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Perez to continue as Red Bull driver after signing new two-year contract extension.
Sergio Perez will continue as a Red Bull Racing driver through the 2026 season after the Milton Keynes team confirmed a multi-year extension to the Mexican’s contract.
04 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site
He finished a career-best second behind team mate Max Verstappen in the championship last season, helping Red Bull achieve a maiden one-two result alongside the constructors’ title. Perez, now 34, said of his renewal: “I am really happy to commit my future to this great team. It is a challenge like no other racing for Oracle Red Bull Racing, both on track and off track.”
“I am delighted to be staying here to continue our journey together and contribute to this team’s great history for two more years. Being part of the team is an immense challenge, and one I love. We have a great challenge this year and I have full trust in the whole team that the future is bright here and I am excited to be part of it.”
“I want to thank everyone for all the trust they are putting in me, it is a lot and I want to pay it back with excellent results on track, and off track. I think we have a lot of work to do, we have a lot more championships to win together.”
‘Thank everyone for all the trust’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...CI1JNFsXbnecih
Sergio Perez secures two-year F1 contract extension with Red Bull
Sergio Perez will remain a Red Bull F1 driver through to the end of 2026, the team have announced.
04 Jun 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
It had been expected that Perez would seal a fresh deal, but a two-year contract extension comes as some surprise given recent uncertainty over the 34-year-old Mexican’s future at Red Bull.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “Now is an important time to confirm our line-up for 2025 and we are very pleased to continue working together with Checo. Continuity and stability are important for the team and both Checo and Max are a successful and robust partnership, securing our first ever one-two finish for the team in the Championship last year.”
“Checo has had a strong start to 2024 with second places in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan and then his podium in China. The past few races have been tough, there is convergence on the grid, but we are confident in Checo and look forward to his return to proven form and performance, that we so often see.”
‘Robust partnership’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105008...nsion-red-bull
Sergio Perez extension may not please everyone – but he was always Red Bull’s first choice
04 Jun 2024
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
Replace the name Sergio Perez with Valtteri Bottas and the current speculation surrounding the Mexican sounds awfully like what was being said about the Finn during his Mercedes days. The role of a number two driver to a generational talent is an odd one, for while fans want a driver who can challenge, and if the car is so far ahead they become the only threat, what a team wants is stability.
Look at Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. That was the Championship pairing closest in ability since Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in 2007 or even Prost-Senna in the 1980s but it very nearly saw the Mercedes machine crumble from the inside. Toto Wolff is open in his admission that had it not been for Rosberg’s retirement after his title win in 2016 then the Austrian would have shown at least one of the drivers the door.
‘Red Bull’s first choice’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/se...hoice-reaction
Perez relishing Red Bull 'challenge' after fresh contract
Sergio Perez is staying at Red Bull for the next two seasons.
4 June 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
During his time at Red Bull, Perez has scored five of his six grand prix wins and scored a career-best second in the 2023 Drivers' championship - and is relishing the challenge before him. "I am really happy to commit my future to this great team, it is a challenge like no other racing for Red Bull Racing, both on track and off track," he said.
"I am delighted to be staying here to continue our journey together and contribute to this team’s great history for two more years. Being part of the team is an immense challenge, and one I love. We have a great challenge this year and I have full trust in the whole team that the future is bright here and I am excited to be part of it."
‘Red Bull challenge';
https://racingnews365.com/perez-reli...fresh-contract
Sergio Perez reveals main Red Bull ambition with new two-year deal secured
04 Jun 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Sergio Perez has said he hopes to pay back the “full trust” Red Bull have placed in him by giving him a new two-year deal, after signing terms keeping him with the team until 2026.
“I want to thank everyone for all the trust they are putting in me, it is a lot and I want to pay it back with excellent results on track, and off track. I think we have a lot of work to do, we have a lot more Championships to win together.”
“Pay it back”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...arget-new-deal
Horner outlines reasons behind Perez’s new Red Bull F1 deal
04 Jun 2024.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has named “continuity and stability” as the two leading reasons behind the team’s choice to extend Sergio Perez’s Formula 1 contract.
Horner explained how the desire to not unsettle the side as it combats the rising threat from rivals this season was instrumental in the decision to retain the Mexican.
“The past few races have been tough, there is convergence on the grid, but we are confident in Checo and look forward to his return to proven form and performance, that we so often see,” he continued. “Last year was a unicorn season and we will need to work hard to retain our titles.”
“Continuity and stability”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...-bull-f1-deal/
Sergio Perez shrugged off savage 'Max Verstappen clause' to seal new Red Bull contract
F1 driver Sergio Perez has penned an extension with Red Bull despite a reported 'Max Verstappen clause' in his contract that emerged last season.
Jun 4, 2024
Tom Sunderland
Not even a 'Max Verstappen clause' threatening to slash his wages was enough to prevent Sergio Perez from signing a new contract at Red Bull. The Formula 1 star has hitched his wagon to the Milton Keynes mammoth until at least 2026 after plenty of speculation over his future.
That's despite the reports of a stipulation in his last deal that supposedly gave Red Bull the power to review his salary if he failed to keep up with Verstappen. Dutch daily De Telegraaf reported during the 2023 season that Perez's previous contract was worth £8million per year, but he was at risk of losing a significant chunk of that if he fell 125 or more points behind his team-mate.
'Max Verstappen clause';
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ull-verstappen
‘Red Bull doesn’t work for everyone’: Sergio Perez makes ‘vicious’ admission about partnering Max Verstappen at Red Bull
5 June 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Sergio Perez has signed a new contract at Red Bull. Just like in 2022, Perez has penned a two-year agreement. It’s unclear whether he’s guaranteed to stay for the 2026 season, or whether he has to meet certain performance clauses to trigger that option.
Sergio Perez says Max Verstappen is a brutal teammate. Speaking to German outlet Motorsport Magazin before he signed his new deal, Perez offered some insight into the experience of partnering Verstappen. He believes you need a certain character to survive.
He also feels he ‘would shine more’ up against a weaker opponent. Indeed, Perez was one of the most highly-rated drivers in F1 during his time at Force India/Racing Point, scoring seven podiums and winning a race in midfield machinery. But Verstappen’s robotic consistency demands perfection on the opposite side of the garage. And it can force his teammates into a ‘vicious cycle’ when it comes to setting up the car.
Perez is the third driver to partner the Dutchman at Red Bull since the departure of Daniel Ricciardo at the end of 2018. Pierre Gasly only lasted six months before he was demoted back to Toro Rosso, while Alex Albon was gone within 18.
‘Vicious admission’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ser...n-at-red-bull/
Max Verstappen gives honest verdict on Sergio Perez's new Red Bull contract
Max Verstappen has broken his silence on Sergio Perez's new extension at Red Bull.
Jun 5, 2024
By Express Sport
Daily and Sunday Express
Max Verstappen has expressed relief that Sergio Perez's contract with Red Bull was extended as he gave his first verdict on the announcement. The decision to retain Perez was made ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix this week, confirming that Perez would remain Verstappen's teammate until 2026.
He said: "It's great news that Checo has signed with the team until 2026 and I am glad to be able to continue with the successful partnership that we have created over the past few years.”
‘Honest verdict’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-Bull-contract
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NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix.
The action in Montreal will begin with first and second practice on Friday, June 7, followed by final practice and qualifying on Saturday, June 8, and then the main event, the Canadian Grand Prix itself, on Sunday, June 9.
Jun 05, 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Vital statistics
• First Grand Prix – 1967 (Mosport)
• Track Length – 4.361km
• Lap record – 1m 13.078s, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 2019
• Most pole positions – Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (6)
•
• Most wins – Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (7)
• Trivia – Canada played host to the longest race in F1 history in 2011, with the clock stopping at four hours, four minutes and 39 seconds
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 186 metres
•
• Overtakes completed in 2023 – 46
• Safety Car probability – 67%
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 67%
• Pit stop time loss – 18.35 seconds (including 2.5s stop)
‘NEED TO KNOW’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...K8wmiyK19m2zeK
Red Bull ‘on the backfoot’ as three ‘exciting’ Canadian GP dynamics identified
05 Jun 2024 4:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Former Aston Martin strategy chief turned pundit Bernie Collins believes Red Bull are “really on the backfoot”, with increased competition, weather and “a very different track” in its demands setting up a “very exciting” Canadian Grand Prix.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Collins said: “I think the big thing for Canada is it’s a very, very different circuit to Monaco with a lot of long straights. It’s going to suit slightly different cars. It’s going to be more about straight-line speed.”
“And one of the things looking ahead to Montreal at this stage is the weather looks very uncertain. So I think it’s going to be a lot of mixed up sessions. It’s going to be about learning when you can for the teams and potentially, either a wet qualifying or a wet race, will mix up the grid and lead to a very, very exciting race.”
‘On the backfoot’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/bernie...-gp-excitement
F1 storylines heading into Canadian Grand Prix
Jun 05, 2024
TSN
Do we finally have parity? Max Verstappen has won five of eight races this year and if the season ended today, he would win his fourth straight driver championship. Red Bull is also atop the team standings and have the inside track on a third straight constructor championship. So why does it feel that things are a lot more wide-open in 2024?
Driver carousel in full effect. While Verstappen appears committed to Red Bull going forward, there’s plenty of change around the rest of the grid. Unlike most other sports, driver movement tends to happen ahead of time with seats for the following season announced in the midst of the current one.
What about Stroll? Lance Stroll took a major step forward last season, finishing a career-best 10th in driver standings with 74 points. While the Canadian heads into this year’s hometown race in 11th, he hasn’t been quite as consistent in 2024.
‘Storylines’;
https://www.tsn.ca/auto-racing/f1-st...prix-1.2129966
Getting to know the kerbs, bumps and walls of the 'really tricky' Canadian GP
5 June 11:35AM
RacingNews365
Pierre Gasly shows us through the key parts of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal ahead of the 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix.
‘Getting to know’;
https://racingnews365.com/getting-to...ky-canadian-gp
Canadian GP set to be disrupted by wet weather
5 June 2024
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
The first adverse weather is due to hit the city on Thursday, with the potential for thunderstorms, while extreme rain showers are expected on Friday as well. This forecast to mainly impact FP2, which starts at 17:00 local time - 22:00 in the UK and 23:00 in Europe.
There are high chances of rain on Saturday, too. Considerable cloud over is expected over Montreal with intermittent rain also predicted - this means there is a good chance qualifying will be affected.
Sunday will be initially dry, and likely sunny in the morning. However, as the day progresses the chance of rain increases significantly.
‘Wet weather’;
https://racingnews365.com/storms-exp...la-1-gp-canada
What time is the Formula 1 2024 Canadian Grand Prix and how can I watch it?
05 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Formula 1 heads back over the pond to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this week, with drivers and teams getting set for the Grand Prix du Canada 2024.
The event will begin with FP1 and FP2 on Friday, June 7, followed by FP3 and qualifying on Saturday, June 8, and finally the 70-lap Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, June 9.
‘What time’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...gaH1DAR8S44K7o
Start time for the 2024 F1 Canada GP - Time schedule
From Friday, June 7th to Sunday, June 9th, the F1 weekend of Canada will take place. On Sunday, we witness the highlight of the weekend, the Canadian Grand Prix. But what is the start time of the race?
6 June 2024.
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
This is the start time of the F1 Canada GP The F1 Canadian GP weekend takes place from Friday, June 7th to Sunday, June 9th, 2024. On Saturday, the third free practice starts at 5:30 PM BST, followed by the qualifying later at 9:00 PM BST. The race begins on Sunday, June 9th at 7:00 PM BST.
Timetable Canadian GP
Session
Date Time
Free practice 1 Friday 7 June 19:30 - 20:30
Free practice 2 Friday 7 June 23:00 - 00:00
Free practice 3 Saturday 8 June 18:30 - 19:30
Qualification Saturday 8 June 22:00 - 23:00
Race Sunday 9 June 20:00 - 22:00
‘Start time’;
https://racingnews365.com/start-time...ime-schedule-2
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F1 - 2024 Canadian Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript.
DRIVERS – Sergio PÉREZ (Red Bull Racing), Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes), Nico HÜLKENBERG (Haas), Lance STROLL (Aston Martin), Pierre GASLY (Alpine), Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren).
06.06.24
FIA (Press Release)
Q: Now, Lance, our local hero, can we start with you? Home Grand Prix. What makes this race different for you? Lance STROLL: I Well, it's home. I grew up here, so, you know, 20 minutes away from the track, so it's always special coming back.
Q: And you've scored points in four of the five races you've contested at this racetrack. What is the secret to a good lap? LS: It's a fun track. It's got, like, some big kerbs and technical aspects of it. Not much margin on exits with the walls being close. So I've always enjoyed the challenge here. And the weather can always be interesting. It can always be a fun factor too, which it looks like it might be this weekend, so we'll see.
Q: Checo, why don't we come to you next? Many congratulations are in order. Two more years with Red Bull. How straightforward were the negotiations? Sergio PÉREZ: I think like every negotiation, you always have a process to go through, which is not always really nice to do it in between the races where everything is flat out. So it's really nice to get this distraction for the team and for myself out of the way so that we can focus on pure performance. And I think that's the best thing for our team.
Q: Alright, Checo, and let's bring it on to this weekend. How do you view the competitiveness of Red Bull here in Montréal? SP: Well, I think it's... I hope it's not as severe as it was in Monaco with the right issues that we had there. We've done some work, some analysis, and I think it's great to have straightaway sort of a similar challenge to Monaco in many aspects. So it will be an interesting one, but I do expect us to be a little bit stronger. I don't think it will be our strongest track, but I really hope that we can be fighting up there.
Q: Lewis, let's come to you now. Back to the scene of your first Formula 1 victory and six subsequent ones as well. You've always gone well here. What is it about this place? Lewis HAMILTON: I don't know. Hi, everyone. I think it's probably just kind of a street circuit and a bit like a go-kart track, long straights. So it's a track that bodes well for late brakers and someone that's aggressive, I guess, aggressive driving style.
Q: Tell us about the car and your chances this weekend. The team is telling us that you're making a lot of progress in recent races. Are you feeling that in the cockpit? LH: Yes, the car's continuing to improve. I think everyone's obviously taken a step hopefully closer to the Red Bulls, and I think that's been really positive. But incredibly proud of everyone back at the factory, just how hard everyone's working and how resilient everyone is. Everyone's just staying very focused, head down. The morale's really great in the team, so I'm hoping that we can get closer to these guys and start actually competing at the front with these.
‘Nico HÜLKENBERG (Haas), Pierre GASLY (Alpine), Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren)’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2024-can...nce-transcript
Canadian GP 2024 F1 Schedule and Session Start Times
Find out when the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix takes place, including the F1 session start times for the practice, Qualifying, and Sunday's race
6 June 2024
By John Smith
Total Motorsport
F1 2024 Canadian GP Session Times and Dates
The Canadian Grand Prix will see drivers compete over 70 laps of the 4.361-kilometre circuit. so make sure you know the F1 schedule for all the sessions and start times over the weekend. Taking place from Friday, June 7 to Sunday, June 9, this event promises thrilling action at the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
Session Day Montreal (ET) UK (BST) US (PT) Aus. (AEST)
FP1 Fri 13:30 – 14:30 18:30 – 19:30 10:30 – 11:30 03:30 – 04:30*
FP2 Fri 17:00 – 18:00 22:00 – 23:00 14:00 – 15:00 07:00 – 08:00*
FP3 Sat 12:30 – 13:30 17:30 – 18:30 09:30 – 10:30 02:30 – 03:30*
Qualifying Sat 16:00 – 17:00 21:00 – 22:00 13:00 – 14:00 06:00 – 07:00*
Race Sun 14:00 19:00 11:00 04:00*
*Next day
Detailed Schedule for Canadian GP 2024
Friday, 7 June 2024 – Practice 1 and 2
• Free Practice 1: 13:30 – 14:30 (local time)
• Free Practice 2: 17:00 – 18:00 (local time)
Saturday, 8 June 2024 – Practice 3 and Qualifying
• Free Practice 3: 12:30 – 13:30 (local time)
• Qualifying: 16:00 – 17:00 (local time)
Sunday, 9 June 2024 – Monaco GP
• Race: 14:00 – 16:00 (local time)
‘Schedule and Session Start Times’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/can...n-start-times/
Verstappen pinpoints Red Bull shift after brutal 'wake-up call'
7 June 2024.
Jake Nichol & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Having been bouncing like a "kangaroo" in the Principality, Verstappen has been encouraged by how Red Bull has reacted. "This is something that we know is not our favourite thing in the world, but it is something that we are working on to try and make better," he told media including RacingNews365.
"It takes time, this is not something that is solved from one week to the next, but we will try and optimise things. It has been a problem since day one of the new regulations - and it is not something that we have been able to fix yet.’
"Monaco gave us another wake-up call and we've had lots of good meetings at the factory and I feel like there is a bit more focus now to try and improve that. Because you can't rely on your advantage, even if the kerb-riding is bad, so it definitely needs to be fixed, but it just takes time to make big changes on the car.”
'Wake-up call';
https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...l-wake-up-call
Lewis Hamilton lauds Mercedes turnaround and makes Canadian GP prediction
The 39-year-old has changed his tune after noticing a huge effort from his team to eradicate issues with the W15 car.
6 June 2024
By Joe Krishnan
Total Motorsport
Lewis Hamilton has offered a more positive outlook for Mercedes ahead of the Formula 1 2024 Canadian Grand Prix this weekend, suggesting the Silver Arrows are closing the gap on Red Bull and Ferrari at the front.
“The car’s continuing to improve. I think everyone is obviously taking that step closer to the Red Bulls and I think that’s been really positive,” Hamilton told select members of the the press in Canada, including Total-Motorsport.com.
“I’m incredibly proud of everyone back to the factory, just how hard everyone’s working and how resilient everyone is. Everyone’s just staying very focused [with their] head down. The morale is really great in the team, so I’m hoping that we can get closer to these guys [Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren] and start actually competing at the front with them.”
‘Huge effort from his team to eradicate issues with the W15 car’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...gp-prediction/
Ferrari chief’s Red Bull and McLaren comments speak volumes ahead of Canadian GP
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has insisted he is not thinking about rivals Red Bull and McLaren as he is only focused on what his F1 team can do to improve
12:29 Thu, 06 Jun 2024.
By Chris Burns
The Mirror
Vasseur is adamant about concentrating solely on Ferrari's progress and improvements, stating that it's too early in the season to worry about the impacts of Red Bull and McLaren on the championship race. Despite recent successes, including a win at Monaco, and the ongoing buzz about a potential three-way title fight, Vasseur believes such discussions are premature with Ferrari currently trailing in the constructors' standings by just 24 points.
"It's not me – I'm not speaking about that," Vasseur said, emphasising his focus on internal team efforts rather than external competition. He further stressed his commitment to self-improvement within the team, adding: "We are fighting with McLaren and Red Bull for first. I'm only focused on myself. I don't care about the others. The target is to do a good job to improve the car, to do a good job with the drivers.”
‘Comments speak volumes’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ri-f1-32973260
McLaren's Norris pegs Ferrari as favourites at Canadian Grand Prix
Jun 06, 2024
TSN
The McLaren driver believes Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix could be anyone’s race with the Formula One title chase recently ignited, but he’s giving the edge to the Italian outfit after Charles Leclerc’s win in Monaco two weeks ago.
"I think they're favourites,” Norris said without hesitation before acknowledging it would be a tight race. "It's impossible for me to say if it's going to be us, Ferrari or Red Bull on top," he added. "That's why it's exciting, because none of us really know." Norris thinks Ferrari could have the upper hand again this weekend partially because curb-riding is such a factor at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Leclerc, however, downplayed his team's status as the favourite. "Everybody doesn't want to be going into a weekend hearing that they are favourites,” he said. “You're never going to hear me (say) we are 100 per cent the favourite this weekend and the same for them, so you've got to throw the ball to your closest opponents.”
‘McLaren's Norris pegs Ferrari as favourites’;
https://www.tsn.ca/auto-racing/mclar...prix-1.2131291
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2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 results.
Lando Norris topped a delayed and red-flagged Canadian Grand Prix Free Practice 1 for McLaren.
7 June 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Heavy rain in the hour before FP1 meant cars were not able to get on track for 22 minutes after the planned start time of 1330 local, but the track quickly dried up to allow drivers to set flying laps late on whilst using the soft Pirelli tyres.
Norris pumped in a 1:24.435 effort on his attempt to jump ahead of Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in the late flurry of laps - although times were not representative and still nearly six seconds slower than the anticipated pole time.
Jack Doohan in for Esteban Ocon at Alpine only got three laps, and did not set a time owing to the conditions and a red-flag caused by Zhou Guanyu clipping a barrier at Turn 5 for Stake, triggering a brief suspension.
‘Norris pumped in a 1:24.435 effort’;
https://racingnews365.com/2024-f1-ca...tice-1-results
Canadian GP: Free Practice 1 Results
Full results from Free Practice 1 from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
8 June 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from Free Practice 1 from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 8 1:24.435
2 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 11 1:24.763 0.328
3 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 11 1:25.306 0.871
4 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 11 1:25.970 1.535
5 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 10 1:26.502 2.067
6 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 7 1:26.754 2.319
7 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 8 1:27.584 3.149
8 77 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 11 1:27.670 3.235
9 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 10 1:28.058 3.623
10 63 George Russell Mercedes 9 1:28.541 4.106
‘Full results from Free Practice 1’;
https://speedcafe.com/canadian-gp-fr...ice-1-results/
CANADIAN GRAND PRIX: F1 FREE PRACTICE 1 RESULTS
The 2024 season has seen three different race winners across the last three Grand Prix weekends. But who will prevail in Canada?
June 7, 2024
Rhiannon Temporal
FormulaNerds
The light goes green (?) for free practice 1: As the clock ticks down, race control announce that while the session will start on time, the pit lane exit will remain closed. Of course, this means that we won’t see any drivers out on track as the session gets underway. However, the marshals have taken to the track to try and sweep away as much standing water as possible. The drivers are keen to get out there, with many getting their helmets on and sitting in their cockpits.
The light actually goes green: Earlier than expected, the light goes green and the cars are allowed out on track. Hamilton is the first to brave the conditions with a set of intermediate tyres and it looks tricky out there. The seven-time world champion is joined by his former teammate Valtteri Bottas who has opted for the full wet tyre.
Dry lines and the potential for slick tyres: While the spray is still dramatic off-line, dry lines are starting to appear on the track and the lap times are coming in thick and fast. Charles Leclerc propels himself to the top of the timesheet with a 1:27.560 followed by Magnussen, Carlos Sainz, Hamilton, Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, Russell, Gasly, Sergio Perez, and Bottas rounding out the top 10.
‘As the clock ticks down…’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ca...ice-1-results/
Mike on... the Canadian Grand Prix
07.06.2024
Aston Martin F1 - Official Site
The Canadian Grand Prix: “It seems greedy, but we really do have a run of three home races across the next five weeks, starting here in Montréal. Lance’s home race – Lawrence’s too – is important for all of us, and it’s nice feeling the huge wave of support for them and, by association, for us this weekend.”
"You feel it immediately: it’s at the airport, at the hotel check-in. Last year this was one of the races where we came closest to victory. It’s going to be a bit more difficult this year, but with weather around, there may be opportunities for points. We also can’t wait to hear the roar of Fernando’s fans in Spain, and then of course our passionate home support at the British Grand Prix.”
‘A run of three home races across the next five weeks’;
https://www.astonmartinf1.com/en-GB/...ian-grand-prix
F1 2024 Canadian GP – Practice 1 Results
Lando Norris in the McLaren was fastest in FP1 at the 2024 Canadian GP as wet conditions ensured there was limited running in Montreal
7 June 2024
By John Smith
Total Motorsport
As the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix race weekend got underway, McLaren driver Lando Norris found himself top of the Formula 1 timesheet in Free Practice 1 after a rain-soaked session allowed for around 25 minutes of running.
There was little to no action on track after a storm swept through the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve ahead of the FP1 session, but thanks to officials clearing the surface water and the emergence of sunshine we did see the field on track towards the end of the session.
As the track dried, Norris put his McLaren 0.328s ahead of Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari, who was followed by teammate Charles Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest but over 1.5s adrift of Norris. Zhou Guanyu brought out the red flag after be collided with the barrier while the track was wet and Jack Doohan replaced Estaban Ocon for FP1, but never managed any meaningful running.
‘Lando Norris in the McLaren was fastest’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-1-results/
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2024 Canadian Grand Prix: Alonso Tops Dry-to-Wet Second Practice.
Fernando Alonso topped the second practice session ahead of the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix, ahead of George Russell and home favourite Lance Stroll.
June 7, 2024
Joe Briley
The Checkered Flag
The session started quickly with a number of drivers queuing up at the end of the pitlane, waiting for some dry running after a rain soaked Free Practice One, but most drivers were back in the box after believing the track was too wet for slick tyres. Charles Leclerc came out on intermediate tyres, being noted by race control for incorrect tyre usage. Pierre Gasly was the only driver out on track for multiple minutes, putting his BWT Alpine F1 Team challenger through it’s paces as they the track got quicker.
Home hero Stroll then went top of the timesheets, before being replaced by Alonso a few minutes later. Despite more rain falling, a number of drivers started to go quicker, including Logan Sargeant, who went fourth on the timesheets, before Alex Albon pushed him down to fifth. Verstappen pulled into the pitlane with 37 minutes to go, as he smelled smoke coming from his RB20.
Alonso ended the session on top with a 1:15.810, ahead of Russell by +0.463s and Stroll by +0.654s. Leclerc followed the top three on the medium tyres, while Ricciardo finished in the top five, rounding out a good day for the Australian and Visa Cash App RB. Magnussen finished in sixth, ahead of Hamilton in eighth. Yuki Tsunoda ended the second hour of practice in eighth, ahead of Albon and Sergio Pérez in the top ten.
‘Fernando Alonso topped the second practice session’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...cond-practice/
Canadian GP: Free Practice 2 Results
Full results from Free Practice 2 from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
8 June 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from Free Practice 2 from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 24 1:15.810
2 63 George Russell Mercedes 23 1:16.273 0.463
3 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 26 1:16.464 0.654
4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 23 1:16.556 0.746
5 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB 22 1:16.731 0.921
6 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 14 1:16.773 0.963
7 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 26 1:16.908 1.098
8 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB 21 1:16.951 1.141
9 23 Alex Albon Williams 21 1:16.977 1.167
10 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 18 1:17.041 1.231
‘Full results from Free Practice 2’;
https://speedcafe.com/canadian-gp-fr...ice-2-results/
Fernando Alonso tops rainy Canadian GP practice with Verstappen and Leclerc in FP2 trouble
Aston Martin were the team to beat in FP2 at the 2024 Canadian GP
7 June 2024
By Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport
A rain affected Friday saw Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso top the Free Practice 2 session as the Formula 1 2024 Canadian Grand Prix race weekend continued, George Russell in the Mercedes was second, though over 0.4s adrift of the Spaniard.
Lance Stroll was third fastest in the sister Aston Martin, just ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. Daniel Ricciardo in the RB was fifth with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen in sixth place. Over a second off Alonso’s pace was Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes.
Red Bull’s poor fortune continued as Max Verstappen had to retire from the FP2 session after smoke started coming out the back of his RB20, with the issue identified as his ERS system. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez was only able to make it to 10th fastest.
‘Aston Martin were the team to beat in FP2’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-2-results/
2024 Canadian GP FP2: Onboard with Fernando Alonso for the fastest lap of Friday practice
7 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Ride onboard as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso posts the fastest lap of second practice in mixed conditions at the 2024 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, with a time around the circuit of 1:15.810.
‘Fastest lap of Friday practice’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...36554998295508
Max Verstappen urges Red Bull to find full F1 2024 ‘implications’ of Canadian GP ERS issue
08 Jun 2024 1:05 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Max Verstappen confirmed that Red Bull do believe an “electrical issue” was behind his early FP2 exit in Canada, as they now assess the “implications”. Verstappen is looking to bounce back from a tough weekend in Monaco where he was restricted to a P6 finish, though encountered further frustration on Friday at the Canadian Grand Prix as his FP2 session, literally, went up in smoke.
“Yeah, unfortunately in FP2, not many laps for me,” he told the Formula 1 website. “There was a suspected electrical issue so they told me to box and they’re investigating now. I haven’t been back in the garage yet, but I’m sure soon we’ll figure out what it is.”
“It’s not ideal. I would have liked to drive more laps. Some other people had a few more laps in the dry, a few more laps now in the wet. It’s definitely not how I would have liked to get on in FP2, but I think it’s more important to just figure out what actually happened, and what kind of implications that will have for this weekend or the rest of the year.”
“Electrical issue”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...nada-ers-issue
2024 Canadian GP FP1: Fleet of service vehicles hit the track to try to clear the standing water in first practice
22:15 Fri, 07 Jun 2024.
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
There was too much standing water on the circuit for F1 cars to brave it – so the officials sent out an armada of service vehicles to try to clear some of the water off the track.
‘Fleet of service vehicles’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...36554998295508
-
F1 - 2024 Canadian Grand Prix - Friday Press Conference Transcript.
TEAM REPRESENTATIVES: Mike KRACK (Aston Martin), Andrea STELLA (McLaren), Ayao KOMATSU (Haas), James VOWLES (Williams)
FIA (Press Release)
Mike, perhaps we could start with you. Can we start by talking about one of your drivers? Lance Stroll was in the press conference yesterday. He said he believes in the Aston project and that it's on his mind that he wants to continue with the team in 2025. What's he communicated to you? Is he staying next year? Mike KRACK: He has communicated the same to me. I think we are in a good exchange for this situation. We know that Aston Martin is Lance's home. He prefers to concentrate on the Montréal Grand Prix here. There's already enough going on. And I think soon we will have to communicate something.
Q: McLaren is in a good place with the win and the three second places in the last four races. Are you in good shape here? Do you think now you can be competitive at every Grand Prix we go to? When I say competitive, I mean can you challenge for wins? Andrea STELLA: We think that we could be a challenger for podiums. If we look at the current situation from a competitiveness point of view, there are a few teams that are really in a narrow band in terms of lap time, separated by a few tenths of a second. Track layout makes a difference. Drivers can make a difference. I think we saw Leclerc was in phenomenal shape in Monaco. So there are many variables. What's important is just to try and be as prepared as possible and maximise the package. And then we see what the results will be.
Q:. Do you think the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will suit the Williams car better than Monaco? James VOWLES: I think Ayao summarised it well. I think the Haas is actually quite good in these conditions, so it'll be a close fight with them. But we had a strong race, not just last year, but across the last few years. There's some characteristics that are well-suited. I think, furthermore, you've seen the weather conditions today. That's what's going to be here all across the next few days. It's going to be rain on and off in a drying condition. So that creates opportunity, one I'm actually relishing and looking forward to.
‘Friday Press Conference Transcript’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2024-can...nce-transcript
2024 Canadian GP FP2: Groundhog dodges Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari on track
07 Jun 2024.
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
One groundhog decided he was a little too close to the action in second practice in Montreal when he just about dodged Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.
‘Groundhog dodge’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...43115512540558
FIA fine Ferrari over strange Charles Leclerc Canadian GP infringement
07 Jun 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Charles Leclerc faced a trip to the stewards regarding an infringement over use of the intermediate tyres at the Canadian GP, with Ferrari hit with a €5000 fine. Changeable weather was a feature of Friday practice in Montreal, the FP2 session beginning with a greasy track which blurred the line between intermediate and dry tyres.
Leclerc had the inters fitted for his first foray onto the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve of the session, though Ferrari sent him out before the track was declared wet, which is needed to permit the use of wet tyres. The stewards therefore summoned Leclerc to speak with them after the session over a very uncommon infringement, deciding on a €5000 fine for Ferrari for the regulatory breach.
‘FIA fine Ferrari’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...es-canadian-gp
Alonso posts fastest lap, Verstappen has mechanical issues in second practice at Canadian GP
Jun 07, 2024
TSN
MONTREAL — Formula One drivers got a taste of what to expect this weekend on a practice day riddled with wild weather at the Canadian Grand Prix. Lightning, heavy rain and hail rolled through Montreal a little more than an hour before Friday’s opening session at 1:30 p.m. ET, and the precipitation continued through brief periods of sunshine the rest of the afternoon.
“Today was definitely an odd one,” seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes said. “It was literally summer this morning, then it rained hailstone. I can’t even remember the last time I saw hailstone but they were huge. Then sunny again, really hot and humid, and then raining again.”
“It was a tricky Friday for everyone," Alonso said. “But it could be like this for qualifying and the race, so it’s still very useful information. The right decision can gain you five seconds, wrong decision and you’re out of the race.”
“I can’t even remember the last time I saw hailstone but they were huge”;
https://www.tsn.ca/auto-racing/alons...n-gp-1.2131771
F1 leader Max Verstappen hit by smoky battery problem in Canadian Grand Prix practice
June 7, 2024,
Associated Press
MONTREAL (AP) — Formula 1 points leader Max Verstappen left the track early with his Red Bull machine smoking, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso had the fastest lap Friday in the second free practice at the Canadian Grand Prix.
After Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was hit by heavy rain, lightning and hail before the first practice session, Verstappen returned to the garage four laps into the second session after a run on dry tires. Red Bull said the smoke was caused by a battery issue.
“It’s not ideal, I would have liked to drive more laps,” Verstappen said. “It’s definitely not how I would have liked to get on in FP2 but I think it’s more important to figure out what actually happened and what kind of implications that will have for this weekend and the rest of the year.”
‘Smoky battery problem’;
https://apnews.com/article/fq-canadi...5c1b799733a020
Verstappen admits 'not ideal' Canadian GP start after fire
June 8, 2024
Sky Sports
Max Verstappen admitted his start to the Canadian Grand Prix weekend was "not ideal" after his Red Bull car hit technical trouble on Friday in Montreal. On a disrupted opening day for the whole grid amid on-off rain at the Circuit Giles Villeneuve, Verstappen was restricted to just four laps in Practice Two due to an ERS (Energy Recovery System) problem which saw his RB20 trail smoke before returning to the pits.
Red Bull are investigating the cause of the fault ahead of Saturday's action in Montreal, when qualifying is at 9pm live on Sky Sports F1. "It's not ideal," said Verstappen, whose Red Bull team are aiming to return to the front this weekend after being outperformed by Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes last time out in Monaco.
'Not ideal;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...actice-running
Leclerc buoyed by first day in Montreal as Ferrari package feels ‘very competitive’ in wet or dry
June 8, 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Charles Leclerc cut an upbeat figure following Friday’s pair of practice sessions for the Canadian Grand Prix, talking up Ferrari’s general level of performance across the variety of conditions seen in FP1 and FP2. With first practice starting in the wet and gradually drying out, and the reverse happening in second practice, drivers spent the day at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve swapping between slick tyres and the wet and intermediate rubber.
Asked if he learned enough from his time at the wheel, Leclerc said: “I mean, as much as we can in those conditions, of course. On the car, it’s very difficult to do anything because every time you go out you face a different feeling with the car. But all in all, I’m happy because we are very competitive in all of the conditions. We were never really on top of the timesheets just because we didn’t do the time at the right time in the session with the driest track etc., but I think every lap we were doing we were very competitive, so that is a good thing.”
‘Leclerc buoyed by first day’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...py9In8WPznrfQt
Canadian GP: Lewis Hamilton encouraged by Mercedes practice performance in Montreal
Lewis Hamilton was encouraged by the performance of his Mercedes in challenging conditions during Friday practice at the Canadian Grand Prix
8 June 2024
Sky Sports
Lewis Hamilton says he feels Mercedes are "closer to the front" at the Canadian Grand Prix after being encouraged by his car's performance during Friday practice in Montreal. However, during Friday's two sessions in which the competitive picture was difficult to assess due to adverse weather conditions, Hamilton was encouraged by the way the W15 felt ahead of final practice and qualifying on Saturday.
"It's too early to say," the seven-time world champion said. "I feel like I'm in fighting spirits, I feel like the car is reacting to my input and I feel really confident out there. But we won't know until we get out, and Saturday is often a different day for us but I'm hoping tomorrow is a good day. But I think in either (wet or dry) conditions I felt really strong today. So, I do feel like we are closer to the front this weekend."
"Closer to the front";
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...ce-in-montreal
-
Canadian GP: Lewis Hamilton in surprise FP3 surge as Max Verstappen recovers to P2.
Lewis Hamilton took top spot in FP3 for the Canadian Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen second as Mercedes showed a turn of speed over one lap at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
08 Jun 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
George Russell was third, Lance Stroll fourth and Oscar Piastri rounded out the top five – but Hamilton held a 0.374s gap to Verstappen as the Mercedes driver, a seven-time winner around Montréal, showed a flash of pace, while the reigning World Champion recovered from ERS issues on Friday to put Red Bull second.
The first brush with the Wall of Champions came late in the session as the Williams of Alex Albon damaged his suspension on the way out of Turn 14, a big hit on the final kerb sending him wide and brushing the final wall. He was able to keep going, albeit slowly, and bring his car back to the pit lane.
A further chunk of flying laps came towards the end of the session, with Russell initially getting ahead of Mercedes team-mate Hamilton, before the seven-time World Champion went seven tenths quicker than anybody, on a 1:12.549. Rivals looked to close the gap to Hamilton as FP3 came to a close, but while others leapfrogged each other, it was Verstappen who came closest…
‘Surprise FP3 surge’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/canadi...024-fp3-report
Canadian GP: Free Practice 3 Results
Full results from Free Practice 3 from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
9 June 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from Free Practice 3 from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 30 1:12.549
2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 31 1:12.923 0.374
3 63 George Russell Mercedes 32 1:12.957 0.408
4 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 26 1:13.026 0.477
5 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 31 1:13.266 0.717
6 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB 34 1:13.279 0.730
7 4 Lando Norris McLaren 31 1:13.293 0.744
8 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 29 1:13.340 0.791
9 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 28 1:13.342 0.793
10 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 28 1:13.349 0.800
‘Full results from Free Practice 3’;
https://speedcafe.com/canadian-gp-fr...ice-3-results/
Canadian Grand Prix: F1 Free Practice 3 Results
A final opportunity for drivers and teams to optimise setups before the all-important Qualifying session...
June 8, 2024
James Fiorucci
FormulaNerds
Initial laps: While clouds loomed over the circuit, initial forecasts suggested that there would be dry conditions for the hour-long session ahead. Verstappen was raring to go and went out on track first on the Medium compound of tyre. On his first flying lap the Dutchman lost the rear end through the final chicane, and therefore aborted his attempt.
Practice restarts: Practice got back underway in a matter of minutes, with everyone on the Medium tyre apart from Alonso, Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda on the slower but longer-lasting Hard compound. Verstappen beat Gasly’s time by almost a second, setting a 1:15.495. The latter improved on his previous best but nevertheless dropped to P3, as Haas’ Kevin Magnussen moved up to second position with a 1:16.199.
Practice progresses, Soft tyre runs: Sainz opted for a run on the fastest Soft tyre, as did the Williams of Logan Sargeant. The latter topped the timings with a 1:14.355, while Sainz climbed from 17th all the way up to P3 on his fast lap.
Final runs: As the clock ticked into the last ten minutes of practice, the majority of cars were still in the pits. Albon hit his rear left tyre on the Wall of Champions, bending his suspension and briefly bringing out the Yellow flags. He managed to limp his Williams back into the garage. Mercedes continued to light up the boards as Hamilton set a 1:12.549 to claim P1 with a 0.7 second advantage. In fact, nobody was able to get anywhere near Hamilton’s time as the session drew to a close; Verstappen closed the deficit to 0.374 seconds despite brushing the Wall of Champions.. Would the Brackley-based outfit be a genuine challenger for pole position in Qualifying later on?
‘Optimise setups’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ca...ice-3-results/
F1 2024 Canadian GP – Practice 3 Results
Lewis Hamiilton of Mercedes fastest in FP3 at the 2024 Canadian GP as we saw the first dry session of the weekend so far
8 June 2024
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Lewis Hamiilton of Mercedes set the quickest time in Free Practice 3 at the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix in the first completely dry session of the Formula 1 weekend in Montreal. Here are the full results from FP3.
The Mercedes driver found the perfect lap which no one else on the grid could get near. Max Verstappen eased the concerns of Friday with the second fastest time, though he was 0.374s behind Hamilton.
George Russell in the second Mercedes was third, just ahead of Lance Stroll in the Aston Martin with Oscar Piastri fifth for McLaren. Ferrari, who many have tipped as the fastest car this weekend, struggled for pace with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in 10th and 12th place respectively.
‘The first dry session of the weekend so far’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-3-results/
The hilarious moment Lewis Hamilton is asked for ID at the Canadian Grand Prix before seven-time world champion scoots off leaving security guard bemused
No driver has won the Canadian Grand Prix more times than Lewis Hamilton
8 June 2024
By Dominic Hogan
MailOnline
Lewis Hamilton was left perplexed ahead of the Canada Grand Prix after a security guard asked him for his credentials as the seven-time champions rode his scooter around the grounds. The seven-time world champion is among the most globally recognised faces in sport, after a storied career in motor racing that has seen him win world titles with McLaren and Mercedes.
With the latter he has won six world titles, but that 11-year long partnership between Hamilton and Mercedes will come to an end at the end of the year after the Brit signed a sensational deal to join Ferrari for 2025. A video clip shows the 39-year-old riding a scooter towards the security guard, who gestures at his chest and holds his lanyard suggesting Hamilton show his own in order to pass.
Hamilton, however, in a Mercedes-branded t-shirt double takes as he passes the guard, perhaps surprised that he was asked for his credentials. The guard doesn't put up too much resistance, though, and just watches as the superstar driver just scoots on looking bemused over his shoulder. A member of what appears to be the Mercedes star's entourage gestures towards the security guard to assuage any fears and Hamilton is allowed to pass on.
‘Asked for ID’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rand-Prix.html
Max second in third free practice in Canada
08 June 2024
Misha van der Kroon
Verstappen.nl
Max Verstappen finished the third and final practice for the Canadian Grand Prix in second place. Many laps were driven in the first dry session of the weekend, despite the early red flag after a crash of Zhou Guanyu. Lewis Hamilton was fastest during the third training session, almost four-tenths ahead of Max. George Russell completed the top three.
In the last minutes nobody is able to improve Hamilton’s time. On his last lap, Max kisses the wall at the so-called ‘Wall of Champions’, but he does improve to P2. Russell completes the top three, more than four-tenths behind his teammate.
‘Max second in third FP’;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5491/
2024 Canadian GP FP3: Albon clips the barrier at the ‘Wall of Champions’
08 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Williams’ Alex Albon was pushing hard in final practice in Montreal when he took too much speed into the chicane and clipped the famous ‘Wall of Champions’ with his right wheels.
‘Albon clips the barrier’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...18358881069950
2024 Canadian GP FP3: Verstappen sends sparks flying as he skims the ‘Wall of Champions’
08 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Max Verstappen was second fastest in final practice in Montreal – and had a scare late on in the session when he skimmed the famous ‘Wall of Champions’ sending sparks flying from his right rear wheel.
‘Verstappen sends sparks flying’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...18160874271328
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George Russell seals Canadian GP pole despite Max Verstappen posting exactly same time.
The Mercedes star set his lap time first, giving him the upper hand.
Jun 8, 2024
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
George Russell secured pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix in unprecedented circumstances. George Russell claimed his second career pole position at the Canadian Grand Prix, pipping Max Verstappen to the top spot despite the two drivers setting the exact same time.
Mercedes and Aston Martin picked up where they left off at the end of FP3 when the green light flashed in qualifying. Both teams demonstrated plenty of pace, while Ferrari struggled to get their tyres into the right temperature window.
However, the major scalp in Q1 came at Red Bull as Sergio Perez was dumped out in Q1 for the second race weekend in succession. The Mexican was joined by Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg and Zhou Guanyu in the bottom five, just days after his two-year contract extension was announced.
‘Set his lap time first’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ifying-results
Canadian GP: Qualifying Results
Full results from Qualifying from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
9 June 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from Qualifying from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Pos Num Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Diff Penalties
1 63 George Russell Mercedes 1:13.013 1:11.742 1:12.000
2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:12.360 1:12.549 1:12.000 0.000
3 4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:12.959 1:12.201 1:12.021 0.021
4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:12.907 1:12.462 1:12.103 0.103
5 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB 1:13.240 1:12.572 1:12.178 0.178
6 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:13.117 1:12.635 1:12.228 0.228
7 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:12.851 1:11.979 1:12.280 0.280
8 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB 1:12.748 1:12.303 1:12.414 0.414
9 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:13.088 1:12.659 1:12.701 0.701
10 23 Alex Albon Williams 1:12.896 1:12.485 1:12.796 0.796
‘Full results from Qualifying from the Formula 1’;
https://speedcafe.com/canadian-gp-qualifying-results/
Russell takes Canadian GP Pole Position, Verstappen with identical time
08 Jun 2024, 23:06
Steven De Groote
F1 Technical
Q2 also was a dry affair with quite a lot of track improvement. Russell and Hamilton was again on form with Piastri sandwiched in between the two Mercedes halfway into the session. Max Verstappen meanwhile had trouble making a serious impression on a set of used soft tyres. After 5 laps and only 10th on the timing sheet he returned to the pits for a fresh set. He stood still in the pits for nearly two minutes before going out again.
As the session finished the "rain" finally arrived and teams were anxiously checking the skies to decide which tyres to use at the start of Q3. It all turned out to be nothing more than just a few little drops, so it was soft tyres, as usual. In fact the track had not gotten any slower with Russell lapping in 1:12.000 on his first attempt. Piastri was a bit offset but set a 1:12.103, later topped by Norris to end up at 0.021s of Russell.
Ricciardo then moved up into 4th with his second lap while Alonso took 5th mostly thanks to a purple first sector. As Hamilton had a dismal second lap and ended at just 7th place, Russell held onto pole position despite Verstappen setting an identical time.
‘Identical time’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/24749
Ferrari suffer double shock exit in Canadian GP qualifying
Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz failed to make the final part of qualifying at the 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix.
8 June 2024
Nick Golding
RacingNews365
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have both been eliminated in the second part of qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix, in a huge shock. Leclerc ended Q2 in 11th whilst Sainz was just 0.037s behind in P12, with Lance Stroll having been responsible for both drivers failing to make the cut for the final part of qualifying.
The home driver improved on his final lap to demote Leclerc from 10th to 11th, whilst Sainz's final time was not even provisionally enough for the top 10. Leclerc missed out on Q3 by just 0.032s, much to the Monaco Grand Prix winner's disbelief. Sainz immediately complained of a lack of grip, whilst Lewis Hamilton set the pace in the second part of qualifying at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
‘Double shock exit’;
https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-su...-gp-qualifying
Perez suffers shock early qualifying exit at Canadian GP
Sergio Perez has failed to progress to the second part of qualifying at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
8 June 2024
Nick Golding
RacingNews365
Sergio Perez failed to progress to Q2 in qualifying for the 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix, in what was a frenetic session. Perez found himself in the bottom five as he started his final hot lap, which was provisionally only good enough for 13th.
Multiple drivers below him – including Max Verstappen – found more time in the closing seconds of Q1, which dropped Perez to 16th. The Mexican driver was visibly angry at his Q1 exit and threw his hands outside his cockpit on his cooldown lap.
‘Threw his hands outside his cockpit’;
https://racingnews365.com/perez-suff...at-canadian-gp
2024 Canadian GP Qualifying: Perez beats the halo in frustration after Q1 exit in Montreal
8 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was left furious after he failed to progress from Q1 in Canada – the second time in a row he’s been out at the first hurdle in qualifying.
‘Left furious’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...28043860280710
Verstappen facing Canadian GP penalty after qualifying infringement
Max Verstappen will be investigated after qualifying for the 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix.
8 June 2024
Nick Golding
RacingNews365
Max Verstappen will be investigated after qualifying for the 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix, after ignoring the race director's instructions. The Dutchman progressed safely to Q3 but will face a trip to the stewards, due to an incident in the pit lane. He failed to follow the race director's instructions when leaving the pit lane, resulting in the Red Bull driver being placed under investigation.
‘Max Verstappen will be investigated’;
https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...-risks-penalty
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Russell: We can beat Verstappen in Canada GP.
George Russell is confident he can hold off Max Verstappen to secure Mercedes' first victory since 2022 at Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.
Jun 9, 2024, 12:10 AM
Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor
ESPN.co.uk00:23
Russell and Verstappen clocked identical lap times in Saturday's qualifying, but Russell will start ahead of the Red Bull driver by virtue of setting his time earlier in the session.
The result marks Mercedes' first pole position since last year's Hungarian Grand Prix by teammate Lewis Hamilton, and if Russell wins it would be the team's first victory since he took his maiden win in Brazil in 2022.
Asked if beating Verstappen to victory was possible on Sunday, Russell said: "Why not? Of course, let's go for it! I think the car has been feeling amazing. Since we bought some upgrades to Monaco, we've sort of really been in that fight now. So, we're going for it tomorrow."
‘Let's go for it!’;
https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id...ppen-canada-gp
Pole-sitter Russell ready to win in Canada: ‘We have the fastest car and I’m feeling great’
Jun 9, 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
George Russell was beaming after grabbing his second career pole position and says he sees “no reason why” he can’t go on and win the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday for Mercedes.
‘Feeling great’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/po...32022737601714
Wolff explains Mercedes leap but Hamilton drop confusing
George Russell on pole a superb fillip for Mercedes but what happened to Lewis Hamilton?
9 June 2024
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
"We are on pole position, and that was amazing," said Wolff, speaking to Sky Sports F1. "His lap was great. As we've said for a while we're going in the right direction. We've brought little bits for the last few races, some more visible than others but definitely heading to a more performant car." As to Hamilton falling away, however, Wolff added: "It seemed as if Lewis had the upper hand, both cars comfortably beating everyone.”
"Then in the end it got so tight, also for George, and for Lewis the time didn't show up. We can't comprehend at the moment why it wasn't a little more in our favour."he briefing [in the morning], and they say the car is well balanced now." One of the 'little bits' referenced by Wolff is the addition of a new front wing, and although a key piece of the puzzle, Wolff believes the sum of the whole has been the performance driver.
"In Formula 1, it's never about one bit on the car - since the double diffuser - that makes all the difference," he added. "We were running the old wing yesterday and we were very competitive, in all conditions. It's what's come on the floor, little bits on the bodywork, and obviously the front wing which is more visible."
"His lap was great”;
https://racingnews365.com/wolff-expl...drop-confusing
Horner after qualifying GP Canada: 'Outstanding effort after tricky day'
09 June 2024
Coen Versteeg
Verstappen.nl
After qualifying, Christian Horner, CEO and team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, commented on the performance of his drivers. “It was disappointing for Checo to miss out by such a small margin in Q1 as he struggled with the rear grip in the car. We’ll have to look into the reasons for that so that we can give him the best chance of coming through the field tomorrow, which we know he’s capable of.”
“On a track which was rapidly evolving and where all teams were going through their tyre allocation quickly, Max just got stronger and stronger through the qualifying. To miss out on the top place whilst exactly matching the pole time was an outstanding effort after a tricky day yesterday and it’s great to be lining up on the front row alongside George, in an exciting looking grid.”
'Outstanding effort after tricky day';
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5493/
Sergio Perez opens up on ‘total disaster’ after shock Canada Grand Prix exit
09 Jun 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
A very downbeat Sergio Perez lamented struggles with the rear axle on his Red Bull after suffering consecutive Q1 eliminations. Asked what the main problem was, Perez replied: “Yeah, the main thing was really to switch on the rear. The rear axle for me was quite tricky.”
“And ended up paying the price with it because basically, I just had no grip, I was sliding too much around it and that meant that basically our qualifying was a total disaster.”
“I think it was more a tyre thing than the kerb thing,” he said. “In these conditions somehow we were not able to switch on the rear axle, I couldn’t lean on it at all. I just didn’t have any confidence at the time to push it, so it was a total disaster unfortunately.”
‘Total disaster’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...canada-q1-exit
Max Verstappen learns Canadian GP penalty fate after F1 stewards' investigation
Max Verstappen qualified second on the road by setting the exact same time as pole-sitter George Russell, but was placed under investigation by the Formula 1 stewards
09 Jun 2024
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Max Verstappen has escaped punishment after an investigation into his actions during qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Dutchman qualified second for Sunday's race despite setting the exact same time as pole-sitter George Russell. But because the Briton completed his lap first, he was the one who will line up at the very front of the grid.
But shortly after the session, Verstappen was placed under investigation. He was accused of not complying with the race director's instructions in the way that he left the pit lane during qualifying and summoned to give his side of the story.
After a hearing, the stewards decided to take no further action against the Red Bull racer. They explained how they came to that decision in an official FIA document published two-and-a-half hours after the conclusion of qualifying.
‘An official FIA document’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...an-gp-32990855
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at a loss to explain poor Canada GP qualifying
Jun 8, 2024
Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor
ESPN.com
MONTREAL, Canada -- Charles Leclerc was at a loss to explain Ferrari's lack of pace during qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix, saying his car simply did not have enough grip to compete for a place in the top ten. "We are just not fast enough and unfortunately that's it," Leclerc said. "I mean, in FP3 [final practice] we were nowhere on the dry, in qualifying we were nowhere on the dry as well.”
"I don't have any explanations for now. In FP3 already we felt that something was wrong, we couldn't see what was wrong. It was exactly the same in qualifying, where it definitely felt like something was wrong but nothing we could see was wrong.”
"So the grip was just extremely poor in the first sector especially and then once you slide in the first sector it's a snowball effect and you never really get the performance out of the car. So yes, difficult weekend."
‘At a loss to explain’;
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/4...-gp-qualifying
Leclerc baffled by ‘too slow’ Ferrari in Montreal qualifying
23:38 Sat, 08 Jun 2024.
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Ferrari's Canadian Grand Prix weekend in Montreal took a turn for the worse on Saturday, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos both failing to reach the final top-ten shootout in qualifying. "We were just slow. Slow all day,” Charles Leclerc told F1 TV, highlighting Ferrari’s inexplicable lack of pace as the central issue.
“There was similar issues also to this morning. I had a sensor issue which was very annoying, then the management of the cars, the management of the session as well wasn’t the best, I think. So all in all, it’s been a tough session.”
“I would say that the biggest problem is the pace. We are so slow in the dry at the moment, we don’t understand. So it’s a bit strange to go from a really, really good weekend in Monaco in terms of pace and be on the back foot. So, we’ll look into it.”
"We were just slow. Slow all day”;
https://f1i.com/news/510373-leclerc-...ualifying.html
-
Norris ‘excited’ to see what McLaren can do on race day in Canada after taking P3 in qualifying.
Lando Norris is keen to put on a “good show” in the Canadian Grand Prix after claiming P3 on the grid during an incredibly close qualifying session, having narrowly missed out on pole position by just 0.021s.
09/06/2024
Formula One - Official Site
While George Russell took pole position – and Max Verstappen slotted into second, having set an identical lap time to Russell’s – Norris was encouraged by the fine margins between the leading cars.
“I’m super happy,” the 24-year-old said of his result after qualifying. “I mean, first of all congrats to Mr Russell. He’s been quick all weekend, so congrats to him and Mercedes. I’m happy with third.”
“When it’s so close, you always think, ‘Could I have like jumped in the car for that little bit more?’ Third is a good job by us, so I’m happy and excited for tomorrow.”
‘See what McLaren can do’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...7HDZpIBHlkmXMl
Norris plans to put on 'a good show' on Sunday
09/06/2024 at 00:34
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
Lando Norris missed out on pole position for tomorrow's Canadian Grand Prix by just 0.021s… "The session was tricky, it always is in Montréal, but it’s why we love it and it’s why we’re all smiling. It’s a nice feeling when you put a good lap in and end up in the top three” Lando Norris.
“The car has been great all season, especially the last three or four races, we’ve been on a good roll," Norris agreed, setting his sights on another podium - or better yet, a victory - on Sunday.”
“I'm excited to see what we can do," he said. “Two overtakes tomorrow - easy! Light work,” he joked while conceding that it would be no walk in the park when the lights went out.”
‘Put on a good show';
https://f1i.com/news/510394-norris-p...on-sunday.html
‘I’m excited’ – P3 Norris reckons he’s in the mix for victory in Montreal
09/06/2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Lando Norris will line up for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix from third on the grid and reckons he can be in the fight for the win despite question marks over the weather and the long run performance of all the teams.
‘In the mix’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/im...33863255723633
Ricciardo qualifies fifth after Villeneuve's criticism
09/06/2024
The Straits Times
MONTREAL - Daniel Ricciardo answered criticism from retired Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve by qualifying fifth for the Canadian Grand Prix on Saturday. "We're hearing the same thing for the last five years. 'We have to make the car better for him, poor him'. No. You're in F1. If you can't cut it, go home. There'll be someone else to take your place," the Canadian previously said.
Ricciardo qualified a strong fifth for RB at the Circuit named after Villeneuve's late father Gilles, but said he had become aware of the criticism only after the session and did not mention Villeneuve directly. "I just been told. I don't listen or read but there's definitely some people out there who ... yeah, whatever. I won't give them the time of day," he said.
Villeneuve made light of his criticism afterwards when asked for a follow-up. "He needed a bit of a push under pressure and it worked, it paid off," he smiled. "The car suits him this weekend and when you have a car that suits you, you drive at your best. That was one good qualifying. If he can carry on this weekend like this and do four, five, six more races like this then he'll be fine."
‘Daniel Ricciardo answered criticism’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...uves-criticism
Tsunoda reveals how RB can help him become world champion after confirming 2026 contract detail
Yuki Tsunoda reached Q3 yet again in 2024, after RB announced his contract extension at the Canadian GP
9 June 2024
Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport
Yuki Tsunoda revealed there’s no 2026 option in his new contract after signing an extension for another 12 months at RB, but insisted becoming acclimatised to driving under pressure is vital pressure to help him become Formula 1 world champion.
Tsunoda‘s scored 79% of RB‘s 2024 points ahead of the Canadian GP and his eighth place in Montreal qualifying meant he’s reached Q3 in three successive races, having only missed out twice all season, and afterwards he was asked whether there is any option to extend to 2026.
“No, but keep performing,” Tsunoda told select members of the press including Total-Motorsport.com. “It is tricky but I got used to it you know, maybe it’s a good team to train the pressure. In the end in F1, if you want to be world champion you need to deal with pressure and you have to be always the best. Still a lot of things I can improve on for myself so it’s ok.”
‘Train the pressure’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/tsu...ntract-detail/
Alonso: It "hurts" to lose Canada F1 pole chance in one corner
Fernando Alonso says it "hurts" to lose his two-tenth gap to pole in one corner after qualifying sixth for Formula 1's Canadian Grand Prix.
Jun 9, 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
Following a number of trying race weekends where Aston Martin appeared to have slipped to sixth in the pecking order, the Silverstone-based team bounced back with a stronger qualifying performance in Montreal. Alonso qualified sixth just 0.228s shy of Mercedes' polesitter George Russell, who beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen in a dead heat in a scintillating Q3 shootout.
Alonso said his qualifying result was particularly frustrating because he shipped a two-tenth gap to Russell right at the start of the 4.3km loop. "It was a tricky qualifying for everyone with the wind and the drops of rain. You always lose a little bit of confidence and I think no one did a perfect lap," the two-time F1 world champion said.
"It was the case for me as well. I didn't put everything together in Q3, so when you see that you are only two tenths from pole position, it hurts a little bit." When asked to explain how he lost the time, he said: "All in Turn 2. It was so oversteering and I lost the car so badly that I was just thinking to abort the lap or keep going.”
“It hurts a little bit";
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...rner/10621401/
Alonso: P6 in qualifying ‘hopefully the first step in our recovery plan’
23:31 Sat, 08 Jun 2024.
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
After a tricky few races for the team, Aston Martin got both cars into Q3 in Canada, with Fernando Alonso leading the charge in P6.
‘Recovery plan’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/al...29767459255079
-
Max Verstappen holds nerve to win Canadian GP as Mercedes pair clash.
Max Verstappen claimed a hard-fought victory at the Formula 1 2024 Canadian Grand Prix as the rain wreaked havoc in Montreal on Sunday.
9 June 2024
Joe Krishnan
Total Motorsport
The Dutchman bided his time and made his strategy work to claim maximum points in Montreal. Red Bull also stretched out their lead by 25 points in both championships after a double retirement for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, compounding a miserable weekend for Ferrari.
The Red Bull star was denied pole by the virtue of setting his lap time later than George Russell but he was patient and bided his time, waiting for the track to dry up before showing his speed. Despite facing two safety car restarts, the championship leader kept his composure and claimed maximum points in Canada.
‘Bided his time and made his strategy work’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...sell-hamilton/
Canadian GP: Race Results
Full results from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
10 June 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps/Diff
1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 70
2 4 Lando Norris McLaren 3.879
3 63 George Russell Mercedes 4.317
4 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 4.915
5 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 10.199
6 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 17.51
7 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 23.625
8 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB 28.672
9 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 30.021
10 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine 30.313
‘Full results’;
https://speedcafe.com/canadian-gp-race-results/
Verstappen victorious in thrilling wet-to-dry F1 Canadian GP
Motorsport Week
Motorsport Week
Red Bull Max Verstappen survived changeable conditions, several restarts and a tight challenge from rivals to emerge victorious in Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Lando Norris had been on course to win for a second time but a rueful Safety Car hampered his hopes and left him second, while polesitter George Russell was third. The intermittent showers had been prevalent in the build-up to the start and more rain was scheduled to arrive, but the conditions were adequate for a standing start.
‘Verstappen victorious’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...1-canadian-gp/
Canadian GP: Max Verstappen triumphs in instant wet-dry classic in Montréal
09 Jun 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Max Verstappen took victory in an absolute thriller of a Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday, with Lando Norris and George Russell rounding out the podium in Montréal.
With multiple leaders and varying conditions throughout, it was the reigning World Champion who took track position under Safety Car conditions from Norris, who had been leading, but Verstappen held onto first place in a Canadian Grand Prix that is highly likely to be mentioned as a contender to be the race of the season.
Verstappen was able to bring his Red Bull home in first place from Norris in a thrilling victory for the reigning World Champion, with Russell and Hamilton in third and fourth – though Russell’s contact with Piastri will be investigated after the race. Whichever way you look at it, the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix will not be forgotten any time soon.
‘Wet-dry classic ‘;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/canadi...24-race-report
Verstappen beats Norris to victory in thrilling wet/dry Canadian GP
09 Jun 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Max Verstappen and Red Bull bounced back from their Monaco struggles as they returned to winning ways in an action-packed Canadian Grand Prix, overcoming rain showers, multiple Safety Car periods, restarts and a stern challenge from behind to lead home Lando Norris. Verstappen followed pole-sitting Mercedes driver George Russell in the wet early stages of the race until a charging Norris overhauled them both in improving conditions, only for an ill-timed Safety Car – brought out when Logan Sargeant crashed – to drop the McLaren man to third.
Verstappen mastered that restart and further showers to maintain his lead, which he also protected when the track dried up and the field switched from intermediate tyres to slicks, and again following a second Safety Car period triggered by Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon colliding. While the reigning world champion ultimately surged towards the chequered flag, Norris took second via a fierce mid-race battle with Russell, and the latter made do with third after some late scrapping with team mate Lewis Hamilton and the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri.
‘World champion ultimately surged towards the chequered flag’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...DTWC3pJBwiaboI
Red Bull's Max Verstappen wins third straight Canadian F1 Grand Prix in Montreal
09 Jun 2024
CTV News Montreal
Formula One leader Max Verstappen drove to his 60th career victory Sunday at the Canadian Grand Prix. Verstappen became the third driver to three-peat at the Canadian GP, joining seven-time world champions Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
The 26-year-old Red Bull driver started second on the grid behind George Russell at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
The race started with a soaking wet track on a gloomy day in Montreal. Blue skies emerged 10 minutes in but rain showers returned periodically throughout the afternoon, causing tricky conditions.
‘Third straight Canadian F1 Grand Prix win’;
https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/red-bull...real-1.6919742
2024 Canadian Grand Prix: Norris emerges from pits in the lead but is passed immediately by Verstappen
09 Jun 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Lando Norris pitted for new tyres on Lap 48 and emerged just in the lead of the race, only for Max Verstappen to pass him immediately for P1.
‘Passed immediately’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...14341739620629
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'Focus, George. Focus' The errors that cost Russell Canadian GP win.
The errors that cost George Russell Canadian Grand Prix win.
9 Jun 2024
Sky Sports
'Focus, George. Focus';
https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...anadian-gp-win
F1 - Verstappen makes the right calls to win rain-affected Canadian GP ahead of Norris and Russell
09.06.24
FIA (Press Release)
Max Verstappen navigated rain showers and Safety cars, and made the right call on a move to slick tyres to take his third straight Canadian Grand Prix win at the end of an enthralling race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Second place went to McLaren’s Lando Norris, while George Russell took Mercedes’ first podium of the year with third.
“It was a pretty crazy race. A lot of things were happening, and we really had to be on top of our calls,” said Verstappen afterwards. “As a team, we just did really well today. We remained calm. I think we pitted at the right time. Of course, the Safety Car worked out nicely for us, but even after that, I think we were managing the gaps quite well. I love it. That was a lot of fun. Those kind of races, you need them once in a while.”
“We remained calm”;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-verstapp...is-and-russell
Verstappen comes out top in a wild and wet race in Montreal
9 Jun 2024.
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
Max Verstappen took victory in a rain-hit Canadian Grand Prix but it was far from the usual calm dominance for Red Bull with half a dozen drivers looking in the running for victory at various points. George Russell led at the start from pole but was passed by McLaren's Lando Norris before the half-way point. A failed try at an overcut and bad timing with a safety car left Norris defending P2 from Russell at the finish.
It was a bleak outing for Ferrari and Williams, with both teams seeing a double DNF. Sergio Perez also had a luckless day, clipping Pierre Gasly at the start and subsequently damaging his rear wing forcing him to retire.
Ricciardo recovered from his jump start to finish eighth but his RB team mate Yuki Tsunoda had a late spin onto the grass at turn 9 dropped out of the top ten. That allowed the two Alpines of Gasly and Ocon to collect the points bounty instead. For all their early heroics, Haas pair Hulkenberg and Magnussen just missed out.
‘Wild and wet race’;
https://f1i.com/news/510475-verstapp...-montreal.html
F1 - 2024 Canadian Grand Prix Post-Race Press Conference Transcript
09.06.24
FIA (Press Release)
TRACK INTERVIEWS (Conducted by Martin Brundle)
Q: Max, a challenging weekend, a dramatic race, and through it all, you emerged with a great victory. That was a champion's drive. Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it was a pretty crazy race. A lot of things were happening, and we really had to be on top of our calls. And I think as a team, we just did really well today. We remained calm. I think we pitted at the right time. Of course, the Safety Car worked out nicely for us, but even after that, I think we were managing the gaps quite well. Yeah, I love it. That was a lot of fun. Those kind of races, you need them once in a while.
Q: Lando, brilliant. What a wild, wild race that was for you. Lando NORRIS: It was. Yeah, it was chaos. It was eventful. To be honest, I felt like I drove a good race, the whole time, from start to finish. The first two stints were very strong. I had an amazing pace. But then the Safety Car had me over. Just like it helped me in Miami, it's now had me back over. So honestly, I thought it was a pretty perfect race from my side. just a bit unlucky but that's what it is. But it was good fun. These conditions, so stressful inside the car but very enjoyable at the same time.
Q: George, tenacity is a word that springs to mind. I mean, you stuck with it. You had a few adventures during that race, but you're on the podium. George RUSSELL: Yeah, it felt like a missed opportunity, to be honest. We were really quick at the beginning of the race on the Inters, and then obviously Lando came through really fast, and then we jumped back onto the slicks, made a couple of mistakes out there, just pushing the limits and paid the price for it. But nevertheless, first podium of the year, we truly had a really fast car this weekend, and to be back in the mix fighting for victory was really fun. That's what Formula 1 is about, and that's why we go racing.
‘Post-Race Press Conference Transcript’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2024-can...nce-transcript
2024 Canadian Grand Prix: Norris emerges from pits in the lead but is passed immediately by Verstappen
9 Jun 2024.
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Lando Norris pitted for new tyres on Lap 48 and emerged just in the lead of the race, only for Max Verstappen to pass him immediately for P1.
‘Passed immediately’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...14341739620629
Lando Norris bemoans McLaren strategy mistake at Canadian Grand Prix and insists: 'We should have won!'
9 June 2024
Ben Nagle
MailOnline
Lando Norris has bemoaned McLaren's decision to stay out on track when their rivals pitted at the Canadian Grand Prix, insisting 'we should have won the race.' Lando Norris was leading the race on lap 25 when the first safety car came out to clear away Logan Sargeant's.
While his rivals behind headed straight to the pits, Norris stayed out on track - and it turned out to be the wrong call, sending him tumbling back to third place two laps later. Reflecting on the decision, Norris told reporters: 'We should have won the race today and we didn't. It's frustrating, [because] we had the pace. It's as simple as that, we didn't do a good enough job as a team to box when we should have done and not get stuck behind the safety car.”
'This was just making a wrong call, it's on me and it's on the team, it's something we'll discuss after. We should have won today, we're at a level now where we're not satisfied with a second, the target is to win.'
'We should have won!';
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rand-Prix.html
‘Horrible’: Martin Brundle left questioning ‘hopeless’ Charles Leclerc call during the Canadian Grand Prix
Sun 9 June 2024 22:00
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Martin Brundle questions ‘hopeless’ Charles Leclerc strategy in Canada. Leclerc was struggling with an engine issue from the start of the race that was losing him 0.5 seconds of time every lap. He was running in 10th at one point, but a long pit stop at the end of the first safety car was needed to try and fix his engine problems. Ferrari also put Leclerc on the hard tyres in Canada which Brundle questioned given the weather forecast. He was running on his own at the back of the pack and was quickly lapped by the front runners.
Commenting on the Monegasque driver’s tyre change, David Croft said: “We ride onboard with Charles Leclerc, it is teaming with rain and he is trying to tiptoe around the first few corners.” Brundle added: “Yeah, but it’s hopeless, the slower you go, the less grip you’ve got. The less grip you’ve got, the slower you go and then you’re into a horrible snowball effect like that.” Croft replied: “This is not a good afternoon as it stands for Charles Leclerc,” while Brundle concluded: “Or Ferrari indeed.”
‘Hopeless Charles Leclerc strategy in Canada’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...an-grand-prix/
Self-critical Lewis Hamilton deflated by “one of the worst races I’ve driven”
Lewis Hamilton has described the Canadian Grand Prix as "one of the worst races" he has ever driven in F1.
9 Jun 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
A despondent Lewis Hamilton says he will “go back to the drawing board” after labelling the F1 Canadian Grand Prix as “one of the worst races that I’ve driven”.
“Not really much different [to how I felt yesterday]. Over the weekend just a really poor performance from myself,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.
“Yesterday some other things came into it, mostly myself, and then today one of the worst races that I’ve driven, lots of mistakes. But of course if I’d qualified better I would’ve been in a much better position so it is what it is. I will go back to the drawing board.”
‘Despondent’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105048...ces-ive-driven
Toto Wolff: Mercedes Canadian GP win was a long shot or a dream
Mercedes started on pole but finished third in Canada after a series of errors by George Russell
9 June 2024
Brandon Sutton
Toto Wolff admitted Mercedes could not have won the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix through George Russell, although they did dream about it for one brief moment before Max Verstappen took off into the Montreal sunset.
“A victory was maybe a long shot,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1 after the race. “Or a short dream when George was on the hard and catching up, showing strong pace.”
“Maybe for a second we thought about it, but you mustn’t be too greedy. But we need to take the positives. The car has made a real step forward, we are bringing bits, and the development direction is true.”
‘Long shot’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...sell-hamilton/
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Villeneuve vs Ricciardo war of words continues: He needs to man up!
Jacques Villeneuve criticised Daniel Ricciardo have taken part in a public slanging match throughout the 2024 Canadian GP weekend
9 June 2024
John Smith
Total Motorsport
Former F1 champion Villeneuve harshly criticised Ricciardo, urging the Australian to retire from the sport due to his underperformance. “The thing is, you have to judge a whole season, or a few years,” Villeneuve told Sky Sports F1. “He had a very good sprint race in Miami and a very good qualifying yesterday.”
“That is not enough, he has to carry on like this. Obviously it got to him because he reacted quite aggressively in a way that is not very professional because kids are listening to what he’s saying. And it was personal attacks about being hit on the head and stuff like that. That’s really that shouldn’t happen.”
“He should be able to take the punches, when you have a bad season… Man up! He’s had a good qualifying, he might have a good race today and that would be the right direction for him to carry on. He has to carry on like this. This is not enough.”
‘Needs to man up!’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...eds-to-man-up/
Daniel Ricciardo fires back at Jacques Villeneuve with X-rated response after viral analysis at Canadian GP
9 Jun 2024.
Ryan Smart
SPORTbible
Daniel Ricciardo was left less than happy with Jacques Villeneuve after hearing what the former F1 world champion said about him at the Canadian Grand Prix. "He was beating a Vettel that was burnt out, that was trying to invent things with the car to go and win and was making a mess of his weekends. He was beating Verstappen for half of a season, when he 18 years old and just starting. That was it. He stopped beating anyone after that. I think it's his image that has kept him in F1 more than his actual results."
After qualifying P5, Ricciardo was unsurprisingly asked about comments from certain critics - and came out firing. "I've just been told, I don't listen or read, but yeah there's some people out there who... I won't give them the time of day," he began. "Top five, I've been quick all weekend, less than two tenths from pole. So they can eat s**t.”
"I think this year hasn't really been a question of whether I've still got the speed to do it, it's just the consistency. I haven't been able to show it week in, week out. It's definitely been more of a struggle than I thought. But I know the speed's there, it's just tapping into it. I look at myself first. You always try and fine-tune the car, but I feel like it's more about getting myself in that sweet point.”
‘X-rated response’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/daniel...11810-20240609
Jacques Villeneuve hits back at Daniel Ricciardo: “I got under his skin”
10 Jun 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has hit back at Daniel Ricciardo as their war of words continued at the Canadian Grand Prix. In response to Villeneuve, Ricciardo said: “I heard he’s been talking s**t. But he always does. I think he’s hit his head a few too many times. So I don’t know if he plays ice hockey or something.”
Villeneuve then gave his response to Ricciardo, claiming that he got “a little bit personal” and he should consider his responses in future. “His reaction was a little bit personal and he’s a role model,” Villeneuve said. “Like all these 20, you’re at the top level, you have to be responsible in your answers, professional. “Kids are listening to you. You cannot make it personal.”
“I’m happy to have learned that I knocked myself out too often playing ice hockey. But ultimately you will get criticism, you need a thick skin and I got under his skin but it got better for his driving. But it’s not enough, he needs to do more of this.”
“I got under his skin”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105050...under-his-skin
'A bit of a roasting': Christian Horner shares how Daniel Ricciardo reacted to Jacques Villeneuve ‘roasting’
8 June 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Christian Horner says Jacques Villeneuve ‘motivated’ Daniel Ricciardo. 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has been intensely critical of Ricciardo in Montreal. Speaking on the F1 Show, he questioned why the eight-time race-winner was ‘still in F1’.
However, Horner stressed that Ricciardo was under no illusions about the need to improve. Reserve driver Liam Lawson is pushing for a 2025 seat in the background. “He’s had an up-and-down start to the year,” he said. “I think you gave him a bit of a roasting yesterday. He knows he’s got to deliver. You obviously motivated him because he looked in good form this morning.”
“You obviously motivated him”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/chr...euve-roasting/
Marko not critical of Villeneuve's Ricciardo attack
JUNE 10, 2024
GrandPrix.com
When asked if Villeneuve is actually right about Ricciardo, Red Bull's top F1 consultant, Dr Marko, told Le Journal de Montreal: "I didn't hear his comment. But Daniel had to beat Yuki at Racing Bulls. This year, that is not the case. It is rather the opposite thing that is happening”, the 81-year-old added.
"Yuki is an emotional driver but now he manages to limit his mistakes. He was in demand by other teams. He is young and he fits our mould. That's why we've just extended his contract for another year”, Marko added.
‘Daniel had to beat Yuki at Racing Bulls’;
https://www.grandprix.com/news/marko...do-attack.html
‘That’s the future’: Jacques Villeneuve believes Toto Wolff has made an ego-based decision for Mercedes 2025 line-up
9 June 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Villeneuve believes that Toto Wolff has made a decision based on his ‘ego’ to bring Kimi Antonelli into the team next year. The 17-year-old is testing behind the scenes for Mercedes but can’t take part in an FP1 session until August. While suggestions that he could replace Logan Sargeant before the end of the season have slowed down, it does seem as though the teenager is destined to be on the F1 grid next year.
Talking about their potential 2025 line-up, Villeneuve said: “Mercedes is not really an open door. It’s [Kimi] Antonelli’s team. That’s the future. “He’s been prepped for it. Toto will not have it any other way. There’s ego in there. He will prove to the world that he was right, that when Antonelli was 12, he knew that he was a future champion.”
‘Ego-based decision’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jac...-2025-line-up/
'One-year deal': Villeneuve predicts Mercedes will give £154k-a-week driver one-year deal before hiring Kimi Antonelli
8 June 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Jacques Villeneuve says Mercedes will re-sign Valtteri Bottas then promote Kimi Antonelli. Speaking on the F1 Show at the Canadian Grand Prix, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve suggested that Wolff would hold fire on signing Antonelli. Instead, he expects him to find a midfield seat for the Italian in 2025.
Wolff would need a stop-gap solution for next year, and Villeneuve says Valtteri Bottas will provide it. Bottas spent five years at the team between 2017 and 2020 and won 10 Grands Prix. “I guess Bottas will go to Mercedes,” he said. “They want a driver for one year. So who do they take? They take a driver that will accept a one-year deal, that already knows the team, has experience, to prepare the seat for Antonelli. Toto will have to find a team to put Antonelli somewhere for a year.”
'One-year deal';
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/sky...imi-antonelli/
Jacques Villeneuve embarrassed again as Fred Vasseur makes brutal six-word comment
Jun 9, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Fred Vasseur piled more misery on 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, telling the Canadian racer that he is ‘sometimes wrong’ after he started to explain his pre-race position on Ferrari’s competitiveness. The Scuderia endured a miserable Saturday with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz failing to make Q3.
Villeneuve, who has a reputation for his bold takes and unfiltered approach to speaking his mind, was chatting to Vasseur alongside fellow pundits Danica Patrick and Simon Lazenby. “Before the weekend, I was convinced that Ferrari…” he said, before the Ferrari team principal cut in: “Yeah, but sometimes you are wrong.”
'Jacques Villeneuve embarrassed again... OR WAS HE?'
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix
Leclerc: Ferrari can’t ‘overreact’ despite double Canada F1 DNF
9 Jun 2024
Motorsport Week
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...canada-f1-dnf/
‘This one hurts’ – Leclerc pinpoints issue for Ferrari to look into after disastrous double Dnf in Canada
10 Jun 2024
Formula One - Official Site
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...VtjINY2fPlGzkt
"This one hurts," admits Leclerc after double DNF for Ferrari
10 Jun 2024
Pitpass
https://www.pitpass.com/77932/This-o...NF-for-Ferrari
-
Verstappen wins 3rd straight Canadian Grand Prix for 60th F1 victory.
Max Verstappen won the Canadian Grand Prix for the third straight year on Sunday for the Red Bull star's 60th Formula 1 victory and sixth in nine races this season.
10-Jun-2024
Sports Scene
CGTN
"It's a lot of fun to drive these kinds of races now and then," Verstappen said. "You don't want it all the time because that's too stressful. But I had a lot of fun out there today."
Verstappen increased his season lead to 56 points over second-place Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. "As a team, we made the right calls today," said Verstappen, coming off a sixth-place finish in Monaco. "It's great to have three wins in a row here. I hope I can add more in the future."
"It's a lot of fun”;
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-06-1...pbnRdkc/p.html
International media reacts as Verstappen rebounds and Ferrari fails
Check out what the world is talking about following the 2024 F1 Canadian Grand Prix!
10 June 2024
Samuel Coop
17:37
RacingNews365
���� The Times - 'Lando Norris denied by pitstop error as Max Verstappen gets back on track'
In the United Kingdom, The Times focused on McLaren's decision not to pit Lando Norris when the safety car was first called after Logan Sargeant's crash.
���� La Gazzetta dello Sport - 'Ferrari, exaggerated (and worrying) ups and downs. Vasseur: "In Canada all the problems add up"'
Unsurprisingly, most attention in La Gazzetta dello Sport was paid to the mis-firing Ferrari team, which led with quotes from team principal Frederic Vasseur.
���� L'Equipe - 'Verstappen returns to victory, Ferrari with its setbacks, return to normal at the Canadian GP'
French sports outlet L'Equipe addressed two of the main talking points of the weekend - Verstappen's return to form and the complete loss of it for Ferrari.
���� De Telegraaf - 'Investigation into fans on circuit at GP Canada: 'This was an unacceptable situation'
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf turned its attention to the investigation into fans flooding onto the track before the race had finished.
���� BILD - 'Crazy toilet situation at the Canada race: Formula 1 stars have to use the same toilet as the fans'
BILD in Germany covered the somewhat unusual situation of drivers sharing toilets with members of the public.
���� Herald Sun - 'Piastri misses podium in chaotic Canadian Grand Prix'
Australian tabloid Herald Sun covered the country's two F1 stars, with an emphasis on Piastri missing out on a podium in a hectic race in Montreal.
‘International media reacts’;
https://racingnews365.com/internatio...-ferrari-fails
Red Bull having “too many problems” in “more difficult” season – Verstappen
10th June 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Too many things are going wrong for Red Bull, says Max Verstappen despite scoring his sixth grand prix victory from the first nine rounds yesterday. Verstappen came from second on the grid to win the race but missed a significant amount of practice time on Friday due to problem with his power unit. He has also been unhappy with his RB20’s performance over kerbs and bumps in recent races.
“The last few races have been quite difficult,” he said after Sunday’s race. “But not only just difficult, too many problems as well, throughout the whole weekend. So we need to have a cleaner weekend. Even in the race now, we’re struggling a lot with the kerbing and the bumps. So we definitely have an area we can work on and definitely improve the car by quite a big margin if we get that under control.”
“I think we are all very focused. We are still doing a lot of things right. But for whatever reason, we are not in that same flow as we had last year where everything just seemed to be going really well for us at most places, no reliability issues. For whatever reason, it’s all a bit more difficult this year.”
“Too many problems”;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/06/10/...on-verstappen/
Max Verstappen’s ‘damage done’ verdict on Sergio Perez after Canadian GP mess
10 Jun 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Failing to score a single point in the last two races, Max Verstappen is hoping Sergio Perez can get “back up there” as he needs his team-mate to help him in the championship. Verstappen is hoping his team-mate’s troubles are a “one-off”. “I think the damage was done yesterday, of course, for Checo,” he said. “Starting in the back, it’s very hard in these conditions. Then, of course, I saw him retire with the damage.”
“So I knew that I had to score big, of course, to not let the other teams catch up a lot. But I do think at the end of the day, as long as you keep winning, so you score 25 points, even if the others finish P2, P3, you don’t really lose out too much. And then you kind of can afford sometimes these one-offs.”
“But of course, naturally, we always want the two cars to be up there. And I also have no doubt that that will change very soon again. We just need to work on our car, to be honest, to make it a bit easier to drive also, probably, to feel a bit more comfortable. And then I’m sure that we have both cars back up there like we had in the beginning of the season.”
‘Damage done’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...in-title-fight
"We were lucky with the safety car", says Verstappen as Perez endured another shock result
10 Jun 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
The early part of yesterday's Canadian Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen fail to respond to George Russell's and then Lando Norris' pace, but a well-timed safety car helped him to take over the lead which he converted into another brilliant victory. Reigning champion Max Verstappen ran second early on as he tried to chase down pole-sitter George Russell. However, with the track drying up quickly, Lando Norris displayed dominant pace which enabled him to overtake Verstappen before going past Russell as well.
The Briton started to build up an ominous advantage, escaping from Verstappen by almost eight seconds within a few laps. However, a Safety Car neutralised Norris’ advantage, and the Briton pitted a lap later during the SC interruption than his rivals. It enabled the Dutchman to emerge in the lead after the restart. When the field pitted for slick tyres, Verstappen shortly fell behind Norris, but he had enough heat in his slick tyres to retake the lead and hold it until the finish.
"We were lucky with the safety car";
https://www.f1technical.net/news/24765
Verstappen: Red Bull ‘not in the flow’ despite Canada F1 win
10 Jun 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
The Dutchman expressed that prevailing was even more “rewarding” as he overcame close competition and treacherous conditions to return to the podium’s top step. “It’s very rewarding,” Verstappen stated. “I mean, it’s never an easy race. It’s easy to make mistakes, especially on the inters when they were almost becoming slicks.”
“It was very easy to go off because the track was drying in most places, but in some corners it was still a bit too wet to go to slicks. That made it just very, very difficult. But yeah, it’s a lot of fun to drive these kind of races now and then. You don’t want it all the time because that’s too stressful, but I had a lot of fun out there today.”
‘Not in the flow’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...canada-f1-win/
Horner after Max' win in Montreal: 'Max was incredible'
10 June 2024
Niels Hendrix
Verstappen.nl
Max Verstappen won the hectic Canadian Grand Prix and Christian Horner, Oracle Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO, said: “In a race like today with those variable conditions, so many things can go wrong but we made the right calls at the right times.”
“McLaren were fast on the inters at the beginning of the race, but getting the crossover onto the slick tyre was really crucial, and once we gave away track position, we had some heat in the tyres and could really push. Max was incredible today.”
Horner continues: “In those conditions you’re driving with your senses, but everything must work in unison and the team lifted itself to the adverse conditions and delivered in every area. There are so many things you can get wrong on a day like today, but happily we got them right.”
'Max was incredible’;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5495/
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Norris on the Safety Car in Canada: ‘In Miami it helped me win, today it helped me lose’.
McLaren’s Lando Norris was philosophical after missing out on a second career victory in Canada, but insisted “we had the speed to win” after coming second to Max Verstappen.
09 June 2024
‘Today it helped me lose’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/no...19452515822548
Frustrated Norris says pit stop mistake cost McLaren race “we should have won”
10th June 2024
Keith Collantine
Lando Norris says he should have won the Canadian Grand Prix but missed an opportunity to pit when the Safety Car was first deployed. However Norris revealed there had been enough time for McLaren to bring him in when the Safety Car came out.
“We should have won the race today and we didn’t, so it’s frustrating,” he said. “We had the pace – probably not in the dry at the end but it turned out it didn’t really matter too much.”
“But we should have won today, simple as that. We didn’t do a good enough job as a team to box when we should have done and not get stuck behind the Safety Car.”
“We should have won”;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/06/10/...ould-have-won/
McLaren reveals fine margins in race-defining Norris call
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has explained how close Lando Norris was to being pitted initially when the first safety car of the Canadian GP was called.
10 June 2024
Samuel Coop & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has explained how close Lando Norris was to being able to retain his lead during the first safety car period at the Canadian Grand Prix. "We took a quick look. It looks like he [Lando Norris] was one and a half seconds from the pit - from the time when you actually needed to turn, or you're going straight," Stella told media including RacingNews365 when discussing how close Norris was to being able to pit ahead of Verstappen, Russell and Piastri. "In hindsight, we could have told the driver 'in case of safety car - pit', so he would have just reacted instinctively to pit."
Part of the problem for the Woking team that led to Norris missing the opportunity to pit, was that it was torn between bringing him in and making him stay out anyway. Stella underlined the dynamic weather as playing a key factor in trying to determine the best course of action, whilst pointing out how unlucky Norris was with the timing of the safety car more generally. We were monitoring the intensity of the rain," the 53-year-old said. "And this intensity in the last few minutes was kind of reducing.”
“So we didn't want to pit unnecessarily for a new set of inters [intermediate tyres] when this set of inters could have been good enough in case of a very light rain. I think it was much easier for the car behind to kinda do the opposite, for instance, as Lando. I think that's a little bit unlucky, not only with the timing of when the safety guard was deployed, with respect to Lando's position on track, but also the time of the safety car in the race, because at that time, Lando was by far the fastest car around on track."
‘Fine margins in race-defining Norris call’;
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-re...ng-norris-call
McLaren respond to Lando Norris missed Canada GP win frustration in Mercedes admission
10 Jun 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
While Lando Norris feels that McLaren left a win on the table in Canada, team boss Andrea Stella, who admits the safety car timing was unfortunate, also highlighted a pace deficit to Mercedes in expressing satisfaction with the result.
After passing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell for the race lead before escaping into the distance, a pivotal point for Norris in the victory battle arrived when Logan Sargeant spun out at the exit of Turn 6, triggering the safety car.
Norris stopped the lap after Russell and Verstappen, despite Norris revealing that he did have time to also dive into the pit lane upon the safety car deployment, but they opted against it. McLaren team principal Stella, speaking to media after the race, confirmed that it could have been done, admitting that Norris got unlucky with the safety car timing having returned to the race now P3.
‘McLaren respond’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclare...ercedes-faster
McLaren reveals complications behind Canada F1 pit stop error
10 Jun 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
McLaren has revealed how positioning on track and the weather conditions created the error in pitting Lando Norris a lap too late in Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Stella explained how Norris trundling down the back straight when the pace car was deployed created a split-second decision on the pit wall that McLaren got wrong.
‘Split-second decision’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...it-stop-error/
McLaren rues safety car after losing a potential victory in Montreal
11 Jun 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Despite finishing second and fifth at the Canadian Grand Prix, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were left frustrated to miss out on an even better result in the eventful and wild race of Montreal.
Although he had a second chance to win when he stayed out on the inters as Verstappen and Russell pitted, but he led briefly when he rejoined the track, but was unable to hold on to the lead. “That was eventful! To be honest, I felt like I drove a good race from start to finish. The conditions were so stressful inside the car but very enjoyable at the same time.
"I’m happy with second. It was good fun out there and we’ve scored good points for the team. The car’s been great all weekend, so thanks to everyone at McLaren. It’s nice to be so close and on the podium again. We’ll keep fighting to get back onto the top step," Norris concluded.
‘McLaren rues safety car’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/24767
Canadian GP Proves Lando Norris Is Max Verstappen’s Main Rival In 2024
17:49 Mon, 10 Jun 2024.
Dan Cancian
Forbes
Reports of Max Verstappen’s and Red Bull’s demise were, it would appear, if not exaggerated certainly premature. The suggestion Red Bull’s stranglehold on Formula 1 could at long last be waning were strengthened on Saturday, when George Russell put his Mercedes on pole position ahead of Verstappen.
The Dutchman now leads Charles Leclerc by 56 points after the Monegasque followed victory on home soil with a dismal weekend in Canada, which ended in a double retirement for Ferrari. Lando Norris, second in Montreal, is seven points further back but consolidated his position as arguably Verstappen’s most serious rival this year and the in-form driver at this stage of the season.
McLaren have closed the gap on Red Bull. “Yes, we should have won the race today and we didn’t,” a frustrated Norris said after the race. “Frustrating, we had the pace. We should have won today, simple as that.” Norris’ frustration speaks volumes for how far McLaren have come in closing the gap to Red Bull. Excluding his win in Miami, the second place in Canada was Norris’ fourth podium of the season in nine races, compared with seven in the whole of last year.
‘Lando Norris Is Max Verstappen’s Main Rival’;
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dancanc...rival-in-2024/
Horner: McLaren blew Canada F1 win with "crucial" slick call
09:12 Mon, 10 Jun 2024.
Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com
While McLaren had lost the lead to Verstappen at the first safety car stop for Logan Sargeant's stranded Williams, Horner does not think that was the key moment that opened the door for his team's victory.
Instead, he suggests that the "crucial" decision came later in the race when drivers started moving across to the slicks and Norris elected to run longer than everyone else. With the slicks taking a while to come up to temperature, Norris's decision appeared to be inspired as his inters remained faster for a bit.
"I thought we were in a much better window as the circuit dried out," explained Horner. "We were able to hold a consistent gap and then it was all about getting the crossover at the right time, because the first sector was pretty damp. And when you drive out of the pitlane, you lose a huge amount of the temperature.”
‘ "Crucial" slick call’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...-win/10621801/
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Russell after first podium of 2024: ‘I’m so excited now for the rest of the season’.
P3 George Russell was left with mixed emotions after his first podium of the year, on a day when perhaps more might have been possible – but he was highly encouraged by the pace shown in the Mercedes at this race.
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘I’m so excited’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/ru...19656263462547
2024 Canadian Grand Prix: Russell takes back P3 from Hamilton to seal podium finish
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
George Russell dropped back to P5 in the final laps after an aborted move on Oscar Piastri, but two laps before the flag he battled back past his Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton to seal his first podium finish of the year.
‘Russell takes back P3’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...16806996276915
Russell: Errors in vital moments thwarted Canada F1 win shot
22:53 Sun, 09 Jun 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
George Russell rued errors at vital moments preventing both him and the Mercedes Formula 1 team from having a better chance at winning the Canadian Grand Prix. Russell utilised Mercedes’ renewed pace to take pole position and lead the opening laps, but he dropped behind Lando Norris and Max Verstappen as the track dried.
“I think if you told us ahead of this weekend and P3, we may not have believed you, to be honest,” Russell, who delivered Mercedes’ first podium this season, reviewed. But as Max [Verstappen] said, it was such a tricky race out there for everybody. You put a millimetre wide and you’re off.”
“And I think for me, it was just one too many mistakes at key moments that cost us a shot of fighting with these two towards the end of the race.”
‘Errors in vital moments’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...a-f1-win-shot/
Russell rues mistakes in Canadian GP ‘missed opportunity’
The Mercedes driver secured Mercedes' first Grand Prix podium of the season
June 9, 2024
James Fiorucci
FormulaNerds
Starting from pole position after setting the fastest time during Saturday’s Qualifying session, Russell maintained the race lead in the opening stages of the 70-lap event. Pushing hard to keep Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris behind, the Briton wore away his Intermediate tyres quicker than those around him.
This allowed Norris to snatch P1 from his compatriot on lap 21, and Russell’s woes continued as he ran wide at the final chicane and handed second position to the lurking Verstappen. But Russell’s error-strewn afternoon didn’t end there. There was no denying the 26-year-old had the pace to win, as he opted to switch onto a fresh set of Medium tyres on lap 45 as the track dried out.
He repassed Norris to claim P2, only to lose the position two laps later as he yet again ran wide at the sector one chicane. One more error completed a trio of mistakes for the British driver. Attempting to pass Oscar Piastri with just a handful of laps remaining, Russell made contact with the McLaren and instead of climbing up a position, lost a place to teammate Lewis Hamilton.
‘Russell rues mistakes’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ru...d-opportunity/
Russell suffers 'missed opportunity' despite breaking Mercedes duck
George Russell occupied the top-five places in the Canadian GP at some stage. Third was the upshot from a wild race.
9 June 2024
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
"It felt like a missed opportunity to be honest," said Russell. "We were really quick at the beginning of the race on the inters, and then Lando came through really fast. We jumped onto the slicks but made a couple of mistakes out there just pushing the limits, paid the price for it, but nevertheless the first podium of the year.”
"We truly had a really fast car this weekend and to be back in the mix fighting for the victory was...we've affirmed that's what Formula 1 is all about and why we go racing." On hard tyres in the first of his dry rubber stints, Russell appeared to have a chance of reeling in Verstappen for the lead, only to make a mistake out of Turn 8 that allowed Norris to sweep by.
It was arguably one of two pivotal moments of his race personally. Asked whether he felt he could have caught and passed Verstappen for the lead, he replied: "I think so. We had the pace, Max was very strong at the point in the race but then when we put the mediums on at the end and we were really fast."
'Missed opportunity';
https://racingnews365.com/russell-su...-mercedes-duck
First podium of 2024 feels like missed opportunity for Russell
23:50 Sun, 09 Jun 2024.
The Straits Times
After taking pole position for the first time since 2022, Russell led for the first 21 laps of a wet to dry race before McLaren's Lando Norris and then Red Bull's eventual winner Max Verstappen went past. Russell regained second place from Norris on lap 27 during the first safety car period, lost it again when he pitted on lap 45 for hards and took it back on lap 49.
Norris was back in front when Russell then lost control on a damp kerb and ran wide. "Focus, George, focus," team boss Toto Wolff told him over the radio. Third became fourth, behind Oscar Piastri, and team mate Lewis Hamilton then seized his opportunity after Russell came off worse as he tried to overtake McLaren's Australian.
Russell, who had fresh medium tyres for the closing laps after pitting during the second safety car period, then passed both Piastri and Hamilton, who was on hards, to get back on the final step.
‘"Focus, George, focus," team boss Toto Wolff told him over the radio’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ty-for-russell
Wolff admits Russell could have avoided Canada F1 mistakes
11:18 Mon, 10 Jun 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Asked whether he felt Mercedes lost an opening to earn a first win since November 2022, Wolff told Sky Sports F1: “A victory was maybe a long shot, or a short dream.”
“When George was on the Hard, catching up and was showing really strong pace, maybe for a second we thought about it, but you mustn’t be too greedy. On one side there was brilliance in the race, and then on the other side, maybe he could have avoided [the mistakes],” Wolff proclaimed.
“I think the pass [on Piastri] was never on in that corner. As a driver, what makes his overtakes good are that he takes a risk and he drives very hard. And this one was maybe a bit too ambitious, cost a position, but he regained that afterwards.”
“You mustn’t be too greedy”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...a-f1-mistakes/
George Russell mistakes exposed as Mercedes face major concern
The Briton admitted his errors cost Mercedes a potential victory in Canada, and it's not the first time he has made mistakes under pressure
10 June 2024
Joe Krishnan
Total Motorsport
With Russell, a concerning pattern has started to take shape. When he is either on the cusp of a podium finish or under pressure, the Mercedes star tends to get flustered and commit errors that he doesn’t normally make. At the 2023 Singapore GP, he was fighting for the race win but crashed into the wall on the final lap, losing 15 points in the process.
Then in Las Vegas, Russell was at fault for a collision with Verstappen at Turn 11 that landed him a five-second penalty from the stewards. He hadn’t looked in his mirrors and turned in on the Red Bull driver, with both cars losing vital pieces of bodywork. As a consequence, he was demoted to P8 from fourth after the penalty was applied.
It is surprising, given his driving style offers a throwback to the likes of Jenson Button, with calm movements behind the steering wheel and an elegant handling of the car. But his behaviour changes when he is in direct combat with another car, leading to desperate and ill-timed moves. This is his sixth season in F1; it’s not like Russell is a rookie at Williams anymore. And while it’s fair to say every driver gets entangled in racing incidents when pulling off overtakes, Russell seems to come off worse.
‘A concerning pattern has started to take shape’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...cedes-concern/
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Hamilton makes remarkable confession after Canada podium loss.
Lewis Hamilton has conceded the Canadian Grand Prix was one of the “worst races I've driven” after crossing the line in fourth place.
9 June 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
“Over the weekend, it was just a really poor performance from myself,” Hamilton told Sky Sport F1. “[During qualifying] some other things came into it, but mostly [from] myself. [On Sunday], it was one of the worst races that I’ve driven. Just lots of mistakes but of course if I qualified better, I would have been in a much better position. It is what it is. I’ll go back to the drawing board.”
“On a positive note, a big thank you to everyone back at the factory for progressing this car,” he said. “It is becoming a car that we can fight with. That’s a real positive going into the next part of the season. I know we’ll have some more upgrades on the way, it’s going to be a close battle. If I get my head on right, I’ll get better results at some stage. This weekend, the car was capable of winning, that’s why it’s not such a great feeling. We’ll take the points, keep moving and keep trying.”
“Worst races I've driven”;
https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-m...da-podium-loss
‘I wonder’: Damon Hill reacts to Lewis Hamilton interview about ‘really poor’ Canadian Grand Prix performance
Tue 11 June 2024 07:30
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Damon Hill says Lewis Hamilton has set a high benchmark: 1996 world champion Damon Hill then offered his reaction to the interview on his Instagram story. Hill noted that Hamilton had set a uniquely high standard. “What level is Lewis Hamilton’s ‘not very good’ I wonder,” the former Williams driver wrote. While the 39-year-old is enduring the poorest season of his career to date, he remains the most successful driver in F1 history. In addition to his seven titles, he’s won 103 races and taken 104 pole positions.
Martin Brundle baffled by what happened to Hamilton at Canadian Grand Prix: Brundle said: “I don’t what happened to Lewis. None of his sector times shone, did they? It was as if he just didn’t find grip, didn’t have the tyres where he needed them. Because nothing stood out on that lap.” His colleague David Croft noted the ‘contrast’ in the demeanour of the two drivers in parc ferme. Russell basked in his second career pole with his mechanics as Hamilton cut a forlorn figure.
‘I wonder’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dam...x-performance/
Lewis Hamilton: ‘Something went on’ with tyre blankets ‘every time’ in Canada GP qualifying
11 Jun 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Lewis Hamilton claimed underheated tyres hampered him in qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix, pointing to the tyre blankets. “The tyres were working throughout the weekend, then we got to qualifying and every time I went out of the garage, my tyres were for some reason below on temperature,” he said.
“Every set was two or three degrees lower than it should have been, and you can’t catch it up and I couldn’t switch the tyres on after that. That’s something we have to really look at, because something went on with the blankets, I guess.”
‘Something went on’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...ada-qualifying
'Something went on': Lewis Hamilton tells Mercedes to investigate one issue after Canadian GP
11 Jun 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Hamilton, however, only qualified seventh after failing to improve on new tyres at the end of Q3. That saw him drop from second to the fourth row and left Martin Brundle baffled.
Lewis Hamilton tells Mercedes to investigate tyre temperature issues: Hamilton was initially mystified as to the reason for his qualifying struggles, having topped FP3 by a healthy margin. But speaking to outlets including Formu1a.uno after Sunday’s race, he raised a potential explanation.
He said: “Well, the tyres were working throughout the weekend. Then we got to qualifying, and every time I went out of the garage, my tyres were for some reason below on temperature.”
‘Tyre temperature issues’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...r-canadian-gp/
Wolff urges 'galactic' Hamilton to banish 'negative' thoughts
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was enthused about the team's performance in Canada, despite 'negative sentiments' from both drivers.
11 June 2024
Jake Nichol & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
"I think when you finish third and fourth, from where we have been coming from, then it is a positive race," Wolff told media including RacingNews365. "Third and fourth is so much better than we had previously in the last few races, so that is good, but I think both drivers saw that there was more up for grabs.”
"We could have gained a position or two, and that is why there is a kind of negative sentiment, but if you would have given them third and fourth before the weekend, they probably would have taken it. I mean in FP3, Lewis put up a lap that was out of this world, and then his long run was stratospheric, galactical."
‘Banish 'negative' thoughts’;
https://racingnews365.com/wolff-urge...ative-thoughts
George Russell risks causing Toto Wolff headache due to Lewis Hamilton dilemma
George Russell finished on the podium in Montreal on Sunday, but his performance has attracted a mixed response.
Jun 11, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
George Russell departed the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve with his second career pole position and Mercedes’ first podium finish of the season. On the surface, this was a strong weekend for Toto Wolff’s outfit, but a handful of costly errors from the Brit have raised concerns about his long-term viability as a team leader.
On the other side of the garage, Lewis Hamilton continues to cut a frustrated figure. The seven-time world champion has been consistently fast in the races, but his qualifying form has been nothing short of disastrous, given the lofty standards he has set for himself during his F1 career to date.
‘Toto Wolff headache’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ton-Toto-Wolff
‘I’ve had much worse’ – Toto Wolff’s verdict on George Russell v Lewis Hamilton battle
11 Jun 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
“We are racing,” Russell was told over the radio. “Just remember, it goes without saying, keep it clean please.” Squeezing down the inside of his Mercedes team-mate at Turn 14 on lap 68 of the 70-lap race, Russell said he knew that he could “trust” Hamilton in their battle. But while it was undoubtedly a tense moment for the Mercedes pit wall, Wolff says he’s had “worse”. Asked if it was too close, he told the media in Montreal: “No, I’ve had much worse.”
Wolff has not only had to watch on as Russell and Hamilton collided, most recently at 2023’s Japanese and Qatar Grands Prix, but he was also at the helm throughout the infamous Hamilton versus Nico Rosberg rivalry. That rivalry saw Mercedes threaten to bench the feuding team-mates because of their repeated brawls with Wolff saying he needed an “iron fist” to manage it.
“Iron fist”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...-battle-canada
Toto Wolff has very clear stance on Lewis Hamilton vs George Russell fight
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell fought each other for a place on the Canadian Grand Prix podium in a battle which put a few hearts in mouths in the Mercedes garage
11 Jun 2024
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Toto Wolff didn't bat an eyelid as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell fought on track for a podium berth at the Canadian Grand Prix. The Mercedes chief said he has seen "much worse" than the battle which was fought cleanly at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Russell came out on top, getting the better of his team-mate in the final few laps to secure third place.
Russell was calm about the battle with Hamilton as he spoke to the media after the Montreal race. He made it clear that he felt he always had things under control and praised his team-mate for his part in the duel.
He said: "Always with Lewis, it's really hard and fair. When you're racing with one of the greats, you know that you can trust them. And that was really great to see at the end."
‘Didn't bat an eyelid’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...wolff-33002664
-
Piastri: McLaren coming away from Canada as top scoring team ‘a solid result’.
Oscar Piastri eventually finished fifth in Montreal, and though he thought that could have been better he was reasonably satisfied with his team’s points haul.
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘A solid result’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/pi...15901077993138
How Piastri put himself 'in the firing line' to aid Norris
The McLaren driver was challenging for a podium late on in Canada before falling to fifth.
11 June 2024
Jake Nichol & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Oscar Piastri has detailed how he put himself in the "firing line" from Mercedes to aid Lando Norris's Canadian Grand Prix podium push. After the safety car for the Carlos Sainz-Alex Albon incident, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton both pitted from third and fifth for fresh tyres, as the new leading trio of Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Piastri stayed out.
Using the DRS, Russell attempted to pass Piastri on Lap 63, the two making contact at the final chicane, with Hamilton scything past on two laps later on the brakes for the same turn. Russell did so a lap later, with Piastri describing how he realised the two were "on a mission" as he took fifth behind Russell in third and Hamilton in fourth after the pole-sitter passed his seven-time champion team-mate on Lap 68 of 70.
"It was really close until I got behind the Mercedes and realised that they were on a mission - and it would have been incredibly tough to keep them behind all the way until the end," he said. "I was the first car in the firing line for them and I tried my best to stay in front, but they were clearly a lot quicker than everybody.”
'In the firing line';
https://racingnews365.com/how-piastr...-to-aid-norris
Piastri admits Mercedes was ‘on a mission’ in Canada
Oscar Piastri has admitted that there was little he could have done to hold back Mercedes late in the Canadian Grand Prix.
10 June 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Piastri finished fifth in Sunday's race after losing out to both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the latter stages of the race. Held in mixed conditions, it was a race that ebbed and flowed based largely on tyre choice and life at any given point. The sun finally broke through towards the end and left the track largely dry, which saw the two Mercedes drivers become the fastest cars on track. It made Piastri easy pickings as he slipped off the podium.
Tyre management in the changeable conditions was key throughout the race. In the opening stages, Piastri dropped off the back of the leaders before enjoying strong pace in the middle of the race. However, when conditions dried, and following his contact with Russell, he slipped back again. “Struggling a little bit for pace, but also not destroying the tyres,” Piastri explained of his opening stint approach.
“Some laps were good, some were bad, and I think once I got into a rhythm I was okay. Clearly they destroyed their tyres a bit more, so I think they probably just had a little bit more grip than us because I think both me and Lando were coming at them towards the end of the first inter. If I had pitted, I would have come out in fourth,” he added of the strategy choice under the second Safety Car, during which McLaren chose not to pit. “I don't think I would have got past George probably, so maybe it would have been fourth instead of fifth.”
‘Slipped off the podium’;
https://speedcafe.com/piastri-admits...ion-in-canada/
Piastri couldn’t fight ‘on a mission’ Mercedes in Canadian GP
10:16 Tue, 11 Jun 2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri held his ground against Mercedes’ drivers in the closing stages of the Canadian Grand Prix, but there was little he could do to resist the attacks from the silver arrows chargers in the final laps of the race.
“It would have been, I think, incredibly tough to keep them behind all the way to the end, especially being the first car in the firing line for them,” commented Piastri after concluding his afternoon fifth. I tried my best to stay in front, but I think just on the new tyres they were clearly a lot quicker than everybody.”
“I think the fact that they were fast wasn't a massive surprise. I think that they were so fast was,” he said. “In FP3, I think with Lewis's [session topping] lap, we were scratching our heads. I think we worked out why after the session, but during the session, we were never going to get close to that.”
‘Little he could do to resist the attacks’;
https://f1i.com/news/510718-piastri-...nadian-gp.html
Norris and Piastri confirm McLaren revival
Montreal (AFP) – Lando Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri delivered further strong evidence of the team's revival by finishing second and fifth behind the triumphant Max Verstappen in Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.
22:55 Sun, 09 Jun 2024
France 24
Fifty-six years after team founder Bruce McLaren claimed their maiden win in the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix, the modern duo's result ended a decade of pointless results at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
"Podium at the Canadian Grand Prix," wrote team boss Zak Brown in a social media post. "Lando P2 and Oscar P5 delivering a haul of points! Excellent skill from the drivers out there in tricky conditions. We gave the win our best shot, but luck wasn't on our side."
Piastri said: "On a weekend where things could've gone very, very wrong, coming out with as many points as possible is a great result, but we're always chasing perfection. So it's about just a few things we could've done better, minor things, which in a race like that would've made a big difference. It was very tricky, just trying to keep the car on track!"
‘McLaren revival’;
https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...claren-revival
Russell Piastri verdict delivered after Canadian GP collision
Just one of those things between George Russell and Oscar Piastri.
10 June 2024
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
George Russell and Oscar Piastri have avoided any sanction from the stewards following their collision late on in the Canadian Grand Prix. The stewards determined that: “The driver of Car 63 attempted to overtake Car 81 on the outside into Turn 13, got fully alongside, but, given the nature of the turn and the track conditions, failed to complete the manoeuvre and both cars slightly touched at the apex.
“He then aborted the overtaking attempt, left the track and rejoined safely and without gaining any lasting advantage. The stewards determine that no driver was wholly or predominantly at fault and therefore take no further action.” Russell went on to pass Hamilton and Piastri over the closing laps to claim third place. The Australian finished fifth.
‘Verdict delivered’;
https://racingnews365.com/russell-pi...n-gp-collision
-
Alonso brands Canadian GP a ‘fantastic race for the team’.
Fernando Alonso was satisfied with a job well done for Aston Martin in Montreal as he finished sixth with team mate Lance Stroll one place behind in seventh.
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘Job well done’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/al...18977231897694
Alonso brands Canadian GP ‘a fantastic race’ for Aston Martin after double points haul
11 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Fernando Alonso praised the performance of his Aston Martin team after returning to the top-10 in the Canadian Grand Prix, with the Spaniard and team mate Lance Stroll scoring a double points finish off the back of a difficult weekend last time out in Monaco.
After consistently collecting points in the opening events of the season, Alonso’s run came to an end with a disappointing P19 result during a challenging visit to Imola. This was followed by another trying outing in Monte Carlo, where the two-time world champion exited qualifying in Q1 before ending the race in P11.
Alonso explained after the Grand Prix: “Yeah, fantastic race for the team. Obviously scoring with both cars is always the target, and sixth and seventh is a good number of points. Extremely difficult race with the conditions, [for the] majority of the race the track was just two metres wide. You cannot put a tyre outside of that dry line, so that is very, very stressful. Congratulations to everybody, because it was I think a difficult race in the cockpit.”
‘A fantastic race’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...6wWM9t88Egw4hi
Alonso 'amazed' at F1 rivals on 'two-metre wide' track
The Aston Martin driver returned to the points with a strong sixth-place finish - for his first points since Miami.
11 June 2024
Jake Nichol & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Such were the conditions, Alonso heaped praise on his fellow drivers for the lack of major incidents. "The race, for me was one of the most difficult races, for every one of the 20 drivers," he told media including RacingNews365 after leading a double Aston Martin points finish of sixth, with Lance Stroll seventh.
"I was amazed that nothing happened for so many laps, no incidents or anything because the conditions were extremely hard, so well done to everybody. The track was just two meters wide with the dry line, so you couldn't put a tyre outside of it. All in all, we got double points for the team, so we have to be happy."
‘Alonso heaped praise on his fellow drivers’;
https://racingnews365.com/alonso-ama...ian-gp-absence
Alonso elated with ‘fantastic race’ and Aston points haul in Canada
19:45 Tue, 11 Jun 2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
“Yeah, fantastic race for the team,” Alonso enthused after his wet and wild day at the races. “Obviously scoring with both cars is always the target, and sixth and seventh is a good number of points. Extremely difficult race with the conditions, [for the] majority of the race the track was just two metres wide.”
“You cannot put a tyre outside of that dry line, so that is very, very stressful. Congratulations to everybody, because it was, I think a difficult race in the cockpit. We are happier with the car now, we understood a few things and I think we are more competitive,” he added.
“But, at the same time, we had in the calendar Montreal as one of the best tracks for us, for our package. [There is a] question mark [over] what is going to happen in Barcelona, but I know the team is working flat-out to bring new parts to the next race, and hopefully we keep this level of competitiveness.”
“One of the best tracks for us, for our package”;
https://f1i.com/news/510748-alonso-e...in-canada.html
Alonso: Small margin to Montreal pole ‘hurts a little bit’
14:55 Sun, 09 Jun 2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
"It was a tricky qualifying for everyone with the wind and the drops of rain. You always lose a little bit of confidence and I think no one did a perfect lap," the two-time F1 world champion said.
"It was the case for me as well. I didn't put everything together in Q3, so when you see that you are only two tenths from pole position, it hurts a little bit." Alonso said he owed his 0.228s shortfall to pole to a mistake in Turn 2 that forced him to pull out the stops for the remainder of his final flyer.
“It was so oversteering and I lost the car so badly that I was just thinking to abort the lap or keep going,” he explained. "I kept going and I was P6, so if two tenths put you in pole position, maybe everything was already in one corner. I was just driving very aggressively after that to recover the lap."
‘Hurts a little bit’;
https://f1i.com/news/510459-alonso-s...ittle-bit.html
Alonso takes dig at Ferrari over Canada F1 qualifying slump
13:20 Sun, 09 Jun 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week
Fernando Alonso couldn’t resist a tongue-in-cheek dig at his former Formula 1 employer Ferrari after beating both scarlet red cars to Q3 in Saturday’s Canadian Grand Prix qualifying session.
“We’re close to good people, aren’t we? Ahead of [Sergio] Perez and the two Ferraris who suddenly came to win the World Championship after Monte Carlo,” the Spaniard quipped to Marca.
‘Alonso takes dig at Ferrari’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...lifying-slump/
Fernando Alonso makes Lance Stroll prediction after he leaves Aston Martin
09 Jun 2024
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
Fernando Alonso has predicted Lance Stroll will become the leader of Aston Martin after the Spaniard leaves the cockpit. Stroll may be in his sixth season with the Silverstone team but Alonso has undoubtedly been the senior figure since arriving from Alpine in 2023. However, the Spaniard is 17 years older than the Canadian and Alonso believes Stroll will one day lead the team.
“When you arrive in Formula 1, you feel this competitiveness in the team, in the sport, that is brutal, but you’re a little bit shy because you are twenty-something and your team-mates are normally older, they have more experience,” Alonso told the Times.
“Now I feel the opposite, I’m the oldest, I’m the one with more experience and I feel that responsibility on my shoulders, of leading the team and trying to help not only the engineers, but also Lance. I will be part of the team for many years, even when I am not driving, and Lance will lead this team in the future. I will always support him.”
‘Become the leader of Aston Martin’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lance-...ernando-alonso
-
Montreal's Stroll finishes seventh in race without error at Canadian GP.
“It was a tough track with the conditions, so I’m really satisfied to score points,” Stroll said. “Lots of points, the sixth and seventh positions are really good for the team.”
00:12 Mon, 10 Jun 2024
Auto Racing
TSN
Stroll had never finished better than ninth in six Formula One races in Montreal, on a circuit where he has always finished in the top 10 whenever he completed the race. This season, his best performance remains his sixth-place finish in Australia.
But what Stroll will remember most is the difficult conditions. Rain appeared before the start, followed by another shower midway through the race, keeping the drivers alert.
"It's probably one of the toughest races I can remember in terms of conditions," Stroll said. "It was difficult to make the right decisions to put the right tires on at the right times. But we did well today, and we stayed on track. That was really the biggest challenge today. In Montreal, small mistakes penalize you very quickly."
‘One of the toughest races’;
https://www.tsn.ca/auto-racing/montr...n-gp-1.2132516
Stroll left ‘really happy’ after points finish on home soil
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Lance Stroll finished seventh in Canada with his Aston Martin team mate Fernando Alonso one place ahead in sixth to cap a solid weekend for the Silverstone squad.
‘Really happy’;
https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1...n/Lance+Stroll
Montreal's Lance Stroll finishes seventh in a race without error at Canadian GP
Jun 9, 2024 3:59 PM
Tommy Thurber
The Canadian Press
What Stroll will remember most is the difficult conditions. Rain appeared before the start, followed by another shower midway through the race, keeping the drivers alert.
Stroll's race was marked by on-track battles with Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Japanese Yuki Tsunoda, the two RB drivers. "The circuit suited our car, with straight-line speed and not too much downforce," Stroll said. "We capitalized on a Grand Prix where the car was good all weekend. Barcelona will be a different story."
Nevertheless, Stroll is cautious about being too optimistic ahead of the three-race schedule in as many weeks. The Spanish, Austrian and British GPs will follow in succession starting on June 23. Those circuits might be less friendly for Aston Martin.
‘What Stroll will remember most’;
https://www.timescolonist.com/nation...ian-gp-9053160
Lance Stroll explains why he won’t leave Aston Martin for rival F1 team
13 Jun 2024 8:15 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Arriving on the Formula 1 grid in 2017 after his father Lawrence reportedly paid Williams $80 million, Stroll has shown signs of pace interspersed by mediocrity, even apathy. This season the 25-year-old is once again on the back foot against his team-mate Fernando Alonso, trailing the Spaniard by 41 points to 17 in the Drivers’ standings.
Coming on the back of his huge defeat to the double World Champion in their first season together in F1 2023, it hasn’t done anything to negate the pay driver tag that hangs over Stroll’s head. “It’s part of it. It’s kind of just what my career’s been,” he told The Canadian Press. “I’ve dealt with that over the years, but I do my talking on the track.”
Stroll, though, has no interest in leaving Aston Martin, the team his father bought in 2018, just to silence his detractors. “No, not really,” he replied. “We’re on a super exciting trajectory and project as Aston Martin. I’m much more excited to be part of this journey than just going to another team to say that I could be driving somewhere else.”
‘No interest in leaving Aston Martin’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lance-...-rival-f1-team
Stroll addresses where his ‘head’s at’ over 2025 plans amid driver market developments
13 Jun 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Lance Stroll has given an update on his F1 future amid further moves in the driver market, with the Canadian voicing his intention to be a part of Aston Martin’s continued growth going forwards.
Stroll first joined the squad back in 2019 – during its former guise as Racing Point – when the team was purchased by a consortium of investors led by his father, Lawrence Stroll. The outfit was then rebranded as Aston Martin in 2021 following Stroll Snr’s purchase of a significant stake in the British company.
Asked ahead of the recent Canadian Grand Prix if he intends to be racing in Formula 1 next year with Aston Martin, the 25-year-old responded: “Yeah, that's where my head's at, for sure. Seems to be a pretty popular question that I've been getting asked recently. It's super exciting, everything that's happening at Silverstone and the project with the team and how we've grown over the last few years. And we continue to grow, so it's definitely in my mind to continue being a part of that.”
‘To be a part of Aston Martin’s continued growth’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...idq6HdoHWJLicT
Stroll reveals if Aston Martin will retain him next season
Canadian gives update on future as driver market puzzle continues to fall into place
June 13, 2024
James Phillips
FormulaNerds
Stroll was questioned about Aston Martin’s dramatic drop-off in performance this season. He said a combination of degradation and mistakes were to blame for his and the team’s struggles: “It’s definitely been the tendency… It was the tendency last year. We were always fighting [in the] top five, and then again this year, I think we were quick over one lap at the beginning of the year, suffered a little bit more with [degradation], but we were still kind of top five, top seven range.”
“Now we’re kind of scrapping for a point or two on a good weekend, which is not what we want as a team. I think we definitely do understand our issues. I think we understand some of the decisions and directions that we’ve chosen to follow through with. We know some of the mistakes that we’ve made, and now it’s just a matter of sorting ourselves out and putting some new upgrades on the car going forward that address some of these issues that we know we have. But it’s not an overnight fix.”
“Realistic expectations, it’s going to be over the course of, I hope not too many races, but definitely a few races. And yeah, but there’s still a lot of racing left. There’s still, I think, 13 or 14 races left, if I’m not mistaken. So [it’s a] long season, but we have some work to do.”
‘Driver market puzzle’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/st...m-next-season/
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Ricciardo in the Spotlight: Montreal Performance and the Road Ahead.
Despite a sub-par 2024 season so far, Ricciardo had his best weekend of the year so far in Montreal, qualifying in fifth and securing his first points in a full Grand Prix by finishing eighth, while bouncing back from a 5 second penalty for a jump start that had the potential to ruin his weekend.
June 12, 2024
Joe Briley
The Checkered Flag
Ricciardo Vs Tsunoda: One weekend out of nine has seen Ricciardo bring home points for Visa Cash App RB in a full Grand Prix format, alongside his outstanding performance in the Miami Grand Prix Sprint. His much younger teammate Yuki Tsunoda has had an outstanding season, getting points in six out of the nine rounds so far.
Consistency is Key: Ricciardo has been struggling throughout 2024, he’s admitted that but when you look at it objectively, the struggle hasn’t been as worrying as his difficulties at McLaren F1 Team.
Christian Horner still believes Ricciardo can deliver in F1, and RB team principal Laurent Mekies has been very complimentary of the eight-time race winner. RB CEO Peter Bayer has consistently mentioned Ricciardo’s influence in car development and setup, so it’s clear to see he still has the backing of the ones whose opinions matter, which didn’t always seem the case at McLaren.
‘Best weekend of the year so far’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...he-road-ahead/
Brundle: Ricciardo never the same after ‘flawed decision’
15:55 Wed, 12 Jun 2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
In his post-Canadian Grand Prix column for Sky Sports, Brundle addressed the acrimonious exchange between Villeneuve and Riccardo, expressing his respect for both drivers and offering his view on the Aussie’s achievements.
“For the record, as it's become a hot topic due to my Sky Sports F1 colleague Jacques Villeneuve expressing his firm opinions, I have fundamental respect for all F1 drivers, not least for Daniel and Jacques, because I know how hard it is to drive such fearsome cars under that spotlight,” Brundle wrote. “Daniel has won eight GPs including an outstanding Monaco victory, scored 32 podiums, and has regularly shown world-class talent.”
“But those results were quite a while ago and I wish he'd not left Red Bull at the end of 2018. That was an emotional and flawed decision, he should have faced up to Max in the best car, then he'd have necessarily raised his game even further. Ricciardo never seemed to be quite the same driver again,” he added.
‘Flawed decision’;
https://f1i.com/news/510791-brundle-...-decision.html
Jacques Villeneuve Was Harsh, But Right - Daniel Ricciardo Is Toiling
21:34 Wed, 12 Jun 2024
Dan Cancian
Forbes
“Why is he still in F1?,” Villeneuve said of Ricciardo during a Sky Sports broadcast on Friday. “We’re hearing the same thing now for the last four, five years — we have to make it better for him, poor him. It’s been five years of that. Maybe you make that effort for Lewis Hamilton, who’s won multiple championships. You don’t make that effort for a driver that can’t cut it. Can’t cut it? Go home, there’s someone else who can take your place.”
After qualifying fifth on Saturday, Ricciardo’s retort was similarly direct with the Australian questioning Villeneuve’s faculties. “I think he’s hit his head a few too many times, I don’t know if he plays ice hockey or something.” An expletive-laden advice followed, before Villeneuve fired back, criticising Ricciardo, who finished eighth on Sunday, for allowing the criticism to get under his skin. “You cannot make it personal,” he said. “You need a thick skin and I got under his skin but it got better for his driving. But it’s not enough, he needs to do more of this.”
While Villeneuve was arguably too blunt in his criticism, there is no denying there his scathing verdict contained more than an element of truth. Ricciardo’s stock has been trending in the wrong direction as far as he is concerned this season, in which he has been regularly outpaced by teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Aside from a fourth-place finish in the sprint race in Miami last month, Sunday’s eighth place-finish in Montreal was the first time Ricciardo had scored points this season.
‘Harsh’;
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dancanc...do-is-toiling/
How Daniel Ricciardo changed his approach for Canada
Daniel Ricciardo adopted a different approach heading into the Canadian Grand Prix after a tough weekend in Monaco.
14 June 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
It proved a positive step for the Australian, who delivered his best grand prix qualifying result of the season in Montreal, followed by his best race result. Playing a part in that performance, the 34-year-old reasons, was a frank discussion with his team following the disappointment of Monaco. “We're pretty open with each other but I wanted to make sure that there was nothing that they saw that they needed to unload,” he explained.
“I just basically wanted to know like, ‘what do you guys think is going wrong? Tell me if there's something you see from me and I want to try and fix it. But I'll also tell you guys what I feel and maybe why I do feel a little bit flat, or maybe the schedule's a bit too much at the moment, or whatever'.
That resulted in him arriving in Canada, by his own admission, feeling “hungry and happy and ready to say f*** you.” Eighth in Montreal was Ricciardo's first points-scoring result since he finished seventh in the Mexico City Grand Prix, and ended an 11-race run of results outside the top 10, a streak only equalled by his first 11 races in F1 for HRT in 2011.
‘Adopted a different approach’;
https://speedcafe.com/how-daniel-ric...ch-for-canada/
Helmut Marko issues stinging six-word Daniel Ricciardo verdict after Villeneuve criticism
Daniel Ricciardo still has work to do to impress Helmut Marko despite his positive Canadian Grand Prix drive.
Jun 13, 2024
Sam Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Helmut Marko remains ‘unimpressed’ with Daniel Ricciardo’s form despite the Australian’s positive Canadian Grand Prix performances. The RB driver secured his first points from a Grand Prix this season in Montreal. It has been a disappointing year for Ricciardo, having returned to a full-time place on the grid midway through 2023. He replaced Nyck De Vries at Red Bull’s sister team.
Ricciardo has faced criticism for his performances this season, so a positive display in Canada would have been a welcome boost for the 34-year-old. However, Marko. the veteran Red Bull technical advisor, 81, told Motorsport.com: "In general terms, RB is a junior team, so we have to see what happens." Brutally, Marko added: "The rest is not impressive yet."
‘Still has work to do to impress Helmut Marko’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rdo-Villeneuve
Ricciardo looking to ‘keep that edge’ after strong weekend in Canada
After struggling the past couple of weekends, Ricciardo made a strong comeback and secured four crucial points, slotting himself into 12th in the standings
June 12, 2024
Caitlyn Gordon
FormulaNerds
Ricciardo gives his thoughts: Looking back on the weekend, Ricciardo says he wants to ‘keep it rolling’ and bring in more strong performances for the team: “I’ve just got to keep it rolling,” He said to Autosport.
“That little energy, probably a little bit of a chip on my shoulder I brought into the weekend, I’ve got to make sure that that stays there, and just keep that level of intensity I don’t know if it’s the need to be a bit angry or just get my testosterone up, but I think it helps me. There is certainly some hope that it is [a turning point]. Obviously, I’ve got to repeat it and back it up to prove it.”
“But I’m definitely happy with some things that I’ve acknowledged since Monaco, and it’s no coincidence that this weekend went a bit smoother. It’s just making sure that we keep tapping into it and that I’m holding myself accountable, not getting too relaxed and happy-go-lucky. Making sure I keep that edge about me.”
‘Keep it rolling’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ri...end-in-canada/
RB told Ricciardo he wasn’t to blame for jump start penalty
10th June 2024, 13:41
Written by Keith Collantine
RB reassured Daniel Ricciardo he was not to blame after the stewards gave him a five-second time penalty for jumping the start of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Ricciardo said after the race he hadn’t realised his car was moving before the red lights went out. “I got a penalty for a jump start, but I was a bit confused because I knew that I didn’t jump the lights but then I remembered that during the start I felt that maybe the car was moving,” he said.
His race engineer Pierre Hamelin told him on the radio: “The penalty was nothing to do with you, Daniel. No mistake on your side. It was an issue with the car.” RB team principal Laurent Mekies later confirmed Ricciardo’s car moved before the start “due to some very slight clutch dragging.”
‘Not to blame’;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/06/10/...start-penalty/
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Gasly on Alpine’s double points haul: ‘None of our simulations showed this was possible’.
Pierre Gasly was P9 in Canada, one place ahead of Alpine team mate Esteban Ocon to ensure the team scored with both cars – which Gasly said looked a long shot on the morning of the race.
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘Long shot’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/ga...19233684295528
Pierre Gasly’s ‘great teamwork’ verdict as Esteban Ocon and Alpine clash over Canada GP orders
10 Jun 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Gasly was keen to put the spotlight on the fact that Alpine recorded a double points finish, taking their F1 2024 season tally up to five, as he praised the “great teamwork” which he saw going on throughout the race.
“First of all, I think the main news should be that we scored points with both cars and looking at all the simulation this morning, none of them looked that it would be achievable,” he told reporters after the race. So definitely a very positive day for the team.”
“The target was quite clear at the end. I was faster on the hard tyres towards the end of the race and I was right behind Daniel and as soon as Daniel overtook Esteban, the goal was for the other car to let me pass and for the last four laps to try to overtake Daniel with the DRS. It took slightly more time than we would have liked, but honestly, it’s no big deal.”
‘Put the spotlight on the fact that Alpine recorded a double points finish’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...da-team-orders
Gasly maintains Alpine positivity in face of team order friction
Pierre Gasly is refusing to get drawn into the team order drama at Alpine, instead focusing on the positives from the Canadian GP.
11 June 2024
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Pierre Gasly has insisted the Canadian Grand Prix was a "positive" one for Alpine, regardless of discontent from Esteban Ocon over team orders.
"First of all, I think the main news should be that we score points with both cars," the Frenchman told media including RacingNews365 after the pair finished ninth and tenth respectively. "Looking at all the simulations this morning, none of them looked it will be achievable. So definitely a very positive day for the team.
‘Gasly maintains Alpine positivity’;
https://racingnews365.com/gasly-main...order-friction
Esteban Ocon attacks Alpine over team radio after request rejected at Canadian GP
There was more drama between Alpine team-mates Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly at the Canadian Grand Prix.
23:05, Sun, Jun 9, 2024
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Esteban Ocon was left furious on the team radio in the aftermath of the Canadian Grand Prix after the Alpine team refused to return the favour and give Pierre Gasly team orders to let his colleague and rival through on the final lap.
Earlier in the closing stages, Ocon let Gasly through to attack the VCARB of Daniel Ricciardo. Unfortunately for Alpine, he was unable to find a way through and when the under-fire Frenchman asked for the positions to be swapped before the chequered flag, they refused.
This caused Ocon to react with fury. The 27-year-old shouted “forget it” over the radio, adding: “No comment. I am too nice, too nice. I've done what I had to do, which is the most important. But you guys didn't do what you had to do. That's it."
‘More drama’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix
F1 News: Alpine Defends Canadian GP Decision Which Left Esteban Ocon Fuming
Published Jun 13, 2024
By Lydia Mee
Sports Contributing Writer
Newsweek
Following the Canadian Grand Prix, a cloud of controversy hovered over the Alpine F1 Team, embroiled by Esteban Ocon's disappointment with a late-race team order. With emotions running high, Ocon, who was in line to finish in 9th place, was instructed to let his teammate, Pierre Gasly, overtake him just two laps before the checkered flag—a decision that did not sit well with the French driver.
Ocon's frustration was palpable after the race as he stated, as quoted by Crash.net: "I am happy for the team to be able to score with both cars, but the order should be reversed on that occasion. I got the instructions to let Pierre past with two laps to go to catch Daniel [Ricciardo] who was two and a half seconds in front and too fast for us. So the call was nonsense.”
"I've done my part of the job, which is being a team player. I've always respected the instructions I've been given. It's always been the case and I've never done anything different in my career. I've done my part of the job and not the team today, and it is very sad."
‘Alpine Defends Canadian GP Decision’;
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/form...1215?piano_t=1
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“I don’t think the team did their part” – ‘Too nice’ Esteban Ocon takes aim at Alpine in Canada.
Esteban Ocon says Alpine didn’t do “their part of the job” when the team failed to order Pierre Gasly to give him back P9 on the final lap of the Canadian Grand Prix.
10 Jun 2024 12:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
After a bit of discussion with his race engineer, Josh Peckett, he let Gasly through at Turn 8 on the penultimate lap despite believing it was a thankless task. With Gasly unable to catch Ricciardo, Ocon believed his team-mate should’ve given the position back only to be told that “the cars are not swapping places”.
The Frenchman was frustrated, telling Peckett that he’d done his job “but you guys didn’t do what you had to do.” It’s a sentiment he echoed when he faced the media after bringing his A524 home in tenth place, one position behind Gasly.
“I think today I’ve done my part of the job,” he said. “but I don’t think the team did their part of the job. I’ve been a team player and I’ve always respected the instructions that I’ve been given, always – it’s always been the case and I showed it once more today. But the nice guy doesn’t always pay off in Formula 1 and that is bothering me a lot.”
‘Too nice’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/esteba...team-order-row
Full Ocon team radio transcript as anger boils at Alpine team order
Esteban Ocon was furious at an Alpine team order in the closing laps of the Canadian Grand Prix.
10 June 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Esteban Ocon has hit out at Alpine's team orders in the Canadian Grand Prix, after waving team-mate Pierre Gasly through. In the closing stages, Ocon was ordered to let Gasly past so that he could attack eighth-placed Daniel Ricciardo - a call he felt made "no sense" owing to there being just two laps to go and Ricciardo being 2.5s ahead of him.
However, he complied with the request, but was furious the order was not reversed on the final lap as Gasly did not pass Ricciardo, the trio finishing eighth-ninth-and 10th, as Alpine scored double points for the first time this season. Ocon, who is leaving the team at the end of the season, had put in a strong race, climbing from 18th and last on the grid to a points position - and hit out at Alpine's handling of the situation.
‘Anger boils’;
https://racingnews365.com/full-ocon-...ine-team-order
Unhappy Ocon blasts Alpine team order: ‘No reason for the call’
11:55 Mon, 10 Jun 2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Tensions filtered into the Alpine camp once again after Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix, with a very unhappy Esteban Ocon blasting his team’s call to switch its drivers’ positions in the final laps of the race.
Ocon had outpaced teammate Pierre Gasly over the entire course of the 70-lap event. But just four laps from the checkered flag, the Frenchman succumbed to an attack by RB’s Daniel Ricciardo who seized P8 from the Alpine charger.
The Enstone squad’s pitwall then ordered Ocon to wave Gasly through to allow the latter a chance to hunt down Ricciardo. A reluctant Ocon eventually complied, although his teammate was predictably unable to overhaul the Aussie.
‘No reason for the call’;
https://f1i.com/news/510645-unhappy-...-the-call.html
Full Esteban Ocon radio transcript uncovered after team order row in Canada
10 Jun 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Esteban Ocon issued a sarcastic “amazing” to his race engineer Josh Peckett after being informed Pierre Gasly would not give him back P9 on the final lap of the Canadian Grand Prix.
A transcript of his radio conversation with his race engineer laid bare the Frenchman’s frustration over the situation.
‘Sarcastic amazing’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/esteba...der-row-canada
Ocon blasts ‘no sense’ Alpine team order
Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon ended the Canadian Grand Prix in ninth and 10th respectively - however, the latter was not impressed by a team order intervention.
10 June 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Esteban Ocon has taken issue with a team order from the Alpine squad late on at the Canadian Grand Prix. After being overtaken for eighth place in the final laps by Daniel Ricciardo, Ocon moved aside for team-mate Pierre Gasly to give him a shot at attacking the RB driver.
However, Gasly couldn't move ahead of Ricciardo and crossed the line in ninth, ahead of Ocon. Speaking to Sky F1 after the race, Ocon expressed the P9 position should have been given back to him before the chequered flag. “I'm happy for the team to be able to score with both cars. But the order should be reversed on that occasion,” he said.
“I got the instruction to let Pierre pass with two laps to go to catch Daniel who was two and a half seconds in front and too fast for us. The call made no sense. I've done my part of the job, I've always been a team player, I've always respected the instructions I've been given. It's always been the case. I've never done anything different in my career. But I've done my part of the job, but not the team today. It's very sad.”
‘No sense’;
https://racingnews365.com/ocon-blast...ine-team-order
Esteban Ocon and Alpine split gets ugly as team order row emerges at Canadian GP
09 Jun 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Esteban Ocon and Alpine were involved in a team orders row in Canada, Ocon finally obliging, but 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve sensed sabotage from the Frenchman.
Analysing the team orders incident, Villeneuve saw clear tactics at play from Ocon, who he felt let Gasly by to make it look like he was being the “team player”, but made sure to do it late enough so that Gasly could not overtake Ricciardo.
He said: “That wasn’t good, because we heard him in his comments, ‘I was a team player, I let him by, the team was wrong’ and so on, but he made sure that he waited long enough that it was too late for Gasly to go and attack. But he still let him by to say, ‘I was a team player’. So there’s a lot of thought process going in there.”
‘Gets ugly’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/esteba...ow-canadian-gp
Report: How Alpine could part ways with Esteban Ocon midway through 2024 season after Canadian GP spat
Thu 13 June 2024 08:30
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Esteban Ocon is leaving Alpine at the end of the season. The team confirmed after the events of the Monaco Grand Prix that they had come to the mutual decision to move on. Ocon had ignored the instructions of team boss Bruno Famin by attempting a move on teammate Pierre Gasly at Portier on the first lap. The two drivers made contact that ended Ocon’s race and left Gasly with damage.
While a rumoured one-race suspension for Ocon didn’t come to fruition, there were signs in Canada that the atmosphere in the team was tense. There was controversy in the closing stages of the race, when the two cars were running in the last two points-paying positions. Ocon was the lead car in P9 but he was nursing an energy management issue. The team then instructed him to let Gasly through so the 28-year-old could try and attack Daniel Ricciardo in the RB.
Alpine may have to come to financial agreement with Esteban Ocon. German outlet Auto Motor und Sport consider the possibility that Alpine will throw Ocon ‘out the door before the end of the season’. The team may wish to get reserve driver Jack Doohan as early as possible.
‘Financial agreement’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/how...adian-gp-spat/
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‘I was bracing for the impact’ – Hulkenberg recounts heart-stopping near-miss with Tsunoda in Montreal.
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg had a nasty fright at the tail-end of a frantic Canadian Grand Prix, with the German driver coming within millimetres of running into the spun VCARB car of Yuki Tsunoda.
11 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Tsunoda was running in P9 among a gaggle of cars on Lap 66 of 70 in Montreal when he lost control of his VCARB machine and spun across the grass at Turn 8, coming to a stop just as Hulkenberg was accelerating out of Turn 9 – Hulkenberg’s Haas only just avoiding the stricken Japanese driver.
“I just don’t know,” said Hulkenberg of the incident. “I tried to react, tried to stop and tried to avoid him, but it must have been by a few millimetres – it felt very, very close so I have closed my eyes already bracing for the impact but managed somehow luckily to escape it.”
“The first 10 laps were going really well,” agreed Hulkenberg, “but then it dried out and all came undone again. But yeah, that was that. We knew about that risk – not risk, but that scenario. But a clean race, no mistakes at least.”
‘Bracing for the impact’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...bHrCBBmaI4yPxn
Hulkenberg was ‘bracing for impact’ before near-miss with Tsunoda
11:41 Wed, 12 Jun 2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
The closing laps of the Canadian Grand Prix were a heart-stopping affair for Nico Hulkenberg, with the Haas charger just narrowly avoiding a nasty head-on collision with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda. With only four laps remaining in the frantic Montreal race, Tsunoda, who had been battling for a top-ten finish, lost control of his car exiting Turn 8.
The Japanese driver spun across the runoff area and came to a precarious halt just as Hulkenberg was powering out of the right-left complex. The German reacted instinctively, swerving his Haas to avoid a high-speed collision. Replays showed the gap between the two cars was mere millimeters, leaving Hulkenberg visibly shaken after the close call.
‘Heart-stopping affair’;
https://f1i.com/news/510773-hulkenbe...h-tsunoda.html
‘I was bracing for the impact’ – Hulkenberg on just missing the spinning Tsunoda in final laps
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Nico Hulkenberg finished just outside the points in P11 in Canada – but was lucky to escape contact with Yuki Tsunoda when the RB driver spun late in the race.
‘Lucky to escape contact’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/i-...18095587067691
Why Hulkenberg felt like ‘a sitting duck’ in F1 Canadian GP
14:38 Wed, 12 Jun 2024
Pablo Suárez
Motorsport Week
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg has explained that his choice to opt for a higher downforce set-up in Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix left him feeling like a sitting duck”. Hulkenberg would miss out on a first point in three races in 11th, while Magnussen bemoaned a slow stop onto Intermediates costing him as he came home in 12th.
“I think obviously the first 10 laps were going really well but then it dried out and all that came undone again so yeah that was that,” Hulkenberg said. “We knew we’re not about that risk or not risk about that scenario and then no I think clean race, no mistakes at least.”
Although Hulkenberg gained places with a later switch onto the slicks, the German rued his high downforce set-up leaving him vulnerable to rivals on the back straight. “I think we got a little bit unlucky with one of the Safety Cars, I feel like we missed out,” he lamented. “In the end, it was good to wait a little bit later for the slicks because it was difficult in the first sector to keep it on track.”
‘A sitting duck’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...1-canadian-gp/
Canadian Grand Prix: Race Recap
June 9, 2024
Haas F1 Team - Official Site
Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal: “It was a pretty frustrating day unfortunately as I think we made the right choice putting both drivers on wet tires, that was good. Both Kevin and Nico did a good a very good job, made lots of positions up and we pitted at the right time for inters with Kevin, only for our pit stop issue to undo our gains, which is frustrating.”
“In terms of pace, with Kevin we wanted to go on to the slicks early, but in hindsight, it was too early, and Nico’s timing was absolutely perfect. On the last set of tires for Kevin, the pace came back, so again it’s just frustrating that with certain parts we showed we had the speed and potential, but we just didn’t put it together for the needs of our drivers.”
“Finishing just outside of the top 10, we have to regroup and go again in Barcelona, but today it wasn’t great operationally, so we need to review and make sure we improve as a race team.”
‘Race Recap’;
https://www.haasf1team.com/news/cana...x-race-recap-3
Hulkenberg reveals rear wing issue cost him time as he drops out in Q1
08 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Nico Hulkenberg há enjoyed plenty of top 10 qualifying appearances this year but the Haas driver was out at the first hurdle in Canada, dropping out of Q1 in P19.
‘Rear wing issue’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/hu...26714654934405
‘There’s talk’: Haas could receive £27m if they hire 12-point driver alongside Oliver Bearman
Thu 13 June 2024 16:00
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Zhou Guanyu offers Haas huge sponsorship windfall. According to Auto Motor und Sport journalist Michael Schmidt, speaking on the Formel Schmidt podcast, Alpine driver Esteban Ocon is a strong contender to replace Magnussen. Komatsu sees him as a driver who will score points more often than not in a clean race. Ocon is leaving Alpine at the end of the season and Martin Brundle expects him to make the move. He already has a close friendship with the Japanese team principal.
But Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu is also trying to muscle his way into contention. Zhou may be the victim of Hulkenberg’s arrival. One journalist has previously described the 25-year-old as a ‘pay driver’, and he would apparently bring the team up to £27m in commercial deals if he joined. But that may not be enough to save his career given that he’s only scored 12 points in 53 race starts.
Schmidt said: “Zhou also offers a lot of money. There’s talk of $30m-$35m, but Haas can’t do that. The problem is they have a rookie in Bearman. [Ocon] is a sure point-setter, and that shows up when it’s [a] clean [race].”
‘£27m’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/haa...liver-bearman/
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Magnussen laments having ‘nothing to show for it’ after passing NINE cars in opening laps.
Haas' Kevin Magnussen started the Canadian Grand Prix on full wet tyres and stormed up to P5 from 14th in the opening few laps, before eventually finishing down in 12th for no points.
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘Passing NINE cars’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/ma...16682224060202
2024 Canadian Grand Prix: Magnussen picks off six cars on the opening lap
10 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Kevin Magnussen started 14th on the grid in Canada but Haas bolted on a set of full wet tyres and with the rest of the field on intermediates, the Dane was able to pick off an incredible six other cars to leave him P8 at the end of Lap 1.
‘Picks off six cars on the opening lap’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...11599999626104
Magnussen pinpoints where Haas wasted F1 points in Canada
10:41 Fri, 14 Jun 2024
Pablo Suárez
Motorsport Week
“We had one very slow pit stop and one medium slow pit stop, and I also think we pitted for Inters off from the full Wets too early,” Magnussen expressed. “It felt like something was coming at the beginning of the race but there’s nothing to show for it.”
Magnussen lamented Haas missing out on a golden opening to land some points. “Yeah, it didn’t feel like we got the best out of it today with all the opportunity that the race offered we didn’t seem to capitalize on that so that’s disappointing but you know we’ll review it and really try to understand it,” he bemoaned.
“Right now it’s all a bit blurry but yeah there were lots of opportunities that’s for sure we didn’t get any points so gotta look into things.” Meanwhile, Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu concurred with Magnussen’s comments, admitting the side “wasn’t great operationally” during the race in Montreal. “It was a pretty frustrating day unfortunately as I think we made the right choice putting both drivers on Wet tyres, that was good,” explained Komatsu
“There’s nothing to show for it.”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...nts-in-canada/
‘That’s disappointing’: Kevin Magnussen thinks Haas made a ‘disappointing’ mistake in F1 Canadian GP
Tue 11 June 2024 19:30
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Kevin Magnussen feels Haas made a mistake with his full wet tyres in the Canadian GP. Going against the grid seemed to be a great decision as Magnussen and Hulkenberg carved through the field. While their rivals fought for grip using Pirelli’s intermediate tyres, the Haas duo were sailing. Magnussen even ran as high as P4 before pitting as the track began to dry.
Haas opted to switch the 31-year-old onto intermediate tyres at the end of Lap 7 but elected to leave Hulkenberg on full wets. A slow pit stop also cost Magnussen another six seconds to drop out of the points as Haas were not prepared to service his car when the Dane stopped. Yet Magnussen feels Haas were wrong to stop him and should have left both of their cars on full wets. Hulkenberg did not stop until Lap 12 and the rest of the Formula 1 field made their first stops under the safety car Logan Sargeant caused by spinning in his Williams at Turn 4. Haas also serviced Magnussen and Hulkenberg for a second time under the safety car to run in P15 and P18 respectively.
The two stops negated all of the good work Magnussen enjoyed in the early laps and left the Haas racer regretting what could have been in the Canadian GP. “I didn’t have the feeling that we got the best out of the race,” Magnussen said, via quotes by Speedweek. “We didn’t use the many opportunities that were presented to us. That’s disappointing. I think we came into the pits too early from the rain tyres. It felt like something was coming at the start of the race but, in the end, it didn’t.”
‘Disappointing mistake’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/kev...1-canadian-gp/
Magnussen admits he could lose F1 race seat
Kevin Magnussen admits he is at risk of losing out in this year's hectic driver 'silly season'.
JUNE 12, 2024
GrandPrix.com
When asked if he could lose in F1's current game of 'musical chairs', Magnussen told Ekstra Badet newspaper: “Yes, there is a risk of that happening.” He has not been seriously linked with a move to another team.
“The (Haas) team knows me very well, said the Danish driver. "I am a known quantity to them. So I don't think I need to prove anything. The market is very open this time. We have to see how it plays out”, Magnussen added.
“I have made it clear that I would love to continue here. The team is in a good place with hope for the future. I would love to be a part of it, he said. "I don't know how long it will be before we know the outcome. Until then, I'll just keep driving. I don't really have a deadline. But I still think the market is quite open.”
'Musical chairs';
https://www.grandprix.com/news/magnu...race-seat.html
'That's why he never learns': Jacques Villeneuve livid after what Kevin Magnussen said at Canadian Grand Prix
Sat 8 June 2024 15:00
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Jacques Villeneuve says Kevin Magnussen is destined to repeat same mistakes. Inevitably, journalists asked Magnussen about the incident during his media duties ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix. The former McLaren driver issued a defiant response, insisting that Perez ‘had seen’ him and hadn’t left a car’s width (RacingNews365). When those remarks were put to 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve in the Sky Sports commentary box during FP2, he launched into a stinging rebuke. He says there’s not even a debate to be had over who was to blame for the incident.
And he feels that Magnussen’s lack of introspection will cost him in the long run. In his eyes, he’s bound to get involved in further incidents if he doesn’t change his mindset. “That’s why he never learns,” Villeneuve said. “100, 1000% there’s no doubt [it was his fault]. Unless, as a driver, you spend your time thinking ‘I was wrong, what could I have done better?’, you will never learn and you will repeat over and over and over the same mistake.”
Ayao Komatsu critical of Magnussen after Monaco crash. The verdict of a pundit is one thing, but crucially, Magnussen’s boss Ayao Komatsu wasn’t impressed either. Speaking in the team principals’ press conference (F1), the Haas team principal said that he’d taken an unnecessary risk. “He expected Perez to leave more room for him but that’s not up to him in the end,” he said. “There was a point where everything was under his control where he could have made a decision to back off which he didn’t.” These comments certainly don’t bode well for Magnussen’s chances of earning a new deal.
‘Lack of introspection will cost him in the long run’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/he-...an-grand-prix/
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Bottas on Sauber’s current plight: ‘We need bigger upgrades – and more of them’.
Kick Sauber are the only team yet to score points this year and after finishing 13th in Canada, Valtteri Bottas says the team need to improve the car if they are to break their duck any time soon.
22:36 Sun, 09 Jun 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘More bigger upgrades’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/bo...17802381171512
Bottas admits Kick Sauber need ‘bigger upgrades and more of them’ as points drought continues in Canada
10 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Reflecting on whether the pre-race changes had helped with the feel of the car, Bottas explained: “I think with the conditions we had today it was probably the right thing to do, to try and do something. I think it helped a bit, we had a bit more downforce.”
“But still, we made progress but mainly due to other cars making mistakes, etc. Pace-wise, we’re still not in the top-10 at the moment.” Kick Sauber remain the only squad in the field yet to score a point this season and, in order to improve their propects, Bottas thinks that bringing frequent updates is the answer.
‘Points drought’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...oPds3VI8iba9Ws
Sauber needs more upgrades says Bottas
Sauber needs to bring "more" and "bigger" upgrades to the next Formula 1 races, according to Valtteri Bottas.
JUNE 11, 2024
GrandPrix.com
“There is no improvement in sight”, agrees veteran F1 journalist Roger Benoit, who covers Sauber's progress in detail for the Swiss newspaper Blick. “The C44 is by far the slowest car in the circus”, he added. “The many upgrades don't really help at all - or the rivals' developments are simply better.”
Indeed, during Sunday's Canadian GP, the laptimes were so slow that both Bottas and Guanyu Zhou underwent mid-race rear wing setup changes. “It was right that we tried something”, Bottas is quoted by the Finnish broadcaster MTV. "We got a little more grip.”
“But the car needs more pace. Upgrade packages are needed”, the 34-year-old added. “The team has some plans, but we need bigger upgrade packages. And more of them. That is the key now”, he said.
“C44 is by far the slowest car in the circus”;
https://www.grandprix.com/news/saube...ys-bottas.html
Bottas says key to Sauber improvements ‘not rocket science’
19:58 Fri, 14 Jun 2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Sauber suffered another dismal race weekend in Canada, and yet Valtteri Bottas insists the key to improving the performance of the Swiss outfit's car “isn’t rocket science”. "We still have work to do," said Bottas. "We need to keep bringing upgrades and make the car faster. It is not rocket science, we just need more bits."
Bottas suggested that a few changes were on the docket for next week’s Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. "We have small things but a very high downforce track, a different track to here,” he said. “I think it is going to be close, as we have seen. The next step is to get back to Q2 and then we can fight a bit better."
‘Not rocket science’;
https://f1i.com/news/510897-bottas-s...t-science.html
Bottas urges Sauber to bring ‘bigger upgrades’ to catch F1 rivals
15:54 Sat, 15 Jun 2024
Pablo Suárez
Motorsport Week
Valtteri Bottas has urged the Sauber Formula 1 team to introduce “bigger upgrades” amid its pointless start to 2024 continuing at last weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix. Sauber once again trailed home outside the points positions in Montreal and remains the one team still awaiting to score in the Constructors’ Championship this term.
Another double Q1 elimination prompted the Hinwil-based squad to elect to start both cars from the pit lane in order to escape parc ferme and make set-up alterations. But having crossed the line 12th out of the 15 drivers who took the finish, Bottas has stressed that Sauber must bring more updates to eradicate the deficit to its rivals.
The Finn conceded the more promising result was “due to other cars making mistakes” as he insisted that pace-wise Sauber is “still not in the top 10 at the moment”. Expanding on how his race went, Bottas applauded the decision to make changes to the car to run more downforce as it helped in the changing weather conditions.
‘Bigger upgrades’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...tch-f1-rivals/
Bottas still believes in chance to stay at Sauber
Sun, 16 Jun 2024
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
Sauber could also opt to keep hold of Zhou Guanyu, but it's thought that the team is looking for a clean slate of drivers ahead of its upgrade into becoming the Audi works team in 2026. “I feel like at the moment they want quite a lot of change in the team, probably,” Bottas told the media last week in Montreal. “Same thing with the driver line-up.
"That’s my how I read the situation," he said. "They are willing to wait for a long time, but I can’t forever. I don’t think I have the time to wait for too long, so that’s why I want to speed things up. This team is definitely still an option," he continued, pointing out that it had been his long-term plan from the very start to remain at the squad to see it into the Audi era after joining it in 2022 from Mercedes.
“This team is definitely still an option”;
https://f1i.com/news/510953-bottas-s...at-sauber.html
Bottas reveals Sauber/Audi F1 extension still an option for 2025
09:06 Sat, 15 Jun 2024
Motorsport Week
Valtteri Bottas has revealed that extending his contract with Sauber as it builds towards Audi’s impending arrival remains an option for his Formula 1 future into 2025. Despite developments continuing to ramp up in the driver market, Bottas remains at ease over his prospects and is convinced that he will remain on the grid in 2025.
“I’m confident I’m going to get a seat,” Bottas added. “But obviously in this sport nothing is confirmed, so it’s never 100 per cent sure until you’re signed. But at least how I see the situation at the moment, I’m not worrying. But it should be an interesting week or two ahead for sure.”
“It’s something you get used to, obviously, it’s a way more comfortable feeling if you know what is happening. But at the same time, it’s kind of exciting, a kind of certain element of unknowns. There could be something new and exciting on the way. That’s kind of nice. But [I] just need to live with the situation.”
‘Bottas remains at ease’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...tion-for-2025/
Valtteri Bottas gives F1 future update as Jacques Villeneuve gets ‘feeling’ over next move
14 Jun 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Villeneuve told Sky F1 in Canada that he has a “feeling” Bottas might return to the team with which he spent five seasons previously, with team principal Toto Wolff preparing youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli for a future in Formula 1. “I guess Bottas will go to Mercedes,” he said. “They want a driver for one year. So who do they take? They take a driver who will take a one-year deal, knows the team, experience and prepares the seat for Antonelli. And then Toto will have to pay a team to put Antonelli somewhere for a year.”
PlanetF1.com understands no decision has yet been taken over the F1 2025 driver line-up at Mercedes, though Wolff has acknowledged teenage Formula 2 rookie Antonelli is set to play a part in the team’s future eventually. Speaking about his own future recently, Bottas is looking to secure his place in Formula 1 beyond the end of the season, with the Finn currently in the final year of his contract with Sauber.
‘Villeneuve gets ‘feeling’ over next move’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/valtte...eneuve-feeling
-
Tsunoda reveals wind gust cost him on last Canada F1 Q3 run.
Yuki Tsunoda is convinced that he could have qualified higher than eighth place for Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix had a gust of wind not cost him on his final run.
09 Jun 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
The Japanese racer was well-poised to celebrate the occasion with another headline-grabbing result as he advanced through Q1 in second and was then fourth in Q2. But a moment on the exit of Turn 2 on his last lap in the top-10 shootout dented his prospects and saw him end up three spots behind RB team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.
With Tsunoda winding up four-tenths down on the pole position benchmark, the RB driver rued the snap preventing him from obtaining an even stronger starting berth. “A lot on the table, I would say,” Tsunoda rued. “I got a bit of an unfortunate gust from behind at Turn Two, and I lost the car completely, so I lost a lap time there. Especially looking at Q1 and Q2, I was pretty consistent and I was in the top five.”
“And actually considering my pretty bad lap, I mean I ended up in P8, so yeah, obviously there was a mixed feeling. But at the same time, I was not really in good condition in the three practices, so it was a good turnaround anyway. And the first time for the team to end up [in the] top ten with both cars, so still positives.”
‘Wind gust’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...ada-f1-q3-run/
Yuki Tsunoda and Canada GP race organisers subject of two rare FIA summons orders
09 Jun 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
The FIA have handed out two rarely-seen summonses post-race at the Canadian Grand Prix, with Yuki Tsunoda called to the stewards for allegedly arriving late for the pre-race playing of the national anthem. Tsunoda was summoned for allegedly turning up late for the national anthem being played prior to the Canadian Grand Prix.
The FIA claim this is an alleged breach of Article 19.4 b) of the sporting regulations, whereby: “All drivers must attend a thirty (30) minute drivers parade or presentation (including, but not limited to, group photos, social media activities, celebrity interaction or trackside fan engagement) commencing two (2) hours and ten (10) mins before the scheduled start of the formation lap.”
Within that clause, the rule adds: “In any case, no less than fourteen (14) minutes before the scheduled start of the formation lap all drivers must be present at the front of the grid for the playing of the national anthem.” As a result, the stewards handed the RB driver a €10,000 fine for his lateness, writing: “The Stewards reviewed video evidence and determined that the driver was indeed late for the anthem."
'No less than fourteen (14) minutes before the scheduled start';
https://www.planetf1.com/news/yuki-t...gp-fia-summons
RB issued fine after strange Tsunoda infringement
RB has been forced to pay a fine after breaching the sporting regulations on the build-up to the Canadian Grand Prix.
10 June 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
“The Stewards received a report from the Media Delegate that the driver of Car 22 (Yuki Tsunoda) was late for the National Anthem,” read a statement. “The Stewards reviewed video evidence and determined that the driver was indeed late for the anthem.”
“The team stated that they failed to inform the driver about the timing adequately and therefore caused the delay, but it is also the responsibility of the driver to arrive in time. It is noted that the driver, once made aware of his mistake, took every reasonable effort to attend the National Anthem as soon as possible.”
“The Stewards acknowledge that attending the National Anthem is an important element of the pre-race procedures and a sign of respect for the host country of the event. The Stewards note that the precedents are implying a less severe penalty (reprimand), but feel that escalating the penalty to a fine is appropriate.”
‘Breaching the sporting regulations’;
https://racingnews365.com/rb-issued-...a-infringement
Visa Cash RB fined for Yuki Tsunoda's pre-race infringement
10 Jun 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
The Visa Cash RB team have been fined after their Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda was late for the National Anthem that preceeded yesterday's Canadian Grand Prix.
The stewards launched an investigation into the incident, reviewing video evidence, and came to the conclusion that Tsunoda was indeed late for the anthem. During the hearing, the Faenza-based outfit conceded that they failed to inform Tsunoda about the timing, but the stewards noted that the Japanese driver "took every reasonable effort" to attend the National Anthem after the delay.
‘Late for the anthem’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/24763
‘It was my fault’ – Tsunoda holds his hands up after late slip drops him to the back
9 Jun 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Yuki Tsunoda was having a strong weekend until the last few laps of the Grand Prix when he lost the car and hit the wall putting him down to the back of the field. Afterwards he admitted it was his mistake.
‘Lost the car and hit the wall’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/it...15175997158188
Why RB decided to keep 'simply phenomenal' Tsunoda for 2025
RB has taken up an option on Yuki Tsunoda's contract for the 2025 season, extending his stay for a fifth season.
9 June 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
A "step up" in performance was a major factor as to why RB has elected to retain the "simply phenomenal" Yuki Tsunoda for 2025, says boss Laurent Mekies. It was announced on Saturday of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend that Tsunoda would be retained for a fifth season in 2025 by the team, having had a strong start to the '24 season with 19 points from the first eight races - already besting his entire 2023 points haul.
The Japanese racer has been of interest to other teams, with Aston Martin touted as one possible destination once it joins forces with Honda for 2026, but he will remain at Faenza for next term, with Team Principal Mekies believing Tsunoda has now added maturity to his approach. "I watched Yuki’s progress in Formula 1 with interest even before I returned to Faenza and it’s been impressive, year after year," he said.
"The step up he has made this year is simply phenomenal, and he keeps surprising us all, race after race. There’s no doubting his natural speed to which he has now added a much more mature approach and this combination makes him a very quick and consistent performer, and a great team player. We continue to get a better understanding of what he needs from us and vice versa, so we are progressing together, Yuki as a driver and the team. We share the same ambitions, so there are several good reasons to continue our journey together. He still has a lot to give."
‘A "step up" in performance’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-rb-dec...unoda-for-2025
Marko reveals Tsunoda was ‘in demand’ with rival F1 teams
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that Yuki Tsunoda was “in demand” at rival Formula 1 teams prior to the news that RB has elected to retain him in 2025.
16 Jun 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
“Yuki has changed a lot since his arrival in F1. He has really improved in his development. He is an emotional driver and he manages to limit his mistakes. He was in demand by other teams. He is young and he fits our mould. That’s why we’ve just extended his contract for another year.” Helmut Marko.
“Yeah, I think that being able to clear [that] clears up my mind, and in the end VCARB is performing well and this is a team I’m scoring points a lot,” Tsunoda said. “And it would have been sad going to another team and see that VCARB ended up in a nice position.”
“But no, jokes side actually, always Red Bull and Honda were part of my career. Me and Red Bull, it’s all aligned with the current situation for myself and for the future. So, just keep focusing on what I’m doing, and I’m very happy that I’m able to support this team for this big project.”
“In demand”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...ival-f1-teams/
Red Bull might not take Yuki Tsunoda seriously yet, but RB does
Yuki Tsunoda's Formula 1 career remains in a holding pattern after being snubbed for a Red Bull promotion in 2025, but the parent team's loss might be RB's gain.
14 Jun 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
Red Bull's strong man Christian Horner appears unconvinced Tsunoda can be the calm and harmonious presence alongside Max Verstappen that he wants, although team advisor Helmut Marko has kept the door open for a promotion in the future, suggesting Tsunoda clicked into gear a little too late to be considered for 2025.
"He has to continue to perform like he does now. Let's see what the future brings then," Marko told Motorsport.com. "His development is really good, although it came a little bit later than we expected, but he is now a top driver I would say."
“This is the first season in which Yuki is consistently fast and he is controlling his emotions, which was his biggest problem before. "To be fair to him, he had always flashes of speed, but this year besides the China race he is consistently fast. Of course, it is changing his profile."
‘In a holding pattern’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/r...does/10623253/
-
‘A bit lonely’: Zhou Guanyu admits something that had ‘never happened before’ ruined his race in Canada.
Zhou came home in 15th at the chequered flag – last of the remaining cars – and was the only driver lapped although that was partly down to another awful pit stop from the team – something that has ruined Sauber’s races all season.
Sun 16 June 2024 13:00
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
The Canadian Grand Prix was another race to forget for Sauber as they remain rooted to the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship. Zhou was speaking to Motorsport.com after the Canadian Grand Prix and admitted that he was baffled by one aspect of the race in Montreal. Zhou Guanyu admits lack of understanding of the 2024 Sauber car.
Asked what went wrong in Canada, Zhou said: “Just struggling across the different compounds. At the halfway stage of the race, I was a bit out of the race anyway, so a bit lonely. We have something already planned back at the factory to check everything, [and] make sure we are starting a little bit more from scratch. These two weekends, I feel like something is not clicking right and this weekend, all these mistakes, they never happened before.”
“So we try to understand all of our issues and have some plans for the next race.” When asked if he was worried about the rear of his 2024 Sauber due to the crashes he suffered earlier in the weekend, Zhou added: “It is everywhere, to be honest, just four-wheel sliding. There is not a massive limitation, we are just lacking grip. It is quite simple but not an easy one to get progress.”
‘Never happened before’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/zho...ace-in-canada/
Zhou desperate to remain in F1 for 2025
19:03 Sat, 15 Jun 2024
Darius Needham
FormulaNerds
Zhou Guanyu has stated that he desperately wants to remain in Formula 1 next season. However, he is eager to avoid becoming a reserve driver for 2025 as he looks for a full-time seat. Zhou finds himself at a very important stage in his F1 career. He is one of several drivers currently who find themselves without a seat going into next season.
However, it is looking unlikely at the moment that both Zhou and his team-mate Valtteri Bottas will be at Stake F1 in 2025. Audi have already announced the signing of Nico Hulkenberg for next season, meaning he will drive for Stake F1 next season. The Hinwil-based team are also reportedly interested in Carlos Sainz, as he looks to keep his place in the sport as well.
Speaking to the media, including racingnews365.com, Zhou is hoping that he can do enough to stay in F1 with a full-time seat, as he admits that he doesn’t want to be a reserve driver. “I don’t want to be the reserve, I don’t want to take a year off,” Zhou said. “I don’t think [at] this kind of age of my career, I don’t really want to take a year off because Formula 1 when you take a year off, it’s difficult to come back.”
‘Looks for a full-time seat’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/zh...n-f1-for-2025/
Zhou desperate to avoid missing 2025 F1 seat
Zhou Guanyu is one of several drivers still without a seat for the 2025 F1 season.
15 June 2025
Nick Golding & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Zhou Guanyu has revealed that he is eager to avoid becoming a reserve driver next season, just to remain in the F1 paddock in 2025. The Chinese driver is one of several in the championship without a deal for next year, with a move elsewhere looking set to be his only way of remaining on the grid.
Audi has already signed Haas' Nico Hulkenberg for 2025 and 2026, meaning the German will race for Stake F1 next season. Carlos Sainz also reportedly has an option to join the Hinwil-based team, should he wish to do so. It means the chances are incredibly high that both Zhou and Valtteri Bottas will need a new home for 2025, with Zhou in particular not being open to accepting a reserve position.
Despite being keen to avoid becoming a reserve driver at the age of 25, Zhou is aware that there might become a point this year where he has to consider accepting a reserve position. However, at least for now, the sport's first star from China is not thinking about a third driver position. If we have to then we have to see, we have to consider but for the moment I'm not trying to think in that way," insisted Zhou.
‘Eager to avoid becoming a reserve driver next season’;
https://racingnews365.com/zhou-despe...g-2025-f1-seat
‘A bit lonely’: Guenther Steiner expects Alpine to snub 53-race driver despite £27m sponsorship package
Sat 15 June 2024 07:00
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Guenther Steiner says Zhou Guanyu financial appeal is ‘overrated’. Another driver who will hope to be in the Alpine conversation is Zhou Guanyu. The team know Zhou well after he spent two years as their test driver in 2020 and 2021. Like Sauber teammate Bottas, he’s looking for a seat elsewhere for 2025. And he’ll hope a huge financial package comes to his aid.
Zhou is the first full-time Chinese driver in F1 history and he brings commercial ties from his homeland. One journalist believes he can offer around £27m in that regard. But speaking on the Red Flags podcast, former Haas boss Guenther Steiner suggested that this wouldn’t be enough to persuade Alpine. With the backing of a giant manufacturer like Renault, he believes they won’t be governed by such incentives.
“It’s a works team,” he said. “I think they will get the best driver possible. I think in the current status of F1, this is overrated, ‘who’s bringing money or not?’. Especially the big teams, with the budget cap. They know what they want. They want success.”
‘Wouldn’t be enough’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gue...rship-package/
Haas tipped to reject €30m+ offer from driver in danger to secure ‘sure-fire’ F1 2025 lineup
17 Jun 2024
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Haas are set to turn down an astronomical financial offer from Zhou Guanyu’s sponsors to sign Esteban Ocon as Oliver Bearman’s team-mate for the F1 2025 season. Appearing on Auto Motor und Sport’s Formula Schmidt show, respected reporter Schmidt has claimed that Zhou is trying to tempt Haas “with a lot of money” – believed to be as much as €35million – as he tries to rescue a place on the grid for F1 2025.
“Zhou Guanyu has been linked with a lot of money. There is talk of €30-35m. But they can’t do that, because the problem with Bearman is that he’s a rookie. You have to add someone who is a sure-fire scorer. And it is evident at Sauber that [Zhou] is certainly not.”
At the recent Canadian Grand Prix, Zhou revealed he is targeting a return to Alpine as Ocon’s replacement for F1 2025, having emerged from the team’s junior academy. “I think the other [Sauber] seat [alongside Hulkenberg] is still available, so we still have an option [to stay],” Zhou told reporters in Montreal.
‘Turn down an astronomical financial offer’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/haas-o...f1-2025-lineup
-
Double disaster for Ferrari makes Montreal 'one to forget'.
There was no sugar coating just how badly the Canadian Grand Prix turned out for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both failing to finish Sunday's race at Montreal's Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
10 Jun 2024
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
"We were hoping for a red flag to be able to do a reset and restart," Vasseur said. "There was no red flag, so we had to pit which cost us a lap and effectively that was the end of Charles’ race."
Leclerc had to tip-toe his way back to the pits for a replacement set of intermediates and was soon lapped by race leader Max Verstappen. He opted to retire from last place on lap 41 to save further wear on the power unit.
“Honestly, there’s not much more to say apart from the engine issue cost us everything,” Leclerc explained afterwards. "The bottom line today is that the engine issue is what compromised our race.”
‘Double disaster’;
https://f1i.com/news/510598-double-d...to-forget.html
Charles Leclerc reveals huge Ferrari power unit issue in disastrous Canadian Grand Prix
10 Jun 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Speaking to Sky F1 following the Canadian GP, Leclerc would reveal the alarming extent of the issues which he was battling with the Ferrari PU, meaning there was “nothing we could have done better” to improve their performance. “I was losing 1.2 [seconds] in the straights, which was extremely annoying,” said Leclerc.
“And then over that I had like 10 changes per lap on the different engine switch, which was such a frustrating race because you get passed by everybody in the straights. In corners you are fast and actually I think the pace was quite strong at the beginning considering the 1.2 off, but with the engine issue, there was nothing we could have done better.”
‘Huge Ferrari power unit issue’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...ssue-canada-gp
‘This one hurts’ – Leclerc pinpoints issue for Ferrari to look into after disastrous double DNF in Canada
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site
It was a disastrous day for Ferrari at the Canadian Grand Prix, with both cars retiring from the running just two weeks after scoring a victory and double podium in Monaco. After lining up in P11 and P12 respectively following a difficult qualifying on Saturday, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both struggled to make ground from the midfield as the race progressed.
“I think we shouldn’t overreact with the pace of the car,” the six-time race winner said. “I mean, you’ve got good weekends, you’ve got bad weekends. Yesterday we missed Q3 by three hundredths, we were definitely not feeling good with the car and we’ve got to work on that and try to understand what went wrong. Today I wouldn’t say the pace was bad – if you look at the first stint with a second-and-a-half slower engine, I think we weren’t that bad in corners and we were strong, just the engine was so big [of an] issue that we couldn’t do anything.”
“So as much as we didn’t overreact after Monaco, we shouldn’t overreact after this one. But this one hurts. It’s big points for the team, with the two cars DNF’d, that we are going to lose against our competitors, and engine-wise it’s something that we need to look at.”
‘This one hurts’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...VtjINY2fPlGzkt
Vasseur reveals what could’ve saved Leclerc’s F1 Canadian GP
10 Jun 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has revealed Ferrari hoped for a red flag period to override the engine issue on Charles Leclerc’s car in Formula 1’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Vasseur has confirmed that Ferrari was holding out on a stoppage emerging to allow the team to troubleshoot the issue without Leclerc losing a single place on track.
“On one side of the garage with Charles, we had, on lap two, we lost part of the power,” he told RacingNews365. “We were expecting a red flag to do a power cycle and to try to come back. But the red flag never happened. We had a red flag in Monaco but not in Montreal. At one stage, we had to pit, we lost almost one lap but it was done.”
‘What could’ve saved Leclerc’s F1 Canadian GP’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...1-canadian-gp/
Ferrari won't overreact to Canada F1 disaster where "everything went wrong"
Ferrari Formula 1 team boss Fred Vasseur conceded "everything went wrong" in a disastrous Canadian Grand Prix, but says his squad won't overreact to its horror weekend.
10 Jun 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
Amid a "long list" of issues, Vasseur admitted "everything went wrong" for the Scuderia in Canada, with Leclerc's power unit issue that left him down 80bhp the most frustrating problem on the day. "With Charles, on lap two we lost part of the power," Vasseur explained. "It was not just the engine itself; I think it is the control of the engine that we had to stop the engine completely. We went through a cycle but it was 30 or 40 seconds.
"For Charles, when you are in the car, fighting in a group and see you are missing 10 or 15 kp/h, you have no chance to overtake, your engineer is telling you you are missing 80 horsepower, I can perfectly understand that motivation is difficult to find in this kind of situation. "If he was not frustrated in these conditions, I would be worried." Asked if it was his most difficult weekend in charge of the Maranello squad, he said: "The most difficult? I don't know but it was not the best one.”
"Sometimes you get the feeling everything is going wrong and going against you but we don't change the approach. We are working as a team with the drivers in the good and bad moments and we will keep the same approach for next weekend and continue together. I'm not [bothered] at all by this kind of weekend, it is what it is."
"Everything went wrong";
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/v...rong/10621990/
Unearthed Charles Leclerc radio lays bare Canadian GP frustrations
11 Jun 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
A wretched weekend in Canada ended with Charles Leclerc sarcastically celebrating the team’s order to retire his power-less Ferrari SF-24 on lap 40. His race though was undone by an engine issue early in the grand prix that cost him time on the straights, the driver revealing he was losing over a second per lap. Already dealing with that issue, his frustrations boiled over in his radio chatter with his new race engineer Bryan Bozzi when the call was made to swap to slicks despite more rain on the horizon.
Leclerc was caught out.
Leclerc: Shall we box again? It’s raining too much.
Engineer: It’s only, it’s going to last only one, two laps.
Leclerc: For f**k sake, it’s raining too much. I’m losing like 10 seconds a lap.
Engineer: Copy. We box for inters.
But as the engine issue continued to hamper his progress, he reported: If we are losing 1.5 seconds on the straight, then there’s no f**king point. I want to stop.
Ferrari eventually called him on lap 40 to retire the car.
Engineer: And Charles, we will retire the car. We will retire the car.
Leclerc: Yay! That is a good idea.
Engineer: Copy.
“Yay! That is a good idea”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/uneart...p-frustrations
Report: What Frederic Vasseur has ordered Ferrari staff to do behind the scenes after double DNF in Canada
13 June 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari now in ‘race against time’ to bring upgrade to Spanish Grand Prix. According to Formu1a.uno, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has taken decisive action after their Montreal woes. He’s ordered them to bring forward an upgrade that wasn’t due to go on the car until the British Grand Prix at the start of July.
Instead, he wants the ‘most important’ new parts ready for the next race in Spain, the first leg of a triple-header. This has sparked ‘very frenetic’ scenes at their Maranello base. Ferrari’s staff face a ‘race against time’ to meet the request, with the production department in for ‘a lot of work’. The aim of the updates is to find a ‘better aerodynamic compromise’ for the SF-24. Barcelona was a weak circuit for the Italian marquee last year, with Leclerc suffering a shock Q1 exit and only managing to finish 11th. Sainz qualified 2nd alongside Verstappen but ended up slipping to P5 in the race.
Ferrari introduced their first major upgrades of the new season at Imola last month, but it wasn’t until the following race in Monaco that they made a noticeable step forward. They might not expect an immediate upturn from the next raft of developments, then, particularly if they have to be rushed through. But the earlier they get them on the car in a representative F1 session, the sooner they will be able to understand and optimise them. It’s clear that Vasseur is impatient as he bids to make the Prancing Horse the class of the field once again.
‘Race against time to bring upgrade’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wha...dnf-in-canada/
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Sainz admits to ‘driver mistake’ after spin put him out of the race – and took Albon out too.
Carlos Sainz spun his Ferrari on Lap 51 in Canada and Williams’ Alex Albon was unable to avoid his rival, taking them both out of the race.
9 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘Driver mistake’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/sa...15553175246819
In search of lost grip
22:50 Sun, 09 Jun 2024
Ferrari - Official Site
Montreal 09 June 2024: Scuderia Ferrari HP’s performance in qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix did not live up to expectations, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz failing to make the cut to Q3, qualifying in eleventh and twelfth places respectively. The biggest handicap for both SF-24s was a lack of grip.
‘Lost grip’;
https://www.ferrari.com/en-GB/formul...lifying-report
Sainz makes Ferrari vow after Canada woes
Carlos Sainz suffered a late DNF in the Canadian Grand Prix after contact after spinning and collecting Alex Albon's Williams.
10 June 22024
Jake Nichol & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Carlos Sainz is firm that Ferrari's Canadian Grand Prix woes are a "one-off" and that he expects the team to be back in contention in Barcelona. Ferrari arrived in Montreal with expectations high after it finished 1-3 in Monaco, but Sainz and team-mate Charles Leclerc both struggled badly across the weekend, with neither making it into Q3 and did not make much forward progress in the race.
Leclerc's race was hampered by an engine issue, but Sainz was fighting on the cusp of the points late on when he spun at Turn 6 after dipping a wheel onto the wet track, and as he spun, he collected Alex Albon's Williams. He did manage to get going again, but retired soon after to round off a miserable weekend for Ferrari.
"It was not an ideal weekend for anyone in the team, but we will try and reset and go again," Sainz told media including RacingNews365. "It is clear that we were not on the right end of the pace and were struggling as a team. In any condition, we seemed to be struggling with the balance and the pace, but it is going to be a one-off and we will be back in Barcelona where we are normally."
‘Sainz was fighting on the cusp of the points’;
https://racingnews365.com/sainz-make...er-canada-woes
Jacques Villeneuve stunned by Carlos Sainz after doing something you ‘never, ever do’ in F1
Mon 10 June 2024 07:30
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Jacques Villeneuve was reflecting on the Canadian Grand Prix for Sky Sports F1 after watching both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz fail to finish the race. Ferrari’s weekend started badly, with neither driver able to reach Q3 in qualifying, giving them plenty of work to do during a wet race.
Jacques Villeneuve says Carlos Sainz did something you ‘never do’ in Formula 1 Heading into the closing stages of the race, Sainz was in a train of cars including both Alpine drivers and both RBs. However, the Spaniard made a mistake heading into the corner that also caught out the likes of Sergio Perez and Logan Sargeant. Albon had to take avoiding action, but Sainz still managed to crash into the back of his Williams.
Commenting on the incident, Villeneuve said: “Once it started raining, pit him [Charles Leclerc] right away. “They had to try because they had engine issues and they were not going to score points, so trying fine, but like Karun [Chandhok] said, put on the soft tyres. And then [Carlos] Sainz spins and then lets go of the breaks, something you never, ever do and he collected [Alex] Albon.”
‘Never, ever do’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jac...ever-do-in-f1/
Carlos Sainz issues apology to rumoured F1 2025 team-mate after Canada collision
10 Jun 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Carlos Sainz has apologised to Alex Albon, smoothing things over with his potential 2025 team-mate after punting the Williams driver out of the Canadian Grand Prix. “It was a driver mistake,” Sainz admitted. “I was starting to take some risks because I could see that in the dry we were a little bit more competitive and there was the chance for points if I took some risks and overtook some cars in DRS trains. But I ended up paying the price.”
Damaging the rear-right of the FW46, both drivers were out of the race. Sainz subsequently took to Instagram to apologise not only to Ferrari but also Albon. “A race to forget for the team,” he posted on social media. “The entire weekend has been on the edge for us. I tried to push in the DRS train to overtake and did a mistake on the kerb. Sorry to the team and to Albon.”
‘Apology’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...nada-collision
Carlos Sainz sends message to potential 2025 teammate Alex Albon after Canadian GP crash
Tue 11 June 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Carlos Sainz apologises to Alex Albon amid Williams rumours. The crash involving Sainz and Albon wasn’t just significant because it potentially cost the latter some valuable points. The two drivers may well end up as teammates next year. F1 Oversteer understands that Grove will be his destination. In fact, James Vowles’ employees are 90% sure that the deal will happen.
Writing on his X account, Sainz acknowledged his error. He also offered an apology to Albon ahead of their potential partnership in 2025. “A race to forget for the team,” he said. “The entire weekend has been on the edge for us. I tried to push in the DRS train to overtake and did a mistake on the kerb. Sorry to the team and to Albon. We now need to understand what happened here and move on.”
Why Williams will find Sainz mistake ‘quite funny’. There are no concerns that Sainz’s blunder will hurt his chances of joining Williams. Vowles won’t pass up the chance to sign a three-time race-winner and an F1 A-lister over one mishap. Instead, journalist Edd Straw suspects that Williams will find the coincidental nature of the collision ‘quite funny’. There could still be an announcement before his home race in Spain at the end of next week.
‘Sainz acknowledged his error’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/car...dian-gp-crash/
Carlos Sainz 'could sign contract tomorrow' as Ferrari star reveals seven offers
Carlos Sainz says he could sign with a new Formula One team 'tomorrow'.
Jun 18, 2024
Sam Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Carlos Sainz has claimed he has offers on the table from all seven teams looking for new drivers for the 2025 season. The Spaniard will leave Ferrari at the end of 2024, making way for the highly-anticipated arrival of Lewis Hamilton. Sainz, who says he could agree a contract 'tomorrow' if he wanted to, has been strongly linked with Williams in recent weeks but there are a further six teams whose driver line-up for next year is not confirmed. Mercedes, Aston Martin, VCARB, Haas, Alpine and Sauber also have places free.
It was put to Sainz that Williams are the favourites to secure his commitment for 2025. However, the 29-year-old insists that all seven teams have made offers and that he “could sign with them tomorrow”, but will instead take his time before making a decision. Sainz says that he will make a decision soon. “I won’t lie to you, all the teams that haven’t signed their drivers for next year have me on their list and have offered me a contract. I could sign with them tomorrow, but I won’t do it tomorrow,” he told El Hormiguero.
'Could sign contract tomorrow';
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...es-Formula-One
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‘He knows what’s at stake’ – Horner backs Perez to find his form after ‘horrible’ weekend in Canada.
“You see this with Checo time and time again, you think he’s on the ropes and then he bounces back,” continued Horner. “He’s a tough racer, a tough character. It hurts him more than anyone else and he’ll be determined to come back and show everybody the form we know he’s capable of and the form he showed in the first four races of the year.”
13 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site
“It was a horrible weekend for Checo and we’ve picked up some damage so he’ll need to come back strong in Barcelona,” Christian Horner said afterwards. “Thankfully Ferrari had a shocker today and didn’t pick up any points so that let us off the hook somewhat. But we need both cars scoring, we got away with it today, but we need Checo back to where he was at the beginning of the year from Barcelona onwards.”
“The margins are fine – he knows what’s at stake, we need him performing at the top of his game. The constructors’, we have three teams that are nipping at our heels, and you have to be firing on all cylinders.” As Horner said, with Ferrari failing to score in Canada, Red Bull actually increased their margin in the constructors’ championship to 49 points thanks to Verstappen’s win.
‘He knows what’s at stake’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...T5DAinrWDozbRe
Perez does not care criticism, he solely focuses on his job
10:14 Wed, 12 Jun 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
The Mexican finds himself currently in exactly such a tough period as he failed to make the cut into Q3 in three consecutive races in Imola, Monaco and Montreal. Despite his recent struggles, Red Bull elected to extend his contract by a further two years which will see Perez race for the Milton Keynes-based outfit until at least the end of the 2026 F1 season.
"Well, I think in Formula 1, there are always different agendas, and I really get that. It's something that has been with every driver since we got in the sport. And I think the best thing to do is just to close the visor and focus on my job, do the best for myself, for my career. And at the end of the day, when my career is finished, it's the only thing that will matter to me.”
"What people have to say or not… I mean, I appreciate that everyone has their opinion, but at the end of the day, I'm here to do the best for my career and I'm happy with what I have achieved."
‘Perez… …he solely focuses on his job’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/24728
Horner expecting Perez to bounce back after ‘horrible weekend’ in Canada
16:38 Tue, 11 Jun 2024
Caitlyn Gordon
FormulaNerds
Perez looks to bounce back. Despite the recent difficulties, Perez remains confident and believes he will regain his form in the coming weeks: “Yeah, we lost some momentum obviously in the season, but I’m also very positive that there is a long season ahead and that we will get our form back.” He said to F1. “I will be working really hard in the coming weeks with the team to make sure that we are back to that form.” Perez concluded.
What happened in Canada? Despite his history of producing some incredible recovery drives, Canada was not one of them. The first incident took place on the opening lap when Perez came in contact with Pierre Gasly, though he left the scene unscathed, he struggled to move up the pecking order. On lap 53, he lost control of his RB20, damaging his rear wing. He limped back to the pits, leaving pieces of carbon fibre around the circuit before retiring for the second consecutive weekend. Adding to his woes, the stewards issued a penalty for the incident, handing the No.11 driver a three-place grid penalty for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Horner gives his thoughts. After a weekend to forget for the Mexican, team principal, Christian Horner issued his thoughts on the ‘horrible’ weekend his driver faced. “That was a horrible weekend for Checo and obviously he picked up some damage, so he’ll need to come back strong in Barcelona.” He said to Sky Sports.
‘Horrible weekend’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ho...end-in-canada/
Sergio Perez ‘not that bad’ – Support emerges amid nightmare F1 run
15 Jun 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Former Bridgestone competition chief Kees van de Grint has leapt to the defence of the struggling Sergio Perez… “It might be a bit of a dead giveaway, but it’s clear that Perez is going through a valley at the moment,” van de Grint told RacingNews365.com.
“First of all, it’s very close. In the past, you were 16th because you were two seconds or even more too slow. But now we are talking about hundredths and tenths of a second. Perez is not doing well at the moment, that’s clear, but that is also not a reflection of how he is as a driver. He can do better. You can say a lot about team boss Christian Horner, but not that he doesn’t have a view or doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
“Horner will have weighed a number of other behind-the-scenes factors besides Perez’s driving ability, such as calmness in the team and the commercial background. But he will not have made that choice if he thinks, ‘This guy can’t do anything’. This is bad luck and it gives food for thought, but Perez is not that bad.”
‘Support emerges’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...s-van-de-grint
Marko makes Hamilton comparison after Perez penalty
Dr. Helmut Marko has addressed Sergio Perez's three-place grid penalty for the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.
12 June 2024
Jan van der Burgt & Nick Golding
RacingNews365
Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko has revealed that the outfit "can live" with Sergio Perez's Spanish Grand Prix grid penalty after driving a heavily damaged car last weekend in the Canadian Grand Prix. Perez will take a three-place grid penalty into next weekend's race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, following an incident which saw him continue driving a car with "serious mechanical difficulties". Camera hid true damage. With McLaren, Ferrari and now Mercedes having a car capable of competing with the RB20, Perez's grid penalty could have a huge impact in Barcelona.
Perez will start no higher than fourth on the grid and that can only be achieved by claiming pole position, an unlikely feat based on his recent qualifying record. However, Marko insists Red Bull can cope with its punishment and has revealed that the Milton Keynes-based side were unable to view the full extent of Perez's damage. "We can live with that penalty imposed," Marko told OE24.
"With the camera setup we had at our disposal, we couldn't see from the pit lane how much Checo's car was really damaged. At that point, we wanted him to continue as long as possible, because this was a Grand Prix where anything was possible." Marko went on to note that Red Bull could never have known how much debris would fall of Perez's car and pointed out that Lewis Hamilton won the 2020 British Grand Prix with a completely delaminated tyre. "Others have driven around with more dangling parts," Marko added. "Lewis Hamilton once won at Silverstone on three wheels."
‘Hamilton comparison after Perez penalty’;
https://racingnews365.com/marko-make...-perez-penalty
‘Strange there was no penalty then’ – Marko recalls Hamilton’s 2020 British GP win after Perez penalty
13 Jun 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Helmut Marko says it’s “strange” Lewis Hamilton wasn’t penalised when he completed the final lap of the 2020 British GP on three wheels but Sergio Perez was in Canada. Hamilton suffered a puncture on the final lap of the 2020 British Grand Prix, his front left tyre shreading pieces of rubber as he completed the final lap to win the race ahead of Max Verstappen. Told to “stop” by Mercedes after crossing the line for the victory, Hamilton’s race engineer reiterated he was to stop the car as it “was dangerous.”
Marko finds it “strange” that Hamilton was not penalised then but Perez was in Canada. “Three places back for Perez on the Spanish grid because he brought his damaged car into the pits instead of putting it aside in Montreal,” Marko wrote in his Speedweek column. “I think that’s too harsh a punishment, because in a race with changeover conditions, you have to bring your car back, especially when it’s not immediately clear what the damage looks like.”
“Perez’s rear-view mirrors were dirty and he couldn’t see what the rear looked like. We, on the other hand, could see from the data that the suspension was OK. Of course we try to bring the car back and, ideally, be able to fight for points again. The race stewards then announced that parts of his car had fallen off. But hey there! I remember Lewis Hamilton once crossing the finish line on three wheels at Silverstone and winning. Strange there was no penalty then.”
“Strange there was no penalty then”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut...canada-penalty
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Sargeant reflects on Canada: ‘Very disappointed in myself’.
After his impressive qualifying performance on Saturday, which saw him start P13 for the Canadian Grand Prix, Logan Sargeant's progress in Montreal was destroyed on race day
June 11, 2024
Rhiannon Temporal
FormulaNerds
The Canadian Grand Prix appeared to hold much promise for Williams’ Logan Sargeant. A strong performance in qualifying saw him line up in P13. However, the American driver’s progress was soon destroyed in the early stages of the race. Initially, the 2023 rookie bumped the wall on lap seven but could continue with very little damage.
But, on lap 25, he suffered a race-finishing hit, bringing out the safety car. Considering the tricky conditions had lingered all weekend, it is a shame Sargeant’s weekend ended the way it did. Following the chequered flag, the Williams driver expressed his regret regarding the final result of his race. He said:
“It was tricky [conditions], obviously not the way I wanted it to go, just not good enough, too many mistakes. Two very punishing ones. For sure, very disappointed with myself after feeling like I was driving great this weekend, so move on and just look ahead.”
‘Very disappointed in myself’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/sa...ted-in-myself/
2024 Canadian Grand Prix: Logan Sargeant crashes out in Montreal
19:06 Mon, 10 Jun 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Williams driver Logan Sargeant spins into the barrier at Turn 4 bringing out the Safety Car on Lap 24 and ending his involvement in the 2024 Canadian Grand Prix.
‘Crashes out’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...71151407304556
‘Enough is enough’: Guenther Steiner shares when he thinks Williams will part ways with Logan Sargeant
Sun 16 June 2024 08:00
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
The future of Logan Sargeant at Williams is going to be closely monitored after several events since the beginning of the Canadian Grand Prix race weekend that haven’t gone his way. The young American is in his second season in Formula 1 but his current record doesn’t suggest that he’s destined for a long and storied career in the sport.
Logan Sargeant’s Formula 1 career on very thin ice Asked when he thinks Williams will pull the plug on Sargeant, Steiner said: “I think at the end of the year.” Pressed on why they wouldn’t replace him with someone like Kimi Antonelli before then, he added: “I don’t know how the contract is phrased, I mean there’s a lot of stuff going on there that we don’t know.”
“First of all, you always try to work with the people you’ve got. You need to show in a team that you try your best. Obviously, at some stage, enough is enough, it’s like, ‘Why are we doing this?’ I think it will go to the end, I think if he’s got a few more [races] like this [in Canada] before the summer break, after the summer break maybe there’s somebody else in the cockpit. And I think it will go altogether with who is going to drive the car next year.”
“I think at the end of the year”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gue...ogan-sargeant/
Logan Sargeant already ‘knows’ about Williams exit after ‘stupid mistakes’, claims Montoya
18 Jun 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Although Williams have not officially told Logan Sargeant he’s out and that Carlos Sainz is in, Juan Pablo Montoya says he knows it and it is time to start looking outside of F1 for a 2025 race seat.
Former McLaren driver Montoya reckons the American knows his days are numbered. “He already knows, although they haven’t officially told him yet that he will no longer stay with the team,” the Colombian told W Radio Colombia.
“The moment they tell him: ‘Look, thank you very much for the past years, we gave you the opportunity, but it didn’t work, what a shame’, they can also tell him to relax and focus on his future. Then Logan will relax a lot more, he will no longer fight for that seat and it will be really difficult for him to stay in Formula 1.”
‘Already knows’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/logan-...ws-exit-sealed
‘Clearly stated’: What Williams staff are now saying about Logan Sargeant amid Carlos Sainz interest
Wed 19 June 2024 09:00
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Logan Sargeant is a man under serious pressure on the Formula 1 grid with his performance in every session being heavily scrutinised. Sargeant does appear to be on his way out of the team with Carlos Sainz potentially in line to replace him. However, staff at Williams have been pleasantly surprised by the step forward Sargeant has taken this year. It’s unlikely to be enough to save him but suggests he has made some improvements that may have gone unnoticed among his mistakes.
Logan Sargeant still has the support of Williams staff amid Kimi Antonelli rumours. The news that the FIA is willing to reduce the age required to earn a Super License under special circumstances to 17 would not have gone down well within the Sargeant camp. It’s almost certainly aimed at Kimi Antonelli who has been linked with replacing Sargeant in the coming weeks.
Williams use Mercedes’s power units and have previously loaned George Russell from Toto Wolff’s outfit to aid his development as a driver. If Williams need a stop-gap before Sainz’s potential arrival in 2025, Antonelli may be the man to end Sargeant’s current spell in F1.
‘Pleasantly surprised by the step forward Sargeant has taken this year’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wha...ainz-interest/
F1 star "already knows" his career is ending as team prepares to swing axe
There is still plenty yet to be decided this year with the F1 driver market particularly volatile, but time certainly looks to be almost up for Logan Sargeant who has struggled to perform for Williams
19 June 2024
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Williams consider Carlos Sainz to be their top target to race alongside Albon next year, though the Spaniard has other options. As for Sargeant, team principal James Vowles has called upon the American to show more in the coming months - even though his fate seems to be all but sealed.
Vowles said: "I think there's no doubt, second year of running, and you are now seeing the confidence start to build as a result of it, and there is performance there. We also haven't had the cars in the same spec for a period of time. Some of that's still due to the earlier damage that we're building up to, some of that is because we pulled forward upgrades, and there was simply not enough to put across two cars.”
"He is continuously evolving as an individual, as I hope he would be in that circumstance. Is he where I need him to be target-wise? And that's the big question of things. We need more from him, really, to be able to save his seat in that sort of circumstance."
"Already knows";
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...sainz-33060798
F1 star told his career is over after 'a lot of stupid mistakes'
Logan Sargeant is expected to be dropped by Williams and the American has been told to 'relax and focus on his future' as a result.
Jun 19, 2024
By Charlie Parker-Turner
Daily and Sunday Express
Logan Sargeant has been advised to brace himself for a future outside of Formula One with Williams reportedly planning to drop the underperforming American driver. Former F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya believes it's time for Sargeant to come to terms with the fact that his F1 career may be over. Montoya suggested that Sargeant should explore other options, saying: "If I were him, I would first talk to everyone to see whether there is interest from another team.
Montoya suggested that Sargeant should explore other options, saying: "If I were him, I would first talk to everyone to see whether there is interest from another team. "But I would also start looking at IndyCar, WEC and other options for next year. He's had a tough time and it's difficult. If you look at his performance in F3 and F2, he was very good. It's sad because if you ask Albon, he will say Sargeant is very fast, he does very well, but he makes a lot of stupid mistakes."
‘Eexpected to be dropped’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...geant-Williams
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Weight Crisis at Williams F1: Alex Albon Opens Up About The Challenge Slowing The Team Down.
As the 2024 Formula 1 season unfolds, Williams Racing continues to battle significant challenges with their car's weight, according to driver Alex Albon.
17:05 Sun, 16 Jun 2024
By Alex Harrington
Sports Contributing Writer
Newsweek
Despite efforts to lighten the chassis, the Williams FW46 remains notably heavy, which has severely impacted its performance on the track. Albon's insights offer a candid look into the ongoing struggles faced by the Grove squad as they work through the season's early races. The Thai-British driver expressed the difficulty of addressing these challenges publicly, especially before Williams team boss James Vowles acknowledged the issue.
"It was hard because you guys were asking me what the difference was with last year's car, and I was telling you it's better, but we were running around in P19 and P20. I kind of had to bite my lip a little bit, but it was mostly down to it," Albon shared. "There are still things in our car that we need to improve, I'm not denying that, but it was always very hard to answer your questions."
"We're still overweight and by a good amount. Monaco I think is the least sensitive to weight and Canada is the fourth least sensitive to weight, so good tracks. Barcelona goes the other way, so we just need to make the most of these moments until the weight does come out of the car. There's a big push to try to get it on weight before the end of the season, but it is going to be tough."
‘Weight Crisis’;
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/form...3393?piano_t=1
Albon forced to bottle up frustrations over heavy Williams
12:20 Mon, 17 Jun 2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
A frustrated Alex Albon says he had to bite his lip and downplay the limitations of Williams’ F1 car as the team worked on a solution to the FW46’s overweight problem. Production delays plagued the team during the off-season, resulting in a car that was considerably overweight. Albon isn’t expecting fireworks at the high-downforce Circuit de Catalunya this week, but the 28-year-old is hoping for a bit more consistency.
"Barcelona will just be about trying to optimise our car,” he explained. ”It's max downforce, which is similar to Monaco, so our big rear wing works quite well. It's quite efficient," he explained. "I'm not expecting some magic switches [in the pecking order], I'm just hoping we've got a car that's a bit more consistent.”
"Barcelona has predominantly been one of the worst circuits for us. I know we say that about a lot of tracks, but it really is one of the worst ones. I'll be interested to see if we're okay in Barcelona now or maybe we're actually good."
‘Production delays plagued the team’;
https://f1i.com/news/511022-albon-fo...-williams.html
Albon on Sainz collision: ‘Frustrating because for sure points were available today’
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Alex Albon was powerless to stop Carlos Sainz’s spinning Ferrari knocking him out of the Canadian Grand Prix, on a day when he felt points were on the table for Williams.
‘Powerless’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/al...18617668956974
2024 Canadian Grand Prix: Albon pulls off brilliant double overtake on Ricciardo and Ocon
09 June 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Alex Albon completed a superb double move when he passed Daniel Ricciardo on the straight and then Esteban Ocon at the chicane to shoot up two positions to P9 in just a few seconds.
‘Brilliant double overtake’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...13094418565789
Albon reveals how Williams can make a ‘big step’ in F1 2025
12:03 Mon, 17 Jun 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Alex Albon has disclosed that Williams should stand to make a “big step” next season providing its 2025 Formula 1 car hits the minimum weight limit from the outset.
“There’s still a lot of performance in weight,” Albon divulged. “We’re still far away from where we want to be. We do have upgrades coming in, though, that are performance as well. I would say the carrot at the moment is more towards the weight than the aero side.”
“And it is in some ways we are kind of comparing the two and seeing financially as well it’s a bit thing because losing weight isn’t cheap as well.” The Anglo-Thai driver has stressed the importance of the British side avoiding a similar situation next season to ensure that it can focus on adding pure performance.
‘Should stand to make a “big step” next season’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...ep-in-f1-2025/
Albon prefers Williams to sacrifice 2025 for bigger F1 2026 gains
Having signed a long-term contract extension, Alex Albon is keen for the Williams Formula 1 team to focus on 2026
16:32 Tue, 18 Jun 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
The extension was a huge coup for Williams team boss James Vowles, who aims to rebuild the Grove-based squad around its lead driver. And with Albon now secured, the Thai driver has bought into Vowles's long-term focus as Williams undergoes a drastic revamp.
That means he would be happy for Williams to sacrifice its chances next year if it can be in a stronger position for the new technical regulations in 2026, which teams can start attacking in full from January 2025. "That's partly with the longer-term contract, you're not so focused on the short term," Albon said.
"You don't want short-term success if it brings you pain later on and as a team, we need to think more about the future if we want to belong at the top. If we want to be a frontrunner, there are still things we need to do to do that and they're big changes that take time. Yes, I would much rather sacrifice 2025 for 2026."
‘Sacrifice 2025 for bigger F1 2026 gains’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...ains/10624556/
Albon: Williams hopes for 2014 repeat with Mercedes F1 engine
09:02 Wed, 19 Jun 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Alex Albon has expressed that he hopes the Mercedes power unit under the newest Formula 1 regulations in 2026 will inspire the side to have an edge over its rivals. “I think the engines will play a big part,” Albon said. “Maybe in 2026 we will fall back from a top team like Mercedes and have a bigger delta.”
“I hope Mercedes has a strong engine and good battery efficiency. That could work in our favour in the Constructors’ comparison and make us relatively competitive with teams with other engines.” Asked how well-prepared Williams was going into the new regulations, he replied: “I think we are still in a building phase and I don’t think we will be fully there in 2026.
“Every team is putting their words and efforts into making sure that 2026 is a fresh start for everyone, but I think it will take a little bit longer. But I hope that we can let the power unit carry us a little bit, and I remember a little bit of 2014 where the gap to the front places could be bigger. But that puts us in a good position and we can still build and develop and change parts of the team. And then we can make bigger steps up to 2027.”
‘Inspire the side to have an edge over its rivals’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...des-f1-engine/
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Moment of truth: why Spanish GP is crucial for F1 title race and driver market.
Will Red Bull return to form? Does Ferrari have an upgrade? Will we see a 17-year-old on track? And will are we about to see a flurry of 2025 F1 driver deals? Here's what to watch out for at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix
June 19th 2024
Cambridge Kisby
Motor Sport Magazine
By Sunday evening, the outlook for the rest of the Formula 1 season should be clearer. If Max Verstappen cruises to another win in the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, then the outlook will be bleak for a competitive second half of the year.
But if one or more of McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes can maintain the challenge that they have posed in recent races, then the fight really will be on — for the championship as well as race wins.
It’s expected that the competitive order in Barcelona, which heralds the start of F1’s summer European season, will be continued on the purpose-built circuits to follow, including Silverstone, Monza and Zandvoort. Red Bull expects to put its recent struggles behind it. Will anyone else be able to keep up?
‘Moment of truth’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
Spanish Grand Prix: F1 preview, times, predictions, stats
Jun 19, 2024
ESPN
Canada's thrilling race livened up the 2024 season, and Formula One heads to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for race 10. Spain marks the start of the triple header, and a return to Europe with Austria and the British Grand Prix to follow. Formula One first came to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 1991 when the circuit was built for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. It's also the home race for Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, and one that drivers love, having spent many years of winter testing here.
Who's going to win? A return to a purpose-built race track with high-speed corners should favour championship leaders Red Bull, making Verstappen the driver to beat in Spain. The limitations of the RB20's suspension have been exposed over kerbs and bumps at recent rounds, but the layout of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya should play to its strengths in fast corners.
The relative performance of the Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes should give a good indication of how competitive the second half of the season will be among the top teams.
‘Start of the triple header’;
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/4...now-spanish-gp
What time is the Formula 1 2024 Spanish Grand Prix and how can I watch it?
15:25 Wed, 19 Jun 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Formula 1 heads back to Europe as the Spanish Grand Prix kicks off what is sure to be an exhilarating triple header of races.
The event in Barcelona will begin with FP1 and FP2 on Friday, June 21, followed by FP3 and qualifying on Saturday, June 22, and finally the 66-lap Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, June 23.
‘Formula 1 2024 Spanish Grand Prix’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...UFup0pIL5Xil5M
Formula One statistics for the Spanish Grand Prix
15:10 Wed, 19 Jun 2024
The Straits Times
The 14-turn Circuit de Catalunya is hosting what will be the 54th world championship Spanish GP. Lewis Hamilton has won the Spanish GP six times (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021), a record he shares with Michael Schumacher. Other past winners on Sunday's grid are Fernando Alonso (2006, 2013) and Verstappen (2016, 2022, 2023).
The only drivers to win in Barcelona and not start on the front row were Schumacher (third on the grid in 1996), Alonso (from fifth in 2013) and Verstappen (fourth in 2016).
Alonso and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz are the only Spanish drivers in the race. Ferrari are the most successful team at the Circuit de Catalunya with eight wins. Since 1951, the Italian team have won 12 times in Spain.
MILESTONE: The race will be Sainz's last outing with Ferrari in front of his home crowd. Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso will be starting his 21st home grand prix.
‘Formula One statistics’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ish-grand-prix
F1'S Performance Reset? - Spanish GP Race Preview 2024
14:54 Wed, 19 Jun 2024
Motorsport.com
It’s almost time for F1 to head back to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix, at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. Not only do Bryn Lucas, Ben Hunt and Filip Cleeren preview the race, but they also discuss Kimi Antonelli and the vague super licence rule change, the upcoming F1 movie, whether McLaren can adapt their new car to Barcelona’s lower speed corners, can Mercedes show their Canadian form was more than just a flash in the pan, and whether Ferrari can overcome their 2023 tyre-wear problems.
0:00 F1's Spanish GP
0:44 Alpine's Engine Issues
5:11 Kimi Antonelli & Super Licence Rules
8:26 Bottas' & Sainz's Futures
12:12 F1's Upcoming Film Release Date
15:15 Barcelona to Test F1's Upgrades
18:39 McLaren's Spanish Hopes
20:20 Mercedes' Potential
25:17 Ferrari to Bounce Back?
28:31 Tyres and Pitstop Options
29:43 Predicting the Grid
31:30 Perez's Possibilities
‘F1'S Performance Reset?’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/video/...w-2024/652094/
Rain a possible major threat to 2024 F1 Spanish Grand Prix
What does the weather have in store for the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix?
19 June 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
There is a chance of showers at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, with varying track conditions throughout, according to RacingNews365's weather partner WeerOnline. Looking ahead to round 10 of the season, bright sunshine with 25 degrees temperature is expected on Friday, with sunburn even possible within just 10 minutes!
Come qualifying, there is again no chance of rain, with a similar air temperature of 26 degrees expected. However, come race day, thunderstorms are currently expected, with the threat higher in the morning and early afternoon. The chance decreases through the afternoon, with a 3pm local start time, with a wet start to the race possible.
On race day, there will be winds from the south-east, which roughly corresponds to a head-wind under braking for Turn 10.
‘What does the weather have in store’;
https://racingnews365.com/rain-a-pos...ish-grand-prix
4 team battle for the win, really? 2024 Spanish GP Preview
Jun 19, 2024 10:44 PM
Inside Line F1 Podcast (Weblog)
Does Formula 1 actually have a 4-team battle for wins hereon? OR will it be a case of different teams challenging Red Bull Racing's supremacy in 2024? Is Mercedes actually back? And can Ferrari bounce back after their debacle in Canada? Will McLaren deliver error-free weekends to continue to maximise their chances? The 2024 Spanish Grand Prix will answer a lot of questions. In this episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, Soumil Arora and Kunal Shah start by answering why the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is the best benchmark for assessing the performance of a Formula 1 car. Yes, this is a phrase we will hear all weekend long!
Will Esteban Ocon and Alpine's toxicity continue? Will Lewis Hamilton continue to deliver cryptic messages post-Qualifying? Will Carlos Sainz continue his 100% scoring record at his home race in Spain AND can he stop Charles Leclerc from out-qualifying him for the 6th race in succession. Will Alpine actually ditch the Renault power-unit, and could life come a full circle if Alpine are powered by Red Bull Power Trains come 2026? And of course, we've got our bold predictions for the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix.
‘Will Lewis Hamilton continue to deliver cryptic messages post-Qualifying?’;
https://omny.fm/shows/inside-line-f1...4-spanish-gp-p
What time does the 2024 F1 Spanish GP start?
The Spanish Grand Prix is back this weekend, but what time does the race start?
20 June 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
What time does the 2024 F1 Spanish GP start Sunday?
The F1 Spanish GP weekend takes place from Friday, June 21 to Sunday, June 23. On Saturday, the third free practice starts at 11:30 am BST, followed by the qualifying at 3:00 pm BST. The race begins on Sunday, June 23, at 2:00 pm BST.
The schedule is automatically adjusted to your time zone.
Timetable Spanish GP
Session Date Time
Free practice 1 Friday 21 June 13:30 - 14:30
Free practice 2 Friday 21 June 17:00 - 18:00
Free practice 3 Saturday 22 June 12:30 - 13:30
Qualification Saturday 22 June 16:00 - 17:00
Race Sunday 23 June 15:00 - 17:00
‘Automatically adjusted to your time zone’;
https://racingnews365.com/what-time-...anish-gp-start
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Five Spanish GP questions: Carlos Sainz’s future, Ferrari upgrades, Mercedes on the up?
19 Jun 2024
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
Will Red Bull be clear favourites again? Having overcome fierce competition to win in Canada, Red Bull are the favourites to once again take victory this weekend in Barcelona.
Can Mercedes confirm the step forward against Ferrari and McLaren? If McLaren was the big positive surprise at the Miami GP, it was Mercedes who impressed most in Canada. A positive upwards trend was on display with George Russell’s pole in Montreal and the Brackley squad had powerful race pace too.
Can Ferrari bounce back from Montreal meltdown? After a double retirement and a disappointing qualifying with both cars out of Q3, Ferrari gave the chance to turn the situation around with Carlos Sainz racing at home.
Will we learn more about Carlos Sainz’s potential move to Williams? The rumour mill has been in full flow of late and it looks increasingly likely that we may soon have an answer to the question of where Carlos Sainz’s future lies.
Can home favourite Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin recover the good sensations? After three races with a completely unknown Fernando Alonso, the Spaniard was once again at his best in Canada with a good qualifying and a good race for Aston Martin.
‘Five questions’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/sp...s-sainz-future
Spanish Grand Prix - five storylines
Here AFP Sport assesses five storylines as F1 prepares for the battle of Barcelona:
20/06/2024
France 24
Max to shine in Spain again? What a difference a year makes. Max Versappen turned up in Barcelona 12 months ago with his third title already virtually wrapped up, the Red Bull invincible, the rest of the grid floundering in their wake. Twelve months on the pack has mercifully closed in…
Ferrari's Montreal blip: After Charles Leclerc's emotional first triumph in Monaco Ferrari fell back to earth with a bump in Montreal with two DNFs. Buoyant McLaren: Miami-winner Norris and Oscar Piastri have plenty to smile about. McLaren have beaten Ferrari in four of the past five races. Less than four seconds separated Norris and Verstappen on the line in Montreal, and less than a second in Emilia Romagna. That's catapulted the Briton into third, eight points adrift of Leclerc, in the title race.
'Dumb' Mercedes winging it: Pole for George Russell in Montreal, followed by third place in the race ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton, a record-equalling six time winner in Catalonia, gave hope that Mercedes are back in business. Technical director James Allison put the uptick down to a new front wing. "The thing that has bedevilled us from the start of the year, we couldn't get the car good in both fast and slow corners. What has changed in the last two or three races is that we've modified the car to give crucial balance to the driver," he told F1 Nation podcast.
‘Spotlight’;
https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...ive-storylines
NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix
20 Jun 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Vital statistics
• First Grand Prix – 1951 (Pedralbes)
• Track Length – 4.657km
• Lap record – 1m 16.330s, Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 2023
• Most pole positions – Michael Schumacher (7)
• Most wins – Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (6)
• Trivia – Fernando Alonso’s most recent F1 win came at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2013
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 595 metres
• Overtakes completed in 2023 – 107
• Safety Car probability – 50%
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 25%
• Pit stop time loss – 22.3 seconds (includes 2.5s stop)
‘Facts, stats and trivia’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...ihWBm1qxQpOqRE
RB confirms major upgrade for Spanish GP
20 June 2024
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
RB will introduce an aerodynamic upgrade for the Spanish Grand Prix, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as confirmed by technical director Jody Egginton. The team announced ahead of the weekend that it will bring updated bodywork, as well as developed floors and rear wings for both cars.
It has been a relatively strong start to the season for RB, with Yuki Tsunoda in fine form - his performances have solidified its grasp on sixth-place in the constructors' standings, having finished last season, its final as AlphaTauri, in eighth position. The team has already amassed more points just nine rounds into this year than it did throughout 2023 - 28 to 25. That is in spite of the fact the leading five teams have a stronger monopoly on the points-paying positions than last season.
RB has also closed the performance gap to that quintet - Aston Martin, in particular - and news of further upgrades can only be seen as a positive for the team. "A significant amount of work was put in by Faenza and Bicester to prepare and deliver an aerodynamic update consisting of a floor, bodywork and rear wing for both cars, to provide a measurable performance benefit," Egginton said. "As a result of having this update, the Friday sessions will be especially busy, in order to gather and process as much data as possible and get ready for Saturday onwards.”
‘Major upgrade’;
https://racingnews365.com/rb-takes-m...te-to-spain-gp
‘May as well retire’: Haas drivers told they ‘may as well retire’ before Spanish GP due to one key car issue
20 June 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Italian tyre makers, Pirelli, will be bringing three of its hardest 2024 dry tyre compounds to the race weekend, with them anticipating higher temperatures because the race will take place three weeks later than in 2023. This means thermal degradation could be an issue for teams to get on top of, with Haas singled out by former Le Mans class winner, Richard Bradley, on the On Track GP Podcast.
Haas drivers ‘may as well just retire’. Bradley anticipates the track will pose an issue for Haas given their long-standing tyre problems, which often leads to both Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen having impressive qualifying sessions then dropping out of the points in the race. “The problem with the circuit is that it’s very biased in the high speed, long right-handers, and the front left tyres because the surface is aggressive and just wears completely,” said Bradley.”
“So overtaking is impossible and you can never push the car because the front left dies, then you get graining in all conditions, and the car never feels good. I don’t want to say too much, but they [Haas] may as well just retire already because they’re not going to be scoring points.”
‘Haas... ...retire’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/haa...key-car-issue/
Mercedes wary about main F1 ‘weakness’ heading into Spanish GP
18 Jun 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says this weekend’s F1 Spanish Grand Prix will reveal how much progress the team have made in curing the W15’s main weakness. “Barcelona will provide a good test of our progress,” Mercedes team principal Wolff said. “This weekend will therefore provide another opportunity to evaluate our progress through our recent updates, and we hope to build on the positive momentum from Montreal.”
“We have continued to make incremental gains across the past few races,” Wolff added. “It was encouraging therefore to take another positive step forward in Canada. To see that translate into our strongest team result of the season so far is a reward for everyone's hard work.”
“The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a unique track, however. It has a narrow range of corner speeds and, with a newly re-laid surface, was something of an outlier compared to more traditional venues. We know our competitors will perform more strongly at upcoming races so we will need to continue to work hard to consistently get ourselves in the fight for podiums, and eventually race wins.”
‘Clear picture’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105081...ing-spanish-gp
Mercedes say exactly what Lewis Hamilton won't want to hear ahead of Spanish GP
20 Jun 2024
Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Mercedes technical director James Allison said it is unlikely that his team will be "right at the front" at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. He said: "The changes we have made are making this car a better car and that will be true at every circuit we go to. The characteristics of Montreal make it look a little quicker than we have a natural right to command at the coming races.”
"In Barcelona, I think it more likely that we will be competitive, but not right at the front. Because the next tracks are a little bit of a sterner test of a car. Hot asphalt, wider cornering speeds." Allison went on to add though: "However, I also know what we have got coming. I also know what we are planning to further improve the car. Our challenge is just to keep those upgrades arriving at a pace that the others cannot keep up with.”
"In doing that, just bullying our car to the front by virtue of the effort made by everybody here over the coming weeks and months to get the car so that it can have its Montreal weekend or better at any track that we face in the future."
‘Not at the front’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...n-car-33069546
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F1 - 2024 Spanish Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript.
DRIVERS – Daniel RICCIARDO (RB), Carlos SAINZ (Ferrari), Fernando ALONSO (Aston Martin), Kevin MAGNUSSEN (Haas), Valtteri BOTTAS (Kick Sauber).
20.06.24
FIA (Press Release)
Q: Fernando, this is your 21st Spanish Grand Prix. Explain to us what makes Barcelona different for you? Fernando ALONSO: We had a lot of tests here in the past. Now, we do them in Bahrain, but in the past Barcelona used to be all the winter tests in this place. We have millions of laps in Barcelona, also in the junior categories. Obviously a lot of things happened here in Barcelona as well. It's one of those races that we know all very well. For us, for Carlos, for myself, a lot more support in the grandstands. Family coming, friends are coming. So yeah, a little bit extra motivation this weekend.
Q: Carlos, can we come to you now? Do you second everything Fernando's just said about racing at home? Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, definitely. I think it's always been incredible, but maybe it's true the last few years, I think since I've been with Ferrari and Fernando has been back with Aston, and having that chance of podiums, I think the last few years, the attendance and the excitement of the whole country towards Formula 1 has increased again. I don't know if it’s to the levels of 2005, 2010 when he was fighting for the championship, but to a level that is really nice to see and gives us a lot of support and a really good mood to come into the track.
Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports UK) Another question for Fernando. We're reading reports, Fernando, that Adrian Newey has visited the Aston Martin factory and had some talks with the team. Will you speak to him at all? Have you spoken to him? Do you plan to? Is there a role for you in persuading him to come to the team? And if you were, what would you say to him to sell Aston Martin to him? FA: There are many questions on that. Yeah, I read the rumours, I read the news. But it's coming from the same source and the same websites of one week ago [saying] he was in Ferrari and it was the announcement at 12 o'clock before Canada race. So yeah, rumours are rumours.
‘Transcript’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2024-spa...nce-transcript
Six things we've already learned from F1's Spanish Grand Prix
Jun 20, 2024
The Race
Sainz's decision urgency has increased: Carlos Sainz saying he's close to making up his mind about his post-Ferrari future has become a common theme of F1 Thursdays in 2024. But it appeared to step up a notch at Barcelona with the admission that the dilemma has become a drain.
Perez thinks this will be a reset: Perez arrives to the 2024 edition badly needing an uptick in form after a serious dip that has coincided with Red Bull generally having a more difficult time getting its car to work well.
Sargeant has parity at last: Williams’s much-publicised struggles mean that it’s been a long time since Logan Sargeant has had the same equipment as team-mate Alex Albon. He’d originally expected to regain parity last time out in Canada, but finally has the lighter floor first run by Albon at Imola on his car.
Why Russell's making more mistakes: George Russell understandably came under plenty of scrutiny after a messy Canadian GP weekend that featured some of the highest highs and lowest lows of his Mercedes stint thus far.
Alpine's trying to turn the page: There was a clear attempt to shut all that noise down immediately as the paddock reconvened in Barcelona, with Ocon telling gathered media (including The Race) “I am not going to comment on any of that” as reporters attempted to discuss the fallout from Canada with him.
Sauber has granted Zhou's wish: At the request of Zhou, a switch of chassis and other parts. “More than the speed, it’s the confidence when pushing the car,” said Zhou when asked what’s gone wrong recently. “We did something different from Imola onwards and, from my side, I’ve really been struggling.”
‘Six’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/s...and-prix-2024/
2024 Spanish Grand Prix: What the Teams are Saying ahead of the Weekend
June 20, 2024
Joe Briley
The Checkered Flag
Max Verstappen — Oracle Red Bull Racing — Driver “We are back to the European races for a while now and I have been with the Team at the factory this week preparing for the Spanish Grand Prix, being the first race of a busy triple header.”
Sergio Pérez — Oracle Red Bull Racing — Driver ““Coming into Spain I know I need a successful weekend, after a disaster in Canada. Sometimes you are forced to reset a little and we have done that since the last race. I have been in Milton Keynes working with the Team to try and identify where and what we can do better to ensure I am getting the most out of this car.”
Fred Vasseur — Scuderia Ferrari — Team principal ““The Spanish Grand Prix should see us return to being competitive, with the same level of performance we have demonstrated throughout the season prior to the Canadian Grand Prix.”
Lando Norris — McLaren F1 Team — Driver “It’s great to be back in Europe after a successful Canadian GP for us. We were close to another win, but I’m happy to get another podium and important points for the team. It’s a great place to be in, fighting for wins, and it makes me really excited for the rest of the season.”
Oscar Piastri — McLaren F1 Team — Driver “Canada was another strong weekend for the team and I was pleased to continue a productive run of results from Imola and Monaco. It’s a nice feeling to be consistently fighting at the front and being in the mix for the big prizes.”
Toto Wolff — Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team — Team principal and CEO ““We have continued to make incremental gains across the past few races. It was encouraging therefore to take another positive step forward in Canada. To see that translate into our strongest team result of the season so far is a reward for everyone’s hard work.”
‘Team talk’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...f-the-weekend/
Vasseur expects Ferrari to return to pre-Montreal performance level
21 Jun 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Following an utterly difficult race in Montreal, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur expects his team to regain its competitive level at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. Ferrari endured a tough weekend in Montreal two weeks, failing to score a single point in the wet 70-lap race after having struggled for outright pace in qualifying.
WIth the field returning to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix, Ferrari is keen to put its poor performance in Montreal behind it and return to fighting for victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit.
"This is Carlos’ home race and I’m sure all that extra support from the fans will be an added boost for him. It’s going to be an interesting weekend and we are counting on scoring plenty of points," concluded Vasseur.
‘Fred Vasseur expects…’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...f-the-weekend/
Charles Leclerc warns Red Bull’s “beginning of the season” form will return in Spain
Charles Leclerc is adamant Red Bull will be "back" at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.
20 Jun 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Charles Leclerc expects Red Bull to return to their impressive early-season F1 form at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. Giving his view on Red Bull, Leclerc told media including Crash.net in Barcelona: “Me personally and I am not speaking on behalf of the team but my personal opinion is that we will see a stronger Red Bull and a Red Bull that we have seen at the beginning of the season back here in Barcelona.”
“Just because the track layout normally Red Bull is very fast around here. I do also believe that the last four races from Miami to the last race in Canada was a lot about kerb riding - and it’s probably not the one strengths of the Red Bull. I believe we will see them back to a true, really good level this weekend. However, we still have some new parts in the car for this weekend.”
“If that helps us to be very close here it’s a good sign for the rest because normally Barcelona is quite representative for the rest of the season. It’s going to be an interesting weekend so if we’re in the fight here it’s a good sign for the rest of the season.”
“Beginning of the season”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105085...l-return-spain
Max in Barcelona: 'Aiming for a weekend without mistakes'
20 June 2024
Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl
Looking ahead to tenth race of the season, the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver said: “The last couple of races were trickier for us, but every track is different. In Barcelona it’s more about aero and high-speed corners. This track should suit our car, because it isn’t as bumpy and you don’t need to use the kerbstones. It’s a more straightforward track, but everyone has a lot of data because we’ve been here so often.”
After nine races, the reigning world champion leads the standings by 56 points. Compared to the previous season, the points advantage is less dominant. “The last races, the teams have been closer together and I expect the same here in qualifying. Small details can make a big difference so it’s important to have a weekend without mistakes. That’s what we always aim for. I’m looking forward to it; it’s a great circuit.”
‘Small details/big difference’;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5501/
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Norris heads Verstappen in opening Spanish GP practice.
McLaren’s Lando Norris set the fastest time during the opening practice session for Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix.
21 June 2024
Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week
Norris used Soft tyres to post a time of 1:14.228 to inch just 0.024s ahead of World Champion Max Verstappen, who also used the red-banded compound for his best lap. Verstappen, who claimed his maiden victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2016, leads the championship by 56 points.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz started his home race weekend on a strong footing by classifying in third position, three-tenths down on Norris, but with his lap time achieved on the Medium tyres. Fourth-placed George Russell also used the yellow-banded rubber for his timed lap, ahead of Soft-shod Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was seventh, while Esteban Ocon provided some encouragement for Alpine by taking eighth spot. Fernando Alonso was ninth for Aston Martin and caused the only incident of note during the session after running wide at the high-speed Turn 9.
‘Norris heads Verstappen’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...h-gp-practice/
Spanish GP: Free Practice 1 Results
Full results from Free Practice 1 from the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
21 June 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from Free Practice 1 from the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 26 1:14.228
2 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 25 1:14.252 0.024
3 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 29 1:14.572 0.344
4 63 George Russell Mercedes 29 1:14.614 0.386
5 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 26 1:14.692 0.464
6 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 28 1:14.867 0.639
7 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 27 1:14.911 0.683
8 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine 29 1:15.086 0.858
9 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 25 1:15.222 0.994
10 23 Alex Albon Williams 24 1:15.417 1.189
‘Full results from Free Practice 1’;
https://speedcafe.com/spanish-gp-fre...ice-1-results/
Lando Norris pips Max Verstappen to top red-flagged opening Spanish GP practice
Lando Norris edges out Max Verstappen to the fastest time in first practice at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix.
21 Jun 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Lando Norris set the early pace by heading Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in opening practice at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix. The McLaren driver topped the FP1 timesheet with a best lap of 1m14.228 seconds as he edged out reigning world champion Verstappen by a minuscule 0.024s.
Carlos Sainz - one of two home heroes for the Spanish crowd to cheer on - wound up third-fastest for Ferrari, 0.344s off Norris’ FP1 benchmark, though his time was set on the medium compound. Having set the pace early on in the first hour-long practice session, George Russell ended up fourth and nearly four-tenths adrift in his Mercedes.
Sergio Perez was fifth in the other Red Bull, ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton, who ran wide at Turn 10 and ended up a few tenths adrift of his Mercedes teammate Russell. Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon completed the rest of the top-10 order for Alpine, Aston Martin and Williams respectively.
‘Lando Norris set the early pace’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105090...sh-gp-practice
Spanish GP: Lando Norris tops FP1 as Charles Leclerc laments ‘horrendous’ Ferrari
21 Jun 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
McLaren and Lando Norris made the perfect start to the Spanish Grand Prix by setting the pace in the opening practice session. Max Verstappen brought the fight with 0.024s splitting the pair on the soft tyres, while the old-spec Ferrari was not giving Charles Leclerc much joy.
Heading into the final 15 minutes and Leclerc found Lance Stroll in the middle of the corner, apparently “as always”, before reporting a clutch issue as he returned to the Ferrari garage. Russell meanwhile got a “good question” response after asking Mercedes why he and Lewis Hamilton were sent back out onto the track at the same time.
For Pierre Gasly it was back to the pit lane, as he branded his Alpine A524 undriveable, while Verstappen’s clutch was “anti-stalling”, though he was in the clear to drive on. Race simulations on the softs brought FP1 to a close as Norris topped the session from Verstappen by 0.024s, Sainz completing the top three.
‘Horrendous Ferrari/clutch issue’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/spanis...024-fp1-report
2024 Spanish GP FP1: Debris from Alonso’s car triggers red flag in first practice
21 Jun 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
The first practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix was halted with about 20 minutes left on the clock after a part from Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin flew off the car and was left on the circuit.
‘Debris’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...72996932147181
Red Bull and Ferrari debut major F1 upgrades at Spanish GP
Jun 21, 2024
by Mark Hughes
The Race
The Spanish Grand Prix isn't quite the development frenzy it used to be, given it's no longer Formula 1's first European race of the year. But two of F1 2024's frontrunners have still brought significant packages to Barcelona, as Mark Hughes explains...
Red Bull: Red Bull has further revised the geometry of its radiator inlets to induce a higher pressure of air being fed there, to minimise the area of aerodynamically damaging outlet louvres. This has brought with it a change to the engine cover side panels and even to the floor to match the new bodywork.
Ferrari: Ferrari has introduced a new high downforce rear wing and beam wing offering what it claims is a wider range of effectiveness in the transient state, when the car is in yaw. The sidepod undercut and the coke bottle cut-away at the rear have both been enhanced with the aim of increasing downforce at the rear of the car and the floor fences at the tunnel inlet have been suitably re-aligned to fully exploit this.
‘Aston Martin, RB, Sauber, Haas upgrades’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/r...es-spanish-gp/
Ferrari explain the seven upgrades ‘fast-tracked’ to F1 Spanish GP.
Ferrari senior performance engineer details updates in Barcelona
21 Jun 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Ferrari’s extensive upgrade package at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix is tailored to bringing more performance as the team looks to bounce back from its woeful weekend in Canada. In a bid to bounce back, Ferrari have got their latest upgrade - comprising seven elements including a revised floor, engine cover, diffuser and halo - ready in time to debut at the start of F1’s triple header in Spain.
Ferrari’s senior performance engineer told media including Crash.net in Barcelona that the package is “similar” to their Imola upgrade both in terms of size and expected performance gains. “When we quantify an upgrade, we’re only talking performance, that’s what it’s all about at the end of the day,” Clear said. “We could talk some interesting numbers that the aero department produce, but how much lap time it produces is always our measure.”
Asked if it represents a more incremental upgrade, compared to the visually-striking updates introduced at Imola, Clear replied: “Yes, I think so. Again, we’ve spoken in the past about how subtle some of the effects on air are, certainly at the back of the car. And this was in parallel with Imola, so this isn’t a reaction to Imola if you see what I mean, this isn’t the upgrade from Imola and then we look at what it did.”
‘Seven upgrades fast-tracked’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105089...-f1-spanish-gp
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Spanish GP: Lewis Hamilton tops tight FP2 in Barcelona as multi-team fight emerges.
Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris both lapped within half a tenth of the Mercedes driver in second practice, as Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was two tenths further back in fourth place.
21 Jun 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
The drivers looked for as much time on track as possible in FP2, with most of the teams bringing plenty of upgrades with them to Barcelona, as is traditional, given the circuit’s status as a true all-round test of the cars.
After the green light, the mediums were the tyre of choice early on as McLaren and Mercedes showed up as early pace-setters, with George Russell’s 1:14.089 a tenth quicker than Lando Norris in the early stages.
The front-runners’ team-mates were not quite in such close proximity however, with Sergio Perez half a second down on Verstappen’s time, Russell 0.458s behind Hamilton, Oscar Piastri three tenths off Norris and Charles Leclerc a similar gap behind Sainz.
‘Lewis Hamilton tops tight FP2’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/spanis...024-fp2-report
Spanish GP: Free Practice 2 Results
Full results from Free Practice 2 from the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
22 June 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from Free Practice 2 from the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 27 1:13.264
2 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 29 1:13.286 0.022
3 4 Lando Norris McLaren 30 1:13.319 0.055
4 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 27 1:13.443 0.179
5 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 28 1:13.504 0.240
6 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 21 1:13.597 0.333
7 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 27 1:13.622 0.358
8 63 George Russell Mercedes 27 1:13.722 0.458
9 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine 29 1:13.766 0.502
10 77 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 29 1:13.924 0.660
‘Free Practice 2’;
https://speedcafe.com/spanish-gp-fre...ice-2-results/
Spanish GP: Hamilton quickest in quiet second practice
22 June 2024
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was quickest in second practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, with a time of 1:13.264s putting him two hundredths of a second ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz on Friday. Having set the pace in FP1, Lando Norris was third fastest in the late afternoon sunshine ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly, while Max Verstappen was only fifth having complained of the Red Bull being 'loose' during the hour.
Verstappen's run looked promising but in the end he lost time in the middle sector and it was only enough for P3 behind Sainz and Norris. Hamilton then went ahead of Sainz by 0.022s. By contrast Russell's flying lap was messy and only good enough for P6, and immediately pipped by Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren who went a tenth quicker.
There was still a little more time to come with Gasly edging ahead of Verstappen for fourth. Running out of sequence after a lengthy delay in the Red Bull garage, Sergio Perez made a late run on the softs but could only improve to P13, eight tenths off Hamilton's top time. Ferrari had also been working on Leclerc's car, and he subsequently improved to sixth to go ahead of Piastri and Russell.
‘Hamilton quickest’;
https://f1i.com/news/511303-spanish-...-practice.html
Lewis Hamilton tops tight second Spanish GP practice ahead of Carlos Sainz
Lewis Hamilton shows off the pace of his Mercedes to end Friday practice in Barcelona fastest.
21 Jun 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Lewis Hamilton edged out Carlos Sainz to set the pace in an incredibly tight second practice at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix with a 1m13.264 seconds. It was enough to put Hamilton top of the timesheet by just 0.022s from Ferrari’s Sainz, while FP1 pacesetter Lando Norris was only 0.055s adrift as he took third in his McLaren.
Pierre Gasly was a surprise fourth for Alpine, 0.179s behind Hamilton’s FP2 benchmark. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen was fifth-fastest, 0.240s off the pace, as he complained about the handling and balance of his RB20.
‘Incredibly tight second practice’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105093...d-carlos-sainz
Hamilton edges Sainz to top spot in FP2 at F1 Spanish GP
22 June 2024
Motorsport Week
Motorsport Week
Sainz propelled his Ferrari right to the top on home soil during the opening runs on the Soft tyre, with team-mate Charles Leclerc three-tenths adrift in the sister SF-24. However, Hamilton clocked a lap moments later that went 0.033s quicker than Sainz to displace the Spaniard and that transpired to end up as the fastest overall time.
Sainz remained the lead Ferrari in second as Leclerc dropped to sixth, while Lando Norris backed up his table-topping time in FP1 to be third, 0.055s behind Hamilton. Behind the McLaren came Pierre Gasly in a surprise fourth for the ever-improving Alpine squad, with team-mate Esteban Ocon also inside the top 10 in ninth position.
Max Verstappen cooled expectations going into the weekend that Red Bull will dominate in Barcelona and he ended FP2 in fifth, 0.240s down on the benchmark time. Oscar Piastri was matching McLaren team-mate Norris until the final sector and he wound up seventh, with George Russell situated 0.458s behind Hamilton in eighth.
‘Hamilton edges Sainz’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...f1-spanish-gp/
Max Verstappen explains “loose” Red Bull radio complaints in Spanish GP practice
Max Verstappen reflects on his running on Friday at the Spanish Grand Prix.
21 Jun 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Max Verstappen didn’t seem too concerned about his Red Bull F1 car feeling “loose” in Friday practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, explaining that they were simply trying out various car setups. Verstappen was heard complaining over team radio on at least two occasions about his car being loose.
The first radio message, he said: “The car is loose in the exits in general, still just weird understeer mid corner, this car doesn't bite…” Soon after, he added: “Car is still loose.. I need the other wing.” It soon transpired that Red Bull were trialling different rear wing configurations until FP2. The Dutchman ended up fifth in the order, over 0.2s down on Lewis Hamilton’s top time.
Interestingly, Verstappen was quickest in the first and final sector, but lost out in the middle part of the lap. Shedding light on his “loose” complaints, Verstappen said: “We just tried a few different setups out there in FP1, FP2. Just trying to fine tune it a little bit. At least I think the day itself was a bit more normal without any issues so that’s what we were hoping for.
“Car is still loose.. I need the other wing…”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105093...sh-gp-practice
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Mercedes call in police over ‘Hamilton sabotage’ emails as Wolff attacks ‘cowards’.
“It’s not from a member of the team,” said Wolff. “When we are getting these kind of emails, and we’re getting tons of them, it is upsetting, particularly when somebody is talking about death and all these things.”
21st June 2024, 17:10
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has denied emails claiming Lewis Hamilton is being sabotaged were sent by a member of the team. He confirmed the police have been called over a series of emails sent to journalists and others in Formula 1 alleging Mercedes is deliberately undermining his efforts and even jeopardising his safety.
“So, on this particular one, I have instructed to go in full force. We have the police inquiring. We are researching the IP address. We are researching the phone, all of that, because online abuse in that way needs to stop. People can’t hide behind their phones or their computers and abuse teams or drivers in a way like this.”
Wolff attacked the suggestion Mercedes would try to sabotage the efforts of a driver they have won six world championships with. “I don’t know what some of the conspiracy theorists and lunatics think out there. Lewis was part of the team for 12 years. We have a friendship. We trust each other. We want to win this. We want to end this on a high. We want to celebrate the relationship.”
‘Wolff attacks cowards’;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/06/21/...tacks-cowards/
Mercedes engage police over malicious Lewis Hamilton email
Toto Wolff has revealed he’s instructed his team to engage the police to track down the author of a malicious email about Lewis Hamilton.
22 June 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Sent from a ‘burner' address on the Monday following the Canadian Grand Prix, the email, titled “A potential death warrant for Lewis”, claimed to be from a concerned member of Mercedes. “Some of us in the team are unhappy about the systematic sabotaging of Lewis, his car, his tyre strategy, his race strategy, his mental health and the unprofessional way Toto, lover boy George and others are mistreating him,” it claimed, in part.
It goes on to brand Wolff “vindictive”, that Hamilton is being excluded, and that aside from a group of supporters within the organisation, “others are on a dangerous course that could ultimately be life threatening to Lewis, other drivers even the public. A cold tyre strategy is a death warrant.” Curiously, it appeared to use an identical email distribution list as was used for the leaked Christian Horner evidence earlier this year, though the sender's email address was different.
‘Identical email distribution list’;
https://speedcafe.com/mercedes-engag...amilton-email/
Mercedes report Lewis Hamilton ‘sabotage’ email to police and hit out at “lunatics”
Mercedes have called the police to investigate an anonymous email accusing the team of 'sabotage' and endangering Lewis Hamilton's life.
21 Jun 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has confirmed an anonymous email accusing the team of ‘sabotaging’ Lewis Hamilton has been reported to the police. Hamilton, who will leave Mercedes to join Ferrari next year, stressed ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix that he had not seen the email, but defended teammate George Russell, who has been subjected to online hate and abuse.
“I wasn’t actually aware that George was experiencing any negativity,” Hamilton said. “George has done nothing but his best every single weekend and delivering for the team, so he can’t be faulted at all.
“Of course there are always things that can be better within a team and that comes through conversations, through communication, and that’s what we’re consistently working on. But we’re all in the same boat, we’re all working hard together and we all want to finish on a high. We owe that to our long-term relationship.”
‘Hit out at “lunatics” ’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105090...t-out-lunatics
Furious Toto Wolff urges ‘mad people’ to ‘see a shrink’ as police investigate worrying Lewis Hamilton email
21 Jun 2024
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Following a mass email being sent out regarding Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff has confirmed the police are now investigating the matter. The email, which was sent from an anonymous Gmail address that referred to Wolff and George Russell in juvenile terms, was sent to the same mailing list as the anonymous email leak regarding Christian Horner back in February.
The contents of this email, which was sent by someone claiming to be working with Mercedes, referred to unhappiness within the team about “systemic sabotage” of Lewis Hamilton, as well as some more serious allegations which PlanetF1.com has opted against reproducing.
While the police begin their investigations into the origin of the email sent regarding Mercedes, Red Bull opted to carry out an internal investigation to discover the source of the anonymous email pertaining to the Christian Horner allegations – an investigation which is still ongoing.
‘Toto Wolff urges ‘mad people’ to ‘see a shrink’ as police investigate’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...igation-begins
Mercedes spark police investigation over Lewis Hamilton 'death warrant' email
Mercedes have contacted the police following a dramatic email that circulated in the paddock ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Jun 21, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
An email circled around the paddock ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix accusing Mercedes of sabotage. Mercedes have contacted the police after an email circulated around the Spanish Grand Prix paddock accusing the team of 'sabotaging' star driver Lewis Hamilton as a punishment for his decision to leave for Ferrari in 2025.
The seven-time world champion has been out-qualified in eight of the nine races so far this season and fuelled speculation with cryptic comments about his form in Monaco. The anonymously sent email had the subject line "A potential death warrant for Lewis" and read:
"With the exception of Bono [Hamilton’s race engineer] and those of us who love Lewis, others are on a dangerous course that could ultimately be life-threatening to Lewis, other drivers, even the public.”
‘Mercedes spark police investigation’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...Mercedes-email
Mercedes go to police over anonymous email claiming Lewis Hamilton’s car was ‘sabotaged’
The email, said to be written by a Mercedes staff member, suggested Hamilton is being mistreated
Jun 21, 2024
Philip Duncan
The Independent
Mercedes have reported an anonymous email which claimed Lewis Hamilton’s car has been “sabotaged” to the police.
The letter, said to be written by a disgruntled Mercedes staff member, was sent to Formula One’s major players – including the Silver Arrows’ team principal Toto Wolff, F1 boss Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, as well as members of the media – in the wake of the Canadian Grand Prix earlier this month.
Speaking prior to this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton, 39, said he had not seen the e-mail which was addressed to the same recipients used to leak messages pertaining to be exchanged between Christian Horner and his complainant on the eve of the season-opening race in Bahrain.
‘Addressed to the same recipients’;
https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/f1-...-b2566661.html
Toto Wolff rejects Lewis Hamilton sabotage claims as Mercedes report email to police
Having reported anonymous allegations to authorities, team chief hits out at ‘lunatics’ who accused him of working against British driver
21 June 2024
Tom Cary, SENIOR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT, BARCELONA
The Telegraph
The email, which had the subject line “A potential death warrant for Lewis” and which claimed to be from a member of the Mercedes team, was sent on June 10 to the same extensive F1 media list as another anonymous email sent out earlier this season following the Christian Horner allegations. It did not initially reach many of its intended recipients, including this correspondent’s, as it was picked up by Spam folders. The Telegraph has now seen it.
Wolff found support from Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, who said no team would countenance sabotaging one of their own cars. “How you could imagine that the company with 1500 people working night and day, pushing like hell to bring upgrades each races, we could kill or damage one of the cars?”
McLaren’s Lando Norris also described the allegations as “the most stupid thing ever”. “Why would they want to take points away from their own driver?” he asked. “There are going to be things that Mercedes are working on that they are not going to be telling Lewis about. But that has always been the case [if a driver is leaving] and that is not the reason behind what is happening there. George is just doing a good job and people need to give George more credit.”
“The most stupid thing ever”;
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-...s-hamilton-f1/
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Hamilton stuns after ‘upsetting’ email as Verstappen faces major Barcelona challenge: Practice Wrap.
The British driver’s performance came just hours after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed police were investigating an email from “a lunatic” claiming his team were sabotaging the car of Hamilton who will drive for Ferrari next season.
21:55 Fri, 21 Jun 2024
AFP from Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)
Lewis Hamilton led a finely balanced second practice for Mercedes on Friday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull only fifth. Hamilton’s lap of 1min 13.264s lifted him atop the timesheets on a sun-blessed day in Catalonia ahead of home hero Carlos Sainz, appearing at his last Spanish Grand Prix weekend as a Ferrari driver.
A visibly angry Wolff spoke out in the strongest terms possible over the “upsetting” email which he denied had come from a member of Mercedes’ 1500 workforce and which has been sent to Formula One’s major players including the FIA. “This was not from a member of the team, this email is upsetting, somebody talking about death,” he said. “These lunatics, all those mad people out there - take a shrink.”
‘Hamilton stuns after ‘upsetting’ email’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...5883a75ea43fb2
Lewis Hamilton on top in Barcelona F1 practice after dramatic day at Mercedes
Jun 22, 2024
The Straits Times
Lewis Hamilton's practice performance came just hours after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed police were investigating an email from “a lunatic” who had claimed the team was sabotaging Hamilton's car. The June 23 race is the first of a triple header as Formula One returns to Europe where three-time world champion Verstappen was generally expected to reassert his superiority after missing out on two of the past four races.
But on the evidence of the June 21 opening two practice sessions, Verstappen - who leads the championship by 56 points - has a real fight on his hands in a refreshing turn of events for impartial F1 fans. In third came the McLaren of Lando Norris, followed by the surprisingly quick Alpine of Pierre Gasly.
Verstappen could only muster fifth ahead of Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari, who earlier this week had acted as Olympic torch bearer on his very own streets of Monaco where he had claimed his maiden home Grand Prix in May. After all the data-crunching from opening practice drivers emerged for the late afternoon session, with Verstappen straight away reporting his Red Bull’s “weird understeer”.
‘Dramatic day at Mercedes’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ay-at-mercedes
Toto Wolff denies claims Mercedes team is 'sabotaging' Lewis Hamilton over Ferrari move
F1 rocked as police probe Hamilton 'sabotage' claim.
June 22, 2024
Damien McCartney
Channel 9's Wide World of Sports
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said police are investigating the source of an email sent to journalists and rival F1 teams alleging the team is "sabotaging" Lewis Hamilton's car. It's not known if the "team" is Mercedes itself, or Hamilton's supporters, who refer themselves as Team Lewis or Team LH.
Hamilton said he had not seen the email, but also dismissed the accusations. "There are always things that can be better within a team and that comes through conversations, through communication, and that's what we're consistently working on," he said. "But we're all in the same boat, we're all working hard together and we all want to finish on a high.”
'Sabotaging';
https://www.nine.com.au/sport/motors...22-p5jnur.html
‘What we’ve been chasing’ – George Russell hails Mercedes W15 breakthrough at Spanish GP
21 Jun 2024
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
George Russell was beaming after the Mercedes W15’s impressive practice performance at the Spanish Grand Prix, claiming “this is what we’ve been chasing for a while.” The W15’s improved pace continued in practice in Barcelona, where Russell’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton set the pace in FP2.
Hamilton went on to report that the car was “feeling really great” on Friday, with the seven-time World Champion hoping to “hold on to the Red Bulls, Ferraris and McLarens” over the remainder of the weekend.
Hamilton’s comments were echoed by Russell – classified fourth and eighth in FP1 and FP2 respectively – who claimed Mercedes have now found what they’ve been looking for, having been restricted to just a single victory since the ground-effect rules were introduced in F1 2022.
‘What we’ve been chasing’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...ugh-spanish-gp
Lewis Hamilton's upbeat verdict after heading Spanish GP practice
Lewis Hamilton reflects on an impressive day for Mercedes at the Spanish Grand Prix.
21 Jun 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes are “definitely in a better place” after showing great speed once again in Friday F1 practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. While Hamilton isn’t focusing on the lap times, he’s adamant the Mercedes W15 is feeling better to drive.
“P1 was so so. I went in the direction with the car, we learned a lot in that session,” he said. “P2 definitely felt quite a bit better. We made some good changes. The car felt really great today. Very hot, the track. Very tough for the tyres especially on the long run.”
“It doesn’t feel like we’re too far off. I won’t take much notice of lap times, necessarily. The car is definitely in a better place. We’ve got work to do to improve it overnight to hold onto the Red Bulls, McLarens and Ferraris.”
‘Upbeat verdict’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105093...sh-gp-practice
Spanish GP data: Red Bull weak spot discovered as F1 2024 rivals gain ground
21 Jun 2024
Pablo Hidalgo
PlanetF1.com
Friday Free Practice day for the Spanish GP has confirmed that we will have a very close fight for the podium this weekend, a trend we have been seeing in recent races. However, the talk of the return of Red Bull’s superior dominance has fallen apart… at least for the time being.
Max Verstappen has complained of understeer and lack of grip on the rear of his car and the data shows that despite being fast in the first and third sector, in the second sector – the slowest and most twisty – Red Bull has major problems compared to its rivals.
‘Red Bull weak spot discovered’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/spanis...ls-gain-ground
Perez: Red Bull ‘lost track’ with FP2 changes at F1 Spanish GP
18:29 Fri, 21 Jun 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Sergio Perez thinks that Red Bull “lost track somewhere” with the alterations made on his side of the garage during second practice at Formula 1’s Spanish Grand Prix. Having been within the top five positions in the opening practice session, Perez believes that the set-up tweaks made to his RB20 in FP2 were behind his sudden drop.
“I think it started the day well, but then into FP2 we did quite a bit of changes and I think we lost track somewhere, plenty of things to analyse,” Perez said. “We’ve done a lot of changes, we’ve explored the car quite a bit, so hopefully we are able to pick the right bits going into tomorrow.”
Asked how crucial qualifeing will be on a circuit where passing has not tended to be straightforward compared to other venues, Perez replied: “Super, super crucial. With the lack of overtaking around this place, it’s going to be very important to be able to qualify well, to be able to get into a good position on Sunday.”
“Super, super crucial”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...f1-spanish-gp/
Ferrari upgrades: What upgrades have Ferrari brought to Spanish GP?
21:14 Fri, 21 Jun 2024
Joe Krishnan
Total Motorsport
Ferrari upgrades: What changes have been made? Ferrari’s upgrades are comprised of seven changes to their SF-24 car, with modifications to the rear wing, engine cover, floor fences, floor body, floor edge, diffuser and the Halo.
The new rear wing has been designed to bring higher downforce, with changes to the top and lower sections of the rear wing. This includes an introduction of more loaded top and lower rear wing flap profiles, which will extend the car polar to give the team a bigger chance of finding extra speed at high-velocity circuits like Barcelona.
Their changes to the bodywork surround an increased sidepod and engine cover undercut to improve the flow quality over the floor edge and to the back of the car, giving clear aerodynamic benefits. Their changes to the bodywork surround an increased sidepod and engine cover undercut to improve the flow quality over the floor edge and to the back of the car, giving clear aerodynamic benefits.
‘Seven changes to their SF-24 car’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...anish-gp-2024/
