The last race before summer break is officially over and we had a mid race shower with a few different strategies going on.

    Max Verstappen recovered from a five place grid penalty to claim his eighth successive victory in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix with teammate Sergio Perez adding to the celebration as he completed a one-two result.
    Charles Leclerc held on to the final podium spot, denying seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton.

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

    Lando Norris had an up and down race, as initially he lost a host of positions after starting on medium tyres and then switched to hards, but a move to softs as spits of rain began to fall proved inspired and he gobbled up the competition and eventually managed seventh.

    A clash between Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz led to both drivers retiring – the McLaren driver clipping the inside wall at La Source as he had no where to go and Carlos went into him, which led to him having damage to his sidepod.

    Aston Martin secured another double points finish, with P5 for Alonso and P9 for Stroll, I think Aston would be happy with that considering past couple of races.

    Finally a good result for Perez, a podium! And it’s about time too, the last time he was on there was back in Miami, so he will be hoping to keep this good form going after we come back after summer break.

    Mercedes, had a pretty good race, double points again and George had to work his way through the field after dropping a few positions. They go into the break on a high and will be hoping for more good results next month.

    Round 14 isn’t until 25th to 27th August where we return to the Netherlands for Max’s home race, can he make it nine in a row?

  • RND 13 – Spa Sprint

    Sprint Shootout-

    Max Verstappen was at his best again, as the Red Bull driver narrowly beat the McLaren of Oscar Piastri and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz to take pole for the Sprint Race.

    Verstappen left it late to put a time down as he took the chequered flag with four seconds to go, but he went straight to the top of the timesheet’s with a 1m 49.056s.

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

    The drivers were met with worse conditions yesterday, than the day before as the Shootout got postponed by 35 minutes. Once it got started, with each lap the times were beginning to drop as track conditions continued to improve.

    Aston Martin made a bold call during SQ2, as they put Lance Stroll on a set of medium tyres. However, the decision proved costly as Stroll ended up in the barrier at Turn 9 which saw a red flag.
    The session was unable to be restarted, Ricciardo narrowly missed out on a place in SQ3 along with the Williams duo and Aston Martin duo.

    It was good enough. Just tricky conditions, you don’t want to make big mistakes so I think the lap was okay – I just didn’t risk too much in the second sector where it was still a bit damp, and it was just enough for first so that’s good. If it’s going to be wet, dry, also if it’s wet, how you’re going to survive with the wet tyres or the intermediates. So a lot of question marks still but we’ll figure it out along the way.

    Verstappen on getting pole.

    Sprint Race-

    Red Bull’s, Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory during Saturday’s Sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix, as he claimed back the lead from McLaren rival, Oscar Piastri after the two opted for different strategies.

    Amid plenty of action at Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly made the most of the conditions to round out the podium. Lewis Hamilton was demoted from fourth to seventh after the Mercedes man clashed with Sergio Perez and picked up a penalty.

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

    With a rain theme of the weekend so far, the heavens opened up again just before the 17:05pm time scheduled start of the Sprint – officials decided to push it back by 30 minutes to allow the latest downpour to pass by.

    By the time the formation lap began on mandated full wet tyres and behind the Safety Car which became several laps.

    After a lot of near misses in the pit lane as drivers squabble for position after changing tyres to intermediates. Gasly found himself running third behind Piastri and Verstappen, with Perez up to fourth, Hamilton in fifth and Sainz rounding out the top six from Leclerc and Norris.

    As the race started to settle down, Verstappen took his chance to gain into Piastri’s lead which stood at just under two seconds after their stops.

    But on Lap 4, Fernando Alonso lost control of his Aston Martin at Pouhon and spun into the gravel which then triggered a Safety Car just before Verstappen was about to make a move on Piastri.

    Hamilton and Perez dramatically banged wheels through Blanchimont as they battled over fourth position the seven time world champion managing to work his way through around the outside of La Source a few moments later.

    I think [staying out on wets at the start] was just a safer call. I could come in first, but then I might be blocked by other cars. There might be a Safety Car and then you lose out massively. I didn’t to stay out, we lost one position, but we know that we are quick. I think you could see that when we put the inter tyres on we were flying, so it was OK!

    Verstappen on the Sprint.

  • RND 13 – Spa Qualifying

    Day one of the weekend is complete, let’s take a look at how qualifying went yesterday ahead of the Sprint today!

    Max Verstappen claimed pole position in a thrilling session, however he won’t be starting from pole due to having a five place grid penalty, which means Charles Leclerc is set to start from P1 tomorrow.

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

    A good result for both Ferrari’s, Charles starting P1 and Carlos P4, they haven’t had the best result recently so they will be wanting to capitalise on other’s misfortune during the race.

    Finally a good result from Perez where he starts in the top 3! With his teammate starting 6th, Perez will be relied on to take the lead at the start, will he be able to do it? Or will Max breeze his way through the field again?

    A great result from Piastri, out-qualifying Norris, and starting 5th on the grid. So far the rookie is having a great season, from being towards the back of the grid, to scoring big points almost every weekend as well as showing off his skills we all know he has. The Aussie will be hoping to get his first podium this season.

    Alpine is still having a rough time at the moment, they would of been hoping for a clean weekend, but that disappeared when Ocon damaged his front wing after crashing into the barrier at Turn 9.

  • Belgian Grand Prix

    The final race before the summer break is here, and we are headed to Spa-Francorchamps for Round 13, which also involves another Sprint race!

    What can Red Bull do this weekend? Will they manage a clean sweep from Qualifying to the Sprint Shootout and Sprint to the Grand Prix on Sunday? It will be an interesting one!

    Could anyone stop Red Bull this weekend? Say the likes of McLaren? Or maybe Mercedes? With the Sprint in action aswell this gives the teams more of a possibility to get things right!

    Who needs to shine?

    Aston Martin, they’ve had a rough time at the moment, last time out in Hungary and only Alonso scored at Silverstone, so they will want a strong weekend but they now have McLaren and Mercedes to fight rather than just the one team.

    Alpine, another rubbish weekend last weekend with a double DNF. The team will be hoping that because there is a sprint this weekend they have more of an opportunity to score points, as McLaren has built up a big gap.

    Logan Sargeant, has had quite good form at the moment, and was having a good race last week until he had to retire in the pit, so he will be hoping to have another good weekend, maybe he will score some points?

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 28th-

    • Free Practice F3- 08:55am – 09:40am (BST)
    • Free Practice F2- 10:05am – 10:50am
    • Free Practice 1 F1- 12:30pm – 13:30pm
    • Qualifying F3- 14:00pm – 14:30pm
    • Qualifying F2- 14:55pm – 15:25pm
    • Qualifying F1- 16:00pm – 17:00pm

    Saturday 29th-

    • Sprint Race F3- 09:00am – 09:45am
    • Sprint Shootout F1- 11:00am – 11:44am
    • Sprint Race F2- 12:45pm – 13:30pm
    • Sprint F1- 15:30pm – 16:30pm

    Sunday 30th-

    • Feature Race F3- 07:30am
    • Feature Race F2- 09:00am
    • F1 Race- 14:00pm

  • Spa Tyre Selection

    The tyres have been chosen for the final race before summer break and we head to Spa-Francorchamps for Round 13.

    The selected tyres are- C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium) and C4 (Soft), the same as the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix.

    Along with Silverstone and Suzuka, Spa-Francorchamps is a circuit where tyres are subjected to considerable forces.
    With the most challenging part is the compression at Eau Rouge followed by the climb up to Raidillon: consisting of a high speed left-hand turn, where the downforce squashes the car into the ground.

    Spa is the longest track on the Formula calendar at 7.004 kilometres with 44 laps scheduled for the Belgian Grand Prix. When the circuit was inaugurated back in 1921, it was around double the length at 14.9 kilometres.

    Looking back at last years race, nearly all the teams opted for a two-stop strategy using all three compounds. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen lined up 14th on the grid after a penalty but won the race with a great fightback, starting on the softs and then completing two stints on the medium.

    The circuit also had the biggest difference in elevation of any track all year. The highest point is at Malmedy (around 468 metres above seas level) while the lowest is Paul Frere (around 366 metres above sea level).

    After just a couple of days off, there’s another Formula 1 race this weekend: the last before the summer break. The Belgian Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious races on the calendar, held on a track that’s particularly challenging for drivers, cars, and tyres. We’ve nominated the same line-up of compounds as last year – C2, C3, and C4 – to offer a wide range of strategy options; at least if the rain holds off. Traditionally, the weather at Spa is a key factor throughout the weekend; the fact that the grand prix has moved dates – from the first race after the summer break to the last race before it – should make little difference, as the forecast is always variable anyway. The length of the track, with Spa being the longest lap of the year, and the variation in elevation – which is also the biggest of the whole season – means that it’s easy to find wet conditions on one part of the track while it’s completely dry elsewhere. New for this year is Spa becoming the third Sprint venue of the season, after Baku and Spielberg, with a Sprint Shootout on Saturday morning followed by a 100-kilometre race in the afternoon. With just an hour of free practice before qualifying on Friday (which, for now, seems to be the day most at risk of rain) there will be even less time than usual to set up the cars. At Spa, we tend to see some of the biggest differences in terms of aerodynamic setup between the teams: some prefer more downforce in order to push harder during the second sector while others prefer a looser car to have extra speed to attack and defend more down the straights. With two races this year, one of the most spectacular venues of the season is set to put on an even bigger show.

    Mario Isola, Motorsport Director.

  • F1 to race in Hungary till 2032

    Formula 1 announced that the Hungarian Grand Prix will remain on the calendar for an additional five years until 2032, extending the existing deal that run until 2027.

    The new agreement follows an announcement that the Hungaroring will undergo significant development and refurbishment in the coming years including a new pit building and a main grandstand.

    Located just 20km outside the historic city of Budapest, the iconic 4.38km Hungaroring has been part of the F1 calendar since 1986 with many legends of the sport claiming victory at the circuit.

    Five of the 2023 grid have been victorious at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton holding a record eight wins, Fernando Alonso. Daniel Ricciardo won back in 2014, while Esteban Ocon claimed his maiden victory in 2021, and Max Verstappen made it back to back wins.

    The Hungarian Grand Prix took place last weekend, with 300,000 fans in attendance, an increase from 290,000 in 2022. The Grand Prix this year also marked a special moment for the country with it being 20 years since Zsolt Baumgartner, the only Hungarian to compete in the sport, made his F1 debut.

    It is great news to announce the extension of the Hungarian Grand Prix for an additional five years as we return for another action-packed weekend at the Hungaroring. It is a very special circuit next to the incredible city of Budapest and one all of the drivers and our fans look forward to on the calendar. To see the commitment from the promoter in Hungary to develop the facilities and further enhance the experience for fans is another important step and something we want to see all our events doing in order to continue to improve and make our races even better.

    Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali.

  • RND 12 – Hungarian Grand Prix

    Round 12 is now complete, we had a dominant display from one driver in particular, and a bit of drama on the opening lap, let’s take a look at how it went…

    Max Verstappen claimed his seventh win in a row! Which now saw Red Bull break records with 12 consecutive wins in a row – which was held by McLaren. Talking of McLaren… Lando Norris brings home a second consecutive podium, with Sergio Perez returning to the podium in third.

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

    Lovely work from both Bulls in today’s race, Max taking the lead into turn 1 on lap 1 and Sergio Perez making his way through the field and back onto the podium! Hopefully this gives him the momentum next week aswell!

    Obviously another good result for McLaren, are they officially back now??!!! Two podiums on a trot for Lando and two good point finishes for Oscar, who will be hoping to get his first podium in F1 soon!

    Now Mercedes, obviously great pace in Quali for Lewis, but not the best of days today, finishing 4th is still good but I think the team was expecting a podium at least… But George worked his way through the field and managed to get up into 6th after starting 18th.

    Now onto the first lap drama… Both Alpine’s with a double DNF for the second week in a row. However this wasn’t their fault… Guanyu Zhou went into the back of Daniel Ricciardo who then went into Gasly and Gasly into Ocon… So they were kind of sitting ducks in that collision and was just really unlucky.

    Now onto Ricciardo, first race weekend back, obviously unlucky with the incident on lap 1 but he managed to fight his way back through the pack and finish 13th, two places ahead of his teammate Tsunoda in 15th…

    Now looking towards Round 13, we don’t have to wait too long as the next race weekend is only next week in Belgium the last race weekend before the summer break!

    Will 13 be unlucky for Max, and we have a different driver win? Or will it be the Bulls going for a 13th consecutive win in a row?! Find out next week!

  • RND 12 – Hungary Qualifying

    Qualifying this time was a bit different than normal, with Pirelli’s new ‘Alternative Tyre Allocation’ making its debut. Where Q1 drivers use hard tyre, Q2 the medium and Q3 soft.

    And this time, it was Max Verstappen or Red Bull taking pole position… It was in fact the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton who stormed to pole 104. Max was close behind in 2nd and Lando Norris rounded out the top three.

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

    A great result for Lewis managing to get pole, the only other team apart from Red Bull and Mercedes to get pole this season is Ferrari, so it’s good to see that teams are closing in on the Bulls.

    Obviously another great result for McLaren, starting P3 and P4, they’ll be looking at scoring big points this weekend and looking at the podium aswell.

    The star of qualifying, Zhou Guanyu and the whole Alfa Romeo team really as Zhou took 5th and Bottas 7th, they’ve had a rough season so far but they will be looking to optimise on others downfall tomorrow so they can score good points.

    An okay result for Perez, but he still isn’t where his meant to be, but at least he got into the top 10 this time. He has a bit of work to do during the race, and he will be hoping to stay out of trouble aswell.

    Now looking outside the top 10, Daniel Ricciardo on his return managed 13th for AlphaTauri, and outperformed his teammate Tsunoda in 17th.

    Predictions-

    My top five for the race are- P1: Hamilton, P2: Verstappen, P3: Piastri, P4: Alonso and P5: Perez.

    I feel like we might have a few surprises along the way in tomorrow’s race, maybe a strategy which hasn’t gone right or a bad pitstop or a badly timed safety car? Who knows what will happen, but one thing is for sure… Hamilton and Verstappen front row? Drama!!

  • Hungarian Grand Prix

    We are back! That’s right we have a double header coming up just before the summer break and we’ve had a little bit of a shake around…

    Danny Ricc is back!! All eyes on him this weekend, to see how he gets on in the AlphaTauri car and his first race weekend since last season.

    Will ANYONE stop Max? Or is he simply unstoppable at the moment? The last couple of races at Hungary have been entertaining, George’s pole last year and then Esteban Ocon winning in 2021, could we get some more drama this year?

    Who needs to shine?

    I think the most obvious one is Daniel, if he performs in the car and beats Tsunoda this weekend then I think his going to be a candidate for that Red Bull seat. But with so many people watching him will he be able to keep the pressure down?

    The Ferrari’s, they had a bit of a rough run last time out in Silverstone, with Leclerc 9th and Sainz 10th. If they want to be in the fight for the Constructors then they need to pull there finger out, Aston Martin are ahead of them by just 24 points!

    Alpine also need a good weekend, last time out aswell neither driver finished the race so no points scored, and then Gasly only managed just to get a point in Austria. With McLaren getting there best result of the season last time out, with a podium and P4 the British team has now pulled a gap to the French team.

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 21st July-

    • Free Practice F3- 08:55am – 09:40am (BST)
    • Free Practice F2- 10:05am – 10:50am
    • Free Practice 1 F1- 12:30pm – 13:30pm
    • Qualifying F3- 14:05pm – 14:35pm
    • Qualifying F2- 15:00pm – 15:30pm
    • Free Practice 2 F1- 16:00pm – 17:00pm

    Saturday 22nd-

    • Sprint Race F3- 08:50am – 09:35am
    • Free Practice 3 F1- 11:30am – 12:30pm
    • Sprint Race F2- 13:15pm – 14:00pm
    • Qualifying F1- 15:00pm – 16:00pm

    Sunday 23rd-

    • Feature Race F3- 07:25am
    • Feature Race F2- 09:05am
    • F1 Race- 14:00pm

    Predictions for Qualifying-

    My top five are- Pole: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Hamilton, P4: Alonso and P5: Russell.

    I think, we might have a few shock surprises in Qualifying, with a few getting knocked out in Q1. There isn’t going to be any rain at the point of writing this, but Hungary is unpredictable…

  • Madrid F1 race a step closer…

    A Formula 1 race in Madrid is a step closer to reality after the boss of the proposed venue insisted that he knows when a deal will be signed.

    The claim was made on Thursday the 13th by Jose Vicente de los Mozos, the president of the executive committee of the IFEMA fairgrounds and convention centre located to the northeast of the Spanish capital.

    Opened in 1991 IFEMA has become a major centre for conferences and conventions, and there is enough land in and around it to form the basis of a race circuit, with the existing buildings called into use.

    Since March it has been the host of the officially-sanctioned and well-received F1 Exhibition, which in effect has served to help the city to stake its claim for a race event.

    Barcelona currently has a deal to run the Spanish GP until 2026, and it’s not clear yet if the plan is for the new event to eventually take over the title, or if it will run as the Madrid GP.

    The Madrid area previously hosted F1 when the Spanish HP was held at Jarama, to the east of the city and not much further away from the centre than the new venue.

    The track first held the race in 1968, initially alternating with Montjuich Park in Barcelona, which co-incidentally like the proposed new venue was a street track adjacent to an exhibition facility.

    I know when we’re going to sign it and when we’re going to do it. We have followed the process indicated to us. The Spanish Automobile Federation has been informed from the first moment, we have signed exclusivity, and now we are advancing with the contract.

    De Los Mozos on a future race deal.

    It is true that Madrid wants to host a race in the future. And no decision has been taken so far. That’s another great sign of the state of the health of F1. And this is the right competition that will not involve at all any political discussion, only commercial and technical and sporting discussion we’ll be taking the next couple of months. And for the best of F1 we will take the right decision. I’m sure about it. But we need to remember that we still have years of contract with Barcelona, and we are really very, very happy with the way that Barcelona is handling the future because, of course, this has helped them to react, to push for the improvement that is needed at all levels, everywhere. And then this, of course, is in a moment where we have Fernando [Alonso] performing incredibly well, and we have Carlos Sainz in Ferrari. Both of them have a lot of fans. We see that the TV rating figure is growing incredibly well in Spain. So the market is very, very strong now. And so that’s great that we have these kinds of hopes for the future.

    Stefano Domencali speaking to F1’s own Beyond the Grid podcast.

  • Hungary Tyre Selection

    The tyres have been chosen by Pirelli ahead of this weekends Hungarian Grand Prix!

    The chosen compounds are- C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft), which are softer than the compounds used last year.

    Budapest will be hosting the debut of the Alternative Tyre Allocation (ATA) with just one mandatory slick compound for each qualifying session.
    Teams must use the hard compound in Q1, medium in Q2, and soft in Q3. If the qualifying is wet they will have a free choice of compounds as usual.

    Under the ATA rules, the number of tyre sets available for each car is reduced to 11, instead of 13 available for a normal race weekend. Each driver will have three sets of hard, four sets of medium and four sets of soft. With the number of wet tyres staying the same.

    On Friday, one set of tyres must be returned at the end of each free practice session. A further two sets must be returned on Saturday after FP3. This then leaves seven sets of tyres for qualifying and the race, and out of those seven one set of hards and one set of mediums must be kept for the race.

    Hungary often features high ambient and track temperatures. With the race taking place at the end of July, and the circuit located in a natural bowl with little airflow, Budapest will be a challenge for both thermal management of the tyres and driver fatigue.

    The most common strategy at the Hungaroring is a two-stopper, with a one-stopper occasionally perfered. The choices made last year were heavily influenced by a Virtual Safety Car, and a Safety Car.

    Almost all drivers last year made three stops, using all three compounds available to them. At the start, half the grid was on softs and the other mediums, with the hard tyre normally being used for the second or third stint.

    The Hungarian Grand Prix has become a classic event of the Formula 1 summer season, and as such the air and asphalt temperatures, which are usually very high, are the main features. This puts the drivers, cars and tyres to the test, not least because the twisting nature of the track does not allow anyone or anything to catch their breath. There’s a fairly long pit straight, which provides the only real overtaking opportunity under braking into the first right-hand corner. Then there are 13 more corners – seven right-handers and six left-handers – on a circuit that is second only to Monte Carlo in terms of slowest average speed; to the extent that the cars use similar downforce settings to Monaco. With so many slow corners, traction is one of the key factors for good performance and the biggest risk is tyre overheating. Despite being a permanent track, the Hungaroring is not used very often and the asphalt conditions improve considerably during the weekend as the ideal racing line rubbers in.

    Usually, this race is all about strategy and tyre degradation. This year we have opted for a trio of softer compounds (C3, C4 and C5) compared to 2022, while a new tyre allocation for qualifying (known as ATA, or ‘Alternative Tyre Allocation’) will be tried out for the first time, with the obligation to use just the hard in Q1, medium in Q2 and soft in Q3 if conditions stay dry. Both these changes, at least on paper, should lead to a wider range of options, particularly in terms of strategy. The ATA also saves two sets of dry tyres compared to the traditional format (using 11 sets instead of 13) and it will be run again at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. After that, the FIA, F1 and the teams will decide whether or not to adopt it for next season.

    Mario Isola, Motorsport Director.

  • Ricciardo replaces De Vries at Alpha Tauri

    Daniel Ricciardo will be making a return to the Formula 1 grid as he will be replacing Nyck de Vries at Alpha Tauri for the rest of the season.

    The Australian driver has been in action today at Silverstone, driving Red Bull’s current RB19 car in a Pirelli tyre test. But it’s now been announced that Ricciardo – currently Red Bull’s third driver will be on loan from Hungary for AT.

    Dutch driver De Vries, who stared in a one-off drive for Williams at Monza last year where he claimed ninth position on an impressive first outing, has endured a difficult first season of full time racing in F1 and is still yet to score any points.

    This has unfortunately led to him being replaced after 10 Grand Prix, with eight time race winner Daniel Ricciardo who lost his seat with McLaren at the end of 2022 season following two trouble seasons with the team stepping in.

    He is set to re-join the Faenza squad with whom he spent two seasons with in 2012 and 2013 in their Toro Rosso guise before his promotion to Red Bull in 2014.

    Ricciardo went one to net seven victories for Red Bull, before joining Renault for two seasons from 2019, then moving onto McLaren for 2021.

    My Opinion-

    Honestly, it’s great to see Daniel back in F1 but I have a feeling this is a test for him. Obviously he done the tyre test at Silverstone today and apparently the time was quick enough to be on the front row last Sunday… But this test I’m talking about, is if he performs well enough the last 12 races, could he possibly replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull next season?

    There’s also a part of me which is gutted for Nyck, no-one deserves to be treated this way whether you’ve been in F1 for months or years. I get he hasn’t scored any points this season, but we are only 10 races in, whereas other rookies for Alpha Tauri / Red Bull outfit have been given more than a season to prove themselves.

    I’m very pleased to welcome Daniel back into the team. There’s no doubt about his driving skills, and he already knows many of us, so his integration will be easy and straight forward. The team will also profit a lot from his experience, as he is an eight-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner.

    Franz Tost on Daniel Returning.

  • RND 11 – Silverstone Qualifying

    What a qualifying session we had yesterday, with changing conditions adding a bit of drama to it, which brought out a few surprises… good and bad!

    Max Verstappen made it five pole positions in a row and seven for the 2023 season so far, as he beat the McLaren pair, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to the top spot.

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

    Obviously first few drivers I have to mention are McLaren! WOW, honestly being a McLaren, Norris and Piastri fan I’m so happy. We all saw how Lando did last weekend with the updated car, and now Oscar has it, McLaren have made a huge step forward!

    Really good results for Ferrari, nice to see them both there together, so they can push for more points today.

    Now Sergio Perez… he is starting 15th, not the place he wants to be that’s for sure, especially when there’s both drivers from three teams in the top 10. It’s his 5th exit not being able to make Q3, I think something needs to change on his side of the garage, whether it’s just bad luck or not.

    Valtteri Bottas got disqualified from qualifying as he starts in the race in P20. Bottas ground to a halt at the end of Q1, after bagging himself a spot in Q2.

    The FIA were unable to extract the stipulated one-litre fuel sample from the C43 machine, which lead to him being disqualified.

    Predictions for Qualifying-

    P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Hamilton, P4: Norris and P5: Russell.

    I think we might have an entertaining race, we have Sergio Perez coming through the field, and will the McLaren’s be able to turn the qualifying pace into race pace and keep up with the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes.

  • British Grand Prix

    The second race of the double header is here and we are at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix! The home Grand Prix of Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris, as well as some teams.

    Will one of the home hero’s make it on the podium? Or possibly two? All eyes look towards Sunday to find out!

    But could anyone stop Max Verstappen and Red Bull? The past few races here at Silverstone have had some drama, so should we expect some this time out?

    Who needs to shine?

    Alex Albon will be wanting to have a good weekend, he thinks that the team should’ve scored points in Austria, so will be hoping he does this time out.

    Nico Hulkenberg had a pretty okay weekend last week, I think if he didn’t have his DNF he might’ve scored some points, but looking at this weekend he will be wanting to grab those points to make up for what he missed.

    Yuki Tsunoda, his obviously the lead Alpha Tauri car but his had a few bad races recently where he hasn’t scored any points, the last time being back in Azerbaijan. With only scoring two points so far this season, he will be wanting to get the most out of this weekend he could possibly get.

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 7th July-

    • Free Practice F3: 08:45am – 09:30am (BST)
    • Free Practice F2: 10:05am – 10:50am
    • Free Practice 1 F1: 12:30pm – 13:30pm
    • Qualifying F3: 14:10pm – 14:40pm
    • Qualifying F2: 15:05pm – 15:35pm
    • Free Practice 2 F1: 16:00pm – 17:00pm

    Saturday 8th July-

    • Sprint Race F3: 09:20am – 10:00am (BST)
    • Free Practice 3 F1: 11:30am – 12:30pm
    • Sprint Race F2: 13:15pm – 14:00pm
    • Qualifying: 15:00pm – 16:00pm

    Sunday 9th July-

    • Feature Race F3: 08:20am (BST)
    • Feature Race F2: 09:55am
    • Race: 15:00pm

  • F1 announces calendar for 2024

    Formula 1 has announced the calendar for the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship, approved by the World Motor Sport Council.

    Formula 1 has made clear its intention to move towards greater calendar regionalisation, reducing logistical burdens and making the season more sustainable.

    The calendar features 24 race weekends and begins in Bahrain on March 2nd and finished in Abu Dhabi on December 8th.

    By moving Japan to April, Azerbaijan to September and Qatar back-to-back with Abu Dhabi, this calendar creates a better flow of races in certain regions, and this work will continue while being realistic to the fact that as a world championship, with climatic and contractual constraints, there will always be travel required that cannot be completely regionalised.

    For the opening two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the Grand Prix will take place on a Saturday, to accommodate Ramadan.

    RoundDateGrand PrixVenue
    129th February – 2nd MarchBahrainSakhir
    27th – 9th MarchSaudi ArabiaJeddah
    322nd – 24th MarchAustraliaMelbourne
    45th – 7th AprilJapanSuzuka
    519th – 21st AprilChinaShanghai
    63rd – 5th MayMiamiMiami
    717th – 19th MayEmilia RomagnaImola
    824th – 26th MayMonacoMonaco
    97th – 9th JuneCanadaMontreal
    1021st – 23rd JuneSpainBarcelona
    1128th – 30th JuneAustriaSpielberg
    125th – 7th JulyUnited KingdomSilverstone
    1319th – 21st JulyHungaryBudapest
    1426th – 28th JulyBelgiumSpa
    1523rd – 25th AugustNetherlandsZandvoort
    1630th August – September 1stItalyMonza
    1713th – 15th SeptemberAzerbaijanBaku
    1820th – 22nd SeptemberSingaporeSingapore
    1918th – 20th OctoberUSAAustin
    2025th – 27th OctoberMexicoMexico City
    211st – 3rd NovemberBrazilSao Paulo
    2221st – 23rd NovemberLas VegasLas Vegas
    2329th November – 1st DecemberQatarLusail
    246th – 8th DecemberAbu DhabiYas Marina

    I am delighted to announce the 2024 calendar with 24 races that will deliver an exciting season for our fans around the world. There is huge interest and continued demand for Formula 1, and I believe this calendar strikes the right balance between traditional races and new and existing venues. I want to thank all of the promoters and partners for their support and effort to achieve this great schedule. Our journey to a more sustainable calendar will continue in the coming years as we further streamline operations as part of our Net Zero 2030 commitment. We have plenty of racing to look forward to in 2023, including the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, and our fans can look forward to more excitement next season.

    Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.

    The planned 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar, that has been approved by the Motor Sport Council Members, demonstrates some important steps towards our shared goals. We want to make the global spectacle of Formula 1 more efficient in terms of environmental sustainability and more manageable for the travelling staff who dedicate so much of their time to our sport. Stefano Domenicali and his team have done a great job to both bring in new and exciting venues in emerging markets for Formula 1, and stay true to the sport’s long and remarkable heritage. Each race can only happen thanks to the collaboration between the FIA, FOM, the promoters, and the host ASNs who bring together the thousands of volunteer marshals and support personnel so that we can go racing, and as we forge ahead into the future we must ensure that our priorities grow and develop with the needs of society and what is best for our sport, our fans and our environment.

    Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA.

  • Silverstone Tyre Selection

    The tyres for this weekend’s British Grand Prix have been chosen, with a debut of a new slick tyre construction.

    The chosen tyres are: C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium) and C3 (Soft), a choice dictated by the high energy loads that Silverstone puts through the tyres.

    The track is one of the most demanding of the whole season, especially for the front-left tyre that has to cope with heavy loadings throughout eight different corners.

    Some of the highest average cornering speeds of the year are seen at Silverstone (Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel are all taken flat out) while the drivers are subjected to lateral forces that can exceed 5g.

    A two-stopper was generally the most popular strategy in 2022. And all three compounds were seen during the race: including on the starting grid.

    After Monza, SIlverstone is one of the most historic permanent tracks on the F1 calendar, having hosted 57 Grand Prix. In 2020, the British Grand Prix was followed one weekend later by another grand prix to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the very first F1 race in history.

    The British Grand Prix will mark the debut of a new slick tyre construction, using materials that have been brought forward from their anticipated introduction next year. This change in specification was made necessary due to the increased performance of the cars seen since the start of the season – both in terms of outright speed and loadings – compared to the pre-season simulation data supplied to Pirelli by the teams last winter, and the fact that this trend is only set to increase as the championship goes on. We’ve worked very hard on simulation over the last few years in order to not only supply a product that meets the performance targets set by all the stakeholders but also to have the ability to anticipate any eventual issues and react to them promptly. The new specification gives the tyre extra resistance against fatigue but does not affect any technical parameters or its behaviour on track. All the teams already had the opportunity to try the new tyre construction out at the Spanish Grand Prix, when two sets were put at the disposal of each driver in free practice. Their comments were in line with our expectations, especially when it came to transparency in terms of performance. The new specification also allows us to keep front and rear tyre pressures largely unchanged compared to last year, despite a significant increase in average loads. This debut will come on a track that is traditionally one of the hardest on tyres; on our internal charts Silverstone is right at the top in terms of stress and lateral forces exerted on them: particularly the front-left. The track also takes a lot out of the drivers, who have to cope with lateral accelerations in excess of 5g throughout its rapid corners. The compound choices – which, unlike the structure, are not undergoing any change in specification – are identical to previous years at least in name: C1 is the hard, C2 is the medium, and C3 is the soft. However, the current C1 is in fact a brand new compound for this year, which fits in between the C2 and the C0: our new name for the hardest compound in the 2022 range.

    Mario Isola.

  • McLaren reveal chrome livery for British GP

    McLaren will be running a special chrome-inspired livery at their home race, the British Grand Prix this weekend, as they continue their year long 60th anniversary celebrations.

    The design is a nod to their fan favourite chrome livery, which they ran from 2006 – 2014 – an era which was defined by Lewis Hamilton’s drivers’ world championship in 2008.

    That was the last time McLaren tasted world championship success, with the British operation having since returned their livery to the team’s roots with the use of papaya.

    The special livery, which will adorn both MCL60 race cars at this weekend’s race at Silverstone, has been designed in conjunction with their partner Google.

    Lando Norris will run a special chrome helmet design and bespoke race boots whilst both he and his teammate Oscar Piastri will wear one-off design race suits.

    The livery follows their special ‘Triple Crown’ papaya, white and black livery which they ran in Monaco and Spain earlier this year in homage to their achievement of winning motorsport’s three most famous races, known as the Triple Crown, which includes F1’s Monaco races, IndyCar’s Indy 500 and the endurance showpiece – the Le Mans 24 Hours.

    It’s no secret that racing fans love McLaren’s classic chrome livery. Google Chrome wanted to bring back elements of this iconic livery to celebrate our team’s history at the British Grand Prix, and we’re excited to be able to give our fans what they want. I’m sure this livery will bring back great memories for many of our fans, and I can’t wait to see it out on track at our home race.

    Zak Brown, McLaren Racing CEO.

    It’s been a privilege for the Google Chrome team to work with McLaren on bringing back elements of an iconic livery to inspire this takeover. We were delighted with the fans’ reaction to the branded wheel covers that introduced our partnership, and now Google Chrome is putting chrome back on the McLaren for its home race. We’re looking forward to Silverstone and hope all McLaren fans enjoy what promises to be a really exciting weekend of racing.

    Nick Drake, Google VO Global Marketing.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CuPhxWmoTMX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • Austrian Grand Prix stays till 2030!

    Formula 1 has announced that the Austrian Grand Prix will remain on the calendar until 2030 after agreeing a new deal with promoter Projekt Spielberg GmbH & Co KG.

    Sunday’s announcement further reiterates F1’s long-term commitment to racing in the country, adding to the four year renewal – confirming the race from 2024 to 2027 – that was announced earlier this year.

    Set amongst the idyllic Styrian mountains, the Red Bull Ring’s 4.318 kilometre track layout has become famous for action-packed events with its three long straights and the famous Rindt right-hander.

    Spielberg first featured on the F1 Calendar with the original Osterreichring circuit from 1970-1987, before a stint as the A1-Ring from 1997 to 2003 and its current spell as the Red Bull Ring – having made a comeback in 2014 with support from Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

    I am delighted to announce this news with our exceptional partners in Austria. The vision and passion of Dietrich Mateschitz, a man who loved this sport, made this all possible and it is a very special moment and a tribute to him that we can confirm we will be racing at this incredible venue until 2030. The race in Austria is a big favourite for the drivers and all our fans and we are looking forward to many years of excitement and action that are ahead of us.

    Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1.

    The Red Bull Ring is excited to announce that we will continue our special relationship with Formula 1 until 2030. This long-term deal represents Formula 1’s strong commitment to Austria and Styria. The fact that the Formula 1 keeps the home Grand Prix of Oracle Red Bull Racing is of great importance for the Murtal region and for the employees of the Red Bull Ring. With pride and joy we celebrate the tenth joint year at Spielberg. Our special thanks goes to the fans and all supporters.

    Erich Wolf, General Manager of the Red Bull Ring.

  • RND 10 – Austrian Grand Prix

    The Austrian Grand Prix is now complete, lets take a look at how race number 10 went!

    Max Verstappen make its 5 wins in a row, and a clean sweep of wins and poles across this jam-packed weekend as he showed a dominant display today, he led home Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc and teammate Sergio Perez in third.

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

    Great results for Red Bull, finally Sergio Perez having a decent result! Only thing is to see if he can do the same next weekend including a good qualifying result too.

    Good result for Ferrari also, nice to see Leclerc back on the podium aswell. They needed a strong weekend as a whole for both drivers and they finally got it. So let’s hope this happens again and we see some closer battles.

    A really good result for Lando Norris too, the new upgrades clearly work so hopefully we can see both McLaren boys up in the points more often now!

    Not the best weekend for Mercedes, the car just did not like this track. Lewis struggled turning round corners which resulted in him getting a 5 second penalty for track limits. And then George, had to work his way through some of the pack because he didn’t have the best qualifying result on Friday.

    However, not everything stays the same. A new classification for the race has been released after the FIA handed out penalties to eight drivers following the conclusion of the race.

    Aston Martin had lodged a protest over the provisional classification shortly after the 71 lap encounter.

    The eight drivers are: Sainz, Hamilton, Gasly, Albon, Ocon, Sargeant, De Vries and Tsunoda all being hit with penalties.

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

    We haven’t got long to wait till the next race as it’s just around the corner, where we race at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix next weekend!

  • RND 10 – Austria Sprint

    Sprint Shootout-

    Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Sprint Shootout at the Austrian Grand Prix with a stunning display at the end of a damp-dry session.

    He headed Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez and McLaren’s Lando Norris in third.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Verstappen, P2: Perez, P3: Norris, P4: Hulkenberg, P5: Sainz, P6: Leclerc, P7: Alonso, P8: Stroll, P9: Ocon and P10: Magnussen.

    A good result for the Red Bull team, finally seeing Perez up there with his teammate, but ideally it should be for the race on Sunday as theirs not much points on offer today.

    Big result from number 4, Lando Norris again, like I said yesterday he likes this track a lot.

    The Haas duo both done well both in the top 10, so they will be hoping to score some points this weekend.

    Not such a good result for Mercedes, neither driver in the top 10, Hamilton had a shock SQ1 exit, as the times just kept on improving which dropped him down and then he had traffic on his final lap so couldn’t improve.

    Whereas for George Russell he got into SQ2 but, he had a hydraulic problem and subsequently confirming that he would be taking no further part in the session.

    Sprint-

    Max Verstappen emerged victorious in an action packed Sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he survived some early drama to claim an ultimately dominated win on Red Bull’s home soil.

    He was followed by Perez in 2nd and Sainz rounding out the top three in third.

    The full top 10 are: P1: Verstappen, P2: Perez, P3: Sainz, P4: Stroll, P5: Alonso, P6: Hulkenberg, P7: Ocon, P8: Russell, P9: Norris and P10: Hamilton.

    Verstappen lost the lead to teammate Sergio Perez as the start but quickly fought back and settled into a rhythm up front, cruising away from the competition.

    A change in the starting order saw Charles Leclerc demoted from sixth to ninth – which then promoted the Aston Martin pair and Alpines, Esteban Ocon.

    Lando Norris was a big loser at Turn 3 of lap 1 as he got caught behind the squabbling Bull’s and then suffered a slow exit – where he fell from 4th to 10th.

    With eight laps, to go, Russell reported that conditions were not far off slicks and moments after making that call, he headed for the pits.

    The start was not ideal, a bit of wheelspin, but after that, after Lap 1, once we got back in the lead, it was good. We were just managing the tyres, knowing that if it wasn’t going to rain anymore, then you know 24 laps on an intermediate is quite a lot, but they were hanging in there. I think of course the last five laps the slicks were quite a bit faster, but I think for us, so far in the lead, it didn’t make sense to pit. We just hung in there with the inters which worked well.

    Verstappen on winning the Sprint.

  • RND 10 – Austria Qualifying

    Qualifying is now complete for the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, let’s take a look at what went down at the Red Bull Ring.

    Max Verstappen made it three pole positions in a row for the Austrian Grand Prix, getting the better of the Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in an action-packed session.

    Verstappen overcame deleted lap times in Q1 and Q2 – with plenty of drivers falling foul of the track limits – to make it into the top 10 shootout and deliver his pole-grabbing effort of 1m04.391s.

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

    Perez was absent from the Q3 battle, as he dropped out in the second phase of qualifying with successive deleted times. Not a good start to the weekend for the Mexican driver, with him starting 15th on Sunday his got a bit of work to do which isn’t needed for the team or himself.

    A good result for Lando, P4 for number 4! Hopefully he can turn it into a better result on Sunday as we all know he likes this track and does well here.

    Brilliant result for the Ferrari’s! Is it too early to say their back? Hopefully they can get at least a podium/ possibly two on Sunday and grab some important points for the team in the Constructors!

    Also a good result for both Nico Hulkenberg and Alex Albon who make it into the top 10 for another race weekend in a row, hopefully they can grab points when it matters.

    Predictions for race-

    My top five predictions for Sunday’s race are: P1: Verstappen, P2: Leclerc, P3: Hamilton, P4: Sainz and P5: Alonso.

    With a few drivers not in the right position it will be interesting to see how they will do and how well they will come through the field. One thing we have to look out for though is track limits, some drivers might be pushing and then result in a time penalty…

  • Austrian Grand Prix

    We are back racing this week, as we have a jam packed month coming up and it starts off with a double header, where we head to Austria this weekend, where it’s Red Bull’s home race.

    Can Red Bull make it a 1-2 on home turf? Or will another team take the win and end RB’s streak?

    With the Sprint back this weekend, there’s more opportunity for our drivers to score more points, will some take risks? And will they work out?

    Who needs to shine?

    Sergio Perez, there has been some talk about if he doesn’t keep performing well, he may loose his seat, as we all know what Red Bull are like. His had a couple of rough races, from qualifying to the actual race, he just needs a clean weekend this weekend and get some good points so he can build a gap back to Alonso whose third in the drivers championship.

    Lance Stroll, with his teammate performing so well this season grabbing podiums and qualifying on the front row, it’s a bit bittersweet for the team if they have one driver starting 2nd and then the other in 7th for example, yes it’s still a good result but why can’t it be 2nd and 3rd? So Stroll has a bit more work to do as he needs to score points to get further up the standings also.

    The Alfa Romeo boys, they’ve had a bit of a rough start to the season so far this year, with Bottas only scoring in Bahrain and Canada and Guanyu Zhou in Australia and Spain, they’ve still got a lot of work to do.

    Times for the weekend-

    Friday 30th June-

    • Free Practice F3: 08:55am – 09:40am (BST)
    • Free Practice F2: 10:05am – 10:50am
    • Free Practice 1 F1: 12:30pm – 13:30pm
    • Qualifying F3: 14:00pm – 14:30pm
    • Qualifying F2: 14:55pm – 15:25pm
    • Qualifying F1: 16:00pm – 17:00pm

    Saturday 1st July-

    • Sprint Race F3: 09:00am – 09:40am
    • Sprint Shootout: 11:00am – 11:44am
    • Sprint Race F2: 12:45pm – 13:30pm
    • Sprint F1: 15:30pm – 16:00pm

    Sunday 2nd-

    • Feature Race F3: 07:25am
    • Feature Race F2: 08:55am
    • Race: 14:00pm

  • Austria Tyre Selection

    We are back racing this week and Pirelli have chosen the tyres for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, which is Round 10 of 23.

    The tyres which are available for the teams are: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium) and C5 (Soft), just like last time out in Montreal.

    This weekend will be the second grand prix on the calendar featuring an F1 Sprint. With the Sprint Shootout deciding the grid for the Sprint, and only having three short sessions that make up the Shootout. Teams will have to fit new tyres and use the medium compound for Q1 and Q1 and only in Q3 the soft compound will be used.

    The Red Bull Ring has only 10 corners, with the shortest lap time of any track on the championship, with the lap record being held by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, with a time of 1m05.619s in the 2020 Styrian Grand Prix.

    Most drivers made two stops last year, starting on the medium tyre ahead of two stints on the hard. There was plenty of overtaking, particularly in the midfield, with five cars competing for the places just off the podium.

    The elevation changes at the Red Bull Ring put it second only to Spa-Francorchamps in terms of variation. There’s a change of more than 60 metres between the lowest point on the track – just before Turn 1 – and the highest point, after Turn 2.

    The Red Bull Ring is a circuit where tyres get no rest. The cars race through the track’s 10 corners in a lap time of just over a minute, and the few straights mean that there is little reprieve for the tyres. The asphalt has a fairly high micro and macro roughness, due to the age of the surface, while grip is high at the start of the lap. Traction and braking are key elements, while particular attention will have to be paid to managing tyre overheating. Drivers who manage not to cool their tyres properly may find it difficult to defend against attacks from rivals, especially in the first and last sectors. An important factor in this will be ambient temperature, with weather conditions traditionally somewhat variable. Last year’s race was largely a two-stopper using the medium and hard compounds, but a one-stopper could also be an option this year if degradation is not too high.

    Mario Isola – Motorsport Director.

  • Alpine secure backing from investors, including Ryan Reynolds

    Alpine have secured a €200 cash injection from a group of investors, including Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds, to support the French operation’s sporting ambitions in Formula 1.

    Alpine are currently fifth in the constructors’ championship – one place lower than they finished the last campaign – and have been searching for investment to help close the gap to F1’s leading teams.

    The Investor Group – formed of Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments – have acquired a 24% stake in the F1 team.

    The group has worded with NFL side Dallas Cowboys, America’s National Football League (NFL), French football club Toulouse FC and Welsh football team Wrecham AFC.

    Reynolds brought Wrexham in November 2020 and along with fellow actor and co-owner Rob McElhenney, has overseen the club’s rejuvenation, which peaked with earning promotion back to the English Football League after 15 years.

    The investment centres around the F1 team only, with Renault’s engine division in Viry not part of the transaction and remaining entirely owned by the Renault Group.

    The news comes as part of a wider announcement from Alpine that sees them set a target of achieving €8 billion in revenue in 2030 and to break even in 2026.

    Formula 1 and Alpine are strategic assets for Renault Group. Over the past two years, we have re-ignited Alpine, capitalising on its iconic A110 sports coupe, boosting it by entering Formula 1, where it aims to become a championship contender. This partnership will accelerate Alpine F1 development by diversifying revenue drivers and increasing brand value.

    Renault Group CEO, Luca de Meo.

    This association is an important step to enhance our performance at all levels. First, Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments, as international players with strong track record in the sports industry, will bring their recognised expertise to boost our media and marketing strategy, essential to support our sporting performance over the long term. Second, the incremental revenue generated will in turn be reinvested in the team, in order to further accelerate our Mountain Climber plan, aimed at catching up with top teams in terms of state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.

    Alpine CEO, Laurent Rossi.