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As good as Max Verstappen has been, his Red Bull team deserve the greater plaudits.
Whisper it, but the F1 teams really prefer the world constructors’ championship to the world drivers’ championship.
25th September 2023, 03:08
David Tremayne
The Straits Times
There is reflected glory in the latter, but to many it is purely reflective of the man at the wheel, whereas the former acknowledges just what a huge team effort is required to field two cars for around 23 races in a season, and to keep developing them to the nth degree within the newly imposed US$135 million (S$184 million) limitations of the current cost cap.
Max Verstappen’s brutal return to utter dominance after the strange glitch in Singapore the previous week was more than sufficient to wrap up a sixth WCC for Red Bull Honda. Details of precise payments to teams for their final positions therein are a close-guarded secret, but suffice it to say they are made on a percentage basis so most of the money from the 2023 kitty will be headed to Milton Keynes.
There is a cost too, however: a sliding scale reduction in the time the most successful teams are allowed to spend on crucial aerodynamic research. It’s designed to level the playing field, though if you look at what Red Bull have achieved this year – 15 wins from the 16 races – compared with 2022, when it was also the most successful, the restriction on Adrian Newey’s fun time appears to have had little ill effect.
‘Adrian Newey’s fun time’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...eater-plaudits
‘Golden moment’: The numbers behind Red Bull Racing’s ‘unbelievable’ sixth title
September 25th, 2023 6:00 am
Michael Lamonato
Fox Sports (Australia)
Red Bull Racing has won its sixth constructors championship, embedding itself deeper into the history books as one of Formula 1’s all-time great teams.
Its sextet of titles puts it one short of the iconic Lotus squad of the 1960s and 70s. With two seasons still to run under this set of technical regulations, Mercedes and McLaren’s tallies of eight titles apiece are within reach before rules changes threaten to shake up the order.
Only Williams (nine) and Ferrari (16) are further ahead among championship-winning constructors. “To achieve this sixth constructors championship is beyond our wildest dreams,” team principal Christian Horner said. “Coming into the season, I don’t think we could have dreamt of having a season like this. It’s unbelievable.”
‘Golden moment’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...7e9309052ca2ce
Verstappen Undoubtedly ‘the Fastest and the Best’, Says Helmut Marko
September 24, 2023
BaylaSportsF1
Max Verstappen has certainly put to rest any doubts at Suzuka, affirming that the issues in Singapore are now behind him. The Dutch driver was not just seven-tenths ahead of the McLarens during the qualifying rounds; he was nearly a full second quicker than his own Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez. “All I can say is that our cars are equal,” he said when asked about the large gap to Perez.
But Verstappen has completely dispelled any theories that the FIA’s restrictions on movable aerodynamics had adversely impacted Red Bull. “We had a bad weekend,” he said. “Of course then people start saying ‘ah, it’s all because of the technical directives’. I think they can go suck on an egg.”
Arriving in Japan, the 25-year-old was clearly “energised” to counter his detractors, with Red Bull’s team advisor Dr Helmut Marko in agreement: “Max was really highly motivated here and wanted to show it. “He has shown here that he is the fastest and the best,” Marko told ORF. “Everything else is back on track.” For every other driver in the field, Verstappen’s showing is a tough act to follow.
‘Clearly “energised”!’;
https://baylasportsf1.com/verstappen...-helmut-marko/
Christian Horner reveals failed vow ‘fired-up’ Max Verstappen made ahead of Japanese GP
24 Sep 2023 5:00 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has revealed Max Verstappen’s state of mind coming to Japan after a disappointing Singapore weekend. Horner revealed that Verstappen had just fallen shy of the target he’d set himself coming to Suzuka, having vowed to bounce back after his defeat.
“Sometimes the races you lose are the weekends you learn the most at,” Horner said.
“I think that it was a big reminder to everybody that it’s very easy to miss the target. We all left Singapore knowing that, ultimately, the winning run that we had would come to an end but a little frustrated. I played paddle tennis with Max on Wednesday and he was properly fired up! He made it clear, ‘I want to win the race by 20 seconds’.
“In fairness, he came within point seven of a second of achieving that, had it not been for a blue flag at the end there! You could tell, from the very first lap in FP1 that, on the hard tyre, he was 1.8 seconds quicker than the rest of the field on medium or soft tyres at that point.”
‘Win by 20 seconds’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...ristian-horner
In pictures: Red Bull celebrates sixth Constructors' F1 title
24 September 2:30PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
Max Verstappen's victory at the Japanese Grand Prix and Red Bull's sixth Formula 1 Constructors' Championship.
‘Pictures in the link below!’;
https://racingnews365.com/in-picture...ctors-f1-title
The Highlight Of Suzuka Was Sergio Pérez’s 41-Minute Pit Stop
If you are on the east coast of the United States... There are some aspects of this that are bad, like sleep deprivation, and some aspects that are good, like getting to deliriously watch Sergio Pérez unretire his car for the express purpose of serving a five-second time penalty.
1:26 PM EDT on September 24, 2023
By Kathryn Xu
Defector
He started P5 this race, a decent qualification, but one that guaranteed he would be in traffic. At Suzuka, that meant about five separate collisions and an immediate safety car to start the race. For Pérez, it meant being sandwiched with Lewis Hamilton on one side and two Ferraris on the other. After kissing wheels with Hamilton going into turn one, Pérez pit for a new front wing, got a 10-second penalty for failing to adhere to pit stop procedure, and wound up behind the Haas of Kevin Magnussen.
The Haas proved an even more formidable foe for Pérez than Hamilton did. Out of the points and impatient, Pérez made an extremely late lunge up the inside of Magnussen from several car lengths away and tapped Magnussen's rear tire with his front wing. The move functioned more as a dive bomb than an overtake attempt and was, at this point, well-rehearsed after he'd tried it last week on Alexander Albon. Pérez wound up with the same penalty too: a mere five seconds that was rendered meaningless for the race. However, this time Pérez, on his third front wing of the day, retired the car.
After likely undertaking a lengthy discussion with race control, Red Bull officially unretired Pérez's car on lap 40 to do his lap of shame. The original retirement became classified as a 41-minute pit stop, which will no doubt deal a great blow to the Red Bull mechanics' average pit-stop time. Upon reentering, Pérez was 26 laps behind the race leader, Max Verstappen, and five laps behind the next-closest driver, Lance Stroll, who had already retired his car. Pérez came into the pits once more to serve his penalty, which was classified as taking place on lap 14 of the race. Just a couple laps prior, Carlos Sainz Jr. had pitted on lap 38 of the race—such are the intricacies of F1. The following lap, Pérez retired the car again, this time for good, and disrupted our previous understanding of how retirements work: Sometimes, it takes more than one try to get it to stick.
‘Pérez’s 41-Minute Pit Stop’;
https://defector.com/the-highlight-o...inute-pit-stop
Marko backs Perez to recover from poor Suzuka outing
24 September 3:30PM
Author Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has backed Sergio Perez to recover from his difficult outing at the Japanese Grand Prix.
"He had an unfortunate day which originated in the free practice sessions,” Marko told Viaplay. “He couldn't match Max's speed and today just everything went wrong, but we are confident of a strong comeback from him.”
‘Marko backs Perez to recover’;
https://racingnews365.com/marko-back...-suzuka-outing
Marko reveals Red Bull FIA talks to 'prioritise Verstappen'
Sunday 24 September 2023 22:27
Sam Cook
GPFans
Helmut Marko has said that Red Bull were given permission by the FIA to allow Sergio Perez to return to the circuit, having already retired from the race, to serve his penalty at the Japanese Grand Prix. It was a strange moment in which it appeared Red Bull may have bent the rules slightly, but Marko has told Sky Germany that the team had cleared it with the FIA.
"Thank god we were able to serve the penalty here," he said. “[They told us] if we did not serve the penalty here, then we would have had to do it in the next race and our strategy is to prioritise Max. For example, in the case of a safety car, we would send him out in a way where Max would not be hindered.”
‘FIA Permission’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...perez-penalty/
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Norris reveals McLaren 'CLOSEST to Red Bull' they have been all season.
Lando Norris believes McLaren were one of the closest they've been to Red Bull during practice at the Japanese Grand Prix than they have been at any practice session this year.
Monday 25 September 2023 09:57
Sam Cook
GPFans
The Brit made the admission after FP2, where he managed to put his car into third, just 0.464 seconds behind the leading Red Bull of Max Verstappen. In the race, Norris's prediction proved accurate as he and team-mate Oscar Piastri secured a double podium behind the Dutchman.
McLaren have enjoyed an incredible comeback this season, throwing their car into contention for podiums at the majority of race despite only managing to score 17 points from the first eight races of the season.
'CLOSEST to Red Bull';
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ice-fp2-close/
Brown explains Suzuka team order between Piastri and Norris
25 September 8:45AM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has explained the reason why the team ordered its cars to swap positions midway through the Japanese Grand Prix, after an early pit stop for Oscar Piastri.
"They were on different cycles on the tyres and at the same time Lando got caught out by Perez. We weren't sure if he had a problem and couldn't get by him [Perez] or not," Brown told Sky Sports F1.
"It was a pretty straightforward race, it's always nerve-racking because it's not over until the chequered flag comes out."
‘McLaren CEO Zak Brown explains Suzuka team order’;
https://racingnews365.com/brown-expl...tri-and-norris
Damon Hill warns Lando Norris after Oscar Piastri's clear statement at Japanese GP
McLaren racers Norris and Piastri both finished in the top three at Suzuka, joining race-winner Max Verstappen on the podium in the team's best result of the 2023 season
25th Sept. 2023, 14:16
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Damon Hill believes Oscar Piastri is now ready to provide a true challenge to Lando Norris. "It couldn't last forever, Lando knows that," said the 1996 world champion. "This is a game where there always is someone who is going to come to your house and start putting his feet up on the table and make himself a cup of tea.”
"That's what happens in this game, it's not your team. Lando knows the score and I don't think he got the best out of himself [in qualifying]. He's already said he recognises it's not nice having a quick team-mate, he'd rather not have one.”
"But, for the team, it's fantastic. They know they've got two drivers that they can rely on going into the future and they're down there at the sharp end of the grid, two cars, not just one."
‘Lando Norris: Not nice having a quick team-mate’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...-hill-31023585
Why Oscar Piastri wasn’t completely satisfied despite breakthrough F1 podium at Japanese GP
25 Sep 2023
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Oscar Piastri says he still has areas to work on despite claiming a breakthrough first F1 podium at the Japanese Grand Prix. “It’s special wherever you get a podium. To get the first one, I don’t think it really matters where, it’s always going to be special,” he said.
“You know, I think for myself, it probably wasn’t my strongest Sunday. So from that side of things, there’s still a few things I want to work on. But no, to get the first podium, on pace as well is a very exciting moment.”
The 22-year-old Australian conceded he “just wasn’t quick enough at certain points of the race” as he ended up losing out to Norris. “These high-deg races are probably the biggest thing I need to try and work on at the moment,” he explained.
“Just wasn’t quick enough at certain points”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103679...ough-f1-podium
Oscar Piastri's mum takes a very cheeky shot at the F1 star after he took his first podium spot at the Japanese Grand Prix
Published: 06:07, 25 September 2023
By James Cooney For Daily Mail Australia
Mail Online
'You never forget your first podium. There are not many people who get this opportunity in their whole life and I've managed to have it in my first season.' 'For now I'll enjoy the trophy. I've been drowned by Lando in champagne - which is a nice problem to have,' he added.
Piastri's mum, who has built a cult following on social media, quipped that she could finally throw away his childhood trophies. 'Nice work today Osc,' wrote Nicole, sharing a photo of her son's awards. 'Does this mean I can get rid of some of these finally?'
Nicole made headlines before the race by asking if anybody had a cheap flight to Japan to watch her son starting the race on the front row at Suzuka. McLaren team boss, Zak Brown, said he'd be happy to organise the trip for Nicole, but she eventually declined the offer, stating: 'Thank you for the kind offer, but I think it's best that I have my anxiety attack in the comfort of my own home.'
‘Oscar Piastri's mum built a cult following’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-F1-third.html
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Verstappen red-hot favourite to clinch 3rd championship at Qatar Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen is the red-hot favourite to clinch his third straight championship at next month’s Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix, and he might not even have to wait for the race itself if he gets the job done in Saturday’s (October 7) sprint.
Last Edited September 25, 2023 | 10:16 PM
Agencies/Doha
Gulf Times
Following his 13th victory of the 2023 season at Suzuka Grand Prix, which put the Red Bull driver’s away to wins away from equalling his record for most wins in a single season, moved Verstappen 177 points away from team-mate Sergio Perez in the standings.
The Mexican driver last outscored his team-mate in the fourth round of the campaign in Azerbaijan, where Perez clinched the second of his two wins so far in 2023. Since then, Verstappen has done nothing but increase his championship lead, taking a record-breaking 10 victories in a row, a streak that only ended in Singapore earlier this month, when Carlos Sainz won for Ferrari.
Verstappen’s win in Japan, where Perez had a nightmare race and retired, left the Dutchman with 400 points scored to his team-mate's 223. With 180 points available in the remaining six races, Verstappen's 177-point advantage means he needs to score just three more points before the season ends to wrap up his third consecutive title.
‘Red-hot favourite’;
https://www.gulf-times.com/article/6...tar-grand-prix
How can Max Verstappen win his third F1 title in Qatar?
26 September 5:00AM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
Max Verstappen can finally clinch his third Drivers' title at the Qatar Grand Prix, having dominated the season with 13 wins to his name out of 16 races so far. After scoring the maximum amount of points on offer at Suzuka, he now leads Sergio Perez by 177 points in the championship.
There is a maximum of 180 points still on offer in the last six races, which includes 156 during the Grands Prix and 24 from the remaining Sprint races. Mathematically Verstappen can take the title as early as the Sprint race in Qatar on Saturday, which would make him the first driver to win a championship before a Grand Prix has begun in 35 years.
The last time this happened was when Nigel Mansell withdrew from the 1987 Japanese Grand Prix after a crash during Friday practice, effectively handing the title to Nelson Piquet.
‘How can Max Verstappen win’;
https://racingnews365.com/how-can-ve...title-in-qatar
Verstappen’s Japan victory paves way for third world title in Qatar
• September 25, 2023
• Adnan Saif
Doha News
Verstappen could clinch his third drivers championship in Qatar as early as the sprint race, which has been introduced for the first time in Lusail. Dominant racer Max Verstappen silenced his critics after winning the Japanese Grand Prix in a mostly outstanding race for Red Bull, paving the way for his crowning at the world champion in Qatar.
This is the Dutchman’s 13th victory of the Formula 1 season, to which he also clinched the constructors championship, the sixth title for the Red Bull team, which acknowledges the performances of the racing team as a whole.
On his radio to his team following his victory, a jovial Verstappen stated “What an unbelievable season we are having, you can all be very proud here at the track and back at the factory. You guys built a rocket ship of a car”.
‘Rocket ship of a car’;
https://dohanews.co/verstappens-japa...itle-in-qatar/
HORNER PRAISES VERSTAPPEN ON ‘UNBELIEVABLE WEEKEND’ AS RED BULL CLAIM CONSTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
Red Bull claimed their 6th Constructors' title at the weekend after a dominating performance by Max Verstappen
September 25, 2023
Oliver Brindle
A commanding performance for Max Verstappen saw him bring home the race win for the Milton Keynes-based team, alongside the Constructors’ title. However, Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner quickly addressed Sergio Perez’s situation at Red Bull, claiming if Verstappen wasn’t racing, Perez would be leading the Championship.
Verstappen was able to top every Free Practice session in Japan. Along with that, he took Pole by being the only driver to get into the 1:28s; he then proceeded to cruise to victory in Suzuka, forgetting Singapore’s woes. However, Verstappen has confirmed that the most essential part of his weekend was not simply winning but taking home the Constructors’ title for everyone working at the track and factory. Speaking to Sky Sports, Verstappen said:
“Unbelievable weekend. To win here was great, the most important thing was to win the constructors. Very proud for everyone working at the track and at the factory. We are having an incredible year.”
‘UNBELIEVABLE WEEKEND’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ho...-championship/
Verstappen rates current Red Bull success compared to 2022
26 September 8:45AM
Author Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Red Bull also ran away with the titles last year - but speaking to media including RacingNews365, Verstappen has asserted that its ongoing run trumps it. “It’s better, for sure,” Verstappen said.
“The car has been more dominant this year, apart from Singapore – but all the races we’ve had a really, really good car. It’s just an incredible season for everyone involved within the team. I’m just very proud to be a part of it but also very proud to be working with all of these amazing people here at the track but also especially back at the factory as well.”
“These people you might not see at the track but they are doing also a lot of hard work to make sure that our cars are always in the best shape, get developed throughout the year, and also be best prepared for the year after.”
“It’s better, for sure”;
https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...mpared-to-2022
Christian Horner leads rowdy Red Bull celebrations after sealing F1 title at Japanese GP
Red Bull made their sixth Formula 1 constructors' title success official when Max Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix, sparking wild celebrations after the race
12:34 Mon, 25 Sep 2023.
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
The team's usual post-race photoshoot had an extra layer of celebration to it as Red Bull cans were sent flying everywhere, soaking everyone in the vicinity. But the party did not end at the track. It was carried on late into the night in Japan. Horner posted a video of Red Bull staff gathered by a bar, behind which he was stood apparently serving drinks to his colleagues.
One staff member was playing a guitar and leading his colleagues in a rendition of 'Wonderwall'. Horner himself enthusiastically joined in and shared footage of the celebrations on social media, after paying tribute to all Red Bull Racing staff as he reacted to the title success. He said: "It's been the most amazing race for us, the most amazing year. It's all testimony to these guys and all the men and women back in the factory at Milton Keynes, and to Red Bull, and all our partners.”
"It is the collection of an incredible effort of everybody doing their best to achieve results like we've done. Of course, you know, Max is just on another level at the moment. So today was an incredible performance." Verstappen has not yet made sure of the drivers' title but, thanks to Perez's DNF in Suzuka. He could secure it in the Qatar Sprint race on October 7. If not, he will be odds-on favourite to do so in the Grand Prix the following day.
'Wonderwall. Horner himself enthusiastically joined’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...orner-31022477
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Sainz: Ferrari pace at Suzuka ‘better than results show’.
Carlos Sainz believes that Ferrari’s pace was stronger than what its results reflected in last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
26/09/2023 at 16:52
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
In Sainz’s view, his SF-23’s absolute pace was worth more than its sixth-place position at the checkered flag. "We had better pace than the results show," he said after last Sunday’s event. "I think we were very quick straight from the start, the first stint I felt like I had a bit more pace than the guys in front.”
"I managed my tyres well, but obviously being behind in track position is always gonna cost you, especially being difficult in Suzuka to overtake. I felt back to normal, as soon as I got up into a rhythm I understood the car well. A shame about the last pitstop as it cost us quite a bit of race time, but it is what it is."
Sainz said that Ferrari had “played it safe” by extending his stint on the medium, and also because the Spaniard’s pace was strong on the yellow-rimmed tyres. Furthermore, the Scuderia’s efforts in past months to mitigate its car’s tyre decoration issues appeared to bear fruit, with relatively little deg observed in the race.
‘SF-23’s absolute pace was worth more than its sixth-place’;
https://f1i.com/news/488370-sainz-fe...ults-show.html
Sainz makes Ferrari 'SHAME' admission over one key failure
Tuesday 26 September 2023 14:57
Sam Cook
GPFans
Carlos Sainz has said that his Ferrari team 'haven't been fast' in pit stops this season, after an undercut by Mercedes left him struggling to reclaim positions at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Spaniard lost fifth position when Lewis Hamilton was able to undercut him at the last round of stops and found himself in seventh after George Russell in the other Mercedes attempted a one-stop strategy.
Having fresher tyres, Sainz was able to overtake Russell but couldn't get back the position on Hamilton, finishing sixth. It was a frustrating race for the team, particularly given the fact Sainz had managed to claim a stunning victory at the Singapore GP last time out.
'Haven't been fast in pit stops’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...appy-pit-crew/
Sainz admits Ferrari 'played it safe' during contra-Japanese gamble
26 September 1:58PM
Author Rory Mitchell
Sainz felt there was more to offer when speaking to media, including RacingNews365: "We had better pace than the results show," he said. "I think we were very quick straight from the start, the first stint I felt like I had a bit more more pace than the guys in front.”
"I managed my tyres well, but obviously being behind in track position is always gonna cost you, especially being difficult in Suzuka to overtake. I felt back to normal, as soon as I got up into a rhythm I understood the car well. A shame about the last pitstop as it cost us quite a bit of race time, but it is what it is."
'Played it safe';
https://racingnews365.com/sainz-make...-hamilton-loss
Leclerc got 'lost' amid Suzuka chaos: 2023 Japanese GP diary
September 25th 2023
Chris Medland
Motor Sport Magazine
Leclerc doesn’t know where he is. OK, that subheading might need the addition of the words “in the race”, but it was an extremely funny moment either way. Charles Leclerc started fourth and just held on to his starting position after a four-wide moment on the run to Turn 1.
When a virtual safety car was deployed to clear debris at the hairpin, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — ahead of Leclerc — came across an ailing Red Bull, and even after doing all of his television interviews and making it to the written media, Leclerc still thought it was Max Verstappen who was slowing.
Then informed it was Sergio Perez falling a lap down before retiring, the penny finally dropped for the Ferrari driver. “Ohhh right, OK! That’s what it was, I thought Max was out of the race at that moment, it was just confusing for me.”
‘Leclerc doesn’t know where he is’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
Sainz triggered Ferrari strategy call
Monday 25th September, 2023 - 7:51pm
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Pressure from Carlos Sainz back to the Ferrari pit wall during the Japanese Grand Prix ultimately resulted in the strategy that saw him split the two Mercedes. “The first pitstop was really on the edge between keeping the two cars in front or Lewis getting within the two cars,” explained Ferrari Boschung Fred Vasseur.
“It was a matter of tenths probably and it was the right call from the team and the second stop was a bit more strategic. The call also came from Carlos that we agreed that we would have to extend [the stint] to try and have a tyre advantage during the last couple of laps. Because if you copy Lewis, you [will stay] behind him, and without a big delta [in tyre performance] you are going to stay behind him.”
“The second one was a good call from Carlos, if you copied Lewis you would have had no tyre advantage and we decided to extend the stint a little bit to have the advantage. In the last two laps, it wasn’t quite enough with Lewis, but it was the right call.”
‘Ferrari strategy call’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/09/25...strategy-call/
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Is Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ‘needle’ a glimpse at fireworks to come?
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s hard battling and team radio disagreements was an intriguing sub-plot of the F1 Japanese Grand Prix, but could it be a sign of things to come?
25 Sep 2023
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Sky F1 pundit Karun Chandhok was among many observers who couldn’t help but notice the “needle” between Hamilton and Russell, who is now 75 points adrift of his teammate in the championship.
“He [Hamilton] is 75 points ahead of George. He was quite quick to point that out!” Chandhok said of Hamilton. “There was needle with George. There is a little bit of needle between the two drivers.”
‘Glimpse at fireworks to come?!’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/103...fireworks-come
Sam Bird: Hamilton-Russell Tension Could’ve Exploded on Podium Battle!
September 25, 2023
BaylaSportsF1
Former Mercedes reserve driver Sam Bird suggests that the tension between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell during the Japanese Grand Prix would have escalated further had a podium finish been at stake.
Tensions between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell unfolded at the Japanese Grand Prix as they pursued different strategies. They engaged in thrilling on-track battles, including a contentious moment at the Spoon Curve.
‘Tension Could’ve Exploded on Podium Battle!’;
https://baylasportsf1.com/sam-bird-h...podium-battle/
Hamilton and Russell fight shows Mercedes will have big problems in the future
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are yet to collide but the 2023 Japanese GP suggested an accident is set to happen
September 24, 2023
By John Smith
Total Motorsport
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell nearly came to blows twice at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix on a weekend where Toto Wolff was probably sitting at home either seething at his drivers or with a wry smile, knowing he has two very motivated drivers.
If Hamilton and Russell raced how they did for the lead though, there’s no doubt Wolff would have been livid. It’s understood that the Mercedes boss, who wasn’t at Suzuka due to knee surgery, got on the phone to order the team to tell Russell to let Hamilton through.
‘Toto Wolff got on the phone!!!!!!’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...oblems-future/
Mercedes warned of ‘not a good thing’ between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Mercedes had to ask George Russell several times at the 2023 Japanese GP to let Lewis Hamilton past.
26 September 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
Former Ferrari and Williams team manager Peter Windsor believes there is “definitely acrimony” at Mercedes, between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. It was certainly a heated race for the Silver Arrows for all the wrong reasons, something Windsor believes isn’t good for the team.
“You could tell that there is definitely acrimony between the two now – and that’s not a good thing,” Windsor said on his YouTube channel. “Imagine if Mercedes had a Championship-winning car and this was the World Championship and grand prix wins they were racing for, imagine what it would be like between Lewis and George.”
“The good thing is it’s only for the minor placings, it’s all you can say. ‘Does it really matter that much?’ I suppose is what you’d say in the boardroom afterwards. But if they do get in a position actually to be doing something serious in 2024 – a big ask, you’ve got to say – then how are you going to manage that Lewis Hamilton/George Russell imbalance?”
‘Peter Windsor: “Definitely acrimony” at Mercedes!’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/mercedes-...eorge-russell/
Russell admits 'VENTING' in angry team radio message after Hamilton incident
Sunday 24 September 2023 16:57
Joe Ellis
GPFans
George Russell admitted that he used his team radio to let his frustration out during the Japanese GP. Russell admitted to Sky Sports F1 after the race: “When you’re in the car, 48 laps in, you’re giving it everything, you’re making a sub-optimal strategy try to work. That radio is a bit of a venting tool to release some frustration.”
"It’s easy in hindsight, but for me right now, the goal is to secure P2 for the team in the constructors. On my personal side, the driver’s championship is totally out of the window, it’s been a complete disaster of a season in that regard. So many missed chances.”
‘Russell admits VENTING';
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...se-grand-prix/
‘George Russell is proving why Lewis Hamilton wanted Mercedes to keep Bottas’
26 Sep 2023 6:45 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
F1 commentator Peter Windsor believes the tension between George Russell and Lewis Hamilton at the Japanese Grand Prix proves why the latter was so keen to keep Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes beyond 2021.
Bottas, 34, helped the Alfa Romeo-branded Sauber team to their best result in the Constructors’ Championship in a decade in 2022 and famously reached Q3 at every single race in his five full seasons as a Mercedes driver as Hamilton’s team-mate.
Speaking via his YouTube channel, 1992 title-winning Williams team manager Windsor fears the arrival of Russell has upset the balance between the drivers at Mercedes, likening the bond Hamilton had with Bottas to the dynamic between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at Red Bull currently.
‘Lewis Hamilton wanted Mercedes to keep Bottas’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...es-keep-bottas
Lewis Hamilton fans demand Mercedes sack George Russell, sign Valtteri Bottas
Mercedes have been accused of having made a mistake by signing George Russell as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate.
25 September 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
Several fans of Lewis Hamilton have accused Mercedes of making a mistake by signing George Russell to replace Valtteri Bottas last season, following Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.
“As I said last week signing Russell was a mistake. Just didn’t think it would be proven every week. He will be a liability in a championship scenario,” wrote @F1_Jordan on Twitter/X.
Several fans agreed with this view and criticised Mercedes for not stating who their clear number one driver is. “Absolutely, I expected more from Mercedes in terms of managing their drivers. I don’t recognise this team at all,” commented @Farinho_10.
‘Liability in a championship scenario’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/lewis-ham...ltteri-bottas/
Hamilton takes SLY dig at Russell after Japanese GP battle
Sunday 24 September 2023 21:42
Sam Cook
GPFans
The pair were embroiled in a great on-track battle during the race, which saw multiple switches of position and, at times, became a little heated. This was especially true when Hamilton appeared to run Russell off the track as the pair were squabbling for sixth and seventh position near the start of the race.
Russell lost out, eventually finishing seventh whilst Hamilton took home fifth to extend his lead over his team-mate in the standings. “It wasn’t the perfect day for the team," he (Hamilton) told Sky Sports Italia. "I think we should’ve swapped positions if we wanted to win against Ferrari. George is quite far behind me in the championship, so I’m not battling him. We should’ve worked together to get more points.”
‘SLY dig’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...se-grand-prix/
Lewis Hamilton demands talks with George Russell after blaming him for Mercedes 'fight'
20:53, Sun, Sep 24, 2023
By Alex Turk
Daily and Sunday Express
Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that he will hold talks with Mercedes teammate George Russell after their tense battle in the Japanese Grand Prix. Hamilton and Russell were tangled in an awkward showdown in the opening and closing stages on the Suzuka Circuit as Ferrari took advantage.
The seven-time world champion defended his position when his teammate launched a move into the final chicane early on before defending well again in the later laps after going wide at the second of the Degner corners. Russell questioned the team radio why the seven-time world champion was fighting him for places while the clash with Ferrari remains rife.
Near the finale, Hamilton caught Russell during the latter's attempt at the one-stop and asked him to let him pass while under pressure from Carlos Sainz. Russell's delay while suggesting he should copy Sainz's DRS trick from Singapore caused frustration, but he finally let Hamilton through
‘Lewis Hamilton demands talks’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ese-Grand-Prix
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Fernando Alonso lashes out at Aston Martin as honeymoon period ends.
Fernando Alonso was left frustrated by Aston Martin’s strategy at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, where he accused them of throwing him to “the lions”.
24 September 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
Alonso made an excellent launch thanks to having started the race on the Soft tyres, something which saw him show good pace in the opening stages. However, Alonso started to struggle once the drivers around him on the Mediums started to get their tyres to work, something which resulted in Aston Martin calling the Spaniard in for an early pit-stop.
Whilst this saw Alonso undercut several drivers, he was quickly caught by the drivers on the Mediums again once they’d pitted and gotten their new tyres upto temperature.
Alonso recognised that he was in trouble and complained to the team for putting him on the wrong strategy. “You’ve thrown me to the lions by stopping that early!” Alonso complained to Aston Martin over the radio.
‘Frustrated’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-...n-period-ends/
Alonso's vocal annoyance can't be separated from Aston decline
Sep 25, 2023
by Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
In Aston Martin’s weakest spell of the 2023 Formula 1 season, Fernando Alonso has gained attention with some spiky radio messages. And it is hardly a coincidence. “At the beginning of the season I was voted for nine or 10 points [out of 10 in people rating his performances] and now I'm four of five,” he said after qualifying on Saturday at Suzuka. But I'm at the same level.”
The point is obvious, and accurate. Aston Martin’s AMR23 is not the competitive force it was earlier in the year. That brings tougher races, more frustrating situations, and more Alonso radio complaints. In Singapore he told his team the car was undriveable. In Japan we heard him declare his team had “thrown me to the lions by stopping that early”. Alonso was annoyed by that after the race, calling it “the classic thing, the classic FOM radio, completely out of context”.
It wasn’t really. And Alonso’s one of the, if not the, smartest drivers on the grid. He uses everything at his disposal and that includes knowing what messages are likely to get picked up on the broadcast. Whether you believe it’s what he was doing on this occasion or not, it is well within his skillset to say something that he wants the world feed to pick up.
‘Alonso's vocal annoyance’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...cline-fits-in/
Transcript: What Alonso really meant by being “thrown to the lions” at Suzuka
Formula 1
Posted on 27th September 2023, 7:15
Written by Ida Wood
RaceFans
Fernando Alonso expressed frustration that one of his radio messages during the Japanese Grand Prix was broadcast on Formula 1’s television feed “out of context.” It’s not the first time a mid-race radio comment by Alonso at Suzuka has been the subject of scrutiny. But the circumstances last weekend were rather different to those of eight years ago.
“You’ve thrown me to the lions, to stop that early, mate,” Alonso grumbled. “It’s unbelievable.” On the face of it, Alonso appeared to be venting in frustration about being passed. On the lap before, he had been overtaken by Sainz’s team mate Charles Leclerc too, but had ended the lap gaining a place back when Sainz pitted. But despite appearances the focus of Alonso’s concern was not the cars he had just been passed by.
The Ferraris had started fourth and sixth, Alonso tenth. A strong start saw the Aston Martin driver jumped up to sixth place to sit right behind them. Race engineer Chris Cronin was pleased by the early progress, but both knew it would be a challenge to hold onto that lofty position.
‘Transcript’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/09/27/...ons-at-suzuka/
Fernando Alonso 'upset' as F1 star explains radio rant at Japanese Grand Prix
Fernando Alonso has explained the context behind his radio message during the early stages of the Japanese Grand Prix.
13:27, Sun, Sep 24, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
The legendary Spaniard enjoyed a positive start to the Japanese Grand Prix, capitalising on a chaotic opening lap to jump up to sixth place before settling into a rhythm. Unfortunately for Alonso, he wasn't allowed to stay in this rhythm for long with the team dragging him into the pit lane for a change of tyres on lap 11.
With those stopping after him closing up on their fresher tyres and Lewis Hamilton making his way past, Alonso appeared frustrated over the team radio, stating: "You have thrown me to the lions by stopping that early mate. Unbelievable." Addressing his comments to Autosport after the race, Alonso said: “I think it's the same classic theme, the classic FOM radio, completely out of context.”
"I'm not sure exactly what other drivers say when they are behind a car that is slower and on the straight, they are pulling away even when you open the DRS. “Maybe they say, 'I'm okay, I'm happy to stay here and to stay behind'. But I prefer to be motivated, to overtake them. On track, as I said, I was slower even with the DRS open.”
‘Radio rant explained’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ese-Grand-Prix
Alonso says Aston Martin are pushing ‘flat out’ on developments as constructors’ fight ramps up at Suzuka
25 September 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Fernando Alonso has indicated that there will be more to come from Aston Martin over the final six races of the 2023 season as they look to maximise their standing in the constructors’ championship.
Reflecting on his run to P8 at Suzuka, behind the two McLarens, Ferraris and Mercedes machines, Alonso said: “I think today we had a little bit more than the result shows. I think P6 and definitely P7 was possible.”
“I think we didn’t optimise the strategy, maybe we stopped too soon at the beginning, too early – maybe that compromised a little bit the final result. But we were fast and the pace was a little bit better than expected, so I had fun in the car.”
‘Pushing flat out’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...S5mcklB1f.html
‘I was upset’: F1 driver admits he was ‘thrown to the lions’ by team over pit strategy at Suzuka
15:05 Mon, 25 Sep 2023.
F1 Oversteer.
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has admitted he wasn’t pleased with his team’s strategy at Suzuka this weekend. The Spanish champion’s comments were relayed by The Athletic after a tough weekend for the British team.
After starting the season so strongly, Aston Martin have fallen away in the second half of the year. Out of the constructors in the top half of the championship right now, Aston Martin have the biggest disparity in terms of the quality of their two drivers.
Fernando Alonso recorded six podiums in the first eight races but has only recorded one top-three finish since Canada.
‘I was upset’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/f1-...egy-at-suzuka/
‘We stopped too early’ – Alonso reckons strategy cost him at least one place in the Japanese GP.
24 Sep 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Fernando Alonso finished eighth at Suzuka but said after the race his pace was better than that and his pit stop strategy perhaps cost him more positions.
‘We stopped too early’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...028362440.html
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Mercedes 'are lost' and 'don't have a clue' as F1 expert tells Toto Wolff his big mistake.
Former Jaguar and Jordan technical director Gary Anderson has claimed that Mercedes don't know where they are going wrong, telling team principal Toto Wolff that his team need to start maximising their package and heading towards Red Bull’s design philosophy.
10:10, Tue, Sep 26, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
The Japanese Grand Prix represented a miserable weekend for the Silver Arrows as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell left everything out on the track, only to come home in P5 and P7 respectively. Writing in his Telegraph column, Anderson claimed: “McLaren, meanwhile, have shifted away from their previous concept in this area to one that essentially looks like the Red Bull, but then you also need to understand the design philosophy to get the best from it.”
“At a track like Suzuka, which is a real test of a car, McLaren qualified and finished second and third to Verstappen. The visual concept is something that makes the car work, but you have to do all the other non-visual stuff with it too, like understanding the detail on the under-floor. McLaren seem to understand that well now after their woeful start. Becoming Red Bull-alikes, if you will, has taken them (and other teams) forward. This is the main area where Mercedes are lost.”
“If they are going to start again with their car, they need to begin in this area. Yet even taking all that into consideration, they are not getting the best out of their car for what it is currently, which is where Ferrari have improved. There is some light at the end of the tunnel for Wolff and Mercedes, and there are signs that the Austrian is working towards the points made by Anderson. The Brackley-based team have already halted their development of the W14, instead switching attention to next year’s car.”
‘Mercedes 'are lost' and 'don't have a clue'!’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-F1-Toto-Wolff
Newey explains rejection of Mercedes ‘zeropod’ philosophy
17:08 Wed, 27 Sep 2023.
by Sam Tomlinson
Motorsport Week
Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey has opened up on how he and his design team opted to reject the ‘zeropod’ design philosophy adopted by Mercedes. Mercedes finally abandoned the project at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix with the introduction of a heavily redesigned package.
“Obviously, with last year’s car we took an aerodynamic direction with the sidepod and design and the concept of the car, which was almost polar opposite to what Mercedes did,” Newey told F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast. “Mercedes showed flashes of competitive last year, they won in Brazil [with George Russell].”
“Then you’re faced with a choice of well, do we start to research Mercedes in case you’ve missed something or do we stick with what we’re doing? And gut feel was, let’s stick with what we’re doing.”
‘Gut feel’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...od-philosophy/
Elite F1 teams express concerns over McLaren’s ascent
September 26, 2023
BaylaSportsF1
Both Ferrari and Mercedes, among the frontrunners in Formula 1, are voicing their concerns, citing they are “worried” about McLaren’s swift progression. Right now, Red Bull is reigning supreme in Formula 1, with Mercedes and Ferrari positioned behind, accumulating less than half of Red Bull’s points.
Although Aston Martin has solidified its fourth position with a commendable start to 2023, Lando Norris, having secured second at Suzuka, believes McLaren can surpass them.
“If it’s 49 points, then I definitely think we can,” said the Briton. “Our current advantage over most teams is having two drivers who are consistently vying for these positions and securing points.”
‘Current advantage: Consistent two drivers’;
https://baylasportsf1.com/elite-f1-t...larens-ascent/
‘Lost’ Mercedes ordered to copy Red Bull as Lewis Hamilton loses patience
Mercedes have admitted that they might introduce yet another new concept for the 2024 season.
26 September 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
Ex-Jaguar technical director Gary Anderson believes Mercedes need to copy Red Bull for next season, should the Silver Arrows decide to “start again” with the design of their car. At Mercedes, the side just look “lost”, to the extent that they’ve openly admitted that their design concept could be changed for a third time for 2024. Anderson think their best option is to become “Red Bull-alikes”, a route which has been taken by McLaren, Aston Martin and Haas.
“McLaren, meanwhile, have shifted away from their previous concept in this area to one that essentially looks like the Red Bull, but then you also need to understand the design philosophy to get the best from it,” Anderson wrote in his column for The Telegraph. “At a track like Suzuka, which is a real test of a car, McLaren qualified and finished second and third to Verstappen.”
“The visual concept is something that makes the car work, but you have to do all the other non-visual stuff with it too, like understanding the detail on the under-floor. McLaren seem to understand that well now after their woeful start. Becoming Red Bull-alikes, if you will, has taken them (and other teams) forward. This is the main area where Mercedes are lost.”
‘Hamilton loses patience’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/lost-merc...oses-patience/
Newey explains why Red Bull didn’t study Mercedes’ “polar opposite” concept
Formula 1
Posted on 27th September 2023, 13:26
Written by Keith Collantine
Motorsport Week
Red Bull’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey has shed light on how he devised the design which has dominated Formula 1 since the current technical regulations were introduced. He has also explained why his team spurned the radically different approach taken by Mercedes, despite their rival’s upswing in form over the course of last season which culminated in them winning the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Newey began designing F1 cars in the 1980s when ground effect aerodynamics were first used. He said the experience gained there, as well as in sports car and IndyCar racing, gave him an advantageous understanding of the rules that were introduced last year. Red Bull experienced some of the same problems with bouncing and porpoising as their rivals, but unlike most of the other teams, were quickly able to master it.
“We had an amount of bouncing, not as bad as the other teams, but we still had some bouncing which we needed to get on top of. And I think we had a reasonable understanding of what we needed to do to do that. So come the first upgrade we had in for the Bahrain race, then bouncing was much less of an issue than it was for other teams. That meant that we didn’t have to put a lot of our development energy into fixing bouncing, such as Ferrari and Mercedes did.”
‘Adrian Newey has shed light on how he devised the design’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/09/27/...osite-concept/
Mercedes provide latest W15 update with ‘fundamental’ developments in the works
27 Sep 2023 4:36 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Mercedes have said they will use the winter months to make the “fundamental” developments on their 2024 challenger, the W15, and there are still upgrades to come this season. Team principal Toto Wolff has previously hinted that the United States Grand Prix in Austin will be the location for the arrival of the final major upgrade package of the year on their car.
Mercedes’ head of strategy Rosie Walt has elaborated further, explaining that any further upgrades in 2023 will “directly feed” into developing next year’s car, given the stability of the sport’s regulations. Mercedes are still locked in a tight battle with Ferrari for second place in the Constructors’ Championship this year, with only 20 points separating the two teams with six races to go.
“This decision is never as black and white as it seems,” Walt said in response to a question about the balance the team strikes between upgrading their current car or putting their resources into next year’s challenger. Whilst we will have to use the winter to make more fundamental developments to W15, there are plenty of things we can do with the current car which will both make it faster and aid our learning and understanding to develop next year’s car.”
‘Latest W15 update’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...5-developments
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Ocon explains ‘crazy race’ that saw him go from Lap 1 puncture to points.
Esteban Ocon’s race looked to be unravelling when he picked up a puncture on the opening lap in Japan, but he fought his way back up the order to finish P9.
24 Sep 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
‘Crazy race’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...818607305.html
Gasly: Alpine's Ocon swap wasn't discussed before Japan F1 race.
Pierre Gasly was left confused by Alpine's order to swap positions with Esteban Ocon at the end of Formula 1's Japanese Grand Prix, which he said wasn't discussed beforehand.
Sep 24, 2023, 10:02 AM
By: Filip Cleeren
Co-author: Adam Cooper
Motorsport.com
In the final stages of the Suzuka race, Gasly was asked to let Ocon by as the pair was set to finish ninth and 10th. Gasly angrily protested on the radio but eventually relented by letting his team-mate by at the very last possible moment, in the third sector of the final lap.
Gasly was asked to let Ocon by to return the favour from earlier in the race, when Gasly passed Ocon but then failed to overtake Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso ahead of the pair, thereby having to revert the positions.
‘Pierre Gasly was left confused’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/g...e-gp/10524776/
Radio messages reveal Pierre Gasly’s fury with Alpine after Esteban Ocon team order
24 Sep 2023 10:12 AM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Karel Loos: Okay, mate. So we’ve got Esteban 2.4 behind. Instruction on the pit wall coming. Can we swap back around, please?
Pierre Gasly: Mate, what the f**k? You’re kidding me, are you? Why are you saying that? I was faster. I’m on fresher rubber. If you would have not passed me (sic), I would have overtaken him anyway.
KL: Yeah, we’ll discuss it in the office. Please swap round, please.
PG: Are you serious? You’re being serious? I started in front, I was in front the whole race, you let him undercut me, and then…
KL: Mate, I’m not joking. The instruction comes from the pit wall. Let’s do it next time round, please. Turn 16.
However, Gasly didn’t appear to be eager to relinquish position, with Ocon getting on the radio requesting that his teammate be told again to swap positions.
PG: You confirm you want to swap?
KL: Affirm, mate. Affirm, please.
PG: Yeah, thank you. Complete joke.
Another half a lap passes, with Loos getting back on the radio.
KL: Please Pierre.
PG: I’m doing it.
KL: Copy, thank you. You don’t have to say anything now, we’ll discuss it after. OK, that’s the checkered flag. That’ll be Scenario 12.
KL: OK mate, so stop the car in parc ferme.
PG: No, it’s OK, mate. It’s OK. Let’s stop here. It’s OK. I understand. I understand what you’re doing. It’s like…
KL: OK. Let’s discuss it out on the camera, mate. Just switch off.
‘Radio messages’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...con-team-order
Alpine created needless tension with 'complete joke' Gasly order
Sep 24, 2023
by Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Alpine’s claim that swapping its Formula 1 drivers on the final lap of the Japanese Grand Prix was in “the best interest of the team” did not chime with what Pierre Gasly viewed as a “complete joke” of a situation.
A swearing Gasly made his displeasure clear before moving aside for Esteban Ocon to take ninth place but was told it was a strict pitwall instruction he needed to follow. And the final lap inversion, which Gasly only complied with exiting the final corner, was a source of obvious tension afterwards.
Ostensibly this was just another example of a standard application of team orders. One car (Gasly) pitted, had fresher tyres, and was catching the other car (Ocon) – so was ordered past to try to attack the next car ahead (Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin), with the positions being swapped back when that failed.
‘Needless tension’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/g...der-explained/
F1 team boss blames driver rift on 'communication problems'
Thursday 28 September 2023 17:57
Sam Cook
GPFans
Alpine team principal Bruno Famin has said that there hasn't been a breakdown in the relationship of his two drivers, but communication problems at the Japanese Grand Prix led to Pierre Gasly feeling unhappy. The French driver was left reeling after the team told him to gift ninth place back to Esteban Ocon during the last lap of the race when the cars were running in ninth and tenth.
It was a move that Gasly called 'pointless', but the team insisted it was because Ocon had let his countryman through earlier in the race to let him chase after Fernando Alonso. When he wasn't able to catch and pass the Spaniard, they decided to switch it back again in a move that, according to Famin, wasn't communicated well enough to Gasly.
'Communication problems';
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...tion-problems/
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Tsunoda frustrated after missing out on points at home in Japan as he questions AlphaTauri’s strategy.
Yuki Tsunoda was left with a feeling of what might have been following the Japanese Grand Prix as the home favourite’s ninth-place starting position turned into 12th at the chequered flag.
27 September 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Tsunoda and new team mate Liam Lawson ran inside the points-paying places in the opening exchanges of Sunday’s race but dropped down the order as various tyre strategies played out. At the end of it all, Lawson came home 11th as the first of the lapped runners, with Tsunoda one spot behind, meaning AlphaTauri remain at the foot of the constructors’ standings on five points.
Reflecting on his home race, Tsunoda commented: “It’s frustrating because there was pace today, but I didn’t have the opportunity to maximise it. On this track, it’s hard to follow because the tyres overheat very easily and I feel like we pitted for the hard compound too late, so I was behind everyone and had to catch up to the pack.”
“I think there was no chance to catch P10 today. It’s a shame that I wasn’t able to perform well and get a good result in front of the Japanese fans, but I got a lot of energy from them so thank you to all the fans. In the end, it is what it is.”
‘Tsunoda frustrated’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...VasSZKe1x.html
Lawson admits to ‘no satisfaction’ over beating Tsunoda in Suzuka
24 September 4:11PM
Author Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
When asked if he was satisfied to finish ahead of his team-mate after missing out on a drive for next season, Lawson said: “Not satisfaction. I want to be in a seat and I don’t have one right now. It’s basically just doing the best job I can each time I get into the car. I’ll keep doing that for as long as I’m driving.”
Lawson added that AlphaTauri didn’t have the pace within the car to challenge for points during the Grand Prix. “We didn’t quite have the speed today,” he said. “To be honest, the only guys that we were really racing today were the Alpines and they were too quick. It meant that we were just outside the points unfortunately. I feel like we pretty much maximised [what we could]."
‘No satisfaction’;
https://racingnews365.com/lawson-adm...noda-in-suzuka
‘No satisfaction’ over beating Yuki Tsunoda for Liam Lawson at Suzuka after missing out on ‘24 seat
25 Sep 2023
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Liam Lawson is taking ‘no satisfaction’ from the fact he was able to out-race Yuki Tsunoda at the Japanese Grand Prix because he missed out on a full-time seat for 2024. AlphaTauri announced Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo as their driver line-up for 2024, meaning Lawson is set for a season on the sidelines.
Lawson has been very impressive since making his F1 debut at the Dutch Grand Prix in August. He scored AlphaTauri’s best result of F1 2023 in Singapore (ninth) and managed to beat Tsunoda again on-track in Sunday’s Japanese GP.
‘No satisfaction’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103679...ng-out-24-seat
'So be it' if Lawson has to LEAVE Red Bull programme
Monday 25 September 2023 08:57
Cal Gaunt
GPFans
As Liam Lawson's stock continues to rise following a string of impressive performances while deputising for the injured Daniel Ricciardo, attentions are turning to where he might find himself next season.
Anthony Davidson said the rookie may have to look elsewhere for the right opportunity. “Of the last three Grand Prix, two of them have been incredibly tough," Davidson said. "I mean Zandvoort with those mixed conditions, thrown in at the deep end with no testing, hardly knew the car at all, what a Grand Prix to try and survive. He did really well.”
“In the same way we saw with Pierre Gasly [he had to] make his own bed somewhere else. If [Lawson] has to do that, and I don’t know how their contracts work there, maybe he’d take a financial hit as well because I’m sure they sign up for a long time with the Red Bull program, but so be it.”
'So be it';
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ts-f1-podcast/
Lawson received messages from ‘all the Kiwi drivers’
Wednesday 27th September, 2023 - 5:00am
By Mat Coch
Liam Lawson has had messages of support from his compatriots around the world as he continues deputising for Daniel Ricciardo. “Honestly, from all the Kiwi drivers,” Lawson said when asked by Speedcafe if he’d swapped messages with van Gisbergen. (The 22-year-old has previously revealed that Shane van Gisbergen has played a role in his burgeoning career.)
“That’s been really, really cool to see that. Obviously there’s not many of us abroad doing this kind of thing, and so I think we stay pretty well connected. From everybody, the support has been, especially from home, it’s been amazing.”
‘All the Kiwi drivers’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/09/27...-kiwi-drivers/
Liam Lawson rules out possible Williams loan switch for 2024
26 Sep 2023
Connor McDonagh
Liam Lawson has seemingly ruled himself out from moving to Williams on loan for the 2024 season. Speaking during the Japanese GP weekend, Lawson made it clear that he’s “a Red Bull driver” and “all the Red Bull seats are filled”.
“I’m a Red Bull driver,” he said. “All the Red Bull seats are filled and unfortunately for me that means that, for now, I’ll be reserve driver.” Lawson’s main goal is still to be an F1 driver, with a full-time seat in 2025 in his sights.
“I’ve got my head down at the moment trying to make the most of these races,” he said. “Ultimately obviously my goal is to be in F1 so I’ll try and do what I can to achieve that in the future. One of the positives about being a Red Bull driver is, for me having five years in this programme, it’s a high-pressure programme.”
‘Made it clear that he’s “a Red Bull driver” ’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103681...an-switch-2024
Lawson not distracted by missing 2024 AlphaTauri F1 race seat
Liam Lawson insists that learning he didn’t have a full-time AlphaTauri Formula 1 drive for 2024 has not distracted him from his current stint with the Italian team.
Sep 27, 2023, 10:52 AM
Motorsport.com
The Faenza outfit announced over the Suzuka weekend that Yuki Tsunoda will be joined by Daniel Ricciardo next year, with Lawson serving as reserve once again for the two Red Bull teams.
Japan was the New Zealander’s fourth outing since Ricciardo suffered a hand injury at Zandvoort. While the target is for the latter to return for the next race in Qatar, Lawson could get a fifth race in the AT04 if it is decided that Ricciardo needs more recovery time.
"I think to be honest, I haven't thought about it too much,” said Lawson when asked by Motorsport.com about the impact of the line-up confirmation. “I think right now I'm focused on making the most of this opportunity.”
‘Lawson not distracted’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/l...seat/10525876/
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Bottas reflects on early lap collisions in Japan that forced him to retire 'undriveable' car.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu were left to lament a chaotic and eventful first few laps at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix. While the former was forced to retire due to damage, the latter was able to continue on to finish 13th.
26 September 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Bottas had a solid getaway from 16th and went three-wide with Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon on the run down to Turn 1. Unfortunately, he collided with both drivers, with Bottas sandwiched between the pair, forcing him to pit for a new front wing.
While trying to make his way back through the field, he looked to go around the outside of Logan Sargeant at the hairpin. However, the Williams driver locked up, sending him straight into Bottas, and he subsequently knocked the Finn into the gravel and later out of the race.
Reflecting on the Lap 1 incident, Bottas said: “Yeah, pretty eventful short race. But, I mean, I had a great start actually off the line, I was between two cars going into Turn 1. And the car on the right started squeezing to the left so then, in the end, there was not space, so there was a collision, and I had a puncture on the front right.”
‘Bottas reflects;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...60mO9hj3T.html
Zhou explains moment that 'destroyed' his front wing
25 September 8:00PM
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
The collision threw up a lot of debris which caught Zhou out and resulted in a Safety Car during the opening laps. "Where I was starting I was hoping for a bit of a more messy start up front," Zhou told media, including RacingNews365.
"Somehow I get put into the path of this massive carbon piece and that fully destroyed my front wing before Turn 1. I think there was a little bit of damage under the front of the car, but across the front wing was ok because we changed it. But maybe a small crack, but I don't think it's a major issue."
‘Moment that 'destroyed' his front wing’;
https://racingnews365.com/zhou-expla...his-front-wing
2023 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday
September 24th, 2023
Alfa Romeo Racing - Official Site
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative:“There are still some positives to take with us from this weekend, although we come back from Suzuka with no points: we had reasonable race pace today, compared to our direct competitors; Zhou was able to perform a solid race, despite having been forced to pit to change his front wing because of damage.”
“After the opening lap accident, Zhou managed to regain positions on track, thanks to a two-stop strategy which saw him running on soft tyres for most of the race and then change for hard in the final section, ultimately crossing the line in 13th place.”
After a very good start in which he gained two places, Valtteri was squeezed between Albon and Ocon, and forced to an early pit to change the damaged parts on his C43. Even though he was able to quickly recover thanks to the Safety Car period, Valtteri’s race unfortunately came to an end when Sargeant took him out: the damage on the car was too heavy, and it was not possible for him to continue.
“Still some positives to take with us from this weekend”;
https://www.sauber-group.com/motorsp...d-prix-sunday/
Bottas explains why he had to retire after ‘eventful short race’ at Suzuka
24 Sep 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Valtteri Bottas was in the wars in Japan, picking up damage in a Lap 1 incident before he was punted off by Logan Sargeant five laps in, before he eventually retired his Alfa Romeo.
‘Eventful short race’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...197702433.html
Bottas rues 'eventful and short' race after multiple incidents
25 September 12:00PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
Valtteri Bottas has rued his "eventful and short" Japanese Grand Prix, after getting caught up in numerous incidents at the start.
The Alfa Romeo driver started from 16th on the grid and was collected by Esteban Ocon heading into the first corner, causing front wing damage and a puncture.
It was a hectic return to the pits as the mechanics worked frantically to get him back out on track before he could be lapped by the Safety Car.
"Eventful and short";
https://racingnews365.com/bottas-rue...iple-incidents
Alfa Romeo scramble to fix car with their HANDS in Bottas pit stop nightmare
Sunday 24 September 2023 08:11
Janice Kusters
GPFans
Valtteri Bottas experienced a nightmare pit stop during the Japanese Grand Prix after a first-lap incident. As the race began, cars towards the rear of the field quickly closed in on each other. In the chaos, Bottas collided with the Williams of Alex Albon, resulting in significant damage to his car.
This unfortunate turn of events forced him into an unexpected pit stop to replace both the front wing and the tyres. The pit stop turned into a torturous 33.9-second ordeal as the front wing was not prepared for installation, causing mechanics to scramble while the car remained stationary.
To compound the frustration, difficulties arose in lifting the car using the jack, leading to frantic shouting among team members, clearly audible on the broadcast. Ultimately, they had to resort to manually raising the car by its suspension to change the tires.
‘Frantic shouting among team members’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ltteri-bottas/
Valtteri Bottas wants to ‘have a word’ with 22-year-old F1 rival on Japanese GP ‘mistake’
09:33 Tue, 26 Sep 2023.
F1 Oversteer
Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas plans to speak with Formula 1 rival Logan Sargeant as contact with the Williams rookie ended both of their Japanese Grand Prix last Sunday. But while Sargeant will want to forget his struggles at Suzuka before Formula 1 hits the track in Qatar in two weeks, Bottas is minded to speak with the Williams rookie about their crash at the Japanese GP. Williams suffered a double-DNF at Suzuka as Albon also retired on Lap 27.
“Yes, maybe I’ll have a word with him to figure out what he was thinking about,” Bottas said, via quotes by Motorsport Week, after the Japanese GP. “It could be it was just a mistake.” Should Bottas speak with Sargeant to discuss the collision, the Williams driver could suggest the Alfa Romeo ace was overly ambitious with his overtake. Sargeant was ahead of the Finn before locking up entering Turn 11 with enough space for Bottas to note he would run wide.
‘Have a word’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/val...se-gp-mistake/
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Sargeant's Suzuka weekend: How a NIGHTMARE unfolded.
Logan Sargeant experienced a forgettable weekend in Suzuka, marked by errors and incidents that could seriously jeopardise his future in the category.
Sunday 24 September 2023 18:42
Luis Raya
GPFans
Williams are one of the teams with the greatest difference between its drivers this season, with Alex Albon carrying the team's weight and accumulating 21 points, while Logan Sargeant is struggling in his first season in Formula 1. The Japanese Grand Prix has been particularly tough for the American driver, with many errors compromising his weekend, and many are placing him outside the grid for the next season.
Start from the pit lane. If starting from the back seemed like the worst, things took a turn for the worse when the American was penalised and had to start from the pit lane. The reason for this was that the team changed the chassis in the closed park, which also resulted in a 10-second penalty during the race. This seriously hampered his race, leaving little hope of achieving a good result in Suzuka.
Crash with Bottas on lap 5. After the chaos of the first lap and the withdrawal of the safety car, Valterri Bottas, in the last position, attempted to overtake Sargeant on the outside at the turn 11 hairpin.
‘How a NIGHTMARE unfolded’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...cident-bottas/
Why Logan Sargeant has been whacked with a massive penalty
Logan Sargeant's rookie season in Formula 1 has taken a turn for the worse, following an FIA decision.
25 September 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
Rookie Logan Sargeant’s maiden Formula 1 campaign went from bad to worse at the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend, where the American was slapped with several penalties by the FIA. Sargeant’s car snapped on him which resulted in him trying to turn out of it, sending him off the circuit and into the wall.
His crash destroyed his car, with the cameras having panned to several distraught Williams mechanics. A long night was ahead of Williams ahead of the race, with Sargeant requiring a new survival cell. Whilst a new survival cell can be fitted, a completely new chassis is against the rules, as this would result in effectively a ‘third car’ being introduced.
The FIA’s technical delegate Jo Bauer was unhappy with how much work Williams had done to the spare chassis ahead of parc ferme concluding, to the extent that it was as if the outfit had three cars. As a result, Williams’ repairs were referred to the stewards, who agreed with Bauer that the rules had been breached.
‘Massive penalty’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/why-logan...ssive-penalty/
Vowles shows support for young F1 star ahead of 2024 Williams seat decision
Friday 29 September 2023 11:57
Cal Gaunt
GPFans
Williams has provided yet another vote of confidence in their young Formula 1 driver Logan Sargeant, but it remains unclear if he'll be in the seat next season. "We will give Logan the chance to prove himself until the end of the season," Vowles told Blick newspaper. “Other drivers I can think of were given two years to do that,” he added, likely alluding to former Haas driver Mick Schumacher who has been linked with the Williams seat.”
Despite Sargeant's recent crashes in Japan, Vowles defended him once more. "He did the three practice sessions at Suzuka as I would hope from him," Vowles remarked. "In his Q1 lap, he was almost exactly as fast as Alex [Albon] up until the accident. That shows that he has the speed."
Sargeant, in response, acknowledged that Williams had set clear expectations for him to exhibit "constant improvement" in each race "from now until the end of the season".
‘Team boss James Vowles confirmed their short-term commitment to Sargeant’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-f1-2024-seat/
Alex Albon: ‘It was game over’ after heavy Lap 1 contact with Bottas
24 Sep 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Alex Albon’s Williams took a big hit off the line from the Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas, forcing the Thai driver to eventually retire from the race.
‘Game over’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...266919352.html
Albon admits AlphaTauri F1 gains ‘a bit worrying’ for Williams
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Alex Albon admits that AlphaTauri’s recent performance gains are “a little bit worrying” for Williams’ chances of holding onto seventh place in the championship. AlphaTauri currently languish rooted to the bottom of the Constructors’ standings, having only accumulated five points across the 16 rounds to be held in the 2023 season.
The Faenza-based side sits five points behind Alfa Romeo, who are a further two points adrift of Haas in eighth place. However, Williams, who have been confined to the foot of the standings in four of the past five seasons, lead the way in the battle to secure seventh position, with the Grove-based side notching 21 points to date.
‘A bit worrying’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...-for-williams/
Williams' Albon worried by AlphaTauri's recent resurgence
30/09/2023 at 11:25
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
Alex Albon admits that he's worried about the recent improvement in performance by the AlphaTauri team, and what it might mean for Williams' hopes of a strong outcome to this year's constructors championship. "They were quick in Singapore and they're going to be quick again in every circuit," predicted Albon. "I think their step has been quite significant, and a little bit worrying.”
Tsunoda had started the Japanese GP in ninth place but dropped out ot the top ten in the race, which Albon reckoned was down to the team's tyre strategy over the course of the weekend. "I think they boxed themselves, I was really surprised by their tyre choice,” Albon mused. “They gave themselves only one medium, one hard, and I think Yuki didn't even have a new soft.”
“They gave themselves only one medium, one hard, and I think Yuki didn't even have a new soft," he summarised. “Obviously we didn't expect this much degradation in the race," agreed Tsunoda. "Other teams had hard tyres, we did not, so some things to look out for the future."
‘AlphaTauri's recent resurgence’;
https://f1i.com/news/488564-williams...esurgence.html
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Rejected F1 team claims Andretti accepted by FIA.
Rodin Cars was one of a handful of potential teams hoping to join F1 with its existing partnership with junior racing squad Carlin.
Author Jake Nichol
F1's governing body opened up a process for interested parties to lodge applications to join the grid in January, with a number of responses being received. These included what is now known as Andretti Cadillac Racing, Hitech Grand Prix, Rodin Carlin, Asian start-up LKY SUNZ and the Craig Pollock-backed Formula Equal.
In a statement confirming the team's rejection, Rodin founder David Dicker said: "We wish to emphasise that our objective here is not to criticise the FIA or seek a reconsideration of its decision," said a statement. "We fully respect and accept the outcome. Our sole purpose is to release information we consider in the public interest to inform the Formula 1 community."
Rodin also highlighted the fact that through the partnership with Carlin, a pathway from the junior formulas right up to F1 was possible, but the FIA has seemingly decided that the project did not meet the strict criteria placed on the entry process. But hinting at a pass for Andretti, the statement continued: "We appreciate the opportunity to have participated in the FIA process and extend our best wishes to Andretti for their successful bid.”
‘Release information we consider in the public interest’;
https://racingnews365.com/rejected-f...ccepted-by-fia
FIA rejects carmaker's F1 team application as theory emerges over Andretti Global bid.
New Zealand-based manufacturer Rodin Cars was one of several parties to lodge a bid with the FIA in the hope of joining the F1 grid, with Andretti believed to be the front-runner.
16:28 Thu, 28 Sep 2023.
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Explaining its plan for an F1 entry, Rodin revealed details of its submission. It had planned to build its cars at its current facility in New Zealand, which would have made it the only manufacturer based in the southern hemisphere on the grid.
Rodin said it would have been able to provide young drivers with a direct ladder through the junior formulae through its Carlin teams, all the way up to F1. It also claimed there was the "opportunity of discussions for a Ferrari collaboration on the Rodin F1 car", hinting at a potential engine deal with the Italian team.
The carmaker also pledged to reserve one of its F1 race seats for a female driver. "We have tested Liam Lawson, Jamie Chadwick and Louis Sharp at our facility in New Zealand, in both an F3 car and our own car, the Rodin FZed, which is a car somewhat quicker than a GP2/F2 car," Rodin said. "Jamie performed exceptionally well and, if she was available, we would have no hesitation in putting her in a seat."
‘Theory emerges’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...retti-31055185
FIA expected to grant Andretti F1 licence - but will Liberty Media and the teams agree?
7 Sep 2023
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
According to a report in German publication AMuS, the FIA will give their blessing to Andretti for them to join the grid for as early as 2025. The American outfit have been vocal in their interest in joining F1 since last year, however, it’s been met by a lot of backlash.
F1 and the teams are concerned that an 11th team would “dilute” the sport or cost the existing constructors crucial prize money. However, due to an EU sports law regarding participation in motorsport events, F1 might find it difficult to find enough reasons to reject Andretti.
The majority of the parties against Andretti from joining F1 are linked to financial reasons rather than the benefit of the sport. Given Andretti’s rich motorsport history and engine partner General Motors, there’s few grounds for F1 to reject them, particularly as they’ve progressed through the FIA’s stringent process.
‘Lot of backlash’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103522...ll-teams-agree
What happens if FIA approves Andretti Cadillac and F1 doesn’t
Sep 7, 2023
by Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
For the Andretti/General Motors combination that appears to still be the case. Unfortunately for them, it isn’t just the FIA’s call. It’s F1’s. And that position has been consistent for months – clearly, the commercial rights holder, which is aligned with the majority of teams on this, has not felt that expanding the grid is a good idea. The message has stayed the same: show us that you will grow the championship commercially and give F1 more than you will take away by turning 10 slices of the revenue shared among teams into 11 slices.
And while there is a financial aspect to winning over the FIA, that relates to showing the funding exists to being a competent F1 team on-track. It is not the same as presenting a good commercial case to F1 itself. This conflict has been known for months. And it has carried a clear risk that the FIA would give a team the green light but F1 would reject them on commercial grounds. In this case, an entry or entries are granted but they then engage in futile commercial discussions.
There’d be no Concorde deal, and therefore no prize money. There’d be arguments over the right to be shown on TV. And there’d be, after all of this, the serious risk of a long, complex and expensive legal dispute. So, for Andretti and General Motors, their FIA-approved entry would be walked back on because it cannot feasibly proceed, which would be a disastrous look.
‘Show us that you will grow the championship commercially’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...and-f1-doesnt/
Andretti ‘successful’ with one 11th F1 team bid officially rejected
28 Sep 2023 1:30 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Rodin Cars, company owner David Dicker: “Below, we outline the significant differences between the Andretti bid and the Rodin bid,” said the statement from Rodin. The reasons given are geographic diversity, guaranteeing a female driver (the team say they would have no hesitation putting W Series Champion Jamie Chadwick in one of their seats), as well as being an independent car manufacturer with an engine facility “fully capable of building an entire engine” from their manufacturing facility in New Zealand.”
Added to that are full composite capabilities, as well as their own test tracks, while Rodin pointed to the prototype of their FZero machine as having come from their own facilities. The statement outlines that they had an “opportunity of discussions” for collaboration with Ferrari on the Rodin F1 car, and funding would not be an issue thanks to the “personal wealth of their founder”.
‘Andretti ‘successful’ ’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/andret...rodin-rejected
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Toto Wolff says he will work on Hamilton-Russell tensions.
Mercedes has addressed the flare-up between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix.
29 September 2023
by Edward Hardy
Formula1News
Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell clashed, sparking concerns after a tense outing in Japan. However, Mercedes has sought to downplay the incident, describing it as a “heat of the moment” issue that will be addressed calmly in the post-race debrief.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the incident but remained optimistic about resolving any conflicts. He stated, “Anything that needs tidying up or discussing afterwards, we’ll be able to do away from that pressure cooker and nice and calmly in the debrief.”
‘Flare-up’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolf...sell-tensions/
Mercedes chief reveals how Hamilton and Russell issues will be dealt with
Saturday 30 September 2023 07:57
Cal Gaunt
GPFans
Mercedes team-mates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell raised eyebrows when they found themselves entangled in a tense on-track battle during the Japanese Grand Prix. However, Bradley Lord, Mercedes' chief communications officer, has moved swiftly to downplay the incident, categorising it as a momentary flare-up of emotions that will be addressed in a composed post-race debrief
Lord acknowledged the incident but remained confident in the team's ability to address and resolve any conflicts. "Anything that needs tidying up or discussing afterwards, we'll be able to do away from that pressure cooker and nice and calmly in the debrief," he said.
‘Needs tidying up’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...se-grand-prix/
Wolff confirms if Mercedes considered Russell and Hamilton swap
20 September 5:35PM
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has confirmed whether the team planned to swap George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages of the Singapore Grand Prix. Both Hamilton and Russell were closing down on Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz for the lead, after pitting during an earlier Virtual Safety Car for fresh Mediums.
When asked if they considered swapping the cars, Wolff told media, including RacingNews365: "No. I think both played for the victory and in that circumstance, you've just got to let them race and fight it out between themselves. I think it was the absolute right call. We would have finished P2, P5. Maybe P2, P4 and we wanted to win the race, so we took the risk and I would every day of the week do it again," said Wolff.
"It's algorithms and it's probabilities in the background, there are mathematicians and scientists and strategists at work to come up with the best solutions and then there are more simple racer minds that are trying to find the best compromise. In that case, there was a lot of debate beforehand when to put the car in a safety car window or virtual safety car window, but we did it and then it was deployed and we were all behind it."
"It's algorithms and it's probabilities in the background, there are mathematicians and scientists and strategists at work”;
https://racingnews365.com/wolff-conf...s-of-singapore
POLE POSITION: Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will always be Toto Wolff's favourite, so maybe George Russell has to leave Mercedes
• Toto Wolff is thought to favour Lewis Hamilton over team-mate George Russell
• Mercedes boss ordered Russell to let Hamilton pass in Suzuka last weekend
• Red Bull to stick with Sergio Perez despite his wobbles in Max Verstappen’s wake
Published: 00:38, 29 September 2023
By Jonathan McEvoy for the Daily Mail
Mail Online
It was no surprise that Toto Wolff — remarkably in contact from home in Monaco rather than in Suzuka — ordered George Russell to let Lewis Hamilton pass last weekend. Despite the Mercedes team being in disarray on several levels, they insist they got this call right. Perhaps they did, though we can never be sure, but it certainly achieved what appeared to be Wolff’s main aim: to look after Hamilton. He finished fifth. He had been running sixth. Russell finished seventh. He had been running fifth.
But it remains true that Russell is No 2 in his boss’s affections. Wolff, the businessman, maybe sees more commercial opportunities in one driver than the other. Now, Wolff either believes in Russell’s abilities to win the title, or he doesn’t. He has nurtured him through the junior ranks but still patronises him, at 25 (shades of Ron Dennis with Lewis at McLaren).
He also pays him a fraction of Lewis’s moolah. Senior figures in the team say, ‘George is still learning’. Which sounds very much like, ‘Back in your box, boy’. In which case, if I were Russell, I wouldn’t be sure Mercedes is the team for me. It is also in a mess. After months of idle talk, they finished 49 and 57 seconds off the pace in Japan, whatever the damn strategy was.
‘Toto Wolff — remarkably in contact from home in Monaco rather than in Suzuka’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-Mercedes.html
Lewis Hamilton responds to Toto Wolff after threat to 'bin' Mercedes car
Toto Wolff claimed that Mercedes would 'bin' their W14 at the end of the season.
16:23, Fri, Sep 29, 2023
By Charlie Parker-Turner
Daily and Sunday Express
Lewis Hamilton has insisted that Mercedes will not ‘bin’ their 2023 car, despite recent comments from team chief Toto Wolff. The Brit has claimed that the W14 has shown signs of promise and the team will continue to use the vehicle as part of a ‘learning curve’.
Wolff appears to be under the impression that the vehicle is the sole issue and a complete change is on the horizon. Speaking after the Singapore Grand Prix, he said: “We will throw this one in the bin when it's really fast and then embark on a new journey. I think we have encouraging signs from the tunnel of a balanced car that's going to be more together, and we have answers to our questions. So, we are really looking at the results with an encouraging perspective.”
Hamilton viewed the comments as quite premature and hinted that it was unfair to simply say that the car was being ‘binned’ after all of the hard work that was used in developing the concept. “We won't ever bin the car of course. These cars are still masterpieces, really, even if they're not the fastest car in the world. Two-thousand people have worked so hard to build these things and they will continue to be a part of our history and our learning curve. There will be bits of it that we try to change, try to hold on to some of the positives because there's always positives, good and bad sides, and so we're trying to hold on to the positives.”
‘Lewis Hamilton responds to Toto Wolff’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...f-Mercedes-W14
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Marko backs Perez to recover from poor Suzuka outing.
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has backed Sergio Perez to recover from his difficult outing at the Japanese Grand Prix.
24 September 3:30PM
Author Fergal Walsh
Perez was involved in a number of incidents during the race, the first of which was on the run to the first corner, forcing him to pit for a new front wing. The Mexican was then handed a duo of time penalties, first for a Safety Car infringement and secondly for making contact with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.
Red Bull opted to retire the car, but made a brief reappearance to serve the time penalty he was handed for colliding with Magnussen.
"He had an unfortunate day which originated in the free practice sessions,” Marko told Viaplay. “He couldn't match Max's speed and today just everything went wrong, but we are confident of a strong comeback from him.”
‘Marko backs Perez’;
https://racingnews365.com/marko-back...-suzuka-outing
Helmut Marko reveals FIA negotiation over Sergio Perez controversy
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez retired from the 2023 Japanese GP twice, following a miserable race for the Mexican.
25 September 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has revealed that the FIA granted the team permission to let Sergio Perez rejoin the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, so that he could serve a time penalty. Perez endured a disastrous Sunday at Suzuka, with the Mexican’s race having been ruined after just a few seconds.
Red Bull were keen to get the penalties served to avoid them carrying over to Qatar, something which was a relief to Marko. “Thank god we were able to serve the penalty here,” Marko told Sky Germany. “[They told us] if we did not serve the penalty here, then we would have had to do it in the next race and our strategy is to prioritise Max.”
‘FIA negotiation’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/helmut-ma...z-controversy/
Perez opens up on struggles, on the track and at home
29/09/2023 at 12:27
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Sergio Perez says his confidence was shattered this season by a Red Bull car that moved out of his comfort zone, which led to struggles not only out on the track but also at home where his cheerful demeanor was nowhere to be found.
"When the season started, the car suited me perfectly. But cars evolve during the season," Perez explained in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Limburger. After Miami, things went downhill. I had a different car that didn’t suit me so well. Then I failed to get into Q3 several times, so my confidence dropped. As a result, the driving went a lot less as well.”
“I struggled a lot in the summer. In the beginning, I was competing for the world title but, from May onwards, that changed. I was driving without confidence. At one point I just didn’t come out [of Q2]. That was very tough. Because you drive with a top team, the pressure to perform increases quickly."
'After Miami: Downhill';
https://f1i.com/news/488511-perez-op...d-at-home.html
Horner backs Perez to achieve astonishing Red Bull first
Friday 29 September 2023 06:57
Sam Cook
GPFans
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has backed Sergio Perez to finish in second in the drivers' championship, which would give Red Bull their first ever one-two in the standings. He needs to prove that he can beat everybody other than Verstappen regularly.
Horner agrees that this is important, not least because it would be the first time in Red Bull's history that they have had their drivers first and second in the drivers' standings. "He's got at least a one race weekend sort of [points] 'buffer' to Lewis and greater than that to Fernando [Alonso] behind him," Horner told Sky Sports.
"It's something that we've never achieved; we've never finished first and second with any of our drivers in the world championship so it would be a big thing for us to achieve. He came close last year, it would be his best-ever result, and he's got the best car that he's ever had to be able to try and achieve that result."
‘Christian Horner backs Sergio Perez’ ’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-team-history/
5: The Sergio Perez Interview Podcast
Publish DateSeptember 28, 2023
Kunal's F1 Blog.
By the end of the 2018 Formula 1 Season, Sergio Perez would become Force India’s most-experienced driver – and unless Esteban Ocon (who is next on the show!) goes on a podium scoring spree, he will also become the team’s most-successful driver.
Force India has helped stabilise Perez’s career and vice-versa; they make a lethal combo – one to watch out for this season. He is also the best person to judge Force India’s key strength – one that’s made them the talk of the paddock and the ‘best bang for buck World Champions’.
In this week’s episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, the famous Mexican driver joins us on the show – also becoming first driver in history to appear on our show twice! Super thanks to our friends at Force India for making this happen – #FeelTheForce, indeed.
‘Sergio Perez Interview’;
https://www.kunalsf1blog.com/5-the-s...rview-podcast/
PEREZ ‘STILL LEARNING EVERY DAY’ AHEAD OF 2024 TITLE CHALLENGE.
The Mexican driver has been under a lot of pressure this season, failing to deliver great results for Red Bull.
September 28, 2023
Sam Jones
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has admitted that he is ‘still learning every day’ as he prepares to pick himself back up to mount a title challenge in 2024. The six-time race winner had a strong start to the 2023 season, winning two of the opening four races to put himself in a good position to mount a challenge for the 2023 drivers championship title. Perez couldn’t keep his form up though, with a crash during qualifying in Monaco proving to be the first domino to fall.
The Mexican failed to make it out of Q3 for five consecutive races including Monaco, whilst his teammate Max Verstappen carried the Red Bull team, winning 10 races in a row and breaking the record for most successive victories in the process. His struggles still remain, getting into two separate incidents before being forced to retire in Suzuka last weekend.
To get his season back on track, Perez has been working with the Red Bull engineers to make the car more suited to his needs. “But I didn’t give up and kept working hard with the engineers to sort things out, my self-confidence came back when I realised that I won races under my own steam earlier this year. I dare say I am 100 percent again now. And I also have the conviction again that I can have a shot at the world title next year.”
‘LEARNING EVERY DAY’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/pe...tle-challenge/
Sergio Perez hires help to aid Red Bull woes after struggling away from F1
Sergio Perez has struggled to come close to matching Max Verstappen's results during their time as team-mates in 2023.
15:10, Tue, Sep 26, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Sergio Perez has revealed the mental impact of his on-track performances for Red Bull this season, explaining that he has hired a mental coach to help him process and deal with the highs and lows that life at the front end of F1 presents. The Mexican driver kicked off his 2023 season with two wins in the opening four rounds, beating team-mate Max Verstappen on the streets of Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. These performances sparked hopes of an inter-team title fight and heaped the pressure on Checo.
Unfortunately, Perez couldn’t live up to his billing as a title contender for long. A disappointing showing in Miami allowed Verstappen to come from the midfield to win as Checo’s Dutch team-mate pulled off a sensational ten-race winning streak to effectively decide the championship prior to the summer break.
Speaking to De Limburger about his struggles, Checo revealed: “Formula One is my sport, my life, my passion. When you are having such a hard time at work, it is difficult to be cheerful at home with your wife and children. So I hired a mental coach because my family deserves to have that cheerful father at home. Together with my coach, I worked on becoming the best version of myself at home, but also as a driver. As a result, I found positivity again. I am now 33 years old, but I am still learning every day. On the track, but certainly also off it. Partly because of this, I will never get tired of Formula 1. It is really great what this sport still gives me.”
‘Hired a mental coach’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ez-Red-Bull-F1
Perez confident of F1 2024 title shot after hiring mental coach
09:34 Thu, 28 Sep 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Sergio Perez has revealed he has hired a mental coach to help him overcome the struggles he has encountered in Formula 1 in 2023. Perez said that work with his engineers behind the scenes has helped him rebuild his dented confidence, inspiring him to believe a renewed title tilt is possible next year.
“But I didn’t give up and kept working hard with the engineers to sort things out,” he continued. “My self-confidence came back when I realised that I won races under my own steam earlier this year. I dare say I am 100 per cent again now. And I also have the conviction again that I can have a shot at the world title next year.”
‘F1 2024 title shot’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...-mental-coach/
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HAAS ‘DON’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT’ FROM NEW UPGRADES, SAYS STEINER.
Haas is set to bring major upgrades to the United States Grand Prix at the end of October.
September 30, 2023
Jasmine Hughes
FormulaNerds
The American racing team has endured a difficult 2023. Race weekends have brought mixed fortunes for the team, which often has decent one-lap pace but falls short during the race itself. So far, Haas has only finished in the points on four occasions this season.
Haas team principal Gunther Steiner admitted that Haas are fully sure of what it’ll get out of the new upgrades. “I don’t know yet exactly what to expect,” Steiner said, as quoted by Speedcafe. “Obviously you expect that you have got better performance, but the main thing is to get to see what you do next year, because next year’s car is completely changing concept.”
“With this year’s car, we couldn’t do a complete change anymore because there is some restrictions you have got yourself, like the radiators and the side-impact structure. So we wouldn’t go the full way, but we go in that direction as much as we could,” added Steiner. “But it’s more to learn and hopefully we get a more stable car; the car is very temperamental aero-wise – downforce comes and goes.”
Gunther Steiner: “I don’t know yet exactly what to expect!”;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ha...-says-steiner/
Guenther Steiner reveals details of new Haas car for United States GP.
The Haas team principal has given more info about how their new 2023 car will look towards the end of this season
September 20, 2023
By Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
Guenther Steiner has revealed the new direction of Haas‘s 2023 Formula 1 car concept, as the team pulls the plug on the current design.
Haas have displayed promising one-lap pace throughout 2023 but have failed to translate the performances into results during races, partially due to a problem with tyre wear.
“The concept of the car will change quite a bit,” Steiner told the media. “Going in that direction you’re limited with your chassis and a few other things as you’re right now, but we are trying to go to the downward [sidepod] shape now, like everybody else has done.”
‘New Haas car for United States GP’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ted-states-gp/
One F1 team in ‘survival mode’ with ‘very little time’ to understand Austin updates
28 Sep 2023 7:30 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
In “survival mode” at the moment and then facing a race against “time” to understand the upcoming VF-23’s upgrades, Guenther Steiner can only hope the Austin updates do what the box says.
The team has not put a single updated part on the car since the Dutch Grand Prix with the American outfit pinning their hopes on a B-spec car that will hit the track at the United States Grand Prix. Until then, as Magnussen told Motorsport.com: “It’s survival mode.”
Team boss Steiner is hoping Haas’ Austin upgrades put them back in the fight for points finishes, the 58-year-old knows that until the car is on the track, Haas won’t know what they’re genuinely dealing with. Haas will have just five races from the United States Grand Prix until the end of the season to understand the revised car. “Absolutely, and we had very little time to develop it,” he said.
‘Survival mode’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/haas-i...austin-updates
Haas F1 Team Principal casts doubt over 2023 car development
September 29, 2023
By: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
With six rounds left in 2023, Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner admits that questions still surround the short and long-term direction at Haas F1. Before the 2023 F1 season, Guenther Steiner made clear that a development plan was in place to correct the team’s seasonal mid-season decline. There was optimism on this issue over the winter, especially as an official agreement with new title sponsor MoneyGram was confirmed.
Having introduced virtually no significant upgrades in 2023, the American GP offers some hope for the team. A major set of changes have been scheduled for COTA, the first and – almost certainly – last updates of the season. If Haas cannot find performance with these changes (and understand them within a fairly limited timeframe), their winter development for 2024 will be compromised. As quoted by Speedcafe, team principal Guenther Steiner is uncertain about the impact of their planned updates:
“I don’t know yet what to expect. Obviously, you expect that you have better performance.
“But the main thing is to get to see what you do next year because next year’s car is completely changing the concept.”
Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner
‘Questions still surround the short and long-term direction at Haas F1’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...3-development/
Haas hoping 2024 decision will be learning 'shortcut' - Steiner
27 September 7:05PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner said the team is using its existing 2023 cost cap budget to help development on the 2024 car as it hopes to "shortcut" the learning process. The team will introduce an updated spec of its VF-23 at the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin, which will be a Red Bull-inspired car concept.
Steiner: It was better to do it this year. "This package came out of development we did for 2024, so we were always in that direction and that is the aim," Steiner told media, including RacingNews365. "At least we learn about the car and how it reacts, so we are getting better ready for next year.”
"That's the biggest thing, because continuing with this one we know where we are, and if you know where we are and you cannot find any performance, then you need to shift to a different concept. It was better to do it this year, at least an interval version. We didn't spend a lot of money on upgrades this year because we didn't find any performance, so we had some budget available. We said: 'We're making this step, at least we're doing the best to get ready for next year' ”.
‘Learning 'shortcut' – Steiner’;
https://racingnews365.com/haas-uses-...-help-2024-car
Guenther Steiner reveals innovative solution for increased team infrastructure spending
01 Oct 2023 3:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Haas team boss Guenther Steiner suggests that rather than raising the limit on team infrastructure expenses, overspending should be handled on a case-by-case basis and put forward to rival teams. American investment firm Dorilton Capital purchased the Williams F1 team from the Williams family back in 2020, and Vowles has made no secret of the rebuild mission required at the team starved of funding for many seasons.
But, with this limit hampering Williams’ ability to get their infrastructure back up to speed, Vowles had been calling for a method of increasing that ceiling to allow smaller teams to catch up, though the matter stalled following an F1 Commission meeting. Steiner, though, believes that rather than a blanket increase to the limit, a system should be put in place where a team spends to that limit, and then presents its plans and reasons for wanting more CapEx spending power before fellow teams in a unique case-by-case setup.
Laying out his proposal, as per Motorsport-Magazin.com, Steiner said: “We have a CapEx limit now. Before anything is changed, someone has to go here and say: ‘I’m over it now’ and ask if it can be increased. And not just ask for the impossible. “Spend 36 million, see how far you get, and then explain to people what else you’re going to do. That’s how I would do it.”
‘Guenther Steiner reveals innovative solution’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenth...capex-spending
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Budget cap means Ferrari must ‘be patient’ in pursuit of Red Bull – Leclerc.
Charles Leclerc is encouraged by the progress Ferrari has made with their SF-23 car in recent races, but accepts he will have to be patient to see how quickly they can catch this year’s champions Red Bull.
2024 F1 season
Posted on 2nd October 2023, 7:152nd October 2023, 9:34
Written by Ida Wood and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans
“After Monza, we understood more things which are good for this year – even though it will be a small step in the right direction – but mostly for designing next year’s car, which is positive,” said Leclerc. He finished fourth for the third race in a row at Suzuka, while his team mate Carlos Sainz Jnr has taken two podiums in that time including the only win for a driver outside Red Bull.
Leclerc said the progress the team has made also vindicates the design direction they have taken for next season. “The 2024 project is very different to the car we have this year,” he said. “And this [run of form], with everything we’ve learned so far, it reaffirms that it’s a good choice what we’ve done for next year. And then the more we learn, the better it is for doing the last few details for next year’s car. So it’s super-important.”
‘Be patient’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/02/...-bull-leclerc/
‘I have a feeling’: Charles Leclerc admits Ferrari have been studying F1 rivals ahead of Qatar…
10:00 Sun, 01 Oct 2023.
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has admitted that his team have been studying Mercedes ahead of next weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix. Leclerc was speaking to Sky Sports F1 with the race to finish behind Red Bull heating up.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship in Japan last weekend. In reality, they’ve known for a long time they were going to win the title given their complete domination of Formula 1 this year.
Speaking ahead of the race, Leclerc said: “Mercedes are strong, especially in the races. In Japan, they put us under a bit of pressure at the end by splitting the cars. In qualifying, it’s a bit more inconsistent, so it’s going to be a very close fight. We are a bit more inconsistent in the race, they are a bit more inconsistent in qualifying. But, I have a feeling inside me that we have learned a few things in the last weekend that will hopefully give us the upper hand for the rest of the season.”
“I have a feeling”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/cha...d-of-qatar-gp/
'I hate to find excuses' - Leclerc's role in volatile Ferrari year
Oct 1, 2023
by Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
In a chastening 2023 Formula 1 season for Ferrari, Charles Leclerc has had some specific issues to deal with. That hasn’t always been easy and at times Leclerc has made things worse for himself. The upshot has been a volatile season of grand peaks, low troughs, quiet races of real class and some rather anonymous ones too.
“We straight away knew what our weaknesses were,” says Leclerc. “We were, at least at the beginning of the year, super wind-sensitive, which is something I guess is quite difficult to understand for fans that are not properly into Formula 1.”
“There were some off-examples like Baku, where the wind was quite high, but we were super strong [Leclerc was on pole and finished on the podium], which was difficult to understand. But then as a general trend, we were struggling quite a lot. Even in one weekend, we could see a lot of very good sessions and also very difficult sessions. That was very, very difficult for us because also as a driver, it's very difficult to set up the car in a particular way, because you will get one car one session and a very different one the one after.
'I hate to find excuses';
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/i...errari-season/
Sainz ‘confident’ Ferrari can fight McLaren on ‘low speed’ tracks
09:34 Sat, 30 Sep 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Carlos Sainz is not concerned by McLaren’s strong pace at the Japanese Grand Prix, insisting that Ferrari will be able to battle his former team on several of the remaining tracks this year.
Asked whether he suspected McLaren would retain its Japanese GP pace across the remainder of the year, Sainz said: “I think in high-speed circuits yes, but when we go to places like Mexico, or even Austin, with more low-speed content we’ll be very confident we will have a race with McLaren.”
‘Sainz confident’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...-speed-tracks/
Sainz outlines hope for new Ferrari car
30 September 1:50PM
Author Fergal Walsh
Co-author Aaron Deckers
Carlos Sainz has detailed the biggest change he hopes Ferrari will make to its car for next year’s Formula 1 campaign. Sainz expressed his hope that the issues will be eradicated for next year’s challenger.
“For sure there are some things on set up that could be implemented into next year's car,” he told media including RacingNews365.com. “But I am hoping that next year's car has completely different characteristics than this one and it's a bit of a new start.”
“This year's car has given us a few headaches here and there. It is true that the car when it comes to one lap, C5 tyres on certain tracks it can be very, very quick. But it is true that many in the race even in Singapore, we were nothing special with tyre wear, our degradation still has its weaknesses that we need to address.”
‘Hope for new Ferrari car’;
https://racingnews365.com/sainz-outl...ew-ferrari-car
Leclerc: Ferrari ‘have learned things’ that will help in Mercedes fight
13:30 Sun, 01 Oct 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Charles Leclerc says Ferrari “have learned a few things” that he hopes will enable the team to have the “upper hand” over Mercedes. Leclerc believes Ferrari has taken a step forward recently and is optimistic that it will provide the team with the base to overhaul Mercedes across the remaining six rounds.
Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur asserts its battle with Mercedes can’t be delayed because of the potential risk of paying the price for it early next year. “You don’t have to postpone the fight, the fight is with Mercedes today, and we have to take it,” he said.
‘Ferrari ‘have learned things’!’
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...ercedes-fight/
Leclerc promises very different Ferrari design in 2024.
30/09/2023 at 09:16
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
Now attention is turning to next year's entry, and Leclerc says it should be a very different beast from this year's car. “We learnt plenty during Monza especially about our weaknesses,” Leclerc noted. “After Monza we understood more things which are good for this year.”
“We understood good things in the last few races. Whether this is all or not is difficult to say until we’ve actually achieved our development programme and confirmed it was that. I’m not confident this is everything we had to find to close the gap to Red Bull, but it’s a step in the right direction for sure," he noted. "Mostly for designing next year’s car, which is positive.”
"It’s super important. It was really good to understand that before the end of the season, as we still have quite a few races so we can maybe push a bit more in that direction. There were things we tested in Monza to make sure that it was really the case, and it was. We learnt a lot in Zandvoort and Monza and that is good for this year, even though I don’t think it will turn our season around.”
‘Very different Ferrari design in 2024’;
https://f1i.com/news/488551-leclerc-...n-in-2024.html
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Alonso calls Aston Martin to make off-track F1 improvements.
Fernando Alonso has called on Aston Martin to make improvements off-track in order to return to the form it displayed at the start of the season.
30 September 6:10PM
Author Fergal Walsh
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
The Silverstone-based squad commenced the campaign in strong fashion, with Alonso scoring six podiums in the first eight races. However, in the following eight rounds, just one podium has followed, while Aston Martin has also been overtaken by Mercedes and Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship.
“Red Bull was not dominant in Singapore, and we didn't take that opportunity,” Alonso told media including RacingNews365.com. “So that was the thing that we need to obviously understand, we need to be aware of the challenge that we are facing. At the beginning of the year, we had a fast car. We already said at the beginning that we were facing a huge challenge in the season because our main competitors are huge organizations and very top teams,” he said.
“So it was more or less expected that Ferrari and Mercedes eventually they will match our pace and potentially go ahead. “Mercedes took not too long to be in that position, Ferrari took a little bit longer. And McLaren now, they are very strong. So we have to accept that we need to raise our level off track as well and the rate of development has to be a little bit faster next year.”
‘EL PLAN: Make improvements off-track in order to return to form’;
https://racingnews365.com/alonso-cal...1-improvements
Alonso highlights issue Aston Martin must fix
29 September 2:55PM
Author Ewan Gale
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Addressing the inconsistent results in recent months, Alonso told media including RacingNews365.com: "It's difficult to have a car that performs at all types of circuits and all types of corners.
"The window of operation of the car and the set-up is very narrow in this generation, so if you don't get everything right, you can easily be out of the top 10. If you get everything right that you can, you can fight for podiums and this happens to many teams.”
"Behind Red Bull, it seems quite close so when you can be the second fastest team or the fifth or sixth fastest team, in terms of results it is very different. So let's see if we can be a little bit more consistent track-to-track and if we can widen the operating window that the car is working in."
‘EL PLAN: Issues Aston Martin must fix’;
https://racingnews365.com/alonso-hig...artin-must-fix
Aston Martin prepare late changes to salvage 2023 season
September 28, 2023
By: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Aston Martin has a small window of opportunity to correct their failed efforts to develop the AMR23 this season. Significant issues began emerging after the Canadian GP. A large upgrade package was introduced in Montreal, including a new floor, with the intention of improving efficiency. With Alonso securing yet another podium and crossing the line in P2, these changes seemed positive.
Unfortunately for the Silverstone-based team, this result obscured the reality of the situation. In subsequent rounds, the AMR23 lost its superiority in low-speed corners – whilst failing to improve its top speed substantially. Moreover, a car that was easy to set up and optimize at the beginning of 2023 became difficult to keep in its operating window.
Next year’s cars will be an evolution from this year, and so any unresolved issues on the AMR23 could be carried over into 2024. This makes it critical for Dan Fallows and his team at the factory to reverse the car’s worrying new behaviors. Aston Martin could lose fourth in the Championship to McLaren, something nobody would have predicted after Bahrain. However, the series of corrections planned for the final races this year are of far greater significance.
‘EL PLAN: Late changes to salvage 2023 season’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...e-2023-season/
Alonso relieved after ‘just’ keeping his perfect Q3 record in 2023 going at Suzuka
23 Sep 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Fernando Alonso is the only driver in the field to have made it through to Q3 at every race so far this season – and he just kept that run going in Japan, qualifying P10.
‘EL PLAN: Keeping his perfect Q3 record in 2023’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...144650160.html
Krack confident of further Aston Martin podium success
02 October 8:45AM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
When asked about the fluctuations in form, Krack told media, including RacingNews365: "When you look at the season overall, you see teams going up and down all the time. "To be honest in Zandvoort we also performed better than we expected originally, then you go to Monza and it's obviously a different circuit.”
"But it is up and downs we have seen with all the teams so far this year, so that is something that we need to try and understand. In Formula 1, it's not never one thing. There are also circuits where there are slower corners, so I think all in all, you always have to try and improve your car," explained Krack.
‘EL PLAN: Further Aston Martin podium success’;
https://racingnews365.com/krack-conf...podium-success
Krack 'fine' with Alonso's F1 team radio after critical outburst
Saturday 30 September 2023 14:57
Sam Cook
GPFans
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has said that Fernando Alonso's recent critical comments were 'absolutely fine', insisting that the Formula 1 veteran's grievances will only spur the team on. “I think you can listen to the 20 drivers, and everybody's really hard,” Krack told the media after the Japanese GP.
“Everybody's passionate. If the driver would not be doing something like that, what driver is it? So, I think, it's fine. For us, we take it as a motivation and it also opens up always a different view of things. So, absolutely fine.”
‘EL PLAN: We take it as a motivation’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...adio-comments/
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McLaren 'focused on the process', not rushing upgrades.
McLaren has developed its MCL60 at a healthy rate this season, with great success, but team boss Andrea Stella explains why it's always ill advised for a team to rush its upgrades.
02/10/2023 at 15:52
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
McLaren has developed its MCL60 at a healthy rate this season, with great success, but team boss Andrea Stella explains why it's always ill advised for a team to rush its upgrades. "I’m focused on the process," said the McLaren team principal. "And you can have targets, you can say ‘these are my two, three milestones from a results point of view’.”
"But in reality, you don't work against that. You work just at the fastest, reasonable pace that can be sustained in development. I mean, that's the definition, what we do is the fastest reasonable pace that can be sustained in development. Then we see where we end up."
'Focused on the process';
https://f1i.com/news/488683-mclaren-...-upgrades.html
STELLA: MCLAREN ‘ENCOURAGED’ BY THEIR DEVELOPMENT DESPITE WORRIES OF ‘OUTSTANDING’ RED BULL IN QATAR
Stella is 'encouraged' by McLaren's development but warns how it is easy to become complacent
October 3, 2023
Oliver Brindle
FormulaNerds
McLaren’s Team Principal, Andrea Stella, has spoken out on how he believes Red Bull is out of reach in the development race for this season. However, the Italian admitted he doesn’t want complacency to lead to a slip in development ahead of next year.
Team Principal Andrea Stella has now pointed out that they need to continue the pace they are developing at and avoid any complacency, which would lead to decline in performance similar to that of Aston Martin. Speaking to Racer.com, Stella said: “If anything, we are trying to be as rigorous as possible from a development point of view to ensure that we are not short-cutting any steps. We don’t get too like, ‘We need to develop faster’, and then you start to skip some methodical steps that we have applied so far.”
“But I think everyone at McLaren, especially the technical leadership – are very aware that the pace of development is already fast and that is what we need to keep pursuing. And then we will see once we are in Bahrain next year who has been able to develop faster. We saw with Aston Martin that over the winter, big steps are possible. Or like with McLaren that you can do it even during the season.”
'Encouraged by McLaren's development’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/st...bull-in-qatar/
Lando Norris: MCL60 pace “encouraging” going into final races of 2023
October 2, 2023
By Ashley Cline
The Checkered Flag
McLaren F1 Team‘s Lando Norris was pleased with the pace of MCL60 at the Japanese Grand Prix, where the team took its first double podium of the season. With seven races to go in the season, the British driver said that the team’s current performance is “encouraging.” “We’re back racing after a week off. We had a very successful race in Japan with another P2 for me and a double podium for the team. The car had strong pace, which is encouraging as we go into the final seven races of the season.”
“Qatar up next. It’s another Sprint race weekend, so more opportunity for points. This is only the second time we’re racing at the Lusail International Circuit, so we will have to learn as much as we can from the Friday practice session. I’ve been back at the MTC with the engineers in preparation over the last two weeks. We’ll look to extract the maximum from the car and hopefully bring home some more points.”
‘MCL60 pace “encouraging” ’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...races-of-2023/
Stella urges McLaren reflection as Aston Martin fight intensifies
02 October 4:00PM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Andrea Stella feels it is "important to acknowledge" the progress made by McLaren in 2023 as it eyes a late surge for fourth in the Constructors' Championship. "As we head into the Qatar Grand Prix week, it's important to acknowledge how far we have come in the season," Stella explained.
"Achieving a P2 and P3 in Japan was not an easy task, but it was made possible by the quality of the teams' work at the factory and trackside [at Suzuka]. We're more determined than ever to continue improving, as we work towards being consistent in fighting at the top of the field.”
"Qatar race is fairly new to F1, as we have only visited the Lusail International Circuit once before back in 2021. However, this is the first time we will be bringing the new generation of cars here, so everyone will be trying to make the most of the practice sessions, and the Sprint format only adds to that challenge."
‘Aston Martin fight intensifies’;
https://racingnews365.com/stella-urg...ht-intensifies
McLaren boys blown away by new wind tunnel!
13:03 Mon, 02 Oct 2023.
F1i.com
On Monday, McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown, F1 team principal Andrea Stella and Lando Norris stood in the eye of the team's new aerodynamic storm. McLaren's new state-of-the art wind tunnel that was four years in the making is now up and running.
The Woking-based outfit's achievement in bringing its new wind tunnel online marks a significant milestone for the Formula 1 team, showcasing its commitment to the ever-increasing importance of advanced aerodynamic research and performance.
‘Blown away’;
https://f1i.com/images/488669-mclare...nd-tunnel.html
McLaren unveil ‘biggest investment’ in decades with launch of new wind tunnel
02 Oct 2023 12:40 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
McLaren have released behind-the-scenes images of their new wind tunnel as their aerodynamics team moves back in-house for the first time since 2010. With the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) having first opened its doors in 2003, the team soon found some of their equipment was quickly becoming out of date.
The most prominent of those was the wind tunnel with McLaren deciding to close it down in 2010 and instead rent Toyota’s in Germany, but have always longed to bring everything back on site. That dream became a reality recently when McLaren unveiled their state-of-the-art wind tunnel on the site of where the previous one once was.
‘Biggest investment’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclare...dtunnel-images
Red Bull's unexpected 2024 F1 threat
Oct 2, 2023
The Race
Lando Norris promised McLaren is “coming for Red Bull” after finishing second at Suzuka - but has the team really usurped Mercedes and Ferrari as Red Bull’s biggest 2024 Formula 1 threat? Norris knows Red Bull is uncatchable this year, but his eyes right after the race were firmly on the big picture.
With Norris signed up to the end of 2025 and Oscar Piastri recently agreeing a new deal to stay until the end of 2026, McLaren also has an outstanding and stable driver line-up. McLaren has the right facilities, people and resources to become a major player in F1 again - so what does it still need?
The one big question is whether it can overcome the long-standing technical weakness it has suffered from with its car. For years, McLarens have been tricky to drive and while recent developments have improved performance and added downforce, those inherent characteristics are still there. “You have to drive it one way, but it’s a way I don’t like to drive,” Norris has explained.
‘Lando Norris: “Coming for Red Bull” ’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/r...024-f1-threat/
McLaren eager to avoid any more Norris/Piastri F1 team orders
McLaren wants to avoid the need for imposing any more team orders on its Formula 1 drivers, after again intervening between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Japan.
Oct 2, 2023, 9:58 AM
By: Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com
With its two drivers on slightly offset strategies at Suzuka, McLaren had to ask Piastri to let Norris through at one point to ensure that they did not waste time fighting each other and risk squandering the team's prospects for a double podium finish.
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has no doubts that the team has done the right thing in swapping its drivers around when needed, but he accepts it is something he is not eager to happen all the time. Asked how the Japan call compared to those made in Hungary and Italy, Stella said:
"It was much, much easier in a way, as those two situations were stressful, especially the one in Monza. And when I say stressful, I mean stressful because we created stress between our two drivers, which we could have avoided, really. That's something that we reviewed. It may happen again in the future, but when it is avoidable, we should avoid it.
‘Stressful, I mean stressful’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...ders/10527745/
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IT’S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
One championship down, one to go, as Max Verstappen closes in on a third straight drivers’ title. But there are plenty of other fights up and down the field that are just heating up, so here are some of the topics we’re getting excited about heading to Lusail.
02 October 2023
Chris Medland
Special Contributor
Formula One - Official Site
Verstappen on the verge: It has looked an inevitability since very early in the season, and after repelling the early challenge of team mate Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen has raced away into the distance in terms of the championship standings, to such an extent that he’s set to wrap matters up with more than five races still remaining.
Mercedes versus Ferrari: Mercedes have been consistent point-scorers all year but Ferrari have found form since their home race at Monza, scoring a third and fourth there behind only the Red Bulls, and then winning in Singapore courtesy of Carlos Sainz. Charles Leclerc was then fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton at Suzuka – where Sainz also beat George Russell – and the gap has closed to just 20 points between the teams.
McLaren closing in on Aston Martin: There’s also tension brewing between Aston Martin and McLaren in a sporting sense, but this battle has taken on a very different form. Aston Martin were the standout team behind Red Bull in the early part of the year, with Fernando Alonso amassing multiple podiums after a sensational step forward was made over the winter. But that improvement has since been matched by McLaren, who scored just 17 points in the first eight races this year but have added 155 to that total in the eight since upgrading their car in Austria.
‘Ricciardo nearing a comeback (Delayed), Sprinting back to Qatar’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...cDEQ68ICT.html
Three storylines to watch at f1 Qatar Grand Prix
It will also be the first Sprint event to take place under floodlights, as the previous host venues – Silverstone, Monza, Brazil, Imola, Austria, Baku and Belgium – have all been daytime races.
Last Edited October 03, 2023 | 12:15 AM
One championship down, one to go, as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen closes in on a third straight drivers’ title.
Verstappen on the verge: It has looked an inevitability since very early in the season, and after repelling the early challenge of teammate Sergio Perez, Verstappen has raced away into the distance in terms of the championship standings, to such an extent that he’s set to wrap matters up with more than five races still remaining.
Mercedes versus Ferrari: The points between Verstappen and Perez are not the only ones to pay attention to at the moment though. While Red Bull wrapped up their constructors’ championship in Japan, there’s far from any clarity over who will be the runner-up this season as Mercedes and Ferrari fight it out for best of the rest honours.
‘Three storylines’;
https://www.gulf-times.com/article/6...tar-grand-prix
Full schedule for the 2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix
03 October 8:45AM
Author RacingNews365 Staff
2023 F1 QATAR GRAND PRIX SCHEDULE
Date Event Time (Local) Time (BST)
Friday October 6th Practice 1 16:30 - 17:30 14:30 - 15:30
Friday October 6th Qualifying 20:00 - 21:00 18:00 - 19:00
Saturday October 7th Sprint Shootout 16:00 - 16:44 14:00 - 15:00
Saturday October 7th Sprint 20:30 - 21:00 18:30 - 19:30
Sunday October 8th Race 20:00 - 22:00 18:00
‘Full schedule’;
https://racingnews365.com/full-sched...tar-grand-prix
Lawson to continue as Ricciardo’s substitute at Qatar Grand Prix
Formula 1
Posted on 3rd October 2023, 15:563rd October 2023, 22:01
Written by Ida Wood
Liam Lawson will remain in AlphaTauri’s line-up for this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix. He has occupied the seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda since Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix in August. In the four grands prix Lawson has contested so far he has scored two points, reached Q3 and never finished lower than 13th.
Before being called up to make his Formula 1 debut, Lawson was combining his reserve driver duties for Red Bull with racing in Japan’s top-level Super Formula series. He sits second in the standings ahead of the double-header Monza season finale at the end of this month having won three of the seven races held so far.
‘Ricciardo’s substitute at Qatar Grand Prix’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/03/...ar-grand-prix/
Lawson's last big F1 chance to make a 2024 case
Oct 3, 2023
by Matt Beer, Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Lawson gets a fifth race as Yuki Tsunoda's team-mate, having impressed greatly since his mid-weekend call-up at the Dutch GP. But that still looks unlikely to result in a 2024 F1 race seat. AlphaTauri has already announced Tsunoda and Ricciardo as its line-up for next year, with Red Bull saying Lawson will return to a reserve role - although there have been reports he is guaranteed a 2025 race drive at one of its F1 teams.
Scott Mitchell-Malm: Even if he's not going to race next year, he needs to make the biggest impression he can now so that it lasts as long as possible. Otherwise the momentum he's built in this super-sub run will be well faded by the time he's a factor in the 2025 driver market.
Once Ricciardo's back, all Lawson can do is wait. Until then his focus has to be grasping every opportunity he has. Then it's up to others - but at the very least Lawson can take a lot of satisfaction knowing he did everything in his could to stake his claim.
‘Big F1 chance to make a 2024 case’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/l...e-a-2024-case/
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A champion crowned as rivals fight for pride - What to expect at the Qatar GP.
The country missed out on the calendar last season as it focused on its hosting duties for the 2022 FIFA World Cup but is back with substantial infrastructural upgrades to better house the F1 circus.
04 October 2:07PM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365
A champion to be crowned: Whilst Verstappen's championship glory has been a question of when and not if for a long time given his dominance this season, the Dutchman's crowning is likely to be confirmed this weekend.
Perez bounce back? But what of Perez? It is imperative Perez rebounds instantly as he aims to take second in the Drivers' championship. A one-two is something Red Bull has never achieved in F1 - and really should be completing given the dominance of the car this term. But with Lewis Hamilton impressively racking up points in the Mercedes and closing to within 40 points of Perez, no further slip-ups can be afforded.
Eyes on Sargeant as pressure ramps up: With 19 of the 20 seats on next year's F1 grid now taken, Logan Sargeant is in the unenviable position of being the last to secure his future.
Tyres under the microscope: Tyre wear was a big talking point at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix in 2021 with high degradation presenting an intriguing tactical battle across the grid.
‘A champion crowned’;
https://racingnews365.com/a-champion...t-the-qatar-gp
F1 chief left 'scratching his head' ahead of Qatar GP return
Wednesday 4 October 2023 14:58
Anna Malyon
GPFans
Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner says that temperatures for this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix have left him "scratching his head". “In 2021, when we visited the first time, it was a ‘last-minute’ call I’d say," said Steiner in Haas' Qatar Preview. We were welcomed very much by everyone in Qatar, and it was a good race.”
"I remember the smaller garages but that was because they were built for motorbikes, but the facilities have all been upgraded and they look very good. The only thing that has me scratching my head is the temperatures, which are really high, in the forties. We’re racing at night though, so it should be okay.”
'Scratching his head';
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...einer-preview/
Why Steiner is 'scratching his head' in Qatar GP build-up
04 October 8:50AM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365
Working hard to get out of the hole: Whilst Nico Hulkenberg has often displayed promising one-lap pace for Haas this term, struggles with tyre degradation - especially on the rear tyres - have left the team fighting a losing battle come race day.
Steps looked to have been taken at the Singapore Grand Prix, only for a return to reality in Japan last time out. On how he manages his emotions from race to race, Steiner explained: “It’s very simple, just look forward and know what we are doing as a team.”
"We’re working hard to get out of this hole and that’s what motivates me every day of the week. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t know we’re working hard and getting better to where we want to be and should be.”
‘Working hard to get out of the hole’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-steine...ar-gp-build-up
Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix Predictions
October 4, 2023
By: Erika Di Guido
Last Word On Sports
Round 18 for Formula 1, the Qatar Grand Prix it’s getting closer. Let’s discover some facts about it and make predictions for the podium. Considering the track and recent performances, the drivers on the podium at the Qatar Grand Prix could be: Max Verstappen: unreachable in his success, the Dutchman is consistent on every track. The Japanese GP proved that the race in Singapore was just a single accident. It’s only natural to add Super Max on the highest step of the podium once again, and this time he could officially be the 2023 World Champion.
Sergio Perez: even if his season was marked by ups and downs, it’s possible that we’ll see a double podium for Red Bull in Qatar. After all, Sergio Perez and the RB19 have found a way to gain some positions, and he finished on the podium on multiple occasions. If this will be the case this Sunday, the Mexican could join his teammate for the celebrations.
Lando Norris: the McLaren driver, after a disappointing start of the season, had some good results, the most recent one the p2 in Japan. The whole McLaren team worked hard to improve the MCL60 and the efforts are paying off. The car shows a reliability and a potential to fight for the highest positions. A success in Qatar will definitely prove that McLaren is on the right path right now.
‘Predictions’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...x-predictions/
What's the weather forecast for the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix?
04 October 2023
Formula One - Official Site
The weather radar makes for good reading for both the drivers and the fans in the stands as it is expected to be hot and sunny on all three days of action. For a more detailed forecast, scroll down below.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 – FP1 AND QUALIFYING
Conditions: A sunny and dry day with gusts of wind up to 55kph in the afternoon. Rising sand in places especially in FP1. FP1: 38°C // Q: 32°C.
Maximum temperature expected: 41 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 31 Celsius
Chance of rain: 0%
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 – SPRINT SHOOTOUT AND SPRINT
Conditions: Still a dry and sunny day with gusts of wind up to 45kph in the afternoon, and a little bit more in the morning. SS: 36°C // SPRINT: 32°C.
Maximum temperature expected: 40 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 31 Celsius
Chance of rain: 0%
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8 – RACE WEATHER
Conditions: Fair weather all day, with light wind throughout the day. RACE: 32°C
Maximum temperature expected: 38 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 30 Celsius
Chance of rain: 0%
‘Weather forecast’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Yq0PMwb4a.html
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How can Max Verstappen win the F1 championship? Permutations for Qatar Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen could become the 2023 Formula One drivers’ champion for the third year in a row at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
4 October 2023 at 3:48 pm
Marc Mayo
Yahoo! UK & Ireland
How can Max Verstappen win the F1 Drivers’ Championship? Here are all the details...
If he finishes sixth or higher in the sprint: In this scenario, Verstappen claims the F1 title no matter where Perez finishes.
If he finishes seventh in the sprint: Perez must win the sprint to deny Verstappen here, at which point he can still easily win the title at Sunday’s grand prix.
If he finishes eighth in the sprint: This will still be enough if Perez finishes outside of the top two.
If he misses out on any points in the sprint: Verstappen will still win the world championship if Perez finishes outside of the top three.
If he misses out and Perez finishes inside the top three: All will not be lost for Verstappen, who needs to come out of this weekend with a 146-point lead to win the title after Sunday’s grand prix. His current advantage is 177.
‘Here are all the details...’;
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/max-versta...5SqqUV2S4k0gPg
Qatar could serve up two of F1’s hottest races this season
Formula 1
Posted on 5th October 2023, 7:154th October 2023, 21:53
Written by Ida Wood
RaceFans
There is only one past example of the Qatar Grand Prix for teams to look back on when preparing themselves for the desert weather they will encounter this weekend. The track’s proximity to Qatar’s eastern coast, with few buildings lying between it and the coast, makes it more vulnerable to winds and the dust they carry – note how much dust the cars kicked up at the start in 2021.
Given the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix will be a night race, practice on a sweltering and potentially sand-covered track will simultaneously be of limited relevance but also of extreme significance for preparing for the weekend given there is just a single session.
Sunday at Losail will be less windy, and track staff have plenty of time to sweep the surface before what is set to be the hottest grand prix of the year begins at 8pm. It will be 33C when the race begins, and probably only 2C cooler when the chequered flag waves. Drivers, teams, tyres and engine components (which will likely have already been used in many races this year) will be put to the test by the Qatari heat.
‘F1’s hottest races this season’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/05/...s-this-season/
‘More respect’ shown to Lewis Hamilton over George Russell at Mercedes – F1 news round-up
04 Oct 2023 11:00 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Russell believes that his relationship with Toto Wolff is a little different from the dynamic Lewis Hamilton has with Wolff – something that made a particular difference when he first stepped into the Mercedes team. Opening up on how he felt Lewis Hamilton perhaps commanded ‘more respect’ when he first arrived over 10 years ago, Russell said his own signing as a youngster has resulted in a very different leadership approach from Wolff.
“I think, obviously, when Lewis and Toto were acquainted, Lewis was already World Champion, he was already this megastar,” he said. “There was perhaps really more respect [from] Toto to Lewis when he joined because Toto was completely new to Formula 1 at that time, Toto was the rookie and Lewis was the household massive name.”
“Whereas with myself, Toto signed to me as a 16-year-old. They’ve always, I guess, nurtured me along my way, advised me, helped me reach my full potential and I guess, yeah, to a degree, you could be right but I think our relationship now has gone more from, I’m not going to say paternal figure, but I’d class ourselves as more friends now.”
‘Nurtured me along my way’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/more-r...-news-round-up
McLaren predicts ‘strong’ Qatar GP
Thursday 5th October, 2023 - 5:00am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Andrea Stella has suggested the upgraded McLaren MCL60 will be well suited to the Lusail circuit at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix. With Lusail also featuring predominantly medium- and high-speed corners, team principal Stella is optimistic.
“There’s a variability of tracks left in the season, but none of these tracks has the Singapore characteristics,” he reasoned when asked if McLaren can catch Red Bull this year.
“So while there could be some tracks in which we could be competitive – I think Qatar could be a decent track for us – I’m afraid that the characteristics we like, they are also the characteristics where Red Bull will be just outstanding. So we’ll have to be realistic that we need some situations, let’s say, to happen to be able to make the final step.”
‘McLaren MCL60 will be well suited to the Lusail circuit’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/10/05...rong-qatar-gp/
Lawson expecting Qatar GP to be 'tougher' as he continues to deputise for Ricciardo
04 October 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Liam Lawson is expecting a tough weekend in Lusail as he once again readies himself to fill in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at the Qatar Grand Prix, with the latter continuing his recovery from a broken hand.
Ahead of another weekend behind the wheel of the AT04, Lawson said: “I drove the Qatar track in the simulator at the end of last week. It’s very fast, a very high-speed circuit and quite unique, and I’ve not seen many tracks like it, as there’s only one low-speed corner in the whole track.”
“The rest is just fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh gear, so I think it’s going to be exciting to drive. With only one free practice session, we drivers will have to know where to improve because it’ll get faster at night when it’s much cooler. And we need to know exactly how to extract everything out of the car. I’m expecting it to be tougher than the races we’ve just done.”
‘Liam Lawson is expecting a tough weekend’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...p7tNoNLPD.html
Andretti hijacks the 2023 Qatar GP Preview
Published Oct 04, 2023 9:27 PM
Inside Line F1 Podcast (Weblog)
We expect discussions and dissonance around Andretti's entry in Formula 1 to hijack all stories from the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, including Max Verstappen's impending 3rd Formula 1 World Championship.
But does Formula 1 need an 11th team? We're split in our judgment and opinion. On sporting grounds, we agree that an 11th team will do wonders for Formula 1 and upcoming young talent. But from a business perspective, it's tricky - that's where we had peak disagreement despite having no vested interests in Andretti's entry.
Why should the existing 10 teams agree to devalue their business? Why is Andretti interested in Formula 1 only now? Is the FIA pressurising Liberty Media to enter into an agreement with Andretti by making their (acceptance) stance public? Lots of interesting discussions that will hopefully give you a better understanding of the messy situation that Formula 1 faces with Andretti.
‘Inside Line F1 Podcast’;
https://omny.fm/shows/inside-line-f1...tar-gp-preview
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Dutch fans in Qatar as Verstappen expected to win third F1 world title this weekend.
Several hundred Dutch fans are in Qatar this weekend for the Formula 1 race, where Max Verstappen is expected to win his third world title. The 26-year-old Red Bull driver could become world champion as early as Saturday in the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Thursday, 5 October 2023 - 19:45
NL Times
Qatar is one of six Grand Prix that has sprint races. The top eight drivers in the sprint receive points, with the first place securing eight points. Verstappen needs just three points to become champion, meaning he has to finish sixth or higher in the 100-kilometer sprint race on Saturday. "I can win the world title during the sprint race on Saturday, so that's the main goal,” Verstappen said. “Hopefully it will be a weekend to remember,” he added.
If Verstappen does not secure enough points in the sprint, he still has the opportunity to claim the title in the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday. The last Grand Prix in Qatar took place in 2021. Although Verstappen recorded the fastest lap, he finished second behind Lewis Hamilton.
A few hundred of Dutch fans are already in Qatar. The last group of over 300 fans who booked through Stip Reizen flew to Qatar on Thursday afternoon. "After it became clear that Max could become world champion in Qatar, the last available spots sold out in just a few minutes," said Stip Reizen director Fred Verlinden.
‘Dutch fans in Qatar’;
https://nltimes.nl/2023/10/05/dutch-...-title-weekend
Talking points ahead of Qatar GP: Max on the brink, Mercedes' battle within, and a bridesmaid
5th October 2023, 17:20
Charlen Raymond
Wheels24
Five talking points must be addressed when the chequered flag drops on Sunday:
1 Verstappen gunning for gold: The Qatar race weekend will present Red Bull's Verstappen with two opportunities to win the 2023 title.
2 Battle for second: Though Aston Martin and star driver Fernando Alonso started the 2023 season with a bang, their car development went backwards, resulting in the team losing second place in the Constructors' race, and Alonso slipping to fourth in the Drivers' battle.
3 Ricciardo wants to go: "Does he need to rush a hasty return for Qatar or maybe another couple of weeks for Austin? [Lusail] is a hell of a bumpy circuit anyway, it might be better to use that time in preparation for Austin." Liam Lawson will continue as the stand-in driver this weekend.
4 Logan Sargeant on a cliff: As with any team taking on a rookie, Williams gambled with Logan Sargeant in 2023. Unfortunately, the American failed to impress to date, and many are calling for his head.
5 Mercedes unravelling? It's not been plain sailing for Mercedes in 2023. While George Russell was the team's best performer in 2022, Hamilton has upped his game this season, comprehensively outperforming his teammate.
‘Five talking points’;
https://www.news24.com/sport/motorsp...smaid-20231005
Relentless Max Verstappen can clinch his 3rd F1 title as early as the sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix
5th Oct. 2023, 12:05
BY JAMES ELLINGWORTH
Associated Press
Max Verstappen can win his third straight Formula One title at the Qatar Grand Prix. And he can do it on Saturday. It’s been a relentlessly dominant season from the Dutch driver, who has had the fastest car with Red Bull but has also left teammate Sergio Perez far behind in the standings.
Perez is the last driver with a mathematical chance of catching Verstappen in the six remaining rounds of the championship, but even if Verstappen crashes out of the sprint race, Perez will need to place in the top three to keep the contest alive. Perez paid tribute to Verstappen’s achievements Thursday but said the difference in their seasons was in part because developments to the Red Bull car have not suited his own driving style.
“Max has done a tremendous job. I think no credit should be taken away from this season that he has done. I think he has driven on another level compared to anyone else, and that’s something that I have a lot of respect for,” Perez said. “I felt like since Barcelona (the Spanish Grand Prix in June), I was starting to struggle and have some deficits with the car.”
‘Relentless Max Verstappen’;
https://apnews.com/article/max-verst...b027989e029d57
Perez wants ‘straightforward’ Qatar GP after Suzuka set-up issue
5th October 2023.
by Taylor Powling
MotorSportWeek.Com
Sergio Perez is optimistic about a “more straightforward” Qatar Grand Prix after admitting a set-up issue hampered his Japan weekend. Perez, however, explains that a rueful set-up direction was responsible for the huge deficit he upheld to Verstappen at the last round. “Asia wasn’t good for me at all, Singapore and obviously Suzuka,” Perez reflected.
“It’s mainly the direction we took with the set-up of the car. Now looking back at it, we do understand where it went wrong, and I really hope that we are able to have a much more straightforward weekend here. But I think we’ve learned a lot [about] what went wrong in Suzuka, so I do expect to be in a much better position this weekend.”
‘Perez wants ‘straightforward’ Qatar GP’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...-set-up-issue/
AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the build-up ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend
05 October 2023
Becky Hart
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site
So it is much more a matter of when, rather than if Verstappen will wrap up the title this weekend and be able to celebrate his third straight drivers' title. It will be thoroughly well deserved, given he has won 13 of the 16 races so far this season.
‘Build-up to the Qatar Grand Prix’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...gMKruJmXR.html
‘Never a doubt’ – Carlos Sainz speaks out on his Ferrari future ahead of Qatar Grand Prix
Thursday 5 Oct 2023 6:13 pm
Callum McAvoy
Metro.co.uk
Carlos Sainz insists he is more committed than ever to Ferrari amid speculation the Formula One star is yet to open contract talks with the team. Ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, Sainz is fifth in the standings and will be aiming to hold off teammate Charles Leclerc, who is just 15 points behind, over the final six races.
Of course, fighting for fifth is not where the 29-year-old wants to be, with no one on the grid able to match the sheer speed of Red Bull and Max Verstappen this year. ‘There has never been a doubt. I am very comfortable with Ferrari, I want be here for the medium to long-term,’ he told Sky Sports.
‘There has been high confidence between each party. The wins and podiums – the only thing they do is reassure everything that we already knew. I hope that the winter is a good opportunity to find an agreement and continue working in the future because it’s the place that I love driving for and I see myself driving [for them] and winning a world championship soon.’
‘Never a doubt’;
https://metro.co.uk/2023/10/05/f1-ca...o=newsnow-feed
Lewis Hamilton excited by "top secret" Mercedes F1 plan in coy Qatar GP interview
Lewis Hamilton was questioned about Mercedes' 2024 car at the Qatar Grand Prix after making the trip to his F1 team's factory after the last race weekend at Suzuka
5th Oct. 2023, 18:10
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Lewis Hamilton was coy about Mercedes' 2024 Formula 1 car after a visit to the factory ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion was questioned about the trip as he spoke to the media on Thursday. Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz was especially keen to prise some information out of the Brit.
But Hamilton was keeping his cards close to his chest as he met Kravitz's question with a warm smile. "I can't tell you man, it's all top secret stuff!" the Mercedes racer joked. "You go in and there's new bits coming and stuff being tried all the time. What excites me is going into where the aerodynamics team is working away – that's what inspires me. Everyone's heads are down and everyone is doing their due diligence.”
"Everyone is unhappy with where we are and where we've been for the last couple of years. I know they're hungry and that, for me, I know these guys are chasing and doing everything they can. I'm able to then bring that into the weekend. No matter what shape [the car's bodywork] is looking like, I can't say that it's going to be fast. It's about the work that those guys are doing, and they know what they are doing. I have 100 percent faith in them and that they'll pull it together."
“It's all top secret stuff!";
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...p-car-31116610
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MAX ON BRINK OF THIRD TITLE: 'UNIMAGINABLE'.
Ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, Max Verstappen spoke to the international press, including Verstappen.com, to discuss the upcoming race weekend in which the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver looks set to clinch his third world championship.
Published on 05 October 2023
by Stefan Meens
Verstappen.nl
This weekend’s round of the 2023 F1 season, features another sprint at a circuit infamous for its warm conditions, both ingredients for a challenging event. “It’s really very hot but it does cool down a bit in the evening. So it does mean that the first and only practice session doesn’t really bring clarity ahead of qualifying because the conditions will differ so much. The balance, tyres and set-up will change. Because it’s a sprint weekend, it’s more difficult because you have take more of a risk when making decisions.”
The championship leader added: “That’s a bit of shame. It would be amazing to have a couple of practice sessions to really get the car dialled in, so you can go into qualifying with maximum confidence. That would be the best for all teams to get the most out of their car, but it is what it is.”
‘MAX ON BRINK’;
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5263/
Relentless Verstappen can clinch his 3rd F1 title as early as the sprint at Qatar Grand Prix
Today 05:02 am JST Today | 06:43 am JST
By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
Japan Today
LUSAIL, Qatara: Max Verstappen can win his third straight Formula One title at the Qatar Grand Prix. And he can do it on Saturday. Verstappen will secure the title if he finishes sixth or higher in the sprint race, which could leave Sunday's main Grand Prix as something of an afterthought.
Winning the title in a sprint — a 19-lap contest that F1 refuses to call a “race” — could be a little awkward for the series and for Verstappen. He has previously argued the format should be scrapped.
“It’s not proper racing, it’s more like gambling," he said after the season's first sprint in Azerbaijan in April. "I think I will have more success in Vegas if I go to the casino. I like racing, I’m a pure racer and I think this is more for the show.”
‘Relentless Verstappen’;
https://japantoday.com/category/spor...tar-grand-prix
Sprint race and night event makes set-up a “guessing game” – Verstappen
6th October 2023, 7:165th October 2023, 23:22
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans
Max Verstappen says Red Bull may have to take risks with their car set-ups for this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix due to the limited practice time. Speaking to media including RaceFans on Thursday in Losail, Verstappen said that the reduced practice time makes getting his Red Bull set-up correctly will be crucial.
“I think we normally should be quick here, but again, it’s only one practice session, so it’s about making sure that once we hit the ground running that the car’s in a good place, a good window,” he said. “But normally, it should be a nice track for us and we just want to have a good weekend. It’s never going to be very straightforward for anyone out there,” he said. “Of course, if you hit the ground running in the car feels amazing – then great, perfect. But it’s very rare that it’s like that with one session.”
“Then again, it’s too hot. So then you go to qualifying with different conditions. It makes it a proper guessing game about, ‘okay, well we did FP1, we might be quite happy, but then what would we do for qualifying?’, because it’s a lot colder and the balance and the tyres – everything changes. So there’s a lot that you have to get right and for sure some teams will be better than others, of course I hope that we are on the better side, but I guess we’ll find out.”
“Guessing game”;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/06/...me-verstappen/
Alonso overlooks Hamilton, says Verstappen is the F1’s best driver since Schumacher
October 6th, 2023 10:44 am
AFP from Afp
Fox Sports (Australia)
Two-time champion Fernando Alonso divided opinions in the paddock when he suggested that Max Verstappen was Formula One’s best driver since Michael Schumacher, overlooking Lewis Hamilton’s achievements. Speaking to reporters, when asked if Verstappen deserved a place among the sport’s modern greats, the 42-year-old Spaniard said: “I’ve only been wheel-to-wheel with Michael, but with Michael maybe, yes.”
“And for the next few years he will keep adding championships so we will compare him with Michael even closer in the future.” Alonso’s omission of Hamilton raised eyebrows, but was no great surprise as the pair endured a highly-strained season as team-mates at McLaren in 2007, Hamilton’s rookie year.
‘EL PLAN: Verstappen is the F1’s best driver since Schumacher’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...5ecd51cd607d40
Perez reveals performance objective for tricky race
Friday 6 October 2023 09:13
Sam Cook
GPFans
Sergio Perez has said he wants to show why Red Bull are world champions by producing a performance capable of beating team-mate Max Verstappen at the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend.
Perez told media after the Japanese Grand Prix: “Qatar is a chance to get back to racing for me with two opportunities to win across the weekend. “The sprint format always throws up challenges when it comes to setting the car up, so we will work hard together to ensure we are ready for qualifying on Friday night."
He added: “The track can be tricky, as we learnt in 2021, grip is affected by the sand on the surface, so you must be alert. A night race is always fun though and this might be the hottest event we have all season, so it will involve a lot of management across all three days to get the most out of the car."
“Qatar is a chance to get back to racing for me”;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...n-performance/
Red Bull set to equal F1 record.
Another team record is in sight for the Milton Keynes-based outfit at the Qatar Grand Prix.
06 October 7:30AM
RacingNews365
Red Bull is set to equal yet another of its F1 records at this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix. The Milton Keynes-based outfit has been dominant throughout the season having taken victory in all but one of the races this term - the only failure to win coming at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez could tie the team's record for most consecutive points finishes with a top 10 in Sunday's race or a top eight in Saturday's Sprint at the Lusail International Circuit. The current record stands at 38 races in a row, set twice between Spain 2016 and Australia 2018 and then Spain of the same season to Abu Dhabi in 2019.
‘Another team record’;
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-s...qual-f1-record
First pictures from the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix weekend
5th October 2023, 22:065th October 2023, 23:23
Written by Keith Collantine
Pictures from the build-up to the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix at Losail International Circuit.
‘First pictures’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/05/...-prix-weekend/
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FP1: Verstappen edges out Ferrari drivers to top the only practice in Qatar.
Double world champion Max Verstappen set the benchmark time with a 1:27.428 in the sole practice session at the Qatar Grand Prix with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc having taking second and third on a very sandy track surface in Lusail.
06 Oct 2023, 16:38
By Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
The session started in challenging conditions as the track was even dirtier than expected before the session. Unsurprisingly, drivers complained about the grip level and were forced to apply a different approach to the one-hour session than they usually do. The sandy track asphalt was particularly punishing as the sprint weekend format means that this session was the only practice for the entire Qatar Grand Prix weekend.
Drivers started to perform low-fuel runs in the dying seconds of the session, but not everyone used Pirelli's C3 compoud that serves as the soft tyre on this weekend. Double world champion Max Verstappen put on the red-walled tyres to set a 1m27.428s, edging out the Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
‘Max Verstappen set the benchmark time’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/24223
(FP1) First Practice Results – 2023 Qatar Grand Prix
6th October 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy15:36
Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:27.428
2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.334
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.481
4. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.491
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.588
6. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +0.599
7. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +0.743
8. George Russell Mercedes +0.908
9. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.952
10. Lando Norris McLaren +1.013
‘Qatar Grand Prix – Here’s the classification from the only practice session ahead of this evening’s qualifying for Sunday’s 2023 F1 World Championship race.\’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-...and-prix-83245
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from first practice for the Qatar Grand Prix
06 October 2023
Becky Hart
Special Contributor.
Formula1 Official Site.
‘As it happened’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...zhVoP6U7j.html
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from first practice for the Qatar Grand Prix
06 October 2023
Reporting By: Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Follow all of the action from this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix here with the Crash.net live blog.
‘As it happened’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/live/f1-qat...e-live-updates
F1 Live - Qatar GP Free Practice 1 Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
06 October 2023
Racing Statistics
F1 Live Qatar Grand Prix FP1 Watchalong
F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!
‘Free Practice 1 Watchalong’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbf6KAxHTQE
F1 Results Today: Qatar Grand Prix practice times as Verstappen gets perfect start in tough conditions
Friday 6 October 2023 16:37
Matthew Hobkinson
GPFans
Max Verstappen has made the perfect start to the Qatar Grand Prix weekend as he returned to the top of the timesheets for FP1.
The two-time world champion recorded an unbeatable lap time of 1:27.428s as he and the rest of the grid battled tricky track conditions. Sand, wind and the setting sun all caused an additional level of challenge for the drivers.
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished behind the Dutchman in second and third respectively, while Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez rounded off the top five.
‘Verstappen gets perfect start’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...imes-official/
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Max Verstappen strolls to Qatar GP pole after McLaren track-limit woes.
Max Verstappen eased to pole position for the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix as Lando Norris took provisional second, but struggled with track limits throughout Q3 and was knocked off the front row after going wide on his final flying lap.
October 6, 2023
By Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport
No one could get close to Verstappen, though Norris was three-tenths away before his lap time was deleted, and George Russell was the only other driver within half a second as the Mercedes man bagged second.
Rapid track evolution characterised the session with plenty of drivers improving on their final runs and several big names being caught out as a result. But Verstappen was so dominant that he could abort his last flying lap and still finished well ahead of the pack as Oscar Piastri was promoted to third following his teammate’s woes.
However, Piastri was then also stripped of his final lap, and will start the race from sixth, promoting the second Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton up to third on the grid.
‘No one could get close to Verstappen’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/max...ck-limit-woes/
Qualifying Results – 2023 Qatar Grand Prix
6th October 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
Q3
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:23.778
2. George Russell Mercedes +0.441
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.527
4. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.591
5. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.646
6. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.762
7. Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.775
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.985
9. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.280
10. Lando Norris McLaren No time
‘Qatar Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for Sunday’s 2023 F1 World Championship race in Losail’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying...and-prix-83250
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix
06 October 2023
Becky Hart
Special Contributor
Formula One - Official Site
‘As it happened’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...2WE7QxAFo.html
F1 Qatar Grand Prix 2023 - Qualifying: LIVE UPDATES!
06 October 2023
Reporting By: Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
‘As it happened’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/live/f1-qat...g-live-updates
F1 Live - Qatar GP Qualifying Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
06 October 2023
Racing Statistics
F1 Live Qatar Grand Prix Qualifying Watchalong
F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!
‘Qualifying Watchalong’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMx4nx40vTI
Verstappen on pole as both McLaren drivers penalised in Q3
6th October 2023, 19:20
by Sam Tomlinson
Motorsport Week
There was no answer to Verstappen’s lap as Norris could only climb to second, three-tenths adrift of the Dutchman. Replays showed that Norris had left the track in the process, and his lap-time was deleted as a result. The incident promotes George Russell to the front-row after he was able to maintain his advantage over Hamilton at the Lusail International Circuit.
Following the penalty for his team-mate, Oscar Piastri was met by a similar fate. He too saw his final lap-time invalidated and will drop from third to sixth. Deleted lap-times moves Hamilton into third. The seven-time champion will share the second row of the grid with his former McLaren team-mate, Fernando Alonso. Leclerc also benefits, claiming fifth.
‘Both McLaren drivers penalised’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...nalised-in-q3/
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Aussie F1 star Oscar Piastri is ROBBED of podium finish in qualifying by F1 farce that saw his fastest lap time deleted.
Aussie ace Oscar Piastri has found himself at the centre of a F1 farce that has marred qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix.
Published: 04:05, 7 October 2023
By Ap
Mail Online
Piastri was among several drivers to lose their fastest laps for straying beyond the white lines defining the edge of the track in their final laps in qualifying. But so slow were the stewards in actually deleting their times, Piastri — who had to that point set the third-quickest time — was giving the customary post-session top-three interview when he found out his time had been deleted and he had been demoted to sixth.
Even after being told of the demotion, Piastri still posed for the customary top-three photo. He was even interviewed and had to tell the reporter that he did not finish P3 at all. 'I don't think anyone's updated you yet but I got my lap deleted so I'm not P3 anymore, I think I'm P6' he said.
‘ROBBED’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...e-deleted.html
‘This is fun’: Piastri cruelly robbed on live TV in hilariously awkward moment
October 7th, 2023 12:54 pm
Tyson Otto from News.com.au
Fox Sports (Australia)
Oscar Piastri was cruelly robbed at the Qatar Grand Prix in scenes of complete anarchy following a dramatic qualifying session on Saturday morning. The Aussie was speaking on live TV when he was given the shattering news his final flying lap had been deleted, dropping him off the podium.
In the ultimate slap on top of the penalty, Piastri was also forced to go through the formal post-session media commitments posing alongside Max Verstappen and George Russell, who qualified fastest. Piastri was his usual calm self when learning the news, but the frustration under the skin was clear to see.
Sky Sports Formula 1 presenter Naomi Schiff was the one that had to break the news in the middle of her interview with Piastri. Piastri responded: “I didn’t know. This is fun isn’t it, not knowing who is in the top three”. Schiff replied: “Oh gosh. It sounds as if you may have dropped down to sixth now.” Piastri signed off by saying “wonderful” and giving a mock thumbs up.
‘This is fun!’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...f208630dac3c50
Sky F1 pundit caught off guard as Oscar Piastri learns of Qatar GP penalty mid-interview
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both had Q3 lap times deleted after the end of Qatar Grand Prix qualifying, changing the result of the session for the McLaren drivers
20:16 Fri, 06 Oct 2023.
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
Oscar Piastri learned he had been relegated three places after Qatar Grand Prix qualifying in an awkward Sky Sports interview. Piastri laughed before responding: "I didn't know, but this is fun isn't it?" Told that he had been relegated to sixth on the grid, he simply replied: "Wonderful," before leaving to fulfil other media commitments.
Meanwhile, a visibly emotional Norris said he was "p****d off" at himself for his own mistake. He said: "I just had a correction on oversteer and went off. The team has done a good job but I've messed it up, so... I just think of the job I'm meant to do which is put in good laps and don't make mistakes, and that's all I did today. Not a good day for me."
"P****d off";
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...qatar-31126225
‘This is fun’ – Formula 1 rookie Oscar Piastri awkwardly finds out he’s been relegated during live interview
6th October 2023, 7:29 pm
Connor Andrews
talkSPORT
Norris had already parked his car in its second-place spot for a post-session interview, thinking he’d secured a spot between first-placed Max Verstappan and third-placed George Russell. However, he was soon informed his lap had been deleted, sending him down to tenth, and Piastri up to third.
The Australian then learned he had suffered a similar fate too, coming in much more awkward circumstances. A graphic on the screen came up saying he was in fact starting sixth for Sunday’s race, and interviewer Naomi Schiff said: “We’re just hearing that you had a track limits infringement.”
‘Awkwardly finds out he’s been relegated during live interview’;
https://talksport.com/sport/motorsport/1592332/
George Russell and Oscar Piastri baffled in awkward interviews as quali result changed
George Russell and Oscar Piastri were both left confused in the aftermath of qualifying in Qatar
19:27, Fri, Oct 6, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
When the chequered flag waved at the end of the session Max Verstappen was sitting pretty at the top of the standings, but below him, it was chaotic as both McLaren drivers saw their lap times deleted. On the timing screens, it looked as though Lando Norris would line up in P2 ahead of Mercedes driver Russell, followed by Piastri in P4 and Lewis Hamilton in P5. This wasn't, however, the way that things ended.
Norris knew immediately that his lap was set to be deleted, unleashing his frustrations over the team radio, although this fact escaped Russell during his post-race interview. Addressing his qualifying performance, Russell believed he was lining up in P3 for Sunday's race. He said: "Really tricky day for everybody. New tarmac, really slippery, very windy here.”
Russell then looked baffled when Piastri approached him to take the microphone and asked: "Where's Lando?" And it wasn't just Russell who was left confused though. With Norris' time deleted, Piastri was temporarily promoted to the top three of qualifying, only to find out midway through his interview with Naomi Schiff that he had been demoted to sixth place.
‘Baffled in awkward interviews’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...astri-Qatar-GP
‘I struggled a lot’ admits Perez after Q2 exit in Qatar
06 Oct 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Sergio Perez had a lap deleted which dropped him out of qualifying in P13, but even before that he wasn’t looking comfortable in the car, as he admitted after the session.
‘Lap deleted';
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...252599842.html
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FIA announce additional practice session and safety measures for Qatar GP weekend.
Formula 1’s governing body the FIA have announced an additional practice session plus new safety measures ahead of the Sprint Shootout at the Qatar Grand Prix.
07 October 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Pirelli carry out an analysis of the tyres which have been used for approximately 20 laps to check various safety parameters after practice on Friday of every race weekend. In Qatar, that analysis revealed “a separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords on many of tyres that were checked”.
The FIA and Pirelli believe “a significant number of additional laps on these tyres could result in circumferential damage of the tyres with subsequent air loss, and tyres analysed with lower lap numbers showed a much-reduced extent of the issue”.
The FIA added that the “issue has likely been caused by the high-frequency interference between the tyre sidewall and the 50mm ‘pyramid’ kerbs used extensively at this circuit, aggravated by the propensity to ride those kerbs”. With this in mind, the FIA have announced a series of actions on safety grounds in response to the issue.
‘New safety measures’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...7dv4knawg.html
How Pirelli discovered F1's biggest tyre drama since the 2005 US GP
7th October 2023, 12:22
By: Adam Cooper
Motorsport.com
A statement from the FIA on Saturday in Qatar alerted the wider world to what is the biggest tyre-related drama to hit Formula 1 since the infamous 2005 US GP. It wasn't entirely a surprise – there were tyre issues at Losail in 2021, and the revised kerbs, especially at Turns 12-13, attracted a lot of comment from teams and drivers before the cars even ran on Friday.
As the FIA statement confirmed, "this issue has likely been caused by the high-frequency interference between the tyre sidewall and the 50mm 'pyramid' kerbs used extensively at this circuit, aggravated by the propensity to ride those kerbs." The damage was found predominantly on front tyres but also on rears, and mainly on lefts, but also on rights. Intriguingly, it was also seen on both the inner and outer sidewalls.
In essence, the outer sidewalls are taking hits as cars run up against the steep outer edge of the kerbs for a considerable distance, and then the inner sidewalls are impacted when the cars drop over the 50mm kerb and run along the drop beyond the hard edge. In effect, it is consistent hard hits on the sidewall, over a number of laps, that are creating the issue. It's also a result of the high g-loadings in that sequence creating a "bulge" in the sidewalls that make the tyres more vulnerable to damage.
‘It wasn't entirely a surprise’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...s-gp/10529827/
FIA makes last-minute change to Qatar GP weekend, including mandatory pit stops
7th October 2023, 13:40
Charlen Raymond
Wheels24
In a statement, the FIA said that it and Pirelli, Formula 1's tyre supplier, believe "a significant number of additional laps on these tyres could result in circumferential damage of the tyres with subsequent air loss, and tyres analysed with lower lap numbers showed a much-reduced extent of the issue."
Among the changes brought about are revised track limits at Turns 12 and 13. Because of this, a 10-minute "practice familiarisation session" will take place at 16:00 local time (15:00 SA time), allowing drivers to adjust to the revised track limits. The Sprint Shootout will kick off at 16:20 - 20 minutes after the original scheduled time.
After the Sprint Shootout, Pirelli will analyse the tyre wear data from both the 10-minute session and the 19-lap Sprint Shootout. If the issue still needs to be resolved, new tyres used in the race may be at most 20 laps in the Grand Prix. This number increases to 22 laps if used-tyres are fitted in the race to account for the in- and out-laps in qualifying. As such, drivers are required to perform at least three pit stops in the 57-lap race.
‘FIA makes last-minute changes’;
https://www.news24.com/sport/motorsp...stops-20231007
Qatar GP tyre concerns create huge problems
October 7, 2023
By: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
The following actions will be taken on safety grounds in response to this issue:
1. Track limits at Turns 12-13 will be revised.
2. There will be a 10-minute Practice Familiarisation Session, scheduled to start at 16:00 local time, following the revision of the track limits, to allow drivers to adjust to the changes. The Sprint Shootout will therefore start 20 minutes later than scheduled (16:20 local time).
3. There will extensive tyre analysis following the Sprint (19 laps), to decide whether further action needs to be taken ahead of the Grand Prix.
4. In the event the problem is still evident, we will be issuing the following directive for Sunday’s Grand Prix, on safety grounds:
• The tyre life parameter must not exceed 20 for new tyres used in the race.
• This number would rise to 22 for any used tyres fitted in the race, to account for in-out laps in qualifying.
All drivers will be obliged to perform at least three tyre-change pitstops during the race.
‘Huge problems’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...tyre-problems/
F1 tyre fears lead FIA to schedule extra practice session and change timetable
Formula 1
Posted on 7th October 2023, 11:287th October 2023, 13:40
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Fears over possible tyre failures at the Qatar Grand Prix have led the FIA to schedule an extra practice session on Saturday. The FIA has therefore announced qualifying for today’s sprint race will be delayed by 20 minutes and take place at 4:20pm local time. The revised track limits will be imposed by a repositioning of the white line one the outside of turns 12 and 13. It will be moved towards the inside of the track by 80 centimetres.
Drivers will run longer stints on their tyres in the sprint race and grand prix than they did in practice. That has raised fears of potential tyre failures. “It is the view of the FIA and Pirelli that a significant number of additional laps on these tyres could result in circumferential damage of the tyres with subsequent air loss, and tyres analysed with lower lap numbers showed a much-reduced extent of the issue,” said the FIA in a statement.
The FIA pinpointed new kerbs installed at the circuit this year for contributing to the problem. “This issue has likely been caused by the high-frequency interference between the tyre sidewall and the 50mm ‘pyramid’ kerbs used extensively at this circuit, aggravated by the propensity to ride those kerbs.”
‘F1 tyre fears’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/07/...er-tyre-fears/
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McLaren land sensational 1-2 in Qatar GP Sprint Shootout.
Oscar Piastri led a stunning McLaren front-row lockout in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix sprint shootout, securing McLaren’s first ‘qualifying’ win since 2012 as Lando Norris went off at the final corner on his last flying lap.
October 7, 2023
By Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport
Verstappen will clinch the drivers’ championship in the sprint race later if he finishes in the top six, and looks good to secure that after qualifying third with his Red Bull teammate and only title challenger Sergio Perez down in eighth.
Lewis Hamilton was the big-name elimination earlier, he only managed 12th and saw his final SQ2 lap deleted for track limits, but that time wouldn’t have been enough for the top 10 anyway.
‘McLaren land sensational 1-2’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...rint-shootout/
Sprint Shootout – 2023 Qatar Grand Prix
7th October 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
SQ3
1. Oscar Piastri McLaren -1:24.454
2. Lando Norris McLaren +0.082
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.192
4. George Russell Mercedes +0.387
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.701
6. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.793
7. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +0.866
8. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.928
9. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin No time
10. Esteban Ocon Alpine No time
‘Qatar Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the shootout for this evening’s 2023 F1 World Championship Sprint in Losail’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/sprint-sho...and-prix-83262
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the Sprint Shootout at the Qatar Grand Prix
07 October 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site
‘As it happened’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...OPD7JYXnX.html
F1 Live - Qatar GP Sprint Shootout Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
07 October 2023
Racing Statistics
F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baMdNP0EqJE
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell among eight drivers facing Qatar GP investigation
Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have both been placed under investigation in Qatar
14:48, Sat, Oct 7, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were both placed under investigation for track limits violations during the sprint shootout in Qatar on Saturday afternoon. The British pair were among eight drivers placed under investigation after the first part of the sprint shootout qualifying session with both Williams and AlphaTauri drivers, Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly also falling foul of the regulations.
This has been just the latest in a long line of track limits-related issues at the Qatar Grand Prix this weekend with Friday's running proving so problematic that changes to the kerbs were made overnight. After losing a lap to track limits in SQ1, Hamilton is facing his second trip to the stewards in as many days after he was checked for a maximum lap time violation in qualifying on Friday.
‘Qatar GP investigation’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-investigation
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Max Verstappen is crowned world champion for the THIRD consecutive year as rampant Red Bull superstar confirms his dominance after Sergio Perez crashes in Qatar sprint.
The rampant Red Bull superstar has proven untouchable this year and confirmed his dominance once and for all after Sergio Perez crashed out of the Qatar sprint race.
Published: 19:03, 7 October 2023
By Daniel Davis For Mailonline
Mail Online
Verstappen has won 13 races to date this year, with Perez and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz the only other drivers to take the chequered flag in first place. He also set a new record for racking up 10 consecutive victories earlier in the campaign, surpassing the legendary Michael Schumacher in the process.
Further underlining his status as one of the all-time greats, Verstappen, who narrowly missed out in Qatar, also emerged on top in two of the year's four sprints. His triumph leaves Perez and Lewis Hamilton locked in a tussle over the runner-up position, with Fernando Alonso unlikely to mount a last-gasp push.
Perez had looked to delay the inevitable but was sent into an unfortunate spin following a racing incident tangle involving Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg.
‘Max Verstappen is crowned world champion for the THIRD consecutive year’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rez-Qatar.html
Sprint Results – 2023 Qatar Grand Prix
7th October 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
1. Oscar Piastri McLaren -19 laps
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +1.871
3. Lando Norris McLaren +8.497
4. George Russell Mercedes +11.036
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +17.314
6. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +18.806
7. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +19.860
8. Alex Albon Williams Racing +19.864
9. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +21.180
10. Pierre Gasly Alpine +21.742
‘Qatar Grand Prix – Here are the provisional results from today’s Sprint, one of six alternate format weekends scheduled for the 2023 F1 World Championship’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/sprint-res...and-prix-83276
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the F1 Sprint in Qatar
07 October 2023
Becky Hart
Special Contributor
Formula One - Official Site
‘As it happened’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...sLQ1AaIhV.html
F1 Live - Qatar GP Sprint Race Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
07 October 2023
Racing Statistics
F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!
‘Sprint Race Watchalong’;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXka_gEPBQk
Piastri wins Qatar GP Sprint as Verstappen crowned champion
Sunday 8th October, 2023 - 5:12am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Oscar Piastri has sensationally won the Qatar GP Sprint ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. The Australian had to fight for the victory after losing out to George Russell in the early stages before holding off Verstappen in the latter laps. From pole position, Piastri jumped well and held his advantage.
Second for Verstappen was enough to see him crowned champion after Sergio Perez crashed out midway through.
‘Piastri wins/Verstappen crowned champion’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/10/08...wned-champion/
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Verstappen's third Formula One title caps a dominant season for Dutch driver and Red Bull.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands reacts as he became F1 drivers world champion after the sprint race ahead of the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit, in Lusail, Qatar, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023.
7 October 2023 at 9:50 pm
Associated Press
Yahoo! UK & Ireland
LOSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Max Verstappen has clinched the Formula One title for the third year running after placing second in the sprint race on Saturday in Qatar. It has been a season of record dominance for Verstappen and Red Bull. Sergio Perez seemed capable of challenging his teammate early in the season, but a series of mistakes in qualifying left him well adrift before Verstappen secured the title in Qatar on Saturday.
Even before the season began, Red Bull was the clear favorite after Verstappen and Perez both set fast times in testing in Bahrain. Red Bull had the fastest car in 2022, which had seen a revolution in car design after F1 reintroduced ground-effect aerodynamics, and retained that advantage into 2023.
The opening race of the season at the Sakhir circuit was a crushing 1-2 for Red Bull, with Verstappen ahead of Perez. Third-place Fernando Alonso was 38 seconds adrift of the lead for Aston Martin.
‘Verstappen's third Formula One title’;
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/verstappen...1RwkuWspZmKAO0
Starting grid for today's F1 Qatar Grand Prix: How the race will begin
8 Oct 2023
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net
Max Verstappen will begin the F1 Qatar Grand Prix on pole position. The two Mercedes drivers are right behind him but the team have played down their chances of upsetting Red Bull. Do they have a chance?
Lando Norris' track limit violations in qualifying mean a front row start evaporated, and he will instead begin in 10th, hampering McLaren's hopes. Oscar Piastri will start sixth.
Ferrari - the only team to interrupt Red Bull's winning streak this year - have Charles Leclerc fifth and Carlos Sainz12th. Keep an eye on the under pressure Lance Stroll who is way down in 17th.
‘F1 Qatar Grand Prix’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103754...ace-will-begin
What's annoyed F1 drivers most about Qatar GP tyre problems.
Oct 7, 2023
by Edd Straw
The Race
Formula 1 drivers have criticised the communications surrounding the Qatar Grand Prix weekend tyre troubles, with some indicating they first heard about the problem through unofficial channels and, in some cases, even the media. It’s also understood that the FIA felt the right course of action would be to understand the problem and propose a solution, which was worked on at length on Saturday morning with a full report composed, prior to presenting it to the drivers.
Mercedes driver and GPDA director George Russell was among those to complain about the communications. He also felt the idea of mandating three stops was too big an intervention. “I found out from a text on WhatsApp, from another driver in our group chat, which is obviously not ideal,” said Russell.
“It’s part and parcel of a sprint race weekend. If you go to a track like Barcelona, you get all the practice in and you know that in the race, after all the information that has been gathered, it’s going to be a two or a three-stop. If you try one stop, it’s just not going to work.”
‘What's annoyed F1 drivers most’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...r-gp-problems/
FIA to make call on three-stop Qatar GP after Sunday F1 team meeting.
A decision on whether the Qatar Grand Prix will need mandated stint lengths over tyre safety concerns will be taken following a Formula 1 team managers meeting on Sunday afternoon.
Oct 7, 2023, 10:33 PM
By: Alex Kalinauckas
Motorsport.com
In a press release sent out following the sprint race, Pirelli motorsport boss Mario Isola stated: “It was a particularly busy day for Pirelli.
“As previously mentioned, during our usual analysis last night after free practice, we discovered that some tyres that had done 20 or more laps were showing signs of micro lacerations in the sidewall, between the topping compound and the carcass cords, most likely caused by the impact generated by repeatedly going over the kerbs at some corners, especially Turns 12 and 13.”
“We immediately informed the FIA, who proceeded to take action, by revising the track limits at these corners and instigating an additional free practice session prior to the sprint shootout, to allow the drivers to check out the new lines through this part of the track.”
‘Decision tyre safety concerns will be taken following a Formula 1 team managers meeting on Sunday afternoon’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...ting/10530225/
George Russell ignites Max Verstappen fight after World Championship confirmed
George Russell has ignited the fight with Max Verstappen and Red Bull after he confirmed his third World Championship.
20:29, Sat, Oct 7, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Verstappen has been simply untouchable in 2023, taking 13 wins from a possible 16 ahead of the Qatar GP weekend to line up his third World Championship in record-breaking style.
Unfortunately for Russell, Mercedes have rarely been in the fight this year. The 25-year-old driver notched his first win in Brazil last year but has been unable to challenge Verstappen at the front so far this season.
Despite this, Russell still believes that his team can take the fight to Red Bull in 2024. They'll be better placed to do so after scrapping the 'zeropod' design philosophy ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix earlier this year.
‘George Russell ignites Max Verstappen fight’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-Championship
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F1 tyre chaos in Qatar leads to FIA bombshell.
The F1 2023 Qatar GP could see an unprecedented number of pit stops, with the FIA introducing a mandatory limit on stint length.
October 8, 2023
By: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
As was the case in Free Practice 1, this issue has likely been caused by the high-frequency interference between the tyre sidewall. And the 50mm ‘pyramid’ kerbs used extensively at this circuit, aggravated by the propensity to ride those kerbs.
As a consequence, it has been decided by the FIA and Pirelli and after consultation with the teams on safety grounds, the following measures will be implemented for today’s Qatar Grand Prix:
• A mandatory limit of 18 laps of total tyre life per set will be imposed.
• The life of already used tyres will be taken into consideration.
• The FIA and Pirelli will communicate to the teams the remaining available laps for each set of used tyres at their disposal for the race and the criteria used to calculate that number.
• There is no direct mandate for at least three tyre-change pitstops during the race. However, this will be a consequence of the above guidelines should the race run its entire race distance.
• Any car deemed to have exceeded the tyre life lap limit will be reported to the Stewards as being run in unsafe condition.
• This information will be formally communicated to the teams in the Race Directors’ notes. Further updates will be issued as required.
‘Tyre chaos/ FIA bombshell’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...gp-tire-chaos/
Drivers limited to 18 laps per tyre set at today’s F1 Qatar Grand Prix
8 Oct 2023
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net
Pirelli will limit drivers to 18 laps per set of tyres at today’s F1 Qatar Grand Prix. A three-stop pitstop strategy will not be enforced, however with the 57-lap distance and only 18 laps permitted per tyre set, it is inevitable that each driver will pit three times.
A driver will be black flagged and disqualified if they exceed an 18-lap stint on a single set of tyres. Pirelli met with the F1 drivers on Sunday, six hours before the race is due to begin at 6pm UK, to discuss the late change of rules.
If a driver needs to run used tyres, they will receive two extra laps for the slow in and out-laps. If a driver used a set of tyres for five laps in practice or qualifying, they can use those tyres for 15 laps in the race. Tyre and track limit issues have been a constant theme all weekend in Qatar.
‘Black flagged and disqualified if they exceed an 18-lap stint’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103765...tar-grand-prix
FIA double down on strict Qatar GP rules for F1 drivers despite "embarrassing" blast.
The FIA have announced a new approach to the Qatar Grand Prix after Max Verstappen was crowned a three-time world champion during Saturday's sprint race at the Losail Circuit.
8th October 2023, 14:30
By Daniel Orme Football Writer
The Mirror
Drivers could be forced into three or four pit stops as a minimum in the Qatar Grand Prix after the FIA confirmed that tyres will only be allowed to used for maximum of 18 laps amid safety fears.
The track has been narrowed at turns 12 and 13 in the hope of reducing the damage done to the tyres. Further analysis was also done following Saturday's Sprint race, with the call then being made to introduce the lap maximum.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has already expressed his disdain at the forced changes in the face of tyre damage. Speaking in Qatar, he said: "It shouldn't happen, this should not happen in Formula 1.
"Embarrassing";
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...qatar-31135747
FIA Statement – Treatment of tyres for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix - UPDATE
08.10.23, 14:05
FIA (Press Release)
Following the standard analysis of tyres used during Free Practice 1 yesterday, in which tyres that have been used for approximately 20 laps are examined by Pirelli to check various safety parameters, a separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords on many of tyres that were checked was discovered.
It is the view of the FIA and Pirelli that a significant number of additional laps on these tyres could result in circumferential damage of the tyres with subsequent air loss, and tyres analysed with lower lap numbers showed a much-reduced extent of the issue.
This issue has likely been caused by the high-frequency interference between the tyre sidewall and the 50mm ‘pyramid’ kerbs used extensively at this circuit, aggravated by the propensity to ride those kerbs.
‘Update’;
https://www.fia.com/news/fia-stateme...nd-prix-update
FIA confirm radical safety measures for Qatar GP after tyre concerns
08 October 3:08PM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365
The FIA has confirmed F1 teams and drivers will be mandated to complete at least three pit stops during the Qatar Grand Prix. Pirelli analysis on Friday after free practice and qualifying showed that tyres which had been used for around 20 laps had signs of 'separation in the sidewall between the topping compound and the carcass cords'.
With the risk of blowouts increased for tyres that surpassed this stint length, changes were made to the track limits at Turns 12 and 13 as the issue was believed to have been caused by 'high-frequency interference' between the sidewall and 50mm 'pyramid' kerbs used at the circuit. FIA Single Seater Director Nicolas Tombazis was quick to stress that these kerbs were FIA-sanctioned and were not to blame for the issue.
‘Radical safety measures’;
https://racingnews365.com/fia-confir...-tyre-concerns
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2023 F1 Qatar GP results: Max Verstappen wins, Mercs collide.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix, the 18th round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, in a pitstop-filled race due to tyre fears.
8th October 2023, 19:43
By: Charles Bradley
Motorsport.com
Polesitter Verstappen, who started on medium tyres, led Russell and Hamilton on the long run to the first corner – the latter starting on soft rubber. As Hamilton lunged around the outside of those ahead of him, the Mercedes pair collided, sending Hamilton spinning into the gravel minus his right-rear wheel. Russell limped back to the pits for a new front wing.
That promoted Piastri to second, ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso (who was delayed avoiding the spinning Russell), Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), Esteban Ocon (Alpine) and Norris.
The drama right from the start when the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton collided at the first corner, allowed three-time champion Verstappen to pull well clear out front. Sprint winner Oscar Piastri was best of the rest for McLaren, finishing just ahead of his team-mate Lando Norris. Russell recovered to finish fourth.
‘Max Verstappen wins, Mercs collide’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/2...lash/10530591/
Race Results – 2023 Qatar Grand Prix
8th October 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing – 57 laps
2. Oscar Piastri McLaren +4.833
3. Lando Norris McLaren +5.969
4. George Russell Mercedes +34.119
5. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +38.976
6. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +49.032
7. Esteban Ocon Alpine +62.390
8. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +66.563
9. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +75.181
10. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +76.127
‘Qatar Grand Prix – Here are the provisional results from today’s 2023 F1 World Championship race around the Losail International Circuit’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-resul...and-prix-83287
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix
08 October 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site
‘As it happened’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...1MgeglrT7.html
F1 Qatar Grand Prix 2023 - LIVE UPDATES!
8th October 2023, 17:15
Reporting By: Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Follow the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix here with the Crash.net live blog.
‘As it happened’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/live/f1-qat...3-live-updates
Toto Wolff sends stern George Russell radio blast after Lewis Hamilton crash at Qatar GP.
Toto Wolff did not travel to the Qatar Grand Prix as he recovers from knee surgery, but had a radio line to his drivers which he used after Lewis Hamilton and George Russell crashed.
08 October 2023, 18:53
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
An animated Russell swore loudly over the radio before shouting: "Come on! What the hell? Guys, come on. Two races in a row." He later went on to apologise and explain what he felt had caused the coming-together with his team-mate.
He said: "I'm so sorry guys, I wasn't even looking behind. I was just focused ahead and just came from nowhere. F***ing lost for words, honestly. Just seen the replays on the TV screen. I couldn't do anything, totally sandwiched."
He was dwelling on the incident so much that team principal Wolff, watching on from home as he recovers from knee surgery, to find a radio line to Russell to sternly remind him: "George, let's race now, let's make the best out of it."
‘Toto Wolff radio blast’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...eorge-31137518
Oscar Piastri made a cheeky comment in the aftermath of his second-ever F1 podium at the Qatar Grand Prix
19:42, Sun, Oct 8, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Oscar Piastri poked fun at Lewis Hamilton's lap one crash with his Mercedes team-mate in a radio message after the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday.
Piastri went on to manage his race perfectly, keeping the now-three-time world champion in his sights and fighting off the advances of Norris to seal his second F1 podium finish, one day after taking his first win.
He made sure to thank Hamilton for his role in the result too. Speaking on the radio after the chequered flag, Piastri said: "Nice assistance from whoever bowled everyone in turn one, thank you!"
‘Cheeky comment’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...crash-Qatar-GP
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“Wow, thankyou Mercedes!” Astonished reaction in cooldown room after F1 Qatar Grand Prix.
The collision between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell astonished the podium trio in the cooldown room after the F1 Qatar Grand Prix.
8 Oct 2023
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net
Race winner Max Verstappen and McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were exhausted after the grand prix when they saw a replay of the headline clash between the Mercedes drivers. Hamilton took the blame for the incident which caused him to retire early.
Norris said: “George couldn’t do anything.”
Piastri asked: “Who caused it, at the start?”
Verstappen replied: “Lewis turned in too much.”
Norris said: “George couldn’t have done anything else.”
Piastri reacted: “What? Was it Lewis and George that crashed?”
Norris: “Yeah.”
Piastri: “Ha! Wow. Thank you, Mercedes.”
Norris: “Yeah, it made our lives a lot easier, huh? George was quite quick.”
Verstappen: “You know what they call that? The law of the jungle.”
A tired Verstappen joked that he was too weary to carry away the winner’s trophy.
He teased Norris: “Can you take it?”
Norris: “The trophy? I’ll break it, if you want!”
“Thank you, Mercedes”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103774...-cooldown-room
'Russell and Hamilton will never be the same after this' - Fears for Mercedes duo after Qatar collision
Monday 9 October 2023 07:42
Ronan Murphy
GPFans
Formula 1 fans are concerned that the first-turn collision between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell could have a long-lasting effect on the duo. Both drivers were battling Max Verstappen at the start of the Qatar Grand Prix and with Hamilton trying to overtake on soft tyres, leaving his team-mate with nowhere to turn. At the time, Hamilton said "I've just got taken out by my own team-mate," but later told Sky Sports "I'm happy to take responsibility."
Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton never crashed in their 5 years as teammates. #F1 https://t.co/VNxnGh4WQC
— Unicorn�� (@hamburgerh0tdog) October 8, 2023
That’s quite frankly ridiculous. SURELY Russell, Hamilton and Mercedes KNEW AND DISCUSSED Lewis on softs was always going to get a better launch. Why would Russell defend him?
Utterly, utterly ridiculous
— DRS Open Podcast (@DRSOpenPod) October 8, 2023
george russell ruining lewis hamilton’s race every time he has a chance of winning needs to be studied.
— elle (@HAMLEWISIRR) October 8, 2023
Lewis Hamilton was ahead of Max Verstappen and George Russell at the start. #f1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/Gqb5wxb3u3
— Unicorn�� (@hamburgerh0tdog) October 8, 2023
‘Will never be the same’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...rix-collision/
Qatar GP conclusions: Lewis Hamilton alarm, pivotal moment for Max Verstappen
09 Oct 2023 6:00 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
On the day Mercedes team-mates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finally came to blows, here are our conclusions from Lusail… Lewis Hamilton: Yesterday’s man? When the Wolff is away, the Mercedes drivers will play. And not very nicely either.
With the Mercedes team boss absent as he recovers from knee surgery, Hamilton and Russell got too close to comfort on a number of occasions at the previous race at Suzuka, but with fifth place their limit on the day – and a deficit of almost a minute to race winner Verstappen to worry about first – the tension between the drivers was easy enough to drain away. But a first corner collision in Qatar, as both were lining up moves on Verstappen in the only chance Mercedes had all night to make an impression on Red Bull? Different story.
It will help that Hamilton took responsibility for the contact, albeit only after initially blaming Russell in the heat of the moment over team radio, but for the seven-time World Champion – guilty of not leaving enough room on the inside – this is the latest in what has become a worrying pattern of uncharacteristic mistakes stretching back to his previous opening-lap retirement at Spa last year.
‘Yesterday’s man?’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/co...tar-grand-prix
Hamilton fined $80,000 after Qatar crash
Monday 9th October, 2023 - 7:39am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Officials have fined Lewis Hamilton more than AUD $80,000 after he crossed the track following his opening corner retirement in the Qatar Grand Prix. Hamilton came together with his Mercedes team-mate George Russell as they swept into the right-hander with enough force to break the seven-time champion’s right-rear wheel. He spun into the gravel, his race is over, venting his frustration over the radio to his team.
After climbing from the car, Hamilton then crossed the live race track behind the train behind the Safety Car his crash had triggered, but before Russell had emerged from the pit lane. While nothing came of the investigation into the crash itself, stewards did take issue with Hamilton crossing the racing surface.
“After crashing out of the race in Lap 1, the driver of Car 44 abandoned his car in the gravel and ran back to the pits,” the stewards noted in their report. “He thereby crossed the track that was live at this time and reached the inside edge of the track just seconds before Car 63 arrived at high speed after exiting the pits. He then continued to walk alongside the track until finally exiting the track.”
‘Hamilton fined $80,000’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/10/09...r-qatar-crash/
‘We had discussed it in the morning’ - Toto Wolff stand-in reacts to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell's crash
8 Oct 2023
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Mercedes have described the first-lap collision between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at the F1 Qatar Grand Prix as the “worst possible thing that can happen.”
"Worst possible start and the worst possible thing that can happen for a race team to see your two cars collide,” said Mercedes communications director Bradley Lord, who along with Jerome D’Ambrosio and Andrew Shovlin, is standing in for Mercedes boss Toto Wolff while he recovers from knee surgery. "For sure, on Lap 1 with George at the back and Lewis in the gravel, things didn't look brilliant at all.”
"To turn that around with George in P4 and outscoring Ferrari on an afternoon was not something we could have hoped for once we were one lap into the race. What might have been is clear to see. We were right on the pace of the McLarens, probably not within striking distance of Max, but there's a double podium that could have been today.”
‘Mercedes F1: “Worst possible thing that can happen”!’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103775...nrussell-crash
Nico Rosberg pins ‘100%’ blame on Lewis Hamilton for George Russell clash
08 Oct 2023 8:25
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Rosberg, who had multiple high-profile collisions of his own with Hamilton while they were duelling for titles at Mercedes, including at Spa in 2014 and Barcelona in 2016, believes his former team-mate was fully to blame for Sunday’s incident.
He admitted it was only a “slight misjudgement” on Hamilton’s part, but it was enough to see him out of the Qatar Grand Prix. “So Lewis had soft tyres, so he just tries to go around the outside, but it’s three people going into Turn 1, and it was 100% Lewis’ error there,” Rosberg stated on Sky Sports F1.
“It’s a slight misjudgement, and it’s not a big misjudgement, a slight misjudgement, doesn’t leave quite enough space for George there, so it’s all on Lewis – which actually he already admitted to, he kind of took responsibility for it.”
‘Nico Rosberg: ‘100%’ blame on Lewis Hamilton’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/nico-r...-russell-clash
Our verdict on Hamilton/Russell Qatar clash and consequences
Oct 8, 2023
The Race
Our writers give their verdict on what happened in the incident and the implications it has on the future.
Ben Anderson: Only one driver was at fault
Glenn Freeman: Credit to Hamilton for taking blame
Josh Suttill: Inevitable this was coming
Jack Benyon: Worrying incident for a driver of Hamilton's calibre
Sam Smith: Important to not over-analyse this
‘Our verdict’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/o...-consequences/
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Passing out and vomiting - F1 drivers' Qatar GP nightmare.
The extreme conditions Formula 1 drivers faced in the Qatar Grand Prix went “beyond the limit of what was acceptable” in a “dangerous” race that featured drivers “passing out in the car”, vomiting in their helmets, pulling out of the race and collapsing in the aftermath.
Oct 8, 2023
by Josh Suttill, Ben Anderson, Edd Straw
The Race
“This is the toughest race for every driver in Formula 1 of our careers for everyone, no exception. I don’t believe the one that says it’s not,” was Charles Leclerc’s stark post-race verdict. There were plenty of drivers in public agreement, with Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director George Russell labelling it an “absolutely brutal race” as he experienced a new level of exhaustion within the cockpit.
Seventh-place finisher Esteban Ocon was actually physically sick in his helmet “for two laps” in his Alpine less than a third of the way into the race. “That was the hardest-fought points that I’ve ever had to fight for,” Ocon said after the race. I was feeling ill, lap 15, 16, I was throwing up for two laps inside the cockpit. And then I was like, ‘S*** that’s going to be a long race'.”
F1 rookie Logan Sargeant wasn’t able to finish the race, voluntarily ending his grand prix due to the exhaustion, having been already “weakened by flu-like symptoms” earlier in the week. He and team-mate Alex Albon both visited the medical centre after the race, with Albon “treated for acute heat exposure”. Valtteri Bottas called the conditions “torture” while Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll said he was “passing out in the car” and “fading in and out” due to the conditions.
‘Passing out and vomiting’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/p...-gp-nightmare/
Racing at Qatar makes F1 drivers sick – Up and down in Lu(o)sail
October 9th 2023
Author: James Elson
Motor Sport Magazine
The idea of racing in the UAE is usually vomit-inducing due to much of the region's human rights abuses against its own citizens and the horrifically bland tracks – but this time in Qatar things got even worse
Drivers were fainting and vomiting, the pitstops were flowing, but it was the same old story out front as Verstappen cruised so easily to a third title it looked like he barely noticed – giving the impression he kind of won the F1 2023 title by accident.
‘F1 drivers sick’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
Why were F1 drivers so sick at Qatar GP?
A number of drivers were seeking medical attention after an exhausting Qatar Grand Prix.
09 October 11:58AM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365
Williams' Logan Sargeant pulled out mid-race due to illness whilst Alpine's Esteban Ocon was sick in his helmet early on. Alex Albon and Lance Stroll both struggled to extract themselves from their cars in parc fermé, whilst up in the podium cooldown room, Oscar Piastri took a lie down to regather himself.
The humidity was also high in Doha as the wind dropped from the first two days of running. With less cool air from the breeze to cool the effects of the temperature and humidity, one mitigating variable was removed. Drivers are affected by wasted heat from the car's mechanics, such as the power unit, as Fernando Alonso demonstrated when radioing his Aston Martin team to complain of his seat burning.
George Russell could be seen lifting his visor in the hope of finding cooling air when pitting for Mercedes, with Lando Norris pictured doing similar for McLaren. But on the race track, when Yuki Tsunoda attempted to get airflow into his helmet, the AlphaTauri driver was met with a face full of sand.
‘Drivers were seeking medical attention’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-were-f...ck-at-qatar-gp
F1 Qatar Grand Prix: Why so many drivers fell ill and update on Logan Sargeant's health
Williams driver Logan Sargeant retired during yesterday's Qatar GP due to health concerns
Published 9th Oct 2023, 09:43 BST
By David George
National World
The gruelling heat of Qatar caused major problems for F1 drivers at the weekend. Williams driver Logan Sargeant retired halfway through the grand prix, telling his team over the radio that he "felt sick" and eventually pulling into the garage. Meanwhile, Alpine driver Esteban Ocon threw up in his helmet during the race - something he said he's "never had" before. Ocon finished seventh for the French team.
Other drivers, including Sargeant's teammate Alex Albon and Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll, were seen struggling to get out of their cars at the end of the grand prix. Williams later confirmed that Albon was taken to the medical centre "to be treated for acute heatstroke" with Sargeant and numerous other drivers also getting assessed by doctors.
Dehydration was also an issue, and was the first symptom of Sargeant's condition. Drivers have fluids they can drink during the race, but in a bid to save weight many have been putting the bare minimum into the car. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri said: "It was a combination of a lot of things - the humidity, having three stops meant we were pushing flat out and just the nature of the track - there's a lot of high-speed corners that just naturally take its toll. Definitely the hardest race I've done."
‘Many drivers fell ill’;
https://www.nationalworld.com/sport/...health-4364543
F1 drivers admit huge health concerns at extreme Qatar GP
Monday 9 October 2023 06:57
Joe Ellis
GPFans
The Qatar GP was unprecedented in many ways and the physicality of the race certainly fell into that category. Rarely have we seen drivers voluntarily go to the medical centre after the race to get checked over for heat exhaustion and dehydration but that's what we got in Losail.
The high forces of the track coupled with immense heat, even at night, made the 2023 Qatar GP a brutal affair with no safety cars to break up the action after the opening lap. Every driver who completed a large amount of the race found it extremely tough, including the Grand Prix Drivers' Association Director, George Russell.
Lance Stroll admitted severe safety concerns over driving the last part of the race. "Everything goes blurry," the Aston Martin star admitted. "You know, I mean the last 25-30 laps, which is blurry in the high speed corners and blood pressure dropping and just passing out basically in the car in the high speed corners and high G forces. So you're relying just on your visual reference to the outside of the track and what that is. The last the last 20-25 laps, you can't really see anything because you're just fading as you're going through those corners."
‘Huge health concerns’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-lando-norris/
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‘I’m very proud’ – Emotional Jos Verstappen heaps praise on son Max after latest F1 title win.
Jos Verstappen expressed his pride and emotion as he reacted to son Max securing a third successive F1 championship title over the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, praising him for being “so dominant” all year long.
09 October 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Speaking to Sky Sports after the title was sealed, Verstappen senior, himself a former F1 racer, commented: “It’s the way he did it. He was so dominant this year and he delivered really well. I’m very proud of that.”
Jos, who played a key role in Max’s junior career and journey through the motorsport ranks, was asked if he always knew his son would go on to achieve such success. “I knew it a long time [ago] when he was in go-karts,” he said. “I think we made the right decisions in the beginning of his career and I must say now it’s up to him what he does.”
“I’m just very happy how he does it, how strong he is and the way he works for that [success]. The credit is definitely for Max.” With Verstappen joining an elite club of three-time world champions, the question on many people’s lips is how many the 26-year-old can rack up during his time in F1. “We will see, we don’t know yet,” added Jos, with Max’s Red Bull contract set to run through the 2028 season. “This is a good thing, we have to enjoy it, then we’ll see.”
‘I’m very proud’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...FyGyx6wF1.html
Max Verstappen has won the right to hold his head up high in F1’s most elite company
04:07 Mon, 09 Oct 2023.
David Tremayne
The Straits Times
It’s impossible to look back on the Qatar Grand Prix and not mention Max Verstappen and his third world championship. Like a young child, everything he has done in 2023 has been demanding and attention seeking, albeit in a very adult manner.
Has there ever been a driver so utterly in control of all of his circumstances, so dominantly successful?
‘In F1’s most elite company’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...-elite-company
Verstappen on the same level as Senna says Berger
With the championship now all decided and a full five grands prix left to run in 2023, column inches will be full of the proposition: Is Max Verstappen the best Formula 1 driver of all time.
OCTOBER 9, 2023
GrandPrix.com
F1 legend Gerhard Berger, a friend of the Red Bull team, is arguably best known for being teammate at McLaren to the great Ayrton Senna. The Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport asked him: is Verstappen even better than his fellow triple-world champion Senna was?
I've always seen Senna as the greatest of all time, Berger said. "But I have to say that Max is on the same level. He doesn't make mistakes, he is always fast in any condition - wet, dry, fast or slow tracks, he is always in front. He is truly an excellent driver. I think he and Senna are drivers we will remember forever.”
Another question that will be hotly debated in the remaining races of 2023 is whether Verstappen and Red Bull will be challenged any harder by their rivals next year. Berger answered: "You can never know about that. Next year everyone will have a new car and hope the gap will be smaller because it is more spectacular to see. But if we remove Max we can already see a good championship, because Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin and Mercedes are all on a similar level.”
‘Same level as Senna’;
https://www.grandprix.com/news/verst...ys-berger.html
Verstappen equals Senna in F1 record books after bagging EPIC milestone
Monday 9 October 2023 17:29
Joe Ellis
GPFans
When it comes to the greatest in F1, many people will look at championships and races won but to see true brilliance, you have to look at another statistic. The term 'grand slam' is more commonly heard in tennis or even rugby but it is a rare thing to accomplish for an F1 driver.
It is when a driver takes pole position, fastest lap, wins and leads every lap of the race which is an incredibly hard thing to do in a sport where the smallest margins matter. At the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, though, it happened and Max Verstappen moved himself alongside some true F1 greats as he did so.
‘Verstappen equals Senna’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ix-grand-slam/
How ‘new breed’ Max Verstappen differs from Schumacher and Hamilton
09 Oct 2023 8:15 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
1996 F1 World Champion Damon Hill says the “new breed” Max Verstappen comes from a background where he was moulded as a racer from a young age by his father Jos, a figure which Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton did not have.
“He’s got a good head on his shoulders and he’s mature. He’s come into Formula 1 aged 17, before he could even drive a road car and was volatile and quick, and he’s managed to combine that youth and speed with experience now.
“And I think in the interview he gave at the weekend with Karun Chandhok, he was very clear that he was admitting that he understands now what the job is better, so he’s just getting better and better all the time.” With Verstappen now on 14 grand prix wins for F1 2023, he is on course to topple his own record of 15 wins in a single season, with five rounds of the campaign remaining.
‘New breed’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/how-ne...r-and-hamilton
Marko reveals two sides of Verstappen and how F1 champion has changed
Tuesday 10 October 2023, 08:27
Matthew Hobkinson
GPFans
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has stated that Max Verstappen has two different sides to him depending on whether or not he is behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.
Marko has now heaped praise on Verstappen, someone who the Austrian claims has a different side to him when his race helmet goes on. "Since his first world title in 2021, he has improved incredibly and at the same time found a certain calmness," he told Sky Germany.
"The current season is characterised by the fact that there were no slumps, there were no mistakes. Driving at such a level every weekend at that age is unique. He is absolutely down to earth," Marko added. "Lives his own life, but the focus is clearly on Formula 1. So as I said, outside of the car he is the ideal son-in-law. But things change drastically in the car."
‘No slumps’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...prix-red-bull/
Verstappen now a “very polished diamond” after third F1 title win – Horner
10th October 2023, 8:15
Written by Ed Hardy and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said Max Verstappen is now a “very polished diamond” after winning his third world championship. Verstappen sealed the title in Saturday’s sprint race at Losail International Circuit. The 26-year-old is the 11th driver in the sport’s history to win the championship three times.
“He’s always had the speed from the moment he sat in the car and I think that he now couples that with experience,” Horner, whose team also took Sebastian Vettel to four world titles, told media including RaceFans. “He arrived in Formula 1 as quite a rough diamond, he’s now a very polished diamond and I think that he’s maintained all those raw attributes that he had but now brings experience.”
“I think we’ve known it was coming from about the fourth or fifth race,” he said. “It’s been the most outstanding, unbelievable season.” However, it is still beyond anything Red Bull could ever have dreamed of as the team has won all but one grand prix in 2023 so far. “It’s exceeded all our expectations,” said Horner. “Max as a driver has just continued to evolve. The level that he’s now operating at, the way he’s able to read races, manage tyres, the mental strength that he has in the high pressure moments, it’s absolutely outstanding.”
“Very polished diamond”;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/10/...le-win-horner/
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Sainz issues BLAME after Ferrari DNS nightmare in Qatar.
International Circuit were to blame for the petrol tank issue which left him unable to start the Qatar Grand Prix.
Monday 9 October 2023 19:48
Sam Cook
GPFans
"I found damage to the petrol tank and it could be due to the kerbs," he said. "A more in-depth investigation will be needed to understand what really happened and how. In any case, the damage was irreparable because we lost too much petrol."
Also speaking to Sky Sports F1, team boss Fred Vasseur agreed with Sainz on the potential cause of the Spaniard's issue.
“We haven’t had time to take the tank off yet, but probably [it’s due to the kerbs] because the leak seems significant, so there’s significant damage," he said. "It probably comes from the last laps of yesterday."
‘Could be due to the kerbs’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-losail-track/
Sainz: ‘Impossible’ to detect fuel system issue before race day
09/10/2023 at 15:07
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Carlos Sainz says the fuel system issue that sidelined him from the Qatar Grand Prix went undetected due the relatively low levels of fuel run by Ferrari on Friday and Saturday. During the run-up to last Sunday’s race, the Scuderia mechanics identified a fuel system problem on Sainz’s car and the crews set out to fix the issue before the start of the race.
Sadly, with one hour to go, it became obvious for the team that a timely repair would not be possible, leaving Ferrari with no other choice but to pull out its #55 entry. A massively disappointed Sainz lamented missing an opportunity to put more points on the board after his recent series of solid runs that included his win in Singapore.
‘Fuel system issue’;
https://f1i.com/news/489682-sainz-im...-race-day.html
Carlos Sainz blasts FIA in brutal rant as Ferrari driver forced to miss Qatar GP
Carlos Sainz was forced to miss the start of the Qatar Grand Prix after a fuel system issue, capping off a miserable weekend.
15:22, Mon, Oct 9, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, team principal Fred Vasseur explained: “It was when we put the petrol in that the problem appeared, not before. You can say that we could have put the fuel in earlier but it doesn't work that way. There definitely wasn't enough time to change the tank. I honestly don't know [why it happened], we need to investigate.”
“There hasn't been time to remove the tank yet, but probably yes [it's due to the curbs], because the leak seems very large and therefore there is significant damage. It probably comes from yesterday's last laps."
If the Ferrari boss’ theory is proven true then this gives more credence to Sainz’s frustration about the way the FIA went about their changes in Qatar. He said: “There has been a resurface, a redoing of the curbs, and for some reason, the FIA persisted with this design of curbs that is killing Pirelli tyres.
‘FIA persisted with this design of curbs that is killing Pirelli tyres’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rrari-Qatar-GP
Leclerc says fifth was the best he could do in Qatar as Sainz laments 'cruel' fuel leak that ruled him out of the race
09 October 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Charles Leclerc believes his fifth place finish at the Qatar Grand Prix was the best he could have done this weekend, while Carlos Sainz was left lamenting a fuel leak on his Ferrari that caused him to pull out of the race before it even started.
Asked if he was happy about his performance, Leclerc said: “Happy? No. Because when you see the race of George when he is out in Turn 1 and then manages to finish in front, [I] think it’s a surprise for us the pace of the Mercedes today.”
“At the end for us it was a bit damage limitation for the race today. Unfortunately, we had Carlos out straight at the start, [and] we had to take a bit more margin with the way I was driving, but all in all we maximised what we could have done.”
‘Maximised’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...kzn8RG87o.html
F1 races could be axed as FIA chief sides with Charles Leclerc after driver complaints
Numerous F1 stars were pulled up for track limits infringements at the Qatar Grand Prix.
13:51, Tue, Oct 10, 2023
By Charlie Gordon
Daily and Sunday Express
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has suggested that some circuits could be axed from the F1 calendar unless alterations are made. Track limits infringements dominated proceedings in Austria and Qatar, with Charles Leclerc among the drivers to complain about punishments dished out by the stewards at Losail Circuit.
Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon were all hit with multiple penalties for exceeding track limits in Qatar. A total of 51 infringements were pounced on by stewards - more than any other race this season apart from Austria. "We are speaking about centimetres at 280kph," moaned Leclerc after the chequered flag.
"In qualifying, when we are fresh, it’s possible to respect them. But then it’s just a nightmare at the end of the race. So, maybe there are things that we could do because these cars now are so quick in the high-speed corners, so when you are doing quali laps after quali laps, the G-forces we are going through for 57 laps with this heat is crazy."
‘Driver complaints’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...tar-grand-prix
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EL PLAN: Alonso pleased to feel ‘more competitive’ again in Qatar.
Fernando Alonso admits that he was pleased to feel “more competitive” than in previous rounds in Qatar.
09:28 Tue, 10 Oct 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Although McLaren closed further in the standings, Alonso was encouraged by Aston Martin’s weekend performance at the Lusail circuit compared to previous rounds. “I felt more competitive this weekend than the last few events,” he said. “Ninth in Monza, no points in Singapore, ninth in Japan, so I think a little bit better this weekend.”
Alonso, now in his 20th F1 season, believes Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix resides in the “top three” hardest races he’s ever encountered. “One of the hardest [races] for sure,” he noted. “I think when we were racing in Malaysia in Sepang in [the] daytime, I remember those to be very extreme. I think it was Bahrain 2005 it was like 41 degrees, extremely hot. And then here, for sure in the top three.”
‘EL PLAN: Encouraged by Aston Martin’s weekend performance’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...gain-in-qatar/
Alonso calls Qatar pace ‘a positive surprise’ as Stroll’s penalties deny Aston Martin double points
10 October 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Fernando Alonso was able to capitalise on his strong qualifying performance and bring home his best result since Zandvoort with a solid sixth place finish in Qatar, but it was anything but a straightforward night for the Spaniard.
“The weekend was a little bit more competitive than what we thought so that was a positive surprise but we still need to improve in the next couple of races,” he said afterwards, with his points haul helping to keep Aston Martin just ahead of McLaren in fourth in the constructors’ championship.
“[McLaren are] very strong and better than us. There’s nothing we can do, we just have to respect their performance and they have this momentum but we still cannot give up. Hopefully in the next three races we have a strong weekend, score with both cars and they have a bad weekend and then we open the gap, but at the moment it is tough.”
‘EL PLAN: A positive surprise’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Ih4oLgn1d.html
Aston Martin forbidden by F1 rules as Fernando Alonso suffers ‘semi-burns’
10 Oct 2023 1:45 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Fernando Alonso has revealed he suffered a “semi-burn” on his right-hand side in the extreme conditions in Qatar with Aston Martin “not allowed” to throw water over him in a pitstop. Pitting shortly after the radio message was broadcast by FOM, Aston Martin did nothing but change the double World Champion’s tyres.
That’s because, Alonso says, throwing water over a driver is not allowed. “I think for Lance and myself, both of us, we were struggling a little bit with temperature in the seat on the right-hand side,” Alonso said.
“I got like burned in the first 15 laps so I even asked on the radio if they could throw me some water or something at the pit stop, which apparently is not allowed.” Reiterating that it was “not allowed, so they couldn’t help me on that” to Sky Sports, he added: “I have a very warm seat and by lap 15 I had a semi-burn on the right-hand side.”
‘FORBIDDEN EL PLAN: “I even asked on the radio if they could throw me some water”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernan...emi-burn-qatar
Alonso asked team to throw water on him in pits ‘but apparently it’s not allowed’
9th October 2023, 0:329th October 2023, 0:32
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Alonso said he was burned by his seat during the Qatar Grand Prix and was disappointed to discover his team was not allowed to throw water on him to cool the area during the race.
“I think for Lance [Stroll] and myself, both of us, we were struggling a little bit with temperature in the seat on the right-hand side,” said Alonso. “I got like burned in the first 15 laps so I even asked on the radio if they could throw me some water or something at the pit stop, which apparently is not allowed.”
Teams may not add liquids to their cars as it would increase their weight, which could be used as a way of getting around the minimum mass limit.
‘FORBIDDEN EL PLAN: Fernando Alonso was in desperate need of cooling during the Qatar Grand Prix’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/09/...nd-up-09-10-6/
Rare Lance Stroll sympathy emerges in Fernando Alonso ‘hammering’
10 Oct 2023 10:30 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Taking a hammering from Fernando Alonso on the track, David Coulthard says he understands Lance Stroll’s frustration but that doesn’t make it okay for him to shove his trainer. Stroll had yet another on a long list of trying Grand Prix weekends in Qatar, starting with the Aston Martin driver’s failure to make it out of Q1 on Friday night.
Back in the garage and with his night’s work prematurely curtailed, Stroll initially threw his steering wheel onto the nose of his AMR23, potentially damaging the £20,000 steering wheel and scratching the car. His behaviour went from bad to worse as approached by his personal trainer Henry Howe, Stroll was seen shoving the Briton out of his way.
“That is a meltdown which I feel for him,” Coulthard told Channel 4. “That’s not something I thought I would say very often for Lance but he’s just getting absolutely hammered by Fernando Alonso and he’s had a meltdown. His trainer is just trying to do his job, which is get him to the scales.”
‘Rare Lance Stroll sympathy’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ex-red...r-lance-stroll
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Marko insists Red Bull rivals 'BETTER' than F1 champions in key area.
Helmut Marko has revealed that McLaren is superior to Red Bull in 'very fast corners', emphasising the need to push themselves to their limits to overcome this challenge.
Tuesday 10 October 2023 18:57
Anna Malyon
GPFans
This resurgence has led to speculation that McLaren could be a strong contender for the championship in the upcoming season. And in an interview with Sky Germany, Ralf Schumacher claimed that McLaren would be Red Bull’s ‘biggest threat’.
Marko responded, saying: “They are fast and stable on all tracks. They are the most consistent and we have to say that the McLaren is better than our car in very fast corners. So, when it's like this, we really have difficulties and have to push ourselves to the limit.”
‘Helmut Marko: McLaren is superior to Red Bull’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ppen-champion/
Marko highlights McLaren as potential 2024 title contender
October 10, 2023
BaylaSportsF1
Dr Helmut Marko has spotlighted McLaren as perhaps the principal threat to Red Bull’s existing mastery of Formula 1 in 2024. His insight emerges after McLaren’s marked upswing this campaign after a somewhat lukewarm onset in 2023, with Oscar Piastri clinching the Qatar sprint race starting from pole, and his colleague Lando Norris following closely behind.
“They are our most regular pursuers now and they are still gaining momentum,” the Red Bull team counsellor Marko shared with Kronen Zeitung publication.
McLaren team leader Andrea Stella didn’t counter Marko’s projection. “It was a very positive weekend for us,” he conveyed to the Austrian channel ORF. “We are the second fastest car and that is really good for the future.
‘McLaren as potential 2024 title contender’;
https://baylasportsf1.com/marko-high...tle-contender/
Piastri Sprint win ‘very well deserved’
Tuesday 10th October, 2023 - 3:02pm
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella believes victory for Oscar Piastri in the F1 Sprint in Qatar was “very well deserved”. Stella, who has often spoken highly of his young Australian driver, was full and adulation for the 22-year-old.
“This victory comes in, to me, in a dominant way,” he said. “He was P1 in the shootout [on Saturday] afternoon and then he was very strong in the race; a strong pace, he could match [Max] Verstappen’s pace in the final laps, there was a racing situation, being overtaken, re-overtaking, so very well deserved. It adds a bit of history, another piece of history, to his career after the first podium.”
‘Very well deserved’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/10/10...well-deserved/
How Piastri survived and thrived in F1’s ugly wasteland as McLaren power shift looms
October 9th, 2023 2:52 pm
Jacob Polychronis from Fox Sports
Before even turning the wheel of a F1 car in anger, Oscar Piastri was lauded as a special talent who had what it took to succeed in the most cutthroat sport of all. “He is absolutely the real deal,” said commentator David Croft in March. “He looks a champion in the making to be honest, and has done for some time now.”
If Croft’s words weren’t believed already, then they’re almost impossible to ignore now with Piastri arguably F1’s most in-form driver. His second-place finish on Sunday behind Max Verstappen saw him named driver of the day, while the night before he became a race-winner in his rookie season by claiming the sprint in Qatar.
Lewis Hamilton (2007) and Juan Pablo Montoya (2001) are the only two drivers this century to win an F1 race in their rookie season. Many are still waiting to do so years after their debut season, such as McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who noted at the start of his post-race interview: “First win — earlier than mine...”
‘The real deal,’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...c80295b503a79b
McLaren set all-time record with fastest F1 pit stop in Qatar Grand Prix
9 Oct 2023
Connor McDonagh
McLaren set a new all-time record for the fastest F1 pit stop during Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix.
As confirmed by DHL, Norris second pit stop on Lap 28 was timed at 1.8 seconds. The previous record was 1.82 seconds, held by Max Verstappen and Red Bull from the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix.
However, that respective time was done with the smaller, 13-inch tyres, rather than the heavier 18-inch ones that are used today. It capped off a remarkable weekend for McLaren, who won the sprint race with Oscar Piastri before securing another double-podium in the main event.
McLaren now sit just 11 points behind Aston Martin in the race for fourth in the F1 2023 constructors’ championship with five rounds to go.
‘Fastest F1 pit stop’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103778...pit-stop-qatar
Norris podium celebration goes awry AGAIN
Wednesday 11 October 2023 18:42
Lauren Sneath
GPFans
Lando Norris has celebrated standing on three successive podiums as the McLaren driver took P3 at the Qatar Grand Prix – but could not quite pull off his signature podium stunt.
Despite Norris’s best efforts, he could not get any champagne to fizz out of the bottle after giving it his best shot.
‘Goes awry AGAIN’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ar-grand-prix/
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Mercedes 'have lost control' of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as Toto Wolff blamed.
Former F1 team manager turned pundit Peter Windsor believes that the dynamic between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell is out of control, placing the blame at the feet of Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
11:50, Mon, Oct 9, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
After Hamilton got a positive start off the line he attempted to make a move around the outside into turn one but failed to leave enough room for Russell on the inside, making contact on his right-rear tyre and sending him spinning out into the gravel trap. Both drivers were left frustrated on the radio with Hamilton claiming he was “taken out by my own team-mate,” and Russell raging that he was left with nowhere to go after watching the incident from his cockpit on one of the big screens.
Discussing the crash after the Qatar Grand Prix, Windsor commented: “Just imagine if Mercedes were in the running for the world championship in any given situation, in any given year, imagine what it'd be like between Lewis and George Russell. The management have absolutely no control over them now, and there is nothing they could do about it because there is no way you can ever say to George Russell, ‘Lewis may well try to pass you on the outside, let him go.’ It's never going to happen.”
“It's not a conversation that George would even begin to listen to. And that of course is what Mercedes never considered, I guess, when they hired George rather than keeping Valtteri Bottas." Windsor believes Mercedes boss Wolff was always asking for trouble by pitting together two clear winners, insisting Hamilton needed someone like 'Bottas or Sergio Perez' to partner him.
'Have lost control';
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ell-Toto-Wolff
Hamilton will get new cockpit position – Wolff
October 12, 2023
by Andrew Maitland
Grandpx.news
Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton will be happier at the wheel of Mercedes’ all-new 2024 car. “We have to get back to basics,” team boss Wolff, who was absent at Suzuka and Qatar after knee surgery, told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. I don’t want to hear Lewis say anymore ‘My cockpit is too far forward’.”
However, he insisted that Mercedes has learned much more than that about why the 2022-2023 car concept wasn’t a success. “We know what we understand and will not pay attention to what we do not understand,” said Wolff. “The biggest problem is that the drivers have no confidence in the car. We have to give them a solid foundation to score good points.”
Wolff also admitted that part of the issue is simply that Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is so far ahead of the rest of the field. “There is only one man at the moment who stands head and shoulders above the rest,” said the Austrian. “Ferrari, Aston Martin, McLaren and us are all in the same situation. At least we are second in the constructors’ championship, because after all these years we have learned how to optimise our results. It’s just that no one comes close to Verstappen.”
‘New cockpit position’;
https://grandpx.news/hamilton-will-g...osition-wolff/
George Russell lives right next to Toto Wolff and meets Mercedes boss 'every day'
George Russell and Toto Wolff have been spending time together in Monaco.
09:13, Wed, Oct 11, 2023
By Archie Griggs
Daily and Sunday Express
It seems as though Russell is happy to mix work with pleasure when it comes to meeting Wolff away from the paddock, with the pair often linking up for coffee when they are not travelling the world with Mercedes. They only live down the road from each other and have recently been learning to freedive with the help of Hamilton, who accompanied Russell on his first time in the water.
"I see them all the time in Monaco [Toto and Susie]," said Russell during an appearance on the Beyond the Grid podcast. "We live about 200 metres from each other. We go to the gym together, have coffee together daily. We don't really talk about racing, to be honest.
"We're learning to freedive together at the moment. We went with Lewis on our first experience into the water. I'm a kid from the countryside in the UK, watersports activities were never a thing. Suddenly this life has exposed me to so much which I'm so grateful for."
‘Spending time together in Monaco’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rcedes-F1-news
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff and Manchester United bidder Jim Ratcliffe share $92 million payout even as team’s ad value tumbles
12:19 Wed, 11 Oct 2023.
BY Ryan Hogg
Fortune
Mercedes Benz’s billionaire F1 chief Toto Wolff and fellow billionaire Man Utd bidder Jim Ratcliffe will take big cuts of the F1 team’s £75 million ($92 million) dividend, despite the team’s waning on-track performance severely hurting the value of its TV coverage.
In an annual financial report filed Monday, Mercedes Benz-AMG Petronas’s chief Wolff said it had confirmed the dividend to its shareholders in March. It represents a steep rise on a £55 million ($67.5 million) dividend paid out in 2022.
For years Mercedes, led by Wolff—who is also a director at the F1 team—dominated the F1 track. The team won eight constructors’ championships in a row between 2014 and 2021, while its main driver Lewis Hamilton won the drivers’ world championship six times in that period.
‘Big dividend’;
https://fortune.com/2023/10/11/merce...lion-dividend/
Mercedes hint Lewis Hamilton's replacement is already lined up in 'very talented' driver
Lewis Hamilton is coming to the end of his F1 career, but Mercedes have the perfect driver waiting in the wings.
07:01, Thu, Oct 12, 2023
By Harry Smith
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has claimed that he is totally content with his driver line-up moving forward but also acknowledged that teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli is seen as the future of the Silver Arrows.
Wolff moved quickly to secure a new contract for George Russell in the summer, adding another two seasons to his existing contract, while seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton also put pen to paper on an extension that will keep him with the Brackley-based team into his forties.
What has remained up in the air is where Mercedes will go once Hamilton’s retirement does come. With Mick Schumacher in the reserve role and Frederik Vesti clearly not trusted to make the step up just yet, George Russell is without an obvious future partner.
'Very talented driver lined up’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...on-replacement
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Should F1 SCRAP the Qatar Grand Prix? YOUR COMMENTS after drivers slam 'dangerously hot' race which saw Esteban Ocon vomit inside his helmet and Lance Stroll briefly pass out inside sweltering cockpits.
Fans have called for Formula One's farcical Qatar Grand Prix to be scrapped after one driver briefly lost consciousness and another vomited inside his helmet amid the sweltering temperatures during the race.
Published: 11:55, 10 October 2023
By Sam Mcevoy For Mailonline
Mail Online
George Russell and Lando Norris hit out at the event on Sunday which went 'beyond the limit of what is acceptable' with many drivers saying they were feeling sick and close to passing out. Temperatures in the drivers' cockpits exceeded 50 degrees for the 57-lap race in Lusail which lasted one hour and 28 minutes. Canadian driver Lance Stroll said he faded in and out of consciousness because of the extreme heat and humidity during the race and was also seen stumbling towards an ambulance moments after he emerged from his Aston Martin.
And the news that drivers' health has been put at risk due to the extreme conditions has seen many of our readers call for the Gulf State race to be scrapped. One commenter said: 'Scrap the contract with Qatar. Driver safety should be number one priority. Imagine passing out while driving at over 300km/hr.'
Another agreed, insisting that drivers potentially passing out is not only a major safety risk for those in the cockpit but fans in attendance as well. 'Passing out in an f1 car turns into into a 1 ton bullet travelling at 300 kmph. Its not just a danger to the driver but others including fans. Qatar should be scrapped immediately,' they said.
‘Driver safety should be number one priority’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-cockpits.html
Mark Webber details alarming driver scene in gruelling Qatar GP fall-out
12 Oct 2023 3:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Mark Webber says there was a “lot of strife” evident as he walked through the post-Qatar Grand Prix parking lot with the drivers clearly suffering as they climbed out of their cars. According to reports several drivers fainted after the race while in-car camera footage showed Stroll and Alex Albon struggling to climb out of their cars with Williams thanking Alfa Romeo as their mechanics rushed over to help Albon.
“Myself and DC [David Coulthard] walked through the area where the drivers come out a car immediately and there was a bit of a war zone causing a lot of strife,” he said. “But these top three guys also, they don’t get to the sort of fluids, they can’t get to the people, their trainers and things.”
“I think there’s a few lessons where they immediately they need a bit more hydration, just something cold to start with after that length of race.” Craig Slater reported that “two or three drivers have their own accord of taking themselves to the medical centre because of dehydration” such were the conditions.
“Lot of strife”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mark-w...scene-qatar-gp
FIA begin analysis into competing in extreme weather conditions following Qatar Grand Prix
10 October 2023
Formula One - Official Site
The FIA have announced that they have begun an analysis into competing in extreme temperatures following the Qatar Grand Prix weekend. In the aftermath of the weekend, the FIA announced that they would be working with Formula 1 to explore possible solutions in the case of facing similar conditions at future events.
A statement from the FIA released on Monday evening said: “The FIA notes with concern that the extreme temperature and humidity during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix had an impact on the wellbeing of the drivers.
“While being elite athletes, they should not be expected to compete under conditions that could jeopardise their health or safety. The safe operation of the cars is, at all times, the responsibility of the Competitors, however as with other matters relating to safety such as circuit infrastructure and car safety requirements, the FIA will take all reasonable measures to establish and communicate acceptable parameters in which Competitions are held.”
“As such, the FIA has begun an analysis…”;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...BugfGeXxF.html
PALMER: The three key elements that made the race in Qatar such a test for the drivers
Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix became one of the most physical races in Formula 1 history, in conditions and circumstances that provided the perfect storm.
11 October 2023
Jolyon Palmer
Former F1 Driver
Formula One - Official Site
Firstly let's look at the ambient conditions. This element has obviously taken centre stage in the Grand Prix debriefs. It was officially 31 degrees on the timing screens throughout the race which is extremely hot, especially for a night race – but is actually lower than we’ve seen on other occasions this year. What made the conditions on Sunday harder than usual was the extreme humidity and stillness. Humidity was over 75%, which is an intense level, and with very little wind there was no natural ventilation either.
The second factor that compounded woes in the cockpit is the track layout in Qatar. It’s not just high temperatures that can strain drivers, but also sheer g force loads that go through the body. Circuits like Silverstone or Suzuka have plenty of long, fast corners and stress the drivers physically as well, even in cooler conditions. With g forces of up to 6g acting on the body for long durations, you are working up a sweat even before you add in other factors.
Finally, the icing on the cake came with the introduction of a mandatory three-stop race. Nobody was able to run a tyre beyond 18 laps as a precaution on such a challenging high speed circuit – particularly with the ‘pyramid’ kerbs used extensively at this track. What this meant for the drivers was that they could push flat-out in each stint. On Sunday, there was no knife edge balance between trying to eke out extra laps on a set of tyres to avoid an additional stop. Because the stops were enforced, saving tyres in the race became pointless.
‘Three key elements’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...mp45gwdQl.html
Martin Brundle under fire for ‘not helpful’ Qatar Grand Prix comments
11 Oct 2023 11:15 AM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Martin Brundle’s comments regarding the conditions of the Qatar Grand Prix have been addressed by a physiological expert. Speaking in an extended interview with PlanetF1.com, Associate Professor in Environmental Physiology at Roehampton University London, Dr. Chris Tyler, believes opinions like Brundle’s are somewhat dismissive of the genuine challenge that was put on the drivers.
Pointed out to him that it’s a safety concern, given that drivers were near fainting point behind the wheel, he (Martin Brundle) said: “I really appreciate your view but this is a highly regarded and paid challenge and that’s why there are (currently) only 20 F1 drivers in the world. It’s a dangerous and brutal business, deliver or leave, there are plenty more willing to take the chance.”
In the interview, which will be published in full on Wednesday on PlanetF1.com, Dr. Tyler explained how drivers can train to improve their ability to handle the extreme stresses of races such as what unfolded last weekend in Qatar. “You certainly can. Humans are very good at adapting to the heat,” he said.
‘Not helpful’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/martin...dr-chris-tyler
Sargeant says retiring ‘the last thing I wanted to do’ as he explains Qatar GP struggles
12 October 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Logan Sargeant has shared some initial comments after pulling out of last weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, with illness in the build-up to the event contributing to his discomfort behind the wheel.
Sargeant sent several radio messages to the Williams pit wall expressing that he felt unwell during a particularly hot and humid race at the Lusail International Circuit, ultimately returning his car to the pits after 40 of the 57 scheduled laps.
“The main thing is Alex and I are both okay,” said Sargeant post-race. “I’ve been feeling unwell all week which didn’t help with the dehydration in this heat. The last thing I wanted to do was retire the car, but I had to put my health first. Sorry to the team for not being able to reach the finish line. They’ve done an incredible job all weekend in these intense conditions.”
‘Retiring the last thing I wanted to do’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...PigPLMi5i.html
