2024 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

‘A small mistake with a huge consequence’ – Hulkenberg on his black flag in Brazil.
Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg was out of the Sao Paulo race after receiving the black flag for getting a push from the marshals when he beached his car in the gravel trap.
3 Nov 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

‘Black flag’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/a-...23325248598624


Hulkenberg makes unusual claim about F1 marshals after disqualification
Nico Hulkenberg became the first F1 driver in over 17 years to be disqualified during a race in the Sao Paulo GP.
5 Nov 2024
Jake Nichol & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

"We were going okay, it wasn't dreadful but wasn't amazing either, but just after a pit-stop, our race finished pretty quickly," Hulkenberg told media including RacingNews365.

"[The marshals] came out, they pushed me off and they were really happy with themselves, they were partying and pushing me on and saying: 'Come on, let's go, the race isn't finished!'.”

"At that moment, you don't really think, you don't care, you just continue and deal with the consequences later."

'Come on, let's go, the race isn't finished!';

https://racingnews365.com/hulkenberg...squalification


Hulkenberg: Brazil GP marshals "partying" after rescuing Haas driver before black flag
Hulkenberg was disqualified after getting illegal aid following a spin
Nov 6, 2024
Ewan Gale Oleg Karpov
Motorsport.com

Nico Hulkenberg has revealed how the marshals at Turn 1 for the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix were "partying" after illegally helping the Haas driver rejoin the race after an off. The German spun out in difficult conditions at Interlagos and although he failed to reach the barriers at the first corner, he became beached on a crest in the run-off area, with his rear wheels in the air.

This led to the use of the virtual safety car - one which brought race-defining pit stops - but instead of Hulkenberg retiring, he was pushed off the ledge and continued. But the use of outside assistance contravened F1 regulations and saw Hulkenberg disqualified - the first driver shown the black flag since the Canadian Grand Prix in 2007.

Having made it to the pits under the red flags before being told of his disqualification, Hulkenberg dealt with the worst of the weather and insisted: "Definitely amongst the toughest conditions that I've raced in. "Incredibly low grip, a very, very narrow window, very hard to make no mistakes. It was very tough."

"Partying";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...flag/10671033/


Nico Hulkenberg: Marshals celebrated aiding Haas driver before Brazil black flag
8 Nov 2024
Harry Whitfield
Motorsport Week

Hulkenberg had ended up on a crest off the track with his rear wheels in the air, needing assistance from the marshals to move his car. However, once the 37-year-old was freed, he continued back onto the track thus resulting in his disqualification from the race for receiving assistance from the marshals.

The Haas driver found out whilst the race was paused due to a red flag brought out by Franco Colapinto’s crash amid the extremely wet conditions.
Reflecting on his race, he said: “I think it was going OK on the inters actually; I was in a train with Pierre [Gasly] and Fernando [Alonso] for a long time, before we pitted,” he told media including Motorsport Week.

‘Brazil black flag’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...il-black-flag/


Nico Hulkenberg causes McLaren team orders confusion in unearthed Brazil GP footage
05 Nov 2024
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Hulkenberg pulled to the side of the track to retire on Lap 20 of 24, with the incident upping the urgency for McLaren to make the swap happen before the Virtual Safety Car – under which no overtaking is allowed – was deployed.

The sight of Hulkenberg’s stationary car resulted in Piastri’s engineer Tom Stallard instructing his driver to swap places with Norris. Stallard said: “Oscar, if possible, swap position with Lando.”

However, television pictures then showed Hulkenberg’s car crawling at low speed in the run-off area, potentially removing the need for a Virtual Safety Car, with Stallard quickly backtracking on his request. “No, Hulkenberg is getting going,” Stallard added. “Do not swap position. Do not swap position.”

‘McLaren team orders confusion’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclare...zil-gp-footage


Former F1 team boss can't understand it: 'I'd choose Schumacher'
7 Nov 2024
Matt Gretton
GPblog.com

Former F1 team boss Franz Tost believes Sauber (soon to be Audi) have missed an opportunity to sign German driver Mick Schumacher for the 2025 Formula 1 season. On Wednesday, Sauber confirmed they will put Gabriel Bortoleto alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 2025. Tost himself would never choose Bortoleto because he is "a risk factor".

Tost, who was a longstanding team boss at Red Bull's sister team, explains why they should've gone for Schumacher. "Mick is still young and has won both crucial junior classes, something Bortoleto has not yet achieved. In addition, he is very fast, has constantly improved during his two years with the Haas team and now, in his role as a test driver, has a lot of mileage experience with the current Formula 1 cars," Tost said. Bortoleto won the F3 title in his debut season, and currently leads the F2 championship as a rookie.

‘Can't understand it’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31183...bortoleto.html

[Fortitude]

Colapinto “very sad” after crashing twice on dire day for Williams.
Williams suffered a dire day at Interlagos as they endured what team principal James Vowles called “three incredibly large crashes in just a few hours.”
3rd Nov 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Franco Colapinto did take the start but suffered another heavy crash during a Safety Car period. He said afterwards he was “very sad for the team. They did an amazing job to put the car back on track on the race and I destroyed it again,” he told the official F1 website. “So I’m very sorry for them.”

“It was a very tough day for us, honestly, things didn’t go our way today. I think we had a quick car and we boxed to put the inters on and there was a lot of rivers. I was pushing to get the tyre temps up and I just lost the car on that big river. So not a good day for us.”

“Very sad”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/11/03/...-for-williams/


Colapinto apologises to his team after race-ending crash in the Sao Paulo GP
3 Nov 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Williams rookie Franco Colapinto had a second crash of the day on Lap 32 of Sunday’s Grand Prix to end his race and bring out the red flags.

‘Colapinto apologises’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/co...22629602347096


'Very clear': Peter Windsor tells people why they need to ‘be careful’ about Franco Colapinto
5 Nov 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Peter Windsor compares Franco Colapinto to Carlos Sainz. Colapinto will not have a seat at Williams next year, owing to the team already deciding to employ Carlos Sainz alongside Alex Albon for the 2025 season. Windsor believes the recent run of races for Colapinto should remind people that the Argentine is still a rookie, despite making an impression in his first couple of races.

“We need to be careful here with Colapinto because he’s good, but at this stage of his career he’s nothing like what Carlos was at this stage of his career,” said Windsor. “It was very clear that Colapinto is a Liam Lawson-type driver. He’s an oversteer and reflex-type driver, and we saw a lot of those guys who are not short corner drivers all making quite serious errors where if you touch the white line with load, you’re off.”

‘Be careful’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/pet...nco-colapinto/


Brazilian GP: Toughest of days for Williams Racing
Nov 4 2024
Williams Racing
WilliamsF1 Supporters

James Vowles, Team Principal: "The nature of Formula 1 is that you can have some of the most incredible feelings and results, as well as some of the lowest moments that you can feel within a sport. I think it's fair to say this weekend is the second of those two.”

“We've had three incredibly large crashes in just a few hours from one another and have a tremendous amount of work to get ourselves back on top of our spares situation before we go to Las Vegas in just a few weeks’ time.”

‘Toughest of days’;

https://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s107/st206573.htm


Report: What James Vowles was seen doing on Williams pit wall after Franco Colapinto crash at Sao Paulo Grand Prix
6 Nov 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

The Sao Paulo Grand Prix was perhaps the worst weekend of the year for Williams. They’ve had plenty of scoreless races in 2024 – including the previous round in Mexico – but this was uniquely damaging. ESPN Deportes have offered a glimpse of what happened behind the scenes at Williams when Colapinto crashed out on lap 31 of the race. The accident was highly unusual because it came under safety car conditions.

However, Colapinto had been involved in a ‘radio dispute’ with the team beforehand, asking for full wet tyres rather than new intermediates. However, Williams ‘ignored him’, having seen frontrunners George Russell and Lando Norris favour new interest. Colapinto lost control of his car on the ascent towards the start/finish straight, spearing into the barriers. With Albon already sidelined, Vowles duly left his post on the pit wall and headed for the engineering office.

At the back of the Williams garage, Colapinto’s managers ‘leaned on the trolleys’ that carry the tyres and ‘stared into space’. The mechanics ‘hid their faces behind their hands’ as they faced yet another repair job. The bigger concern for James Vowles is that Williams racked up a seven-figure damage figure in Brazil. That will make it considerably harder for them to meet F1’s budget cap at the end of a crash-filled season.

‘Vowles duly left his post on the pit wall’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wha...lo-grand-prix/


Franco Colapinto’s manager got ‘angry’ after what he said about Williams merchandise
7 Nov 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Franco Colapinto has rapidly become one of the most popular drivers on the Formula 1 grid. The combination of immense pace on track and charisma off it makes him a highly marketable athlete. Will Buxton says Colapinto’s support was ‘astounding’ in Sao Paulo last time out. It was by far the closest race to his homeland Argentina, and legions of his fellow countrymen flocked to the circuit.


Franco Colapinto receives a ‘scolding’ for telling fans to buy fake Williams merchandise. One reason fans have embraced Colapinto so quickly is his authenticity. In a sport where so many drivers stick to the media script, they feel he shows his true personality. At times, of course, this can be to his own detriment. Speaking to Corazon de F1 last month, he joked that ‘not even Cristiano Ronaldo can afford’ the merchandise prices set by Williams’. To avoid ‘eating rice for two months’, they should ‘buy the fake stuff’. Realising this was ill-judged, Colapinto said ‘Williams are going to kill me’.

In an interview with Carburando, his manager Maria Catarineu admitted that she had to ‘scold’ him for these remarks. It wasn’t an effective rebuke, because Colapinto knew she agreed with the sentiment. “There, I have to say, yes I got a little angry,” she said. “I scold him, but he’s not very convinced that I am scolding him because he says I share it and I understand the reason why he says it.”

‘Not even Cristiano Ronaldo can afford the merchandise prices set by Williams’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fra...s-merchandise/

[Fortitude]

'Unsustainable' run of damage leaves Williams uncertain of car spec for Vegas.
Williams is evaluating its spares situation after series of crashes has left it short after the Brazilian GP.
Nov 7, 2024
Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com

Speaking in his regular post-race review on the Williams App, Vowles said that work at the squad was still ongoing to finalise what shape it would be in for Las Vegas.

Asked about the spares situation in light of the crashes, Vowles said: "There's no team on the grid that can cope with five major accidents in two race weekends. Simply the matter of spares we carry are not sufficient to carry that amount of attrition.

"Vegas, I have high hopes for. We were fast there last year, and I'm confident the car will work well in those conditions. So we will do our absolute utmost to get two cars to the best specification they can be, with sufficient spares around us to make that happen.”

'Unsustainable';

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/u...s-gp/10671331/


Williams ‘hurting’ as team counts the huge cost of three Brazilian GP crashes
6 Nov 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Formula 1 recorded its biggest crash damage bill of the 2024 championship in Brazil, the grand total standings at over €5 million, and almost half of that belonged to Williams. Causing over €800,000 worth of damage according to F1Maximal.nl, Williams did not have the time to fix Albon’s “extensive damage” and he was forced to sit out the race.

The team did repair Colapinto’s car in time but alas his race ended on lap 32 when he crashed while the field was running behind the Safety Car. He lost control of the Williams in the wet, spun and hit the barrier with the front left of his car.

His tally went from one front wing and nose, rear wing, front suspension, rear suspension to double while the FW46’s sidepods were also damaged. All in all, approximately €1,490,200. On a weekend in which the entire field racked up a reported €5,030,800 in repair bills, Williams’ alone was €2,296,800.

‘Biggest crash damage bill of the 2024 championship’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/willia...ilian-gp-crash


‘On the table’: What Alex Albon left ‘on the table’ with Williams driver’s ‘expensive’ Sao Paulo GP crash
5 Nov 2024
Luke-John Buckle
F1 Oversteer

Williams endured a difficult weekend at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after neither Franco Colapinto or Alex Albon saw the chequered flag. The rain over the weekend caused qualifying to be moved from Saturday to Sunday morning before the Grand Prix.

This put added pressure on the drivers to not crash and force their mechanics into repairing the cars, risking not starting the race. Albon was incredibly fast in qualifying and made it into Q3 before crashing at the Senna S and destroying his Williams. His teammate Colapinto also hit the wall in qualifying and Williams would only get the Argentinian’s car ready in time for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

‘Expensive’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wha...aulo-gp-crash/


Where another brutal F1 crash streak leaves Williams
Nov 8, 2024
Josh Suttill
The Race

With the biggest damage bill of the season and its relatively small - if ever-expanding - size, it's feeling the effects worse than any team in the paddock. One possible scenario is that Williams will focus on building up Albon’s car to the latest specification and then see what parts are left to get Colapinto up to the as close a spec as possible.

But the team’s still working out what’s feasible and the three-week gap to Las Vegas has come at a handy time, even if shipping the cars back out again to North America means it's not a full three weeks, and the cars and parts also had to travel back from Brazil. If Las Vegas would have been the weekend after Brazil, it seems near impossible that Williams would have fielded two cars at the latest spec.

Handing Colapinto’s car to Albon on Sunday morning for the grand prix was never an option after Albon crashed in Q3. The team would have needed to swap in all of Albon’s engine components and with only a few hours between the end of qualifying and the grand prix, this wasn’t impossible even if Williams had wanted to.

‘Brutal F1 crash streak’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...aves-williams/


Williams reveals scale of repair work after Brazil F1 crashes
5 Nov 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Williams boss James Vowles has revealed that the crippling blow has granted the team an uphill task to have the repairs sorted in time for the next race in Las Vegas. “The nature of Formula 1 is that you can have some of the most incredible feelings and results, as well as some of the lowest moments that you can feel within a sport,” Vowles said.

“I think it’s fair to say this weekend is the second of those two. We’ve had three incredibly large crashes in just a few hours from one another and have a tremendous amount of work to get ourselves back on top of our spares situation before we go to Las Vegas in just a few weeks’ time.”

“We must go to every single one of these weekends now and deliver everything possible, whilst making sure we are still looking ahead towards 2025 and 2026 because that, as I’ve said all along, is where our goal is truly set. It’s all about getting the foundations right as we go towards that ‘26 region. That doesn’t make today any less painful. Far from it, I’m hurting right now.”

‘Scale of repair work’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...il-f1-crashes/


Williams counting 'brutal' cost of five major accidents in 10 days
Williams cars were decimated in Mexico City and São Paulo. The financial burden 'no one can sustain on the grid'.
7 Nov 2024
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

"The Brazilian weekend was probably the most brutal that I can remember across my entire career," said Vowles, speaking on his post-race debrief, the 'Vowles Verdict' on the Williams website.

"In the space of seven days, a little bit more than that, we had five major accidents. In Brazil alone, between qualifying and the race, three. That's an amount that, near enough, no one can sustain on the grid, and it hurts as a result of it."

Williams assessing spare parts for Las Vegas. It leaves Williams counting the cost, estimated to run into the hundreds of thousands of pounds, and piecing together cars for the next race in Las Vegas that spearheads the season-concluding triple-header, with grands prix to follow in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

‘Brutal';

https://racingnews365.com/williams-c...nts-in-10-days


Williams scrambling to recover after devastating F1 crash run
08/11/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Williams has been left reeling after a crash-laden two-week run in Mexico and in Brazil that has decimated the team’s reserve of spare part, leaving it in a race against time to rebuild and prepare its cars for the upcoming Las Vegas Grand Prix. Vowles’ task has now shifted to ensuring the team can bring both of its cars to Las Vegas with enough replacement parts in reserve while also running them within the optimal specification.

"So we will do our absolute utmost to get two cars to the best specification they can be, with sufficient spares around us to make that happen. What that looks like is difficult to predict. We're still getting the items back from Brazil and determining what we have to do in terms of construct and build in order to give ourselves the best possible scenario."

Beyond the logistical pain of damage control, last weekend’s events in Brazil also delivered a psychological blow to the team. Albon’s Q3 crash, which occurred just as the car was showing promising pace in the wet, was particularly hard to take. Adding salt to the wound, Williams' hard-earned position in the Constructors' Championship slipped, as Alpine took a double podium finish in Brazil.

‘Scrambling’;

https://f1i.com/news/524225-williams...crash-run.html

[Fortitude]

‘We know what we want to do’ – Magnussen issues update on talks over still working with Haas after 2024.
Kevin Magnussen has given an update over potential plans to continue working with Haas after his impending exit from the race team at the end of 2024, with the Dane admitting that he and the team “know what we want to do” going forwards.
13 Nov 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Team Principal Ayao Komatsu voiced his hope that the two parties could “find a way to keep working together in some capacity”, citing Magnussen’s “special relationship” with the team. Asked during the recent triple header of races if there had been any progress on this front, Magnussen responded: “Yeah, we’re still working on [it]. “We’re not really stressing – in a triple header it’s just busy, you’re trying to do your best on track. Since there’s no stress and we kind of know what we want to do, it’s no rush.”

When speaking later about what his racing future might hold, the 32-year-old – who was forced to miss the Sao Paulo Grand Prix due to illness – admitted that his focus is currently on maximising the remaining races in 2024 and helping Haas to stay ahead of their rivals in the constructors’ championship.

“It’s a tight battle with our main competitors in the championship and it can swing around quickly, so we really need to stay focused and do a very good job to beat [RB],” said Magnussen. He continued: “I’m thinking about this championship, finishing as high as possible for the team and focusing race by race. I know in this sport it only matters how well you do on track.”

‘We know what we want to do’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...QtC8ZW1dLUwfQD


Why Kevin Magnussen regrets putting Oliver Bearman forward to replace him in Brazil
9 Nov 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Kevin Magnussen missed his second Formula 1 race of 2024 in Brazil. He was present for Thursday’s media duties, but then became ill overnight. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu duly turned to Oliver Bearman. Bearman had replaced Magnussen in Azerbaijan, when the Danish driver was banned for accumulating 12 penalty points in the space of a year.

Kevin Magnussen would have raced in Brazil if he knew a rainstorm was coming. Magnussen revealed on his ‘Debrief’ show for Viaplay Denmark that he’d actually put Bearman forward for the Brazil weekend. When he felt too unwell to race, he urged Komatsu to turn to the youngster.

He showed formidable pace on a dry Friday, outpacing Hulkenberg and reaching SQ3. However, he struggled in his first wet F1 outing, making a series of errors in the race after a Q1 exit. Magnussen says he would have been more inclined to race if he knew that it was going to rain so heavily. This isn’t necessarily a slight on Bearman; he’ll see it as a missed opportunity for a big result.

‘Regrets’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/why...him-in-brazil/


Kevin Magnussen reveals previous talks with Sauber over 2025 F1 seat
11 Nov 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Outgoing Haas driver Kevin Magnussen has revealed that he had contact with Sauber over a potential Formula 1 switch for 2025 when Andreas Seidl was at the helm.

However, the Dane has admitted that discussions with Sauber over a possible move hadn’t taken place since Mattia Binotto replaced Seidl in charge over the summer.

“When Seidl was there I heard from them, but I haven’t heard from them since,” Magnussen told media including Motorsport Week in Brazil.

‘Contact with Sauber’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...-2025-f1-seat/


'Yelling and screaming': Kevin Magnussen loved ‘awesome’ Max Verstappen move that left the FIA ‘crying’
9 Nov 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Max Verstappen has received support from some of his fellow F1 drivers amid recent criticism over his driving style. The reigning world champion was involved in three controversial incidents in the triple-header. Kevin Magnussen was delighted by Max Verstappen’s Mexico lunge on Lando Norris.

Kevin Magnussen has now joined Ocon in publicly defending Verstappen. He was speaking on his Viaplay ‘Debrief’ show in Denmark. The Haas driver is known for being one of the most aggressive on the grid. In September, he became the first to receive a race ban under the penalty points system after racking up 12 in the space of the year.

Rewatching footage of Verstappen’s turn-eight move on Norris in Mexico, Magnussen called it ‘awesome’. He delighted in the backlash that the 27-year-old had received. He said: “The reason why I think it is awesome, is because it is p*****g off so many people, they are yelling and screaming, and the FIA is crying about it. Relax.”

'Yelling and screaming';

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/kev...he-fia-crying/


Magnussen offers FIA a solution for clear racing rules
10 Nov 2024
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com

No doubt everyone within Formula 1 agrees with Magnussen's perception of the current racing standards. "I think it's pretty messy, the way things are at the moment. I think the FIA is aware of that and looking to make changes. They can see that it’s not great at the moment. There's too much room to exploit these guidelines. They need to rethink it a little bit, go back to basics," he states.

Is there even a solution? Magnessun shares his view, "The tracks make it incredibly hard because there's all this run-off and you don't even feel you go outside. So racing each other, it's too easy to just hang on to the outside and then you try and have your front wing ahead at the apex and again at the exit. Then try to make it look like you got pushed out. So it's all like it's not real. You're trying to make it look certain ways rather than just trying to get past."

Magnussen knows the solution. This the root of the problem, according to the Danish driver, "If you don't get far enough ahead, the inside car will have the natural power to push you outside. Whereas if you get ahead enough on the braking and into the apex, he just won't be able to push you outside. He will damage his front wing and stuff. So there is a natural dynamic to racing that I think should excel and take the lead in this case. Whereas now, because of the tracks, we have to put all these different guidelines and rules in place and I just think that's a shame."

‘Solution’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31223...to-basics.html

[Fortitude]

Horner Gives Go-Ahead For Perez Sponsors In 2025.
Powerful commercial interests look set to cement Sergio Perez in place at Red Bull Racing for 2025.
12 Nov 2024
F1 Chronicle

Already this week, it is rumoured that one of Perez’s sponsors, which also backs the team, has organised a TV series that will focus on the 34-year-old’s 2025 F1 campaign. “That’s one of the reasons why they are still persisting with him,” said Dutch racing driver Renger van der Zande on Ziggo Sport.

And now, according to the Spanish sports newspaper Marca, multiple “new sponsors for 2025” have now signed up with Red Bull. In response, team boss Christian Horner is said to have just given the green light to start production of 2025-spec team clothing and merchandise featuring the new sponsors’ names.

“The name of the new sponsor is not yet known, but it would join Claro, Telcel and Infinitum, all of which are part of Carlos Slim’s group, as well as Interproteccion, a global brokerage firm that has been with the driver for years,” said correspondent Marco Canseco. Other Perez-linked sponsors are Banorte, ESPN, Jalisco and Uber.

‘Powerful commercial interests’;

https://f1chronicle.com/horner-gives.../?nowprocket=1


Sergio Perez: Sponsors could help secure 2025 Red Bull seat
Nov 12, 2024
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Red Bull could retain the status quo. According to a recent report from MARCA, a fresh wave of sponsorship could help Sergio Perez stay at Red Bull in 2025. The Spanish outlets suggests that Perez brings $30 million of sponsors to the team – a massive figure. Although this will not be the only factor Red Bull are taking consideration, finances certainly play a role.

‘Status quo’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...red-bull-seat/


Sergio Perez has told Red Bull how much it would cost to buy him out of his contract before next season
13 Nov 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez is insistent that his time in Formula 1 isn’t about to come to an end. N Sergio Perez has had a glittering F1 career spanning more than a decade.

A report from F1 Insider has now shared how much Perez would demand if Red Bull were going to buy out his contract. Alongside the cost of finding a replacement and the loss in value from his personal sponsors, it makes an already difficult decision even harder.

Sergio Perez to demand £15.7m fee to walk away from 2025 Red Bull contract. Perez will want to concentrate on the final three races of the season as much as possible, knowing that a sudden upturn in form could help Red Bull in their quest to win the Constructors’ Championship.

‘£15.7 Million’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ser...e-next-season/


Horner has clear message for Perez: "We need Checo, he recognises that"
12 Nov 2024
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com

Christian Horner once again underlined that Sergio Perez has to improve his performance at the end of this season. That is not only for himself or to help Max Verstappen in his quest for his fourth title, but also for Red Bull Racing to have a chance at winning the constructors' championship this season.

"Formula One, as we know, is a results-based business. And Sergio is very, very aware of that. And he's not happy with how the season has gone for him, as you would expect. So, yes, he's big enough and old enough and wise enough to recognise that," the team principal told talkSport.

"We need Checo”;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31244...gio-perez.html


‘The truth is’: Sergio Perez has ‘laughed at’ what he’s read about his future at Red Bull in ‘European media’
13 Nov 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Sergio Perez laughs at European reporters for ‘inventing’ Red Bull stories
Speaking to Banorte, one of his sponsors in Mexico, on Instagram, Perez addressed the speculation over his future. He repeated his accusation that members of the European press lack professionalism. Perez ultimately accepts the scrutiny that comes with his position. But he also ‘laughs’ when he reads ‘invented’ stories.

His camp have been consistently bullish. Perez’s father has hinted that he’ll stay at Red Bull, while the driver himself has maintained that Horner and Marko will honour his contract. Perez said: “With humour, the truth is, I laugh at everything that is invented, what is said. Some, the truth is, I think not all, there are very professional journalists who do their job very well.”

“In the end, [some] understand it, you have a bad career and you have to talk about it, and as an athlete sometimes it is difficult to understand it, but you also have to be honest and know that perhaps you did not have the best career, not everyone is going to make the best decisions. But there is also an excess of, let’s say, a lack of professionalism in many European media.”

‘The truth is’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ser...uropean-media/

[Fortitude]

Williams could be forced to miss 2024 Las Vegas GP.
Crash damage has gone beyond cash allocations at Williams.
13 Nov 2024
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Williams could be forced to miss the 2024 Las Vegas GP as the team struggles to find the parts needed for Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto’s cars following a series of crashes at the Mexico GP and Brazilian GP in Formula 1’s triple header. Albon found the barriers at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez twice, firstly in FP1 and again on Lap 1 of the Grand Prix, before adding a huge shunt in Sao Paulo during qualifying that ensured he could take no part in the race.

Whilst Colapinto also found the wall in qualifying at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (Interlagos) before adding a significant crash under safety car conditions on Lap 32, ensuring his afternoon was done too. And although the British racing team are known for being low budget, James Vowles revealed the damage has gone beyond cash allocations and is now a simple case of logistical issues as he declares no other competitor on the grid would be able to take that hit.

‘Williams could be forced to miss the 2024 Las Vegas GP’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-crash-damage/


Williams reveal Las Vegas spec conundrum with spare parts shortage
11 Nov 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Five big crashes in 10 days have Williams facing a conundrum ahead of Las Vegas as the team has yet to tally their remaining spare parts and could be forced to mix and match.

Williams have had a crash-strewn run in the last two races, Mexico and Brazil, with three crashes for Alex Albon and two for Franco Colapinto.

The run of crashes has not only hit Williams’ pocket hard, but also their stock of spare parts. It had team boss James Vowles revealing they don’t yet know what specs either FW46 will feature at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

‘Conundrum’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/willia...parts-shortage


'I remember': James Vowles shares what he did during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after Franco Colapinto’s crash
4 Nov 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Williams was the only team not classified at the end of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after a dismal day at Interlagos. The team suffered an early setback when Alex Albon threw away a potential front-row start in qualifying when he crashed at high speed heading into the Senna ‘S’ section.

James Vowles watched the rest of Sao Paulo GP despite Williams double retirement. Vowles said he was ‘hurting’ after the race, especially considering Alpine’s result now drops them down to P9 ahead of pointless Sauber in the standings.

'I remember';

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jam...apintos-crash/


Williams issues 'frustration' plea after series of F1 crashes
Williams has endured a difficult handful of weeks with multiple on-track incidents and falling to ninth in the constructors' championship.
13 Nov 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

“I came here to win races with Williams,” Vowles said. “I came here to watch Williams, a championship team that is the second most successful team in the sport, come back to the front. So a weekend like this is a blip.”

“It's part of a journey, but it is not our destination. I said all along that 2023, 2024 and 2025 don’t have the material impact on us as a team. 2026, 2027 and 2028 do.”

“It's a long way away, but it's investment in the future, and it's making sure we're doing the right things for the continued success of the team rather than one race weekend.”

‘2026, 2027 and 2028’;

https://racingnews365.com/williams-c...se-frustration


'Unsustainable' run of damage leaves Williams uncertain of car spec for Vegas
Williams is evaluating its spares situation after series of crashes has left it short after the Brazilian GP
Nov 7, 2024
Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com

Williams has admitted that the five major shunts from the last two Formula 1 race weekends have caused an 'unsustainable' run of damage to leave it short on spares.

The run of incidents has burned through Williams' spare parts and team principal James Vowles has admitted that it is now facing a race against time to work out what can be done to put it in the best possible shape for the race in Las Vegas.

The team will not only need to ensure it has enough spares to get through the weekend but also that it is running with its car in the best possible configuration of upgrades.

'Unsustainable';

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/u...s-gp/10671331/


Colapinto Red Bull move will ‘destroy him’, says F1 pundit
The Argentinian racer has impressed in his first races for Williams
Nov 10, 2024
James Fiorucci
FormulaNerds

Sky Sports F1 commentator Karun Chandhok believes that Colapinto shouldn’t join Red Bull if he has any regard for his future. “If they put him in a Red Bull alongside Max, it could destroy him, I think it’d be too soon,” concluded Chandhok.

The television pundit offered an alternative career path for Colapinto, that would allow him to gain further confidence before joining one of the faster teams on the grid. He continued: “I think it’s too early, I think if they were talking about putting him in an RB, I think that’ll be a good, sensible choice and a career progression for him.”

‘Red Bull move will ‘destroy him’, says F1 pundit’;

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

[Fortitude]

Axed F1 race director accused of deliberate move to hamper Max Verstappen title bid.
Niels Wittich, whose exit as Formula 1 race director was announced by the FIA this week, has been accused by Eddie Jordan of deliberately using a red flag to hamper Max Verstappen.
15 Nov 2024
Daniel Moxon
The Mirror

Eddie Jordan asserted Max Verstappen was not given "a fair deal" as he accused former Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich of trying to hamper the Dutchman in his title fight with Lando Norris. The FIA announced this week that Wittich has been replaced as F1 race director. The governing body's statement to the media suggested the German has chosen to leave his post, but he refuted that claim soon after and insisted he did not resign.

While several other cars had the time to finish the flying laps they were on, the Red Bull racer was one of those who did not and it meant he suffered an early exit which consigned him to 17th on the grid. With title rival Norris on pole, both Verstappen and his boss Christian Horner were furious.

You know the gods are in Lando's hands. They want Lando to win this championship. But he is not going to, because Max has outfoxed him. That is it." Coulthard replied to say he was not sure whether he agreed that was true, prompting another retort from Jordan. The Irish businessman said: "The red flag was wrong, it was a mistake - he f***** up, didn't he?"

‘Deliberate move to hamper Max’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ttich-34115114


Eddie Jordan launches attack at FIA over hindering Max Verstappen deliberately in Brazil
"Was he dealt a fair deal when the red flag came out six cars, seven cars later?"
15 Nov 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Ex-F1 team boss Eddie Jordan has launched an attack at former FIA race director Niels Wittich over his handling of the red flag in qualifying at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Coulthard started the discussion by saying: “I think it’s kind of found its natural place now where the luck of where the Safety Car comes out is the luck of the racing gods. “We have to assume that the race director never looks at things like where cars are as to whether…”

Jordan quickly stated: “Of course he does! Of course he does! Are you telling me that Max was dealt a fair deal? Was he dealt a fair deal when the red flag came out six cars, seven cars later? Come on David, don’t be stupid.”

‘Eddie Jordan launches attack at FIA’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106005...n-deliberately


Jordan backs Verstappen: 'They want Norris to win from him!'
15 Nov 2024
Cas van de Kleut
GPblog.com

Jordan defends Verstappen: When Coulhard, in the Formula for Success podcast, raised the idea of banning a pit stop during a [virtual] safety car, Jordan reacted indignantly: "Are you telling me that Max was dealt a fair deal? Was he dealt a fair deal when the red flag came out six cars, seven cars later? Come on, David, don't be stupid. You know the Gods are in Lando's hands. They want Lando to win this championship, but he's not going to because Max has outfoxed them. That's it."

‘Jordan backs Verstappen’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31288...-comments.html


Perez under the impression FIA Race Director Wittich was "sacked"
15 Nov 2024
Matt Gretton
GPblog.com

Sergio Perez believes former FIA Race Director Niels Wittich was sacked. In an announcement earlier this week, the FIA thanked Wittich for his work as Race Director in Formula 1 after he himself decided to take up a challenge elsewhere. The German seemed to suggest he was sidelined, and now Red Bull driver Perez seems to be under the impression that Wittich was sacked.

A story on Wednesday said Wittich's poor relationship with the drivers was the reason for his departure. For instance, he reportedly insisted on severely punishing drivers who swore, talked about fireproof underwear, and were not allowed to wear jewellery. These issues were also reflected in the GPDA's statement, which was published as an open letter. Perez gave his thoughts on the open letter.

"I think that’s [GPDA statement] good. The truth is that we are making it more public because in the end we are in a generation where we understand how important we are. We are, in the end, only 20 drivers in the world and it is important that we are heard as drivers. Formula 1 has grown a lot. Everyone is looking out for their interests and, in the end, they have neglected the driver a lot," Perez made his thoughts clear on the issue.

‘Sidelined’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31283...as-sacked.html


Villeneuve stands up for Perez: 'Stop saying that!'
14 Nov 2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Jacques Villeneuve is known for not shying away from saying what's on his mind about Formula One. The 1997 world champion now stood up for Sergio Perez, saying that the Mexican has a contract signed for next season.

According to Jacques Villeneuve however, Perez will remain at the team for the 2025 season. "Colapinto deserves a race seat. But there might not be one available. It's very simple. Everybody is saying he will take the Perez seat. But Perez is there and he's under contract. It’s been 10 months now that people have been saying Perez is out at the next race. Stop saying it. He has a contract," he began to Grosvenor Sport.

Villeneuve believes there is no reason to let Perez go, given everything the Mexican brings to the table. "He brings sponsorship, and stability to the team. Verstappen is happy with him. And who knows how much of the difference is because Perez is a bit lost right now, which can happen or just Verstappen being so amazing."

‘Villeneuve stands up for Perez’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31277...pen-happy.html


'Unless something crazy happens': Growing confidence Sergio Perez will stay at Red Bull because of one ‘weird’ issue
15 Nov 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Sergio Perez’s ‘weird’ contract extension should keep him at Red Bull. Perez came into 2024 approaching the end of his contract. Had Red Bull stayed patient, it’s highly likely that they would have parted with the Mexican at the end of the season.

But, to quote Saunders, they made the ‘weird’ decision to extend his contract in June, just a third of the way through a 24-race season. While they hoped that clarity would benefit Perez, they’ll surely regret their premature move at this point. “Honestly, the more I talk about it, the more I’m convinced Perez will stay next year,” Saunders said. “Unless something crazy happens at the end, I think that Red Bull backed themselves into a weird corner by signing him to a new deal.”

Without a specific break clause, Red Bull could face a huge payout. They would also lose out on some of F1’s largest commercial incentives. Telmex have pumped £103m into Red Bull since Perez joined at the start of 2021.

‘Growing confidence’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gro...e-weird-issue/


Perez explains retaliation to F1 retirement speculation
Sergio Perez has detailed why he responded to F1 retirement speculation with use of a pop culture reference on social media.
14 Nov 2024
Samuel Coop & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Sergio Perez has explained his now-infamous use of a clip from The Wolf of Wall Street to disavow the rumour he would announce his retirement from F1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix. "Well, I just felt like it's been every year for the last two years or so that someone creates this rumour," the six-time grand prix winner told media, including RacingNews365.

"Then everyone picks it up, and then all my fans - I was very conscious that there was a lot of people coming to support me at the Mexico City Grand Prix, and they probably might have been expecting something that is not true."

"I felt the need to just say, 'Look...'," he added. "It's just not correct to spread rumours like this without knowing the facts."

‘Why he responded’;

https://racingnews365.com/perez-expl...tirement-drama

[Fortitude]

Norris’s 12 errors which cost him far more than his 62-point deficit to Verstappen.
The fight for the Formula 1 drivers’ championship is all over bar the shouting. Unless Max Verstappen suffers a series of bizarre misfortunes akin to Montgomery Burns’ all-star baseball team, his name will go on the trophy for the fourth year in a row.
14th Nov 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

What makes it so unlikely Verstappen will let his shot at the title slip is he has been so effective at gathering the maximum points available when his car hasn’t been quick enough to win. There have been few occasions when Verstappen finished lower than his car looked capable of, and not once has his team mate Sergio Perez finished in front of him.

The same cannot be said of Verstappen’s closest championship rival, Lando Norris. The McLaren driver has had a breakthrough season, claiming his first three grand prix wins. But more often than not points have slipped through his fingers.

Sometimes he’s been plainly unlucky. On other occasions his team have slipped up. And Norris has squandered points through his own mistakes as well. But can any of these be singled out as the main reason why his championship bid is set to fail?

‘Norris’s 12 errors’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/11/14/...to-verstappen/


The key ‘five races’ that really cost Lando Norris the World title
15 Nov 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Although Brazil 2024 will go down in F1’s annals as the day Lando Norris lost the World title, Karun Chandhok says one has to look at the first five races of the season and McLaren’s deficit for the real cause.

McLaren admitted before the start of the 2024 championship that some of 2023’s weaknesses remained, team principal Andrea Stella saying: “There were a few projects that we had started, that had potential, but just we couldn’t finalise them in time to have it on the launch car, so they will very likely become updates for the early part of the season.”

But while the team nailed those with their Miami Grand Prix upgrades as the MCL38 emerged as the car to beat, by then Norris was 62 points off Verstappen’s lead. It’s a deficit that at its highest grew to 81 points and at its lowest dropped to 44. McLaren may have lost the World title but they are still on track for the Constructors’, up on Ferrari by 36 points with Red Bull a further 13 off the pace.

‘Five races’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/key-fi...f1-world-title


McLaren’s slow start pinpointed as moment Lando Norris lost 2024 F1 title
16th Nov 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Ex-Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok has claimed that McLaren’s deficit in the opening five races will be the reason that Lando Norris‘ title bid comes up short in 2024.

“I think realistically, they could be proud of the season he’s put together,” Chandhok told the Sky F1 podcast. “The championship battle wasn’t lost on Sunday in Brazil, it was lost in the first five races.”

‘McLaren’s slow start’;

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


‘Very odd’ McLaren ‘said the weirdest thing’ after Brazilian GP defeat
14 Nov 2024
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Jacques Villeneuve believes McLaren’s championship claims after Brazil are “very odd”, and questioned the team’s winning mentality. McLaren boss Andrea Stella responded to Max Verstappen’s dramatic win in Brazil by stating that, for his team, the result changed nothing because “the Constructors’ Championship was always our priority.” 1997 F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who reflected on the dramatic weekend in Brazil during an interview with Grosvenor Sport.

“Lando Norris’ luck turned halfway through the race in Brazil because of what happened with the Safety Car (in Brazil),” he said. “There’s a flaw in the regulations and he paid a heavy price and that was extremely bad luck – there was nothing he could have done with that. Then the pace that Verstappen had in the second half of the race came out of nowhere which was incredible. It’s not in Lando’s hands anymore. All he can do is race hard and fast and hope that the Red Bull doesn’t score. That’s all.”

“McLaren said the weirdest thing after Brazil, and that was the team’s priority, which was not the Drivers’ Championship but the Constructors’ title. That is very odd. That’s what teams that don’t win say,” Villeneuve said. “Ok, the Constructors’ title brings you money. But nobody cares about the Constructors’. People only remember who the World Champion driver was and the team was linked to that world champion.”

“That’s what teams that don’t win say”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jacque...ian-grand-prix


Lando Norris has scrapped one hobby that stopped him sleeping on F1 race weekends
14 Nov 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Lando Norris rather suddenly became a Formula 1 title contender this year. While that bid looks destined to end in failure, it has no doubt taught him a great deal. Norris spent the first two years of his career in the upper midfield with McLaren. By 2021, they were on the periphery of the frontrunner status.

Lando Norris no longer plays video games when he’s at a Grand Prix. Norris has always been an enthusiastic gamer. He was involved in the coverage of Formula 1’s E-sports series (pictured below) before he joined the grid and his Quadrant brand is also part of that space. During his early years in F1, Norris would bring his PlayStation to race weekends and play for ‘hours’. That, in turn, would cost him much-needed sleep.

Speaking to tech YouTuber Austin Evans, he revealed that he’d now left this hobby at home. It’s part of his efforts to be more ‘disciplined’ and focused on racing. He said: “I used to have the PlayStation. I used to carry that around with me everywhere. I would play on flights and I would spend hours and hours. The thing is, I wouldn’t sleep because I love doing these things so much. I would spend too much time doing that, I wasn’t disciplined enough. I probably think I am now.”

‘Scrapped one hobby’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lan...race-weekends/


Ex-F1 star reveals Verstappen and Norris are no longer friends
The pair have been involved in bitter F1 2024 title fight since the Miami GP in May.
14 Nov 2024
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Ralf Schumacher has cast doubt on whether Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are still friends as the ex-Formula 1 star suggests their intense battle for the 2024 F1 season may have fractured their bond following a series of controversial incidents.

The former Williams driver, and brother of Michael, pointed to recent behavioural changes and tense on-track incidents as signs of a growing rift between the two drivers as the pair no longer fly to Grand Prix races together.

“I’m not at all sure that the friendship really exists even now,” Schumacher told formel1.de.com. “I was surprised. They used to always fly together, but that’s stopped recently. I can understand it, though. It’s hard to stay friends when you’re fighting for the championship and top positions as fiercely as they are.”

‘It’s hard to stay friends’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/ex-...onger-friends/

[Fortitude]

'Far outweighs': McLaren may have used an ‘old school trick’ to develop race-winning F1 car this season.
The MCL38 started off the season as second-best to the Red Bull RB20, but key developments have enabled the team to win more than one race in a season for the first time since 2012.
11 Nov 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

McLaren has been on a big recruitment drive which has led to some key personnel members from rival teams join them, including Red Bull aerodynamicist Rob Marshall. The MCL38 has drawn attention from some rivals, with Red Bull recently leading a protest of their rear wing design following their win at Azerbaijan. They are employing an ‘old school trick’ when it comes to car development according to F1 technical journalist Matt Somerfield when speaking on the Missed Apex podcast.

McLaren has been able to use a new wind tunnel facility that came online last year, and they have put it to good use with their front wing designs according to Somerfield. “They [McLaren] might have started out with the high, medium and low downforce wings that they will never use again because they’re from the first family and now they have a better configuration with the second family,” said Somerfield.

“Their development on that side of things far outweighs any team on the grid. This makes you question their development and understand how to get the best out of these regulations because in reality, that’s more of an old-school trick we used to see, whereas we haven’t seen that trick through this regulation set. Only Red Bull had done it in the early phases through beam wings rather than rear wings.”

‘Old school trick’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mcl...r-this-season/


This surprising F1 stat shows how Lando Norris' chance slipped away
16 Nov 2024
Cas van de Kleut
GPblog.com

It is clear that the Red Bull car has long since ceased to be the car it was. At the beginning of the season the team was still winning races comfortably. At times, the McLaren car won by a large margin. Verstappen, however, managed to limit the damage as much as possible.

After the summer break, it became clear that Red Bull's problem was really big. At Zandvoort, Norris won overwhelmingly, and in Italy, too, the RB20 was simply not fast enough. Red Bull has since improved Verstappen's car's balance.

Norris failed to make gains: Yet Verstappen managed to limit the damage. Since the summer break, Verstappen has scored 116 points. That is only 16 points less than Norris. This means that the Briton made up an average of just 2.29 points per Grand Prix since the summer break. Leclerc scored 130 points since the summer break, meaning he made up an average of only 2 points per race weekend.

‘Norris failed to make gains’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31274...mer-break.html


Lando Norris given extra motivation as Las Vegas GP chiefs plan Max Verstappen party
Lando Norris has a chance to be the spoiler this weekend.
Nov 14, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Lando Norris has the chance to spoil the party - literally - at the Las Vegas Grand Prix next weekend, with organisers planning a celebration event should Max Verstappen confirm his fourth World Championship.

Renee Wilm, CEO of the event, told Autosport: “I'm sure that we would be able to pull some ideas out of our hat, maybe pre-arrange some pretty exciting opportunities. When you consider the properties on the Strip - Wynn and Encore are second to none in terms of the highest class of hospitality.

“Then, of course, you have the Bellagio further down the Strip, with those iconic fountains, and the level of VIP service that the Bellagio offers. There are so many opportunities to highlight the drivers, and particularly if we actually do have the benefit of being able to get a champion [crowned].”

‘Chance to spoil the party’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...gas-Grand-Prix


Lando Norris admits he's 'split' after Max Verstappen question as tensions rise
Tensions have reached boiling point between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen this year.
Nov 16, 2024
Fraser Watson

Speaking to Will Buxton on F1 TV, the 25-year-old was asked if the pair’s relationship had been affected. “I don’t know, I’m split,” he replied. “In some ways, you kind of think how someone can be personally and how you can get along with people can be so different to how you are on track.”

“It’s such a different world there on the track to here doing this in the paddock. It’s my first time being in this situation, and time will tell how that changes. But for now I still respect Max, I think he respects me, but maybe ask me again at the end of the year.”

‘Tensions have reached boiling point’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...Red-Bull-title


Herbert expects McLaren driver dynamic to ‘swap over’ in 2025
14/11/2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Ex-F1 driver and current FIA steward Johnny Herbert believes the 2025 season will bring a thrilling shift in McLaren’s internal dynamics, with Oscar Piastri free to challenge teammate Lando Norris head-on for supremacy. When asked about Piastri’s potential to fight Norris for top billing within McLaren, the former Grand Prix driver was unequivocal, noting that the young Aussie has proven he’s more than ready for the challenge.

“If we go to Abu Dhabi and the championship is done and it is not possible for Lando to win [the drivers' title], that will already have changed," Herbert told Vision4Sport. "That will be letting Oscar be allowed to go out there and win the race if he can. The whole dynamic will swap over very quickly this year and will continue into 2025."

‘McLaren driver dynamic’;

https://f1i.com/news/524556-herbert-...r-in-2025.html

[Fortitude]

Vasseur issues Ferrari instruction to end F1 title drought.
Ferrari is currently in second place in the standings, 36 points behind McLaren and 13 ahead of Red Bull with three rounds and 147 points remaining on the board.
17 Nov 2024
Jake Nichol & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Ferrari is challenging for a first F1 world championship in any form since 2008 with the constructors' fight against McLaren. Frederic Vasseur has told his Ferrari team that it must look back at its failures in the F1 season if it wants to capture the constructors' championship.

"I don't think we've lost so many points on the strategy, but for sure, you have frustration when you look at the complete season," he told media including RacingNews365. "We made mistakes as a team, had some issues, but I think that is true for everybody.”

"If you look at that, everybody can say that: 'if I didn't do this or this and at the end, with the kind of fight with three or four teams where it is close, everybody can be world champion'. But the most important thing is to avoid racing with 'if', because everybody can win races, but we need to focus on what we are doing to try and improve.”

‘Ferrari instruction’;

https://racingnews365.com/vasseur-is...-title-drought


Ferrari success shows it has taken ‘right approach’ in F1 2024
15 Nov 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Asked whether Ferrari had given up time in qualifying in 2024, Ferrari Senior Performance Engineer Jock Clear told media including Motorsport Week: “Yes, I think so. I think we’ve mentioned before that this year we had changed our focus a little bit.”

“It was clear for people to see that certainly two, three years ago we were the kings of qualifying and really struggled on a Sunday. But even last year, the balance was not quite right.”

“I think this year, the encouraging thing is that wherever the drivers qualify, they sort of get out of the car at the end of qualifying and think, ‘yeah, but I know that I can race tomorrow’, which for the drivers is a really strong mentality.”

‘Right approach’;

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


Ferrari: Focus on race day competitiveness fueled 2024 success
16/11/2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Ferrari senior performance engineer Jock Clear says the Italian outfit’s strong performances this season are the result of the team switching its focus to improving its race day competitiveness. At the heart of Ferrari's turnaround lies a conscious strategic decision to move away from its historical emphasis on one-lap pace, as Clear explained.

“I think we’ve mentioned before that this year we had changed our focus a little bit,” said the British engineer, quoted by Motorsport Week. “It was clear for people to see that certainly two, three years ago we were the kings of qualifying and really struggled on a Sunday. But even last year, the balance was not quite right.”

‘Focus on race day competitiveness’;

https://f1i.com/news/524653-ferrari-...4-success.html


‘Going to be difficult’: Charles Leclerc admits Ferrari decision could make the Las Vegas Grand Prix ‘difficult’
15 Nov 2024
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Charles Leclerc took pole position and fought to win the debut Las Vegas Grand Prix, but he concedes Ferrari might have made life more ‘difficult’ for themselves in 2024. Ferrari were quick to adapt to the unique circumstances that greeted the Formula 1 field for the inaugural Las Vegas GP in 2023. A local start time of 22:00 on the Saturday night made it one of the coldest events on the calendar, causing extremely low levels of grip all weekend.

Early forecasts offer lows of 41-42°F (5-5.5°C) for the air temperature in Las Vegas over the Grand Prix weekend. Leclerc is not convinced Ferrari are as well-equipped to deal with lower temperatures as they were at the 2023 Las Vegas GP having refined their tyre management. “I think on paper it’s a track where we should be performing well,” Leclerc noted, via Marca.

“However, the fact that we’ve improved a lot in tyre management this year probably means that on a track where it’s so cold, it’s going to be difficult to get the tyres into the right temperature and in the perfect window. But, on paper, it still looks positive – maybe not as positive as last year. But, still looking at how close everything is, I think we’ll have a chance to win it.”

‘Going to be difficult’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/cha...rix-difficult/


Ferrari ‘expected’ to make surprise move for Zhou Guanyu – report
16 Nov 2024
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

According to Italy’s Corriere Della Serra, Ferrari could turn towards current Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu next season. The Chinese driver has been with Sauber for three years but will not be part of the Swiss squad’s driver line-up for next year, as the team has signed Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bartoleto for its final year before evolving into Audi.

Signing Zhou would strengthen its position in the market, enabling Ferrari to use the popular driver in its commercial strategic marketing and attempt to address this slump. “After Ollie Bearman’s move to Haas, Ferrari is expected to bring in Chinese driver Zhou (dumped by Sauber) as a reserve for next year,” read a short report in the Italian newspaper.

‘Surprise move for Zhou Guanyu’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...er-role-report


F1 News: Zhou Guanyu in talks to become Ferrari reserve driver
Nov 16, 2024
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Zhou has been exploring alternatives for some time. As the 25-year-old explained earlier this year, staying active in the F1 paddock is his priority: “At the moment, I don’t want to be in other series yet,” he explained in Monza.

“Because I feel like I’m still in a period that if I can stay in F1, or make a comeback if I don’t have a seat. There will still be chances to show what I’ve got.” Zhou Guanyu is understood to be negotiating with Ferrari to become their reserve driver from 2025. A new report from Corriere.it reveals that Fred Vasseur’s team could welcome the Chinese driver into their ranks next season.

Considering that it was Fred Vasseur who signed Zhou to Sauber in 2022, there is already a strong platform for negotiations. Even as securing a Sauber contract extension became increasingly unlikely, Zhou was confident that other options were at his disposal. In this sense, it is not a complete surprise there is clear path forward has been established.

‘Ferrari reserve driver’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...eserve-driver/


Sainz handed early Ferrari release
Carlos Sainz has been allowed to leave Ferrari ahead of his contract expiration at the end of the year.
16 Nov 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

The Spaniard has been cleared to drive for his new team, Williams, at part of the post-season test in Abu Dhabi next month. Sainz will join Alex Albon at Williams next season after Ferrari opted to sign Lewis Hamilton alongside Charles Leclerc.

“Williams Racing is pleased to announce today that Carlos Sainz will join the team for the upcoming Abu Dhabi end-of-season test, marking the first steps in his preparations for the 2025 season,” Williams confirmed.

‘Early Ferrari release’;

https://speedcafe.com/sainz-handed-e...rrari-release/


Ferrari to release Carlos Sainz early for Williams testing in Abu Dhabi
NOV 16, 2024
The Straits Times

LONDON - Carlos Sainz will get a jump start on his transition to Williams, with Ferrari agreeing to release the Spaniard early from his commitments with the team so Sainz can participate in the end-of-season test at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit.

“This early opportunity will allow both Carlos and Williams to begin building their relationship,” Williams said in a statement. “The test session will provide a valuable chance for Carlos to begin integrating into his new team environment, and he will drive the FW46 for the first time.”

‘Integrating’;

https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...t-in-abu-dhabi