2024 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff has “changed mindset” amid Mercedes F1 recovery struggles.
Toto Wolff says he has a new "mindset" as Mercedes' F1 recovery effort continues.
13 Mar 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Toto Wolff says his mindset has changed amid Mercedes' ongoing F1 recovery struggles. Wolff remains “100%” convinced his team can - and will - turn things around. “I've changed my mindset,” Wolff explained. “I don't think that additional pressure on all of us makes it better.

“I think we have a problem with the physics. It is not by lack of trying or by the mindset or the motivation or energies. All of that is there, and I can see the buzz in the organisation. As racers, when we have such [disappointing] results, you're feeling down, but we're trying to change that with the right motivation for the week that comes.”

“That's why we are believing that we can turn this around. We believe that our organisation can dig ourselves out. I'm 100% sure we can.” Wolff revealed in Saudi Arabia that Mercedes are facing a “fundamental” issue with their new W15 car that is hampering its performance in high-speed corners.

“I think we have a problem with the physics”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104560...very-struggles


Wolff opens up on loss of key Mercedes ally
Jerome D’Ambrosio is set to leave Mercedes and link up with rivals Ferrari, marking another key exit from the Brackley-based squad.
14 March 7:20PM
Fergal Walsh & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has responded to the pending departure of another major ally at his squad. RacingNews365 revealed earlier this month that Jerome D’Ambrosio will leave Mercedes to join rivals Ferrari. Speaking to media regarding the D'Ambrosio situation, including RacingNews365, Wolff stated: “I think he’s with us at the moment. The situation is more for personal reasons, that he’s evaluating the options of what to do. I think it’s something he should speak about but all is good. We’ll see where that goes.”

Despite losing some key figures over the last year, including Strategy Director James Vowles and Chief Technical Officer Mike Elliot, Wolff reiterated his confidence that Mercedes will recover to the front of the field. “It’s a different confidence that I have in the group this time around because, at a certain stage, you’re basically ticking all the boxes of the unknown,” he said.

“Where we are today, it’s pretty clear where it points to. It’s just my feeling that we will come out on top. Is this good enough to beat Max in a Red Bull? No, it’s not. But at least bringing ourselves back in a position of fighting for podiums and being right there, (I am) 100 per cent sure we’re going to get there.”

“We’ll see where that goes”;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-reac...rcedes-f1-ally


Toto Wolff addresses speculation over losing key Mercedes ally to Ferrari
Toto Wolff has addressed speculation linking Jerome d'Ambrosio with Ferrari.
15 Mar 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Toto Wolff has addressed speculation that Jerome d'Ambrosio will leave Mercedes for Ferrari. The former Virgin and Lotus F1 driver has been heavily linked with a switch to Ferrari, following Lewis Hamilton.

D’Ambrosio has been part of Mercedes’ senior management since last year, acting as a stand-in for Wolff as team principal at the Japanese and Qatar races in 2023. His role has been centred around driver development, however, it looks like the Belgian could be off to Ferrari.

‘Speculation addressed’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104565...s-ally-ferrari


Toto Wolff’s latest W15 admission with ‘bigger factor’ emerging after Jeddah disappointment
14 Mar 2024 5:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff alarmingly claims the W15 struggling in high-speed goes beyond rear wing setup, with their downforce calculations not matching what happens on the track.

After engine overheating issued had hamstrung Mercedes in the Bahrain F1 2024 season opener, the hope was for much better at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, though that did not come to pass for the eight-time Constructors’ champions.

The W15 has been exposed as a challenger lacking downforce and therefore pace through high-speed corners, a weakness which cost them in Saudi Arabia as George Russell managed only P6 and Lewis Hamilton P9. And speaking to media after the race, Wolff knocked back the suggestion that Mercedes’ rear wing being too skinny was the source of their problems, stressing that there is a bigger issue at play here which, worryingly, they do not yet understand.

‘W15 struggling’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...wnforce-issues


Mercedes facing 'fundamental issue' with W15 - Wolff
The team struggled through high-speed corners in Saudi Arabia and could only manage sixth and ninth in the race.
11 March 8:10AM
Jake Nichol & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Toto Wolff has admitted that Mercedes is facing a "fundamental" problem with its W15 Formula 1 car. "There is only so much you can tune here, our simulations point us in a direction, to a set-up range that we can choose, you put the right rear-wing on and I think you gain a few tenths if you get it right or wrong," Wolff told media including RacingNews365.

"There's not a massive corridor of performance, it is a more fundamental thing [that we are struggling with] as we believe that the speed so should be, we can more the downforce, but we can't find it on the laptop. It's been two years that there is something which we ned to spot and that will be the thing to unlock.”

"It is not by a lack of trying, we push hard and we are going to give it a massive push in the next week or two with more data to understand to come back in Melbourne stronger. This is a mission we are on and I am 100% certain we are going to unlock that performance. The big factor is that we are lacking in the high-speed [corners] and we are just real weak. We are missing downforce beyond the steps that you would have with a bigger rear-wing.”

'Fundamental issue with W15’;

https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-f...with-w15-wolff


Toto Wolff’s early Australian GP prediction as Mercedes chase ‘fundamental change’
11 Mar 2024 10:30 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Toto Wolff concedes Mercedes are missing “something” when it comes to unlocking the potential of their F1 car, and they’ve been looking for “two years” already. But the Mercedes boss is “100% sure” that the team can unlock performance as soon as the next race: the Australian Grand Prix on March 24.

He refuted suggestions Mercedes had been too confident that they had made the right steps with the 2024 car. “I think we had so many unknowns in the last year where we start ‘okay this could be a reason, and this could be a reason, and this could be a reason’ and we fix that,” he said. “I can see from the sensors that we have what we needed.”

“But there is still this behaviour of the car in a certain speed range that the sensors and simulation say this is where we should have the downforce and we are not having it. This team has not been overconfident. We were probably the other way around and see the glass half empty always. That is the attitude to fix it.”

‘W15: Unlocking the potential’;

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


Toto Wolff 'enters negotiations' with Lewis Hamilton successor as Mercedes plan made clear
Toto Wolff has taken the next step on the road to naming Lewis Hamilton's successor with the seven-time world champion heading to Ferrari.
12:12, Wed, Mar 13, 2024
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Negotiations are reportedly underway between Mercedes and Carlos Sainz with the Spaniard seen as a strong option to replace Lewis Hamilton, who is succeeding him at Ferrari for the 2025 season and beyond.

Sainz has been an impressive contributor to Ferrari’s on-track success since joining from McLaren just over three years ago, but his time with the Scuderia is set to end when the 2024 season comes to a close in Abu Dhabi. While Sauber has been touted as a possible destination, the 29-year-old will hope to drive for a frontrunning team. Mercedes, meanwhile, are in need of a replacement for Hamilton, who is leaving the team after an iconic partnership spanning 12 years.

With the early signs suggesting that teenage starlet Kimi Antonelli will not be ready to make the jump in 2025, Sainz is a compelling option for the Silver Arrows. According to a report from the Italian news outlet Corriere Dello Sport, talks between Toto Wolff’s outfit and Sainz’s entourage have already begun. The Spaniard was struck down with appendicitis at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and couldn’t race, but that did leave his team able to meet with Mercedes officials in the paddock.

‘Toto Wolff enters negotiations';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...es-replacement

[Fortitude]

Why McLaren is being forced to 'protect' Piastri in Melbourne.
Oscar Piastri will take part in his second home race next weekend as F1 descends on Albert Park for the Australian Grand Prix.
14 March 4:10PM
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

McLaren Team Principal Andreas Stella has revealed he will “protect” Oscar Piastri during his home event in Australia next week. The Melbourne native is likely to be at the centre of attention during the upcoming event, at a time when driver schedules are already filled with media and sponsorships duties.

As a result, McLaren will dial back Piastri's commitments to ensure it does not detract from his performance on the track. “In general, this year, we are paying more attention to the driver schedule over a race weekend,” Stella told media, including RacingNews365, when asked as to the plan around Piastri given the focus of attention that will be on him in Melbourne.

“We want to make sure the drivers have the time to focus on performance, focus on downtime, relax, and so on. We're effectively using the same approach, but if anything even more carefully for Melbourne. There are many requests, some we will accept [and] some we’ll have to protect [to] deliver the performance and we will not accept.”

‘Forced to 'protect' Oscar Piastri’;

https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-re...i-in-melbourne


Oscar Piastri excited for Formula One Australian Grand Prix
The hometown hero is joined by Daniel Ricciardo to make it two Aussies on the grid for the first time in more than a decade.
07:3017 March 2024
Damion Smy
Drive

Melbourne’s own Oscar Piastri is pumped for his return to Albert Park for the 2024 Formula One Australian Grand Prix next weekend, 21-24 March. The 22-year-old McLaren driver comes off the back of one of the most impressive rookie seasons in Formula One, including a maiden pole position and win in the shorter Sprint races – and strong performances in the Grands Prix on Sundays.

“It was a pretty crazy race last year but to score my first-ever F1 points in front of a home crowd will stay with me for a long time,” Piastri said in a media statement. “It is such a special event for me. Not only is it my home country but to have grown up so close to the track and coming back to my hometown is awesome.”

This year’s Australian Grand Prix will be the 28th at Albert Park, with a record crowd of 443,631 across the four-day 2023 event. “Even on a Thursday, there are so many people in the grounds and getting involved that it has a festival feel,” Piastri said.

‘Two Aussies on the grid for the first time in more than a decade’;

https://www.drive.com.au/news/oscar-...an-grand-prix/


Oscar Piastri admits F1 issue can ‘very easily’ be ‘demoralising’ for McLaren driver
Sat 16 March 2024 13:00
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Oscar Piastri admits that dreaming about standing on further podiums in Formula 1 can ‘very easily’ become ‘demoralising’ for the McLaren driver instead of beneficial. The 22-year-old enjoyed a brilliant rookie campaign last year after graduating to F1 after one season on the sidelines. Piastri became the first rookie to make multiple Grand Prix podiums since Lewis Hamilton in 2007. Both drivers also realised the feat after debuting for McLaren.

F1 will return to Suzuka for the Japanese GP much earlier in 2024 with the race in April after the Australian GP, which is up next on March 24. Piastri ended his home race in P8 last term for his debut points for McLaren. The Melbourne native has started 2024 with a P8 and a P4. But while Piastri finished the Saudi Arabian GP one spot off the podium, the McLaren driver seldom wants to envisage making another rostrum.

He accepts that if their car is not where it needs to be to make the top three on merit, dreaming about the podium can be problematic. “I rarely dare to dream about it,” Piastri told Speedcafe. “In Formula 1, this sport is still very dependent on both car and driver – a lot of car. If you’re in the slowest car on the grid, you’re not going to win a race or a championship. It’s as simple as that.”

‘Dreaming: ‘very easily’ be ‘demoralising’ ’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/osc...claren-driver/


McLaren targets "race six or seven" for first major 2024 F1 upgrade
16:05 Fri, 15 Mar 2024.
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com

According to team boss Stella, the first major upgrade kit to make further improvements to those characteristics is set to follow "around race six or race seven", meaning Miami or Imola.

"We have some minor things that will come for Australia and hopefully for Japan, but they will be [delivering] a few milliseconds," he explained. "And then hopefully, within the first third of the season, we will have a major upgrade. It's going to be for around race six or seven."

While Stella explained McLaren still had some "margin" to find in the MCL38, he ruled out any major gains until that upgrade package arrives. "I think there is margin to understand the car a little bit more," he explained. "In Jeddah we had a slightly different approach to set-up between the two cars. And I think we see some interesting positives and negatives.”

"Major upgrade kit: Race six or seven";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...rade/10587516/


McLaren reveal the targeted arrival date for first ‘major’ MCL38 upgrade
16 Mar 2024 2:00 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has revealed the team are targeting a Miami or Imola arrival date for their first “major upgrade” of the season.

The team were encouraged by the early-season performance of the MCL38 however, and team principal Stella confirmed that developments are coming to the car in the next few races, before a “major upgrade” slated for either Miami or Imola in May.

“We have some minor things that will come for Australia and hopefully for Japan, but they will be [delivering] a few milliseconds,” Stella told reporters in Jeddah, as quoted by Motorsport.com. “And then hopefully, within the first third of the season, we will have a major upgrade. It’s going to be for around race six or seven.”

‘Miami or Imola’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclare...grade-timeline

[Fortitude]

Alonso reveals just how close Aston Martin are to their rivals.
Alonso admitted to autosport.com that the team made a step forward in Jeddah as the two-time world champion is up for the challenge of chasing down rivals McLaren and Mercedes, who he believes are around two-three tenths quicker than Aston Martin.
17:04 Thu, 14 Mar 2024.
Darius Needham
FormulaNerds

Despite having an improved performance in Jeddah, Fernando Alonso has revealed that Aston Martin are still around two or three tenths behind the likes of McLaren and Mercedes. “I think it was better,” said Alonso. “We did introduce a new part on Friday that it worked really well. And I think we made a step forward in terms of performance.”

“But we still miss maybe two or three tenths compared to McLaren and Mercedes, and we will keep chasing that kind of performance. It is challenging, but it’s a nice challenge and an interesting season ahead.”

He added: “Happy with the race result, in front of both Mercedes, one McLaren and one Ferrari. It’s the maximum I think we can wish at the moment. We saw again in the race that we still miss two or three tenths compared to Mercedes and McLaren, maybe a little bit more compared to Red Bull and Ferrari. While in qualifying we seem pretty close. So yeah, we need to keep working on the race pace.”

‘Aston Martin close are to their rivals’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/al...-their-rivals/


Alonso: Aston Martin still "two or three tenths" off McLaren, Mercedes
15:01 Thu, 14 Mar 2024.
Adam Cooper
Motorsport.com

Fernando Alonso says that his Aston Martin Formula 1 team is still "two or three tenths" off McLaren and Mercedes on race pace despite a strong performance in Jeddah.

At the season-opener in Bahrain, Alonso qualified sixth but slipped to ninth behind the Mercedes and McLaren drivers in the race, finishing 74 seconds adrift of winner Max Verstappen. Alonso qualified fourth for the Saudi Arabian GP, but he soon lost a place to Oscar Piastri's McLaren. He then remained in fifth place for the duration of the race, successfully staying in front of the Mercedes of George Russell and finishing 35 seconds behind Verstappen.

After a disappointing race form in Bahrain, Alonso agreed that Jeddah represented a step forward. Alonso admitted that he hadn't expected to be able to stay ahead of Russell, believing that the W15 had better pace. "It was stressful because I was pushing and Oscar was just pulling away," he said. "And George was significantly faster behind, so I was thinking, okay, it's 43 laps to the end after the safety car.”

"Two or three tenths";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...edes/10587312/


Aston Martin’s great strides having focused on ‘Red Bull’ strength
15 Mar 2024 2:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Aston Martin have put Fernando Alonso’s qualifying gains at the Jeddah circuit down to an improved DRS, an area the team focused on with the AMR24. He posted a 1:28.730 in 2023 and upped that to a 1:27.846 this year.

Aston Martin’s performance director Tom McCullough put that down to the improved straight-line speed of the car when the DRS is open. “The efficiency of the car and the DRS effect is something we worked really hard on last year. We saw how strong the Red Bull was, even the year before. That was a big focus of ours,” he said.

“The difference in the DRS effect is quite strong compared to last year. We gain a lot of time as a result.” With three long DRS activation zones at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the DRS was worth a chunk of time – almost a second in Alonso’s case. “If you compare Fernando’s lap from last year with Friday’s, it is 8.5-tenths faster,” McCullough said as per formu1a.uno.

‘Aston Martin’s great strides’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/aston-...-bull-strength


Aston Martin confident in catching Red Bull with robust development
15/03/2024 at 13:42
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Aston Martin remains confident in its ability to challenge Red Bull’s supremacy in Formula 1 with the help of a robust development programme. The team has started its 2024 campaign in the same position but has emphasized that its new AMR24 has been designed with a focus on long-term development, as Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough explained.

“I think everyone can be caught up. If you look at the development we saw at McLaren last season, it was really impressive,” commented the British engineer. “That’s been the focus over the winter, to create a good platform for us to develop. We don’t want to stand still, nobody stands still.”

Compared to Red Bull, McCullough notes that Aston Martin is still in the early days of its build-up phase as a team, having moved just last year into its new headquarters at Silverstone, with more infrastructure set to come online.

‘Robust development’;

https://f1i.com/news/502691-aston-ma...velopment.html


Alonso on hold: Major Aston upgrades delayed until Imola
07:56 Fri, 15 Mar 2024.
Andrew Maitland
Grandpx.news

Fernando Alonso faces a prolonged period of impatient anticipation for a substantial improvement to his Aston Martin in 2024, with major improvements not now expected until the grand prix in Imola – two months away.

De la Rosa, serving as a team ambassador, conveyed to DAZN the team’s ambition to avoid stagnation with their car’s performance, stating, “The team’s objective is not to race with the same car for two races in a row. There is no improvement plan for Australia, but they are in the oven.”

Mike Krack, the team principal, expressed the team’s eagerness for ongoing development, as reported by Spanish media, “We really want to keep developing this car continuously, without waiting too long. So over the course of the next events there will be changes, starting in Imola.”

‘Impatient anticipation’;

https://grandpx.news/alonso-on-hold-...d-until-imola/


‘Exemplary’ F1 driver now set to be offered new contract ‘in the coming weeks’
Thu 14 March 2024 19:00
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack is preparing to hold contracts talks with one driver ahead of the 2025 season. Both Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso are out of contract at the end of the 2024 campaign. Team owner Lawrence Stroll is dreaming of signing Max Verstappen from Red Bull. Stroll senior is willing to do ‘whatever it takes’ to recruit the three-time world champion if he becomes available. But while Verstappen isn’t thought to be entirely happy with the Bulls, Krack is also aware that he’s under a long-term contract.

Mike Krack lines up Fernando Alonso talks: Speaking to the media, including Formu1a.uno, Krack confirmed that he planned to hold talks with Alonso ‘in the coming weeks’. He says the team will make a swift offer to the ‘exemplary’ 42-year-old in the hope of tying him down.

“The extra that Fernando brings to the team is exemplary,” he said. “I think it’s no secret that we want to continue working with him. It is important to offer him a quick package, so that he believes in this project and this team. We will discuss all this in the coming weeks.”

‘Exemplary’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/exe...-coming-weeks/

[Fortitude]

Red Bull to run 'special livery' to celebrate anniversary.
The team's partner Mobil 1 is celebrating 50 years of operation in 2024.
18 March 12:31PM
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Red Bull will run a special livery in at least one Formula 1 race in 2024, to help celebrate lubricant supplier Mobil 1. The brand is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, and has a long-standing involvement in global motorsport, with a presence in F1, NASCAR and sportscar racing, having joined Red Bull from McLaren ahead of the 2017 season.

To celebrate, it has created a series of "40 iconic, specially-designed liveries and paint schemes" for use by its partner teams, including Red Bull in F1, Stewart-Haas and 23XI Racing in NASCAR and the Porsche Formula E team. During the 2023 season, Red Bull ran special fan-designed liveries at each of the three races held in the United States.

'Special livery';

https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-t...te-anniversary


MPH: Why Perez is best bet as Red Bull's No2 – for now
Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda are among many drivers currently hoping to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull for 2025. But in the eyes of Mark Hughes, the Mexican is currently doing everything he must to keep his seat
March 15th 2024
Author: Mark Hughes
Motor Sport Magazine

As things stand, Perez is making a much stronger case to be retained than either Tsunoda or Ricciardo are making to replace him. Helmut Marko has not been shy about expressing his observations in the two races to date, saying, “There’s a lot at stake this season for both Yuki and Daniel. Yuki’s qualifying was very good, and Ricciardo has to come up with something soon.

Perez by contrast has done everything required of the driver in this role, by slotting himself behind Verstappen but ahead of all the rest at both races so far. In Jeddah his qualifying deficit to Verstappen was smaller than Ricciardo’s to Tsunoda’s. He’s not putting the Red Bull on the front row alongside Verstappen, but he’s making maximum use of the car’s superior race pace and racing well.

He got off to a similarly good start last year but it all began going wrong in Australia when he came into the weekend announcing his candidature for the world title, something which did not go down well with Verstappen. If he can avoid making such internal waves this time, just keep delivering the strong support drives, he will be going a long way towards getting another extension to his contract. And if Verstappen leaves and Perez is the incumbent, he has a head-start on whoever arrives to replace Max. It’s all very much to play for at this late-blooming stage of Perez’s career.

‘Perez is best bet as Red Bull's No2’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#


Helmut Marko reveals key Sergio Perez F1 2024 change inspired by Max Verstappen
15 Mar 2024 6:45 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

After a strong start to the F1 2024 campaign for Sergio Perez, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko revealed that he now starts with the same set-up as Max Verstappen, rather than “experimenting”.

Perez lost his way in dramatic fashion after a strong start to last season, but Marko said there is a key difference this time around, that being that Perez is no longer “experimenting” with his set-ups and rather following Verstappen’s lead, the three-time World Champion having established himself as the dominant force of F1 in Red Bull machinery.

“This year he is no longer experimenting, but is starting with more or less the same basic set-up as Max,” Marko wrote regarding Perez in his Speedweek column. “There are just more nuances in which they set up differently.”

‘Same set-up as Max Verstappen’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut...ull-rb20-setup


The secret behind Sergio Perez’s upturn in form? Key change credited
A change in Sergio Perez's approach has been pinpointed as boosting his F1 form.
14 Mar 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Fox Sports Mexico journalist Diego Mejia pinpointed a crucial change Perez has made over the winter. “He’s happy with the feeling he’s getting at with the car. His benchmark [Max Verstappen] is the highest obviously and he’s done a perfect job. I think Checo is happy with how the season has started for him,” Mejia said.

“Talking to him before the start of the season, he seems to have switched a little bit his approach, in trying to enjoy more this year and look race-by-race, rather than putting himself in the spotlight and saying ‘I have to beat Max every weekend’. Sometimes he did last year and the year before when he was he was in the middle of the championship. He’s taking a different approach.”

“He knows it’s a decisive year for him but the way he’s performing and the way other guys who are supposed to be looking after his seat are performing, I think it’s a great start for him.” Mejia continued: “He’s told me he’s learned a lot of lessons from what happened last year and this sort of changed approach, also in the way he works with his side of the garage.”

‘Key change credited’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104564...hange-credited


Max Verstappen shows rare emotion as he ‘survives’ unscathed from outrageous iRacing crash days before Australian Grand Prix
Published: 16:38, 18 Mar 2024
Anton Stanley, Deputy Editor of talkSPORT.com
London

Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen is usually the coolest customer around - but on Sunday he was left rocked. Preparing for this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, the Dutchman, in classic style spent his time with his pals playing iRacing.

However, showcasing what makes him F1's best driver right now, the 26-year-old some how managed to weave through flipping and skidding cars and emerge unscathed on the other side. And Verstappen's face was an absolute picture as he went through a range of emotions as cars crashed around him.

As the crash unfolded, he exclaimed: "There's already bodywork!" He then let out another yelp as cars flew over his own before adding: "What? Oh my God. You should have seen me! We need a replay. This is insane.”

‘Outrageous iRacing crash’;

https://talksport.com/sport/1794122/...an-grand-prix/

[Fortitude]

Mercedes plan Australian GP "experiments" to fix issues making Lewis Hamilton miserable.
Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team have spoken with more positivity about the W15 compared to previous cars, but still it is not capable of competing on track with the runaway Red Bulls.
14:10 Fri, 15 Mar 2024.
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

Mercedes will use the Australian Grand Prix weekend to "experiment" with its W15 car to figure out how they can help Lewis Hamilton fight closer to the front. So far, the seven-time world champion has been some way off doing that. He finished seventh in Bahrain, 50 seconds adrift of race-winner Max Verstappen. And a week later in Jeddah he was a similar distance away from the Red Bull - but scored even fewer points down in ninth.

"There's a lot of work going on within the aerodynamics department, vehicle dynamics department. We're trying to design some experiments there that will hopefully give us a direction that's good for performance." Team principal Toto Wolff has already admitted that the team does not know exactly why the high-speed corners are such a problem for the car. What he is sure of is that it goes beyond simply a lack of downforce from the rear wing.”

And Shovlin concurred that it seems to be a cocktail of problems rather than one single simple fix. He added: "It's a few things. One of them was the balance wasn't great. So those very fast corners, the walls aren't particularly far away - the ones where the driver wants a lot of confidence - and quite often we were snapping to oversteer if they really leant on the tyres.”

"Experiments";

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ments-32364061


F1 team boss warns 13-podium driver Australian GP upgrades will deliver ‘milliseconds’
Sat 16 March 2024 16:00
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Andrea Stella has warned Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to limit their hopes ahead of McLaren bringing the team’s first set of ‘minor’ upgrades in 2024 to the Australian GP. F1 heads down under for Piastri’s home race from March 22-24. The Melbourne native took his first points as a Grand Prix racer at the Australian GP in 2023 with P8. Norris finished the third race of last year in P6 for his first points, too, amid McLaren’s poor start to the season.

Stella confirms McLaren’s Australian GP upgrade plans: Norris has only managed P6 at the Bahrain GP and P8 the Saudi Arabian GP through the first two rounds of 2024. But Piastri built on his P8 in Sakhir with fourth place in Jeddah – albeit a distant 13.368 seconds from the podium. Norris fell back in Saudi Arabia due to his strategy.

McLaren may creep closer to the podium positions come the Australian GP as team principal Stella has confirmed that the Woking outfit will take ‘minor’ upgrades to Melbourne. But he also warns Norris and Piastri to limit their hopes as they will likely only deliver ‘milliseconds’.

‘GP upgrades will deliver ‘milliseconds’ ’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/f1-...-milliseconds/


Before Drive to Survive, the Adelaide Grand Prix was one of the biggest shows in Formula One.
Adelaide Motorsport Festival brings back memories of Australian Grand Prix
Posted Sun 17 Mar 2024 at 2:22am
By Rory McClaren
ABC Online

Decades before the Netflix series Drive to Survive delivered Formula 1 legions of new supporters, tens of thousands of motorsport fans would descend on Adelaide for the Australian Grand Prix. Between 1985 and 1995, the race helped boost South Australia's global events credentials as it hosted the final round of the world championship. For world champion Damon Hill, the event proved to be the site of victory and defeat.

He's returned to Adelaide for the first time since winning the city's final grand prix in 1995 for the reborn Motorsport Festival and has fond memories of racing in the city's east parklands. "Either the championship was decided, and we came here to finish off the season, in which case afterwards we'd have a party," Hill said.

Hill was on the wrong end of it in 1994, when he was involved in one of the sport's most infamous title deciders with Michael Schumacher. "Me or Michael could have won the championship, all we had to do was beat each other," Hill said. Hill's Adelaide victory in 1995 came in front of more than 200,000 people, which remains a single day attendance record for an Australian Grand Prix, before he became world champion the following year.

‘Brings back memories’;

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-...urns/103596782


Daniel Ricciardo reveals the moment he became so gutted by his poor form that he didn't care if his F1 career was over - as he prepares for the Australian Grand Prix
• Aussie F1 driver had strong start to his career
• Has endured tough stints at Renault and McLaren
• Admitted that he was falling out of love with the sport
Published: 06:20, 18 March 2024
By Josh Alston For Daily Mail Australia
MailOnline

Daniel Ricciardo has experienced the highest of highs in F1 racing, but he has also plummeted to the lowest of lows - admitting ahead of the Australian F1 Grand Prix that his struggles robbed him of his passion for the sport. Throughout his career, Ricciardo has achieved eight Grand Prix victories and 32 podium finishes, marking him as one of the sport's better competitors.

But those results have become hard to come by in recent years, with podium finishes drying up during stints at Renault from 2019-2020 and a troubled partnership with McLaren from 2021-2022. When Ricciardo split from McLaren, he had no team to go to and faced a major career crossroads.

‘So gutted by his poor form that he didn't care if his F1 career was over’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...low-point.html


Schedule for 2024 F1 Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday, March 24th 2024. This is the third race weekend of the season. Check the schedule of the race in Melbourne below.
18 March 8:00AM
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

The Australian Grand Prix 2024 starts on Sunday, March 24 at 04:00 UK time.

Timetable Australian GP
Session
Date Time
Free practice 1 Friday 22 March 02:30 - 03:30
Free practice 2 Friday 22 March 06:00 - 07:00
Free practice 3 Saturday 23 March 02:30 - 03:30
Qualification Saturday 23 March 06:00 - 07:00
Race Sunday 24 March 05:00 - 07:00
What time does the F1 start in Australia?
The F1 Australian GP will start at 04:00 GMT. The race will start very early in the morning for Europeans.

‘The time schedule is automatically adjusted to your time zone’;

https://racingnews365.com/schedule-f...ian-grand-prix


2024 Australian Grand Prix: Circuit Info, Predictions and Timings
March 18, 2024
By Joe Briley
The Checkered Flag

Racing returns to Albert Park for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix, this weekend and it will be Verstappen that everyone is aiming to beat. The Dutchman has picked up where he left off in 2023, and has secured both pole positions and both race wins so far this season. Including 2023, he’s on a nine-race win streak.

Circuit Info: Albert Park is a street track, with most of it being used as public roads when F1 isn’t in town and the circuit is very popular amongst fans of the sport, and locals. Overtaking is usually not a common occurrence at Albert Park, but in recent times major layout changes have increased the quality of racing and allowed for more passes. The 2022 changes saw the chicane removed at turns nine and ten to allow for a fourth DRS zone. Changes were also made to several corners, making them wider.

Top Ten Predictions:
1. Max Verstappen
2. Sergio Perez
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Carlos Sainz
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Lando Norris
7. Oscar Piastri
8. George Russell
9. Fernando Alonso
10. Daniel Ricciardo

‘Max Verstappen’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...s-and-timings/


Beloved Australian GP series declares ‘we deserve better’ after alarming F1 demotions
18 Mar 2024 6:30 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

The Supercars Championship is evaluating its future on the F1 Australian GP schedule after losing access to the pit lane and fans. It is a stacked support-race bill for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix with Formula 2 and Formula 3 in action, which has seen Supercars booted out of the second pit lane to make way for F2, leaving Supercars personnel in tents behind the facility with fans not given access to the area.

It also means there will be no pit stops at this SuperSprint round. And this has led chief executive Shane Howard to make it clear that the situation must be discussed with a new deal required to keep Supercars on the Australian Grand Prix schedule beyond 2024. “This year will be a big change for us and we are working through that with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation,” Howard told the Herald Sun.

‘We deserve better’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/superc...stralian-gp-f1

[Fortitude]

Sainz health update: Walking without pain in Melbourne.
Sainz was seen “with a calm, unforced walk, moving with ease through the airport.”
March 19, 2024
Andrew Maitland
Grandpx.news

A significant hurdle awaits Sainz on Thursday at Albert Park, where he is scheduled for the FIA’s compulsory medical evaluations. Among these tests, the extraction exercise is particularly crucial. Sanz elaborates, “The most important one will surely be the cockpit extrication test.”

This test demands that “The driver must be able to unbuckle the safety harness and remove the steering wheel in five seconds, then leave the car and return the wheel to its position in another five seconds.”

Passing these tests will be essential for Sainz as he aims to secure his spot on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix, with Bearman ready to step in if necessary.

‘Walking without pain in Melbourne’;

https://grandpx.news/sainz-health-up...-in-melbourne/


48-year-old team principal concerned about tyre compounds ahead of Australian Grand Prix
Tue 19 March 2024 10:00
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has admitted he’s concerned about the tyre compounds being used at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. After a very difficult 2023 season, Haas are already off the mark this year thanks to Nico Hulkenberg’s brilliant point in Saudi Arabia. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Ayao Komatsu has explained the team’s expectations in Melbourne in the coming days.

Komatsu has now admitted that the tyre compounds chosen for the Australian Grand Prix might not benefit them. “In Melbourne, the load levels of Bahrain will return but it is a very different circuit, it is mixed compared to a Bahrain more focused on the effectiveness of traction. Tyre degradation will not be as low as in Jeddah nor as high as in Bahrain. Historically we have struggled with the softer compound, the C5, which will debut in Australia. It will be interesting.”

“Another factor to keep an eye on will be graining, in the past we have suffered from it as the main aspect of our tyre degradation. It will be after the first four races that we will be able to draw better conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of the VF-24 and how we can manage them.”

‘Concerned about tyre compounds’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/48-...an-grand-prix/


Verstappen's level of dominance not normal says Lobato
MARCH 19, 2024
GrandPrix.com

Long-time Spanish F1 commentator Antonio Lobato doubts Max Verstappen will win every single grand prix this season. Lobato said he fully expects to see other drivers win races soon.

“We have a problem”, Lobato told DAZN. “His name is Max and his last name is Verstappen”, he smiled. “But I'm sure I'm going to commentate on the victory of another driver other than Max. And if it's not this year, it will be next year”, Lobato laughed.

“The other day I saw a statistic”, he continued. "Of the last 20 races, he has won 19. Only Carlos Sainz was able to take one away from him. So a little bit of the morbidity of racing now is to see if someone is capable of beating Verstappen.”

‘Dominance not normal’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/verst...ys-lobato.html


Alonso ‘surprised’ to see Alpine falter, hopes team recovers
19/03/2024 at 12:24
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Fernando Alonso has had some harsh words for Alpine in the past, but the Spaniard admits that it’s difficult to watch his former outfit currently falter at the low end of the grid. “When I was there, obviously I had a great time,” Alonso said when asked about Alpine’s current situation.

“Most of the team when I was in Alpine were the same people as we had in Renault, and is the team that I will always love, and will have on my heart. So, it’s difficult to see when they are at the back. But hopefully they can find more performance.”

“When I was there obviously, the team maybe was different. It was a great atmosphere, it was a good performance as well, especially 2022. We were within the top five, top six in every race of the year. So, it is a bit surprising to see the current results. But hopefully they fix things quickly.”

‘Hopes team recovers’;

https://f1i.com/news/502891-alonso-s...-recovers.html


Stake F1 to change name for Australian Grand Prix
The Stake F1 name will change at a number of events this season.
19 March 12:10PM
Ewan Gale
RacingNews365

Stake F1 will change its entry name to Kick Sauber for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

Race location Sauber identity
Bahrain Stake F1
Saudi Arabia Stake F1
Australia Kick Sauber
Japan Stake F1
China Stake F1
Miami Stake F1
Emilia Romagna Stake F1
Monaco Stake F1
Canada Stake F1
Spain Kick Sauber
Austria Stake F1
Great Britain Stake F1
Hungary Stake F1
Belgium Kick Sauber
Netherlands Stake F1
Italy Stake F1
Azerbaijan Stake F1
Singapore Stake F1
United States Stake F1
Mexico Stake F1
Brazil Stake F1
Las Vegas Stake F1
Qatar Kick Sauber
Abu Dhabi Stake F1

"We will be fully compliant with all the local applicable laws and where Stake is permitted. So where gambling advertising is prohibited, we will use a different name”;

https://racingnews365.com/stake-f1-t...ian-grand-prix

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff reveals “major focus” for Mercedes as they look to solve high-speed woes.
Toto Wolff looks ahead to this weekend's Australian Grand Prix with Mercedes looking to solve their high-speed weakness.
19 Mar 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Toto Wolff is hopeful Mercedes make “some initial progress” in understanding why they were so poor in high-speed corners at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Mercedes struggled considerably in the first part of the lap in Jeddah, with telemetry showing they were slower than Alpine in some of the high-speed corners.

Speaking ahead of the race, Wolff said... “We've been hard at work since Jeddah building on the learnings from the first two races,” he said. “It's encouraging to see the potential in the W15 but there are also clear areas of improvement. We have looked competitive in low and medium speed corners but high-speed has been a weakness so far.”

“We have been working hard to understand why our performance hasn't reflected our expectations. Improving that is a major focus. We hope to make some initial progress for Melbourne, and that work will guide our development in the weeks ahead. It's great to feel the energy and determination running through the factories as we work to unlock the potential of the car.”

“Major focus”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104572...igh-speed-woes


Wolff lays out simple instruction for Mercedes in Australia
Mercedes has started the season on the back-foot, not scoring a podium in the first two races, but returns to a track it impressed at last season.
19 March 2:35PM
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Toto Wolff... ...highlighted its biggest weakness. "We've been hard at work since Jeddah building on the learnings from the first two races," explained Wolff. It's encouraging to see the potential in the W15 but there are also clear areas of improvement, we have looked competitive in low and medium-speed corners but high-speed has been a weakness so far.”

"We have been working hard to understand why our performance hasn't reflected our expectations. Improving that is a major focus. We hope to make some initial progress for Melbourne, and that work will guide our development in the weeks ahead. It's great to feel the energy and determination running through the factories as we work to unlock the potential of the car.”

"We left points on the table in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, we started off each weekend strongly, running our usual practice programmes, but couldn't deliver on that initial promise. With the chasing pack being so close, maximising the potential of the car each weekend is key. Albert Park gives us another chance to show what we can do."

‘Simple instruction’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-high...f-new-mercedes


Mercedes reveal ‘major focus’ on W15 with renewed ‘hope’ for Australian Grand Prix
19 Mar 2024 3:00 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Mercedes’ Toto Wolff has explained why his team is hopeful... “We’ve been hard at work since Jeddah building on the learnings from the first two races,” he said in his team’s preview of the Australian Grand Prix. “It’s encouraging to see the potential in the W15 but there are also clear areas of improvement.”

“We have looked competitive in low and medium-speed corners but high-speed has been a weakness so far. We have been working hard to understand why our performance hasn’t reflected our expectations. Improving that is a major focus. We hope to make some initial progress for Melbourne, and that work will guide our development in the weeks ahead. It’s great to feel the energy and determination running through the factories as we work to unlock the potential of the car.”

It was in Jeddah that Mercedes encountered the infamous ‘bouncing’ that has blighted previous campaigns, despite the radical departure from the previous design direction – something that’s led Wolff to concede correlation issues may be behind their struggles in low-downforce, high-speed scenarios.

‘Major focus’;

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


Sainz expected to make F1 return at Australian Grand Prix
20th March 2024, 5:06
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Carlos Sainz Jnr is expected to race in the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Ferrari indicated the driver will resume his routine media duties from tomorrow at Albert Park, scene of this weekend’s race, alongside team mate Charles Leclerc. Sainz is the second driver in the last two years who was forced to miss a race due to appendicitis. Alexander Albon sat out the Italian Grand Prix in 2022 for the same reason.

He was able to return at the following race in Singapore following a three-week absence, while Sainz has had only two weeks to recover since the Saudi Arabian round. Prior to his illness, Sainz made a strong start to the season in the only other round held so far. He finished third in the Bahrain Grand Prix behind the two Red Bull drivers.

‘F1 return’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/20/...an-grand-prix/


Daniel Ricciardo admits he's treating this year's Australian Grand Prix like it's his last after struggles almost ended his career
• Ricciardo says he's treating Australian GP like it's his last
• Aussie has had an underwhelming start to the F1 season
• Says he is hoping for a top-10 finish on Sunday
23:42, 19 March 2024
James Cooney, Daily Mail Australia
MailOnline

Daniel Ricciardo is preparing for his 10th Australian Grand Prix when he returns to Melbourne this weekend and has admitted that he's treating it like it could be his last F1 race on home soil. 'You can't kind of look too far ahead and predict what is going to happen or what could happen,' he told News Corp. 'I'm obviously in different colours again but honestly really happy with where I'm at. I think just the mindset now of going racing, making every weekend count and putting everything I can into it - hopefully the fans appreciate that.'

Ricciardo is confident he can make his mark. 'I definitely thought about it in 2022 at that time when, let's say McLaren cut short the contract and I was left wondering 'is this next bunch of races going to me my last?' he said. 'At that time I was having a bad year competitively and I wasn't really sure.”

'I thought "maybe I don't love it as much as I used to. Maybe this is it. I definitely went through that but I think sitting here today I'm not of that mindset. I definitely know that there may not be whatever many more years in it. I do kind of treat it like it could be the last every year.'

‘Like it's his last’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...la-One-F1.html


‘Hate to say it’: The Ricciardo call splitting F1 — and why D-day is much sooner than expected
March 20th, 2024 9:50 am
Jacob Polychronis
Fox Sports (Australia)

It takes a lot to wipe the smile off Daniel Ricciardo’s face, but the question did it ever so slightly. As he prepared to board his flight from hometown Perth to Melbourne, a final question came about having “a point to prove” after Australian great Alan Jones said he’s “treading water” in F1. With his beaming smile dropped, and after a moment’s pause, the answer came: “Not at all. See ya.”

A hasty exit with a sour taste to kick off a week that was meant to signal a celebration of sorts for the second birth of his F1 career. Instead, there’s a feeling that Ricciardo is already one of the most under-pressure drivers on the grid with his fresh chance hanging in the balance. It’s an industry that moves at frightening speed — and he’d know that better than anyone.

F1 icon and former team owner Eddie Jordan said he wouldn’t hire Ricciardo on his current form, especially since his three-year McLaren contract was torn up after just two seasons. “I’m just worried that the end of McLaren era was really something that stood out and I couldn’t see where he’d lost it,” Jordan said on the Formula For Success podcast. “There has been nothing since then that convinces me that I would want to invest my hard-earned sponsorship cash to keep Daniel.”

‘Hate to say it’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...cfc7ef51272bd2


Five big Australian Grand Prix questions: FIA, Red Bull and a resurgent Lewis Hamilton?
20 Mar 2024 6:00 AM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Formula 1 returns this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix and a few days out from the event, we have some questions that need answering. One of the most dominant topics between Saudi Arabia and this race has been the future of Verstappen and as PlanetF1.com understands it, the Dutchman has a contract clause which could cause further tension.

Can Lewis Hamilton shine at one of his best circuits? Lewis Hamilton’s 2024 has got off to a sluggish start with a P7 and P9 putting him ninth in the Drivers’ standings, so it will be welcome news for the seven-time World Champion that the next venue is one he has historically done well at.

How will Australia’s favourite sons perform? Sorry Valtteri, but it is the home race for just two F1 drivers this weekend as Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri return to their native land – but both drivers are heading in with remarkably different feelings around them.

‘Five big questions’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/five-b...lewis-hamilton

[Fortitude]

Why F1 will leave Australia with more questions than answers.
The pecking order behind Red Bull has generated intrigue at the start of the 2024 Formula 1 season, but the upcoming Australian Grand Prix weekend may not provide any true answers.
20 March 7:25AM
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

The Australian Grand Prix hosts the third round of the 2024 Formula 1 season this weekend, with the event staged around Albert Park.

Whatever the form book may say in Melbourne, teams are not expecting it to present a true picture of the ultimate pecking order. “Australia we know is a very particular track and Tarmac," said McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. "It's a Tarmac on which, as soon as you have a drop of rain, it's very slippery."

“In all honesty, the way the calendar is this year, I think four races in, we’ll have a pretty good idea,” said senior Ferrari engineer Jock Clear. “You’ve got Japan in there, which is a hell of a circuit to measure a car. So that kind of circuit, you're going to find out a lot.”

‘More questions than answers’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-f1-wil...s-than-answers


Ferrari issues Red Bull warning ahead of Australian GP
Red Bull has dominated the opening two rounds of the 2024 Formula 1 season but Ferrari is eyeing up a closer fight in Australia this weekend.
20 March 3:35PM
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

Ferrari has pledged to adopt an “aggressive” approach at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend in an attempt to beat Red Bull. Ferrari prevailed at the Australian Grand Prix two years ago when Charles Leclerc enjoyed a successful weekend, winning by over 20 seconds.

As it looks to repeat its success from 2022, Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur has asserted that his squad is deploying an “aggressive” strategy in Melbourne to best Red Bull. “After a busy start to the season with back-to-back races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, we’ve now made the longest trip of the year to Australia,” Vasseur said. “The Albert Park track is a favourite with the drivers and one where Ferrari has always enjoyed a lot of support.”

“We expect to be front runners on this track which could produce a similar pecking order to the one seen in Jeddah. We intend on adopting an aggressive approach with the aim of putting pressure on the team that’s won the first two races.”

‘Ferrari has pledged to adopt an “aggressive” approach’;

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-is...-australian-gp


Ferrari provide update on Sainz ahead of Australian Grand Prix with reserve driver Bearman on call in Melbourne
20th March 2024, 12:25
Formula One - Official Site

Ferrari have provided an update on Carlos Sainz’s health ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, after the Spaniard was forced to miss the previous race in Jeddah.

“Carlos Sainz is expected to be back in the car, having had to miss Jeddah with appendicitis,” the team wrote in a pre-race statement. “He and team mate Charles Leclerc will most likely be fighting at the front of the field, as they have done in the first two rounds.”

‘Update on Sainz’;

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


What is the weather forecast for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix?
20th March 2024, 09:42
Formula One - Official Site

FRIDAY, MARCH 22 – FP1 AND FP2
Conditions: Partly to mostly cloudy with a slight chance of one or two light showers in the afternoon. Light wind increasing a bit and veering southerly in the afternoon with gusts up to 30 kph.
FP1: 17/18°C. FP2: 19/20°C.
Maximum temperature expected: 20 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 10 Celsius
Chance of rain: <20%

SATURDAY, MARCH 23 – FP3 AND QUALIFYING
Conditions: Partly cloudy in the morning before an improvement of cloudiness in the afternoon. Slight chance of light rain/drizzle in the morning. Light to moderate southeasterly wind increasing in the afternoon with gusts up to 40 kph.
FP3: 17°C. Q: 19°C.
Maximum temperature expected: 19 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 13 Celsius

SUNDAY, MARCH 24 – RACE WEATHER
Conditions: Partly cloudy in the morning with a very slight chance of a shower. Improvement in the afternoon with a dry and mostly sunny race expected. Light to moderate southerly wind during the race (gusts up to 25 kph).
RACE: 20/21°C.
Maximum temperature expected: 21 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 13 Celsius
Chance of rain: <20%

‘Weather Forecast’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...wcssL9aX8rqE4c


What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix?
20th March 2024, 10:03
Formula One - Official Site

F1’s official tyre supplier will bring the C3, C4 and C5 compounds to the Albert Park venue, the softest from their range, marking the first time the C5 has been seen this season. Drivers will get two sets of the hard tyre (marked white), three sets of the medium tyre (marked yellow), and eight sets of the soft tyre (marked red), as well as the green intermediate tyre and the blue full wets, should they be required (which they might).

The decision to go with a softer selection was taken after analysing last year’s race, which saw 10 drivers use the C2 compound for 47 of the 58 laps, and three drivers run it for more than 50 laps. While the C5 remains unaltered from 2023, it is the compound that has been used the least on the current generation of F1 cars – only 140 kilometres being completed on it during pre-season testing in February.

‘Tyre Options’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...x0V9XHZxIcpC2d


What time is the Formula 1 2024 Australian Grand Prix and how can I watch it?
20th March 2024, 09:32
Formula One - Official Site

After a couple of rounds in the Middle East to kick off the 2024 season, the F1 paddock heads to Oceania for the Australian Grand Prix – and here are all the timings you need to watch the race wherever you are around the world.

This week’s action at Albert Park gets underway with FP1 and FP2 on Friday, March 22, in preparation for FP3 and qualifying on Saturday, March 23, and then the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, March 24.

Head to the RACE HUB or scroll down for more on how and when you can watch the action, along with the global start times for each session.

‘What time’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...BL8Bty0uWdHW6S

[Fortitude]

F1 - 2024 Australian Grand Prix - Thursday Press conference transcript.
DRIVERS – Daniel RICCIARDO (RB), Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren), Esteban OCON (Alpine), Kevin MAGNUSSEN (Haas), Sergio PÉREZ (Red Bull Racing).
21st March 2024, 05:05
FIA (Press Release)

Q: Why don't we start with the home heroes, in fact the hometown hero? Why don't we come to you first Oscar? Great to see you. You used to play footy and cricket just metres from where we're sitting now. Just how special is this race?
Oscar PIASTRI: Yeah, definitely a special race for me. I mean, for any driver, a home race is always good fun and a privilege. But like you said, for me, it's about 10, 15 minutes away from where I grew up. So, yeah, well and truly a home race and excited to be back.

Q: Well, good luck. And Daniel, you didn't line up on the grid here last year. Of all the races you missed in the first half of 2023, was this the one that hurt the most?
Daniel RICCIARDO: Yeah, it was. I mean, I remember being on pit wall here. It was my first race attending and I was watching the cars and there was that, yeah, certainly a bit of envy as I saw them all pull out of the garage. I kind of knew already that I wanted to do it again. But yeah, this was where, I felt it most. And then every race I went to after that, I was, ‘OK, I'm ready’.

Q: And Checo, you said at the start of this year that there were two things you wanted to work on, your consistency and your qualifying pace. How do you feel those two things have gone so far?
SP: I think we are heading in the right direction. I'm really pleased with the first two races, especially with the progress we made after the first one. I feel like as a team we are in a really good momentum. We are understanding a lot of what's going on on the weekends, the way we review the weekends, how we prepare them. I'm pretty happy with how the season has started and I think there is a lot more to come from our side.

‘Thursday Press conference transcript’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2024-aus...nce-transcript


Sainz “won’t be 100%” in Australian GP return after “10 days in bed”
21st March 2024, 6:25
Written by Will Wood

Carlos Sainz Jnr has admitted he won’t be at “100%” as he returns to the cockpit this weekend for the Australian Grand Prix following surgery. Having spent the last fortnight recovering, Sainz will race this weekend at Albert Park. “I feel ready,” Sainz said. “I’ve done as much as possible to recover. You cannot imagine the effort and logistics and things that I’ve done to be fit for this race. I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made and now it’s time to jump in the car and see how I feel.”

However, Sainz acknowledged he will not be at full fitness or at full speed this weekend due to the recovery required for him over the last two weeks to be well enough to race. “It’s not like I’ll be 100% for it, because obviously I’ve been ten days in bed, not ten days training, going to the simulator and preparing for a normal weekend,” he said. “But if I’m fit to race and don’t have any pain or any bad symptoms, I can still put together a strong weekend and the target will be to challenge the Red Bulls.”

“Won’t be 100%”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/21/...0-days-in-bed/


'We're able to fight around P10' - Yuki Tsunoda on RB's midfield battles as Melbourne GP looms
21 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

With two rounds of fierce fighting under his belt, Yuki Tsunoda hopes to "maximise" RB's potential in this weekend's Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

'We're able to fight around P10';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...164719127.html


Why has the starting time of the Australian GP changed?
European fans are experiencing an earlier start than usual this year for the Australian Grand Prix.
20 March 2024, 7:30PM
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

The 2024 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix will mark an early start for European fans, with the race getting underway at 05:00 CET/04:00 GMT. This marks an earlier start from last year despite the race remaining in a 15:00 slot in Melbourne.

Drivers have complained in the past of the sunset in Australia hindering their vision towards the end of the Grand Prix. There was an extreme version of this last year when multiple red flags caused delays to the race.

However, this year's Australian Grand Prix is being held earlier than the 2023 edition, meaning the clock change to recognise Daylight Savings Time has not yet taken effect.

‘European fans are experiencing an earlier start’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-has-th...ian-gp-changed


2023 absence sparked Ricciardo's desire for F1 return
Thu, 21 March 2024 1:56PM
Oliver CaffreyAAP
The West Australian

Being a spectator at last year's Australian Grand Prix lit the fire in Daniel Ricciardo to go about securing a return to a full-time Formula One seat. Ten years after being stripped of a podium at Albert Park, Ricciardo is intent on making the most of his second chance in F1.

The popular 34-year-old was sidelined for the first 10 races of last season, including his home GP, after being relegated to a back-up driver following his exit from McLaren at the end of 2022. "It was my first race attending and I was watching the cars come out and there was certainly a bit of envy," said Ricciardo, who is racing for Red Bull's secondary team, known as RB.

‘Lit the fire in Daniel Ricciardo’;

https://thewest.com.au/sport/motorsp...urn-c-14033492

[Fortitude]

Oliver Bearman may get second F1 drive at Australian GP as driver 'not 100 percent'.
Oliver Bearman could race in Formula 1 again this weekend after Carlos Sainz admitted he may yet decide against competing.
21st March 2024, 13:12
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

Speaking to reporters in the Melbourne paddock, he admitted he was "not back at 100 percent" said: "I put together a very strong recovery plan since I landed back home to be ready for this race. I will jump in the car tomorrow and see how I feel. I'm feeling positive about it.”

"But obviously, I'm not stupid. If I don't feel good tomorrow, I will be the first one to raise my hand and say that I need another two weeks to the next race. They are monitoring my progress. I'm the first one that doesn't want to be in pain or to suffer, to make it any worse. I'm not stupid, and I will be very clear with how I'm feeling and everything.”

"On top of that, I wouldn't have jumped in the car in Jeddah on Thursday if it wasn't possible. I did 26 laps because I could, not because I was in pain. Yes it wasn't an easy 26 laps per session but I could get them done."

‘Oliver Bearman could race’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...drive-32408305


Oliver Bearman could race again for Ferrari at Australian GP after stunning F1 debut in Saudi Arabia as Carlos Sainz admits he won't take part if he 'doesn't feel good' in practice following surgery
• The Brit, 18, finished seventh at the Saudi Arabian GP after stepping in for Sainz
• Ferrari have confirmed Sainz will return but Spaniard still might not race
Published: 11:29, 21 March 2024
By Liam Morgan
MailOnline

British star Oliver Bearman could race again this weekend after Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz revealed he would not take part in the Australian Grand Prix if he feels unwell during Friday's practice.

Sainz has returned for this weekend's race in Melbourne following successful surgery but admitted he may be forced to pull out again if he 'doesn't feel good' when he takes to the track on Friday.

'First of all, just by seeing me move and the exercises that I'm doing in the gym, everything this tells me I'm fit to jump in the car tomorrow and try,' he said.

‘Oliver Bearman could race again’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rand-prix.html


Oliver Bearman on standby as Carlos Sainz admits Australian Grand Prix uncertainty
Oliver Bearman stunned his peers during his F1 debut two weeks ago and could be set for another Ferrari outing.
11:19, Thu, Mar 21, 2024
By Sam Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Oliver Bearman could be set for a late Ferrari call-up with Carlos Sainz admitting that he is unsure whether he will take part in the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Teenage star Bearman stepped in for Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and stunned his colleagues with an impressive seventh-placed finish.

Asked how he expects his body to cope during the race, Sainz responded: “The problem is I don't know. Until you put yourself in an F1 car and feel the forces, it's impossible to know. What I know is that today I am a lot better than yesterday, and yesterday I was a lot better than two days ago.”

“So also with that progress, I'm quite encouraged and positive. And then see how I feel, as I said." Sainz insists he will be honest with Ferrari about his condition. If he feels unable to compete then he will stand aside for Bearman.

‘Oliver Bearman on standby’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-Prix-Ferrari


First pictures from the 2024 Australian Grand Prix weekend
F1 Pictures
Posted on 21st March 2024, 10:19
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

‘Pictures from the build-up to the 2024 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/21/...-prix-weekend/


‘From what I’m told’: Red Bull rivals ‘bullish’ for Australian GP after ‘really good’ sim work…
Thu 21 March 2024 13:30
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

One of Red Bull’s F1 rivals are quietly confident about their chances at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. Red Bull have made an ominous start to the new season with back-to-back one-two finishes. But speaking on the Weekend Warm-Up show for F1TV, journalist Lawrence Barreto talked up one of their competitors.

Barreto says Red Bull challengers Ferrari are in confident mood. According to Barreto, Ferrari have arrived in the Albert Park paddock in a ‘bullish’ frame of mind. Barreto said: “I think they’re pretty bullish about their chances this weekend. And when I say that I don’t mean that they’re going to take the fight to Red Bull and push Max Verstappen and Checo all the way.”

“But I do think they’re in that area where if a mistake happens, if there’s a pit-stop issue, they can pounce. What Ferrari are seeing is that, from race to race, that car is getting better, their understanding of that car is getting better. They’re in a better spot to push on through the season rather than tail off as they’ve tended to in previous years.”

‘Ferrari are in confident mood’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...-on-simulator/


Race guide for the Australian Grand Prix
21 March 2024, 11:44
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Round 3 of the 2024 F1 season sees the field head to Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix. F1Technical's senior writer Balázs Szabó delivers his race preview. The track has a length of 5.278km, resulting in a 58-lap-long Grand Prix. The circuit sports 14 corners, many of them are named after previous great drivers. The race course has a stop-and-go nature due to heavy acceleration and braking zones.

The 5.278km lap is a tricky one to tackle. Turn One is a tight right-hander but the apex speed is more than 150km/h. The apex is also blind and Turn Two follows immediately after, setting up the long, flat-out run to Turn Three. Located at the end of the first DRS zone, Turn Three is another tight right-hander that provides an opportunity for overtaking.

However, it's easy to lock the front-right tyre under braking into the corner which can put you at risk of running wide into the gravel trap on the exit. Turns Nine and 10 were spectacular corners before to the circuit alterations, but now they are more fearsome than ever. At the fastest point of the circuit, it's a small dab of brake on the entry to Turn Nine, before a second deft touch of the brake before Turn 10 and the high-speed run to Turn 11.

‘Race guide’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/24444