2024 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Why the 'persuasive' Lawrence Stroll is actually a strength of Aston Martin.
Since the arrival of Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin has been making improvements. The owner of the Formula 1 team was perhaps the main reason that Adrian Newey decided to join the British team. What makes Stroll so special? Mike Krack explained it in an exclusive interview with GPblog.com.
02 Oct 2024
Tim Kraaij
GPblog.com

"Lawrence's passion and commitment and enthusiasm is very endearing. It's very persuasive. The reality is if you go back 20 years, then what we now call team principles are actually the owners of the teams. Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Eddie Jordan etc. In this modern era, then Lawrence is actually unique in being the only properly active team owner. It's a different feeling when you have somebody like Lawrence involved like that. It's back to the old school model," Newey revealed at the press conference at Silverstone.

"It's fantastic. Especially as I have worked in the corporate world for a couple of years and when you see how quickly we can make decisions without having to prepare a pack or whatever. You can just go there and say this is what we want to do, and within ten seconds, you can go and do it or not," Krack stated in a conversation with GPblog.

"This flexibility came to light when we started a collaboration with Fernando [Alonso]. It was a matter of hours where other structures might take three months to decide. I think in the case of Fernando, his situation was dragging, dragging, dragging and we just made facts. This is only possible with someone at the top like Lawrence, who has a clear mind, a clear vision and he's a strong leader. He just says this is what we're going to do and this is what is an asset of this team."

'Persuasive Lawrence Stroll is actually a strength of Aston Martin’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30439...on-martin.html


‘In my career’: Fernando Alonso has ‘never seen before’ in F1 what’s happened at Aston Martin
Oct 2024
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Fernando Alonso had ‘never’ seen an owner like Lawrence Stroll in F1 before joining Aston Martin. While Alonso won two titles with Renault, won races with Ferrari and drove for McLaren as a title-contending team and as a recovering outfit, the Oviedo native had never seen the same commitment from a team’s ownership as he has with Lawrence Stroll at Aston Martin.

“I think Aston Martin are the most determined team I have been in in my career,” he stated, via quotes by AS. “The commitment of this team, the vision of our leader Lawrence Stroll, is something I have never seen before. And probably the results that Aston Martin have achieved in three years since it has existed are also unprecedented with eight podiums last year, and now the signing of Adrian Newey.”

“Most determined team I have been in in my career”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...-aston-martin/


Alonso urges Aston Martin shake-up despite Newey arrival
29 Sep 2024
Nick Golding & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Fernando Alonso has urged Aston Martin to make changes for the 2025 F1 season despite the upcoming arrival of Adrian Newey. Aston Martin is fifth in the table, over 200 points adrift of fourth-placed Mercedes, and a comfortable 52 points clear of RB. It is a shadow of the team which claimed eight podiums last season, alerting Alonso that the Silverstone-based outfit needs a boost for next year before Newey's arrival, albeit with his primary focus on 2026.

"I think 2026 is in our hands for everyone at Aston Martin," Alonso told media including RacingNews365. "The biggest hope with Adrian [Newey] coming, Enrico [Cardile], some of the names. So this is going to be great. The future looks bright, but for 2025 we need to shake things a little bit. I mean, it's not good enough what we are doing right now. 2025 we need to change."

‘Make changes for the 2025 F1 season’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-urg...-newey-arrival


Alonso: Third F1 title my "only priority", wants Dakar return over Indy 500
Oct 2, 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com

"I attempted Indy 500 three times and didn't succeed. It's the only one missing [from the triple crown]. But at the moment, it's not in my plan," Alonso said at an event of Aston's sponsor Cognizant. "I'm very, very focused [on] Formula 1 now. For the next two or three years, I want to win the third world title. This is my first and only priority at the moment.”

"Only priority";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...-500/10659734/


Villeneuve says "exceptional drivers" can only drive cars designed by Newey
3 Oct 2024
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com

Jacques Villeneuve believes that only "exceptional drivers" can properly compete in cars designed by Adrian Newey. "From my experience, Newey has always built cars that need to be driven very precisely," started the 1997 world champion. "His cars have always had a narrow operating window, but if you found that operating window, the cars were super fast. It is not a car for everyone. He makes cars for exceptional drivers and the exceptional drivers will make a big difference in these cars; the ordinary driver will suffer," Villeneuve indicated to Marca.

"The key now for Fernando [Alonso] is to 'survive' long enough to get a winning car," Villeneuve continues, knowing that 2026 will be the season that Aston Martin are looking towards. "You don't do that by beating [Lance] Stroll by a second a lap. Part of Fernando's job there is to help Lance improve. His job there is not necessarily to become champion himself, he has to make Aston Martin champion. That's why Newey is joining the team."

"Exceptional drivers";

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30462...gulations.html


Newey explains why he opted for 'old school' Aston Martin, rather than joining Hamilton in 2025 move to Ferrari
4 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Adrian Newey has given a revealing insight into why he chose to join Aston Martin for next year, despite having been linked with a move to Ferrari where he could have teamed up with Lewis Hamilton in 2025. Indeed, Hamilton himself stated that it would be a “privilege” to work with Newey, comments that the Briton admitted he was “very flattered” by.

Newey was asked how seriously he had entertained the prospect of signing with Ferrari, as well as being quizzed on why he ultimately plumped for the Silverstone outfit instead. “I think from my part, I was very flattered by the number of teams that did approach me,” Newey explained. “I had discussions with some of those teams, not all of them. In the end, it became a very clear and natural choice, for all the reasons I stated earlier in the conference.”

“Towards the end of April, I decided that I needed to do something different,” the 65-year-old conceded. “I spent a lot of time with Mandy, my wife, kind of discussing what’s next… What do we do? Do we go off and sail around the world? Do I do something different? We took a bit of time out. I felt that I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved what I aspired to from the age of 10 or 12, which was simply to be a designer – I didn’t even know the word engineer – in motor racing.”

‘Opted for 'old school' Aston Martin’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...0Fxi4Uy3neiTqk


Aston Martin 'encouraged' by Honda collaboration: 'They are really pushing'
29 Sep 2024
Toby Nixon
GPblog.com

Japanese manufacturer Honda will supply engines for Aston Martin from 2026. Mike Krack, Aston Martin's team boss, ran media through the latest updates in the project, as he is very excited by the progress that has been made between his team and champion engine supplier Honda. "No, no, the meetings that are coming up are just a sequence of meetings that have been planned since we started the collaboration. There is no, this is not a kick-off or a start, this has been, this goes on for long already," he revealed after the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Aston Martin team boss is very pleased with how things have been going so far. "Very well, very well. It's very encouraging, they are really, they are racers. They are pushing, pushing, pushing and the same goes for the collaboration with Aramco, so we have like a tripartite collaboration there, which works really well", the team principal concluded.

Mike Krack: "But again, you know, it's not the collaboration that matters, it's the result at the end of the day." Concluded Krack. Currently, Aston Martin finds itself in fifth place in the constructors standings with 86 points. The British team are 243 points behind fourth-placed Mercedes but still sits 52 points ahead of closest challengers VCARB.

'They are really pushing';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30406...-for-2026.html


Cycling sprint legend Sir Mark Cavendish KBE named Aston Martin’s first High Performance Ambassador
2 Oct 2024
Aston Martin (Press Release)

British sporting legend, Sir Mark Cavendish becomes the first person to take on the new role of Global High Performance ambassador at Aston Martin

‘High Performance Ambassador’;

https://www.astonmartin.com/en-gb/ou...nce-ambassador

[Fortitude]

Lawson reflects on terrible Singapore weekend.
Having just been confirmed as a replacement for Daniel Ricciardo at the Visa Cash App RB outfit, Liam Lawson has reflected on the "terrible" race weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix.
2 Oct 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Speaking to New Zealand's radio station Newstalk ZB, Lawson has opened up on the atmosphere at the Faenza-based outfit during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, revealing that it was strange given the looming announcement. "The weekend in Singapore was not pleasant at all because obviously we all knew what was going to happen.”

“At the same time, Daniel has always been very good to me when I drove in his place last year. And even this season he was a person with whom I never felt that I was in competition for the seat. So, on the weekend the feelings were terrible. On the other hand, the opportunity to drive in Formula 1 comes only once, and for me, it has come now.”

"So I can only be grateful to Red Bull for the opportunity and feel the need to take it with both hands. He also told me the same thing, he told me that I have to get the most out of this chance that was given to me."

“Not pleasant at all”;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/25556


Marko: Red Bull will consider its juniors, not Russell, for the future
Despite Russell’s Mercedes contract ending in a year’s time, Marko says Red Bull is focusing on its proteges
4 Oct 2024
Ben Vinel
Motorsport.com

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says the Austrian brand will mainly look at its junior drivers for the future, rather than established Formula 1 stars. "George Russell is on a par with [Lewis] Hamilton in qualifying, if not faster," Marko admitted in an interview with Motorsport.com's sister publication Formel1.de. "But Russell is Mercedes-Benz-affiliated, and now we are focusing on our juniors.”

"We see this with [Franco] Colapinto, for example, he was relatively inexperienced and not very successful in the junior series, although it has to be said that he never had the best teams, but what an incredible performance he is putting in now.”

"And now let's see what our juniors or even a Yuki Tsunoda can do. He can also be described as a junior. But as I mentioned earlier, how does he compare to a Lawson?"

‘Mainly look at its junior drivers for the future’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...ture/10660016/


Report: Why Pierre Gasly had a ‘reputation for being difficult’ within Red Bull before Helmut Marko sacked him
4 Oct 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Pierre Gasly felt the full force of Red Bull’s notorious ruthlessness in 2019. He would last just half a season alongside Max Verstappen before a demotion back to Toro Rosso. The Frenchman had impressed at the junior team, scoring 29 of their 33 points in 2018 – his first full season. With Daniel Ricciardo making a shock move to Renault, Red Bull continued their policy of promoting from within.

The ‘excessive’ requests Pierre Gasly made that annoyed Red Bull management. According to The Race, Red Bull staff found it ‘difficult’ to work with Gasly during his brief stay. This may have contributed to his swift exit. He apparently demanded extremely specific tweaks to the configuration of his car. And perhaps most significantly, he ‘publicly’ challenged the team’s leadership over their issues.

‘Extremely specific tweaks to the configuration of his car’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/why...ko-sacked-him/


Tsunoda forced to end his demo run in Taiwan with engine issues
05 Oct 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Completing his first demonstration run in Taiwan last weekend, Visa Cash RB driver Yuki Tsunoda was forced to end his on-track activity with engine issues.

Tsunoda's day took a premature end as he was forced to abandon his donuts in the Red Bull early in a fiery moment. The Red Bull crew needed to run over to extinguish the smoke and flames which were emerging from the RB8. Speaking of his experience behind the wheel of an V8-powered F1 car, Tsunoda noted: "That was amazing. Thank you for a lot of support.”

“I saw a lot of people waving their flags, waving their hands. Definitely I saw every single moment and I hope you guys enjoyed the first Formula 1 [event] in Taiwan. I tried my best. I’m sure you guys enjoyed V6 [sic] sound! Actually first time me as well driving a V8, so yeah, it was amazing. Thank you for the support. It was a nice, successful event.”

‘Extinguish the smoke and flames’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/25564


Marko slates 'outdated' philosophy of F1 rivals
Red Bull has made a habit of promoting its junior drivers. Why, questions Helmut Marko, have other teams not done the same?
4 Oct 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

Helmut Marko has derided the philosophy of Red Bull's F1 rivals as 'outdated' when it comes to the promotion of junior drivers. Red Bull has made a habit over the years of giving drivers who have climbed the ladder via its Red Bull Academy an opportunity in F1, with some notable examples such as Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo, amongst others.

It has to be said, however, that Red Bull has long been in the fortuitous position of having its 'sister' team - Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri, and now RB - to trial young blood before promoting to the senior outfit, unlike other teams. Nevertheless, Marko has applauded Mercedes boss Toto Wolff for giving Kimi Antonelli a shot at F1 next year after his remarkable rise, whilst Williams has blooded Franco Colapinto this season after axing Logan Sargeant, although the Argentinian does not have a full-time drive for next year.

Marko's comments stem from the fact Liam Lawson is being given the final six grands prix of this year to prove himself after a decision was taken to drop veteran Daniel Ricciardo. "We will evaluate how he compares to Yuki Tsunoda and then we will see what happens," said Marko, via his Speedweek column.

'Outdated';

https://racingnews365.com/marko-slat...y-of-f1-rivals

[Fortitude]

“Unfiltered”: Guenther Steiner’s tales of life in charge of Haas reviewed.
Drive to Survive had already given Guenther Steiner sufficient celebrity status to allow him to put out a book, 2023’s Surviving to Drive, which covered the team’s 2022 season.
29 Sep 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

The opening sections on how Haas entered F1 therefore prove the most engaging... Why did Haas gain a place at the table eight years ago when F1 is now so hostile to new entrants? Don’t expect to gain any useful perspective reading this.

Prolific swearing is still very much key to Steiner’s schtick, so Mohammed Ben Sulayem should look away now. Actually, the FIA president might be best advised to avoid it altogether, as Steiner has some choice words about his performance in the role compared to his predecessor.

Steiner is unequivocal about where he places the blame for Haas’s slump to last-place finishes in 2021 and 2023: a lack of investment by Gene Haas beyond the initial entry into F1, in particular the mothballing of the team’s facilities during the pandemic.

“Unfiltered”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/09/29/...haas-reviewed/


Steiner victorious after Haas copyright lawsuit gets dismissed in court
Despite leaving the team at the start of the season, an ongoing legal battle has been going on between Steiner and his former team Haas...
The Californian court rules in favour of Guenther Steiner after legal battle with former team Haas over his book.
28 Sep 2024
Caitlyn Gordon
FormulaNerds

At the start of May, it was revealed that Steiner had launched a lawsuit against his former team Haas due to unpaid commissions spanning from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2023. Steiner claimed that Haas owed him money he had not received, breaching his employment agreement. Just 12 days later, Haas’ parent company Haas Automation launched a lawsuit against Steiner, suing the Italian for trademark infringements in his autobiography, “Surviving to Drive.”

Haas Automation claimed Steiner had used trademarks and Haas branding without consent, and with no response from the Italian on the matter Haas took things to court in California. The main issue had to do with photography used throughout the book, with the front cover being a particular issue for Haas Automation who claimed the photos breached federally registered trademarks involving its CNC machine tools business and motorsports activity.

Four months later the California judge has ruled in favour of Steiner, claiming that the logos used throughout the book had been relevant to the book and had not been misleading. The court documents stated: “The Book recounts Steiner’s experiences as team principal of the Haas F1 Team during the 2022 season. Using photos that include the Haas marks is an artistic choice to provide additional context about the 2022 season with the Haas F1 Team. Here, there is no explicit indication, overt claim, or explicit misstatement that the ‘source of the work’ is Haas Automation.

‘Steiner victorious’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/st.../?nowprocket=1


Gene Haas adds F1 investment to ‘increase the ceiling’ as on-track performance improves
28 Sep 2024
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com

Haas Formula 1 team principal Ayao Komatsu has revealed that owner Gene Haas is willing to continue investing ample funds into his Formula 1 team — particularly as the team has one of its most successful seasons in years.

The authors of Racing with Rich Energy: How a Rogue Sponsor Took Formula 1 for a Ride discovered from Haas team members that Gene Haas requested the outfit begin operating on a limited budget even before Formula 1 officially introduced a cost cap. The goal was to prepare for the cost cap implementation, though it also unfortunately meant the team couldn’t grow quite as quickly as others.

That strategy could be criticized for effectively limiting the team’s ability to score points during a season, but after Haas released Guenther Steiner from his team principal role and hired Ayao Komatsu instead, the outfit has seen a significant improvement in performance. Per Komatsu’s interview with Crash.net, that’s because Haas has already begun bulking up his investments.

‘Gene Haas requested the outfit begin operating on a limited budget’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/gene-h...mance-improves


Haas Eyeing $100m Windfall For 2024 F1 Progress
26 Sep 2024
F1 Chronicle

Haas is making impressive steps forward in its new post-Gunther Steiner era. After Steiner’s long reign, Ayao Komatsu took over at the helm of the American team in 2024 – and already the better results are racing in. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport believes Komatsu, a long-serving senior engineer at Haas prior to his promotion, has successfully changed the team culture.

“Every good idea is followed up now, no matter who it comes from,” he confirmed. “In the past, the direction was set from above.” Car upgrades used to be rare and often hit-and-miss for Haas, but all three major development steps so far this season have moved the pace forwards.

“The first only worked 50 percent, the second delivered more than the numbers predicted, and the third was delayed by one race,” Komatsu said. “With the first one, several of our guys immediately came up with ideas about how we could still get the most out of the package. There was no blame – everyone just pulled together.”

‘Eyeing $100m Windfall’;

https://f1chronicle.com/haas-eyeing-.../?nowprocket=1


‘How painful is that’: Haas F1 boss Ayao Komatsu opens up on the ‘very difficult’ reality Nico Hulkenberg had to admit
4 Oct 2024
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Nico Hulkenberg is leading Haas in the Formula 1 team’s best season since 2018, but team principal Ayao Komatsu had to point out a ‘difficult’ truth to unlock his results.

Komatsu never felt Hulkenberg shone at managing his tyres and had to accept that. “You’re telling the driver, ‘You’ve got to, let’s say, lose tenths in certain corners’. How painful is that?,” Komatsu told Motorsport.com. “But then you’ve got to understand that, ‘If you do this, you see the payback in a good way – if you don’t do it, this is the result of it’.”

“But unless you experience it and see on the data, feel it back-to-back, it’s very difficult to accept it black and white. I don’t think tyre management was ever his strength. If you look at the previous races he used to do with Renault, I don’t think it was his strength and, obviously, these tyres are so sensitive.”

‘Difficult truth’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/haa...-had-to-admit/


The critical element Haas needed for Hulkenberg to crack an old F1 weakness
The American team’s much improved form in F1 2024 goes back to a distinct change of tact in pre-season testing
3 Oct 2024
Alex Kalinauckas
Motorsport.com

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu says convincing Nico Hulkenberg to buy into a different approach to winter testing is behind their much-improved results in the 2024 Formula 1 season. In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Komatsu explains that he feels Hulkenberg has been “better” overall compared to the driver who restarted his career with Haas last year, but “not better in terms of giving us reference in qualifying, in terms of tyre management, race management”.

“It doesn't just come from him,” Komatsu added. “Just the whole team, the way that we work together from pre-season testing, involving drivers in the centre to understand how he needs to manage tyres. “We had to do that race practice – tyre management – in pre-season testing,” Komatsu says – explaining that Haas’s plan was to do this to get a full understanding on its tyre wear over longer stints.”

“But this winter, for me, there was no option. It's not optional. It's not conditional. “It's just: ‘No, we've got to understand this one. We've got to get the drivers to experience it – the consequences, positive or negative – then they will buy into it.’ Then they know why they're doing what they're doing’.”

‘Distinct change in pre-season testing’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...ness/10660045/


Nico Hulkenberg: Haas has the ‘momentum’ in RB F1 fight
28 Sep 2024
James Phillips
Motorsport Week

Nico Hulkenberg has thrown down the gauntlet to rivals RB. as he and Haas target snatching sixth place in the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship from the Faenza outfit. The German also reiterated his belief that sixth place in the constructors’ championship is achievable for Haas.

“I think everyone in the team firmly believes that we can challenge and fight them. We scored a point last weekend [with Bearman]. We should have scored more, and now six races to go, it’s all to play for. Obviously, they’re not going to hand it to us. They’ll try to fight back, but it’s just a race till the end. But I think we have good momentum.”

“Now there’s a bit of a break, but the next triple header, I really look forward to probably my favourite time of the season. We’re competitive in the races, and in Austin, we actually get further upgrades. So that’s encouraging, but I think some good circuits coming for us and our package, and I look forward to hopefully a couple more points.”

‘Thrown down the gauntlet’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...n-rb-f1-fight/

[Fortitude]

James Vowles claims Williams will have “best driver line up on the grid” in F1 2025.
James Vowles has made a surprising claim that Williams will have the best F1 driver line-up on the grid in 2025.
3 Oct 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Vowels said: “In ’25, I think we will have the best driver lineup on the grid. I mean, Franco’s doing a brilliant job. What he doesn’t have is the experience that Carlos will come with, but he’s doing an outstanding job. I think from the perspective of not just driving the car, but leading the team forward, we’ll have the best line-up on the grid. That will help motivate and push us forward.”

“There’s good developments ongoing, just as a continuation of ’24 to ’25.” Vowels’ claim stems from Sainz’s respectable record against strong teammates. “That’s my opinion of it. And I’ll explain some of the reasons behind it to a certain extent,” Vowles added. “A, they’re both performing at a very high level. I mean, Carlos has driven against all of the drivers we’ve just discussed.”

“Against Lando, he was successful. Against Charles, up and down. But he’s there or thereabouts. There’s hardly anything between those two drivers. Against Max, in that first year in Toro Rosso, [he] was exceptional against him.”

‘James Vowles has made a surprising claim’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105711...e-grid-f1-2025


James Vowles was ‘taken aback’ by what Franco Colapinto did weeks before landing Williams seat
2 Oct 2024
Rory Mitchell
Crash.Net

James Vowles impressed by Franco Colapinto after Silverstone outing. Colapinto ran with Williams during FP1 at Silverstone owing to the rules around rookie drivers without a super licence being given at least two outings at teams during the year. It was the first time he drove the car and was just four-tenths off Albon at the end of the session, which raised a few eyebrows in the paddock. Vowles recalls how he felt after the session and the influence it had on appointing him to the seat later in the season.

“I was a little bit taken aback how quick he was immediately out of the post. I spoke to him about it, he was very relaxed. He said ‘Yeah, it may never happen again’ So I was just enjoying the moment,” said Vowles. Although he has impressed so far this season, it is unlikely that Colapinto will get a seat for the near future with Williams owing to them signing Carlos Sainz alongside Alex Albon for 2025. Sainz and Albon are seen as a strong pairing for the future but there is ambiguity over whether either could stay at the team in the long term.

‘Franco Colapinto: ‘Yeah, it may never happen again, so I was just enjoying the moment’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jam...williams-seat/


Williams records £84 million loss after 2023 Formula 1 season
4 Oct 2024
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week

Williams has recorded a financial loss of £84 million after the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, in which the team finished seventh in the Constructors’ standings. The company accounts of Williams Grand Prix Engineering reveal a loss of £84.2 million for the financial year of 2023, up from £17.9 million in 2022.

Revenue fell from £142.8 million to £127 million, with the team saying in a statement: “Whilst losses have increased compared with 2022, this is in line with expectations and the company’s strategy to continue investing in all areas of the business to drive both on-track and commercial performance in pursuit of success in the medium and long-term.

The team, owned by Dorilton Capital after purchasing it from the Williams family in 2020, said its assets of £67.3 million proves “a sound financial base on which to continue the team’s long term strategy of returning to the front of the grid and being financially sustainable.”

‘Financial loss of £84 million’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...mula-1-season/


Williams losses spiralled 344% to UK£80.3m in 2023
Grove-based outfit claims significant losses are in line with expectations after investments on and off the track.
October 4, 2024
Cian Brittle
BlackBook Motorsport

Confirmed:
• Williams experience huge 344 per cent year-over-year (YoY) increase in losses, rising from UK£17.9 million (US$23.6 million) to UK£84.3 million
• Revenue dropped from UK£142.8 million (US$188 million) to UK£127 million (US$167.2 million)
• Emissions rose marginally from 3,111 tCO2e in 2022 to 3,232 tCO2e in 2023

Context: Despite their alarming financial performance, Williams have claimed that their results fell in line with expectations, given that the Grove-based outfit has undertaken significant investment in all areas of the business to drive both on-track and commercial growth. Revenue was also hit by the team finishing bottom of the constructors’ championship in 2022, meaning it received less prize money.

Commercially, the team has started heading in the right direction, with sponsorship deals agreed with the likes of Gulf Oil, Globant, MyProtein, Stephens, Michelob Ultra and Kraken. However, the full impact of those agreements will only be reflected in future financial reports. The team will hope that the investments it has made will start to bring results as it won’t be able to stomach heavy losses over a prolonged period of time. At the very least, revenue should benefit from a seventh-placed finish in the 2023 standings.

‘Williams losses spiralled 344%’;

https://www.blackbookmotorsport.com/...-results-2023/


The Colapinto effect: Argentina's yearning for its next sporting hero
Oct 4, 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com

Williams driver Franco Colapinto's successful Formula 1 debut with Williams has triggered his nation's sense of pride. Franco Colapinto's confident performances haven't just surprised the Formula 1 paddock: the Williams rookie has also awakened a nation's yearning for its next sporting hero.

The country has a rich history with F1, with a grand prix held intermittently in Buenos Aires between 1953 and 1998. Four of those were won by Argentina's original F1 superstar Juan Manuel Fangio, with the late Carlos Reutemann the last Argentine to win a grand prix in 1981. Since a brief intermezzo by Gaston Mazzacane in 2000 and 2001, motor racing fans have had to wait another 23 years to cheer on one of their own until Williams protege Colapinto was surprisingly parachuted into Logan Sargeant's seat at September's Italian Grand Prix.

While Colapinto's unexpected promotion already made headlines back home, the Buenos Aires native's strong performances generated an even bigger buzz. TV audiences and social media numbers soared in recent weeks, with FOX Sports Argentina's broadcast figures tripling since Colapinto's arrival. FOX, which is just one of several ways to watch F1 in the country, enjoyed even bigger peaks during the Singapore Grand Prix, which drew around 600,000 viewers up from an average of 150,000 on the subscription channel, rivalling primetime numbers on a Sunday morning. In local newspapers, numerous articles popped up highlighting his every move, down to journalists even tracking down his birthplace Pilar on the outer edge of Buenos Aires' sprawling metropolis.

‘The Colapinto effect’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...hero/10660333/


‘Always been painful’: Alex Albon identifies his best chance to banish ‘painful’ Williams memories
5 Oct 2024
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Alex Albon and Williams have largely been unable to replicate their great results from 2023 this year, but he sees one race as their best chance to banish ‘painful’ memories. Albon shared, via Motorsport-Total: “When I think about the remaining races this year, Brazil stands out for me as the race where there are the most opportunities. If you want to score points against a midfield team, you should try here.”

The London-born Thai is convinced that the Sao Paulo GP will offer Williams’ best chance for points as Interlagos has similar characteristics to the streets of Monaco and Singapore. They were ‘painful’ tracks for Williams in the past, but Albon feels they suit tight circuits this year. “These are tracks that have always been painful for us,” Albon continued. “And this year, we were actually pretty good on them.”

‘Always been painful’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ale...iams-memories/

[Fortitude]

Renault boss blasts F1 team for 'looking like jokers!'
Renault CEO Luca de Meo has delivered a scathing verdict as to the French manufacturer will be pulling out of F1 after almost a 50-year involvement.
4 Oct 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

"Fans - except the real enthusiasts, I agree - and sponsors come for a team, not for an engine," said De Meo, speaking to L'Equipe. "Partners sign with McLaren, not with a Mercedes under the hood. The F1 public has changed. It has expanded to include young people, women. This new clientele has a different interpretation of this sport.”

"We support a driver, a colour, a brand. Not an engine. Alpine, given our ranking [ninth in the constructors' Championship] is losing bonuses. Sponsors are rare. We have a hole in the air. My shareholders know how to count. Alpine has to make money." Suggested to De Meo that accountancy goes out of the window when a team is performing, he concurred but added: "Now, with our P16, P17, we look like jokers. We are nowhere. The famous 'marketing returns' have vanished. Even though they are not quantifiable in money."

"It's a very emotional subject," said De Meo. "This decision is the result of months and months of observations. I would first of all like to say that I admire the commitment and tenacity of the people at Viry-Châtillon. I know they will tomorrow imprint this state of mind in the forthcoming projects. They are optimistic, and that's good news. I like to see them so disappointed with this decision, but unfortunately, in my job, I can't think like a fan. That's to say, I am a manager. I run a listed company, and I have to rethink the F1 project to finally win, so I am looking for shortcuts to achieve it.”

'Looking like jokers!';

https://racingnews365.com/renault-bo...ng-like-jokers


Viry staff "deplore" Renault's F1 withdrawal
2 Oct 2024
Pitpass

Staff at Renault's Viry-Chatillon engine manufacturing facility have accused the company of shunning its heritage. "All staff representatives, representing the voice of employees and a majority of stakeholders, regret and deplore the decision to stop F1 engines in 2026," said the Viry Social and Economic Committee (CSE) in a statement.

"This choice is endorsed by the group, which wishes to reduce the financial risk surrounding F1, even though no serious study has been conducted to assess the impact on future sales and the prestige of the brand.”

"Partnership solutions were rejected by the group, even though they would have made it possible to meet several objectives: maintaining F1 activity, reducing development and operating costs, maintaining all skills, and the possibility of bringing an already largely developed and promising RE26 engine to the 2026 season."

‘Accused the company of shunning its heritage’;

https://www.pitpass.com/78822/Viry-s...oogle_vignette


Blunt conclusion from Renault's CEO: 'We've become invisible in F1'
5 Oct 2024
Toby Nixon
GPblog.com

On Monday, Renault announced that it would cease production of its Formula 1 power trains at the end of the 2025 season. This, of course, was a severe blow to the workers in Viry-Châtillon, where Renault's engines are made. These staff members will now be transferred to another project. "It is a very emotional subject, first of all for me," CEO De Meo stated in conversation with l'Equipe. "I am very passionate about it. It is heartbreaking. This decision has not been taken lightly."

Renault has enjoyed very successful periods in Formula 1, most recently with Red Bull from 2010-2013. Since the hybrid era, the French manufacturer has been unable to return to its former glory. "I am a manager. I manage a listed company. And I have to rethink the F1 project to finally win," he explains.

'We've become invisible in F1';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30482...s-engines.html


How corporate mismanagement has killed off Renault in F1
4 Oct 2024
James Phillips
Motorsport Week

Pulling the plug on a modern disaster of corporate interference. Watching Renault since introducing the turbo hybrid power units in 2014 has been a painful experience for fans and pundits alike. The results are well documented. A disastrous first year in 2014 saw Red Bull lose the Constructors’ title due to poor reliability. Toro Rosso (now RB), Caterham, and Lotus all saw dramatic drop-offs in performance.

The power unit regulations remained stable for several years after their introduction, mainly due to Honda’s arrival in 2015 with McLaren. However, Renault did not take advantage of this; instead, it invested in buying Lotus ahead of the 2016 season. Renault has existed as a works team several times in the last 20 years, but its final iteration is one of the worst examples of corporate interference in modern times.

From the start of its journey, unrealistic timelines were flaunted, such as the five-year plan for achieving title wins from its inception. This was Renault’s first mistake. Given Lotus’s underfunded state, race wins, let alone title wins, could never be a short—to medium-term goal. Enstone needed significant investment, and the Viry-Châtillon engine facility was required to build more powerful power units and integrate with its British base.

‘Modern disaster of corporate interference’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...renault-in-f1/


‘Invisible’ Alpine ‘put ourselves to shame’ as Renault CEO speaks out on controversial engine axe
6 Oct 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Renault CEO Luca de Meo gave a very frank assessment of the Alpine F1 team predicament, claiming “something needed to be done”, as the engine division took the bullet. “It is a very emotional subject, also for me,” De Meo told L’Équipe. “It saddens me a lot, but this is the result of months of observation.”

“In my work, however, I cannot think like a fan. I am a manager. I head a listed company. Unfortunately, that means I have to rethink the Formula One project in order to win. So then you have to start looking at what you can change in the short term.”

“The team has become invisible in recent years. Two more years like this and the whole project was out of control. We have been in decline for three seasons. Something really needed to be done about that. And fortunately, most fans end up coming for the race team, not the engine.”

‘Put ourselves to shame’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine...ne-axe-verdict


Renault CEO justifies F1 exit: “Alpine has to make money”
Oct 4, 2024
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Finances played decisive role in ending Renault’s F1 partnership with Alpine. For many years, there was huge optimism surrounding the Renault/Alpine project. Even big-name drivers like Daniel Ricciardo and Fernando Alonso were convinced by their project.

However, the last two years have seen Alpine plummet down the pecking order. After finishing the first season of the 2022 regulations in 4th, they are now 9th in the standings – struggling to score points. In a bid to reverse their fortunes, many changes have been considered.

Three team principals have been at the helm at Alpine over the last twelve months – perhaps the most obvious example of their instability. Most recently, the team concluded that continuing with Renault engines was no longer worth the trouble.

‘Renault CEO justifies F1 exit’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...to-make-money/


Alpine F1 team principal responds to Renault engine scrap
Oct 4, 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week

Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes welcomes the Renault Group’s decision to abandon its Formula 1 engine project, saying “I want the best engine.”

“I want the best engine”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...-engine-scrap/


'Emotional subject': Renault boss speaks out after axeing F1 engine project amid staff disputes
6 Oct 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Luca de Meo ‘saddened’ by Renault F1 engine project closure. Renault had been producing engines for the last three decades at their Viry Chatillon plant, which meant it was steeped in rich history.

French F1 driver Romain Grosjean branded the decision to shut the plant ‘sad’ on social media, having previously raced for them between 2012 and 2015.

‘Saddened’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ren...taff-disputes/

[Fortitude]

Bottas confident he’s ‘driving better than at Mercedes’ as he aims to seal Sauber deal for 2025.
Valtteri Bottas believes that he is now driving better than he did during his five-year stint with Mercedes, but the Finn acknowledges that his level of performance is “not that visible” on the outside given the challenging season that Kick Sauber have faced so far.
3 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site

With Bottas’s future yet to be decided – as one seat remains at Kick Sauber, with Nico Hulkenberg the only driver confirmed at the team for 2025 – the 35-year-old was asked during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend if the team’s struggles have complicated matters in terms of securing his seat.

“Yeah, it's how the sport is,” Bottas responded. “I think it's not just this season, but if you look at this season and the last season, when you're fighting towards the back, obviously, it's much less visible on what you can do and what kind of performances are you having.”

“It's pretty much against your team mate that you can have a comparison so, for sure, you're more out there if you're fighting within the points and towards the front end. That's just how it goes so, for sure, it has not been helping the situation.”

‘Future yet to be decided’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...4vTVpgulu5puS6


Is the Sauber seat Schumacher’s last shot at an F1 return?
Sauber have one seat remaining for 2025 that has yet to be announced. Is it a realistic prospect for Schumacher, or has his last chance already passed him by?
October 4, 2024
Hannah May
FormulaNerds

Schumacher may be overlooked again if the rumours regarding Valtteri Bottas are true. Bottas currently drives for Sauber. News has been circulated that Bottas will retain his seat with the team. Not known for holding back his opinions about experienced drivers getting opportunities over younger talent, Marko spoke out on the topic. He shared:

“If the situation is really that Valtteri Bottas gets the chance, then the whole thing is even more incomprehensible to me.” He continued: “I think if Schumacher doesn’t get this seat, then Formula 1 history is over for him.”

Marko expanded on his honest and, perhaps, blunt assessment of Schumacher’s prospects. He clarified: “He should then concentrate on the long-distance races, where he was very successful, and do that. If he stays in motorsport, then he has to find something that he enjoys, but where he also has a chance of winning.”

‘Schumacher’s last shot’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/is.../?nowprocket=1


Report: Mick Schumacher set to lose out on 2025 Sauber seat as Mattia Binotto makes his decision
5 Oct 2024
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Mattia Binotto has ‘decided against’ Mick Schumacher and gone for Valtteri Bottas. According to a report from Bild, Schumacher will ‘not get a permanent cockpit in a Formula 1 car in 2025’. Valtteri Bottas has been the favourite to retain his seat at Sauber, and Mattia Binotto has reportedly ‘decided against’ Schumacher and opted to keep Bottas with the team for next season.

Their form will present a huge concern for Audi for when they join the sport. With not much expected to change in 2025 for Sauber, the German manufacturer will have a lot of work to do to get up the field, if that was not already apparent. The signing of Hulkenberg is a good addition to the project, given his impressive performances with Haas this year. The 37-year-old is currently sat 10th in the drivers’ standings with 24 points.

Bottas is still an able driver and offers a bit of continuity for Sauber if they do in fact choose to retain him for 2025. The Finn is also a 10-time Grand Prix winner from his time at Mercedes, which also yielded 58 podiums and 20 pole positions. Whatever the case, it is clear the team is in dire need of good fortunes before the 2026 regulations come into effect.

‘Set to lose out’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mic...-his-decision/


Helmut Marko: Sauber choosing Valtteri Bottas over Mick Schumacher would be ‘incomprehensible’
4 Oct 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Helmut Marko believes that Sauber, which will transition into a works Audi setup in 2026, would be well-advised to grant Schumacher a second chance in the series. Schumacher, now a reserve driver at Mercedes, has been unable to secure a permanent drive since Haas opted to drop him at the end of his sophomore term in 2022.

“I think Audi’s car will definitely not be a winning car next year,” Marko told Sport.de. “That means there will be no pressure for Audi or its drivers. It would be a good comparison with Nico Hulkenberg. If the performance is not right, you can always replace him for 2026.”

Marko has contended that it would be ungraspable should Sauber choose to retain the Finn, who has been with the side since departing Mercedes at the end of 2021. “If the situation is really that Valtteri Bottas gets the chance, then the whole thing is even more incomprehensible to me,” he continued.

‘Ungraspable’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...comprehensive/


Audi's starkest F1 warning lies in Sauber's past
Oct 6, 2024
Edd Straw
The Race

Sauber may be just 15 months away from becoming Audi’s works Formula 1 team, but the process of 'Audification' started back in 2022. Not that you would know it given its dismal results. Sauber has failed to score a point so far this season, suggesting the team hasn’t heeded a lesson from the past when it was BMW's works team.

With just 16 points across its last 50 grands prix, this is a team that gives the impression it is drifting. But any expectation that Audi's illustrious record in other forms of motorsport - whether that's rallying, sportscars or tin-tops - and the prodigious investment level means success is guaranteed is misplaced.

This is F1 and Sauber must maximise the next 18 months before Audi's debut. It needs to become a sharper racing organisation, improve its development rate and exhibit the ruthless pursuit of results any F1 team needs to have even a chance of getting to the front. As Binotto recently said: "We need to train our muscles for the future." In F1 if you work on the basis of success coming at some point in the future without being aggressive enough with short-term objectives, then tomorrow never comes. Just as that glorious championship-winning tomorrow never came for BMW Sauber.

"We need to train our muscles for the future";

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/a...auber-history/

[Fortitude]

Mercedes PR ‘fell a bit short’ after Toto Wolff’s Kimi Antonelli slip-up in recent interview.
Mercedes finally confirmed the signing of Kimi Antonelli ahead of the Italian Grand Prix last time out. It had been clear for months that Antonelli was the favourite to replace Lewis Hamilton.
10 Sep 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Mercedes’ PR team didn’t react effectively after Toto Wolff accidentally confirmed Kimi Antonelli. According to Ronald Vording, a journalist at Motorsport.com Netherlands, Mercedes’ impending move for Antonelli had become one of F1’s ‘worst-kept secrets’. In fact, Wolff accidentally confirmed it even before the official announcement. During a media session at the Dutch Grand Prix last month, the team principal said he ‘wants it to work with George and Kimi in 2025’ (via The Mirror).

This pre-empted Mercedes’ planned unveiling in Italy. The PR team at Brackley weren’t able to deal with this ‘slip of the tongue’. They had been trying to keep things under wraps until qualifying day at Monza. “The announcement of Andrea Kimi Antonelli was one of the worst-kept secrets of the Formula 1 paddock,” Vording wrote.

Eddie Jordan says Toto Wolff has already made a mistake with Kimi Antonelli’s career. Antonelli has signed a one-year deal at Mercedes, which indicates that Wolff is aware of the risk. The teenager must prove that he merits their long-term faith. Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan says Wolff has made a mistake with Antonelli. It would have been better for his development, he says, if he’d spent a year or two on ‘loan’ at a team further down the grid.

‘Toto Wolff’s Kimi Antonelli slip-up’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mer...ent-interview/


Why Jacques Villeneuve is fuming with Toto Wolff’s treatment of Kimi Antonelli
13 Sep 2024
David Comerford
RacingNews365

Jacques Villeneuve says ‘it’s obviously too early’ for Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes. In his eyes, the ‘overdriving’ that led to the Monza crash was a telling indication. When it was put to him that the Italian had clearly impressed Mercedes engineers in a testing programme, he countered that this wasn’t a representative challenge. It didn’t come with the ‘pressure’ of a Grand Prix weekend. “It’s testing. It’s not the same mindset. You have nothing to compare. There’s no pressure, no stress.”

Lead commentator Harry Benjamin then asked whether Wolff should have placed him at Williams instead. George Russell spent three years with the Mercedes engine customers before stepping up to be Hamilton’s teammate. Villeneuve reckons that James Vowles would have turned down the opportunity to sign the youngster to avoid becoming a de facto Mercedes b team. The Grove outfit have instead captured three-time race-winner Carlos Sainz, who was snubbed by Wolff.

‘It’s obviously too early’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/why...imi-antonelli/


Wolff “fully conscious” of pressure Mercedes is placing on rookie Antonelli
8 Sep 2024
Will Wood
RaceFans

Despite Antonelli’s accident so soon into his first outing in an official F1 session, Wolff insisted that his team is mindful of the pressure they were asking their young future driver to contend with. “At the end, it’s the team that takes the decisions whether to hire a driver or not and who to put in FP1 and not,” Wolff said.

“We are running fully conscious into these driver decisions, fully conscious of what can happen, what to expect and managing the expectations. Clearly with everything piling up on him in Monza, that’s very difficult to cope with. Is that the reason why he put it in the wall? Maybe. I look at driving performance. Like I said before, I’d rather slow somebody down than make him fast, because the second one is impossible.”

“In our industry, we perfectly understand who is capable and not,” he said. “I think how it’s all panned out here, he’s jumped F3, he’s pretty much won everything beforehand then it’s clear you start to become a Mercedes driver, you test in FP1, and at the same time you’re under the magnifying glass because it all happens in Monza. And it has been a while that an Italian driver was in a top team. So I’m sure that this can be a lot for an 18-year-old.”

“Fully conscious”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/09/08/...kie-antonelli/


Toto Wolff admits Mercedes ‘wouldn’t have found’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli without key figure after 2025 announcement
7 Sept 2024
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer

Andrea Kimi Antonelli will become the youngest driver on the Formula 1 grid for the 2025 season. The 18-year-old Italian was confirmed as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes during his home Grand Prix weekend at Monza.

Speaking after the Italian Grand Prix, team principal Toto Wolff hailed one key figure at Mercedes for scoping out Antonelli for the team’s young driver programme. “Antonelli was signed to Mercedes in 2019 having been first noticed when he was 11 years old by Gwen Lagrue, who runs the junior programme. Since being affiliated with Mercedes, Antonelli has won four junior titles, including the FRECA and Formula Regional Middle East Championship last season."

“I think most of the credit needs to go to Gwen and his team, who manages our Academy because they are able to scout from a very early age onwards. We, as Mercedes, wouldn’t have found Kimi. He was 11 years old, and we saw the results on the track and obviously working with the karting teams, but it’s amazing to see. With George, he actually found us, put his best suit on, and went to see me in my office with a PowerPoint presentation!”

“Most of the credit needs to go to Gwen and his team”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/tot...-announcement/


Wolff to follow 'Hamilton blueprint' with Antonelli
6 Oct 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Toto Wolff believes a Lewis Hamilton-style blueprint will help Andrea Kimi Antonelli cope with the "different animal" that is F1. "I think the project that inspired me more is the one that is more similar to Hamilton's career," Wolff told Autosprint when Verstappen's career path was also put to him.

"[Hamilton's] growth in the junior categories and his impact in Formula 1 came at a time when you could test a lot more than Kimi has been able to do now. Ron at the time said Lewis needed to take it easy to get used to F1, also because [Fernando] Alonso was at McLaren. However, that never happened, Lewis was immediately competitive and a success. With the current preparation, Kimi can jump into our car and be competitive.”

"However, F1 now is a different animal than it was at the time of Hamilton's debut. There are a lot more dimensions and facets compared to the past. There is more pressure and social media, so I think it is important to keep everything moving in the right direction, keep the right priorities and avoid what is not essential. The goal is to create a new success story as happened with Hamilton."

'Hamilton blueprint';

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-to-f...with-antonelli


Toto Wolff explains Mercedes Kimi Antonelli strategy in ‘contaminated’ Williams claim
4 Oct 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

For Wolff, the methodology is clear. “Now is the time to make a change in terms of generation after the departure of Lewis, because nothing will be as it was before,” Wolff explained to Autosprint.

“We will be dealing with a young team next year. Going into the season with George and Antonelli means we are opening a new era. The previous era was great and now is the time to turn a page and make a new start. The reason Antonelli is driving immediately for Mercedes, and will not first make his debut at Williams is because you want him fresh, not contaminated – if you can put it that way – by external experiences.”

“If he went to another team first, he would learn different things, behaviours, have different notions about technical things than us. We want to avoid that. I think it only brings advantages to have a young driver with you right away.”

‘Very clear tactic to that’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...nated-williams


Kimi Antonelli theory emerges as Max Verstappen and Toto Wolff claim is made
Sep 11, 2024
Tom Sunderland
Daily and Sunday Express

Guenther Steiner believes Mercedes chief Toto Wolff is attempting to 'clone' Max Verstappen by focusing his efforts on Kimi Antonelli.

It's no secret Wolff has also been working hard to recruit Verstappen from Red Bull, though the Dutchman is tied down in Milton Keynes on a contract until 2028. And the next best thing behind signing the three-time world champion themselves would be for Mercedes to unearth the next best thing in motorsport. "I don't know, but I think he missed out on Max and wanted to create his own little Maxi," said Steiner on a recent episode of The Red Flags Podcast.

"And that’s Kimi." "But maybe, you asked why is he so hung up on Kimi," added the Italian as he threw up a hilarious hypothetical. "Maybe he went to therapy, and the therapist told him, 'You need to find something which makes you happy, [so] you can get over having lost Max.'"

‘Toto Wolff is attempting to 'clone' Max Verstappen’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...appen-mercedes

[Fortitude]

‘Even more excited’: Jock Clear tells F1 fans why they should be ‘even more excited’ about Oliver Bearman in 2025.
Ferrari senior performance engineer Jock Clear has revealed what he is most excited about for Bearman when he makes his full-time F1 debut with Haas next season when speaking on the F1 Nation podcast.
7 Oct 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Jock Clear is excited to see what Oliver Bearman learned from F1 outings. There is no doubt that Bearman will have learned a heap from his outings this year for next season, despite the Briton looking like he had always been on the grid in both cases. Clear works as a driver coach for Charles Leclerc at Ferrari and formerly as the performance engineer to Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton when he worked at Mercedes, and believes Bearman will be one to watch next season.

“I would say Ollie is a bit of slow burner. That’s why I’m even more excited about him in the medium term than short term,” said Clear. “Somebody said to me straight after Saudi, it will be interesting to see if Carlos doesn’t recover for Australia, maybe Ollie will get another go and I thought ‘I hope he doesn’t’ because Saudi was so good, it would be good for him to consolidate that.”

‘Excited’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/joc...arman-in-2025/


How Oliver Bearman nearly 'MISSED' his F1 debut with Ferrari
5 Oct 2024
Toby Nixon
GPblog.com

Bearman: 'My manager couldn't take the call!': "My manager ran out of credit on his phone or something, so he couldn't take the call. I almost missed the race because my manager didn't top his minutes!" Bearman revealed. The Brit then took matters into his own hands and spoke to Ferrari's team principal, Fred Vasseur, briefly over the phone. "Then I called right back because I had enough data, thank god, and he (Vasseur) told me the news that I would be racing for Ferrari this weekend."

Fred Vasseur 'knew' Bearman was nervous: Rationally, the rookie was nervous at the time. He was just about to jump into FErrari's SF-24 for his first Grand Prix on a few hours' notice. "I think he understood pretty quickly that I was getting really nervous from the way I was speaking to him. He was like, Ollie, calm down, it's gonna be okay. I remember telling him that I'll be at the track in 10 minutes, and my hotel was like half an hour away from the track, but I didn't want to miss it," the talented youngster reveals.

“Ollie, calm down, it's gonna be okay”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30480...h-ferrari.html


Oliver Bearman almost ‘missed’ Ferrari F1 debut after phone credit mishap
04 Oct 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Oliver Bearman reflected on his shock Ferrari debut at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which was not helped by his manager running out of phone credit! Asked what Vasseur said, Bearman responded: “Well, first of all, he called my manager, but my manager ran out of credit on this phone or something. So I almost missed the race because my manager didn’t top up his minutes!

“But then I called Fred back, because I had enough data thank God, and he told me the news. He told me that I would be racing for Ferrari this weekend. And I think he understood pretty quickly that I was getting really nervous from the way I was speaking to him. He was like, ‘Ollie, calm down. It’s going be okay’.”

“I remember telling him that ‘I’ll be at the track, I’ll be there in like 10 minutes Fred!’ And my hotel was like half an hour away from the track. But I didn’t want to miss it, you know, like, I wanted to get there and make sure I could do it. So, yeah, those like three hours between getting the call and jumping in the car for FP3 [snaps fingers], went by like this.”

‘I’ll be there in like 10 minutes Fred!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/oliver...t-phone-credit


BEYOND THE GRID: Ollie Bearman on his flying start to F1 and how he's just getting started
25 Sep 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Bearman also delves into the surprise chances he's had this year, including how he handled the pressure when he got the last-minute call to race for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, the advice Charles Leclerc gave him, and how his race for Haas in Azerbaijan felt different.

He also remembers moving from the UK to go racing in Italy, and how he's looking forward to starting his first full F1 season in 2025.

‘BEYOND THE GRID’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...fGcNCwfaW9xrly


Esteban Ocon labels 2025 Haas F1 teammate Ollie Bearman “a remarkable talent”
"I think everyone in the paddock knew that he’s a remarkable talent and what he’s done was very impressive..."
26 Sep 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Speaking about Bearman’s drive in Azerbaijan, Ocon said: “What he's done in Baku was really remarkable and I knew it. I think everyone in the paddock knew that he’s a remarkable talent and what he’s done was very impressive, to be on pace straightaway at such a technical track.”

“I’ve been looking at his lap in F2 when he had the steering bent and he was on pole, and that tells you everything. It tells you that he’s at ease straight away whatever car he’s driving. It’s great for him, for the team, for myself, that he’s going to have some good experience before heading into the full season next year.”

“A remarkable talent”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105649...arkable-talent


'A great guy': Oliver Bearman names the 53-win F1 legend who was ‘one of the first’ to message him after Ferrari debut
25 Sep 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Oliver Bearman shares Sebastian Vettel interaction after Formula 1 debut. During an appearance on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Bearman was asked to name the F1 personality with whom he’d like to be stuck in a lift. He went for four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Bearman revealed that Vettel, who won 53 Grands Prix and took 57 pole positions in an iconic career, was among the first people to congratulate him on his Jeddah showing. But he hasn’t yet had a full face-to-face conversation with the German.

‘One of the first’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/oli...ferrari-debut/


Mark Webber questions Oliver Bearman deal with missing Haas team dynamic claimed
7 Oct 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Although Haas have made great strides forward in Ayao Komatsu’s first year as team boss, Mark Webber has questioned whether the engineer is the right person to guide Oliver Bearman in his debut campaign. “Bearman, Haas? I don’t like that team for me,” the eight-time Grand Prix winner told the Formula For Success podcast.

“Like that’s in terms of an EJ, Andreas Stella, these people, even Christian [Horner] and Toto [Wolff], they’re racers. You need that. The leadership when you’re losing your virginity in F1 is a really important role, I think, who your management is at the team.”

“So Bearman and Haas, I hope it… He looks seriously rapid. Did well in Saudi in the Ferrari and obviously [Kimi] Antonelli is in good shape with Toto there. But young, let’s see, not a finishing school. They take the oxygen mask off top of Everest, see how they go.”

‘Questioned whether the engineer is the right person’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mark-w...ynamic-claimed


'Thanks a lot': Oliver Bearman reveals what his manager told him minutes before F1 debut with Ferrari
25 Sep 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

With just an hour of track preparation, it does not get more pressurised than Oliver Bearman’s debut with Ferrari at this year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. His father, David, nervously watched on from the Ferrari garage in what is one of the most physically difficult races on the calendar.

“I knew that it was going to be the most important weekend of my life. And actually, just before getting in the car for the race, my manager, he didn’t tell me good luck. He didn’t say have fun,” said Bearman. “He just said ‘These next two hours are the most important two hours of your life’ And I was like, thanks a lot!”

‘Pressurised’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/oli...-with-ferrari/

[Fortitude]

This is why Lawson will be racing in Formula 1 with number 30!
The New Zealander revealed his number some time ago, but he has now explained why he made the choice to run with the #30 starting from the US Grand Prix next weekend on his team's Instagram.
8 Oct 2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

"I’m going to be racing with number 30, because it’s the number that I’ve raced with since I was 8 years old. It wasn’t actually the very first number I drove with, that was 18, but my first year of gokart racing I moved into a team and there was a guy who looked after me," Lawson began.

"He was my idol back in the day," Lawson continued. "He became like my hero, my idol when I was a kid in gokarts, and he ran with number 30, so I picked number 30 because of him. He taught me everything about gokart racing when I was younger, and then basically I held that number all the way through until today. And I’ve told him as well that I’m bringing our number into Formula One and he was f****** stoked!"

‘#30’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30524...ere-s-why.html


‘Adaptable, mentally strong, and fast in everything he drives’ – F2 expert Alex Jacques on why RB have put their faith in Lawson
6 Oct 2024
Alex Jacques
Formula One - Official Site

It was announced after the Singapore Grand Prix that Daniel Ricciardo had left the RB team with immediate effect, with his seat going to young reserve driver Liam Lawson. It’s a bold move to make for the Faenza team, so we asked F2 commentator Alex Jacques exactly why they’ve put their faith in the young New Zealander…

It is rare to see a multiple Grand Prix winner replaced by a 22-year-old. Rarer still to see it happen mid-season but such is the combination of Liam Lawson’s potential and Red Bull’s ever confusing driver situation, it’s exactly where the organisation and driver find themselves ahead of the 19th Grand Prix of the year.

‘Why RB have put their faith in Lawson’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...fyXv0YOmHxzbB7


Helmut Marko sets clear Liam Lawson goal with Tsunoda to play key role
6 Oct 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Lawson goes into this six-round audition armed with clear orders from Marko. “Liam Lawson can now contest the last six rounds of the World Championship for the Racing Bulls team, we will evaluate how he compares to Yuki Tsunoda and then we will see,” Marko wrote in his column for Speedweek.

“He has to deliver a Formula 1 worthy performance, as he has already done in his previous GP appearances. We have other strong juniors in the junior squad, such as Ayumu Iwasa and Isack Hadjar. We will use them in the rookie sprint, which will be held on the junior test day after the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Then we’ll see what happens next.”

“The GP appearances of Oliver Bearman and especially Franco Colapinto have shown that the youngsters are ready for the step up and that the old philosophy of some team bosses that only drivers with three or four years’ experience can be promoted to a top team is outdated. Mercedes has now proven this with its driver decision, just as Red Bull Racing has done several times in the past.”

‘We will evaluate’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut...-tsunoda-gauge


Liam Lawson playing catch-up in F1 return
Liam Lawson will be battling to make up for lost time against rivals with significantly more experience with their machinery when he makes his F1 return later this month.
3 Oct 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

“It’s six rounds left of the season, so I’ve come in at a, you know, difficult time,” Lawson told Newstalk ZB. “It’s going to be a very challenging point. Obviously, all these guys have done three quarters of a season now, so I have to try and try and compete with that now at tracks that I haven’t done as well. It’s going to be challenging.”

“I need to perform,” Lawson asserted of the coming half dozen races. Basically, I need to try and obviously show my worth in F1 and, I would say do a similar job to what I did last year. What’s given me the shot now is what happened last year, so I just need to do enough to stay in the seat next year.”

‘Playing catch-up’;

https://speedcafe.com/liam-lawson-f1-return-pressure/


Marko immediately puts pressure on Lawson: 'We have more strong drivers'
3 Oct 2024
Matt Gretton
GPblog.com

Helmut Marko has confirmed Red Bull Junior drivers Ayumu Iwasa and Isack Hadjar will get a chance to drive the F1 car on the rookie test day, which follows the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The external advisor was keen to highlight how Red Bull have talent waiting in the wings should it be required.

Daniel Ricciardo was ousted from his Visa Cash App RB seat after the Singapore Grand Prix. Liam Lawson will replace him and finish the season at VCARB. Marko stresses they want to compare the New Zealander to Yuki Tsunoda, but warns Lawson there is more talent waiting in the wings. The 81-year-old Austrian believes the FIA also has a role to play in creating opportunities for young drivers. "You can rely on youth. It is certainly a risk, but it is a manageable risk and worthwhile," Marko explained.

"You have to give the youngsters a chance to prove themselves in a GP car after they have worked their way up in the junior classes. In itself, this whole route is good, but unfortunately far too expensive. It starts in karting and continues in all classes. The FIA should start there and see how they can get the costs under control."

‘Red Bull have talent waiting in the wings should it be required’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30453...habi-test.html


Lawson reveals advice Ricciardo gave him after RB seat swap was confirmed
4 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Liam Lawson has opened up on the words of advice Daniel Ricciardo shared with him following confirmation that the New Zealander would replace the Australian at RB for the remainder of the season.

“I get one shot at F1 and it’s come now and I’m obviously grateful for that opportunity, but I now need to take it with both hands. At the same time, he’s said the same thing to me, and he said, ‘You need to make the most of it’.”

‘Ricciardo advice’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...DeCa02pzNQRWSI


'On the record': Christian Horner said something ‘bewildering’ about Liam Lawson before United States Grand Prix return
4 Oct 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Alex Jacques can’t get his head around Liam Lawson’s 2025 Red Bull audition. Speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, F1 commentator Alex Jacques reflected on a recent Christian Horner interview. Horner confirmed that Lawson was in the running for a 2025 Red Bull seat.

Jacques feels it’s remarkable that his future is so open-ended, particularly at this stage of the driver market. He could also miss out on a drive altogether if he falls short of expectations. Indeed, Red Bull may call upon Isack Hadjar, the academy driver who’s competing for the F2 title, to partner Yuki Tsunoda. Helmut Marko is also an admirer of Franco Colapinto, who won’t be able to race for Williams next year.

“It’s really intriguing,” Jacques said. “I was also really interested to hear Christian Horner’s comments that it’s part of a wider, not audition, but there’s an opportunity for him to put himself, not just in the discussion for a V-CARB or RB seat, but the actual senior team as well. And this is Christian Horner on the record. This isn’t any insider goss. This was on the record, public comments, to Formula One, saying it’s part of a wider picture. So, he’s got this strange thing, DC, where he’s got six Grand Prix. He’s worked for this his entire life.”

‘Liam Lawson’s 2025 Red Bull audition’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/chr...d-prix-return/

[Fortitude]

Franco Colapinto on pace with Alex Albon in Williams F1 simulator.
Williams Formula 1 boss James Vowles has revealed Franco Colapinto has been matching the pace of Alex Albon on the team’s simulator this season.
6 Oct 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week

“The reason why we put him in the car is, A, he’s part of our academy, and I believe in investing in our academy,” Vowles explained on the F1 Beyond the Grid podcast. Vowles went on to explain that limited budgets have always hampered Colapinto, but he has been able to excel regardless on his rise through the single-seater ranks.

“If I ask everyone to dig back through his career properly in the detail that we did, which is why he’s here, you’ll see that he never had testing or sometimes not even simulator work that went with it,” the Williams Team Principal said.

“He went wherever finance led him to and when he was in those teams he did an incredible job without any kilometres under his belt. [In 2024] he started really developing in Formula 2, which is why we rewarded him with the Silverstone [FP1] drive.”

‘Matching the pace of Alex Albon’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...-f1-simulator/


Williams boss ‘taken aback’ by Franco Colapinto with Albon sim comparison revealed
6 Oct 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Williams team principal James Vowles admitted to being “taken aback” by the pace of Franco Colapinto in his FP1 outing at Silverstone in July, and revealed his pace in the simulator is equal to that of Alex Albon.

Another of Colapinto’s qualities that has been evident in his dealings with the media so far is his openness and willingness to engage, which has extended to members of his team, as Vowles elaborated further upon.

“We had a team talk for the first time with him in Monza, and he said, ‘Well, what should I say?’ I said: ‘Speak from your heart, you’re good at it, just talk to people.’” he explained.

“Taken aback”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/willia...colapinto-pace


Argentina eyeing potential home F1 race for Franco Colapinto
3 Oct 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week

Argentina last hosted a GP in 1998 at the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez in Buenos Aries, with Michael Schumacher winning for Ferrari. That circuit is currently a long way off the FIA Grade 1 Status required of an F1 venue and a significant investment will be required for an Argentine GP to become a reality.

To get the ball rolling, Scioli will head to Sao Paulo in November to meet with F1 representatives to initiate the process of hosting an Argentine GP. The one other snag that could foil plans is that Colapinto doesn’t have an immediate future set in F1.

Williams has already secured Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz on multi-year deals for 2025 and beyond, meaning Colapinto’s stint is resigned to just a 2024 cameo. However, Williams, keen to develop its prospect, is open to loaning Colapinto to Sauber/Audi in 2025.

‘Argentina GP’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...nco-colapinto/


Vowles: Colapinto can ‘drive the socks off’ of Williams’ FW46
The Argentinian has massively impressed since his Formula 1 race debut in Monza
Oct 7, 2024
Freddie Cotton
FormulaNerds

Quick out of the blocks. Of those to have been impressed with Colapinto’s start to life in F1 is Vowles, who has publicly commended the 21-year-old. Speaking on F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast, Williams’ Team Principal said:

“What I didn’t expect to happen is how quickly he’s got up to speed – I thought it would take him another few races to be there, so we’d be in the Americas before he picked up. Where his strengths are, him personally, he can take all of this pressure, thousands of things that come at you, and just deal with it in his stride. He’s never flustered, he’s never panicked, he’s never overloaded. He’s just, ‘give me more, and I can give you more back’.”

When he was then asked if keeping Colapinto would have been a possibility if Carlos Sainz’s signing had not been in place, Vowles added: “What Franco brings is to give us this pure performance – no doubt about it, he can drive the socks off this car. But there’s pros and cons to both, which is what we have to be clear about. What I would say is Franco is deserving of a place in Formula 1.”

‘Quick out of the blocks’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/vo.../?nowprocket=1


‘Couldn’t even go straight’: Why confused Franco Colapinto ‘couldn’t even go straight’ on his Williams F1 debut
8 Oct 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Franco Colapinto baffled by Williams steering wheel on first outing. Colapinto featured in a Formula 1 session for the first time at Silverstone back in July. He replaced Sargeant in FP1 and impressively lapped just over four-tenths slower than Albon.

He then completed his first full weekend at Monza after Sargeant left for good. The 21-year-old was disappointed to qualify 18th but recovered well to finish 12th. Speaking to El Hormiguero, he recalled his struggles with the Williams steering wheel. He couldn’t ‘figure out’ which buttons he needed to press.

Colapinto said: “There are many red buttons that are better not to touch and there are other buttons that you have to touch. The thing is that you go very fast and at the beginning, since I was not used to the speed at which things happen, it was difficult for me to focus on which button to touch. And then I had a guy on the radio who was talking to me every 5 seconds and at the beginning I couldn’t even go straight because of the grey, I would go into the grass. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out which button to touch.”

‘Baffled by Williams steering wheel’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/why...iams-f1-debut/


Colapinto interview: "I know what I can do, I was expecting to be quick"
Williams sensation Franco Colapinto sits down with Motorsport.com to talk about his rapid rise as a Formula 1 driver
Oct 9, 2024
Filip Cleeren Ronald Vording
Motorsport.com

For all the hoo-ha around his rapid ascent, Colapinto has taken to F1 like a duck to water and doesn't seem at all fazed by the extra attention on him, or surprised by how he has been able to get closer to his experienced team-mate Alex Albon in three races than his predecessor has been able to do.

"No, I know what I can do, and I was expecting to be quick," a relaxed and quietly self-assured Colapinto told Motorsport.com during an interview in Singapore. "Even though I didn't have a lot of experience with the car, that was the idea of the team and why they put me in the car, so I'm happy to be helping the team."

"I think we are doing a good job together as a team," he said about his learning process. It's tough. There are a lot of things you can do in the car with the tools and so much stuff that you can change. But I am learning every time I'm going out and I'm just getting a bit more used to the car, a bit more used to how I can extract the maximum performance of the car, and that's going well."

‘Taken to F1 like a duck to water’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/c...uick/10661570/


‘Does not care’: What Franco Colapinto has done at Williams that shows he’s already inside Alex Albon’s head
9 Oct 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Alex Albon’s comments about Williams teammate Franco Colapinto ‘made no sense’. Speaking to Motorsport.com, Colapinto’s former boss Sander Dorsman raved about his ‘fantastic’ move at the start of the Singapore GP. Dorsman runs the MP Motorsport team who worked with Colapinto in FRECA, Formula 3 and Formula 2.

Colapinto overtook three cars in one go after the lights went out in Marina Bay, bravely diving down the inside but slowing his car down enough to make the apex. An angry Albon, one of the victims, called it a ‘divebomb’ over the radio and asked what he was doing. But Dorsman feels that these remarks ‘made no sense’. Far from legitimate criticism, they instead show that the team’s new arrival is ‘in his head’.

“I especially thought that action at the start was fantastic of course,” he said. “That is exactly how we know Franco, he goes all out. He simply does not care about reputations and what really struck me there was that Albon immediately came on the radio. Something that actually made no sense at all, but it does show that it seems that Franco was already a bit in his head. So that is interesting.”

‘Already inside Alex Albon’s head’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wha...x-albons-head/