2024 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Russell sums up his ‘frustrating’ day spent behind Alonso in Saudi Arabia.
George Russell finished the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in P6 having spent some 40 laps right behind Fernando Alonso, but unable to pass the Spaniard.
09 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

‘Frustrating day’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...611911709.html


George Russell’s alarming “getting slower” admission about Mercedes
George Russell makes alarming Mercedes admission after finishing sixth in Saudi Arabia.
10 Mar 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

George Russell says Mercedes are “getting slower” as F1 weekends develop following another disappointing performance at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. After a similar showing in the opening two rounds, Russell believes Mercedes are “getting slower” across the sessions, rather than rival teams improving.

“We're still really trying to understand this car because we have shown true performance at points over the last two weekends,” Russell said. “FP1, straight out of the box, we were top of the timesheets and always in the top three. FP2, P2. Then, both weekends, the pace just falling away from us.”

“That hasn't been our competitors getting faster; that's been us getting slower. So, we need to understand why that is. But it's fine margins now. It’s so close with ourselves, McLaren, Aston. Charles [Leclerc, Ferrari] is just a smidge ahead. We just need to tap into it a bit more.”

“Getting slower”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104550...about-mercedes


George Russell highlights concerning Mercedes W15 trend after Saudi Arabian GP
10 Mar 2024 6:30 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

George Russell says Mercedes must work to understand why the W15 is getting slower, not faster as a race weekend progresses.

Mercedes went into the F1 2024 campaign hopeful of a stronger season after going back to the drawing board for their W15, putting a challenger on the track that is more conventional appearance wise versus the Red Bull RB18/RB19 concept which dominated the first two seasons of Formula 1’s ground effect era.

But the opening rounds of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia showed that Mercedes still has a lot of work ahead if they are to take the fight to Red Bull, who have started out with a pair of one-two finishes.

‘Concerning Mercedes W15 trend’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...r-race-weekend


Data shows only Haas were slower than Mercedes in one key area during Saudi Arabia Grand Prix
Mercedes were slower than Alpine and Williams in one area during Saudi Arabia GP
Mon 11 March 2024 12:30
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Mercedes lost out to two of the slowest cars on the Formula 1 grid in one area at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Alpine beat Mercedes in high-speed corners. Formu1a.uno journalist Piergiuseppe Donadoni has now shared the data from the event, and it paints a bleak picture for Mercedes.

In the ‘fast’ sections of the track, the W15 was a full 12 km/h slower than Red Bull’s RB20 on average. Worse still, bottom-of-the-table Alpine were ‘slightly’ quicker in those areas, as were Williams. Mercedes, who could only outpace Haas from turns four to 10, haemorrhaged time relative to Norris.

‘Mercedes, who could only outpace Haas…’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...udi-arabia-gp/


Mercedes’ Struggles Have Continued Into 2024
March 11, 2024
Nicole Powell
LastWordOnSports

Mercedes have been making headlines for all the wrong reasons since the introduction of the new regulations in the 2022 season. The W13 and W14 were disappointing cars, to say the least. Especially as per the usual standards that Mercedes had set in the recent past. This season, the W15 hasn’t proved to be much of an improvement as of yet.

No impressions in qualifying: Mercedes have rarely been a threat in qualifying since 2022. Just like in the previous two seasons, one-lap speed is not Mercedes’ greatest strength, or near it.

Watching Mercedes in Q2 is like being jump-scared, as they often look like they could not make it through to Q3. Mercedes are often seen around the danger zones in qualifying, and rarely ever challenge for a front-row start.

‘Struggles Have Continued’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...ued-into-2024/

[Fortitude]

Bearman proved he’s ready for full-time seat says Ferrari Driver Academy head.
Oliver Bearman’s “intelligent” drive to seventh place on his debut proved he’s ready for a full-time Formula 1 seat, says the head of Ferrari’s young driver programme.
12th March 2024, 7:15
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Ferrari Driver Academy head Jock Clear said team principal Frederic Vasseur’s decision to put the 18-year-old in one of their cars last weekend showed the team had high expectations of him. “I was convinced before that and I think the fact that Fred was brave enough to put him in this car this weekend, under the circumstances, speaks volumes for what we’ve seen of him already,” Clear told the official F1 channel.

Bearman’s debut in place of the unwell Carlos Sainz Jnr went “better than we could have expected” said Clear, “but when the decision was made, I suppose this is what we expected. I don’t want to belittle or diminish the achievement, we really, really are over the moon with everything, but we sort of put him there thinking, ‘I think he can do this’. And he’s absolutely vindicated that choice.”

‘Ready for full-time seat’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/12/...-academy-head/


'That's when it shows': Jock Clear names one area where Oliver Bearman’s F1 debut ‘got a bit messy’
Tue 12 March 2024 19:30
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing for Ferrari debutant Oliver Bearman at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Jock Clear says. Ferrari called up Formula 2 driver Bearman before final practice on Friday morning when Carlos Sainz had to go to hospital with appendicitis.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Clear admits things got a ‘bit messy’ for Bearman in qualifying. He made a mistake on his first run in Q2 and then missed out on a spot in the top 10 shoot-out as he set the 11th fastest time. He was only a few hundredths of a second behind seven-time world champion Hamilton.

While he surpassed the team’s expectations with his performance, he did have to adapt to a ‘different level’. “The pressure on him in Q2 – you’ve locked up on your first set, you’ve now got a second set to try and get through to Q3, that’s when it shows that this is a different level. That was the point where it got a bit messy. He did a great job to put it P11 anyway, that was beyond our expectations.”

‘Mistake on his first run in Q2’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/joc...t-a-bit-messy/


Marko tells Ferrari to put Bearman at Haas in 2025
MARCH 12, 2024
GrandPrix.com

Dr Helmut Marko has urged Ferrari to place impressive rookie Oliver Bearman with the affiliated Haas team for 2025.

Marko, Red Bull's notorious F1 consultant, called Bearman's performance last weekend “sensational”. “To be on a track like Jeddah like that without much practice was really powerful”, the 80-year-old told Speed Week. "At times he drove almost at the same level as Charles Leclerc.”

"But what is Ferrari doing? They are buying the expensive (Lewis) Hamilton, Leclerc has a long-term contract, and now Bearman is showing off a super talent. If I were Fred Vasseur, I would immediately find Bearman a cockpit in another team - I don't know, at Haas for example”, Marko said.

‘Put Bearman at Haas in 2025’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/marko...s-in-2025.html


‘Well done’: Haas send message to Oliver Bearman after making Saudi Arabia Grand Prix debut
Mon 11 March 2024 18:00
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Haas have now sent a message to Ferrari driver Oliver Bearman after he made his Formula 1 debut during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Posting on Instagram after the race, Haas said: “That was a fun battle between Nico and Ollie yesterday. Well done on an impressive points-scoring debut in F1 @olliebearman.”

While Bearman wasn’t too happy with Hulkenberg during the race, he did praise his use of his battery power once the Grand Prix had ended. Bearman is set to drive for Haas in free practice this season and the message they sent him after the race in Saudi Arabia highlights how keen they are to strengthen that relationship.

The 18-year-old has worked closely with Kevin Magnussen and the Dane might now be worried he could end up being his replacement. He’s also been working in the team’s simulator and that partnership might end up earning him a permanent spot on the grid.

‘Well done’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/haa...nd-prix-debut/


‘If I was Fred Vasseur’ – Helmut Marko’s bold plan for Oliver Bearman after incredible Saudi debut
12 Mar 2024 6:30 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Bearman’s calm and measured debut, qualifying 11th before racing to seventh and not collapsing under pressure as Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton hunted him towards the end of the race, gained Marko’s notoriously hard-to-earn praise.

“I thought Ollie Bearman’s debut in the Ferrari was sensational,” Marko wrote in his column for Speedweek after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. “To be on the road like that on a track like Jeddah without much training was very strong. At times he was almost on a par with Charles Leclerc.”

But while he may not be able to help Bearman out, Marko has outlined what he’d be doing with the British driver if he was in a position to be able to make a call over where to put Bearman and get him on the F1 grid.

‘If I was Fred Vasseur’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut...n-fred-vasseur

[Fortitude]

F1 pundits baffled by stewards ‘sympathy’ over clear Lando Norris jump start.
Such was his notable movement, Mercedes’ George Russell flagged it over the radio. “Jump start Norris!” he told Mercedes.
12 Mar 2024 1:15 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Cleared of a jump start by the Saudi Arabian GP stewards, Anthony Davidson was baffled by the decision as footage showed the McLaren driver “clearly” moved before the lights went out.

The stewards, though, ruled that he had done nothing wrong as the transponder on his MCL38 “did not indicate” that there’d been movement. “The stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video and determined that the video appeared to show that Car 4 moved before the start signal was given,” their report began.

“However, the FIA-approved and supplied transponder fitted on the car did not indicate a jump start. Article 48.1 a) of the Formula One Sporting Regulations states clearly that the judgment of whether or not there was a jump start is to be made in accordance with the transponder, which did not show a jump start. In the circumstances, we took no further action.”

“Jump start Norris!”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...undit-reaction


‘Computer said no’ - Why wasn’t Lando Norris penalised for jump start at F1 Saudi Arabian GP?
10:23 Sun, 10 Mar 2024.
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix F1 stewards have explained why Lando Norris escaped punishment for jumping the start. "The stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video and determined that the video appeared to show that car 4 moved before the start signal was given," the stewards said.

Norris admitted he “didn’t know what happened” because it “happened so quickly. I just went a little bit and then tried stopping again, and then went again. But overall, I lost. I didn't gain anything from it,” he told Sky.

“Didn’t know what happened”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104550...udi-arabian-gp


'When this happens next time...' - F1 stewards questioned after Lando Norris 'jump start'
Two Sky Sports F1 pundits were surprised the stewards didn't punish Lando Norris at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
11 Mar 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Sky Sports F1 pundit Naomi Schiff was perplexed by the stewards’ decision not to penalise Lando Norris at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. While the transponder didn’t notify the stewards of a jump start, Schiff felt from the onboard video evidence, it was clear cut. “Honestly, I don’t understand. He has clearly moved before the lines have gone out,” he said.

“He has not only clearly moved before the lines have gone out, but he’s positioned outside of the box! Now, there’s already two out of three options for how you can do a false start. I don’t know. Apparently they taken sympathy? I don’t know how I feel about that! Clearly nobody else felt strongly enough about it to push it.”

“For us, or anyone else judging the sport, when this happens next time will they have sympathy? Or how do we judge it? That’s my question.” Ex-F1 driver Karun Chandhok added: “It looked to me, before the replay, like he had gone over the line. Because he got clear, I thought it was within tolerance. The slo-mo shows otherwise.”

'When this happens next time...'

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104557...ris-jump-start


Saudi Arabia Grand Prix: Points finish for Lando Norris at Jeddah
14:01 Mon, 11 Mar 2024.
Tom Leaman
Somerset County Gazette

LANDO Norris secured his second points finish of the Formula 1 season after a “reasonable” race in Saudi Arabia on Saturday (March 9). The Glastonbury racer started in sixth but briefly led the Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit after Lance Stroll put his Aston Martin in the barrier on lap seven. All of the frontrunners came in for fresh tyres under the safety car – except Norris and Lewis Hamilton.

Norris led for three laps before championship leader Max Verstappen swooped past. When Norris and Hamilton did pit, both out of strategy sync, they came out behind Ferrari's 18-year-old debutant Ollie Bearman, who stepped in for Carlos Sainz on Friday after the Spaniard was ruled out of the race because of surgery to remove his appendix.

When Norris pitted on lap 37 out of 50, Bearman was 6.1 seconds up the road and had Hamilton behind him.

‘Points finish for Lando Norris’;

https://www.somersetcountygazette.co...norris-jeddah/


Lando Norris reveals why Max Verstappen’s winning margin is actually ‘not concerning at all’
08 Mar 2024 10:00 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

22 seconds up the road from his nearest rival in Bahrain, Lando Norris says Max Verstappen’s winning margin is not “concerning at all” given the head start Red Bull had with their 2024 car. That head start paid off in Bahrain as the reigning World Champion stormed to the victory, 22s ahead of Sergio Perez, and a further three in front of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

“I don’t think it was concerning at all, honestly,” Norris told the media in Saudi Arabia of Verstappen’s dominance in Bahrain. “Considering that they spent a lot of time developing and making a new car for this year. I’m pretty happy with how close we were to Red Bull. Even in qualifying, it wasn’t like Max had an easy one and it was that convincing.”

‘22 seconds up the road: Not concerning at all’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...not-concerning


Norris demands changes to F1 cars
Amid question marks over the impact the current Formula 1 cars are having on drivers' health, Lando Norris has called on changes to be implemented going forward.
12 March 1:00PM
Fergal Walsh & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Lando Norris has called on improvements to be made to the current generation of Formula 1 cars over the “toll” they are having on drivers' bodies. The new technical regulations implemented in 2022 saw the return of ground effect, with an unintended consequence of severe bouncing along the straights impacting a number of teams.

Although the issue, caused by mechanical bouncing and aerodynamic porpoising, has largely been eradicated, the cars are still set up with stiff suspension settings as they run as close to the ground as possible in order to generate peak downforce.

Speaking to media including RacingNews365, Norris was hesitant to make such an assumption: “I have no idea. I don't know how you would correlate it. I don't know what the average [number] per person who has had it. Is it one in five? Is it one in 10? I have no idea. I'm not a doctor. [But] could it be better and was it better a few years ago with the old cars? 100 per cent.”

‘Norris demands changes to F1 cars’;

https://racingnews365.com/norris-mak...mprove-f1-cars


“He’s so fast”: How Hamilton saw his fruitless pursuit of Norris
13th March 2024, 12:2513th March 2024, 12:25
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Lewis Hamilton’s attempt to catch Lando Norris in the final laps of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as the McLaren proved too quick for the Mercedes. The huge superiority of the MCL38 in the high-speed corners at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit proved too much for the Mercedes.

The team originally planned to switch Hamilton to the hard tyre compound, but he went far enough into the race on his medium rubber than they decided a switch to softs was possible. When he emerged from the pits he was concerned Bearman was too far ahead to catch. But when Norris lost time during his pit stop Mercedes spied an opportunity to attack.

While Hamilton enjoyed the quickest complete pit stop of the race, Norris lost over two seconds compared to him, and rejoined the track closer to Hamilton than McLaren intended. However through the first sector of the lap, which includes several high-speed corners, Hamilton was dismayed by how quickly the McLaren pulled away.

“He’s so fast;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/13/...uit-of-norris/

[Fortitude]

Lewis Hamilton calls for 'big changes' as F1 icon fears Mercedes are 'miles off'.
Lewis Hamilton has sent a message to Toto Wolff, his team boss at Mercedes, after finishing in ninth place at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He said that 'big changes' are needed from the team.
21:40 Sat, 09 Mar 2024.
BY GRAEME YOUNG
DEPUTY LIVE SPORTS EDITOR HARRY SMITH
Daily Record

Hamilton had hoped for a better result in Jeddah after a disappointing start to the season in Bahrain. However, an early strategy decision left him struggling. When Lance Stroll crashed early in the race and the safety car was brought out, Mercedes chose not to pit Hamilton.

This left him in third place, behind Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Unfortunately, no more safety cars were brought out, leaving Norris and Hamilton to run for a long time in an attempt to create a larger tyre offset during the final stages of the race.

This strategy didn't work, and Hamilton finished in ninth place. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Hamilton said: "I mean the car is good, or relatively good in the low-speed [corners] and not so bad in the medium [speed corners], but in the high speed we are miles off.", reports the Express.

'Miles off';

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/...anges-32315353


Frustrated Hamilton felt “like I was in a different category” in fast corners
9th March 2024, 20:59
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Mercedes went into the new season hoping to rebound from two disappointing years using an extensively revised car. But Hamilton said some of the problems he is experiencing feel familiar and he isn’t convinced the team has gone far enough with its latest design.

“It’s frustrating, for sure, to be three years in a row in almost the same position. It’s definitely tough. I know we’ll get our heads down and we’ll keep working away. I know everyone back at the factory is pushing as hard as they can. But we’ve definitely got to make some big changes.”

“We haven’t made big enough changes, perhaps. You look at the three teams ahead of us, they still have different concepts to where we are in some areas. So we’ve got some performance to add, that’s for sure.”

“Like I was in a different category”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/09/...-fast-corners/


'I'm told': David Croft says ‘vulnerable’ driver wasn’t ‘happy’ with team at Saudi GP
Sun 10 March 2024 09:00
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Lewis Hamilton was annoyed with one decision by his Mercedes team during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft says. And Croft learned that he wasn’t pleased with a Silver Arrows strategy call during the race.

David Croft says Mercedes move left Lewis Hamilton vulnerable. Speaking on lap nine after the initial pit stops had shaken out, Croft said that Hamilton had expressed frustration. He apparently felt that he’d been left at the mercy of the cars around him on his older rubber.

Croft said: “I’m told Lewis Hamilton not overly happy with staying out there and not being called in. And you can understand that, because he’ll be feeling vulnerable, as I’m sure Lando Norris is, with where they’re sat currently.” A lap later, co-commentator Karun Chandhok added: “I can see why Hamilton’s annoyed by this, because he’s got the downside of the dirty air from the cars in front.”

‘Annoyed with one decision’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...m-at-saudi-gp/


Lewis Hamilton “knew” Mercedes were set for “tough year” before Ferrari decision
Did Lewis Hamilton foresee Mercedes' struggles before deciding to join Ferrari for 2025?
11 Mar 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok is convinced Lewis Hamilton “knew” Mercedes were set for a “tough year” in 2024 before deciding to join Ferrari. During Sky Sports’ F1 coverage over the weekend, Chandhok and Naomi Schiff were asked if they thought if Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari stemmed from murmurings that Mercedes would struggle.

Schiff said: “I don’t actually think so. It seems they came into the season with really high hopes.” Chandhok was more cynical: “I am going to disagree. I think he did know. What they put out there - the messages of positivity - are one thing. But I think he knew that it’s going to be a tough year.”

Hamilton’s complaints of an unstable rear-end was a recurring theme throughout the Saudi Arabia weekend. Former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins feels that’s one of the reasons he’s also decided to join Ferrari. “He was saying that for all of last year, as well,” she explained. “Possibly, that’s one of the reasons why he’s moving teams.”

“I think he knew that it’s going to be a tough year”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104557...rrari-decision


Lewis Hamilton proven right in joining Ferrari – dreadful Mercedes are even worse in 2024
Lewis Hamilton finished seventh and ninth at 2024 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GP
March 12, 2024 - 08:05
By Joe Krishnan
Total Motorsport

Lewis Hamilton came away from the Formula 1 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with a sinking feeling that Mercedes are not in a better position than they were last year after all. In fact, they might be worse.

No one could deny that Hamilton gave it everything to finish as high as possible after qualifying eighth. He held off Oscar Piastri on an old set of medium tyres in the first stint and, after pitting for a pair of softs, was all over the back of Lando Norris’ rear wing right up to the checkered flag.

Mercedes have no excuse for their poor form since the new regulations were brought in back in 2022. They had time to prepare and design the car like everyone else, but chose the wrong concept and have been playing catch-up ever since. Now into the third season, Toto Wolff is still speaking about fixing the car. From the perspective of a team that has won the constructors’ championship eight times, it is almost embarrassing to be in this position.

‘In fact, they might be worse’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ercedes-worse/


Mercedes urged to snub Lewis Hamilton after Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton is enjoying his final year as a Mercedes driver ahead of a fairytale switch to Ferrari in 2025.
10:00, Mon, Mar 11, 2024
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Mercedes should shift their focus away from Lewis Hamilton and towards George Russell during the 2024 season, according to Express Sport readers. The seven-time world champion is joining Ferrari at the end of the year but still has 22 Grands Prix remaining with the Silver Arrows.

This was something that Max Verstappen explained last month. He told media, including Express Sport: “I mean for sure he has a great relationship with everyone and especially also with Toto [Wolff]. “But he also knows at one point, and Toto for sure will tell him ‘I’m really sorry, we’ve had all this success, but you can’t be a part of certain meetings any more.’ And it’s normal in F1 and it’s probably a bit weird, but you’re professional enough to deal with that.”

Following a survey of 7,057 Express Sport readers, 64 per cent believed that the right move would be to prioritise Russell for the remainder of the 2024 campaign with only 36 per cent suggesting that Toto Wolff should give his long-serving star driver equal treatment or better during his final year with the Brackley-based team.

‘Prioritise Russell for the remainder of the 2024 campaign’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...udi-Arabian-GP


Lewis Hamilton "not having fun" as Mercedes handed "frustrating" F1 reality check
Lewis Hamilton finished the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix down in ninth place as Mercedes struggled against their main rivals on the fast, flowing Jeddah Corniche Circuit
11:56 Tue, 12 Mar 2024.
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

Lewis Hamilton said he was "not having fun" as he struggled and finished only ninth at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Though the seven-time world champion has praised his new W15 car, he struggled for pace in the fast corners of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. That, plus a Mercedes strategy gamble which didn't pay off, meant he finished 47 seconds down the road from winner Max Verstappen.

As a result, Hamilton was left feeling like he was behind the wheel of a car from a "different category". Team principal Toto Wolff said there was a "fundamental" problem with the W15 which means that it is far too slow in those quicker turns.

And Hamilton is bracing for his tough start to the new season to continue with the issue likely to take some time to resolve. He said: "I think all the high-speed circuits we are going to be at a disadvantage with the package we currently have.”

"Not having fun";

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...wolff-32333813

[Fortitude]

Hulkenberg: Points ‘quite tough’ for Haas without a top car Dnf.
Nico Hulkenberg delivered a championship point to Haas in Saudi Arabia last weekend, but the German driver admits that the US outfit's top-ten finish was only made possible by a DNF from one of F1’s top teams.
16:00 Wed, 13 Mar 2024.
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

In Jeddah, Hulkenberg's result was greatly facilitated by the handy and opportunistic team-work executed by Kevin Magnussen.

Ayao Komatsu was ecstatic over the outcome and his team’s valuable point. “It's incredibly important, it's like a gold dust," commented the Japanese engineer.

"We've got the top five teams and then we are effectively competing for P10, one point, with so many other people, so everything has to be perfect. I'm so happy for the team, everyone's done their bit," Komatsu added. "Operationally, as a race team it was close to perfection."

‘Points ‘quite tough’ for Haas’;

https://f1i.com/news/502609-hulkenbe...p-car-dnf.html


Nico Hulkenberg: “Refreshing” Komatsu approach is working
March 7, 2024
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Haas benefiting from a new approach. During the Saudi Arabia GP Drivers’ Press Conference, Hulkenberg commented on Komatsu’s leadership:

“Yeah, obviously he didn’t have to settle or get to know the team. But I think he settled in well into his new position. He got thrown in the cold water, definitely. Obviously, a lot of new responsibilities and things he has to do are new to him.”

“But so far, I think he’s doing a very good job taking it all in, looking for the fastest way to performance. Also for the medium and long term. He’s got a lot of interesting and good ideas. So, yeah, it’s quite refreshing and feels positive so far.”

“Refreshing”;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...ch-is-working/


THE STRATEGIST: How Haas cleverly used Magnussen to allow Hulkenberg to snatch the final point in Jeddah
12 March 2024
Bernie Collins
Former Aston Martin Head of Race Strategy
Formula One - Official Site

So far in the 2024 season the top five teams (Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin) have a relatively comfortable pace advantage over the bottom five. Therefore in a race without incident or retirement there are no points on the table for the lower teams (Kick Sauber, RB, Haas, Williams and Alpine).

But on Saturday night in Jeddah, the retirement of Lance Stroll on Lap 6 not only triggered a Safety Car but also left a valuable point-scoring position up for grabs. Former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins explains how Haas worked together as a team – and switched their plan mid-race – to ensure this single precious point would be theirs…

The Jeddah result for Haas was described by some as being like a win for the team – and with a single point enough to promote them to P6 in the constructors’ standings, in a season when points for the second half of the field are likely to be rare, it's easy to see why.

‘THE STRATEGIST’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...b5FRE2bXJ.html


Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Race Recap
March 9, 2024
Haas F1 Team - Official Site

Nico Hulkenberg: “One point is worth a lot these days. It felt like a very clean race, and a really good race by the team strategy-wise. We split the cars during the Safety Car which was discussed before the race and that worked out well.”

Kevin Magnussen: “I showed good pace but unfortunately I got two penalties, so that’s not a great day for me of course, but I think I made up for it with the effort in keeping everyone behind to create a gap for Nico to pit. He scored a point so that’s super important…”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal: “Today was an amazing team effort and I’m so happy that it was from the great teamwork. We were fighting for P10 – one point – but against eight other drivers, so everything had to be perfect to take the opportunity.”

‘Race Recap’;

https://www.haasf1team.com/news/saud...x-race-recap-2


Hulkenberg praises Magnussen for ‘playing the team game’ to help Haas get off the mark in Saudi Arabia
13 March 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, cars hurtling at breath-taking speeds with fearless drivers pushing the limit lap after lap. But not for Haas in Saudi Arabia, who managed to score what could be an incredibly crucial World Championship point thanks to a strategy that involved Kevin Magnussen driving as slowly as possible.

That doesn’t tell the full story of course. The team had opted to split their strategies when the very early Safety car came out, with Magnussen pitting and Nico Hulkenberg staying out. That jumped the German up the order, but he knew he’d pay for it later on when he did pit.

But then came Magnussen’s two separate 10-second time penalties, one earned for pushing Alex Albon’s Williams into the wall when they were fighting for position, the next for running off track when battling Yuki Tsunoda and gaining a lasting advantage. With his race ruined, the team quickly saw their opportunity.

‘Playing the team game’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...JOO80jAtn.html

[Fortitude]

Ricciardo: RB car not ‘functioning at 100%’ as team discovers ‘ a few flaws’ with design.
RB have had a difficult start to the season. The team enter the third round of the season, still pointless and suffering from 'efficiency' issues.
March 14, 2024
Caitlyn Gordon
FormulaNerds

It was announced that AlphaTauri would be having a complete makeover in 2024. The team would be receiving a new team name, pivotal personnel joining and a closer bond with Red Bull. The new car would have access to components from its sister team in Milton Keynes, including the RB19 front suspension. This suggested that 2024 could see the team step up slightly and fight more closely with the midfield.

However, two races into the season, this hasn’t quite been the case. The team so far have been unsuccessful in the pursuit of points, Saudi Arabia was a particularly tough weekend for the team. Ricciardo qualified in 14th with Tsunoda up the ladder and starting in ninth. But, when the race went green it all went downhill. Ricciardo was hindered significantly when he pitted during a safety car on Lap 7.

Issues started to arise when fitting his rear tyres, causing the Australian to sit in the pit for 41 seconds. This ultimately cost him the race as the driver struggled to climb up the pecking order and finished the race in 16th. Tsunoda wasn’t having a good race either. The driver was issued with a five second penalty because of an unsafe release which saw him dropped him down to 15th.

‘A few flaws’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ri...s-with-design/


Daniel Ricciardo’s classic response to embarrassing mistake at Saudi Arabian GP
14 Mar 2024 2:30 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

After RB’s 40s pit stop, Daniel Ricciardo has joked his late-race spin in Saudi Arabia was because he “didn’t want the team to feel left out”. Qualifying 14th for round two of the championship where he was half a second down on his team-mate, Ricciardo’s chances of working his way into the points were undone by a 40-second pit stop that RB put down to a “problem with the tyres”.

He joked he spun to make the team feel better about their earlier mistake. “I didn’t want the team to feel left out,” he said with a smile. Asked if it was a case of losing concentration, he replied: “The spin? Yeah, maybe. I stayed… I don’t know. I did just take a bit too much kerb, which caused the spin. I’m not intending on taking that much kerb.”

“You could say just probably a little bit of frustration, maybe on my part. But of course, I’m not trying to spin. So yeah, I don’t know. No excuses. But doing some work. I’ll use that as an excuse.” But calling his Jeddah weekend a “painful three days”, Ricciardo revealed RB had found some limitations with their new RB01 over the course of the weekend.

‘ “I didn’t want the team to feel left out,” he said with a smile!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/daniel...udi-arabian-gp


Podcast: Ricciardo's slow start and F1's driver logjam
Mar 14, 2024
The Race

Daniel Ricciardo's performances for RB are discussed on the latest episode of The Race F1 Podcast after he was given the hurry-up by Red Bull's Helmut Marko.

With Ricciardo so far outperformed by team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, we ask whether his bid to earn a Red Bull Racing seat is losing momentum, and even whether he might be at risk of being replaced mid-season given the company's history.

‘Ricciardo's slow start’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/t...young-drivers/


‘Question marks are there’ - Daniel Ricciardo issued another warning over F1 future
One legendary F1 team boss isn't convinced by Daniel Ricciardo since his final year with McLaren.
14 Mar 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Legendary F1 team boss Eddie Jordan isn’t convinced Daniel Ricciardo has recovered from his gruelling spell at McLaren following a difficult start to the 2024 season. Speaking on the latest episode of the Formula for Success podcast, Jordan questioned whether he’d want to sign Ricciardo if he was a current team owner.

“I don’t think there’s a more loved personality in F1,” Jordan said. “Certainly got the best smile I have ever seen in F1. He’s a magic guy to have in a team. But that doesn’t give you the right to be the driver in the team and I am just worried that the end of the McLaren era was really something that stood out and I couldn’t see where he’d lost it.”

“There’s been nothing since then that convinces me that I would want to invest my hard earned sponsorship cash to keep Daniel.” Jordan suggested that with talents like Oliver Bearman waiting in the wings, Ricciardo needs to up his game to avoid being replaced. “He needs a result more than anyone perhaps,” he added. “He needs to get it together because otherwise he’s going to be replaced. He can understand why he would be replaced because the performances are not just there.”

‘Question marks are there’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104564...over-f1-future


Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo takes advice from UFC legend Alex Volkanovski on how to tackle Australian Grand Prix
Published: 13:29, 14 Mar 2024
Updated: 13:29, 14 Mar 2024
Jake Lambourne
talkSPORT

Daniel Ricciardo will have Alex Volkanovski to thank should he win his first Australian Grand Prix later this month. The Formula 1 star is yet to even get on the podium in his home GP, but following some tips from the UFC legend, that could soon change. Taking to Instagram, the former featherweight champion spoke to a cardboard cutout of his Aussie compatriot.

Volkanovski offered some words of advice to the Visa Cash App RB driver, who has struggled in his opening two races of the 2024 season having finished 13th and 16th, respectively. The 35-year-old said: "So what you do is, when you’re coming around the corner, you want to brake as late as you can. Not too late, where you’re gonna slide out as you're turning, but just before.”

"You want to slow down as late as you can get to get them extra seconds. "And then you're going to curl around and get some speed, you’ll make some time on that. There’s a couple of tips from The Volk.”

‘Volkanovski offered some words of advice to a cardboard cutout of his Aussie compatriot, Daniel Ricciardo’;

https://talksport.com/sport/1788927/...australian-gp/


Helmut Marko issues “has to come up with something soon” warning for Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo "has to come up with something soon", Red Bull's Helmut Marko has warned.
12 Mar 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has ramped up the pressure on RB F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo to improve his performances. Writing in a column for Speedweek, Marko made it clear that he expects more from Ricciardo, who has started 2024 on the back foot compared to Tsunoda.

“There’s a lot at stake this season for both Yuki and Daniel,” Marko said. “Yuki’s qualifying was very good, and Ricciardo has to come up with something soon… At least Tsunoda is very good in qualifying. Then they are in the points in the first stint, only to fall further behind afterwards…”

“Whether they are putting too much strain on the tyres or there are other reasons is what you need to find out.”

“Has to come up with something soon”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104559...niel-ricciardo

[Fortitude]

‘That was a mistake’: Eddie Jordan says Alpine will regret how quickly they sacked ‘talented’ 59-year-old.
Laurent Rossi left his post as Alpine CEO last summer, and then the team sacked team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Thu 14 March 2024 20:00
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Alpine made a mistake by sacking a ‘talented’ member of their hierarchy, former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan says. There has been a huge turnover in personnel behind-the-scenes at Alpine since last summer. But speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, Jordan pinpointed one departure that has been particularly impactful.

Chief technical officer Pat Fry then jumped ship to Williams, and there were further changes before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last week. Technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer became the latest to bid farewell.

Alpine, who scored 120 points to finish sixth in last year’s championship, are rooted to the bottom of the current constructors’ standings. They are one of four teams yet to score, but the others have all posted better results.

‘Alpine will regret how quickly they sacked…’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/edd...d-59-year-old/


Alpine alarm bells as Esteban Ocon reveals true moment of the troubles ahead
14 Mar 2024 4:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Esteban Ocon has revealed Alpine knew back in December already that there was “some issues” with the A524 that they needed to fix. Alpine’s start to 2024 has been blighted by an overweight and slow Renault-powered car with the team yet to score a single point.

In the simulator in December,” the Frenchman said as per RacingNews365. “I think that’s when we realised that there was some issues that we needed to fix. And you know, that’s probably when did realise it.” All Alpine can do now is take it step by step as they look to haul themselves off the bottom of the log.

“I think the whole year, you know, we need to improve, step by step,” Ocon added. “Obviously, it’s going to take time, it’s not going to be something overnight. There is a plan to bring updates throughout the year. So, hopefully, after every update, we’re going to make steps.”

‘Alpine alarm bells back in December’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/esteba...-a524-troubles


‘Internally exploding’: F1 team with two race-winning drivers is now ‘internally exploding’
Thu 14 March 2024 09:00
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Formula 1 expert Gary Anderson has offered a damning verdict on the current crisis at Alpine. The Enstone outfit are in a state of dysfunction on and off the race track at the moment. And Anderson, speaking on The Race F1 Tech Show, argued that the team was feeling the effects of the instability.

Gary Anderson says Alpine seem to be losing ‘everybody’: Anderson noted that many of the people who have left Alpine have come from ‘the top end of the company’. He gets the sense from the outside that they’re ‘internally exploding’ after they dropped to the back of the grid. They had finished sixth in last year’s championship with 120 points, having scored two podiums.

He said: “On the other end of the scale, you’ve got Alpine, who you could say are internally exploding. They could have shut the factory down and less people would have left than have done over the last little while! Everybody seems to be going out the door, especially at the top end of the company, all the technical people and such – one way or another, whether they’re being got rid of, or [they’ve] just walked out.”

‘Internally exploding’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/f1-...lly-exploding/


Alpine reveal thinking behind new three-pronged tech approach
Alpine has undergone a series of changes to its technical staff shortly after a difficult start to the current Formula 1 season.
14 March 6:30PM
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

Alpine Team Principal Bruno Famin has explained why his squad has implemented a trio of technical directors shortly after the start of the 2024 Formula 1 season. RacingNews365 revealed earlier this month that Technical Director Matt Harman and Head of Aerodynamics Dirk de Beer had handed in their resignations.

Following the season-opening round in Bahrain, Alpine announced it had set up a new technical structure, with three individuals overseeing separate areas. They are Technical Director (Performance) Ciaron Pilbeam, Technical Director (Aerodynamics) David Wheater and Technical Director (Engineering) Joe Burnell. Explaining why it has opted to go down that route, Famin said: “We really want to bring to the factories what we have done on the track side by the end of the last season.”

“I mean changing the mindset, unleashing the creativity, and having three technical directors makes the organisation much more horizontal, much less vertical. More activity, more agility, and the motto is really to develop our people. We have very talented people and we want them to bring as much as they can to the project, to the team, to the company.”

‘New three-pronged tech approach’;

https://racingnews365.com/alpine-exp...staff-overhaul


“Shock” of poor start to season showed need for change at Alpine – Famin
14th March 2024, 13:23
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Alpine team principal Bruno Famin says the team’s uncompetitive start to the year showed changes were needed in their technical division. “We really want to bring to the factories what we have done on the track-side by the end of the last season. I mean changing the mindset, unleashing the creativity.”

“Having three technical directors makes the organisation much more horizontal, much less vertical. More activity, more agility. The motto is really to develop our people. We have very talented people and we want them to bring as much as they can to the project, to the team, to the company.”

“Shock”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/14/...-alpine-famin/


‘Disappointing for everyone’ – Gasly reflects on ‘very difficult time’ for Alpine after early exit in Jeddah.
Pierre Gasly was left to rue a lack of track time at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix following his retirement from the race just one lap in, with the Frenchman admitting that Alpine need to “find solutions” following a challenging start to the year.
13 March 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Pierre Gasly was left to rue a lack of track time at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix following his retirement from the race just one lap in, with the Frenchman admitting that Alpine need to “find solutions” following a challenging start to the year.

Ahead of the upcoming Australian Grand Prix – which takes place from March 22-24 – Gasly is clear on what the squad need to focus on as they await further upgrades during the season.

"We know we’ve got to find more performance, we’ve got to understand more about this new car,” he explained. “We need to find solutions, and for that we need to run and try to gather as much data as possible, so I think it’s quite clear.”

‘Disappointing for everyone’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...NFYzQnFU2.html

[Fortitude]

Saudi Arabian GP: Frustrating race for Williams Racing.
In what was a frustrating race for a variety of reasons the Williams Racing Team would see Alex Albon finish in 11th and Logan Sargeant 15th.
March 10 2024
By Williams Racing
WilliamsF1 Supporters

Logan Sargeant: "It was a decent race with a good 35 laps; however, we didn’t quite have the pace needed for the last 15 laps. I was starting to explore the potential towards the end of the race, but it was a bit too late.

Alex Albon: "It’s frustrating to not be fighting for points today, finishing just outside in P11. Haas did a great job with strategy using Kevin to hold up the group, which was very smart.

Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance: "Today was one those incredibly frustrating races. Alex had a superb start and was ahead of the Ferrari but got caught in traffic at T1 and, crucially, lost a place to Magnussen.

‘Frustrating race’;

https://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s107/st205706.htm


Sargeant ‘struggled to find the potential’ of his Williams in latter stages in Jeddah
09 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Logan Sargeant said he had “a good 35 laps” in Saudi Arabia, but reckoned he could have picked off a few more cars ahead if he’d had a better end to the race. The Williams driver eventually finished in P15.

‘Struggled to find the potential’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...342924091.html


Williams: Sargeant's seat not dependent on early season success
13/03/2024 at 09:53
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Williams team boss James Vowles highlighted the importance for Logan Sargeant to deliver good results this year, but the Briton denied the American is at risk of losing his seat in F1 if he fails to impress in the early part of the season.

“It's important to him to get good results,” Vowles told the media in Jeddah last weekend. “The only thing I would say is it's not the early-on bit.”

“What we have to see from him is progress as we continue on. Early on implies that there's a risk if he's not performing after three races that something will happen, and that's simply not the case.”

‘Deliver good results this year’;

https://f1i.com/news/502587-williams...n-success.html


‘Very, very possible’: Williams could now hand seat to F2 star who’s ‘destined to be in F1’
Thu 14 March 2024 12:30
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Williams could promote an F2 talent to an F1 seat for the 2025 season, ESPN’s Laurence Edmondson says. Alex Albon is under contract until the end of next year, but Logan Sargeant’s deal is up at the end of the current campaign.

Edmondson said: “Antonelli – there’s that Mercedes option. If not, there could be a Williams option. “Both of those are very, very possible. Antonelli hasn’t had the perfect start to F2, but we saw, even with Piastri, his first half of the year in F2, he was still finding his feet a bit, and it was the second half where he really accelerated.”

“If Antonelli can do something similar, I think he’s going to put forward a very, very strong case. He’s destined to be in F1 anyway, whether it’s a second year in F2 next year. I don’t think that’s really going to hold him back that much, he’ll still make it there eventually.”

‘Destined to be in F1’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wil...d-to-be-in-f1/


Single win for Williams while Red Bull rack up 114 in 20 seasons to overtake them
12th March 2024, 13:36
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Red Bull scored their 114th grand prix victory last weekend, giving them more wins than Williams. Since Red Bull entered Formula 1 20 years ago, Williams has only won a single grand prix.

Williams scored their penultimate victory in the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix – the last race before Red Bull’s arrival at the beginning of the following year. Red Bull’s ascendancy over the following years coincided with Williams’ decline.

Sebastian Vettel gave Red Bull their first grand prix victory at Shanghai in 2009. Three years later, while the new kids on the block were piling up championship silverware, Williams took their most recent win courtesy of Pastor Maldonado at the Circuit de Catalunya.

‘Williams 114, Red Bull 115’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/12/...overtake-them/


Red Bull surpass Williams to become the F1 constructor with the fourth most race wins
After a record-breaking 2023 F1 season, Red Bull continue their winning streak and overtake Williams in the constructors’ all-time F1 race wins list
20:05 Mon, 11 Mar 2024
Hannah May
FormulaNerds

Following Max Verstappen’s victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Red Bull added a 115th win to their record, putting them ahead of Williams’ 114. Since the first Formula 1 race in 1950, there have been a total of 171 constructors who have competed. Red Bull are currently fourth in the constructors’ list of F1 grand prix winners.

‘Total wins: 5th Place, Williams’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/re...ost-race-wins/

[Fortitude]

Sauber to address F1 pit issues after second disastrous stop.
The Sauber Formula 1 team is working to resolve its pit stop issues after both of its drivers lost time in the first two races of the season.

16:48 Tue, 12 Mar 2024.
Adam Cooper
Oleg Karpov
Motorsport.com

Valtteri Bottas lost almost 50 seconds at his second stop in the Bahrain GP with a cross-threading issue at the front axle. In last weekend’s Saudi Arabian race Zhou Guanyu was delayed by a similar problem for around 25 seconds when he pitted.

Team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi confirmed that the team is working on addressing the problem. "First of all, for me, it's very important to say that was not the mistake of our mechanics or crew, they are doing a really good job,” the Italian told Motorsport.com.

“We know that we have a problem, we have an issue that has been the same in Bahrain on Valtteri's car, and this time on Zhou's car. So we have investigated, and we are working to fix this problem as soon as possible. And we are revising the parts in order to not have this problem again in the next races.”

‘Working to fix this problem’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/s...stop/10586729/


Bottas demands improvement after Stake F1 'wake-up call'
Zhou Guanyu experienced a similar pit-stop issue during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that Valtteri Bottas suffered from in the Bahrain season-opener.
11 March 8:30PM
Nick Golding & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Valtteri Bottas has conceded Stake F1's disappointing race pace and pit-stop dramas are a "wake-up call".. Points-scoring opportunities will be coming at a premium this season with the F1 midfield as close as ever.

The pecking order will likely yo-yo in the same way as last year, where the in-season development race dictated the leaderboard at various stages of the campaign. "I think we've got some bits coming for Australia and at least now we have two weeks to try and solve the pitstop issue we have," explained Bottas.

"I think it was the same issue with Zhou with a cross threading, so that's something we need to fix because even if we make the car faster, if we have long pitstops, then it's not ideal."

'Wake-up call';

https://racingnews365.com/poor-race-...up-call-bottas


Bottas: Struggling Sauber F1 team needed Jeddah "wake-up call"
12:15 Wed, 13 Mar 2024.
Adam Cooper
Motorsport.com

The Swiss outfit has twice been hit by expensive pitstop issues, with Bottas delayed in Bahrain and his team-mate Zhou Guanyu affected in Saudi Arabia. "I think it needs to be a wake-up call,” said Bottas when asked by Motorsport.com about the team’s disappointing start to the season.

“Obviously, it's only race two out of 24 and we've got things coming in the pipeline. But we definitely need to improve, not just the pace, but also operationally, now we've had both drivers having big issue on pitstops in two races.”

“I think we've got some bits coming for Australia. Now we have two weeks to try and solve the pitstop issue. It was the same issue with Zhou with a cross threading. So that's something we need to fix, because even if we make the car faster, if we have long pitstops then it's not ideal.”

"Wake-up call";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/b...call/10586877/


Bottas: Sauber must improve both pace and execution
13:23 Tue, 12 Mar 2024.
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Valtteri Bottas and the Sauber team are facing a harsh reality check after a disappointing start to the Swiss outfit’s 2024 F1 campaign. Shedding some light on Sauber’s troubles, Bottas revealed that the team is currently battling with severe tyre warm-up issues, which forced the Finn to make an additional pit stop compared to his rivals in last Saturday’s race.

This highlights a fundamental problem with the car's setup or design that needs urgent attention. “We thought for us going softs and hard would be the best, trying to be aggressive with the stop lap, but in the end, the issue was the hard compound,” he explained.”

“We couldn’t make it work, we couldn’t create enough temperature and it took like at least 15 laps to get some kind of temperature and by that time we’d lost too much. So, that was unexpected and, actually, that’s why I did two stops, we tried the softs at the end to see if it worked better, it did but it was too late.”

‘Currently battling with severe tyre warm-up issues’;

https://f1i.com/news/502551-bottas-s...execution.html


From Alfa to Audi: Sauber’s F1 transition hits the rocks
March 15, 2024
Andrew Maitland
Grandpx.news

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix emerged as a significant alarm for the team, previously branded as Alfa Romeo, now owned by Audi, signaling urgent introspection and strategic revamps. “Sauber does not seem to be able to exploit its full potential yet,” observed Auto Motor und Sport magazine, highlighting the growing pains associated with technological shifts and strategic recalibrations.

Echoing a longstanding critique, Roger Benoit of Blick newspaper persistently underscores the necessity for foundational changes within Sauber. He provocatively queries, “What can be changed and improved as quickly as possible with a view to 2026?”

He further insists on the imperative leadership of CEO Andreas Seidl, emphasizing, “The CEO (Andreas) Seidl finally has to go to the front line and take responsibility.” Benoit’s critique doesn’t stop there, as he articulates the fans’ frustration with recurrent setbacks, concluding that the root issue lies either with the car or the drivers’ performance.

‘Hits the rocks’;

https://grandpx.news/from-alfa-to-au...its-the-rocks/


Valtteri Bottas ‘concerned’ by what Stake F1 Team Sauber driver saw in Saudi Arabian GP
Sat 16 March 2024 10:30
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Valtteri Bottas is ‘concerned’ by what the Stake F1 Team Sauber driver saw from Max Verstappen and Red Bull over the Bahrain GP and the Saudi Arabian GP to start 2024.

The new season is already looking worryingly similar to how 2023 developed for Bottas after seeing Verstappen and Red Bull enjoy a ‘clean sweep’ over the first two rounds. Sergio Perez has followed his teammate home with a one-two finish in Sakhir and Jeddah without a fight.

No driver has come close to threatening Verstappen, who can match his win-streak record at the Australian GP. His Saudi Arabian GP win moved the 26-year-old to nine in a row since the 2023 Japanese GP. He won a record 10 straight from the Miami GP to the Italian GP last year.

‘Valtteri Bottas concerned’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/val...di-arabian-gp/

[Fortitude]

Leclerc predicts Ferrari on course to catch Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc insists that it's just "a matter of time" before Ferrari is able to catch the dominant Red Bull team at the front of the field.
16/03/2024 at 10:38
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

Charles Leclerc insists that it's just "a matter of time" before Ferrari is able to catch the dominant Red Bull team at the front of the field. "The gap is still quite big, but if we keep working like that then I'm sure it's just a matter of time before we put the Red Bull under a bit more pressure," he told Formula1.com and other media in the Jeddah paddock.

Despite his confidence, Leclerc was careful to manage expectations and not get carried away with how things are going, suggesting there is unlikely to be any further immediate progress at the next race in Australia.

"I don't think we'll have many things new in Melbourne," he acknowledged. "So without new things in Melbourne, I think we are doing a good job by maximising our package at the moment.”

"A matter of time";

https://f1i.com/news/502715-leclerc-...-red-bull.html


Leclerc: Ferrari on right trajectory to catch and pressure Red Bull in 2024
Red Bull are still the dominant force in Formula 1, with reigning world champion Max Verstappen comfortably winning the opeining two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
March 15, 2024
Nathan Hartley
FormulaNerds

Despite finishing 18 seconds adrift of Verstappen in Jeddah, the Monegasque still sees positives. The Ferrari driver believes that his team has made progress from last season, leading to him believing that his team can put pressure on Red Bull as the season progresses.

“It’s been a positive race. I think we are doing small steps in the right direction,” Leclerc said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. “If I look back the last six, seven months, we are the team that has improved the most and we are slowly closing the gap.” The 26-year-old admits that the gap between themselves and Red Bull is still “quite big”. However, that has not killed his optimism for the rest of the 2024 season:

“The gap is still quite big, but if we keep working like that, I’m sure it’s a matter of time before we put the Red Bull under a bit more pressure.” Leclerc admitted that the team won’t be able to make inroads on Red Bull in Melbourne next week. The Scuderia are not bringing “many new parts” to the Australian Grand Prix. The Monegasque emphasised how “three or four tenths” is “a lot” in the world of motorsport.

‘Ferrari on right trajectory’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/le...-bull-in-2024/


Leclerc: "A matter of time" before Ferrari puts Red Bull under pressure in F1
Charles Leclerc believes it's "a matter of time" before Ferrari can start putting Red Bull under pressure in Formula 1.
08:47 Fri, 15 Mar 2024.
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com

While Leclerc's 18-second deficit to Verstappen in Jeddah could still be seen as disheartening, the Monegasque says Ferrari's progress compared to last season is a sign that it can start putting some pressure on Red Bull if it continues that trajectory.

"It's been a positive race. I think we are doing small steps in the right direction," Leclerc said. "If I look back the last six, seven months, we are the team that has improved the most and we are slowly closing the gap. The gap is still quite big, but if we keep working like that, I'm sure it's a matter of time before we put the Red Bull under a bit more pressure."

"I don't think we'll have many things new in Melbourne, so without new things in Melbourne, I think we are doing a good job by maximising our package at the moment," Leclerc cautioned. "So, that's where we are. We'll probably have to wait and see whenever we have new parts to the car, what kind of step we do forward. And hopefully that will bring us closer to Red Bull."

"A matter of time";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/l...e-f1/10587047/


Ferrari chairman Elkann pleased with team’s “better start”
15th March 2024, 0:01
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

Elkann pleased with Ferrari’s “better start”: After two podiums over the opening two races of the 2024 F1 season behind the dominant Red Bulls, Ferrari chairman John Elkann says he is encouraged by the team’s performance so far. “Certainly if one looks at where we were a year ago this championship is off to a better start,” Elkann told Sky. “As always the important thing is to try to improve, to progress and this is the dynamic that is felt in Ferrari at the moment.”

Elkann also expressed his excitement about the team’s signing of Lewis Hamiltonfor 2025. “I have also said publicly over the years how much Lewis Hamilton is a great driver and how much he has done for Formula 1. That he will join Ferrari is an important sign of how much he believes he can do great things with Ferrari.”

“Better start”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/15/...nd-up-15-03-6/


Can Ferrari, Winningest Team in F1 History, Get Back on Track?
March 16, 2024 10:25am
By Viju Mathew
Sportico

James Allen, author of “Ferrari: From Inside and Outside,” talks about the Prancing Horse, Formula 1’s growth, and what it takes to be champion.

This year marks the 74th anniversary of Formula 1, the ne plus ultra of motorsport, and James Allen has been covering more than 30 of those seasons as a journalist, broadcaster, and industry insider. In doing so, he’s seen Maranello’s scuderia go through its share of heydays and humiliation, and witnessed the sport’s recent acceleration into the global consciousness.

In your opinion, does Ferrari’s current Formula 1 team have the ingredients to replicate past glory? That’s a tricky question to answer. They have the resources. They have, I believe, a very good, strong leader in Fred Vasseur, who knows what it takes to succeed in motorsport. And they’ve got the drivers in Leclerc and Sainz to take on the best in Formula 1. But they have a fair amount of politics they have to deal with. It’s really about keeping stability within the team and giving it protection from outside forces, which is always the key bit to get right.

‘Get Back on Track?’;

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