Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Red Bull Racing

  • RND 18 – Qatar Qualifying

    Well, qualifying wasn’t as easy for some drivers, with two drivers from two top teams out in Q2 and lap times being deleted effecting the top 10 results also!

    Max Verstappen took his 10th pole position of the season, with George Russell joining him on the front row and his teammate, Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top three.

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

    Amazing result from both Mercedes, and right next to each other aswell, I can see them wanting to go for a double podium on Sunday, but they have Fernando Alonso right on their tails so they’ve got to be wary.

    Not a very good result for Perez who is starting 13th, unable to get into Q3 again and joining him is Carlos Sainz who starts just ahead in 12th, not a good day for either driver, they’ve both got some work to do tomorrow.

    Both Alpines have done well to get into the top 10, I know they did well here two years ago, but a lot can change in two years as we know. Hopefully they can get some big points in the bag and see if they can bring the fight to the McLaren’s!

    Talking of McLaren’s, not the best qualifying session due to both drivers having lap times deleted, Lando was due to start P2 but now starts P10 and Oscar was due to start 3rd and now starts 6th. Its not that big of a deal, and with the car they’ve got they should hopefully be able to get through the grid easier.

    Also a little shout out to Valtteri Bottas, P9. Just what he needed, and he will be hoping for a points finish as he is only on 6 points so far this season and his team is on 10 points, just two away from Haas in P8.

    Predictions for Sprint-

    My top five for the Sprint race is: P1: Verstappen, P2: Hamilton, P3: Norris, P4: Alonso and P5: Piastri.

    I feel like we will get a little bit of a crazy race this weekend especially in the sprint, as for some drivers this is the perfect place to score some points.

  • RND 17 – Japanese Grand Prix

    The Japanese Grand Prix is officially over, and I’d say it was definitely one to remember, with 5 drivers retiring and a dominating drive by a certain driver!

    It was Max Verstappen who was victorious in Japan which secured Red Bull back-to-back constructors’ titles! Lando Norris managed to hold onto P2, and Oscar Piastri grabs P3, his first podium in F1!

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

    To start things off, lets go with the reigning World Champion, what a drive by the Dutchman! He almost got pipped by Lando Norris at the start but Verstappen done well to hold him off.

    Now McLaren, what a team, and the drivers, wow. They are unstoppable at the moment, and Oscar Piastri getting his first podium aswell, an achievement they should all be proud off!

    Now onto one of the retirees, Sergio Perez, what on earth was he doing? He first banged wheel with Hamilton and then had an incident with Magnussen which forced the Mexican driver to pit again for a second front wing after that he then retired.

    Onto the Mercedes, somebody definitely put something in their water today, or maybe it was the fact that Toto Wolff wasn’t there? But they were fighting today, where it came too close for comfort, but at the end they played the team game and got a decent amount of points!

    The Ferrari’s had a decent race, they are now only 20 points away from Mercedes who are in P2 in the Constructors, so the Italian team will be wanting to close in on them and continue with good points haul.

    The next race isn’t for another two weeks, where we head to Qatar for Round 18, where the Sprint returns on the 6th to 8th October!

  • RND 17 – Suzuka Qualifying

    We are officially half way through Round 17, as qualifying is over and we get to take a look at how it went.

    It was Max Verstappen who was back on pole position and he was joined by Oscar Piastri on the front row, and Lando Norris made it both McLaren’s in the top three.

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

    It’s great to see Max back on pole, after two races where it’s been Carlos Sainz. The Dutchman has definitely come back with a bit of fire underneath him this week, as he didn’t have the best weekend last time out in Singapore.

    Great result from the McLaren’s wow, this new package they have got is something else clearly! I think the teams above them like Aston Martin and Ferrari and possibly Mercedes are probably going to be in a bit of a bother if McLaren keeps getting good results like this.

    A good result for Yuki Tsunoda in front of his home crowd, especially with his new contract. He starts in the top 10 and will be looking to score more points for the team and boost them up in the constructors championship.
    A mention for his teammate too, Lawson just missing out in P11.

    Another bad result for Logan Sargeant, crashing out in Q1 giving his team a lot of work to do before the race tomorrow… I think his starting to write his own fate unfortunately.

    A bit of a shocker from Alpine too, Ocon starting in 14th and Gasly in 12th. They’ve definitely been pushed down the grid more and more as the season goes on, but they’ve got an opportunity this week to try and get a few more points.

    Not the best result for Aston Martin, Stroll starting 17th, and Alonso 10th, they have had a strong start to the season but the more it goes on it’s not the best, hopefully we will be seeing a big points haul soon!

    My Predictions-

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

    I feel like we may get a little bit of a crazy race, maybe not as much as last weekend but enough for a 4 way fight for the win.

    We could possibly see a safety car appearance and teams will be wanting that as its predicted to be a two stop race so the teams will be wanting that too.

  • RND 15 – Italian Grand Prix

    Round 15 is now over and so is the Italian Grand Prix so let’s take a look at how it went!

    Max Verstappen and Red Bull came out on top in a battle against the Italian team as they secured victory and make more F1 history – the Dutchman moving ahead of Sebastian Vettel with 10 wins in a row and the team stretching their winning run to 15 races.

    Sergio Perez came home to make it a 1-2 for the team and rounding on the podium is pole sitter, Carlos Sainz making the Tifosi proud!

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

    A great result for Ferrari, and a good haul of points aswell which makes them leap frog Aston Martin in the Constructors. It was great to see them battling together aswell, as teammates fighting each other doesn’t happen often.

    Alex Albon holding off the McLaren’s for the majority of the race and scoring some valuable points in P7, he is quite literally carrying Williams all by himself!

    Valtteri Bottas, back in the points! What we love to see, he will be wanting to score a few more points in the next coming races, which will help the team as they are now only one point away from Haas in 8th.

    We had a bit of drama before the race even started, Yuki Tsunoda reported an engine failure on the formation lap and had to pull over to the side, which resulted in a delayed start due to recovering the Alpha Tauri car.

    Now we only have less than two weeks until were back and it will be another double header, and our first stop will be Singapore from the 15th to 17th!

  • RND 14 – Dutch Grand Prix

    Round 14 is over, as we now take a look at a very action-packed and rain hit race.

    Max Verstappen stormed to victory for a third year in a row at the Dutch GP, making it 9 victories in a row, equalling Vettel’s. Fernando Alonso was back on the podium in P2 and Pierre Gasly, yes that’s right brought it home in P3.

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

    Fernando Alonso, back on the podium? We love to see it! He also bagged driver of the day, so hopefully himself and the team are recharged and ready to fight for some more podiums!

    Piereeeee Gaslyyyyy, P3! Wow, if you asked me if I thought he’d be on the podium I’d say no, but I wasn’t expecting an overly crazy race. His first podium with Alpine, and Alpine’s second one this year. The team will be hoping for one or two more so they can bring the fight to McLaren in the Standings.

    Now a mixed day for the Ferrari boys, Carlos finishing 5th so a decent amount of points. But Charles… first was the pit stop where there were no tyres ready for him? (Are we surprised? No.) And then he had to retire the car due to floor damage. When will they get a break?

    Not a good day for Sargeant, started in the top 10 which is good! However… it didn’t stay that way, the American lost control of his Williams at the exit of Turn 8 and slammed into the barriers which prompted a VSC and then a full Safety Car.

    Now looking at a certain New Zealanders Debut… what a brilliant drive from Liam Lawson! He finished 13th, ahead of Tsunoda, which say’s a lot.

    We don’t have long to wait, as it’s race week again, and we head to Monza!

  • RND 14 – Zandvoort Qualifying

    Qualifying is now over and we most definitely had a few surprises along the way, lets take a look at how it went…

    Max Verstappen made it three pole positions in a row at the Dutch Grand Prix with another dominating display. The Dutchman managed to pull a stupendous final lap to beat Lando Norris and George Russell at the end of a crash-filled session.

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

    Just the result Max wanted, however I think it would of been better having his teammate with him in the top three, rather than 7th…

    A great result for Williams! Albon has his best qualifying result in F1 so far joining Russell on the 2nd row. Not only this, but Logan Sargeant got into his first Q3 session! Unfortunately he crashed which meant he couldn’t get no better than 10th.

    Not the best result for Lewis, qualifying 13th. Everyone was improving each lap and with Yuki impeding Lewis so he couldn’t get a decent lap in before the chequered flag so he was just a sitting duck waiting to be pushed down.

    A mixed result for Ferrari, both drivers in the top 10, but they would have been hoping to get a bit of a better result. Sainz starts 6th, and Leclerc 9th due to crashing out aswell, which put his session to an end aswell.

    Predictions-

    My top five predictions for the race are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Russell, P3: Alonso, P4: Norris and P5: Sainz.

    I feel like the race win we know who is going to grab it unless there’s a costly mistake which will never really happen. But the chaos behind him? Now that’s what is going to be entertaining.

  • 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 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 11- British Grand Prix

    Round 11 is now complete, let’s take a look at how it went down at an action-packed British Grand Prix weekend!

    Max Verstappen extended his current winning streak to six races and a first at Silverstone. With Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton rounding out the podium putting on a show for the British crowd.

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

    Norris jumped Verstappen for the lead at the start, with teammate Oscar Piastri almost following him through, meaning it was a Red Bull sandwich over the first few laps – but the reigning double world champion fought back.

    We had a late Safety Car period as Kevin Magnussen’s Haas was smoking which saw the leading group come into the pits.

    Great result for McLaren!! Wow, so glad we saw Lando on the podium at his home race, as it’s fully deserved! Obviously gutting for Piastri for him to miss out on his maiden F1 podium but either way its a career best finish for him in 4th!

    Obviously a great result for the Mercedes team too, I think we had no doubt that Lewis will get on the podium here, but to have George in the top five too, just rounds out the weekend for them.

    Not the best result for Ferrari, 9th and 10th is a bit shocking considering their pace in qualifying, but these things happen, they still scored points!

    Another great weekend from Albon, so happy to see him doing well at the moment, it’s like his fount something and it just clicks, so more points in the bag for himself and the team! As for Logan Sargeant, he was just missing out on points in P11! But I have a feeling they’ll come soon enough.

    A decent result for Perez considering his starting position, I think we all know it could’ve been a better result. I think it’s time he needs to re-group and start fresh as I think RB might get the hump soon if they haven’t already with the Mexican…

    We are back racing for Round 12, in just under 2 weeks! And we head to Hungary on the 21st to 23rd July!

  • 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.

  • 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…

  • RND 9 – Canada Qualifying

    We had a very wet qualifying session, which brought out a few shocks both being good and bad.

    Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix, as the wet weather dominated the session. Nico Hulkenberg was a surprise second for Haas due to a well-time effort, only to loose the position later on. Alonso rounds out the top three.

    Before any penalties are applied the full top 10 are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Hulkenberg, P3: Alonso, P4: Hamilton, P5: Russell, P6: Ocon, P7: Norris, P8: Sainz, P9: Piastri and P10: Albon.

    With penalties applied, the grid for today’s race is: P1: Vertappen, P2: Alonso, P3: Hamilton, P4: Russell, P5: Hulkenberg, P6: Ocon, P7: Norris, P8: Piastri, P9: Albon and P10: Leclerc.

    A good result for the Mercedes duo, second row start for both drivers so they’ll be looking to see if they can get a double podium again this weekend, or possibly for the win?

    McLaren’s duo done well also, both cars in the top 10, hopefully they can get a couple places up the grid and score some decent points.

    Sainz, Tsunoda, Stroll and Hulkenberg all have 3 place grid penalties, the first 3 drivers all for impeding other driver’s during qualifying. Hulkenberg fora red-flag infringement during qualifying.

    Not a good result for the Ferrari’s, Charles starting 10th and Carlos 11th, they will be hoping to grab some points this weekend and hope to make up for a disappointing session yesterday.

    Sergio Perez starting in 12th isn’t what he or his team wanted, his got some ground to work up in today’s race. I also think that Red Bull maybe getting a little annoyed with the Mexican, as he isn’t where his meant to be on the grid, especially as he started the season of so well.

    Predictions-

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

    I feel like we might have some drama this race, quite a few drivers out of position so there might be a few clashes and safety cars which could change some drivers strategies.

  • McLaren sign Rob Marshall from RB

    McLaren have signed Rob Marshall as their new Technical Director, Engineering & Design, with the long-time Red Bull man set to join the Woking team on January 1st, 2024.

    Marshall’s role, which has been confirmed in the wake of James Key departing as Technical Director, will sit within the F1 Technical Executive team, alongside Peter Prodromou and David Sanchez, reporting directly into Team Principal, Andrea Stella.

    He will be supported by Neil Houldey in the newly-created role of Deputy Technical Director, Engineering & Design, to complete the senior technical structure, the pair due to “assess and establish the highest technical standards required to design winning F1 cars”.

    Marshall will make the move to McLaren after 17 years with Red Bull, most notably as Chief Engineering Officer, with McLaren describing his appointment as “one of the fundamental steps taken by the team to underpin their journey towards the front of the grid”.

    I am incredibly pleased that Rob will be joining McLaren. With over 25 years working in motorsport, Rob comes to us with a wealth of expertise and experience, elevated by his tenure and track record at Red Bull Racing. Rob’s appointment is one of the fundamental steps and a natural fit to aid the team’s journey to get back to our winning ways. We are a team with the ambition of fighting for championships, but over the last couple of seasons we have not shown a steady upward trend from an on-track competitiveness point of view. Over the last few months, we have worked towards inverting this trend. The approach we have adopted is comprehensive and is based on strengthening the team from a people and expertise point of view, along with the ongoing projects to upgrade technology and infrastructure that will shortly come to fruition. People and culture are our most important resource. We have recently invested and worked towards developing and empowering the internal talents available at McLaren, and we already perceive and measure the positive impact. In parallel, we have been strengthening our roster by bringing new talents on board. The list was already strong and encouraging, and the addition of a high-end and skilled individual like Rob will further consolidate our ability to establish the highest technical standards at McLaren and be in condition to design winning F1 cars. We look forward to welcoming Rob in the near future.

    Andrea Stella.

    In addition to McLaren’s press release, Red Bull released a communication of their own to confirm Marshall’s departure and pay tribute to him through team boss, Christian Horner.

    We would like to thank Rob for everything he has done for the team over the past 17 years. His work on the generation of cars that gave us four incredible championship doubles between 2010 and 2013 was truly outstanding. In the years since he has continued to be a key figure at the team and in 2016 took on the broader role of Chief Engineering Officer which has seen him involved in other projects across the business. His influence will be missed but once again we thank him for all he has done and wish him the very best in his new role.

    Christian Horner.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs34rKbo0Xh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

  • RND 8 – Spanish Grand Prix

    Round 8 is now complete, where we had quite a civilised race with no safety cars/ yellow flags or red flags and no retirements again!

    Max Verstappen was victorious once again, as he controlled the race from lights out to the chequered flag making it his fifth win of the season. He led home the Mercedes of both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell making it their first double podium of the season.

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

    A great drive from both Sergio Perez and George Russell, both starting from outside the top 10. Damage limitation that drive was and a good haul of points for both drivers.

    Not a good race for Leclerc, just an overall bad weekend for the Monegasque. Finishing 11th after starting 19th, which is a good move up but no points aren’t good, so hopefully he will have some good luck soon.

    Two points for Guanyu Zhou, which is fully deserved. He had a good race, some nice overtakes and his rewarded by getting points.

    Now, lets move on to Yuki Tsunoda, he was having a good race running in the points, making a few moves… And then it all went wrong, he got a 5 second time penalty for forcing Guanyu Zhou off track when he was overtaking. This dropped Yuki out of the points and finished 12th.

    With Round 8 now complete, we have to wait a little while till the next race, where we head to Canada for Round 9 on the 16th June to 18th June.

  • RND 8 – Barcelona Qualifying

    What a qualifying session, we have a very mixed up grid for the race but that’s what will make it all more exciting seeing a few driver’s battle their way through the field.

    Max Verstappen took his first pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix by comfortably getting the better of Ferrari rival Carlos Sainz and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

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

    Some bad news for Alpine, as Pierre Gasly may have qualified 4th but he won’t be starting 4th… He impeded both Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz where he was given 3 place grid penalty, twice, so he will be starting the race in 10th.

    Now looking a little further down the grid… Charles Leclerc is starting 19th as he dropped out of Q1 due to car complaints.

    Sergio Perez was another shock, as he got knocked out of Q2 due to taking a trip through the gravel, so he is due to start just outside the top 10 in 11th.

    We also have George Russell who is outside of the top 10, starting just behind Sergio Perez in 12th. During Q2 he had a bizarre incident with his teammate Lewis Hamilton, with the latter progressing on into the top 10.

    Predictions-

    My top five predictions are- P1: Verstappen, P2: Sainz, P3: Hamilton, P4: Ocon, P5: Alonso.

    I think the top five for tomorrow’s race will be mixed depending if there will be any safety cars/ red flags and who will optimise on others down fall.

  • RND 7 – Monaco Grand Prix

    Round 7 is now complete and we had some late drama in the race due to a rain shower where chaos ensued.

    Max Verstappen kept Red Bull’s 2023 winning record intact by keeping his cool overcoming the rain and the chaos in the final stages of the race. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso came home in P2 and on the final step of the podium is Esteban Ocon in P3!

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

    A really good day for Mercedes, and I think the upgrades for the W14’s have improved a little bit, but we won’t know how well until we get to another circuit. With Russell’s five second time penalty for clashing with Sergio Perez when he rejoined the track from an off in the slippery conditions not affecting his finishing position.

    A really good result for Alpine, finally what they need and it’s a podium aswell, which makes it even better for the team. Hopefully this is them on the up as they had pace all weekend and they can keep the good results coming.

    Obviously a bad day for Sergio Perez, started plum last due to his crash in qualifying and we all knew it was going to be a hard race for him. Which means the gap between Max and Sergio in the Drivers standings has gotten bigger.

    A decent day for the McLaren boys, both in the points, but they still have a lot of work to do if they want to be close to Alpine.

    Now we don’t have to long to wait, as the next race is this weekend! We are in Spain for Round 8 the home grand prix of Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz!

  • RND 7 – Monaco Qualifying

    Monaco qualifying is complete and the grid is set for tomorrow’s Monaco Grand Prix, with a few shocks and surprises along the way.

    Max Verstappen took pole position for the first time in Monaco, he pipped out rival, Fernando Alonso in P2 and hometown hero Charles Leclerc in P3.

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

    But, things are never easy especially for Charles Leclerc, who has been given a 3 place grid drop for the race meaning he will start P6, which bumps up Ocon to P3, Sainz P4 and Hamilton P5.

    However, one Red Bull driver might have been on pole but the other… was down the other end of the grid. Sergio Perez will be starting in P20 due to crashing out in Q1.

    A really really good result for the Alpine’s P3 and P7, obviously it means they should be scoring some good points if they don’t loose out on strategies etc tomorrow.

    A good result to see Yuki in the top 10 also, some good pace there and for his teammate aswell who starts just outside the top 10 in P12, hoping to get his first points of the season…

    Not such a good result for Zhou Guanyu who is starting P19, the Alfa Romeo driver needing to score points but his teammate isn’t starting from the best place either in 15th, a lot of work to do if they want to get further up the constructors.

    Predictions-

    My top five for the race are: P1: Alonso, P2: Verstappen, P3: Sainz, P4: Hamilton and P5: Ocon.

    Obviously with such a mixed up grid it will definitely be interesting but it will be all about strategy and if it works out with safety cars etc, but i’m hoping it will be an exciting one.

  • RND 5 – Miami Grand Prix

    Well Round 5 is now complete, lets take a look on how it went in the States.

    Max Verstappen charged his way from 9th to take the win for a second time at the Miami Grand Prix. Sergio Perez comes in 2nd making it a 4th one-two this season for Red Bull Racing. Fernando Alonso joins them on the podium in P3.

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

    Another good result for the Bull’s, I personally thought it would’ve been harder for Verstappen to get through the field and Perez would’ve been hoping so to.

    A good result for the Mercedes considering how their Saturday went in qualifying, they’ve now closed the gap down to Aston Martin in the constructors with a decent points haul.

    A turning point for Alpine yesterday as they managed to get a double point finish, they just need to consistently manage that as they’ll then move up further in the constructors.

    A bad day for McLaren, both drivers having quiet races, with Norris getting hit from behind on lap 1 and then Piastri with brake issues it was just a disaster for the Woking team.

    It was a good race. I stayed out of trouble at the beginning and then just had a clean race, picked the cars off one by one. Then I could stay out really long on the hard tyres and that’s where I think we made the difference today. I had a good little battle with Checo at the end. We kept it clean and that’s the most important – it’s a great win today. Yesterday was of course a bit of a setback, today we just kept it calm, kept it clean, and for sure winning a race from P9 is always very satisfying.

    Verstappen on the win.

    Now we have a little break before we have a triple header, we will be back on track from the 19th to 21st May for Round 6 at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

  • RND 5 – Miami Qualifying

    Well, what a qualifying session that was… a few shock surprises and a very mixed up grid for the Miami Grand Prix later today! The top 10 shoot out saw seven teams represented!

    Sergio Perez took his third career F1 Pole Position for the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, as he avoided all the chaos behind him. Alonso will be joining him on the front row in P2, with Carlos Sainz rounding out the top three.

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

    A very mixed session for the Bull’s, it was no secret that Perez wasn’t happy with the car but they managed to do a few tweaks before qualifying which seemed to hook it up, where as Verstappen he had to abort his flying lap due to a snap of oversteer and was scrambling to set another lap…

    A mixed day for Ferrari aswell, a good result for Sainz, he is in the perfect spot to be in the mix for the podium today. But Charles… Whilst Leclerc was on a quick lap, he lost his car at Turn 4 and spun into the barriers, which brought out a red flag and that ended qualifying. A big mistake from the Monegasque, which is happening quite a bit recently, he just needs to get his head in the game and concentrate a bit more.

    Lewis Hamilton suffered his worst ever qualifying performance in the United States and first Q2 elimination since Monza last year with P13, having struggled with Sector 1 in the second segment of qualifying.

    Q1 saw both McLaren’s eliminated with Lando Norris 16th and team mate Oscar Piastri 19th, a lot of work for the papaya boy’s to do today if they want to score some points, could it be possible?

    Predictions-

    My top five are: P1: Perez, P2: Alonso, P3: Russell, P4: Verstappen, P5: Hamilton.

    I feel like it’s going to be a crazy race, a few safety cars and maybe even a red flag, and a possible shocks to come?

  • RND 4 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix

    Round 4 is complete, lets take a look at how it went.

    Sergio Perez took victory on the streets of Baku, adding to his Sprint race triumph and being the only driver to win twice at the Azberaijan Grand Prix.

    Max Verstappen made it a 1-2 for Red Bull Racing, and Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three, grabbing his first podium of the season.

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

    It wasn’t the usual Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as normally we expect a bit more drama than what we had, there was only one safety car during the race, which was for Nyck de Vries who stopped on track at Turn 5 as he hit the wall, which caused terminal damage.

    Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg both started from the pit lane to hold points-paying positions for most of the race as they extended their first stints on hard tyres but the late mandatory pit stops meant they were banking on another Safety Car to get an easier pit stop.

    It was an important win for Checo as it now puts him in the title fight and only 6 points away from Max who is the Championship leader, both drivers have a big gap to Alonso in third so nothing to worry about too much.

    Looking further at the Driver standings, Leclerc and Russell are equal on points with the Monegasque being 6th and Russell 7th, they also have Stroll behind them who is in 8th one point behind…

    Looking at the Constructors, Red Bull obviously are in the lead, almost 100 points clear of Aston Martin who are in P2 but the Silverstone based team need to watch out for Mercedes as they are only 11 points away from them. Ferrari are close behind in 4th on 62 points, still a bit of work to do for the Italian team.

    We don’t have to wait too long until the next race, as Round 5 is only next week and we are back in the US, for the Miami Grand Prix.

  • RND 4 – Azerbaijan Sprint

    Sergio Perez claimed the first Sprint race victory of the season at the Baku City Circuit on Saturday afternoon, where he beat Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen to the chequered flag.

    With F1’s Sprint format being revised for 2023, a new ‘Shootout’ qualifying session set the grid for the 17 lap dash.

    One driver did not take part, it was Logan Sargeant as he crashed during the Shootout and was withdrawn from the Sprint due to significant damage.

    Meanwhile, the grid was another car lighter after Alpine made suspension changes on Esteban Ocon’s car under parc ferme conditions.

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

    A good result for Perez, he took Charles Leclerc spot for the lead and didn’t look back, and left the drama behind him too.

    There was a little tangle between Russell and Verstappen on lap 1. With the pair going side by side through the opening sequence of corners, before the Mercedes nosed ahead of the Red Bull at Turn 3.

    Verstappen was not happy though, as he jumped on the radio and accused Russell of barging his way through – replays confirmed contact and a thump of the wall for reigning two-time world champion.

  • RND 3 – Australian Grand Prix

    What a race that was yesterday… from red flags and safety cars to a rookie getting his first points, teammates taking each other out and a great recovery drive by a certain Mexican.

    But it was Max Verstappen who won the Australian Grand Prix for the first time in his career, Lewis Hamilton claimed Mercedes and his first podium of the year in P2, and Fernando Alonso takes P3 (which is not a surprise anymore).

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

    George Russell of the United Kingdom drives the Mercedes alongside Max Verstappen of the Netherlands who drives the Red Bull Racing during the 2023 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne on the 2nd of April, 2023. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

    First up, Mercedes! A strong weekend overall for them, and it looks like they definitely have made an improvement to the car. But it wasn’t all happy, after Russell and Hamilton overtook Verstappen at the start of the race, Russell ended up on Lap 18 pulling over to the side on the start/finish straight as he had flames from the back of the Mercedes which brought out a VSC.

    On the first lap there was contact between Lance Stroll and Charles Leclerc, which saw the Ferrari driver go off into the gravel and him out of the race. A quick stewards’ investigation and they settled on no further action. Poor Charles though, not having the best start this season and he only has 6 points to his name…

    A good race for the McLaren duo, obviously Oscar’s first points in F1 and what a place to do it at his home race! Norris aswell scored points, so hopefully this is a turning point for McLaren now and we can see them near the top 10 and getting points in the races.

    A good recovery for Perez, he originally was meant to start 20th but ended up starting in the pitlane due to taking some elements. But he did damage limitation, as he climbed all the way up to 5th so grabbed some good points, especially if he wants to fight for the championship this season.

    The Championship-

    Max Verstappen leads the Drivers on 69 points, with his teammate just behind on 54 points. Fernando Alonso is 3rd on 45 points and is followed closely by Lewis Hamilton whose in 4th on 38 points. To round out the top five is Carlos Sainz who is on 20 points.

    Looking at the Constructors, Red Bull is leading on 123 points, Aston Martin are in 2nd on 65 points so a big gap between 1st and 2nd already… 3rd is Mercedes on 56 points, so not too far away from Aston. Now there is a 30 point gap between Mercedes and Ferrari, the Italian team with just 26 points so far this season. And rounding out the top five is McLaren who have 12 points so far.

    All ten teams have now scored points already this season! I can see the order changing quite a bit this season, so keep your eyes peeled. On the drivers side of thing, 18 have scored points and its only Logan Sargeant and Nyck de Vries who are seeking their first points of the season.

    Now, we have a few weeks break until Round 4, which see’s the first sprint race of the season, and it is happening for the first time at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the 28th April – 30th.

  • RND 2 – Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

    What a race! I think before Verstappen’s problem in qualifying, we expected a pretty standard race with not much happening but it was the other way round.

    Sergio Perez managed to convert pole position into victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as his teammate recovered from P15 to P2, which makes it a second 1-2 for the Red Bull team in two races. Fernando Alonso put his Aston Martin on the podium again, before he was stripped of P3 and then having it reinstated after a stewards’ review.

    The Mexican driver, overcome an attack from Alonso at the start of the race, a nervy Safety Car period and Verstappen’s charge from the midfield to make up for the potential win he lost at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit a year ago – kick starting his championship hopes in the process.

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

    McLaren are having a tough time at the moment, after an early front wing change for Piastri who clashed with Gasly at the start and Norris who hit the debris, saw them at the back of the grid. Piastri ultimately crossed the line in P15, after clearing Sargeant on the final lap. Norris narrowly avoided repeating as he settled for 17th, with Valtteri Bottas the last of the finishers amid apparent technical trouble in his Alfa Romeo.

    Alex Albon and Lance Stroll were the two retirements from the race; Albon encountering terminal brake problems aboard his Williams and Stroll being told to stop his Aston Martin in the early stages.

    All eyes turn to Australia in just under two weeks time, where it will be Piastri’s first home race, but most importantly will it be the battle of the Bull’s? Or can Fernando Alonso grab the win?

  • RND 1 – Bahrain Grand Prix

    The first race of the season is complete, let’s take a look at how it went…

    Everyone bar hard-shod Kevin Magnussen began the race on soft tyres and Verstappen had a solid getaway, but teammate Perez fell back and lost second place to Leclerc.

    The reigning champion stretched his legs in the lead and eventually won by more than 10 seconds. Perez made it a one-two with both drivers on similar soft-soft-hard strategies.

    Whilst Fernando Alonso, went on a warpath as on Lap 45 he passed Sainz after a stunning battle to get on the podium, his first since Qatar 2021 and his first with Aston Martin.

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

    A good start to the season for the reigning constructors champions, it’ll be interesting to see if any tracks maybe don’t suit them and if they have any reliability issues.

    Aston Martin have made a big improvement from last year, hopefully they can keep the momentum running and keep the streak going.

    Not the best race for Ferrari, with Leclerc having a problem and retiring it isn’t the best start to the season especially if they want to challenge for the Championship.

    A little shout-out to the highest placed rookie. Logan Sargeant finished 12th on his debut, not a bad first race for the American.

  • Ford returns & partners with RB from 2026

    American automotive giants Ford have confirmed their intention to make a Formula 1 comeback when the new engine regulations are introduced in 2026, meaning another chapter will be added to the American organisation’s rich history.

    Ford’s involvement in F1 stretches all the way back to the 1960s and the DFV (Double Four Value) engine, built in partnership with British engineering firm Cosworth, which took 155 wins from 262 races between 1967 and 1985.

    From their first title wins with Graham Hill and Lotus in 1968 to their most recent with Michael Schumacher and Benetton in 1994, Ford have played a part in 10 constructors’ championships and 13 drivers’ championships – which make them the third most successful engine manufacturer in F1 history!

    Some 20 years on from their last participation, the appeal of F1’s future engine regulations – featuring increased electrical power and 100% sustainable fuels – will see Ford grace the grid once again.

    The news today that Ford is coming to Formula 1 from 2026 is great for the sport and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in Formula 1. Ford is a global brand with an incredible heritage in racing and the automotive world and they see the huge value that our platform provides with over half a billion fans around the world. Our commitment to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and to introduce sustainable fuels in the F1 cars from 2026 is also an important reason for their decision to enter F1. We believe that our sport provides the opportunity and reach unlike any other and we cannot wait for the Ford logo to be racing round F1’s iconic circuits from 2026.

    Stefano Domenicali on the news.

    This is the start of a thrilling new chapter in Ford’s motorsports story that began when my great-grandfather [Henry Ford] won a race that helped launch our company. Ford is returning to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing Ford’s long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world’s most visible stages.

    Bill Ford Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company.

    After confirming that Ford will be returning, Ford then revealed at Red Bull’s launch that they are partnering up for “a long-term strategic technical partnership” with Red Bull Powertrains, ahead of the sport’s new regulations coming into play.

    Starting in 2023, Ford and Red Bull Powertrains – the Milton Keynes team’s dedicated engine division – will develop a next-gen power unit to supply both Red Bull Racing and the sister Alpha Tauri operation from 2026 until at least 2030.

    Ford’s return to Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing is all about where we are going as a company – increasingly electric, software-defined, modern vehicles and experiences. F1 will be an incredibly cost-effective platform to innovate, share ideas and technologies, and engage with tens of millions of new customers.

    Jim Farley, President and CEO, Ford Motor Company.

    It’s fantastic to be welcoming Ford back into Formula 1 through this partnership. As an independent engine manufacturer to have the ability to benefit from an OEM’s experience like Ford puts us in good stead against the competition. They are a manufacturer rich in motoring history that spans generations. From Jim Clark to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, the lineage speaks for itself. For us as Red Bull Powertrains to open the next chapter of that dynasty, as Red Bull Ford, is tremendously exciting. 2026 is still a while a way but for us the work already starts as we look to a new future and a continued evolution of Oracle Red Bull Racing.

    Christian Horner on the latest news.

  • RB19

    Red Bull have officially started their 2023 season, by unveiling a launch version of the RB19, the car in which they hope to defend both F1 world titles.

    Red Bull assembled in New York for a so-called ‘season launch’ with Team Principal, Christian Horner alongside both drivers as well as third driver, Daniel Ricciardo.

    The team showcased their 2023 look with the traditional blue, yellow and red scheme – which captures the Red Bull company’s core colours.

    rb19.png

    Red Bull head into the 2023 campaign looking to retain the drivers’ and constructors’ titles, having stormed to 17 wins from 22 races under the 2022 rules reset – 15 scored by reigning double world champion Verstappen.

    It’s incredibly special to be in the Big Apple, in the US, in New York. The US is playing such a big role in F1 these days – three Grands Prix, [with] Las Vegas coming onto the calendar as well – so it seemed only fitting to unveil the RB19, and our plans for the season ahead, here. It’s going to be an incredible season. Our rivals, for sure, haven’t stood still. We’re expecting Ferrari to be competitive, Mercedes are going to be there, [and] there’s some other teams that could well make some big progress as well. This time of year, it’s all a big unknown, and it’s a question of focusing on ourselves, doing the best we can. Then in Bahrain, in a couple of weeks’ time, we’ll get to see everybody’s car and we’ll realise, ‘Have we missed something? Have we not?’ Then we set off on this 23-race journey between March and November. There’s going to be highs and lows along the way, I’m sure, but I think we’re in a good place and looking to carry on that momentum from last year.

    Horner on the 2023 season.

  • 03.02.23

    Reigning F1 World Champions, Red Bull have announced that they will hold a ‘season launch’ in New York early in February, as the team look to continue their run of success.

    After winning the 2021 drivers’ championship with Max Verstappen, 2022 saw the Dutchman (15 wins from 22 races) and the outfit (17 wins) romp to both world titles, making the most of F1’s recent rule changes.

    They enter the 2023 campaign as the force to beat with Ferrari aiming to offer a more sustained challenge this time out, as well as Mercedes bid to join them in the fight.

    Running power units developed under their own in-house Red Bull Powertrains operation, the team will field an unchanged driver line-up, with Max committed through 2028 and Sergio signed until 2024.

    However, there will be one new addition for the upcoming season, as former driver Daniel Ricciardo returns in a third driver role.