2024 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

**Fortitude** · Yesterday, 06:32

Hamilton reveals how Mercedes improved the balance of his W15 during the race.
Having battled with his team-mate George Russell all through the second half of the race, Lewis Hamilton has revealed that a tweak to the front wing of his car completely changed his feeling behind the wheel of his W15.
28 Oct 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Reflecting on his race, Hamilton noted: "We ultimately moved forward and brought home good points today for the team. We weren’t looking so racy in the first stint; I didn’t have enough front-wing in the car and was suffering with lots of understeer.”

"We were able to improve the balance at our second stop and our pace got better. Even if we had enjoyed that speed in the first stint though, we still wouldn’t have had the pace to challenge those ahead for the podium. P4 and P5 is still slightly better than we predicted today though so we can be pleased with our afternoon.”

"This hasn’t been the smoothest weekend for the team, but we’ve gathered a lot of information across both specifications. We can now analyse that data and evaluate the best way forward for next weekend in Brazil and the rest of the season. Hopefully we can get the car in a slightly better spot for Interlagos and take the fight to the Ferraris and McLarens."

‘Improved the balance of his W15’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/25729

Lewis Hamilton blames front wing misjudgement for “really bad” opening stint
Lewis Hamilton reflects on a "fun" race at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
28 Oct 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Reflecting on the race in Mexico, Hamilton said: “Yeah, it was fun. I had fun today. I had a good start, I had a really bad first stint, took too much front wing out of the car, I had massive, massive understeer.”

“I was like, damn. Because you have to basically guesstimate where you're going to be with the front wing, and I had a lot less than George [Russell]. But the laps to the grid, it felt like it was the right thing, and it was clearly not.”

“And after my stop, I was able to rectify it, and then after that I had a much better pace, and I was able to push and keep going, and we stopped a little bit early as well, compared to what I had planned and stuff. We got good points.”

‘Front wing misjudgement’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105921...-opening-stint

Russell’s race performance compromised by front wing damage
28/10/2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Mercedes’ trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin reckoned that a bump hit by Russell had caused the collapse of one of the wing’s flaps. “George was hindered when the front wing flap collapsed after he hit a bump during an overtake at the start of the second stint,” Shovlin explained.

“Despite that, he still maintained good enough pace to bring it home in fifth. We let the drivers race each other throughout, but that meant that Lewis’ tyres were past their best once he made it into clear air.”

‘Performance compromised’;

https://f1i.com/news/523122-russells...ng-damage.html

Transcript: Toto Wolff, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team
October 28, 2024
Barry Ritholtz
The Big Picture (Weblog)

00:00:15 [Speaker Changed] What can I say about this week’s guest, Toto Wolf. Principal, CEO of Mercedes Formula one race team. What an incredible career. From a winning racer to an investor and venture capitalist to a, a person who just kind of became a principal at Williams. And then eventually after that team, surprisingly began to win, got recruited over to Mercedes where he has put together a fantastic track record.

00:01:40 [Speaker Changed] So yeah, I was born and raised in Vienna and went to the Vienna University of Economics, but actually raced in junior formulas at the time and wanted to be a race driver. And when that ended abruptly run out of money and we had a very bad spell of accidents in Formula One. So I lost a sponsor. I decided I’m gonna quit both. I’m gonna quit Uni Uni and I’m gonna quit racing and launch myself into, you know, working.

‘Put together a fantastic track record’;

https://ritholtz.com/2024/10/transcr...olff-mercedes/

Lewis Hamilton makes confession after Mexico GP with Mercedes off Ferrari pace
Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth and finished fourth at the Mexican Grand Prix, benefitting from penalties for Max Verstappen before overtaking Mercedes team-mate George Russell
28 Oct 2024
Daniel Moxon
The Mirror

Lewis Hamilton: "I am really grateful for that and happy with the performance in general. I got a good start and then I had a lot of understeer because... my fault, but I took too much front wing out of the car. And I had knocked out the front tyres basically in that first stint. After the changes, after the pit stop, [it was] much, much better.”

"But it was a really, really insightful and informative race because I could feel exactly where the car was working and where it was not. It is very, very clear in my mind where the car is giving up and I could see the difference between George and I when I am behind.”

"So it will be interesting to see... they have now all of this information from both of our cars running. So good points, good data for both of us and hopefully [it will] put us in a better position for the next race."

‘Confession’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ssell-33984725

Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes Mexico battle highlighted F1 package differences
28 Oct 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week

“We got a lot of information,” Hamilton told select media including Motorsport Week post-race. “I could see on his car where he was better than me, and I’m sure hopefully he’ll be able to see where he’s better than me.”

“Package-wise, hopefully [the team has] lots of data, so we’ll figure out who starts what next race.” The past two weekends have been difficult for Mercedes to gauge where the upgrades are.

‘Package differences’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...e-differences/

**Fortitude** · Yesterday, 15:22

How Ayao Komatsu is leading a Haas renaissance.
Currently 6th in the standings, Haas are on track for their best F1 season since 2018. In less than a year since becoming team principal, Ayao Komatsu has transformed Haas into one of the best midfield teams.
Oct 28, 2024
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Speaking after Magnussen and Hulkenberg’s fantastic results in Mexico (P7 and P9 respectively) the Japanese team principal gave his verdict: “I don’t know what to say, it’s another amazing result for this team. I’m so happy that everyone’s hard work is paying off, with the updates and the car getting better.”

“I’m so happy for Kevin, he drove very well in Austin, but we couldn’t quite deliver on Sunday. But this weekend he had an amazing qualifying – today everyone delivered. His pace in the second stint was unbelievable, he was catching Verstappen in his Red Bull and was finishing just four seconds behind.”

“That was probably the best I’ve seen Kevin drive, I’m so happy for him. In a way, Nico being disappointed with P9 is a great sign for the team as well.”

“So happy that everyone’s hard work is paying off”;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...s-renaissance/

‘I’m finding my rhythm again’ – Magnussen overjoyed with ‘perfect day’ in Mexico after Haas secure double points finish
28 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Speaking after the race, Magnussen said: “It was a perfect day really, we got everything right. The balance in the car was just in that sweet spot and I was able to just really manage the tyres and push hard – manage the tyres when I needed to and push them when I needed to as well.”

“P7 was better than we could have hoped for because we had Piastri cruising through the field and it didn’t happen, so I was able to just about manage to keep him behind. The last year or so has been tough. I feel like I’m finding my rhythm again here and it’s nice. Hopefully we can finish off this year and just really nail some points finishes in these last four races.”

‘Rhythm again’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...2XZLm42FWOpnNs

Mexico City Grand Prix: Race Recap
Oct 27, 2024
Haas F1 Team - Official Site

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team finished with Kevin Magnussen seventh and Nico Hulkenberg ninth, at the Mexico City Grand Prix, Round 20 of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, held Sunday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Magnussen started from a season-best seventh on the grid on Pirelli P Zero Yellow medium tires and preserved his position throughout the course of the opening stint. Magnussen remained in sight of the Mercedes drivers before coming in on lap 30 of 71, switching onto White hard tires, cycling back through into seventh once the rest of the pack also stopped. Magnussen faced pressure from the recovering Oscar Piastri in the closing stages but kept the McLaren driver at bay to record seventh place – collecting his best result of the 2024 campaign.

Hulkenberg took the start from 10th on the grid and avoided a collision that accounted for Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon to slot into eighth place. Hulkenberg came in for his sole pit stop on lap 29, taking on hard tires, and worked back through to eighth, before ceding a spot to Piastri. Hulkenberg nonetheless came home in ninth to secure a double points finish for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team.

‘Race Recap’;

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

‘It was a perfect day’ – Magnussen beaming after P7 in Mexico
27 Oct 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Kevin Magnussen sealed his best F1 result in two years in Mexico for Haas and said his P7 was “better than we could have hoped for.”

‘Perfect day’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/it...08202371816246

Magnussen was catching Verstappen at end of “unbelievable” drive – Komatsu
28th October 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Komatsu said he was “so happy for Kevin,” who will leave the team at the end of the season and doesn’t have a drive for next year yet.
“He drove very well in Austin, but we couldn’t quite deliver on Sunday, but this weekend he had an amazing qualifying,” said Komatsu. “Today everyone delivered.
“His pace in the second stint was unbelievable, he was catching Verstappen in his Red Bull and was finishing just four seconds behind. That was probably the best I’ve seen Kevin drive, I’m so happy for him.”
Magnussen was also quick enough to prevent Oscar Piastri from catching him before the end of the race.

“Unbelievable”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/10/28/...drive-komatsu/

São Paulo Grand Prix: Race Preview
Oct 29, 2024
Haas F1 Team - Official Site

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal: “Interlagos is a very technical and dynamic circuit which has a great flow to it. The location has amazing history and atmosphere, and the racing is often great. Of course, being a part of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, Interlagos is also special as this is the track where we qualified on pole for the Sprint with Kevin in 2022. We’re looking forward to coming back to Brazil and conclude this triple-header with another strong points finish.”

Nico Hulkenberg: “The São Paulo Grand Prix is steeped in history, it’s everywhere, and that’s still very special to experience as a Formula 1 driver. The Senna S down to Turn 4 is phenomenal to drive and the Brazilian carnival environment all weekend, is a highlight at the end of a triple-header. It’s been a run of four consecutive points-scoring races for me with the Sprint, so I’m looking to extend that in Brazil.”

Kevin Magnussen: “Of course I’ve got some good memories from Brazil. The pole position we got there in 2022 is always going to be very clear in my mind and it’s probably the best day at work I’ve had in Formula 1. I love the location and the atmosphere. Every place we go to has a unique feel with the fans, but in Brazil there’s the football stadium nearby and that culture is engrained in them, so when fans go to the Formula 1 race, you feel that atmosphere.”

‘Race Preview’;

https://www.haasf1team.com/news/sao-...x-race-preview

**Fortitude** · Today, 07:13

Max Verstappen Set For Five-Place Grid Drop In Brazil.
On top of his Mexico GP penalties and lagging car pace, championship leader Max Verstappen’s troubles are about to get even worse.
Oct 29, 2024
F1 Chronicle

It is now almost certain that the Red Bull driver will need to move down the grid at the Brazilian GP this weekend due to needing a fresh power unit. Verstappen, whose lead points lead over Lando Norris shrunk from 57 to 47 points on Sunday, suffered engine trouble in both practice sessions in Mexico.

The team had to change that engine and replace it with another from his official allocation. “The engine we put in it was no longer suitable for racing,” revealed Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko. “We were so slow on the straights. So we will take an extra engine,” he told ORF. “This will most likely happen in Brazil.”

‘Five-Place Grid Drop’;

https://f1chronicle.com/max-verstapp.../?nowprocket=1

Lando Norris given F1 title boost with Max Verstappen set for Brazil Grand Prix grid penalty
Oct 28, 2024
Callum McAvoy
Metro.co.uk

‘We were nowhere near the two front teams, and I guess part of the problem is that Friday, we couldn’t drive because of the engine problems,’ Marko said. ‘We have to do something, that’s clear. We also will have a change the engine because we had been so slow on the straight.’

‘This engine, which was in the car, was not supposed to be in the car, so most likely Brazil could happen. The engine we had in there was no longer intended for the race, and the older an engine gets, the more its performance diminishes.’

‘The penalty would be five places. That wouldn’t be so severe in Brazil, for example, where you can overtake relatively easily. But we saw that we were missing three to eight km/h on the straights.’

‘Lando Norris given F1 title boost’;

https://metro.co.uk/2024/10/28/lando...o=newsnow-feed

Marko says drastic decision might be made at 'difficult' Brazilian GP
29 Oct 2024
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com

Marko confirms: 'Possible grid penalty for Verstappen in Brazil': Red Bull had to change Verstappen's engine for a previous one in Mexico City after FP2, as the Dutch driver had issues. As a result, Verstappen was slower during the rest of the weekend, Marko told Sky Sports DE.

"The engine setting was not optimal and we did not have the full power from the battery. We were generally slow on the straights. We missed three to five km/h. It was a very old engine and the older the engine, the more the power decreases. However, the biggest problem was that we couldn't get the tyres to the right temperature," the Austrian advisor explained.

‘Drastic decision’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30972...erstappen.html

Wolff pessimistic about Mercedes' chances in Brazil: "It will be difficult"
30 Oct 2024
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com

Previewing the penultimate sprint weekend of the 2024 season at Interlagos, Wolff admitted to some lacklustre performances since returning from the autumn break: "The past two races in Austin and Mexico City have not been our cleanest so we are aiming for a smoother weekend at Interlagos. Despite the challenges in the US and Mexico, we have furthered our learning with the W15. Whilst we are still focused on maximising our results each and every weekend, testing and learning will be valuable in setting us up strongly for 2025. We will continue that approach this weekend in Brazil."

So with one eye set on testing and data collecting for next season, will we see any improvement in closing the gap to the front of the grid? "We know it will be difficult to challenge the Ferraris and the McLarens who have looked strong in recent races. We will still be working hard to do so though, and will see where our relative performance is over the weekend," Wolff concluded.

‘Wolff pessimistic’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30977...-mercedes.html

Schedule F1 Brazilian Grand Prix 2024
This weekend, the Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix will take place. Want to know exactly what time the sessions start in São Paulo? Check below.
29 Oct 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

The schedule of the F1 Brazilian GP is automatically adjusted to your time zone.
Timetable Mexican GP
Session Date Time
Free practice 1 Friday 25 October 20:30 - 21:30
Free practice 2 Saturday 26 October 00:00 - 01:30
Free practice 3 Saturday 26 October 19:30 - 20:30
Qualification Saturday 26 October 23:00 - 00:00
Race Sunday 27 October 21:00 - 23:00

‘Brazilian Grand Prix’;

https://racingnews365.com/schedule-f...rand-prix-2024

F1 2024 Brazilian GP Schedule and F1 Start Times
Find out when the 2024 Brazilian GP takes place, including the F1 session times for practice, sprint qualifying, the sprint race and the Grand Prix
29 Oct 2024
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Interlagos is notorious for impacting title dreams—often throwing curveballs that shake up the standings from late-season drama to unexpected upsets and the Brazilian GP could well throw the F1 2024 title where every point counts, and every lap is a showdown.

The Brazilian GP isn’t just another race; it’s an event where legends are born, rivalries are cemented, and history is made so get ready to witness one of the most thrilling races of the year in a high-stakes setting where anything can happen.

Find out the F1 session times for the 2024 Brazilian GP for fans living in the UK, USA and Australia.
Session Day UK (GMT) USA (ET) USA (PT) Australia (AEST)
FP1 Fri 14:30-15:30 10:30-11:30 07:30-08:30 01:30-02:30*
Sprint Qualifying Fri 18:30-19:14 14:30-15:14 11:30-12:14 05:30-06:14*
Sprint Race Sat 14:00-15:00 10:00-11:00 07:00-08:00 01:00-02:00*
Qualifying Sat 18:00-19:00 14:00-15:00 11:00-12:00 05:00-06:00*
Grand Prix Sun 17:00 13:00 10:00 04:00*
* indicates the following day.

‘Schedule and F1 Start Times’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...e-start-times/

What happened last time out in Brazil? Recap a record-breaking 2023 race
29 Oct 2024
Olly Darcy

With just four more races remaining in the 2024 Formula 1 season, the F1 circus will arrive in Sao Paulo for the always-entertaining Brazilian Grand Prix. This year's Grand Prix will also be a sprint race weekend, as was last year's, which saw a surprise as to who took pole. However, for the rest of the weekend, it was dominated by the man who dominated proceedings in 2023: Max Verstappen.

Thanks to Lando Norris, the Grand Prix at Interlagos was not a total clean sweep by Verstappen. In fact, a Carlos Sainz P1 in the only practice session of the weekend meant that Verstappen would not have a total clean sweep straight away. However, the Dutchman turned it on for qualifying later in the day. In a rain-affect session, he finished three-tenths clear of Charles Leclerc in P2, with the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll coming in third in front of teammate Fernando Alonso.

However, in the sprint shootout on Saturday, Verstappen could not get to the front of the grid as he was beaten out by +0.061 of a second by Norris to give himself P1 for the sprint race later in the day. The Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Perez came next, and then George Russell and Lewis Hamilton took P4 and P5, respectively.

‘Recap a record-breaking 2023 race’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30978...sao-paulo.html

**Fortitude** · Today, 13:33

F1 drivers to face 'completely unknown' factor in Brazilian GP.
Pirelli believes F1 drivers will be facing an "unknown challenge" in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after the Interlagos track was resurfaced and water-blasted.
30 Oct 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

The 4.3km track has undergone a complete resurfacing ahead of the 2024 race, which is also a sprint weekend, but to avoid the side-effects of a brand-new track surface - the oils, or bitumen, it has been water-blasted.

This has increased the abrasiveness of the track surface, with Pirelli set to bring its C3-C4-C5 tyres to act as the hard, medium and soft compounds. This is a step softer than in the 2023 season when the C2-C3-C4 rubber was brought.

"Unknown challenge";

https://racingnews365.com/f1-drivers...n-brazilian-gp

Two F1 manufacturers found guilty of breaching rules as punishment handed ahead of Brazil GP
30 Oct 2024
Tom Jenkins
SPORTbible

Honda and Alpine have been found guilty of breaching the FIA's engine cost cap rules with both manufacturers handed an immediate punishment. Both Alpine and Honda submitted totals under the $95m (£74m) limit for 2023, the first year that the regulations have been in place, however, they have now accepted they breached the cost cap rules.

Honda currently supplies power units to both Red Bull and RB but will exclusively become Aston Martin's engine supplier in 2026 when the new regulations come into play. Meanwhile, Red Bull will partner with Ford in 2026 and Alpine will stop making engines altogether and become a customer team to Mercedes if reports are to be believed.

The punishment for both manufacturers is already confirmed with Honda paying a $600,000 fine (£462,000), while Alpine's fine amounts to $400,000 (£308,000). This comes after both manufacturers settled for a so-called 'Accepted Breach Agreement with the FIA.'

‘Guilty of breaching rules’;

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/manufa...82061-20241030

Lewis Hamilton hints at Mercedes swap offer that could change his fate at Brazilian GP
Lewis Hamilton has indicated Mercedes could be prepared to make a significant change for the F1 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Oct 30, 2024
Joe Krishnan
Daily and Sunday Express

Lewis Hamilton has indicated Mercedes are preparing to give his upgraded car to George Russell for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos this weekend. Russell crashed in qualifying at the last United States Grand Prix and his shunt caused damage to the new W15 parts he had fitted. As a result, Mercedes were forced to send the upgrades back to the Brackley factory to repair them and had only one other spare set to fit.

And with only one set of parts available, Russell remained on the same package that was brought to Silverstone earlier this season. They opted to not to fit the repaired parts for the Mexican GP, while Hamilton enjoyed the new specification as he claimed fourth place ahead of his team-mate.

But Mercedes chief Toto Wolff hinted Hamilton felt more comfortable using the previous setup, which could see them swap heading to Brazil for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix this weekend - something Hamilton expected after their enticing battle in Mexico City.

‘Mercedes swap offer’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-GP-F1-news

Max previews Brazilian GP: 'Need to do everything we can'
30 Oct 2024
Niels Hendrix
Verstappen.nl

Max Verstappen, who finished sixth in Mexico, reflects on last weekend and says: “Mexico was a race to forget, but we know that we can do better and are working hard to figure out what went wrong so we can improve our form for the final few races. We need to do everything we can to be more competitive and come back stronger to a place and to where we know we can be.”

Looking forward to the upcoming weekend, the Dutch Oracle Red Bull Racing driver adds: “Brazil is the final race for us of a long triple header and obviously another sprint weekend so will be very busy, but an opportunity to score points. Interlagos is a cool track to drive with a lot of history and is also quite technical, with all the elevation changes. I am looking forward to going back to Brazil and racing in front of the passionate fans.”

‘Need to do everything we can';

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5642/

THIS WEEK IN F1: 10 quiz questions on the Mexico City Grand Prix – and F1 history in Brazil
30 Oct 2024
Rob Burnett
Formula One - Official Site

Carlos Sainz stormed to what proved to be an emotional victory in Mexico City in Sunday, with the Spaniard's family watching on from the Ferrari garage as he edges closer to the end of his time with the Scuderia.

And there was plenty of other action on track at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, with another clash between title rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, a Lap 1 crash that took out Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon, and plenty of overtaking up and down the field.

‘10 quiz questions’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...ljLAjDBNWn90dy