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Lando Norris went against McLaren to "return the favour" to Oscar Piastri in Qatar sprint.
Lando Norris explains his decision to hand Oscar Piastri the sprint race victory in Qatar.
30 Nov 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Lando Norris has revealed he rejected instructions from McLaren as he let Oscar Piastri take the sprint race victory at the F1 Qatar Grand Prix. On the approach to the finish line, Norris lifted off and allowed Piastri to overtake, giving the Australian an unlikely victory.
It seems Norris’ decision to hand Piastri the win stems from a similar situation in the Brazil sprint race. “It was probably a bit closer than what I was wanting, but I planned to do it since Brazil, yeah, just what I thought was best, probably a bit sketchy,” Norris explained.
“The team told me not to do it, but I thought I could get away with it and we did, so honestly I don’t mind, I’m not here to win sprint races, I’m here to win races and a championship – but that’s not gone to plan you know, so I did the best we could and I look forward to tomorrow.”
"Return the favour";
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106095...n-qatar-sprint
Qatar GP: F1 Sprint Results
Full results from the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail.
1 Dec 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps/Diff
1 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 19
2 4 Lando Norris McLaren 0.136
3 63 George Russell Mercedes 0.41
4 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1.326
5 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 5.073
6 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 5.65
7 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 8.508
8 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 10.368
9 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 14.513
10 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 15.485
‘Full results’;
https://speedcafe.com/qatar-gp-f1-sprint-results/
Oscar Piastri Wins Qatar Grand Prix Sprint As McLaren Widen Gap On Ferrari
Oscar Piastri was gifted victory by his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris in Saturday's sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Nov 30, 2024
Agence France-Presse
Oscar Piastri was gifted victory by his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris in Saturday's sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix as the British team consolidated their bid for the constructors' title for the first time since 1998 with a 1-2 triumph. In an example of perfect teamwork, Norris led from pole to flag before slowing to allow Piastri to win by 0.136 seconds ahead of Mercedes' George Russell in third.
The result secured 15 points for McLaren in their bid to resist Ferrari, extending their advantage to 34 points with two Grands Prix remaining. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz finished fourth ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes and Haas' Nico Hulkenberg, Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly of Alpine and Kevin Magnussen in the second Haas.
‘McLaren Widen Gap On Ferrari’;
https://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/os...errari-7142614
How McLaren can clinch F1 constructors' title at the Qatar GP
Nov 30, 2024
The Race
McLaren will head into Sunday's Qatar Grand Prix with its first shot at sealing the 2024 Formula 1 constructors' title. The McLarens will start third (Lando Norris) and fourth (Oscar Piastri) on Sunday, behind a front row of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Mercedes' George Russell.
After Piastri and Norris finished first and second in Saturday's Lusail sprint, McLaren heads Ferrari by 30 points and Red Bull by 67 points (with 88 points available).
Only a total Sunday meltdown from McLaren would get Red Bull anywhere near in range to be still in contention for Abu Dhabi. And while Ferrari is in a much better position to keep this title fight going until the final round, McLaren holds all the aces and could seal the deal at Lusail.
‘Clinch F1 constructors' title’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...ship-qatar-gp/
Verstappen: "Rally car" Red Bull was undriveable in Qatar GP sprint
Recently crowned F1 world champion joked he'd have more luck competing with father Jos at this weekend's Spa Rally
30 Nov 2024
Jake Boxall-Legge
Ronald Vording
Motorsport.com
Speaking about his low-key race, Verstappen stated that his balance was out of the window and that he particularly struggled at the start with cold tyres. "I just had no grip. The balance is terrible. On cold tyres you suffer even more from that. It felt like a rally car," Verstappen told Viaplay.
"I think I would have been better off competing with my father [Jos] at Spa in a rally - we would have had a better chance of being competitive over there, I think. It's really terrible, it was undriveable.”
"We can change a lot of things [before qualifying], but we can't fix the problem. I don't know. We will change some things, but I don't expect miracles."
“Undriveable”
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/v...rint/10677955/
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Verstappen hit with one-place grid penalty for Russell incident during qualifying for Qatar GP.
Max Verstappen has lost his pole position starting spot for the Qatar Grand Prix after being hit with a one-place grid penalty by the stewards following an incident with George Russell during the final part of qualifying in Qatar.
30 Nov 2024
Formula One - Official Site
The Dutchman’s lap time was good enough to award him his first pole since the Austrian Grand Prix, but the stewards have opted to penalise him for driving unnecessarily slowly ahead of the Mercedes.
The Mercedes driver said: “I ended up going through the gravel all over the floor, so it felt like the floor was scraping over that kerb and through the gravel so I hope it didn’t damage it. “Maybe that’s the reason we didn’t improve – I don’t know, but it was a bit of a hairy one, two corners before we started the lap.”
‘One-place grid penalty’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...ZdfGoAqxiluF2b
Adjusted starting grid for 2024 F1 Qatar Grand Prix after Verstappen penalty
Check out the full starting grid for the 2024 F1 Qatar Grand Prix from Lusail!
30 Nov 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Check out the starting grid below!
NOTE: Grid remains provisional until officially confirmed by the FIA.
Full starting grid for 2024 F1 Qatar Grand Prix
Position Driver Team
1st George Russell Mercedes
2nd Max Verstappen Red Bull
3rd Lando Norris McLaren
4th Oscar Piastri McLaren
5th Charles Leclerc Ferrari
6th Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
7th Carlos Sainz Ferrari
8th Fernando Alonso Aston Martin
9th Sergio Perez Red Bull
10th Kevin Magnussen Haas
‘Grid remains provisional’;
https://racingnews365.com/full-start...tar-grand-prix
Horner after Saturday Qatar GP: 'Important qualifying for the team'
30 Nov 2024
Coen Versteeg
Verstappen.nl
Christian Horner, CEO and team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said after the sprintrace and qualifying of the Qatar Grand Prix: "We changed a lot of things on the car and we have given Max a car that he has been able to go out and deliver the pole in. That’s our first official pole since Austria, so that is fantastic for everyone and a great team effort.”
“Checo made similar set-up changes to Max, his were a little less aggressive and it was good to see him in Q3. It was an important qualifying for the team and it is great to be starting from the front for the race tomorrow. Hopefully the changes we made to the car for qualifying can play out in the race as well and we have a successful Sunday."
'Important qualifying for the team';
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5678/
Norris admits McLaren simply ‘not quick enough’ in Qatar GP qualifying after losing out to Verstappen and Russell
30 Nov 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Lando Norris gave credit to Max Verstappen and George Russell after the McLaren driver settled for third position in Saturday night’s qualifying session at the Qatar Grand Prix. Asked about that moment, and how the session unfolded, Norris said: “Oh, I went in the gravel a little bit. We weren’t quick enough today and I had to push too much to get something out of the car, which we didn’t have. Just pushing the limits, nothing more.”
“It didn’t cost me anything after. I still feel like I got everything out of the car today. I’m happy, I feel like I couldn’t have done a much better lap, just the car was not quick enough comparing to the other two [ahead].” Asked if he’s hopeful of taking the fight to Russell and Verstappen in the race, he added: “I think so. I think George has been quicker probably the whole weekend. I think they were quicker even today in the Sprint. It’s tough.”
‘Not quick enough’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...iDbUca86XBxGp1
'Left out': Naomi Schiff points to Mercedes ‘engineering meetings’ that may have hurt Lewis Hamilton at Qatar Grand Prix
30 Nov 2024
Luke-John Buckle
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton is enduring a frustrating end to his career at Mercedes as he hasn’t consistently challenged for race wins since 2021. The Brackley-based team haven’t mastered the current generation of ground effect cars that were introduced in 2022. The Mercedes car may be being developed towards George Russell’s style. Naomi Schiff explained on Sky Sports F1 that meetings in and around the weekend may be playing a part in his struggles before moving to Ferrari.
Schiff explained Hamilton’s lacklustre end to his time at Mercedes before switching teams is difficult and it isn’t quite clicking on the track. “Just a shame because he’s only got really the rest of this weekend and next weekend to seal off a wonderful era with Mercedes.”
“To be feeling so negative at this point is a little bit sad, I would say. I think maybe one other thing it could have to do with when he’s saying, a factor is out of his control is maybe because he’s decided to go to Ferrari, he’s being left out of more and more engineering meetings, maybe this car is slightly being developed more towards George’s driving style.”
'Left out';
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/nao...ar-grand-prix/
Sauber gunning for points, McLaren in the title hunt, and fun at Turn 1 – What To Watch For in the Qatar GP
30 Nov 2024
Chris Medland
Formula One - Official Site
From the constructors’ title being up for grabs to Lewis Hamilton looking for answers, and from robust overtaking moves to drivers facing a physical challenge, here are five things to keep an eye out for when we go racing in Qatar…
1. A chance at another championship: McLaren’s Saturday started in almost perfect fashion, with a one-two finish in the Sprint moving them even closer to winning the constructors’ championship. Outscoring Ferrari by six points in the 19-lap Saturday dash, McLaren are now potentially within one result of securing their first team title since 1998.
‘What To Watch For’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...sOKClTwNiNqgSz
‘It just sucks’: RB driver Liam Lawson rages at F1 rival for ‘purposefully’ ruining his quali at Qatar Grand Prix
30 Nov 2024
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Liam Lawson failed to get out of Q1 for the first time this year during qualifying for the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, leaving the Visa Cash App RB driver to rage at one rival driver.
Slender margins split the rear of the field in the first phase of qualifying for the Qatar GP this Saturday. Williams star Alex Albon and RB pilot Lawson narrowly missed out on a place in Q2 by only 0.026 and 0.047 seconds respectively to Yuki Tsunoda in the second VCARB 01 car.
Liam Lawson incorrectly rages at Fernando Alonso in Qatar Grand Prix qualifying. Lawson felt Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso was partly responsible for ruining his Q1 in qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, as well. However, Lawson’s race engineer Pierre Hamelin instantly corrected the Kiwi for blaming Alonso as Lance Stroll caused his frustrations in Q1. “Alonso purposefully slowed up through [Turns] 9 and 10 when he aborted his lap,” Lawson vented over RB’s radio. “It just sucks, man.”
‘Rages’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/rb-...ar-grand-prix/
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Why Verstappen Lost His Pole Start At The Qatar GP.
There's an immediate reaction to the news that Max Verstappen's pole position was removed; with the Dutchman demoted to second via a controversial penalty for driving unnecessarily slowly with George Russell in Q3, with the British driver now inheriting pole as a result.
1st Dec 2024
Motorsport.com
Jonathan Noble and Stuart Codling review all the action.
Readers Comments: David_Brent
It's really pathetic that Noble is trying to justify this penalty for Verstappen. "You can't have people blocking others even on an outlap", is his opinion. If Noble actually has looked at every single race up until now, this was pretty standard. Hence, keeping the order on an outlap was a "Gentlemen's agreement" according to some.
The dangerous precedent set here is that other drivers can now accelerate others into a foul. It's the equivalent of a "schwalbe" in football. George really played dirty here, unsportsmanlike even.
“It's really pathetic that Noble is trying to justify this penalty for Verstappen”;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/video/...tar-gp/657303/
Verstappen’s demotion to inside of the grid could prove a double blow in Qatar
2024 Qatar GP pre-race analysis
1st Dec 2024
Will Wood
RaceFans
The Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit will almost certainly be the lowest-attended round of the season – but that does not meant those who have bought tickets are any less invested, knowledgeable or passionate as those who have shown up to any of the previous 22 rounds so far this season.
Despite the drivers’ championship, the primary point of intrigue for any F1 season, being done and dusted, Formula 1 has still managed to court controversy with the latest stewarding scandal involving Max Verstappen. Penalised for driving unnecessarily slowly on his final build up lap in Q3 and getting in the way of Russell’s Mercedes – who was also on a build up lap – Verstappen has lost his first pole position since Austria and must now line up behind Russell rather than in front of him.
Although this seems like a blow to Verstappen’s chances of victory, the world champion is driven as much by the need to spite those he perceives as trying to hold him down as much as he is by victory. And compared to other grid penalties he has overcome in recent years to win, a single place is nothing. But it would be wrong to assume that it’s all going to be about Verstappen versus Russell for victory. There has been no consistent order at the front of the field over the first two days of the weekend, and newly-inherited pole sitter Russell expects the same today.
‘Verstappen’s demotion’;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/12/01/...blow-in-qatar/
George Russell explains disadvantage Max Verstappen suffers with F1 Qatar GP grid demotion
1st Dec 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week
Max Verstappen will start from the dirty side of the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix grid and George Russell explained how great a disadvantage this will be. Verstappen initially beat Russell to pole position at the Lusail International Circuit by just 0.055s, but the tables would later turn.
The Red Bull driver was summoned to the stewards for slowing unnecessarily in front of his Mercedes rival on a cool-down lap and was demoted one place on the grid for Sunday’s race. Prior to learning of his promotion to pole position, Russell explained that starting from second on the pit-wall side of the grid was a significant challenge.
“Those inside starting positions were really tricky [in the Sprint],” Russell said. “I think every driver on the right-hand side made a poor start and that ultimately cost me the chance to fight with Lando [Norris].” Indeed, in the Sprint, starting from second, Russell ultimately lost out to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who he failed to pass for the remainder of the 19-lap race.
‘Disadvantage Max Verstappen suffers’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...grid-demotion/
Verstappen has the tyre advantage over the rest of the grid in Qatar
1st Dec 2024
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
Max Verstappen may have lost his pole position that he took on Saturday at the Qatar Grand Prix, but despite dropping to P2 on the grid, he still holds an advantage over the rest of his rivals. The Dutchman will have more newer tyres at his disposal for Sunday's Grand Prix in the Middle East, giving him an edge over everyone else when the lights go out.
Despite this, the Red Bull Racing driver still holds an advantage with his tyre allocation for the Grand Prix over the rest of his rivals. Out of the big teams, Verstappen is the only one to have a new set of softs available for the race. He also has a new set of medium tyres at his disposal, as does Lewis Hamilton Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, while teammate Sergio Perez has two sets of yellow-walled tyres for the Grand Prix.
With the hard tyres, it's Ferrari who are at a disadvantage to the rest of the grid, with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz only having one new set of tyres at their disposal, while both Red Bull, Mercedes and McLaren drivers have two new sets of white-walled tyres available to them.
‘Tyre advantage’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31611...rand-prix.html
'Marginally': Helmut Marko believes Red Bull have just solved their ‘Achilles’ heel’ at the Qatar Grand Prix
1 Dec 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Following a miserable Sprint race, Red Bull achieved an impressive comeback while qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen will start from the front row having been stripped of his pole position by the stewards for driving unnecessarily slowly and impeding Mercedes driver George Russell.
Red Bull’s improved tyre warm-up helped Qatar turnaround: Verstappen only used a single set of soft tyres during his final run in Q3 having topped Q2 with an impressive lap, owning to Red Bull’s improved tyre warm-up phase. Red Bull were by far the weakest of the top teams, but the turnaround also enabled Sergio Perez to get into Q3 and up to P9 on the grid.
“It all worked fine and the tyres came up to temperature well. The small working window of the car is our Achilles’ heel. We changed a few things between the sprint race and qualifying, including with warming up the tyres,” Marko told Motorsport Magazin. “In the end, we drove a total of three laps with one set of tyres. In the second fast lap, you could see that a used tyre was marginally slower than a new one.”
‘Solved their Achilles’ heel’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/hel...ar-grand-prix/
David Coulthard shares Christian Horner ‘quick chat’ details after Max Verstappen’s ‘remarkable’ Qatar GP lap
1 Dec 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Red Bull Racing wouldn’t have expected Max Verstappen to briefly be on pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix. However, Red Bull are all too aware that Max Verstappen is capable of achieving what many would never expect from him. Verstappen’s performance in Sao Paulo was incredible and virtually guaranteed his fourth world championship.
The Qatar Grand Prix wasn’t expected to be particularly positive for Red Bull, with McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari all expected to have an advantage over them. That appeared to be the case in the Sprint Race when Verstappen qualified and finished sixth.
Christian Horner shares why Max Verstappen was much quicker during Qatar Grand Prix qualifying. Talking about Verstappen’s performance in qualifying, Coulthard said: “I find it just remarkable as you remember well prior to qualifying, I sort of parked Red Bull as not even being in the hunt. Having a quick chat with Christian just off the back of that session, he said they made some adjustments, loaded up the car and then suddenly it’s come into a window where he’s able to exploit his talent and deliver in what was an incredibly close qualifying session.”
‘Suddenly it’s come into a window’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...-qatar-gp-lap/
Max Verstappen ‘done with all this’ after unusual Qatar GP grid penalty
01 Dec 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Verstappen and pole position rival George Russell were both on preparation laps for their final attempts when Russell approached the slow-moving Verstappen near the apex of Turn 11, Russell calling it “super dangerous” over team radio after taking evasive action.
And ahead of the verdict being cast, Verstappen was not best pleased with the situation. “We were all just driving slowly. I wouldn’t know what I could have done differently,” he said. “The fact that I have to go [to the stewards’ office] is already very strange to me. Otherwise, next time I’ll just drive flat out too and pretend to crash [into the other car].”
“He should have braked. I braked. Just like the cars in front of me. And I don’t want to screw them. I’m honestly a bit done with all of this at the end of the season.” Verstappen returned to the topic in the post-qualifying press conference, where Russell – who “got excited” as Verstappen put it – was also in attendance.
‘Next time I’ll just drive flat out too and pretend to crash [into the other car]’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...p-grid-penalty
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Lambiase tells Verstappen 'karma is wonderful' after Qatar GP victory!
Ahead of the Qatar GP, Max Verstappen was relegated to P2 on the grid thanks to a one-place grid penalty. The Dutchman ended up winning the race, and received a happy radio message from his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase!
1 Dec 2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Lambiase speaks of karma after Verstappen victory: "Karma is a wonderful thing. You definitely did not drive unnecessarily slowly today. Great job," Lambiase began after Verstappen's victory at the Qatar Grand Prix.
Verstappen replied cheerfully: "Simply lovely, guys. Yes, yes, yes. What an unbelievable race again. That was really fun!"
"Simply lovely, guys. Yes, yes, yes”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31624...n-victory.html
Qatar GP: Race Results
Full results from the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail.
2 Dec 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps/Diff
1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 57
2 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 6.031
3 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 6.819
4 63 George Russell Mercedes 9.104
5 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 16.782
6 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 17.476
7 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 19.867
8 24 Zhou Guanyu Sauber 25.36
9 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 32.177
10 4 Lando Norris McLaren 35.762
‘Full results’;
https://speedcafe.com/qatar-gp-race-results/
Max Verstappen wins chaotic Qatar Grand Prix: 'Very proud of the team'
1 Dec 2024
Kees-Jan Koster
Verstappen.nl
After the race, a jubilant Verstappen reflected: "It was a very good race. The car already felt a lot better in qualifying yesterday. Today, the first stint was very fast. Lando Norris and I were within 1.8 seconds of each other the whole time, pushing each other, that was a lot of fun out there. This track has a lot of grip, and this year the tyres were really holding on, so it was a lot of fun to push the tyre.”
“We went really long in the first stint, and then there were a few safety cars, which you had to take care, but I am very happy. It has been a while in the dry to be this competitive. I am very proud of everyone in the team for turning it around within a day. They definitely deserve this victory."
'Very proud of the team';
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5681/
Qatar GP: Penalty chaos in Lusail as Verstappen overcomes rare FIA punishment
1 Dec 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Max Verstappen took victory in a chaotic Qatar Grand Prix that saw a broken wing mirror prompt a portion of the action, when it was run over and brought out the Safety Car. Russell admitted ahead of the race the Red Bull driver told him he was even more fired up for the race as a result, with a long run down to Turn 1 to potentially draw alongside the Mercedes driver.
And he did exactly that on the way down to Turn 1, holding the inside line and getting ahead of the Mercedes by the time they braked, with Lando Norris able to follow him through, demoting Russell down to third.
At the front, it was serene going for Verstappen as he claimed a ninth victory of the season, while there were 10 crucial points for Alpine in their Constructors’ battle for P6, with Zhou jubilant with his P8 finish and Magnussen adding two points to Haas’ total, leaving it all to play for in the Constructors’ standings as we head to Abu Dhabi.
‘Penalty chaos’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/qatar-...ix-2024-report
George Russell fumes at Mercedes in sweary rant as Qatar GP erupts into chaos
George Russell was unimpressed with Mercedes in Qatar.
Dec 1, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
When Valtteri Bottas ran over an errant wing mirror from Alex Albon's car, the debris triggered a second safety car and gave Mercedes an opportunity to bring Russell in for a second stop of the race. The Silver Arrows opted to bolt on hard compound tyres, leaving Russell fuming. He dialled into the radio, yelling: "Why have we put hards on? Why have we put the f***ing hards back on? They're s***."
His Mercedes team-mate endured even more misery. Lewis Hamilton picked up a puncture from the debris caused by the Bottas incident, and at that point, he had already picked up a five-second time penalty for a false start. Then, the Brit was slapped with a drive-through penalty for failing to follow the pit lane speed limit, ending any lingering hopes of scoring points at the Lusail International Circuit.
‘Sweary rant’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...tar-Grand-Prix
Lewis Hamilton threatened to 'switch off' the car during Qatar Grand Prix meltdown
Lewis Hamilton was furious with his team in Qatar on Sunday.
Dec 1, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
The seven-time world champion's miserable end to the season took another turn for the worse in Doha. After picking up a five-second time penalty for a false start, he went on to pick up a puncture as a result of debris from Alex Albon's wing mirror. This combination left Hamilton on the outside of the points looking in heading into a late safety car restart, and the Brit was then hit with another bombshell - a drive-through penalty.
For Hamilton, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. "Retire the car," he fumed to race engineer Peter Bonnington. "Retire the car." The Mercedes engineer replied: "Negative," before Hamilton hit back: "I'm switching off [the car] when I get in there, mate. I'm switching off."
Bonnington recognised his driver's frustrations but warned: "That's fine if you want a five-second penalty next race. We only need to do one more lap but drive through." Hamilton's final season as a Mercedes driver has been nothing short of miserable and with George Russell once again finishing ahead on track, the seven-time world champion is now braced for a P7 finish in the Drivers' Championship.
‘“I'm switching off." "That's fine if you want a five-second penalty next race.”’
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...tar-Grand-Prix
Jenson Button concerned Lewis Hamilton has driven last Mercedes race after what he saw at Qatar Grand Prix
1 Dec 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton endured one of the most painful races of his Mercedes career at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday. Hamilton finished outside the points for the first time this season. He’d previously recorded DNFs in Australia and the United States, but this was the first time he’s crossed the line outside the top 10. Hamilton eventually came home 12th.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, Hamilton’s former teammate Jenson Button expressed concern that the 39-year-old wouldn’t attend the Abu Dhabi GP. If so, he would already have driven his final laps in a Mercedes before his Ferrari move. Button says Hamilton is clearly in a ‘tough place’ after a ‘soul-destroying’ weekend. He’d said after Sprint qualifying that he simply wasn’t ‘fast’ anymore.
“I hope that [Abu Dhabi] is his last race for Mercedes,” Button said. “I really do. I hope we see Lewis back in Abu Dhabi. This is mentally such a tough place for him to be in. [For] one of the greatest, if not the greatest ever in this sport, to be in this position, it’s soul destroying. I really feel for him. A couple of races ago, that was his mindset. But I hope he has his last race in Abu Dhabi. We know how great he is. And we know how great he is around that track. And I want to see that.”
‘Tough place after a ‘soul-destroying’ weekend’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jen...ar-grand-prix/
2024 Qatar Grand Prix: Norris drops from P2 to last after being handed 10 second stop/go penalty
1 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Lando Norris was battling Max Verstappen for the lead in Qatar on Lap 46 when he was handed a 10 second stop/go penalty for failing to slow for yellow flags earlier in the race. It dropped him to 15th and last.
‘Failing to slow for yellow flags’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...61418175396382
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DRIVER OF THE DAY: Zhou gets your vote after securing Kick Sauber's first points of 2024.
It's been a long time coming, but in Lusail Kick Sauber finally scored their first points of the season and Zhou Guanyu was the man who delivered.
1 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site
The Chinese driver followed up his excellent P12 qualifying performance with an even better P8 after a highly eventful race, in his penultimate Grand Prix outing for the team. Here’s how the voting broke down…
Zhou Guanyu - 29.7%
Max Verstappen - 17.5%
Charles Leclerc - 9.8%
Lando Norris - 8.6%
Pierre Gasly - 7.4%
‘DRIVER OF THE DAY: Zhou’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...AcQ80hpSgHJ69e
Sauber Collect First Points in 2024 at the Qatar Grand Prix
Dec 1, 2024
Emma Fisher
Last Word On Sports
One of two outgoing drivers, Zhou Guanyu had a stellar drive to the finish line for the Swiss team. After a gruelling season of near-misses and disappointments, Sauber finally got on the Drivers’ and Constructors’ scoreboards at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix. Zhou Guanyu‘s remarkable performance earned him P8 and four points alongside the title Driver of the Day, as fans celebrated the Chinese driver’s pace.
This could also help him in his quest to find a role within F1 next season as he and teammate Valtteri Bottas will depart from the Swiss team.
Securing the first points of the season for Sauber ��
Zhou Guanyu take a bow �� pic.twitter.com/tQcwrKyAew
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) December 1, 2024
Outgoing Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who is stepping up from F2, will replace them.
The points scorer: Speaking to Sky Sports after the GP, Guanyu said: “Great race, the pace was strong as well. I didn’t know I was driver of the day until I got to the TV pen, so thank you to the fans for that. Mentally, it has been a really draining season for me, for Valtteri and for the whole team. This was our best opportunity after an amazing Saturday performance and we wanted to show what we can do. Today’s race was very clean and executed well, I think. There is a lot of work done that people don’t see behind the scenes to just continue to be there every weekend, just hoping we will see a return. And today is the day!” – Zhou Guanyu.
“And today is the day!”;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...ar-grand-prix/
‘A big relief’ – Zhou beaming after ending Sauber points duck
1 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Zhou Guanyu ensured Kick Sauber won’t end the season point-less after scoring four points with a P8 finish in the Qatar Grand Prix.
‘A big relief’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/a-...2553837832284#
Qatar Grand Prix Talking Points: Sauber finally break through as questionable race calls return
2 Dec 2024
Ben Waterworth
The Roar
Sauber finally break drought: Did we just witness the greatest moment of 2024 with Zhou Guanyu finishing in eighth at the Qatar Grand Prix? Sure, there have been some epic races and epic moments across the year, but who doesn’t love a true underdog story and seeing a back running team finally breakthrough for their first points of the season?
Last week in Las Vegas, Zhou was tracking well to possibly score Sauber’s first points for 2024 but ultimately fell back to finish the race in 13th place. This time around he held on to claim four very valuable points for the team. And it was so close to being a double points finish for the team, with Valtteri Bottas running in the points late in the race before ultimately being passed by the fast-finishing Norris recovering from his penalty.
No matter how you classify great moments across a season, there is no doubting seeing Sauber finally getting some points on the board in the penultimate race has to be in the conversation, particularly given how much they have been struggling across the year. And as they enter their final year on the grid as Sauber before switching into Audi, it will give the famous team a massive boost heading into 2025.
‘???the greatest moment of 2024 with Zhou Guanyu finishing in eighth???;
https://www.theroar.com.au/2024/12/0...-calls-return/
2024 Qatar Grand Prix: Zhou crosses the line to seal Sauber’s first points of 2024
1 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Kick Sauber hadn’t scored points all year – but that all changed when Zhou Guanyu finished eighth in Qatar to seal four points for the Swiss squad.
‘Sauber’s first points of 2024’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...64676035095348
Zhou Guanyu an early candidate to join Cadillac F1
Dec 1, 2024
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports
Why Zhou is well-positioned to negotiate with Cadillac F1 ahead of 2026. Like most drivers without a seat for next year, Zhou Guanyu welcomed the news of an 11th team in F1. Heading into the 2026 season, Cadillac will be in negotiations with several drivers wanting to join their line-up.
As a driver with several years of F1 experience, Zhou is already a feasible option. His latest result in Qatar (which came after a strong race in Vegas) was a reminder of what the 25-year-old is capable of in competitive machinery. However, there is another critical factor that could boost his chances.
Zhou on Cadillac’s radar for 2026: According to Swiss outlet Blick, Graeme Lowdon is set to become Cadillac F1’s team principal. This is significant for Zhou, because Lowdon is part of his management team. Should Lowdon (who was formerly Marussia’s team principal) take the helm at Cadillac, this would be a massive boost for Zhou’s chances of returning to F1.
‘Early candidate’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...n-cadillac-f1/
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F1: Ferrari happy to still be gunning for constructors title.
"We are still in the running, anything is possible with a 21 point gap on McLaren," Vasseur said.
2 Dec 2024
Ansa
Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has expressed satisfaction that the Italian glamour team is still in the running for the Formula One constructors' title going into next week's season-ending Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi after Sunday's race in Qatar.
McLaren's lead cut to 21 points before season-ending Grand Prix: "It's nice to get to Abu Dhabi in this position. The circuit there should favour us a little more. With Verstappen and Mercedes competitive again, the outcome is unpredictable".
"We are still in the running”;
https://www.ansa.it/english/news/spo...1791add10.html
Leclerc: Qatar GP podium a surprise for “lucky” Ferrari
2 Dec 2024
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog
Leclerc admitted that the team had exceeded its own expectations. “Yes, we did, because to be honest, we knew that it would be very difficult pace-wise,” he said.
“We expected McLaren to be very strong in terms of race pace. We maybe did not expect Max to be that strong, but he was super strong today. However, finishing second after such a weekend, where the track characteristics are very far off from the optimal of the track characteristics we need for our car, is a surprise.”
“We got a little bit lucky, obviously, on my side. A bit unlucky with Carlos and his puncture. But as a team, it’s been a positive weekend. So yes, we exceeded our expectations because coming into the weekend, I kind of expected to lose a bit of points compared to McLaren here. However, we recovered some, so that’s good.”
‘Exceeded our expectations’;
https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/...lucky-ferrari/
‘We did everything perfect’ – Leclerc ‘very very happy’ after P2 in Qatar
1 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Charles Leclerc wasn’t expecting to close the gap to McLaren in Qatar so was thrilled to cut down Ferrari’s points deficit in the constructors standings at the penultimate race of 2024.
‘Everything perfect’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/we...63270944172439
Leclerc "surprised" by Ferrari's strong pace in Qatar
2 Dec 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
"We expected this to be a difficult weekend for us so I’m happy with how the race went today, having made up some points on McLaren. We had some luck on my side and a bit less on Carlos’ with the puncture.”
"We may have been able to finish second and third had it not been for that, which is a shame teamwise, but overall, it was positive to be this competitive here. We knew that it would be very difficult pace-wise. We expected McLaren to be very strong in terms of race pace. We maybe did not expect Max to be that strong, but he was super strong today.”
"However, finishing second after such a weekend, where the track characteristics are very far off from the optimal of the track characteristics we need for our car, is a surprise. We got a little bit lucky, obviously on my side. A bit unlucky with Carlos and his puncture. But as a team, it's been a positive weekend. So yes, we exceeded our expectations because coming into the weekend, I kind of expected to lose a bit of points compared to McLaren here. However, we recovered some, so that's good.”
‘Exceeded our expectations’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/25966
'Why aren't they': Peter Windsor blames Ferrari for ‘bizarre’ problem which hurt Charles Leclerc’s Qatar Grand Prix
2 Dec 2024
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Leclerc was forced to compete in this year’s Qatar Grand Prix without his drink, after a mistake when hooking it up. Last year, that would have been unsurvivable, but he pushed through this year to reach the podium and secure a crucial result in the constructors’ championship battle. Peter Windsor has criticised the Scuderia for their mistake though, insisting that it isn’t something that should be going wrong.
“You think they would have sorted all that out long before they get in the race car, wouldn’t you? He was going on about how it’s a double-fastening, and they’ve got to make the single-fastening. Why aren’t they doing that stuff at Fiorano or somewhere? It seems bizarre to me that that would be a problem.”
Why Leclerc needs to deliver another miracle in Abu Dhabi. The upcoming season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will decide whether McLaren or Ferrari will end 16-year championship droughts. The papaya outfit lead the way by 21 points, which means that Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz need to produce some magic.
‘Bizarre’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/pet...ar-grand-prix/
Charles Leclerc ‘did not drink’ in F1 Qatar GP due to bottle issue
1 Dec 2024
Jack Oliver Smith
Motorsport Week
Charles Leclerc revealed that he “did not drink” in the Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix due to an issue with the bottle inside his car.
“Yes, I did not drink,” he said, “but honestly, I don’t think it was that much of an issue for this race. Last year would have been a really, really big issue. I think I wouldn’t have finished the race without my drink, but this year it was actually pretty chill.”
Leclerc was of course referring to the extreme heat plagued drivers in last year’s corresponding Grand Prix, which was held in October.
Many drivers suffered in the oppressive conditions, including Logan Sargeant, who was forced to retire his Williams with exhaustion and suspected heatstroke.
‘Did not drink’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...-bottle-issue/
Sainz left satisfied with recovery after Qatar puncture as Leclerc celebrates podium finish amid constructors' battle
1 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Carlos Sainz managed to recover to score a strong points haul for Ferrari after suffering a detrimental puncture in the Qatar Grand Prix, crucially helping to keep the team in the battle for the constructors’ title. “I think we got a bit of the worst of everything,” the Spaniard said.
“We had a puncture around the last corner which meant that when I arrived to Turn 1 I was already punctured. This meant that we had to do a full lap on a punctured tyre, losing loads of seconds of race time. Then we came in, we had a slow pit stop obviously due to the puncture.”
“As soon as I’m coming out of the pits, a Safety Car comes out and all of our rivals take the Safety Car to box, and they don’t lose any time. A very terrible kind of scenario that unravelled for me. At the same time, I started the race [P7] and finished P6 with all that happened, so it cannot be too terrible an outcome. I feel like today we were on for a top-four, top-three even, and it couldn’t happen.”
‘Satisfied with recovery’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...1nUIB9LkGVyMET
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"I am not an idiot", claims Norris after his race-deciding mistake in Qatar.
The three-time F1 race winner commented: "I am not an idiot. If I knew there was a yellow, I would have slowed down."
3 Dec 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Reflecting on his race in which he displayed eye-catch performance on both the medium and the hard compound, Norris has emphasized that he did not deliberately fail to slow down in a bid to gain a potential competitive advantage to Verstappen.
"The team gave me a great car today, it was the quickest out there, so I'm disappointed we haven’t been able to secure maximum points in Qatar. I know the rules around Yellow Flags, but I missed it. I have to take that on the chin. I can only apologise to the team.”
"We have one more weekend to go now and we’ll head to Abu Dhabi with the same mindset as any other weekend, and that’s wanting to win."
"I am not an idiot";
https://www.f1technical.net/news/25973
“Lando did not lift”: How Verstappen and Red Bull lobbied for Norris’s penalty
2nd Dec 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Lambiase Info, I believe Lando has a free shot at DRS. Yep, Lando on DRS this straight.
Verstappen Check if he lifted for the yellow.
Verstappen There was a yellow in the middle of the straight.
Lambiase Yep, there was, we’ll have a look, make sure he lifted.
Lambiase Max if you see Safety Car or VSC you can pit. Otherwise, stay out.
Verstappen Is there still a yellow or not?
Verstappen Yep it’s still yellow. Stay on the racing line.
Lambiase Lando did not lift, Max.
Verstappen Report that, then.
Lambiase Track is clear. And yes, we reported it, Max. Still no reply.
Lambiase Just to be clear that was wide-open throttle, on DRS, to the braking zone at turn one.
Verstappen Yeah there was double waved yellows there on that lap.
Lambiase Roger that.
Verstappen Anything on that yellow flag? Or you can just go flat-out through a yellow?
Lambiase Literally just speaking about it now, Max. Stand by.
Lambiase Just information at this stage, Max, but race control now investigating the incident with Lando.
Lambiase Lando has been given a 10-second stop-go penalty, 10-second stop-go penalty, which he needs to serve within two laps.
Lambiase Lando in pit lane, Max. So car behind Leclerc, gap 3.2.
“Lando did not lift”;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/12/02/...rriss-penalty/
McLaren criticise ‘dust-covered book’ decision in Norris penalty call
Lando Norris was issued a costly penalty during the Qatar Grand Prix and dropped to 10th in the order.
2 Dec 2024
Fergal Walsh & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has suggested Lando Norris' penalty in Qatar was applied with a too simplistic judgement using a “dust-covered book”. “We checked all the data,” Stella told media including RacingNews365. “Lando enters the sector when the yellow flag is displayed. But fair enough, the requirement is very clear. When there's a yellow sector, you are required to slow down, and this is the responsibility of the driver. So I think the penalty was deserved in that case.”
The Italian engineer asserted the FIA did not give consideration to the severity of the circumstance when judging Norris' actions. “Giving a penalty, it’s two important concepts - one is proportion, and the second one is specificity,” he said. “The application of the penalty lacks both requirements. Is there an immediate danger for somebody? Is there a crash scene? The specificity leads to the proportion.”
‘McLaren criticise ‘dust-covered book’ decision’;
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-cr...s-penalty-call
How eagle-eyed Max Verstappen earned big FIA punishment for Lando Norris
02 Dec 2024
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
An eagle-eyed Max Verstappen alerted his Red Bull team to the possibility that Lando Norris did not slow for yellow flags during the Qatar Grand Prix. Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com in the post-race press conference, Verstappen revealed that his suspicions arose after he noticed that Norris had closed the gap at the exit of Turn 1, the corner immediately following the yellow flag zone.
And he went on to suggest that he would have found himself immediately under investigation by the stewards had he committed the same offence as Norris. He said: “I knew that I lifted because I saw the double yellow. And I know that, of course, if I wouldn’t have lifted, it would have been investigated straight away.”
“So you’re just on it. I asked if he lifted because he had a DRS, I think, from a backmarker at the same time as well. And then, of course, when we came out of Turn 1, I saw that he was a lot closer, so I just asked the team to check it. It was just a normal question. And I know, of course, with double yellows, they’re quite strict.”
‘Eagle-eyed Max Verstappen’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...norris-penalty
Verstappen explains why he called 'foul' on Norris in Qatar GP
It was a mistake by Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen saw it straight away.
3 Dec 2024
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Max Verstappen has explained it was his 'check call' to Red Bull that led to Lando Norris falling foul of the regulations and landing a heavy penalty during the Qatar Grand Prix.
Norris was hammered with a 10-second stop-go penalty for failing to slow under double-waved yellow flags. Although the decision to penalise the McLaren driver was correct, there was a feeling that the punishment did not fit the crime.
The FIA later explained that the penalty was 'in accordance with the penalty guidelines circulated to the teams on 19 February this year', and that 'a double-yellow flag infringement is considered a serious compromise of safety, which is why such offences carry such a severe penalty'.
‘Eagle-eyed Max Verstappen’;
https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...ut-foul-norris
Drivers had ‘zero indication’ of harsher penalties in seven Qatar GP punishments
2 Dec 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Dishing out seven in-race penalties in Qatar, including a race-wrecking 10-second stop-go penalty to Lando Norris, George Russell says there was “zero indication” for the weekend that the stewards would turn to the most severe punishments.
Russell, the director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, says the drivers weren’t given any warning that the stewards intended to be harsher than usual in penalising infringements. “There was zero indication that they wanted to be much harsher,” he told the media including PlanetF1.com. “I don’t even know what all the penalties were for, I need to review that now.”
“I don’t even know what my penalty is for, it’s something to do with the Safety Car, but I don’t know when or how or why. So, yeah, I’ll have a look and see.”
‘Zero indication’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...gp-punishments
‘Hysterical’ George Russell subject of more Red Bull criticism after penalty call
3 Dec 2024
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
After securing pole position for the Qatar Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was handed a perplexing one-place grid penalty for impeding George Russell. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has some concerns.
“Let’s just say he wasn’t enamored with the decision,” Horner said of Max Verstappen, speaking to media including PlanetF1.com. “It was a very strange decision, because obviously the circumstances of qualifying, both cars were on slow laps, and I did feel that George and Mercedes made a big meal out of it.”
Horner noted that it was “unprecedented” for a driver to be penalized on his slow lap during qualifying; he also pointed out that “one could argue that perhaps George was driving a little too quickly on a slow lap with two cars in front of him. Maybe he was driving recklessly.”
‘Hysterical’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...esmanship-plot
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“Am I dead last now?” Unheard radio from Hamilton’s disastrous Qatar GP.
Lewis Hamilton’s penultimate grand prix as a Mercedes driver was a miserable affair.
3rd Dec 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
“Am I dead last now, yeah?” Having fallen a lap behind under the Safety Car, Hamilton was anxious that he should get the chance to un-lap himself and rejoin the rear of the queue before the restart. He made it with only seconds to spare. Soon after the race restarted it was neutralised once more, this time due to Sergio Perez spinning to a stop.
Hamilton Am I a lap down now?
Bonnington Traffic on exit.
Bonnington We’re go strat mode one. Affirm, Lewis, Verstappen ahead race leader.
Hamilton Am I dead last now, yeah?
Bonnington Negative. We’re currently showing P16, out of 17 runners though.
Hamilton Is this Safety car going to let us past, or…?
Bonnington It will have to wait until the pack has formed. But that should be the case.
‘Negative’;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/12/03/...rous-qatar-gp/
Wolff admits Qatar ‘not such a good day in the office’ as Mercedes go backwards in Grand Prix
3rd Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Team boss Toto Wolff was quick to acknowledge what went wrong – and why the blame needed to go more on the car than on his drivers. “That was not such a good day in the office, we lost all the balance in the car from yesterday to today, horrific understeer with both of them and simply the pace was gone which was weird to understand,” he said afterwards.
“The race was bad, I think the car was super difficult for both of them to drive. It just didn’t turn, like I said when the grip kicks in, the understeer – there’s an unbearable understeer and both of them suffered with that.” Wolff offered an explanation for Hamilton’s struggles and why he might be finding life in the cockpit of the W15 more difficult than Russell.
“It came to a point where it almost didn’t make any sense to continue. But if you park the car, you carry [the penalty] into Abu Dhabi, that’s why we had to take it,” Wolff explained. “I think one of [Hamilton’s] strengths is the way he’s able to break late and attack the corner and that car can’t take it… it is clear when you are very strong on the brake, you need a car that is very strong on turning in and you just hit the throttle, you needs lots of traction and when the car is not giving you any of that, it is very difficult to drive around.”
‘Blame needed to go more on the car’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...4RojAonQtpb4AO
‘Nobody’ in Mercedes can explain Lewis Hamilton struggle compared to George Russell
3 Dec 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton has endured a difficult second half to his 2024 season with Mercedes having struggled to produce the same results as teammate George Russell. Although Hamilton took a stunning victory at the British Grand Prix earlier this year, his record ninth time winning the race, the seven-time world champion has struggled to recapture the glory years with Mercedes.
Mercedes lost as to why Lewis Hamilton struggling more than George Russell in W15. Hamilton’s race in Qatar was marred by a series of rookie errors, including a start infringement whereby he anticipated the lights too quickly and triggered the grid sensor. According to Benson, there is ‘nobody’ at Mercedes who knows why Hamilton is struggling more than Russell in the W15 which has proven to be a tough car to get into the right operating window.
“The fact he has been comprehensively out-paced by team-mate George Russell in qualifying, and his general struggles with the car, have been a surprise. And nobody – not Hamilton, not Mercedes – seems to really be able to explain why Hamilton has had these problems,” said Benson. “What’s certain is that he has simply not got on with this year’s Mercedes car, which he finds unpredictable, and he’s not been able to cope with its idiosyncrasies as well as Russell.”
‘Nobody at Mercedes who knows why Hamilton is struggling’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/nob...eorge-russell/
Toto Wolff wants to end “present chapter” with Lewis Hamilton “in the right way”
A week of "celebration" ahead for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.
3 Dec 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Toto Wolff says the season-ending F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is “a celebration” as Lewis Hamilton drives for Mercedes for the final time. “Six Drivers' World Championships. Eight Constructors' titles. 84 wins. 78 pole positions. 153 podium finishes. The most successful driver and team partnership in F1 history. Many highs that we have enjoyed. Some crushing lows that we've overcome together.”
“Our relationship has meant so much more than just numbers and statistics, though. It is a legacy that transcends our sport, with a lasting impact beyond the racetrack. One that has strived to increase diversity in our sport. To fight for inclusion.”
“Lewis has been the catalyst for so much of this and we have been honoured and proud to work hand-in-hand with him. That work won't stop at the end of this year. But it began because of the impetus led by Lewis.”
“A celebration”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106112...lton-right-way
Why Lewis Hamilton has been left in a ‘negative spiral’ during his final F1 season at Mercedes
3 Dec 2024
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton’s swansong season with his beloved Mercedes has been a mixed affair throughout, from victories to disappointments – it has been quite the ride. In the first instance, it’s beautiful that he got to sign off from the Silver Arrows by taking multiple victories with them before leaving.
Speaking to F1-insider.com’s YouTube channel, Ralf Bach believes that the little incidents that have hampered Hamilton this season have led him to spiral. “Hamilton’s completely on the losing road right now, but it’s definitely not because he’s lost basic speed,” he said.
“Somehow he changes the team, then you’re in a negative spiral, then something happens, then something happens again and sometimes it’s little things that happen. The sum just leads to this negative spiral you notice he is really happy when he can end his Mercedes life and then set off for new shores, namely Ferrari.”
‘The sum just leads to this negative spiral’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/why...n-at-mercedes/
Toto Wolff calls out ‘crazy, made-up conspiracies’ about Lewis Hamilton
3 Dec 2024
Oliver Harden
Crash.Net
Toto Wolff has shot down the “crazy, made-up conspiracies” circulating online about Mercedes’ treatment of Lewis Hamilton during the F1 2024 season. Hamilton’s poor performances have fuelled wild suggestions online that he has been given inferior equipment by Mercedes in F1 2024.
In June, an anonymous email from someone claiming to work for the Mercedes team was sent to members of the F1 media, alleging that Hamilton has been the victim of “systematic sabotage” by the Brackley-based team. Wolff confirmed at the Spanish Grand Prix later that month that the individual responsible was not an employee of Mercedes, with the police launching an investigation over the matter.
Wolff told media including PlanetF1.com in Barcelona: “When we are getting these kinds of emails, and we’re getting tonnes of them, it is upsetting, particularly when there is somebody talking about death and all these things.”
‘Crazy, made-up conspiracies’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...theory-made-up
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Alonso thrilled to score points in Qatar despite car issue while Stroll gives his take on ‘unintentional’ Albon clash.
Fernando Alonso was delighted to leave the Qatar Grand Prix with points after ending the race in seventh place – especially as he had to overcome a technical problem with his car – while Aston Martin team mate Lance Stroll suffered an early exit following a Lap 1 collision with Alex Albon.
3 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site
When asked after the race if he was happy with the outcome, Alonso responded: “Yeah, definitely. The final result is great, P7, six points for the team is very good at this part of the championship. At the beginning we had some issues, it’s a well-known problem. “We’re struggling with something on the car, I think it’s deployment of the energy or something after the Safety Car – the car is still thinking that we are behind the Safety Car, so we don’t deploy all the energy and the electrical power.”
“We are lacking a little bit of top speed and we are vulnerable at that part of the race. But yeah, after that obviously we capitalised on some DNFs and penalties, so we were ready and there to take it. As I said, [I’m] happy for the team, and hopefully we finish on a positive note also in Abu Dhabi [for] this championship.”
‘Thrilled’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...t5nkAKDfdwFTFR
Alonso reveals he suffered with deployment problem en route to P7
1 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Fernando Alonso was very pleased to pick up six points for Aston Martin in Qatar – especially as he was having trouble with his car during the race.
‘Trouble with his car’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/al...62747411185822
Fernando Alonso Says He Can Be ‘Too Confident’ In F1
Dec 2, 2024
F1 Chronicle
Dec.2 (GMM) With rumours swirling about Lewis Hamilton’s pace, age and motivation, F1 veteran Fernando Alonso insists he does not personally suffer from crises of confidence.
For two-time champion Alonso, he is struggling in one of the slowest cars this year – the Aston Martin – but insists he never struggles for confidence. “Of course you have to feel competitive from time to time,” said the 43-year-old Spaniard, “but I do not doubt myself. Actually, I am probably a little too confident when it comes to my abilities to need a result to believe in it.”
“If we are competitive and I’m fighting to get out of Q1, it’s not because I got slow overnight. It’s because the car needs to be improved,” Alonso added. “But it is good to have some good results from time to time so that the team doesn’t lose confidence.”
“I do not doubt myself”;
https://f1chronicle.com/fernando-alo.../?nowprocket=1
Alonso never doubted himself amid Aston Martin struggles
Fernando Alonso says return to form in Qatar qualifying proves he has not become slow overnight
1 Dec 2024
Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com
Fernando Alonso says his unexpected Q3 performance in the Qatar Grand Prix shows why he was right never to doubt himself amid Aston Martin’s recent struggles. The Spaniard, who is Formula 1’s oldest driver, has endured a challenging run of races off the back of his squad’s backward step with a new floor that arrived at the United States Grand Prix.
Its difficulties have left it as the eighth or ninth fastest team at times, with concerns it could even slip behind the Sauber squad that has recently delivered a step forward with a new floor. But after a stronger-than-expected performance for Aston Martin in Qatar compared to recent outings, Alonso says that the result is proof that recent difficulties have been more about the car than the driving.
‘Alonso never doubted himself’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...gles/10678225/
Fernando Alonso reveals new tactical plan after Verstappen grid penalty precedent
3 Dec 2024
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
Countless perplexing penalties were issued in Doha during the Qatar Grand Prix weekend — and some drivers are already looking for ways to game the system. It should come as no surprise that the ever-tactical Fernando Alonso is one such driver. After Max Verstappen’s one-place grid penalty, he’s discovered a way to put his rivals on the back foot.
“I only read the news that it was a one-place penalty for, I don’t know,” Alonso said. “He was slow, but George was on a slow lap as well. So in Abu Dhabi, if I’m in a slow lap, I will push crazy to the car in front to have penalty I guess, if he’s impeding me.”
It was a tongue-in-cheek joke fr0m the Spaniard, but it still centers in on the big concern with Verstappen’s penalty: Setting that precedent allows for a cynical interpretation of the rules. Why not speed up behind a driver you think will out-qualify you, in hopes that he earns a penalty for impeding?
‘New tactical plan’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernan...alty-precedent
Alonso sides with Verstappen: 'In Abu Dhabi I can do the same as Russell'
2 Dec 2024
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com
Fernando Alonso disagrees with the punishment Max Verstappen received for the incident with George Russell during qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. Like Verstappen, the Aston Martin driver fears the decision sets a dangerous precedent.
The FIA once again came under scrutiny during the Qatar GP. A number of heavy penalties were handed out, including a stop-and-go penalty and a drive-through penalty to Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton respectively. There was also much talk about the decision not to deploy a safety car for the detached mirror that was on the straight.
"Max’s penalty yesterday, I don't know. I only read the news that it was one place penalty for… I don't know. He was slow, but George was on a slow lap as well. In Abu Dhabi if I'm on a slow lap, I will push crazy to the car in front to have a penalty, I guess if he's impeding me. That's the only thing that we need to be careful," he continued.
‘Do the same as Russell’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31640...a-penalty.html
What was behind Alonso’s “cannot ******* believe it” radio message
The Aston Martin driver vented his frustration in the early stages of the Qatar GP
Dec 2, 2024
Jonathan Noble
Oleg Karpov
Motorsport.com
Fernando Alonso has explained his “cannot ******* believe it” radio message that he issued in the early stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. In a radio message that was broadcast on the international feed, Alonso said: “I cannot ******* believe it man. Two years with the same ******* problem on the straights.”
Reflecting on the radio message, Alonso, who went on to finish seventh, said: “It's not the first race that we are lacking top speed in the first lap of the race, or after the safety car.”
“I think the car is confused that still thinking that we are behind the safety car, so we don't deploy the energy properly out of the last corner when it's a green flag. That obviously is very costly if you don't deploy the energy when you have all the cars around you.”
“Cannot ******* believe it”;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/w...sage/10678605/
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Esteban Ocon breaks silence in emotional statement after being replaced with one race left.
Esteban Ocon was released by Alpine with a race to go in the 2024 Formula One season.
Dec 3, 2024
Sam Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
“I leave Alpine/Renault with great memories and the pride of having been the driver who brought the team’s best results since its return to the sport, climbing the top two steps of the podium in Bahrain, Hungary, and Brazil. It was also an honour to play a part in finishing P4 in the Constructors’ Championship in 2022.”
“I know how much all of those moments meant for everybody and feeling that sense of achievement and joy alongside the team is what I am taking away with me. It has not been an easy year on track for the team and the second part of the season has been especially difficult. For various reasons. I do not regret a single thing knowing I gave it 100 per cent every single session. Like I always have.”
“To the hundreds of hard-working men and women at Enstone and Viry, I apologise that I will not be able [to] come see you in person and have a proper farewell. As you know, the plan was always to race one last time this weekend and personally say goodbye to you all next week. I was looking forward to both of those things.
‘Breaks silence’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ence-alpine-f1
‘This is not how I wanted things to end’ – Ocon shares emotional farewell to Alpine after ‘especially difficult’ season
3 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Reports that Ocon would prematurely leave the Enstone outfit emerged in the paddock after the Qatar race, and Alpine then officially confirmed a deal on Monday that will allow him to drive for Haas in the Abu Dhabi post-season test, but which means he won't be racing in the final Grand Prix of the year.
He was already set to join the American team next year, but in a statement shared on Instagram he revealed that his sudden departure was not how he “wanted things to end”, despite team boss Oliver Oakes previously explaining that the move was in the best interests of all parties.
‘Emotional farewell’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...5WjY99EU8tdOdw
Haas confirm early Ocon debut after Alpine exit
Esteban Ocon will not race in Abu Dhabi this weekend - but he will not have to wait long before jumping back behind the wheel of an F1 car.
4 Dec 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
The Haas F1 team has confirmed Esteban Ocon will make his debut for the squad next week at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi. A one-day test on December 10th will take place at the Yas Marina Circuit following the season finale this weekend.
The outing often creates the opportunity for drivers who are switching teams to get a headstart in their new environment ahead of the following season. Haas announced in July earlier this year that it had signed Ocon for the 2025 campaign, with the Frenchman set to partner Oliver Bearman.
Ocon's tenure with Alpine came to an early end as the team confirmed he departed the squad after the Qatar Grand Prix last weekend, with Jack Doohan stepping in for Abu Dhabi.
‘Haas confirm early Ocon debut’;
https://racingnews365.com/haas-confi...er-alpine-exit
‘Broken down’: Karun Chandhok shares why Alpine had to release Esteban Ocon amid behind the scenes ‘mess’
4 Dec 2024
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Ocon’s early departure from Alpine seemed to be in the works for some time after the relationship between the two parties had ‘completely broken down’, according to Karun Chandhok. The Frenchman has come to blows with teammate Pierre Gasly on numerous occasions and this is said to have caused tensions between Ocon and Alpine which reached breaking point in Qatar.
Naomi Schiff thinks it’s a ‘big risk’ putting in Doohan at Alpine in Abu Dhabi, but for Chandhok, the driver change ‘makes sense’ as Ocon’s relationship with the team was fractured and had to be released to Haas. “I actually think it’s a good move all round. I think for Alpine, it makes sense really,” he told the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
‘In the works for some time’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/kar...e-scenes-mess/
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“It screwed us:” Safety Car period had major championship consequences for Haas.
With the Safety Car deployed, every driver who hadn’t changed tyres yet headed for the pits. Magnussen was among those who suffered the most.
3rd Dec 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
“I’m super gutted with the Safety Car coming out,” said Magnussen afterwards, “it completely ruined the day for me. It was going well and we had a good beginning to the race, but I just wish that Safety Car hadn’t come out because it really screwed us. There’s still one race to go and we’ll go into it giving everything.”
“I’m super gutted”;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/12/03/...nces-for-haas/
Qatar Grand Prix: Race Recap
Dec 1, 2024
Haas F1 Team - Official Site
Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal: “Today, with Nico coming from P18 it was always going to be difficult, and unfortunately, we didn’t get anything. Kevin, from his side, drove well again but we just didn’t get the philosophy right. He was unlucky with the safety car, but we could’ve covered ourselves a bit better than we did today.”
“The good thing is the deficit is only five points and in Abu Dhabi we really need to focus on getting both of our drivers into points-scoring positions. P8, and P9 – that’s six points – so it’s still all to play for, we need to learn from our mistakes, regroup and focus on doing our best in Abu Dhabi to try and get P6 back.”
‘Race Recap’;
https://www.haasf1team.com/news/qata...x-race-recap-1
Hulkenberg rues ‘messy’ DNF in Qatar as Magnussen promises Haas will go ‘guns blazing’ in Abu Dhabi
3 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site
With Pierre Gasly crossing the line in fifth, Hulkenberg’s lack of points in Qatar has helped Alpine to take a five-point lead over Haas in the battle for sixth in the constructors’ standings. “Turn 1 – it was messy,” the 37-year-old admitted after the race. “There was contact, I honestly can’t remember. It was all happening very quickly – I don’t know if I got hit first or touched someone. Then a long stint in traffic, then kind of unlucky with the Safety Car because the others got a free stop.”
His team mate Kevin Magnussen left Qatar on a more positive note as he netted two points for Haas in P9, profiting from Lando Norris’s stop/go penalty to secure the team’s ninth points finish in the last 10 races. “We had a good beginning to the race and everything was going well – just wish that Safety Car hadn’t come out,” Magnussen said after the race. “That really screwed us but anyway, there’s still a race to go and we’ll go in there guns blazing.”
“We deserve better but luck unfortunately hasn’t been on our side recently. We’ve just got to do what we can. As I said, still a round to go – five points’ deficit is not the easiest of tasks, but still all to play for.”
‘Guns blazing’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...jPCbPYHSTtTsLa
Pietro Fittipaldi shares what’s ‘allowing’ Kevin Magnussen to ‘maximse his potential’ ahead of F1 exit
3 Dec 2024
Luke-John Buckle
F1 Oversteer
Haas brought some upgrades to the floor and bodywork of the car ahead of the United States Grand Prix as they push for sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship. The American team have been consistent contenders in the midfield and taken a step forward from last season which was more of a struggle.
These additions have seen Magnussen score points twice since the event at Circuit of the Americas, and he may have been in contention in Brazil before he had to withdraw. Formula 1 cars are so refined that they have a very narrow operating window which can make them difficult to drive.
Haas test and reserve driver Fittipaldi explained the upgrades give the car more rear security, which has given the Dane more confidence. He said: “Every driver has certain driving styles that if you really maximise it, they can really extract more potential. I believe with these new upgrades we have in the car, which has given us a lot more rear security in the car, it’s allowing Kevin to really maximise his potential.”
‘Upgrades give the car more rear security’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/pie...ad-of-f1-exit/
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‘Done well’: How Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull sim times compare to Max Verstappen’s amid 2025 promotion talk.
A lot has been made of the fact that in his four years as a Formula 1 driver, Tsunoda has never been given the chance to test for Red Bull.
4 Dec 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
That will change in the post-season test after the race in Abu Dhabi when – after some pressure from his primary backers Honda – Tsunoda will finally get his chance in the RB20.
Journalist Tim Hauraney was speaking on the Nailing The Apex Podcast about Tsunoda’s future and how he’s performed behind the scenes at Red Bull and said: “At the end of the day, Verstappen chews up and spits out teammates
“When have we seen a driver really hold their own aside from Daniel Riccardo against Max Verstappen? And even then we can argue that Daniel may not have been able to really hold his own because he left.”
‘Yuki Tsunoda’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/how...romotion-talk/
Tsunoda reveals confusion over misheard “beaver” radio message
Yuki Tsunoda did not hear properly a warning from his RB Formula 1 team about a loose mirror on the track during the Qatar GP
Dec 1, 2024
Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com
Yuki Tsunoda revealed he misheard a radio message warning about a loose mirror on the track during the Qatar Grand Prix and thought he'd been told there was a beaver.
Asked by Motorsport.com if he had seen the mirror, Tsunoda said: “Was it mirror? I heard beaver. My engineers said: 'There's a beaver.' But why is there a beaver in the Middle East? Like how is it possible a beaver is in the Middle East?”
“But okay, maybe there's a surprise with global warming - kicking a lot of interesting things in the Earth.” Red Bull boss Christian Horner joked afterwards about the difference between hearing mirror and beaver: “That is quite a change….”
“I heard beaver”;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...sage/10678483/
Why Red Bull’s 2025 car might not be ‘technically suitable’ for Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda
4 Dec 2024
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
2025 Red Bull car may not be ‘technically suitable’ for Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda. The problem with Red Bull’s car and the reason why they have struggled to lock down a regular second driver over the years comes down to one thing.
Their car is simply geared towards one man – that is four-time champion Verstappen and his exact driving style, which makes it tricky for others to adjust to. Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Sergio Perez have all failed to match him on a regular basis over the last five years and now it appears that someone else will get a go.
‘Red Bull’s 2025 car’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/why...-yuki-tsunoda/
Helmut Marko suggests factors behind Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull F1 omission
3 Dec 2024
Motorsport Week
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has indicated Yuki Tsunoda being overlooked for a promotion in Formula 1 has derived from him lacking both “continuity and stability”. Tsunoda appears not to have done enough to convince Red Bull to promote him, despite emerging as RB’s standout driver this season with 30 of the team’s 46 points.
Asked whether he believes he is a serious option to replace the struggling Perez, Tsunoda told media including Motorsport Week: “I don’t know.
“Please could you interview them and find out? To be honest, I don’t know. Even whatever they say in the interview, even they say, ‘Yuki is in the mix’, I don’t know if that’s the truth or not to be honest.”
“So, yeah, I hope I’m in that mix, and if not, I don’t know what I should do more than this, to be honest. I’ll just keep pushing and things I can control. And those things, the Red Bull seat, they decide everything. I’m sure if I’m in the seat, I can fight for a higher Constructors’ Championship [position] and what they want. But, other things, politics things. They decide what they want.”
“Please could you interview them and find out?”
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...l-f1-omission/
Lawson: “Nothing’s changed” on future after frustrating Qatar GP
4 Dec 2024
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog
Liam Lawson insists that a scrappy Qatar GP won’t impact his future prospects despite it coming just as Red Bull makes up its mind about who will replace Sergio Perez in 2025. Lawson spun at the first safety car restart in Qatar, forcing Valtteri Bottas off the road. He subsequently received a 10-second penalty.
Later in the race both he and team mate Yuki Tsunoda were switched to soft tyres in an attempt to find some performance. However that gamble didn’t pay off, and they finished 13th and 14th, with the Japanese driver ahead.
“Nothing’s changed”;
https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/04/...ting-qatar-gp/
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Williams “very short on components” after 17th crash of season.
Williams team principal James Vowles admits the team is facing a serious shortage of parts heading into the final race of the season.
5th Dec 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Williams is flying extra staff to Yas Marina, scene of this weekend’s final race, to help repair their FW46s after both cars were damaged again in Losail. “You’d expect three large accidents, maybe, at the upper end, in a year,” said Vowles in a video released by the team. “Yet we’re here looking at 17 accidents, total, in 23 races.”
“The damage with Franco [Colapinto], unfortunately, is large. The chassis was impacted and we have a team going out to Abu Dhabi that will be there shortly working through the night in order to make sure we’re back up and racing. The gearbox was impacted in damage on both cars from incidents and then there’s floor damage, rear suspension damage and other miscellaneous components as well. Normally in a season you can sustain that. But race, after race, after race – we are getting very short on components.”
‘Williams is flying extra staff to help repair their FW46s’;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/12/05/...nd-up-05-12-7/
Williams crash damage impact: 'very much in a low part situation'
5th Dec 2024
Jenny Garnett
GPblog.com
After suffering from 17 incidents in 23 races, Williams have had a very costly season for their repairs budget. Team Principal James Vowles explains the impact of the crashes on the team's parts supply and their approach to the season's finale in Abu Dhabi.
Reflecting on the weekend in The Vowles Verdict, Vowles spoke on the incidents in Qatar, “It will have repercussions on what we have available in Abu Dhabi. We’re now very much in a low part situation.”
Following Colapinto’s Turn 1 collision with Ocon and Hulkenberg, Vowles shared that the young Argentine’s car has sufferd severe damage including to the car's floor, rear suspension and other miscellaneous components.
'Very much in a low part situation';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31684...ge-impact.html
Qatar GP: More misfortune for Williams Racing
Dec 2, 2024
Williams Racing
WilliamsF1 Supporters
Sven Smeets Sporting Director: "A difficult evening for the team today. At the race start we immediately lost Franco as he was hit by Ocon who in turn was hit by Hulkenberg. There was nothing Franco could do other than to retire in lap 1. After a few laps it was clear that with Alex we had to change our strategy and decided to run as long as possible. When the Safety Car came out because some cars were having punctures, we decided to put Alex on the Soft tyre and not onto the Hard.”
“We knew it was a gamble but at one point we were running up in 9th place. Unfortunately, our decision didn’t pay off today and Alex had to make another stop just before the end. A tough day for the team again but we are going to Abu Dhabi to fight for points in the last race of the season."
‘More misfortune’;
https://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s107/st206672.htm
‘My fault, lost control’ – Albon holds his hands up after Magnussen clash
1 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Alex Albon made contact with Kevin Magnussen as the pair were fighting for position in Qatar. Albon ultimately finished 15th and last for Williams.
‘My fault, lost control’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/my...61925594950035
Axed F1 driver lands new job after classy reaction to being dropped
A former F1 driver has been handed a new job after being axed from the sport.
Dec 4, 2024
Tom Parsons
Daily and Sunday Express
Logan Sargeant will feature for Genesis Magma Racing in the European Le Mans Series after being handed his first role since his F1 departure. The American was axed by Williams in favour of Franco Colapinto after crashing out of the Dutch Grand Prix in August, with Carlos Sainz joining the team to partner Alex Albon next season.
‘New job’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...nt-F1-Williams
Sargeant lands sportscar drive after Williams F1 exit
Logan Sargeant joins Jamie Chadwick in the 2025 European Le Mans Series as Genesis ramps up its sportscar programme
Dec 4, 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
Former Williams Formula 1 driver Logan Sargeant has agreed to drive in the 2025 European Le Mans Series, joining Jamie Chadwick at the new LMP2 entry run by Genesis and IDEC Sport. The 23-year-old will be joined by three-time W Series champion and Indy NXT race winner Jamie Chadwick, as well as young French talent Mathys Jaubert.
It is set to be Sargeant's first competitive drive since losing his WIlliams F1 seat midway through the 2024 season, being replaced by Franco Colapinto for September's Italian Grand Prix after 18 frustrating months with the squad.
‘Sargeant lands sportscar’;
https://www.motorsport.com/elms/news...exit/10679205/
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Max Verstappen launches new attack on George Russell ahead of Abu Dhabi GP as ugly F1 row escalates.
He joked to Sky Sports' David Croft: "I'm going to go flat out on my cooldown lap and act like I'm going to crash into everyone!”
5 Dec 2024
SPORTbible
Max Verstappen has addressed the fallout from his comments on George Russell ahead of F1's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - and launched a fresh attack on his rival.
"It has nothing to do with him being head of the drivers' association [Grand Prix Drivers' Association, of which Russell is a director]. He simply lied about what he was or wasn't doing, and certainly influenced the stewards.”
"I see someone flying when I look in my rearview mirror, acting like it's most dangerous situation in the world or like I almost killed him. I don't know how they [the stewards] came to that conclusion. It was very disappointing to me."
‘F1 row escalates’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/max-ve...07792-20241205
Häkkinen predicts tenth win in 2024 for Verstappen in Abu Dhabi
5 Dec 2024
Jenny Garnett
GPblog.com
Despite issues in the middle of the season, Max Verstappen seems to have found pace in his RB20 once again as the 2024 season comes to a close. The Dutch driver has won Grand Prix in Sao Paulo and Qatar, and Mika Häkkinen expects him to do the same again in Abu Dhabi.
Max Verstappen 's record currently stands at nine wins this season after the Qatar Grand Prix. In Las Vegas, the Dutch driver already managed to cash in on his fourth world title, but he has made his desire to win in Qatar and Abu Dhabi no secret.
The Red Bull Racing driver has already taken one step towards this goal after winning the Qatar Grand Prix. This weekend, Formula 1 touches down in Abu Dhabi at a track that suits Verstappen as he has won here four times before.
‘Häkkinen predicts tenth win’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31682...abu-dhabi.html
Montoya warns McLaren against Verstappen: 'He is going to dive bomb'
5 Dec 2024
Jenny Garnett
GPblog.com
Juan Pablo Montoya has made a bold prediction for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Colombian driver stated that Max Verstappen could be tempted into creating big problems for drivers fighting in the Constuctors' Championsip. "I expect Verstappen to impact the Constructors Championship," the 49-year-old told Vision4Sport. "I think the constructors’ championship is pretty exciting. Max Verstappen could change that championship pretty quickly."
"He wants to win it and if he's going against McLaren, he's going for it. Because the McLaren needs to get out of the way if they are to win the Constructors'. And I think McLaren, in their mind, knows they just got to run around and bring the cars home."
"With Lando especially, and the McLaren guys in Abu Dhabi, if Max is behind them, he is going to dive bomb in there and if they turn, they're going to crash. But they cannot crash because they need the points. And Max knows that," Montoya said.
'He is going to dive bomb';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31681...-dhabi-gp.html
Jos Verstappen pinpoints Red Bull requirement for Perez success
Jos Verstappen has advised how Red Bull can remedy its unequal driver line-up, advocating for a "neutral car" to vault Sergio Perez - or whoever comes next - into contention at the sharp-end of F1.
3 Dec 2024
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Statistics as such underline the gulf between the two drivers, something Verstappen Sr. says is up to Red Bull to address - both for Perez and more generally.
"That's not up to us, that's really up to the management of the team," the 52-year-old told The Coen and Sander Show on Dutch radio.
"But I'm also sure that if Red Bull builds a neutral car that everyone can handle, Checo will be there at the front again. But we actually have little to do with that."
‘How Red Bull can remedy its unequal driver line-up’;
https://racingnews365.com/jos-versta...-perez-success
Why Eddie Jordan thinks Max Verstappen must take some ‘blame’ for Sergio Perez’s downfall at Red Bull
5 Dec 2024
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Max Verstappen must take ‘blame’ for demanding Sergio Perez as his teammate. Verstappen has a history of trouncing his Red Bull teammates, just look at how he managed to destroy both Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon in quick succession.
Speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan says that Verstappen needs to take some blame for the way Perez’s career has faltered. “I would say that it’s not a chance. But I put some blame on the team and I put some blame on Max because I know and you know that Max put pressure on Christian – he did not want Carlos Sainz in the car.”
“He wanted Checo in the car because he knew he could beat him. To be fair, Max has to just think about that a little bit. Christian has to think about that, they will deny it.”
‘Eddie Jordan thinks’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/why...l-at-red-bull/
Antonio Perez comes out with clear statement towards 'lying' journalists
5 Dec 2024
Sandy van Wijngaarden
GPblog.com
Sergio Perez's father has once again made himself heard on social media. The Mexican gave a hint about his son's future with a striking post. He has also given a clear message for 'lying' journalists.
Rumours have again circulated in the media in recent weeks that Perez is working on his last race weekend. It seems Antonio Perez has made a clear statement in response. "The lying journalists are already looking for me. Promise me to publicly apologise whoever the liars are. They or yours truly. On Monday, I will publish the list of lying journalists and lying media," his message read.
‘Clear message’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31682...ure-in-f1.html
Guanyu Zhou To Drive Red Bull TPC Program?
4 Dec 2024
F1 Chronicle
A second Formula 1 team has entered the frame to secure the services of Guanyu Zhou in 2025. The magazine claims Red Bull is particularly interested in the Chinese commercial backing, which has been estimated in the tens of millions per year, that Zhou can bring.
Zhou’s money would then help to fund a new ‘TPC’ test program for Red Bull – with TPC standing for ‘Testing of Previous Cars’. The regulations allow F1 teams to test on track, but only if the cars are at least two years old.
Auto Motor und Sport says Red Bull wants to prepare a 2023-spec Red Bull, explaining that the team has refrained from organising a TPC program until now “because Honda charges a considerable amount of money for the use of its engines”.
‘Guanyu Zhou To Red Bull’;
https://f1chronicle.com/guanyu-zhou-.../?nowprocket=1
Emotional Goodbyes: Why the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP Will be Emotional for Teams and Drivers
Dec 5, 2024
Vyas Ponnuri
Last Word On Sports
Lewis Hamilton to bid adieu to Mercedes after over a decade
Carlos Sainz parts ways with Ferrari after four seasons in red
Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen to leave Haas
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu bid goodbye to KICK Sauber
‘Emotional Goodbyes’;
https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...s-and-drivers/
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F1 driver handed huge penalty by FIA for Abu Dhabi GP that could decide Constructors' Championship battle.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has been handed a potentially season-defining penalty by the FIA ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
6 Dec 2024
Ryan Smart
SPORTbible
Ferrari are in a battle for the Constructors' Championship with McLaren, and enter the final race of 2024 a total of 21 points behind their rivals. The Scuderia were anticipating the Yas Marina circuit to be more positive for their car than Qatar, which saw them finish second and sixth.
And Leclerc topped the timesheets in first practice despite limited track time, underlining the car's pace. But the Monegasque driver spent much of the session pacing around his garage as Ferrari worked on his car - and the FIA have now confirmed the exact issue in giving Leclerc a devastating penalty. He has received a 10-place grid drop for Sunday's race after exceeding his allocation of energy store components, meaning he can start the Grand Prix from no higher than 11th place.
If Leclerc does not finish in the points, McLaren would only need to collect six points to secure the title - though Ferrari will hope their driver can quickly climb up the field regardless of his starting position. An FIA document confirming the component change reads: "The energy store used by Charles Leclerc is the third of the two new energy stores allowed for the 2024 Championship season and this is not in conformity with Article 28.2 of the Sporting Regulations."
‘Potentially season-defining penalty’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/f1-abu...68497-20241206
Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice 1 Results
Full results from Free Practice 1 from the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
6 Dec 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from Free Practice 1 from the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 18 1:24.321
2 4 Lando Norris McLaren 24 1:24.542 0.221
3 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 26 1:24.806 0.485
4 63 George Russell Mercedes 26 1:25.165 0.844
5 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 23 1:25.333 1.012
6 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 22 1:25.373 1.052
7 43 Franco Colapinto Williams 23 1:25.382 1.061
8 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 24 1:25.444 1.123
9 34 Felipe Drugovich Aston Martin 21 1:25.471 1.150
10 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 25 1:25.483 1.162
‘Full results’;
https://speedcafe.com/abu-dhabi-gp-f...ice-1-results/
Abu Dhabi GP: Leclerc tops FP1 but Ferrari suffers blow
06/12/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Charles Leclerc topped Friday’s opening practice at Yas Marina despite a delayed start to his FP1 caused by a battery issue.
Unfortunately, adding a new energy store to the Monegasque’s inventory of hardware will mean a 10-place grid penalty for Leclerc on Sunday, a catastrophic setback for Ferrari’s championship ambitions.
McLaren’s Lando Norris clocked in second, 0.221s behind Leclerc while the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ended the session third and fourth.
‘Charles Leclerc topped Friday’s opening practice’;
https://f1i.com/news/526786-abu-dhab...fers-blow.html
FP1 Highlights: 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
06/12/2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Watch highlights from first practice at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of the 2024 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
‘FP1 Highlights’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/fp...91801514902719
Ferrari suffer huge F1 title blow as Charles Leclerc slapped with Abu Dhabi GP penalty
Charles Leclerc suffered car problems in first practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which required fixing and led to a penalty which hampers Ferrari's F1 title bid
6 Dec 2024
Daniel Moxon
The Mirror
Ferrari's Formula 1 title chase took a huge blow on the eve of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with news of a grid penalty for Charles Leclerc. And that issue looks to have inflicted a significant blow on the Scuderia's title hopes. A change of battery was required, which takes Leclerc over his annual allowance and so triggers and automatic 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's Abu Dhabi race.
Despite missing a significant part of the session, Leclerc used FP1 to demonstrate that he may have the pace to beat the McLarens at the Yas Marina Circuit. His best effort was more than two-tenths of a second than the quickest lap Lando Norris could muster.
Lewis Hamilton was third quickest but almost half-a-second behind his future team-mate Leclerc. And George Russell, in the other Mercedes, was the only other driver who could record a time that was within a second of the Ferrari man.
‘Ferrari suffer huge F1 title blow’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...dhabi-34261632
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Abu Dhabi GP: Lando Norris piles pain on Ferrari with McLaren 1-2 in FP2.
Although McLaren led the way on the medium tyres, Ferrari were able to mix it up with them but didn’t have the pace on the soft Pirellis to challenge their Constructors’ rivals. McLaren have a 21-point lead over Ferrari heading into Sunday’s finale.
6 Dec 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
In a busy start to the session, Liam Lawson, Charles Leclerc and then Lando Norris sat up in P1 in the first 10 minutes while George Russell reported “quite a lot of vibrations” with his opening gambit eight-tenths down.
Norris upped his pace to a 1:24.3, putting two-tenths between himself and Sainz who is contesting his final Grand Prix weekend in red. McLaren and Ferrari dominated the top positions on the timesheet in the opening 20 minutes with Leclerc third ahead of Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen was sixth fastest, almost a full second down on Norris and told Red Bull: “No power, still the understeer is ridiculous.” He pitted for a front wing adjustment, and took P5 off Russell.
‘Lando Norris piles pain on Ferrari’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/abu-dh...024-fp2-report
Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice 2 Results
Full results from Free Practice 2 from the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
7 Dec 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from Free Practice 2 from the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 24 1:23.517
2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 27 1:23.751 0.234
3 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 27 1:23.979 0.462
4 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 27 1:24.099 0.582
5 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 27 1:24.119 0.602
6 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 27 1:24.201 0.684
7 77 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 23 1:24.230 0.713
8 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 24 1:24.235 0.718
9 23 Alex Albon Williams 21 1:24.269 0.752
10 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB 27 1:24.497 0.980
‘Free Practice 2 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/abu-dhabi-gp-f...ice-2-results/
Lando Norris leads McLaren 1-2 in second practice for F1 Abu Dhabi GP
Lando Norris topped the timesheets in second F1 practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
6 Dec 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Lando Norris headed the timesheets in second practice for the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. McLaren were the team to beat in second practice, with Norris leading his teammate by just over two-tenths.
The Woking-based outfit could clinch their first F1 constructors’ title since 1998 - they sit 21 points ahead of Ferrari going into Sunday’s race. The odds are firmly stacked in McLaren’s favour, particularly as Charles Leclerc will take a 10-place grid penalty for an engine component change.
‘McLaren 1-2’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106128...1-abu-dhabi-gp
F1 Full Results | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FP2: Norris and McLaren dominate
6 Dec 2024
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
Lando Norris dominated proceedings in the second free practice session of the weekend at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, topping the timing sheet for the majority of the session. His teammate Oscar Piastri was next in P2, giving the British team 1-2 as they look to seal the constructors' championship in the Middle East, their first since 1998. A brilliant lap from Nico Hulkenberg meant he rounded out the top three
Coming into this weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit, it was all about McLaren and Ferrari as they battle it out for the constructors' championship. The Italian team topped the first session with Charles Leclerc, but FP2 was all about Norris, who was rarely threatened on the timing sheet. With FP2 also resembling the conditions that will be seen for qualifying and the Grand Prix, it was a big statement from McLaren.
‘Norris and McLaren dominate’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31720...prix-2024.html
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: F1 Free Practice 2 Results
Who will be the happiest of the drivers after the penultimate practice session of the year?
Dec 6, 2024
Nathan Hartley
FormulaNerds
Light turns green: RB driver Yuki Tsunoda was the first driver to exit the pit lane for the penultimate practice session of the season. The Japanese driver set a 1:26.308 on the medium compound before Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu quickly beat his time with a 1:26.179.
Tsunoda’s RB team-mate Liam Lawson went quickest, setting a 1:25.527 on the medium compound. However, it wasn’t for long as the Ferrari driver went a tenth quicker than the Kiwi driver.
McLaren driver Lando Norris responded, going over four-tenths quicker than the Monegasque. The Briton set a 1:25.020 on the medium compound. The 25-year-old further improved his lap time to a 1:24.332 on the same compound – Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz slotted into second, two-tenths behind.
‘F1 Free Practice 2 Results’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ab.../?nowprocket=1
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Sky commentator contradicts Russell: 'Verstappen didn't swear!'
Sky Sports commentator David Croft has refuted a comment made by George Russell live on air. The Brit claimed that Max Verstappen was 'standing around swearing' in the stewards' office after they were both brought in for a meeting to discuss their incident in Qatar last weekend.
6 Dec 2024
Nicole Mulder
GPblog.com
Croft calls those accusations "serious" and says Verstappen has the right to respond because, according to his information, it is not true. Croft contradicts Russell: "There was a claim by George Russell that Max was swearing in the steward's room. Our indication is that there wasn't any swearing going on in the stewards room from Max Verstappen. He needs a right to reply because it's quite serious the comments that George was making."
This is what Russell said: According to Russell, Verstappen had a real tantrum during the meeting and even cursed and ranted at the stewards. "We went into the stewards, and for the first five minutes, I didn't say a word because they were only talking to Max, and he was already angry and swearing at the stewards," he claimed in a conversation with Viaplay.
David Croft: 'Verstappen didn't swear!'
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31724...n-f1-news.html
Russell’s Verstappen Spat Could Be Political
7 Dec 2024
F1 Chronicle
The spotlight is shining ever more brightly on George Russell in the wake of his public spat with Max Verstappen. The saga, in which the Mercedes driver furiously accused Verstappen of threatening him with “violence” and a crash in Qatar over a qualifying penalty, has now completely pulled in their respective F1 team bosses.
Toto Wolff (Mercedes) accused Red Bull’s Christian Horner of “yapping” like a “little terrier” for calling Russell “hysterical”. In response, Horner said in Abu Dhabi on Friday: “I’d rather be a terrier than a wolf.” It was Russell, though, who accused quadruple world champion Verstappen of being a “bully” and threatening to “put me on my f—— head in the wall” at the start in Qatar.
‘Spat Could Be Political’;
https://f1chronicle.com/russells-ver.../?nowprocket=1
Verstappen questions Russell role as F1 drivers' mouthpiece
George Russell is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association - and Max Verstappen has suggested his recent comments do not reflect kindly on his position.
7 Dec 2024
Gerd Jansen & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Max Verstappen has moved to question George Russell's position as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) amid their recent public war of words. Addressing Russell's role within the GPDA, Verstappen highlighted the poor impression the 26-year-old's comments create.
“Well, that's kind of disappointing to see,” Verstappen told select media including RacingNews365 regarding Russell's recent comments. “I don't think that's the best example to show either to the FOM or the FIA, to be like that.”
‘Verstappen questions Russell role’;
https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...ers-mouthpiece
Christian Horner tells ‘wound-up’ Russell how to fix Verstappen conflict
7 Dec 2024
Elizabeth Blackstock
PlanetF1.com
As Max Verstappen and George Russell duke it out in a war of words through the media, Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner has some advice for the best way to handle it. In fact, Horner thinks that rather than speaking to media, a “wound-up” Russell should simply speak to Verstappen “face-to-face.”
Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Horner first set out to defend his World Champion by saying Verstappen has “no reason to lie. He’s never lied before. He’ll tell you straight.” Horner was referring to a hotly debated situation in the stewards room while assigning the penalty.
Russell alleges that Verstappen told him he would put his head into the wall via an intentional crash, while Verstappen claims otherwise. “And of course, Max wasn’t the only one in that steward room,” Horner told Sky. “Both the guys that were with him on our side came back, and they were a bit, ‘Wow. That was pretty punchy’ of how George approached that.”
“Face-to-face”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...appen-conflict
Horner says Verstappen 'doesn't forget anything!' amid row with Russell
7 Dec 2024
Estéban den Toom
GPblog.com
There has been much talk about Max Verstappen and George Russell in Formula 1 in the past few days. The two drivers got into a 'tiff' in Qatar, which has now spread to Abu Dhabi. Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner mentioned to reporters that he thinks they should 'battle it out' on the padel court.
"Do these things rather than doing it through through the media or through you guys or whatever. Just go and have a conversation. Talk about it man-to-man, face-to-face. If you got something to say, say it. And and rather than ‘he said, she said,’ far better to address it that way. And i think you know they've raced each other since they were they were kids. they know each other a lot as these drivers many of them do. And I think many situations are often dealt with better on the paddle court." the Red Bull Racing team principal told reporters.
Horner then compared Verstappen to an elephant. "And I'll tell you what, Max is like an elephant. And he never forgets".
'Tiff';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31732...ssell-row.html
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Pace-setter Norris sure McLaren’s rivals are a real threat after another strong start.
At the end of the 24th Friday of the 2024 season, it was hard not to feel as though Ferrari’s difficult prospects of somehow overcoming a 21 point deficit in the constructors’ championship were now looking even slimmer.
6th Dec 2024
Will Wood
RaceFans
While Leclerc was battling food poisoning he also had to stomach something much worse – a ten-place grid penalty for Sunday’s grand prix after Ferrari confirmed that he would have to take his third energy store of the season to make it through the final weekend of the year. Having gone 23 rounds without exceeding his power unit allowance, now he would be hit by a penalty at the worst possible time.
Leclerc therefore faces an exceptionally tough task to reach the kinds of high points-scoring positions the team needs from him to beat McLaren for their first constructors’ championship since 2008. Not to mention overhauling the two MCL38s. “The McLarens seem to be quicker, unfortunately,” Leclerc admitted at the end of he day. “So for now, they’ve got the upper hand.”
“We know that it can swing one way or the other very quickly and we’ve got to stay on top of everything. It won’t be finished until the very end. As we’ve seen, unfortunately, today on our side, we’ve had a problem. I’m not wishing a problem to anybody else, we’ll just focus on ourselves and try to do an amazing recovery on Sunday.”
‘Pace-setter Norris’;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/12/06/...-strong-start/
‘Even with the penalty’: McLaren boss ‘would not be surprised’ if Charles Leclerc does one thing after Abu Dhabi Grand Prix penalty
7 Dec 2024
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
McLaren boss Andrea Stella backs Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to recover from Abu Dhabi GP grid penalty. Ferrari face a hard task to take the teams’ title in the Abu Dhabi GP, as they trail McLaren by 21 points. It is a two-horse race in the constructors’ championship between their pairings of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz against Norris plus Piastri, with Red Bull’s defence of their title over.
The challenge facing the Scuderia at the Yas Marina Circuit also got that little bit harder after Leclerc received a 10-place grid penalty for the Abu Dhabi GP. Ferrari fitted his third battery of the year during FP1, which exceeded the Monegasque’s allowance of two for the season. “Not at all,” Stella explained on Friday during the team principal’s press conference at the Abu Dhabi GP. “Even with the penalty, I would not be surprised if we see them fighting for the top spots very quickly. So, nothing changes.”
‘Even with the penalty’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mcl...-prix-penalty/
Leclerc reveals fear at nearly missing out on rare F1 event
Charles Leclerc and his brother Arthur made F1 history at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
7 Dec 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Charles Leclerc has revealed his fear at near-missing out on a unique opportunity with his brother Arthur at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. For the first time in F1 history, two brothers were team-mates in an official session as Arthur deputised for Carlos Sainz to fulfill the mandatory rookie FP1 session.
"Unfortunately, as soon as we fired up the car, we saw that there was a problem with the energy store," he explained. "There were lots of things going through my head like 'am I going to drive with my brother?' which was a unique opportunity and obviously also the championship. That makes our weekend a lot more difficult, but it doesn't demotivate me at all.”
"McLaren seem to be quick, unfortunately, and so for now, they've got the upper hand, but we know it can swing one way or the other and we've got to stay on top of everything, and it won't be finished until the very end. Unfortunately, on our side, we've had a problem, and I'm not wishing a problem on anybody else, but we will just focus on ourselves and try to do an amazing recovery."
‘Nearly missing out’;
https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-re...-rare-f1-event
2024 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview: Season's final race
6 Dec 2024
Viknesh Vijayenthiran
Motor Authority
• The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the final race of the 2024 F1 season, which features a record 24 races
• Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen has already claimed the 2024 Drivers' title
• The battle for the 2024 Constructors' title is still ongoing, with McLaren in the lead
The final round of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship takes place this weekend in Abu Dhabi, but Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen was already crowned this season's champion in November at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The battle for the Constructors' title is still very much alive, with McLaren leading and Ferrari a close second.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been held annually since 2009, always at the Hermann Tilke-designed Yas Marina Circuit, which received some minor layout changes in 2021 to improve the action. These changes provide more overtaking opportunities and also increase speeds and loads through some corners. The circuit is one where mistakes are costly, as the walls are close, making the Safety Car or a red flag frequent occurrences. The track measures 3.3 miles and features a relatively smooth surface. This, combined with a majority of flowing, high-speed corners, means stress on the tires is low.
‘Season's final race’;
https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...d-prix-preview
Abu Dhabi GP: Friday's action in pictures
06/12/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
‘Check out our collection of pictures from Friday at the Abu Dhabi GP’;
https://f1i.com/news/526852-abu-dhab...ictures-7.html
Start time of qualifying for the 2024 F1 Abu Dhabi GP today
The qualifying session for the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix takes place today. Find out what time the qualifying starts in Abu Dhabi right here!
7 Dec 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
The F1 schedule for Abu Dhabi is automatically adjusted to your time zone.
Timetable Abu Dhabi GP
Session
Date Time
Free practice 1 Friday 6 December 10:30 - 11:30
Free practice 2 Friday 6 December 14:00 - 15:00
Free practice 3 Saturday 7 December 11:30 - 12:30
Qualification Saturday 7 December 15:00 - 16:00
Race Sunday 8 December 14:00 - 16:00
‘The F1 schedule for Abu Dhabi’;
https://racingnews365.com/start-time...dhabi-gp-today
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Ferrari 'nowhere' in F1 title fight with dominant McLaren.
McLaren looks very handy in Abu Dhabi after scoring another one-two in the final practice session of the season.
7 Dec 2024
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Charles Leclerc described Ferrari as "nowhere" after witnessing McLaren score another one-two in the final practice session of the season ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. After Lando Norris spearheaded a one-two after Friday practice, it was team-mate Piastri who instead led the way following FP3 with the quickest lap of the weekend to date, a 1:23.433s, finishing two-tenths of a second ahead.
As for Ferrari, ideally needing to score a one-two in the grand prix to put pressure on McLaren in the fight for the constructors' championship, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were fifth and ninth on the timesheet at the end of the hour-long run at the Yas Marina Circuit. The closest rivals to the McLaren duo were Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, albeit with both four-tenths of a second adrift of Piastri's pace.
‘Charles Leclerc described Ferrari as "nowhere"’;
https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-no...minant-mclaren
Abu Dhabi GP: Free Practice 3 Results
Full results from Free Practice 3 from the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
7 Dec 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from Free Practice 3 from the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 15 1:23.433
2 4 Lando Norris McLaren 14 1:23.626 0.193
3 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 17 1:23.823 0.390
4 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 16 1:23.844 0.411
5 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 20 1:23.871 0.438
6 63 George Russell Mercedes 17 1:24.075 0.642
7 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 14 1:24.093 0.660
8 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 13 1:24.094 0.661
9 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 19 1:24.098 0.665
10 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 16 1:24.283 0.850
‘Free Practice 3 Results’;
https://speedcafe.com/abu-dhabi-gp-f...ice-3-results/
Abu Dhabi GP: Piastri and Norris keep McLaren on top in FP3
07/12/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
McLaren bolstered its chances for qualifying at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by topping the final practice session of the year on Saturday, with Oscar Piastri edging teammate Lando Norris by 0.193s.
There was no challenging team papaya’s contenders, with Lewis Hamilton concluding FP3 in third place, 0.193s adrift from Piastri, but ahead of the much improved Red Bull of Max Verstappen.
Ferrari’s odds of taking its elusive title fight to McLaren on Sunday took another hit, with Carlos Sainz clocking in only fifth while Charles Leclerc was a lowly ninth
‘McLaren bolstered its chances’;
https://f1i.com/news/526943-abu-dhab...op-in-fp3.html
FP3: Piastri leads Norris and Hamilton during final Abu Dhabi GP practice session
07/12/2024
Formula One - Official Site
Oscar Piastri has topped the timesheets in third and final practice ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the Australian leading team mate Lando Norris in a McLaren one-two as the squad aim to seal the constructors’ championship on Sunday.
The drivers were again greeted by sunny and warm conditions as FP3 got under way at 1430 local time, a session that would offer a final chance to prepare for qualifying later on Saturday. Fernando Alonso was one of the first out on track, with the Aston Martin man in a positive frame of mind as he radioed in: “I think it’s going to be a good day.”
‘McLaren one-two as the squad aim to seal the constructors’ championship on Sunday’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...hyi8kgfHcdkzPD
F1 Abu Dhabi GP: Piastri leads McLaren FP3 1-2 as Ferrari is "nowhere"
Piastri and Norris topped the leaderboard as Ferrari was left "nowhere" in final practice
Dec 7, 2024
Alex Kalinauckas
Motorsport.com
Oscar Piastri headed another McLaren 1-2 in third practice for Formula 1’s season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton third and Max Verstappen fourth.
Charles Leclerc declared Ferrari “nowhere” in its battle with McLaren for the constructors’ championship, with the Monegasque driver – who will take a 10-place grid drop from wherever he qualifies later on Saturday at Yas Marina – ninth and 0.665s off the pace.
‘Piastri leads McLaren FP3 1-2’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...ort-/10680154/
'Ground running': Anthony Davidson explains why ‘benign’ McLaren trait gave them Constructors’ lead
7 Dec 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
McLaren is close to achieving their first Constructors’ Championship since the 1998 season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Woking squad started off the season as the second-best car to Red Bull, but after making key upgrades they slowly emerged as title contenders. Lando Norris battled with Max Verstappen but a series of errors ultimately cost him a shot at the Drivers’ Championship, with the team switching focus to the Constructors.
McLaren’s ‘benign’ MCL38 has enabled them to lead Constructors’ Championship. McLaren’s rivals have often headed into weekends battling a specific problem with the car, with Red Bull notably needing to make big setup changes in Qatar that resulted in them turning around their fortunes.
Mercedes also has to often battle with problems during a weekend, having been largely puzzled as to why they were so quick in Las Vegas. Davidson has highlighted a key factor that has enabled McLaren to be consistent throughout this 24-race campaign. “Once again, McLaren comes to another circuit and it hits the ground running. That’s why, for me, it’s leading the Constructors’ Championship. It’s so benign it works pretty much everywhere for both drivers,” said Davidson.
‘Benign McLaren trait’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ant...tructors-lead/
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Norris wants to defeat 'Ferrari in style' after taking pole position!
As CEO Zak Brown celebrated McLaren's one-two finish in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi GP with a giant roar on the pit wall, Lando Norris was also satisfied with taking pole position for his team.
7th Dec 2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
"A perfect day for us. Probably a bit tougher than we were hoping for. We are pleased with a one-two. Just a bit trickier than we would like. My lap in the end was strong. Just how we wanted to end today," the driver said immediately after jumping out of his car on the grid.
The British driver would not settle to just finish ahead of Ferrari tomorrow, he underlined. "We have to beat Ferrari but we want to do it in style. We want to win, I want to win. We know what we have to do. We are keeping our heads down and staying focused. We are here to win every race possible. Tomorrow we will have a good chance."
‘Giant roar on the pit wall’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31754...i-mclaren.html
Abu Dhabi GP: Qualifying Results
Full results from Qualifying from the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
8 Dec 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from Qualifying from the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
Pos Num Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Diff
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:23.682 1:23.098 1:22.595
2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:23.640 1:23.199 1:22.804 0.209
3 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:23.487 1:22.985 1:22.824 0.229
4 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:23.722 1:23.040 1:22.886 0.291
5 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:23.516 1:22.998 1:22.945 0.350
6 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:23.548 1:23.086 1:22.984 0.389
7 63 George Russell Mercedes 1:23.678 1:23.283 1:23.132 0.537
8 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:23.794 1:23.268 1:23.196 0.601
9 77 Valtteri Bottas Sauber 1:23.481 1:23.341
10 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 1:23.559 1:23.379
‘Full results from Qualifying’;
https://speedcafe.com/abu-dhabi-gp-qualifying-results/
Norris leads all-McLaren front row, Hulkenberg beats Verstappen to fourth
2024 Abu Dhabi GP qualifying report
7th Dec 2024
Will Wood
RaceFans
Lando Norris heads a front row lock-out for McLaren in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Carlos Sainz Jnr starting third behind Oscar Piastri. McLaren will head into the constructors’ championship deciding race with a considerable advantage over rivals Ferrari, with Sainz third and Charles Leclerc starting 19th on the grid following his ten place grid penalty after he was eliminated from Q2 in 14th.
Nico Hulkenberg is set to start fourth but is under investigation for overtaking in the pit exit road against the race director’s instructions. Max Verstappen will start fifth, with Lewis Hamilton set to start his final race for Mercedes 16th after he was eliminated from Q1 in 18th.
‘All-McLaren front row’;
https://www.racefans.net/2024/12/07/...pen-to-fourth/
Disaster for Ferrari's championship's hopes as Leclerc eliminated in Q2
7th Dec 2024
Toby Nixon
GPblog.com
Charles Leclerc will start the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from last place after getting eliminated from Q2. The Monegasque exceeded track limits at turn one, which meant his lap time, which was more than good enough to get into Q3, was deleted. It's disastrous for Ferrari, who is 21 points behind McLaren in the championship battle. The Italian team need an extraordinary weekend in order to beat their rivals, but it's looking unlikely at this point.
A snap of oversteer for Charles Leclerc nearly put him in the wall in sector three. Although the Monegasque escaped unscathed, his time was only good enough for tenth place. Therefore, he took to the track once again to try and improve. He did manage to, but his lap time was deleted. With his 10-place grid penalty added on, it means that he will start from last place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in what was a disaster for Ferrari.
‘Disaster for Ferrari's championship's hopes’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31752...rand-prix.html
2024 Abu Dhabi GP Qualifying: Hamilton knocked out in Q1 after getting bollard stuck in his car
7th Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
On his final flying lap in Q1 Lewis Hamilton ran over a bollard on track which got stuck in his car. The seven-time champ was then unable to set a quick enough time to get through to Q2 and was knocked out in P18.
‘Bollard stuck in his car’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...95625095234739
‘Ouch’: Lewis Hamilton sparks instant 14-word reaction from Martin Brundle to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying shocker
7 Dec 2024
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton will start his final race for Mercedes from his lowest-ever grid spot for an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after only registering the 18th fastest time during qualifying. Martin Brundle issues ‘ouch’ reaction to Lewis Hamilton’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying. Hamilton was up on his delta time entering the last sector of the Yas Marina Circuit while he pushed for a place in Q2. But Haas’ Kevin Magnussen flicked a bollard onto the racing line as the Dane tried to get out of the Mercedes star’s way at the end of the first part of qualifying.
Magnussen made extreme measures to try to prevent impeding Hamilton and cut the inside kerb at Turn 14. But, in doing so, he clipped the bollard intended to prevent exceeding track limits. It got wedged under Hamilton’s skid block, ruining the aero balance of his Mercedes’. “Ouch, where did that pace go?” Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 (07/12, 14:19). “He looked really fast through the practice sessions.”
“Ouch, where did that pace go? He looked really fast through the practice sessions”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...fying-shocker/
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Hulkenberg hit with three-place grid penalty for Abu Dhabi GP.
After producing his best qualifying result of the season in Abu Dhabi, Nico Hulkenberg has been hit with a three-place grid drop for failing to follow the race director's instructions by overtaking two cars on the pit exit road.
7 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site
In a document published by the FIA, the stewards explained: "The driver did not dispute during the hearing that he did not follow the Race Director’s instructions, but stated that he had no other option but to breach the rules in order to get a lap in.”
"Whilst the Stewards acknowledge that the position of the team’s garages limits their options to send the cars out on track, this can never be used as an excuse to breach any regulations.”
"The prohibition of overtaking in certain areas as the pit lane or, in this case, the pit exit, is implemented to prevent potentially dangerous situations and therefore the Stewards determine that a grid drop is warranted in this case."
‘Three-place grid penalty’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...YeWQ7VCUwLYVo0
Adjusted 2024 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix starting grid after multiple penalties
Check out who starts where for the final race in the 2024 F1 season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix!
7 Dec 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
NOTE: Grid remains provisional until officially confirmed by the FIA.
Adjusted 2024 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix starting grid
Position Driver Team
1st Lando Norris McLaren
2nd Oscar Piastri McLaren
3rd Carlos Sainz Ferrari
4th Max Verstappen Red Bull
5th Pierre Gasly Alpine
6th George Russell Mercedes
7th Nico Hulkenberg - penalty Haas
8th Fernando Alonso Aston Martin
9th Valtteri Bottas Stake
10th Sergio Perez Red Bull
‘Grid remains provisional’;
https://racingnews365.com/adjusted-2...eclerc-penalty
Abu Dhabi GP: Starting Grid
Provisional starting grid for the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
8 Dec 2024
Mat Coch
F1 Oversteer
Provisional starting grid for the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
1. Lando Norris
McLaren
2. Oscar Piastri
McLaren
3. Carlos Sainz
Ferrari
4. Max Verstappen
Red Bull Racing
5. Pierre Gasly
Alpine
6. George Russell
Mercedes
7. Nico Hulkenberg
Haas
8. Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
9. Valtteri Bottas
Sauber
10. Sergio Perez
Red Bull Racing
‘Provisional starting grid’;
https://speedcafe.com/abu-dhabi-gp-starting-grid/
Nico Hulkenberg handed three-place grid penalty for F1 Abu Dhabi GP
7 Dec 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week
Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg has received a three-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, dropping him to seventh on the grid. Hulkenberg had a sensational qualifying for Haas, setting the fourth-fastest time in the top-10 Q3 shootout.
The performance was vital as Haas trails Alpine by five points in the battle for sixth in the F1 Constructors’ standings and their best qualifying effort was sixth courtesy of Pierre Gasly.
However, Hulkenberg was summoned to the stewards post-qualifying after he overtook two cars in the tunnel that comprises the pit-lane exit at the Yas Marina Circuit.
‘Three-place grid penalty’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...-abu-dhabi-gp/
'Go backwards': Anthony Davidson details his ‘only concern’ for Haas after what he spotted at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
7 Dec 2024
Luke-John Buckle
F1 Oversteer
Haas are fighting for sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but need to outscore Alpine. The American team sit in seventh place in the standings and need to overturn their rival’s five-point advantage in the final round of the season.
They were sliding throughout the final few turns as the rear tyres overheated, which doesn’t point to a balanced car over a race distance. They kept up the good performance in qualifying, as Hulkenberg broke into the top 10 to set the seventh-quickest time on the grid.
Magnussen had a slightly more difficult day as he could only manage 15th place during his final weekend for the Haas team. He hit a bollard in the first part of qualifying, which damaged the floor and overall performance.
‘Doesn’t point to a balanced car over a race distance’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ant...bi-grand-prix/
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Furious Toto Wolff spotted ‘angrily yelling’ at key Mercedes chief after Lewis Hamilton Q1 exit.
Wolff was spotted on TV cameras ‘angrily telling’ at Shovlin after Hamilton failed to make it through to the second session of qualifying in Abu Dhabi.
8 Dec 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
The report from F1 Insider highlights that Wolff couldn’t control his emotions in the garage.
Wolff apologised to Hamilton after the session and when speaking to the press, he said: “We need to apologise to Lewis and everyone in the team who has worked so hard to deliver a great final weekend for him here in Abu Dhabi. Lewis was then additionally compromised by a bollard becoming stuck under his car. Without that, he would likely have got through, but we shouldn’t have been risking so much in Q1.”
“He has been quick across all three practice sessions and was looking good for a strong result tomorrow. Sadly, we totally let him down at the end of Q1. We made the mistake of not sending the drivers out early enough. That compromised both their out laps and then their final push laps as they wrestled through traffic.”
‘Angrily yelling’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fur...ilton-q1-exit/
Mercedes boss slams team over 'inexcusable' Hamilton flop
Abu Dhabi (AFP) – An irate Toto Wolff slammed his own Mercedes team on Saturday for an "inexcusable" decision that led to seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton flopping in qualifying at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
07/12/2024
France 24
"I just need to apologise to Lewis," said Wolff. "And also to everyone in the team that worked so hard in making it a great end for him. He was the quicker guy with the set-up we chose. We totally let him down. An idiotic mistake not to go earlier. Inexcusable, inexcusable! I’ve rarely been so down about what has happened.”
"Maybe it summarises the last races we’ve had with him, but this is the worst part of it because it was just idiotic. Maybe without the bollard, it would have worked. You don't risk so much in Q1, where we easily had the pace to make it out there.”
"Our most valuable racing driver ever, the most valuable, greatest driver of this sport goes out in Q1 because we make a mistake. It doesn’t ruin the legacy we have, but I can only say sorry to him."
‘Mercedes boss slams team over 'inexcusable' Hamilton flop’;
https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...-hamilton-flop
Emotional Wolff furious after dramatic final Hamilton qualifying
Mercedes team principal was furious following qualifying at the Yas Marina Circuit with Lewis Hamilton robbed of a fairytale after being knocked out in Q1.
7 Dec 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Toto Wolff has lamented the "inexcusable" decisions at Mercedes that led to Lewis Hamilton being eliminated in the first part of qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Austrian was clearly aggrieved by the situation, with the British driver only finishing Q1 in P18. He will be elevated to P16 due to grid penalties for Alexander Albon and Charles Leclerc.
The seven-time F1 drivers' champion will head to Ferrari at the end of the year, with the events that unfolding at the Yas Marina Circuit putting a dark mark on his farewell weekend.
‘Emotional Wolff furious’;
https://racingnews365.com/emotional-...ton-qualifying
Toto Wolff apologises to Lewis Hamilton after Mercedes made ‘idiotic’ Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying mistake
7 Dec 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Toto Wolff has apologised publicly to Lewis Hamilton after his Mercedes team made an ‘idiotic’ mistake that forced him to exit qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix early.
The seven-time world champion was eliminated at the end of Q1 after failing to improve his final lap time, leaving him 18th fastest. Hamilton was sent out late by his Mercedes team to complete his final run but was caught up in a lot of traffic, with a mix of cars completing their runs and on slow-down laps.
Lewis Hamilton hopeful for comeback to send off Mercedes career. Hamilton and Mercedes conclude their 11-year partnership in Abu Dhabi, which has seen them win six world championships and 84 race victories. The Mercedes driver is expected to start from 16th place on the grid with the penalties from both Williams drivers and Charles Leclerc applied.
‘Lewis Hamilton hopeful for comeback’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/tot...fying-mistake/
Wolff acknowledges Mercedes let Hamilton down in Abu Dhabi qualifying
8 Dec 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Following a promising performance across the practice session, Lewis Hamilton endured a shock elimination in Q1, prompting Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff to say that his outfit has let the seven-time world champion down.
"It will be very difficult for Lewis to get back to where he should have been racing tomorrow. Nevertheless, I know he will be giving it absolutely everything to do so. That is his character and always has been.
"With George starting P7, we will also be looking forward, but we must be realistic. The cars ahead of him have looked quick and it will be challenging to make progress. Hopefully we can enjoy a better day than today though and end the season on a high," concluded the Austrian.
‘Mercedes let Hamilton down’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/26048
'That was bad!': Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff bemused after bizarre bollard mix up during Q1 in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
7 Dec 2024
Sky Sports
Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff were left bemused after a bollard scuppered his lap during Q1 in Abu Dhabi, leaving him 18th for Sunday's Grand Prix.
'That was bad!';
https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...abi-grand-prix
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F1's $20million battle is set to upstage Ferrari vs McLaren.
With over $10million extra in prize money per position in the constructors’ championship, the midfield battle is set up to be the most dramatic and high-stakes of tomorrow’s race given the sting has been taken out of the tail of the McLaren versus Ferrari fight in qualifying.
Dec 7, 2024
Edd Straw
The Race
he edge may have been taken off Nico Hulkenberg’s qualifying performance by a three-place grid penalty, but the pace of the “in the sweet spot” Haas in Abu Dhabi means the team remains a threat in the battle for sixth in the constructors’ championship with a potential $20million-plus prize money swing at stake.
It is on course to be a bigger draw on Sunday than the actual constructors' title fight, McLaren versus Ferrari, if only because in that duel the team that's ahead in the standings is ahead by a lot more, will have a better position on the grid and looks faster.
Hulkenberg’s penalty drops him from fourth to seventh on the grid, but while the starting position is worse that doesn't change the fact the Haas has been seriously fast this weekend. Dropping behind Alpine spearhead Pierre Gasly, who now starts fifth, is a blow, but Hulkenberg could still prevail in the midfield fight in tomorrow’s race.
‘F1's $20million battle’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...f1-2024-fight/
The $20m fight behind McLaren-Ferrari F1 title showdown
Behind F1's constructors' title battle another huge fight brews, writes Lewis Larkam in Abu Dhabi.
8 Dec 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
The F1 constructors’ championship duel between McLaren and Ferrari will understandably capture most of the attention during Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. For McLaren, who hold a 21-point advantage and a front-row lockout going into the race, it would be their first constructors’ triumph since 1998, and a first title of any form since 2008. Glory for Ferrari would end a 16-year wait for the teams’ title.
However, slightly further back on the grid, there is another massively important battle for constructors’ championship honours. That is the tussle to secure P6 in the championship. Alpine currently hold the coveted spot but are just four points clear of Haas. RB are not mathematically out of contention - 13 points further adrift - but they would need a seemingly unlikely points swing, especially given both their drivers start outside the top-10 and behind their rivals.
As such, the attention is on the Alpine-Haas battle. Pierre Gasly starts fifth for Alpine, with Nico Hulkenberg just two places behind in seventh. The German had turned in a stunning lap on Saturday night to grab P4 on the grid, only to be hit with a three-place penalty.
‘$20m fight’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106137...title-showdown
McLaren to remind drivers ‘the first interest is the team’ in Abu Dhabi F1 title showdown
8 Dec 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
McLaren boss Andrea Stella will remind his drivers that the “first interest is the team” as it aims to clinch the Formula 1 Constructors’ title in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “When we deal with drivers, we always need to be very conscious that they are wired to win races,” said Stella. “They grow from karting thinking like that.”
“They always think like that, and then at some stage in their career, you tell them, like, ‘Oh no, here is not about you guys winning. Here is about the team winning.’ So first of all, awareness. We are very aware.”
“During the season, we already had a conversation, more than one conversation with our two drivers, and we said to them that this is the only situation in which the interests of us three is not the same. So we cannot face something just staying totally united because the two drivers: each of them wants to win.”
“First interest is the team”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...itle-showdown/
How “painful” experience of 2010 Abu Dhabi defeat shaped Andrea Stella
8 Dec 2024
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella admits that losing the 2010 World Championship at the final round in Abu Dhabi was the “most painful day” of his career – but the defeat helped him became the leader he is today.
Stella was Fernando Alonso’s engineer at Ferrari at the time, and the Spaniard arrived at the finale leading from Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.
However a bad strategy call by the team saw Alonso trapped behind Renault driver Vitaly Petrov and unable to better seventh place – allowing race winner Vettel to snatch the title.
“Painful”;
https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/08/...andrea-stella/
Sainz: Abu Dhabi GP last chance of winning in F1 ‘for a few years’
08/12/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Carlos Sainz is gearing up for a final push at glory with Ferrari in Sunday’s Abu Dhabi, a race that will bring an end to his four-year tenue with the Scuderia and which he admits will likely be his last chance of winning in F1 “for a few years”.
“I felt like I did some very good, very clean laps in Q1 and Q2,” commented the Spaniard after the session, quoted by Motorsport Week. “Probably finding the limit of the car very early on in qualifying and then giving myself and giving maybe the team a bit of hope that we could fight for pole position. But I think as soon as these two guys started putting, I think, a good lap together in Q3… I think my lap was pretty good.”
“Obviously, there’s always little things here and there that you would like to change. But when Lando talks about that he didn’t quite nail Turn 9 or he did a small mistake, then you realise that it’s the same for everyone. We’ve been a weekend three to four-tenths behind. I’ll take being two-tenths off in quali and hopefully we can match their race pace and get in the fight tomorrow.”
‘Final push at glory’;
https://f1i.com/news/527109-sainz-ab...few-years.html
One last ‘papaya rules’ fight for Piastri after Ferrari flop; Aussie’s debut misleading - F1 Talking Pts
Dec 8th, 2024
Michael Lamonato
Fox Sports (Australia)
Ferrari has taken the constructors championship down to the wire and is doing its best to trip itself up over it. Needing to overhaul a 21-point gap, Ferrari will start third and 19th behind a McLaren front-row, with Lando Norris ahead of Oscar Piastri. The mountain has never looked so steep, and Ferrari now needs a miracle to climb it.
With Carlos Sainz starting third behind a McLaren front-row lockout, Ferrari will need either deep misfortune to befall Norris and Piastri or what would have to be the most remarkable race of the season to win the championship from here. Or, of course, a miracle. “I believe in miracles,” Leclerc said, per ESPN.
“It makes our life very difficult, that’s for sure, but with the 10-place grid penalty, it was always going to be difficult. But I see an opportunity to do something very special, and I’ll do my best to do it. My goal remains the same: it’s to win the constructors championship. I still believe in it as much as I did yesterday, even though on paper obviously it’s going to be hard. I’ll believe in it until the very last lap. Anything can happen.”
“I believe in miracles”;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...9e0c2232355cfa
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Norris takes fine victory in Abu Dhabi to seal McLaren constructors' title.
Lando Norris took a fine victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that sealed McLaren's first constructors' championship since 1998. That victory meant the papaya-coloured team just held on to the title, with the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc rounding out the podium to close the gap in the standings, but ultimately unable to claw the 21-point deficit before the race began.
8 Dec 2024
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
McLaren were first and second on the grid before the Grand Prix got underway at the Yas Marina Circuit, but as a result of a collision between Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, it saw the Australian tumble all the way down the field and to the back of the grid. A ten-second penalty was then given for causing a collision with Franco Colapinto and that meant the chance to score a good haul of points to seal the title was gone, putting huge pressure on Norris and McLaren.
However, the Brit did not waver, holding onto the lead of the race from the first to the last lap, showing great poise and race pace over the Ferraris, with the tyre degradation of the Scuderia letting them down in the second phase of the race. Sainz took P2, while Leclerc drove a sublime race to finish on the podium after starting in P19. In his final race with Mercedes, before he moves to Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton went from P16 to P4 with a great drive, with teammate George Russell finishing behind in fifth after being overtaken on the last lap.
‘Just held on to the title’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31785...ors-title.html
Abu Dhabi GP: Race Results
Full results from the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
9 Dec 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Full results from the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina.
Pos Num Driver Team Laps/Diff
1 4 Lando Norris McLaren 58
2 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 5.832
3 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 31.928
4 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 36.483
5 63 George Russell Mercedes 37.538
6 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 49.847
7 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 72.56
8 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 75.554
9 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 82.373
10 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 83.821
‘Full results’;
https://speedcafe.com/abu-dhabi-gp-race-results/
McLaren seal F1 Constructors’ title as Lando Norris wins Abu Dhabi GP
8 Dec 2024
Motorsport Week
Motorsport Week
Lando Norris converted pole position into the win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to clinch the Formula 1 Constructors’ title for McLaren, despite Ferrari’s double podium.
Norris aced his start to remain unopposed into the opening turn, but there was chaos behind him as Max Verstappen clashed with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren on the exit. The stewards noted the collision between the two and Verstappen, who was now down in 11th place, was given a 10-second time penalty much to his dissatisfaction.
Sergio Perez headed into the race with speculation mounting over his position and his potential final Red Bull appearance ended in a retirement with a clash at Turn 6. Valtteri Bottas, who had qualified his Sauber up inside the top 10, turned Perez around at the chicane when Kevin Magnussen’s Haas had come charging up his inside.
‘Pole position into the win’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...-abu-dhabi-gp/
Abu Dhabi GP: Norris breaks Ferrari hearts as McLaren return to title glory
08 Dec 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris clinched the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory to hand McLaren a first Constructors’ title since 1988, the Briton having to fly the flag alone after Oscar Piastri’s early drama. McLaren’s two car hunt was reduced to one when Piastri was hit by Max Verstappen out of Turn 1 and spun out of contention. But for McLaren, Norris’ victory ahead of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc was enough to give McLaren by 13 points.
Norris into the final lap of the championship eight seconds ahead with the Constructors’ Championship victory within his grasp. He took the chequered flag, his fourth win of the season and sealed the teams’ title for McLaren. Sainz was second ahead of Leclerc while a late pass from Hamilton put him P4 ahead of Russell.
Verstappen was sixth ahead of Gasly, Hulkenberg, Alonso and Piastri with a solitary point. Jack Doohan finished P15 on his Alpine debut as he prepares for his first full campaign in F1 2025. There was late drama for Lawson as his smoking VCARB broke down on the final lap.
‘Norris breaks Ferrari hearts’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/abu-dh...24-race-report
Perez hands Red Bull defiant message after season-ending shunt
Sergio Perez is not backing down to Red Bull's supposed wishes as the situation teeters precariously close to a contract stand-off between the two parties.
8 Dec 2024
Samuel Coop & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365
Speaking to media including RacingNews365 after his retirement for the race, the six-time grand prix winner struck a defiant tone, reiterating that he holds a contract for 2025 and beyond. "Well, at the moment, I don't know," he said when asked about the situation for next year.
"I just know that I've got a contract to race next year, and unless something changes in the coming days, that's going to be the situation for next year. When it was then queried with him as to why the Red Bull bosses were holding talks with other drivers, he replied: "That's something you need to ask them."
"Like I said, we're going to be talking in the coming days and we will discuss the situation from both parties, and see if we are able to reach an agreement," he explained. "If not, like I said, I've got a contract for next year." When asked if he was considering resigning from his race seat, he replied: "No." At no point did he mention retirement from F1.
“I've got a contract to race next year”;
https://racingnews365.com/perez-hand...n-ending-shunt
Why should they let Perez go? Montoya thinks Red Bull should keep him
8 Dec 2024
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
Rumour has it that it is very likely that Sergio Perez will be driving his last Grand Prix for Red Bull Racing this Sunday. Maybe even the last of his career, as it is well known that Helmut Marko and Christian Horner are evaluating the Mexican's performance after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Juan Pablo Montoya spoke to Vision4Sport and told them what his thoughts were on the whole ordeal.
The former F1 driver has not failed to notice that Red Bull Racing will finish third in the constructors' championship despite Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen winning the Drivers' championship. Montoya thinks Red Bull doesn't care at all. That they have a long-term vision. "Funnily enough, by them finishing third, they're going to get more wind tunnel time and everything for the 2026 car," says Montoya.
'No two captains on the same ship'. The Colombian asked aloud, "So, is it that bad having Checo there? They have the world champion, and they have more wind tunnel time! What they're losing by not winning the constructors, they're probably making up with Checo’s merchandise, Red Bull sales, and the money he's bringing. So where is the downside? And you have a team dedicated to one driver."
‘Montoya thinks Red Bull should keep Sergio Perez’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31767...erstappen.html
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Norris admits F1 title was “not looking as likely” after Piastri spin.
Lando Norris admitted that the thought the World Championship was “not looking as likely) after team mate Oscar Piastri was nudged into a spin by Max Verstappen on the first lap in Abu Dhabi.
Dec 9, 2024
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog
The incident left Norris on his own out front with no margin for error while Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were set to bag big points. In the end victory for Norris was enough to secure the championship despite the Ferrari drivers securing the other podium places.
“Today was a very special day for all of us,” said Norris. “It was ours to lose today and I’m sure at certain moments people thought that it was not far away from being lost. Two Ferraris up there, and Charles doing a great job to get back to the podium.
“It was ours to lose today”;
https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/09/...-piastri-spin/
Mark Hughes: How McLaren narrowly avoided Ferrari title upset
Dec 8, 2024
Mark Hughes
The Race
In the end it was pretty straightforward for Lando Norris and McLaren to win the race and the constructors' title respectively on Sunday in Abu Dhabi. Even with the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri being spun out of contention in the opening seconds after contact with Max Verstappen. But it wasn't always that way.
A further early lap incident - hitting Franco Colapinto - for Piastri after rejoining at the back, for which he received a penalty, meant Norris didn’t ever have a rear gunner to aid his task, as Carlos Sainz tracked him.
But Norris didn’t need one, as it turned out. He always had enough of an edge to keep the Ferrari out of range, an advantage which only increased in the second stint as most traded their mediums for hards. But there were a few tense moments, not least when Norris was struggling in dirty air when lapping backmarkers with eight laps to go.
‘McLaren narrowly avoided Ferrari title upset’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...1-title-upset/
Norris battled nerves in Abu Dhabi GP after Leclerc opening lap
08/12/2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Lando Norris admitted that Charles Leclerc's stunning recovery from the back of the grid in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix rattled the McLaren team. The Ferrari driver’s incredible charge through the field, gaining 11 places in the opening lap, inevitably added a layer of tension to McLaren's title defense.
"I was watching the TV screens and I saw Charles was P8 after lap one, so I was a little bit nervous!" Norris recalled. "But I knew I just had to focus on myself, put my head down. Carlos was never far away,” he added. “I think the biggest I got the gap to was, like, 4.2 seconds in the first stint, and that's not a very nice gap in my opinion. It's a bit too close to my comfort.”
"So, it was still a tricky race, and I'm sure there was probably a lot more nervous people on the pitwall and in the garage, knowing what was at stake. I’ve got the adrenaline of the car and focused on that. For them, they're just sitting and watching the screens, and they have a lot more time to think about what can go wrong and all of that.”
“I was a little bit nervous!";
https://f1i.com/news/527215-norris-b...ening-lap.html
Norris: Leclerc's lightning start made McLaren "nervous" over title bid
A chaotic first lap at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix handed Ferrari an outside chance of defeating McLaren after all
Dec 8, 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
Lando Norris said Charles Leclerc's miracle recovery in Formula 1's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix made McLaren more nervous as it battled the Scuderia for the constructors' championship.
Norris said he was "incredibly proud" to play a part in McLaren getting back to winning ways for its first constructors' trophy in 26 years, while paying tribute to the team's staff across its many departments at the track and at its Woking headquarters.
"The bigger picture of us winning a championship for the first time in 26 years, you wouldn't have thought that when you say the name McLaren," he added. "It feels wrong to say that they've not won a championship in 26 years. But for me to be part of that, for Oscar to be part of it, is something we're incredibly proud of.
‘A chaotic first lap at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix handed Ferrari an outside chance’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/n...-bid/10680794/
Brown jokes that Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was "the worst two hours of my life"
8 Dec 2024
Olly Darcy
GPblog.com
Speaking to Sky Sports right as the Grand Prix finished, an ecstatic Brown said: "I love everyone in Woking! What an awesome team effort, all the men and women at McLaren! Amazing! That was stressful." He was then asked about Norris delivering for the team, saying: "Man he did! Yes he did!"
The CEO then joined the Brit on the podium to celebrate the success of his team, shouting loudly in celebration. He joined the Sky Sports crew once again after celebrating in the McLaren garage, joking about the stress of the race: "That was the worst two hours of my life, by far. Lando drove brilliantly. Unfortunate what happened to Oscar at the start, but the team was flawless. They executed, the pit stop was great. I think I was the only one that was about ready to have a heart attack for two hours."
Again, the American was extremely complimentary of Norris: "In that race, he carried us. To not make any mistakes, we were worried about safety cars, I was worried about everything. He drove flawlessly, as he's done. So next, try and repeat Constructors and get the Drivers. I'll let Oscar and Lando figure that one out!"
"In that race, he carried us”;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31793...-dhabi-gp.html
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Vasseur: Mid-season missteps cost Ferrari ‘80 or 90 points'.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has singled out missed opportunities rather than outright pace as the primary factor behind the Scuderia's narrow defeat to McLaren in the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors' Championship.
10/12/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
“A good one (season), but not enough,” commented Vasseur after last Sunday’s season finale in Abu Dhabi. “I think that if you compare with one year ago, it’s a huge step forward – pit stops, strategy, reliability… we improved everywhere, even in terms of pure performance,”
“It’s true that at the end, 14 points are missing, and I think if you are 80 or 100 points behind, you don’t feel the frustration. Tonight, I had tons of races in my mind where we lost 14 points this season, but it is like it is. McLaren also had some issues, and we have to do a better job next year, but I’m also quite proud of the step that we did.”
“I don’t want to do the list, but Canada we came back,” Vasseur recalled. “I think on paper, Canada was a good one for us, and we came back from Canada with a double zero—that was a bit harsh. Then we had three or four races in a row with the upgrade when we struggled a little bit. This period I think we lost something like 80 or 90 points on McLaren.”
‘Mid-season missteps’;
https://f1i.com/news/527456-vasseur-...90-points.html
Four moments that cost Ferrari the 2024 F1 world title
Just 14 points separated Ferrari from a sensational world championship, leaving the team to wonder what could have been
9 Dec 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
Canada: Ferrari's only double retirement: Both Charles Leclerc and Sainz were dumped out of Q2 after they couldn't find late improvements on old soft tyres, with the pair starting from 11th and 12th. Ferrari's weekend went from bad to worse in the race, with Leclerc retiring due to an electronical issue on the power unit while Sainz spun out in wet conditions…
Spain: Flawed new floor sends Ferrari down a development rabbit hole: A new floor launched at the Spanish Grand Prix turned out to introduce bouncing in high-speed corners. That not only cost it performance outright but also derailed its development programme as the Maranello squad first had to find and understand the root cause before it could come up with a tweaked design.
Baku: Sainz loses possible podium after late Perez clash: Sainz looked on for a recovery onto the podium until a late clash with Sergio Perez, sending both cars into the wall. Those 15 points for third would have gone a long way, with the caveat that behind them Norris moved up to score four extra points too.
Singapore: Pre-race favourites on the back foot after qualifying: After a disappointing qualifying session in which Sainz crashed in Q3 and Leclerc also didn't set a time, with the pair relegated to the fifth row.
‘Four moments’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...itle/10681032/
'He said': The moment Frederic Vasseur knew Ferrari had ‘messed up’ their Constructors’ Championship chances
10 Dec 2024
Tyler Rowlinson
F1 Oversteer
Journalist Laura Winter spoke with Vasseur after the race and she says the Ferrari boss was looking back at previous races where they ‘messed up’ their title chances, including the Canadian Grand Prix where Leclerc and Sainz registered Ferrari’s first double retirement since the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Winter said via the F1 Nation Podcast: “I actually saw Fred Vasseur outside the hospitality. I went up [to him] and you have that weird moment where you’re not sure whether to say congratulations or commiserations and I sort of said both to him.”
“And he said, I won’t repeat the word he used but it began with F, it’s not tonight that we ‘messed’ up. He said it was Spain, Canada, Silverstone. He’s already thinking back to where they dropped points, to where they’ve lost this. They’ll be looking ahead to 2025 as well.”
'He said';
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/the...nship-chances/
Ferrari issue ‘14 points are missing’ verdict after McLaren title defeat
9 Dec 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur admitted to having “races in my mind” where points were on the table in 2024, after narrowly missing out on Constructors’ glory to McLaren. “It’s true that, at the end, 14 points are missing, and if you are 80 or 100 points behind, you don’t feel the frustration. Fourteen points, you have, or at least tonight, I have tons of races in my mind where we lost 14 points this season, but it is like it is.”
“McLaren also had some issues, and just that we have to do a better job next year – but I’m also quite proud of the step that we did.” As for where they lost out, Vasseur pointed to the only double DNF the team had of the season, back in Montréal, where they had been expected to be competitive, as a chance for a good points haul.
‘14 points are missing’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...laren-f1-title
Ferrari lost two months in F1 flexi-wing development race
16 Nov 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur said the team lost out on “one or two months” developing a flexible front wing as it waited for Formula 1‘s governing body to deem such a device legal.
Teams had been pushing the boundaries of aero-elasticity with front wings coming into the summer break. Mercedes and McLaren were reaping the benefits of flexible front wings in the lead-up to the Belgian Grand Prix, drawing concern from the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull.
“There was frustration because at one stage we were waiting for the decision of the FIA when they installed the cameras [from Spa],” Vasseur told Motorsport.com. “We were convinced that it will go for the ‘no go’. And it went for the ‘go’! So probably we lost one or two months.”
“We were convinced that it will go for the ‘no go’.”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...elopment-race/
'They lost it': Will Buxton pinpoints the ‘catastrophic’ decision which cost Ferrari the 2024 F1 Constructors’ Championship
Mon 9 Dec 2024
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Ferrari lost the 2024 F1 constructors’ title with ‘catastrophic upgrade’ in Spain. Ferrari’s problem certainly wasn’t the way they closed out the season, making the podium at each of the last three races – but more about what they did before that. They spent the early part of the European leg of the season recovering from a poor upgrade at the Spanish Grand Prix which hindered their car and pushed them back to being fourth fastest.
Will Buxton pointed out in F1’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Post-Race show that it may have been the reason they ended up losing the constructors’ title. “That they held on to second place in the constructors’ championship for as long as they did was a testament to just the relentless drive from them. But, they will rue that mistake, they will rue the correlation errors that led to them putting that thing on the car in the first place.”
‘Catastrophic decision’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/wil...-championship/
Ferrari highlights period that cost team 2024 F1 title to McLaren
9 Dec 2024
Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Frederic Vasseur had vowed that Ferrari must strive to maximise its points tally more in 2024, having rued squandered opportunities last season which denied it second place. Ferrari must ‘minimise losses’ again in 2025.
However, Ferrari managed an impressive recovery as revisions in Monza and Singapore triggered a return to competitiveness which delivered three wins in nine races. But despite the updated SF-24 hauling Ferrari back into title contention, Vasseur has acknowledged that there were still moments where the team gave up vital points.
“We had a tough weekend like Baku, even if we did a P2 with Charles [Leclerc], but I think we were in a position to do a much better job than only P2,” he added. “Then Singapore was a tough one, with the two cars ninth and 10 in quali. I think we could expect much better, but this is true also for McLaren.”
‘Rued squandered opportunities’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...le-to-mclaren/
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"Lewis would have fought for the victory without the bollard," reckons Toto Wolff.
"Without the bollard getting in Lewis’s way yesterday in Qualifying, I think he could have fought for victory. He was quick throughout today and made the alternative strategy work well. He drove like a world champion.”
10 Dec 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Assessing Hamilton's last dance with the German-British outfit, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff believes that the seven-time world could have fought for the victory had the bollard not led to a disappointing result in qualifying.
Although he posted impressive sector times in the opening two segments of the Yas Marina Circuit, he lost a significant chunk of time through the last corners due to the loose bollard. It meant the seven-time world champion only qualified 18th, but he started from two places higher up on the grid due to penalties for Charles Leclerc and Alexander Albon.
"It has been 12 years that we have spent with Lewis. It is not only the longest driver and team partnership in the sport’s history, but it is also the most successful. A relationship of that length and a journey like that creates a bond, trust, and shared values that are rare nowadays.”
‘Without the bollard’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/26072
Wolff leaves Hamilton emotional Mercedes goodbye voice message
Toto Wolff has said some poignant words to Lewis Hamilton following the seven-time F1 champion's farewell from Mercedes
10 Dec 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
"Hi Lewis, I’m on the go, so I thought I’d better leave you a voice note - like always," said Wolff. Yeah, the moment is here we all knew was coming. We’ve raced the last lap. The longest and most successful partnership in Formula 1 history. Who would have thought that when we started the journey?”
"It’s been a crazy ride for a boy from Stevenage who had a dream, and who shared this journey with us at Mercedes. So now you’re opening up a new chapter with Ferrari. But most importantly, remember one thing, find your people, not just the ones who work with you or sign your contract. Obviously, we know that's important.”
"But the ones who dream with you, who fight with you, who have your back and your ear; the ones who stand with you and kneel with you; the ones who see you, including the parts you don’t want [to be] seen, who never stop believing, even when you do sometimes. Because when you find your people you don’t just beat the world, you change it. And whatever the future holds, just remember, we will always be your people, because every dream needs a team. You know it.”
"Take care my friend, see you on track. We are really looking forward to it. That’s the most important message I’ve ever sent.";
‘Poignant words’;
https://racingnews365.com/wolff-leav...-voice-message
We’ll cheer on Lewis Hamilton if Mercedes can’t win 2025 title – Toto Wolff
9 Dec 2024
pa sport staff
Yahoo! Sport
The Ferrari-bound 39-year-old won six of his seven titles with Mercedes and he departs with Wolff’s goodwill. “If we can’t win, we will cheer for him. He merits an eighth championship,” Wolff told Sky Sports.
“But obviously the team, the drivers, the brand – that is the main priority to win and we will give it everything we can. It’s been 12 years. It’s not only the longest driver-team relationship the sport has ever seen, but one of the longest relationships any sports team has had with a player.”
“And one of the longest relationships personally with a person. Obviously that creates attachment, trust and those values in this day and age are rare. That’s why it’s a period of time we will hold close to our hearts.”
“We’ll cheer on Lewis”;
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/ll-...JU-XMKY6Ro2DAL
Toto Wolff wants Lewis Hamilton to win at Ferrari if Mercedes can’t
Toto Wolff will "cheer" for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari - if Mercedes are not in contention for wins.
10 Dec 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Toto Wolff says he will “cheer” for Lewis Hamilton to win with Ferrari if Mercedes are not in the F1 championship fight. Hamilton turned in a masterclass recovery drive from 16th on the grid, including a last-lap overtake on teammate George Russell, to claim fourth on his Mercedes farewell at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion is leaving Mercedes after 12 years in order to complete a blockbuster switch to Ferrari, where he will aim to claim a record-breaking eighth world title and end the Scuderia’s long title drought. Despite joining one of Mercedes’ fiercest rivals, team principal Wolff said he would love to see Hamilton win an eighth drivers’ crown with Ferrari.
‘Love to see Hamilton win an eighth drivers’ crown’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106147...-mercedes-cant
Toto Wolff makes ‘honest’ claim about McLaren ‘customer team’ after F1 title win
8 Dec 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Toto Wolff admitted that, if Mercedes cannot win the Constructors’ Championship themselves, he’d “much rather be beaten by a customer team” than a factory rival.
“To be honest, if we can’t win as a works team, I’d much rather be beaten by a customer team,” Wolff explained to media including PlanetF1.com. “I have zero problem with that, because it gives shows us where the benchmark is.”
“There’s no discussions about performance levels of the engine, no discussions about drivability of the engine, energy deployment or harvesting. None of that. World Champion is our customer team. They have equal material. We fight on same terms, and if they have a better chassis or better execution or better drivers, then that’s completely fine for us.”
“Shows us where the benchmark is”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...team-title-win
'When the driving ends': Toto Wolff shares whether Lewis Hamilton could ‘one day’ return to Mercedes after Ferrari move
11 Dec 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Toto Wolff open to having Lewis Hamilton back at Mercedes when he leaves Ferrari. It’s unclear whether Hamilton will still be involved in F1 when he retires. He hasn’t expressed any notable interest in running a team or becoming a pundit, but few of the drivers have.
Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Toto Wolff said Hamilton could still be part of Mercedes’ future. He implicitly closed the door on a driving return after promoting 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli as George Russell’s teammate. But Wolff hinted that there are other Mercedes ‘adventures’ that may appeal to Hamilton after his F1 career has concluded. The German manufacturer have powered all 18 of the cars he’s driven across 355 races.
“There is no such thing in an end to the relationship Mercedes has with Lewis, neither what we as a team have, nor I and Susie personally,” Wolff said. “I think Lewis has decided to do something else for the last part of his career, which I understand, but he’s always going to be part of that family, and always welcome in the family. One day, maybe when the driving ends, there’s going to be plenty of adventures we’re going to embark on.”
'When the driving ends';
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/tot...-ferrari-move/
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Red Bull could be forced to keep Sergio Perez despite ‘wanting to replace’ F1 driver as ‘D-day meeting’ held.
The issue, however, is that Perez is contracted for 2025, having signed a contract extension back in June.
9 Dec 2024
Ryan Smart
SPORTbible
Red Bull may have to keep Sergio Perez for 2025 despite reports that they are considering whether to replace the Mexican driver. Perez has come under increasing pressure over his poor performances and results in the second half of the 2024 season, and a DNF in Abu Dhabi - although not his fault - did little to ease that pressure.
Team principal Christian Horner confirmed that the team would hold talks with Perez about his future after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The issue, however, is that Perez is contracted for 2025, having signed a contract extension back in June. If Red Bull are unwilling to pay an acceptable fee to get Perez out of the contract, the six-time race winner may have an upper hand in talks over his future that could potentially define whether he drives in Formula 1 again.
‘Sergio Perez is contracted for 2025’;
https://www.sportbible.com/f1/sergio...29370-20241209
'He's not an idiot' - Why Verstappen's still defending Perez
9 Dec 2024
Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Max Verstappen says he has “always worked really well with Checo”, who he described as “a great guy”. “Honestly, it’s very rare that you have a team-mate like him,” Verstappen said. “He's always been very good and just a nice guy too.”
In THE RACE COMMENTS Section…
New Realist
·9 Dec
Poor old Checo
Maybe he didn't get it all wrong ....he may have cost RBR the Constructors this year but what he did deliver may come in very handy indeed given that it all changes again for 2026.
120 more wind-tunnel hours for the year
32 more wind-tunnel runs for the year
200 more CFD items for the year .
The RB21 and 22 may just need every ounce of it ...
‘Max Verstappen's still defending Perez’;
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/h...fending-perez/
Sergio Perez uncovers true cause of Abu Dhabi GP retirement, Red Bull theory dismissed
10 Dec 2024
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
It has emerged that Perez was struggling with a suspected transmission issue, which resulted in his car losing drive on the approach to the chicane. It is thought the technical problem would have resulted in his retirement regardless of the collision with Bottas moments later.
Speaking to DAZN Spain after his DNF, Perez confirmed that the issue slowed him down every time he changed gear at the start of the Abu Dhabi GP. He said: “I think the engine was damaged before the touch [with Bottas]. Every time I changed gear, the clutch slipped.”
“I think the problem came from before because on the straights I was losing a lot of time every time I changed gear. Then I had contact in the back and when I got the car back, the clutch was already engaged.”
“Every time I changed gear, the clutch slipped”;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...theory-culprit
How Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull testing times compare with Sergio Perez’s Abu Dhabi qualifying lap
11 Dec 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
It has to be caveated that we’re not aware of the run plans either driver was on and whether Tsunoda was given the opportunity to complete any faster simulations. He was completing Red Bull’s 2025 Pirelli test and was handed next year’s tyres including an experimental C6 compound that would be useful at tracks like the Las Vegas street circuit.
In comparison, Perez’s best time in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was 1:23.264, 1.425 seconds faster than Tsunoda. This highlights that Tsunoda was unlikely to have been given the opportunity to push the RB20 to its limits, given the deficit between them in qualifying this season in different cars has never been that big.
A more accurate comparison might be Perez’s best FP3 time which was 1:24.283, although this is still four-tenths quicker than Tsunoda.
Driver Session Time Gap
Sergio Perez Qualifying 1:23.264
Sergio Perez Free Practice 3 1:24.283 +1.019
Isack Hadjar Post-season test 2024 car 1:24.632 +1.368
Yuki Tsunoda Post-season test 2025 tyres 1:24.689 +1.425
‘Testing times comparison’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/how...ualifying-lap/
Red Bull shares group photo with Verstappen, Perez and Horner in England
11 Dec 2024
Estéban den Toom
GPblog.com
Red Bull Racing shared a group photo with the whole team at its campus in Milton Keynes on Wednesday after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In the middle is Max Verstappen's RB20. The brand new world champion himself, teammate Sergio Perez and team boss Christian Horner sit on the Dutchman's championship car.
The Red Bull team posed collectively on English soil, at the Milton Keynes campus. "The whole campus together for another team photo in 2024," Red Bull Racing's message on X read. On the ground in the middle was a flag with the text 'four-time world champion M4X', referring to Verstappen's fourth world title in Las Vegas this season.
‘Red Bull shares group photo’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31851...an-horner.html
‘Group photo’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31851...an-horner.html
Perez points out the best part of 2024: 'The season was looking fantastic!'
11 Dec 2024
Olly Darcy
GPBlog.com
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has named his favourite race of the 2024 season. On Thursday at the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Mexican was asked what his highlight of the year was. Without thinking long, the Mexican driver had his answer ready.
The second part of the season was considerably worse for Red Bull Racing than the strong start, something Perez also acknowledges: "I think definitely the start of the year was very strong. Four races, four podiums, and a couple of one-twos together. The season was looking fantastic. Unfortunately, it took a U-turn. We went south very early and we lost some direction. Then the season started to get just harder and harder," he told GPblog and others.
When Perez was asked which race was the best for him this season, he did not have to think long: "I think Suzuka. Suzuka was a very very nice moment. When the balance was together that I was nearly on pole and then the race, the decision was looking great so I have to say that that was my favourite moment of the year," the Red Bull driver said.
‘Suzuka was a very very nice moment. When the balance was together that I was nearly on pole’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31849...24-season.html
Verstappen: ‘People are too harsh on Perez – He’s not an idiot’’
11/12/2024
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
The four-time world champion went on to sympathize with Perez's struggles, pointing out that the difficulties weren't limited to just one driver or one race weekend. "I do have sympathy for the position he has found himself in. I work with him every weekend, week in, week out, and I find people have been very harsh on him," Verstappen added.
"Of course, there are some weekends that maybe could have been better naturally, but sometimes people have been very harsh on him, because he's not an idiot. He's always been regarded as a great driver, and it's been tough, but it's been tough for everyone in the team because sometimes it was just very difficult to drive," he explained.
“He's always been regarded as a great driver”;
https://f1i.com/news/527626-verstapp...-an-idiot.html
Juan Pablo Montoya shares what he could see in Sergio Perez’s ‘face’ as he made defiant Red Bull claim
16 Nov 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Juan Pablo Montoya says he could tell Sergio Perez was ‘frustrated’ by Red Bull questions. Formula 1 legend Juan Pablo Montoya saw clips from that interview and shared his observations with AS Colombia. He says Perez was visibly ‘frustrated’ with the constant questions and gossip.
“I saw part of it and I found it interesting because you can see how frustrated his face is,” Montoya said. “Red Bull made that decision [to extend his contract] this year. So I see that [Perez leaving] as complicated on one hand. On the other hand, I’ll tell you the truth about the best rumours. It’s always what you deserve.”
ESPN journalist Nate Saunders says there are growing signs Red Bull will keep Perez. The cost, combined with the inexperience of the alternatives, might save him.
‘Defiant Red Bull claim’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/jua...ed-bull-claim/
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'Major sponsors will follow Perez out the door if Red Bull oust him'.
Sergio Perez could be staying at Red Bull Racing for 2025. Or so have Marca stated, anyways. Have Perez' sponsors come to his rescue?
13 Dec 2024
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Apparently the Mexican driver has found new sponsors, which in addition to Carlos Slim's backing, have tilted the escales in his favour. Perez has, according to Marca, been given the green light to start working on new apparel for the 2025 season.
The journal claims that Perez' unannounced sponsors are linked to Red Bull Racing for as long as the mexican driver still has a seat at the Austrian team. Meaning that if Perez was to be ousted from the Milton Keynes based outfit, they would follow the Mexican out the door.
‘Have Perez' sponsors come to his rescue?’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31878...-sponsors.html
Perez outlines 'biggest step' in Verstappen at Red Bull
Sergio Perez has shared what he feels is the "biggest step" Max Verstappen has made in their time as team-mates at Red Bull.
13 Dec 2024
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Sergio Perez believes 2024 is the "best season" Max Verstappen has put together of the four years they have spent in F1 together at Red Bull. In contrast to 2023, despite starting the season in much the same form, Red Bull has struggled to get on top of the RB20, which has shown itself to be a difficult and uncooperative chassis.
"Max has done his best season I've seen from him in these four years," the six-time grand prix winner told media including RacingNews365. "The way he pushed the team, out of the car, how hard he worked during this year, especially there were a lot of periods during the year where we looked really far and he would push the team in all the areas, in all the aspects.”
“Max has made very big steps out of the car. His talent and his speed has been there since day one, but out of the car, how he reads the races, how he works with the team, how he pushes the team, I think is the biggest step he has done in these past years."
'Biggest step';
https://racingnews365.com/perez-on-verstappen
Sergio Perez’s exorbitant ‘buyout sum’ as Red Bull stand-off continues
12 Dec 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Never mind the 16 million Nico Rosberg spoke of, former Bridgestone engineer Kees van de Grint claims Sergio Perez is holding out for “75 million euros” in his Red Bull stand-off. Although he signed a new contract back in May, Red Bull met on Monday to discuss his future as well as their plans for their 2025 line-ups – both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.
The decision has yet to be made public, and Viaplay’s analysts believe that’s because his “buyout sum” is being argued between both Perez and Red Bull’s legal teams. “It is not clear to me yet,” Van de Grint told Viaplay. “I think he is not leaving, he refuses to resign.”
“There are two possibilities, he drives next year or he gets an awful lot of money. The question is what such a buyout amount does to the story. I think the buyout sum is somewhere between 50 and 65 million euros,” said his fellow pundit Allard Kalff. Van de Grint disagrees: “I think it’s even more. 75 million euros seems like a good number to me. You have to buy out two years of his contract.”
‘Red Bull stand-off’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...doff-continues
Sergio Perez gives unusual gift to 2,000 Red Bull staff days after F1 future meeting
Sergio Perez made an intriguing delivery to Milton Keynes in midweek.
Dec 13, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Sergio Perez delivered 2,000 bottles of Patron El Alto tequila to Red Bull staff at the Red Bull factory as a Christmas gift to his team. The Mexican is currently facing a nervous wait after a meeting with shareholders about his future, which took place after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
‘Unusual gift’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-Milton-Keynes
Sergio Perez sends gift to Red Bull staff amid future uncertainty
13 Dec 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Sergio Perez faced what could yet be his final Red Bull end-of-year celebration, the Mexican driver at least tried to end on a good note – 2,000 bottles of tequila. According to reports, he handed out 2,000 bottles of Patron El Alto. Patron retails for over 200 pounds a bottle, but given Perez is reportedly holding out for “75 million” to walk away from Red Bull, the Mexican racer won’t have to worry about his future going forwards.
While Perez has been insistent throughout the latter part of the championship that he would remain a Red Bull driver in F1 2025 having signed a new contract back in May, he wavered on that after Sunday night’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“Well, at the moment, I don’t know,” he told the media including PlanetF1.com after ending the year with a lap 1 retirement. “I just know that I’ve got a contract to race next year. And unless something changes in the coming days, that’s going to be the situation for next year.”
‘2,000 bottles of tequila. According to reports, he handed out 2,000 bottles of Patron El Alto. Patron retails for over 200 pounds a bottle’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...re-uncertainty
Why should they let Perez go? Montoya thinks Red Bull should keep him
8 Dec 2024
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
The former F1 driver has not failed to notice that Red Bull Racing will finish third in the constructors' championship despite Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen winning the Drivers' championship. Montoya thinks Red Bull doesn't care at all. That they have a long-term vision. "Funnily enough, by them finishing third, they're going to get more wind tunnel time and everything for the 2026 car," says Montoya.
'No two captains on the same ship': The Colombian asked aloud, "So, is it that bad having Checo there? They have the world champion, and they have more wind tunnel time! What they're losing by not winning the constructors, they're probably making up with Checo’s merchandise, Red Bull sales, and the money he's bringing. So where is the downside? And you have a team dedicated to one driver."
‘Finishing third, they're going to get more wind tunnel time and everything for the 2026 car’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31767...erstappen.html
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Fernando Alonso explains ‘miraculous’ change Aston Martin made to reach Q3 at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“We made more changes before this night session and this time we have found a little window where the car is most happy, let’s say, the temperatures, the tyres, everything more in line and the car has revived a little and we have miraculously entered Q3.”
7 Dec 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Fernando Alonso explains Aston Martin improvements led to Abu Dhabi top ten. Alonso was heard during FP3 telling his team that he thought it would be a “good day” indicating that the changes they made overnight had immediately made an impression.
The Spaniard explained that they went in a different setup direction, which eventually led to them unlocking a working ‘window’ with the AMR24. “We have improved for qualifying. We have made many changes last night to the car and the truth is that it has not worked very well because in FP3 we were still 17th and 19th [fastest],” said Alonso.
‘Miraculous’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...bi-grand-prix/
Fernando Alonso: McLaren F1 turnaround an ‘example’ for Aston Martin to pursue
14 Dec 2024
Motorsport Week
Fernando Alonso has urged Aston Martin to treat McLaren’s turnaround in Formula 1 as a “good example” as the team bids to rebound from an underwhelming 2024.
Alonso has admitted that McLaren’s remarkable comeback has provided a template that should encourage Aston Martin that it can recover from its recent difficulties. “They started last [in 2023] and then won races in the mid-season and we need to learn from them,” Alonso told media including Motorsport Week.
“This is a good example of how things can be done. In Austria they introduced a package, they gained six, seven-tenths or whatever, and that was the beginning of a series of packages that put their car as the fastest. So that Austria package, if we want to call it that, is something we need to work on.”
“Good example”;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...tin-to-pursue/
Alonso points to 'last chance' for 'dream' third F1 title
Fernando Alonso is approaching 20 years since he won his second F1 drivers' title.
11 Dec 2024
Nick Golding
RacingNews365
Alonso is excited for Newey's arrival, but recognises that 2026 could be his final season in F1. "Expectations will be high because it is a new car, change of regulations, car made by Adrian," Alonso said. "Probably - or at least to start - it will be my last season in F1. Because my contract finishes at the end of 2026. It is the time of delivering and the time of truth. High expectations."
'Last chance';
https://racingnews365.com/alonso-det...third-f1-title
Fernando Alonso just used one word to describe his feelings on Adrian Newey joining Aston Martin
11 Dec 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer
Aston Martin is set to be one of the teams to watch in the future following the arrival of leganadary designer Adrian Newey next year. Newey’s next move was one of the main talking points of the 2024 season, following the stunning announcement that he was set to leave Red Bull at the end of the year.
Alonso is excited for the partnership and explained why he thinks the time has finally come, having missed out on a drive at Red Bull. “Destiny,” Alonso says. “It seems like destiny, always, I was missing the opportunity. But he came now at the end of my career and I will still enjoy as much as I can, try to learn from him.”
“We have this mutual respect. We exchanged some messages and spoke from time to time and it seems like we connected always. We never worked together but we were always in the same frequency when we talked in the past. I am looking forward.”
“Destiny”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fer...-aston-martin/
Alonso ‘ready to go’ in 2025 after 'important points' in Abu Dhabi
12/12/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Fernando Alonso is already looking ahead with enthusiasm to the 2025 Formula 1 season after concluding a challenging 2024 campaign with back-to-back points finishes for Aston Martin.
Speaking after the finale at Yas Marina, Alonso praised the Silverstone-based outfit for their unrelenting effort throughout the season and expressed optimism for the future. “Yeah, they were important,” Alonso said, referring to the points in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. “I think to finish on a positive note in Qatar and Abu Dhabi – two double points – feels good.”
“I think [it’s] well deserved as well because the team here on trackside never stopped working and extracting the maximum from the cars so, yeah, [I] did enjoy today’s race. [There was] quite a lot of action, especially on the first lap and, yeah, ready to go for 2025 with a little bit of a reset on things.”
‘Alonso ‘ready to go’ in 2025’;
https://f1i.com/news/527695-alonso-r...abu-dhabi.html
-
Verstappen predicts 'proper battle' in 2025 as he reflects on 'up and down' year at FIA Awards Ceremony.
The Red Bull driver secured his fourth consecutive drivers' title in 2024 – a season he described as “up and down” during the ceremony in Kigali – with many considering this to be his greatest championship achievement given the competition across the grid.
14 Dec 2024
Formula One - Official Site
Max Verstappen: “This season as you could see was quite up and down,” said Verstappen during the awards ceremony as he collected his trophy for the fourth time. “We had a great start to the year, everything was looking great. I think especially from the outside, of course, as a team you always understand your limitations and what you want to work on.”
“The competition did a great job, they improved their cars a lot and made it a lot more difficult for us – especially in the constructors’. We had a bit of a tough run in the middle of the season but even when we were under pressure, and having tough times, I think the team really stuck together. We didn’t panic, which could easily be done I think in those kinds of situations.”
"At the end of the day I’m just very proud of everyone in the team as well. Of course we’re not standing here as constructors’ champions but, in a way, I do think we deserved a little bit more in that championship. I tried my very best and we also know a lot what we have to work on for next year. I’m very excited about that as well because it does look like it’s going to be a proper fight between a lot of teams.”
‘Greatest championship achievement’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...bkYDrbogx99xl4
Max receives trophy for fourth world title in Formula 1: 'Proud'
13 Dec 2024
Florence Cobben
Verstappen.nl
On Friday afternoon Max Verstappen received his fourth world championship title. In a hall filled with motorsport greats in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, Max received his fourth championship trophy during the FIA Awards Ceremony 2024.
On the podium, trophy in hand, Max reflects on the past racing year, where he won nine Grands Prix and collected 437 points: “All of (the championships) are very different, which I think makes it always very special. For us it’s been quite a challenging year, so to be standing here, still winning the title… I’m very proud. We didn’t have the best middle of the season., but the end of the season was a bit more competitive.”
'Proud';
https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5695/
FIA praises Verstappen's service: 'He gives back to the community'
14 Dec 2024
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com
Before the annual FIA gala, Max Verstappen completed his community service. As part of the punishment he received for swearing during a press conference, Verstappen worked with young drivers in Rwanda. After completing his community service, the FIA took to X to thank him.
FIA thanks Verstappen for his community service. After he completed his visit, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile thanked him for his efforts via X: "Giving back to the community. Thank you, Max." Along with the tweet, the FIA also shared pictures of Verstappen with FIA President Mohamed Ben Sulayem and the young drivers who were present.
Verstappen received many compliments from the FIA president who was pleased that Verstappen completed his community service. Ben Sulayem also mentioned that perhaps in the future, it did not have to be a punishment; it should become a mandatory part of the super license for Formula 1 drivers.
'He gives back to the community';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31899...-sentence.html
Marko warns Verstappen: Penalty points could risk 2025 title bid
14/12/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has issued a clear warning to Max Verstappen, reminding the freshly crowned F1 world champion that he will head into the 2025 season with the threat of a race ban looming.
Marko also addressed Verstappen's blunt radio rant in Abu Dhabi, when he voiced his frustration after learning of his 10-second penalty for clashing with Piastri, sarcastically telling his race engineer: “Can we ask for 20 seconds? “Stupid idiots!” Marko acknowledging the intense emotions that come with racing at the highest level but suggested Verstappen would have been better inspired by applying more restraint.
“That wasn't very diplomatic,” the Austrian said. “It's the emotions, and at that moment, you don't think very diplomatically. Maybe you shouldn't broadcast everything. In football, not everyone has a microphone hanging around their neck; “I don't want to know what kind of comments are being made.”
‘Penalty points could risk 2025 title bid’;
https://f1i.com/news/527779-marko-wa...title-bid.html
Why Verstappen is 'frightening' for F1 rivals
Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has called Max Verstappen a "beast" who keeps reaching new heights, despite already being on a run of four-consecutive F1 drivers' championships and counting.
15 Dec 2024
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365
Max Verstappen's Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has explained why the Dutchman "must be frightening" for the rest of the F1 paddock. The 44-year-old claimed that his driver is a "beast" due to his ability to keep pushing his peak past its current point.
"I think this is the problem for the other drivers about Max, is he is a beast that just keeps improving year on year," Lambiase said to Viaplay. "Just when you think he’s reached his peak, he makes another step. "And that must be frightening for everybody up and down the grid." The increasing strength of McLaren and Ferrari - and Mercedes - has contributed to many contending that 2024 is Verstappen's most impressive championship, with Red Bull's fall to third punctuating that point.
However, to Lambiase, it does not quite have the edge on his first title, when the season went down to the wire in 2021 against Lewis Hamilton in an all-time titanic F1 championship fight. "I won't say it was quite as hard as 2021, that was an incredibly intense year," he said. "But it came very close, and it required a lot of dedication, commitment from the whole team, from Max."
‘Frightening’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-versta...-for-f1-rivals
Max Verstappen’s ‘excellent’ Sergio Perez verdict could now make Red Bull question 2025 line-up decision
15 Dec 2024
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Red Bull are still yet to make a clear decision on their 2025 Formula 1 driver pairing with just two weeks of the year to go, but does Sergio Perez have any chance of remaining next to Max Verstappen? Perez made the 2025 Formula 1 entry list this week, suggesting that he may take to the track for Red Bull next season.
Max Verstappen’s ‘excellent’ Sergio Perez verdict could save his Red Bull F1 seat. Speaking to Motorsportcom Italia, Antonio Ghini believes that Verstappen’s praise of the 35-year-old as a teammate last week may do him a favour. “The FIA has published the list of entries for the 2025 world championship, and Red Bull are Verstappen and Perez,” he said. “According to my theory which says that more has also been seen from Verstappen’s statement, [of] Perez is ‘not an idiot, he’s an excellent teammate’. Perez is fine with him, so the whole scenario is still very open.”
‘Max Verstappen’s ‘excellent’ Sergio Perez verdict could save his Red Bull F1 seat’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...e-up-decision/
Perez wins something after all! The 'Action of the Year' award
14 Dec 2024
Savannah Lenz
GPblog.com
Despite finishing eighth in the championship, Sergio Perez did not leave the FIA gala empty-handed. Instead, he went home with the 'Action of the Year' award. At the start of the season in Shanghai, there was a four-way battle during the sprint race. Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and Perez.
The battle was being closely fought especially between Alonso and Sainz. Sainz overtook Alonso, but the former two-time world champion would not accept defeat. Alonso attempted to overtake Sainz but as they were battling it out, Perez seized his opportunity. Both Alonso and Sainz went wide, which gave Perez the space to claim a higher position. Perez ended up taking P3 on the podium in that same place.
Because of this manoeuvre, Perez won 'Action of the Year'. On the social media platform, X, Perez thanked those who voted. He wrote "That was an exciting race! Thanks to everyone for voting!"
'Action of the Year';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31899...rmula-one.html
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Rosberg believes Norris will win 2025 world title: 'Got to be favourite!'
"Lando. I mean, he's the favourite for next year now to win the championship," Nico Rosberg began on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
11 Dec 2024
Toby Nixon
GPblog.com
F1 world champion Nico Rosberg has picked Lando Norris as his 2025 title winner. The German believes that Norris has demonstrated why he is world championship material, but admits that there are still a few things for the Brit to iron out if he is to beat four-time consecutive winner Max Verstappen.
"There's no reason why he shouldn't be the favourite, right? Because at the end of this year, McLaren was the strongest car. He has been marginally stronger than Piastri within the team. So he should be the favourite," Rosberg believes. Norris is coming off of a positive year with McLaren, where, in glimmers, he has shown that he could be one of the best driver on the grid.
The former Mercedes driver acknowledges the fact that Norris must work on a few aspects if he wants to put in a concrete world title challenge. "What we've still seen are some issues for him. He has some inner demons in his mind, which results in one or other mistakes. The most notable was in Singapore, where he was leading the race by 20 seconds, and he almost crashed out, which was a little bit strange. So he has to work on that a little bit still to reduce one or other mistakes."
'Got to be favourite!';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31842...le-winner.html
Next year is my year, says Norris after winning constructors’ title for McLaren
10 Dec 2024
Gulf Today
The Briton won the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole position, racing untroubled from start to finish as McLaren chief executive Zak Brown endured 58 laps of nervous agony on the pitwall. “You all deserve this. Thank you so much. It’s been a special year,” said Norris over the team radio after taking the chequered flag.
“Next year is going to be my year too.” The 25-year-old expanded on that later in pre-podium comments -- once he had told everyone that he and Brown were going to celebrate by getting “absolutely hammered” with the team.
“We want to win the constructors’, we want to win the drivers’ next year,” he said. “I made my mistakes this year, but I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve learned a lot from (Red Bull’s four times champion) Max (Verstappen) and my competitors around me. As much as I’m happy now, I’m excited to get next year going.”
“It’s been a special year”;
https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2024/...le-for-mclaren
Guenther Steiner tells Lando Norris who his biggest enemy in 2025 will be – and it’s not Max Verstappen
15 Dec 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
Guenther Steiner tells Lando Norris that Oscar Piastri could be his ‘biggest enemy’ in 2025. Speaking on The Red Flags Podcast, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner was talking about Norris.
Talking about what he needs to do to potentially become a world champion, he said: “I hope Lando learned a lot about it [winning the championship], but can he next year when getting into it say, get his elbows out because he still has to prove it. He’s said it, but he hasn’t done it, you know? And to do it, what you need to do, you will have some friction with somebody. Can he do it or not? Does he even want to do that?”
“We need to see where this goes, but what is for sure? That Oscar Piastri in the same car will not be sitting there waiting for Lando to win a world championship. Oscar is fast as well as he showed this year. So, I don’t think that McLaren or I’m pretty sure McLaren hasn’t got a number one and number two driver or team orders at the beginning of the year.”
‘Biggest enemy’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gue...ax-verstappen/
McLaren battle to continue in 2025? 'We want that problem!'
15 Dec 2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
During the 2024 season, (the lack of) team orders at McLaren was a much discussed topic in the world of Formula One. From the team to rivals and media, many reflected on the Woking-based team's decisions. According to Andrea Stella, that is a headache they would like to have next year if Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri ends up fighting for the drivers' title.
Asked how McLaren would react to a title battle that involves both Norris and Oscar Piastri, team principal Andrea Stella said: "We do want to have that kind of problem. We work very hard to have a problem of having a car in condition to win races and two drivers in condition to win races. And we know that this one in Formula 1 always comes with some complications, but these are complications that we have already faced this season to some extent."
The Italian underlined that what matters to the team will be the priority. "I think we have always approached that in a cohesive way. Both drivers were always fully aware that we need to find solutions that, first of all, put the interest of the team [first] and then the interest of the drivers [second]. And so far, I think this has been a very positive process. It's a process that we plan to carry over onto next season."
'We want that problem!';
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31918...s-piastri.html
Peter Windsor concerned Lando Norris is ‘swallowing’ McLaren’s PR line after he lost out on F1 title
14 Dec 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Coming into 2024, Norris was taunted as ‘No-wins’ on social media, and he only had one pole position to his name. He ends the campaign with four victories, eight poles and a doubled podium tally (13 to 26).
But there were moments this year when he looked like a legitimate championship contender. After he won the Sprint at the Sao Paulo GP (Piastri moved over upon instruction from the pit wall), he closed the gap to 44 points with four races to go.
YEAR WINS POLES PODIUMS POINTS
2019 0 0 0 49
2020 0 0 1 97
2021 0 1 4 160
2022 0 0 1 122
2023 0 0 7 205
2024 4 8 13 374
“It’s very difficult for Lando now,” Windsor said. “He won’t be taking a 50-thousand-foot view of the 2024 season. He’ll basically be eating, drinking and swallowing the McLaren line, which is that ‘we had a brilliant year, we all worked together, we won the constructors’ championship, we took the drivers’ championship almost to the wire, what a fabulous thing’. Nobody at McLaren, I’m sure, will be saying ‘we really messed up here, because when Red Bull were down, we didn’t do anything like enough to take advantage of it’.”
‘Nobody at McLaren, I’m sure, will be saying ‘we really messed up here…’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/pet...t-on-f1-title/
Verstappen's 'P', had a surprise for Lando Norris at Abu Dhabi
13 Dec 2024
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Penelope was at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in support of her stepfather, Max Verstappen. However she did not forget to give Lando Norris this little surprise while she was there.
An assiduous visitor of the F1 paddock, Abu Dhabi was by no means, little P's first Grand Prix, having been present at Australia and Japan earlier this season. In the Yas Marina Circuit podium celebrations she was also spotted shouting Norris' name, 'Lando' as he went on the podium.
However, the two had sweet moment together, as Penelope gave Norris a sticker. In a response of clear gratitude, the four time Grand Prix winner gave the little girl a hug.
‘Surprise for Lando Norris’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31880...abu-dhabi.html
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Leclerc emotional after 'tough to take' title defeat to McLaren.
So that’s it, the 2024 season is finished. Leclerc begins in a message on X. "Third in the Drivers’ Championship and Second in the Constructors’ Championship. We came so close.”
11 Dec 2024
Toby Nixon
GPblog.com
It was clear that Leclerc was devastated by the result. After starting from 19th place, the Ferrari driver moved up sss places in a last-ditch effort to help his team steal their first constructors title since 2008. Leclerc seemed dejected after the race on Sunday but now has a more positive outlook on a season where he succeeded more than the last, as it included wins on Monaco and Monza.
He continued: "But I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved as a team this year. We turned a tough start of the season into a good fight for the Constructors Title until the very last lap of the last race. Winning Monaco and Monza has always been a dream of mine and we managed to win both of them this year. It’s something I’ll forever remember." Arguably, those two races are the most important to Leclerc. He won his home race at the Monte Carlo Street Circuit in style, as well as winning at the home of the Tifosi in Monza.
Leclerc also sent a message to Carlos Sainz, whom he had to say goodbye to as his teammate in Abu Dhabi. Since the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sanz has been behind the wheel of the Williams for a filming day and testing. "Carlos, thank you for being a fantastic teammate and always pushing me to improve. It’s been an honour to fight alongside you for Ferrari”. continued the Monegasque, who has spent four seasons with the Spaniard alongside him.
‘Leclerc was devastated’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31841...claren-f1.html
Leclerc warns against repeated Ferrari mistake
Ferrari is looking to end its F1 title drought as it enters the 2025 campaign after ending this year on a high.
14 Dec 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Charles Leclerc has highlighted the importance of starting next year's campaign in a strong position as it seeks to end its F1 title drought. Leclerc pointed to examples in the past when Ferrari was unable to be competitive from the start of the year after a positive end to the previous season.
“We just came up short of the ultimate goal this year but momentum is not a thing,” Leclerc told media including RacingNews365. “There’s been quite a lot of examples on our side where we finished a year strong and then the beginning of the year after we've been struggling, so we really need to stay on it. We’ve had quite a few examples.”
Leclerc expressed confidence Ferrari can learn from its weaknesses in previous years to ensure it is in the title hunt in 2025. “We managed to pinpoint what went wrong in that winter break, that we didn't do quite right, and that we paid the price at the beginning of the season after,” he said. “And this is probably the experience that is the most helpful in order to start next year in the best possible way.”
‘Importance of starting next year's campaign in a strong position’;
https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-wa...errari-mistake
‘Brave’: David Coulthard pinpoints ‘perfect’ Charles Leclerc moment this season that he absolutely loved
11 Dec 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer
David Coulthard hails ‘perfect’ Charles Leclerc after Abu Dhabi Grand Prix opening lap. Leclerc was forced to start the final race of the season from the back row of the grid after a mistake in qualifying and a 10-place grid penalty for installing a new energy store.
David Coulthard was commentating on the race for Channel 4 and witnessed one of the Monegasque driver’s greatest moment on his first tour of the Yas Marina Circuit. Watching Leclerc’s start to the race, he went around the outside of turn 6, overtaking four cars and avoiding Sergio Perez’s collision with Valtteri Bottas in the process.
Looking at a replay, co-commentator James Hinchcliffe said: “Four positions just on the run down to turn 6! Absolutely carving his way through the field, position after position. Eventually ran out of tyres and had to do the undercut on George Russell, but an unbelievable first stint from the Ferrari man.”
‘Opening lap’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...olutely-loved/
Formula 1: Charles Leclerc Tops Abu Dhabi Post-Season, Carlos Sainz Impresses On Williams Debut
Charles Leclerc ended the 2024 F1 season on a high note, leading the post-season test at the Yas Marina Circuit for Ferrari. Leclerc set the fastest lap, edging out former teammate Carlos Sainz.
• Dec 10, 2024
• Indo-Asian News Service
NDTV.com
Charles Leclerc ended the 2024 F1 season on a high note, leading the post-season test at the Yas Marina Circuit for Ferrari. Leclerc set the fastest lap, edging out former teammate Carlos Sainz, who impressed in his Williams debut, and Mercedes' George Russell, who claimed third. The nine-hour test featured both rookies and regular drivers, with teams experimenting with different setups and testing Pirelli's homologated 2025 tyres. While teams like Ferrari and Mercedes worked to refine their packages, the focus was also on significant driver transitions.
‘Charles Leclerc Tops Abu Dhabi Post-Season’;
https://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/fo...-debut-7218395
Leclerc on Hamilton's arrival: 'Thinking more about years with Sainz now'
13 Dec 2024
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
After the ruckus originated at the beginning of the year with Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, with the last race of the season now behind us, Charles Leclerc looks back on the missed opportunities of 2024 and at the upcoming season, when he is due to partner the British champion, with extra motivation.
After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Leclerc spoke to media present at the paddock, including GPBlog, about the move and his thoughts on it: "Of course, Lewis has achieved so much in the sport and that will be a great motivation."
The driver of the #16 car, however, was still to busy savoring the final moments of his now previous teammate, Carlos Sainz, after their four year tenure racing for the Italian team together: "But right now I'm thinking more about the past year and the years I spent with Carlos. We've had a great relationship. We pushed each other. I really hoped we could end these four years together with a constructors' title. We both gave everything. It wasn't enough. So now the disappointment is obviously here."
‘Charles Leclerc looks back on the missed opportunities’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31878...departure.html
Charles Leclerc questions ‘wrong headlines’ over Carlos Sainz Ferrari relationship
17 Dec 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week
Charles Leclerc has questioned “wrong headlines” that took his comments over his relationship with former Ferrari Formula 1 team-mate Carlos Sainz “out of context.”
I’ve seen some wrong headlines in the past few days,” Leclerc told select media including Motorsport Week. “My words have been put a little bit out of context. Especially in the fact that I won’t miss Carlos.”
“I was just saying that because he’s 20 meters away in the paddock. Honestly, I’ve had an incredible relationship with Carlos. Really, in terms of person, he’s such a good person. We’ve always had a really, really good relationship.”
‘Wrong headlines’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...-relationship/
Is Hamilton and Leclerc Ferrari's greatest F1 driver line-up?
Ferrari will enter the 2025 F1 season with a star-studded line-up - but is it the best driver pairing in the team's history?
13 Dec 2024
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365
Next year will mark Charles Leclerc's seventh season as a Ferrari driver and he is arguably set to face his biggest test. The Monégasque will be joined at the Italian squad by seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton who opted to depart Mercedes after 12 historic seasons.
Hamilton joins as the most successful driver in F1 history as he looks to aid Ferrari's push to return to title-winning ways. With eight race wins and 43 podiums, Leclerc is also looking to take the next step and challenge for the F1 title.
‘Ferrari's greatest F1 driver line-up?’;
https://racingnews365.com/is-hamilto...driver-line-up
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Sergio Perez reveals Red Bull F1 2025 fate.
Sergio Perez has confirmed he has departed Red Bull Racing after four years with the Milton Keynes squad.
19 Dec 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe
The Mexican took to social media to confirm that he would depart the team he joined in 2021 and won five times for. “I’m incredibly grateful for the past four years with Oracle Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity to race with such an amazing Team,” he said.
“Driving for Red Bull has been an unforgettable experience and I’ll always cherish the successes we achieved together. We broke records, reached remarkable milestones, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people along the way.”
“A big thank you to every person in the Team from the management, engineers and mechanics, catering, hospitality, kitchen, marketing and communications, as well as everyone at Milton Keynes, I wish you all the best for the future.”
‘Sergio Perez has confirmed he has departed Red Bull Racing’;
https://speedcafe.com/sergio-perez-r...-f1-2025-fate/
Sergio Perez confirms Red Bull exit but no replacement named
Sergio Perez confirms his departure from Red Bull following the conclusion of the 2024 F1 season.
18 Dec 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Sergio Perez has announced he is leaving Red Bull ahead of the 2025 F1 season. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “I would like to thank Checo for all he has done for Oracle Red Bull Racing over the past four seasons.
"From the moment he joined in 2021 he proved himself to be an extraordinary Team player, helping us to two Constructors’ titles and to our first 1-2 finish in the Drivers’ championship. His five wins, all on street circuits, were also a spectacular mark of his determination to always push to the limit.”
"While Checo will not race for the Team next season, he will always be an extremely popular Team member and a treasured part of our history. Thank you, Checo.”
‘Sergio Perez confirms his departure’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106164...-ahead-f1-2025
OFFICIAL: Sergio Perez and Red Bull part ways after poor 2024 F1 season
Perez’s dismal run of form in 2024 was the final nail in the coffin at Christian Horner’s racing team
18 Dec 2024
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport
Sergio Perez and Red Bull part ways after a difficult 2024 Formula 1 season that saw the 34-year-old finish 285 points behind Max Verstappen, who will be partnered by New Zealand’s Liam Lawson moving forwards.
Perez finished with just 152 points on the board and was without a top three finish since the Miami Grand Prix Sprint Race all the way back in May, with his best result in the following 18 rounds being sixth at Zandvoort for the Dutch GP.
Despite pointing to difficulties with the car’s balance and consistency, his form was part of why Red Bull relinquished their grip on the constructors’ championship and ultimately finished third behind McLaren and Ferrari.
‘Part ways’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/ser...1-2024-season/
Perez announces departure from Red Bull F1 team
The Mexican driver and his squad have agreed to part ways with immediate effect
Dec 18, 2024
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com
Sergio Perez has announced his exit from the Red Bull Formula 1 team after four seasons with the squad.
As widely expected, the Mexican will vacate the seat alongside world champion Max Verstappen after a tough 2024 campaign in which he struggled for performance and dropped to eighth in the drivers' championship.
While there had been consideration of Perez retaining ties to Red Bull through some form of ambassadorial role, it is understood that this was eventually ruled out.
‘Agreed to part ways’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/s...2024/10683045/
Perez speaks out after Red Bull F1 exit
Sergio Perez's exit from the Red Bull F1 team has formally been confirmed following a disappointing past season.
18 Dec 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Perez issues social media statement: Perez also took to social media to deliver his own message. It read: “Four years ago an opportunity came along that would change my life. In a moment of confusion and frustration came an opportunity that would transform my career.”
“Hand in hand with my first victory, I joined Red Bull. I arrived with all the illusion of returning the team to the top and make my flag fly on the podium. It wasn’t easy but with hard work and determination, the results came. We were champions. Mexico sang with our first podium at home. And of course, we conquered Monaco. We built history with our own hands.”
“Today it’s time to thank Red Bull and move on. I am grateful and honoured to have been part of their history. On a personal note, it’s time to slow down for the first time in my life. But only for a few corners until we know what our next journey is. To all of you who have been with me, I thank you always. And no matter how hard your dreams may seem, always dare to believe. The best is always yet to come. We will meet again.”
“Hand in hand with my first victory, I joined Red Bull”;
https://racingnews365.com/perez-spea...d-bull-f1-exit
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Official! Liam Lawson Signed By Red Bull For 2025!
Liam Lawson, Visa Cash App RB super sub or RB for short, has been confirmed as Max Verstappen’s teammate for the 2025 Formula 1 season.
19 Dec 2024
World In Sport
After two seasons as RB’s reserve driver, the New Zealand driver has been given a full-time race seat—but not at RB but at Red Bull Racing. “To be announced as an Oracle Red Bull Racing Driver is a lifelong dream for me, this is something I’ve wanted and worked towards since I was eight years old”
Having competed in 11 Grand Prix and only announced as Max Verstappen’s team-mate within 24 hours after Red Bull confirmed Sergio Perez’s exit, this announcement creates a mixture of shock and curiosity amongst the Formula 1 paddock but also the Formula 1 community. Upon the arrival of their 22-year-old driver, Red Bull’s CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner expresses his optimism about his new driver:
“Liam’s performances throughout his two stints with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls have demonstrated that he’s not only capable of delivering strong results but also a real racer, not afraid to mix it with the best and come out on top.”
‘Official!’;
https://worldinsport.com/official-li.../?nowprocket=1
Why Yuki Tsunoda will be furious when he discovers the timing of Red Bull’s Liam Lawson decision
19 Dec 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Yuki Tsunoda has officially lost out in the battle to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull. RB teammate Liam Lawson was confirmed as the team’s newest signing on Thursday morning. It’s a brutal blow for Tsunoda, even if it was widely expected. It once again confirms that the Red Bull hierarchy have little faith in him.
Tsunoda thought he had one final chance to impress Red Bull when they handed him a test outing in Abu Dhabi earlier this month. Remarkably, given his long-term involvement in the programme, it was his first-ever test in their machinery. It appeared to be a successful day. Red Bull tried to keep Tsunoda’s fans calm by denying him a low-fuel, flat-out run, but he logged a mammoth 127 laps. What’s more, Tsunoda impressed engineers with ‘excellent’ feedback on the car’s handling. But, according to F1TV’s Lawrence Barretto, none of this mattered.
Speaking on a live stream on the sport’s official channel, Barretto revealed that Red Bull had opted for Lawson even before Tsunoda had turned a wheel. Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and the team’s shareholders held a summit the day after the final race at Yas Marina. “From what I understand, they decided the day after Abu Dhabi – so before Yuki had even done the test on the Tuesday – they had decided that he was the one,” Barretto said of Lawson. “Once they’d done that, there was no going back.”
‘Yuki Tsunoda will be furious’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/why...wson-decision/
No promotion for Tsunoda: This is how the Japanese reacted to the news
19 Dec 2024
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
Yuki Tsunoda has said for months that he is ready for the move to Red Bull Racing. But at the end of the day, the Japanese remains at Racing Bulls, while his more inexperienced teammate, Liam Lawson, makes the move to Red Bull Racing and becomes Max Verstappen's new teammate, much to Tsunoda's disappointment.
Once that decision was made, Marko personally briefed the Japanese driver. This was not done face-to-face, Marko told F1-Insider. "He is currently in Japan and I spoke to him on the phone. He took the news relatively calmly. I told him to keep pushing at the Racing Bulls and then we'll see. He responded positively."
‘No promotion for Tsunoda’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31984...-red-bull.html
'The wrong decision': Ted Kravitz can’t understand why Red Bull signed Liam Lawson over two-podium F1 driver
19 Dec 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Ted Kravitz says Red Bull should have re-signed Alex Albon over Liam Lawson. Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast before the news was announced, Ted Kravitz argued that Red Bull had made the ‘wrong decision’. Many have argued that Horner should have re-signed Carlos Sainz, who was available following Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari move. Sainz says Red Bull did him a ‘favour’ by overlooking him. But Kravitz believes another former driver was the answer – Alex Albon.
“For me, it’s the wrong decision,” Kravitz said. “I think Alex Albon, actually, strange as this might sound [was the right choice]. I don’t think it would have taken much of a lever to get Alex Albon out of Williams. Williams could have run Franco Colapinto and Carlos Sainz – perfect. Alex Albon would at least have been a known measure against Max Verstappen. Albon’s so much older and wiser and knows how to handle Max and the whole situation. I don’t know why they haven’t done that.”
‘Should have re-signed Alex Albon’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ted...ium-f1-driver/
Was Perez fired by Red Bull Racing? Here's what Perez sr. thinks!
19 Dec 2024
Norberto Mujica
GPblog.com
Sergio Perez's Red Bull Racing stint has come to an end. As of next season Liam Lawson is set to partner Max Verstappen in the Austrian racing outfit. The Mexican driver's father, Antonio Perez Garibay, has reacted to his son's departure from Red Bull - and F1 - for the first time.
The best of 'Checo' Perez is yet to come? "If you ask me what has been the most difficult race for Checo Perez, it was not this last one that he went through or today's, it was at the age of twelve when he was kicked out of the Karting here in Mexico, then he was kicked out of McLaren, then he was kicked out of Racing Point, now he is kicked out of Red Bull, the best of Checo Perez is yet to come," Pérez's controversial father told Grupo Fórmula.
Essential goals not achieved, but he won Monaco. "I think Checo gave everything, he gave everything, two things that he lacked to achieve all his goals that he had were to win the Mexican Grand Prix and to be world champion. There are many drivers in Formula One, you know that they have been world champions and have never won the Monaco Grand Prix. Checo achieved that triumph, a wonderful triumph for Mexico," he concluded.
‘Perez sr.’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31978...dismissal.html
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F1’s class of 2025 is complete: Here's the grid.
This marked the culmination of a whirlwind driver market, one that saw established names depart and a fresh wave of talent emerge.
20/12/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com
The 2025 season promises a thrilling mix of experience and youthful exuberance, with a remarkable six rookies set to line up on the starting grid in Melbourne next March.
This influx of fresh blood includes absolute beginners Hadjar, Kimi Antonelli, and Gabriel Bortoleto, alongside Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson, and Jack Doohan, who have tasted F1 competition but are yet to complete a full season.
Their arrival signifies a changing of the guard, as Grand Prix winners Perez, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas, as well as well as Kevin Magnussen and Zhou Guanyu depart the grid. The driver market was ignited in February by Lewis Hamilton’s bombshell announcement of his move to Ferrari, ending his storied partnership with Mercedes.
‘Dramatic reshuffling of the grid.’;
https://f1i.com/news/528122-formula-...-complete.html
Oscar Piastri named the F1 driver “with the most to prove” in F1 2025
"I really expected him to step up this year and I am a little surprised he didn’t. I really felt that this year he would be better than Lando"
20 Dec 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
F1 legend Juan Pablo Montoya has labelled Oscar Piastri as the driver “with the most to prove” in 2025. Speaking to LuckyBlock, Montoya admitted he expected more from Piastri in 2024.
“Oscar Piastri is the driver with the most to prove next season,” Montoya said. “I really expected him to step up this year and I am a little surprised he didn’t. I really felt that this year he would be better than Lando [Norris]. But Lando took a massive step forward and Oscar didn’t.”
Piastri will have his eyes firmly on winning the title in 2025. However, he’s recognised his need to up his game in qualifying. He said at the end of the year: “I think this season, I feel like I’ve made some good steps forward. “There’s still room to go. I think, you know, the biggest one has been leaving a few too many positions on the table in qualifying.”
“Really expected him to step up this year”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106167...-prove-f1-2025
Former F1 driver predicts first-time champion for 2025 title success
The 2025 F1 title fight could be a hotly contested affair - but one name has been picked out of the list of contenders by this former driver.
20 Dec 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has backed Lando Norris to win the F1 championship next season. “Lando Norris,” Herbert told plejmo.com when discussing his pick for the 2025 champion. “All he has got to do is use his elbows a little bit more and he will be the complete driver.”
“Oscar maybe won’t help his teammate. Lando has learned his lessons and heard all the chatter that has been going on. Lando at the moment has that ultimate speed which Oscar might not have shown consistently this year. Lando has a massive chance next year.”
"Next year is McLaren's best chance to have a world champion. 2026 is all too up in the air with the new developments,” Herbert said. “There is no reason though why McLaren can’t keep their momentum going. They have a very good infrastructure, one of the best in F1, and a great mix of people throughout the team, not least to cope with the changes coming in 2026.”
‘Use his elbows a little bit more’;
https://racingnews365.com/former-f1-...-title-success
Bottas returns to Mercedes as F1 reserve driver for 2025 season
19 December 2024
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MailOnline
"I´m happy to finally answer the question I´ve posed over the past month," the 35-year-old Finn said. "Returning home to the Mercedes family as third driver for 2025 is what´s next and I couldn´t be more pleased. Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I´ve still got so much more to contribute to F1."
"Returning home to the Mercedes family”;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap...25-season.html
Ferrari reveal launch date for "all-new" 2025 F1 car that will be "99 per cent new"
19 Dec 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has revealed during the Scuderia's usual pre-Christmas media day that the new car will be "99 per cent" new.
“Sometimes you don't feel that you are taking risks and you realise a bit later that was very risky. The car will be a completely new one. I think we have something less than 1% of the common parts that we will carry over. It's a different project, but it's true for everybody," concluded the Frenchman.
The team has now revealed that it will unveil the new car on 19th February, a day after Formula One's inaugural launch event that will take place at London’s 02 Arena. Ferrari's decision to show off their new car a day after F1's launch event means that they will only unveil the 2025 livery on last year's car, while the new one will be revealed only at Maranello.
‘That was very risky’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/26108
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Liam Lawson reveals what he told his dad in an emotional phone call after signing for Red Bull.
“I’m going to be testing in Silverstone now.’ Just to see his reaction, he was like, What are you saying? And so I said, I got the seat, basically.”
19 Dec 2024
Luke-John Buckle
F1 Oversteer
The Kiwi revealed how he broke the news to his dad over the phone, which became an emotional call for both of them. He told the Red Bull YouTube channel: “So I FaceTimed him, and I said to him, ‘Oh, dad, I’m just looking at planning my January calendar at the moment. So we’re going to head back to Europe around mid-January towards the end of January.”
“Normally, we have a test with VCARB in Imola, and that was the same last year, and that was planned this year as well. I said to him, ‘I’m actually not going to be testing in Imola right now. I’m going to be testing in Silverstone now.’ Just to see his reaction, he was like, What are you saying?”
“And so I said, I got the seat, basically. It was real funny because he sat on it for probably two minutes, and I could see he just couldn’t really believe it. It is the same for me. And then probably a delay of two minutes, he started reacting and got emotional about it.”
“Sat on it for probably two minutes”;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lia...al-phone-call/
How Liam Lawson found out he was in: 'Welcome to Red Bull Racing'
20 Dec 2024
Barry Guy
Radio New Zealand
Lawson said while he was well aware of the speculation, his seat was only confirmed by Red Bull boss Christian Horner over the past few days following a meeting with the team.
"I knew a change was on the cards. Christian was kind enough to send me a text, just a heads up that the meeting was good and then he called me with the classic one-liner.... welcome to Red Bull Racing."
The first person he then called was his father. "He was very emotional and I've never really seen him like that which is quite cool. He's been a big part of the mentality I've had growing up and coming into racing, he let me believe as a kid that I could do anything if I believed in it enough and I worked hard enough for it."
'Welcome to Red Bull Racing';
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/537...ed-bull-racing
New Sergio Perez role confirmed with F1 2025 run plan in place
21 Dec 2024
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Horner has confirmed that Perez will remain involved with the team in F1 2025 by participating in a number of show runs – public demonstrations of old F1 cars, often taking place on the streets of major cities – next year. Asked if Perez has effectively been sacked by Red Bull, Horner told talkSPORT: “No, it’s a little different to that.
“Sergio has been with us for four years and, for the first three years, he played a huge role in the team and certainly that first Drivers’ World Championship. “You’ve only got to think back to Abu Dhabi ’21, the role that he played for the team on that day; Constructors’ Champions in 2022/23; he was second in the Drivers’ Championship last year.”
“He’s just had a really tough year this year and we sat down last week – we’d obviously been talking about it a little bit beforehand – and decided that it was right for both of us, just to step back, for him to step out of the car, take a bit of time with his family, work out what he wants to do. He’s still going to be involved with the team. He will be doing a couple of show runs with us during next year.”
‘F1 2025 run plan in place’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...-2025-schedule
'Quite crazy': Liam Lawson admits he was in awe of one Sergio Perez performance that put him ‘on the map’ in F1
20 Dec 2024
Luke-John Buckle
F1 Oversteer
Perez joined the Formula 1 grid with Sauber in 2011 and had a very good feel for the Pirelli tyres, which were new for that season. The rubber was very fragile, but the Mexican made the tyres last longer than some others. This skill served him well in Malaysia in 2012, when he finished second behind Alonso.
Lawson explained he remembers watching this race and feels Perez’s superb drive made people watch out for him in the future. He told Sky Sports F1: “It goes back to when I was a kid, and I remember watching a race that I think really was one of his big putting on the map was in Malaysia in the Sauber, and he was fighting with Fernando Alonso.
“I remember that race as a kid watching that. To be competing against these guys now anyways, to put things into perspective, it’s quite crazy. I have a huge amount of respect for what he’s done in the sport and what he’s done for this team.”
‘In awe of one Sergio Perez performance’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lia...the-map-in-f1/
Former VCARB boss stresses: 'Lawson shouldn't compete with Verstappen'
20 Dec 2024
Toby Nixon
GPblog.com
Liam Lawson has been given some advice by former Toro Rosso and Alpha Tauri boss Franz Tost. Tost, who spent 18 years in the team principal role at Red Bull's sister team, believes that Lawson needs to find his feet at Red Bull: "The only thing I can recommend about Liam is that he should do his own thing and never try to measure up to Max Verstappen. Max is one of the all-time greats, comparable to Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. His peak is far from being reached, and his potential is endless," he explained.
According to Tost, Verstappen continues to grow tremendously, as he did last season with elite levels of consistency despite his mid-season winning drought. Now, he has the self-confidence of a four-time champion. "If you start looking at his lap times, it will go wrong. That's why Liam has to think only of himself and work with Max to try to make the car better. Anything else would be fatal to him and doomed to failure," Tost says.
‘Some advice’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31992...-red-bull.html
Liam Lawson has realised Max Verstappen’s ex-teammate was spot on about ‘hard to drive’ Red Bull car
20 Dec 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Liam Lawson agrees with Alex Albon on ‘Call of Duty’ Red Bull car. Lawson surprised the hosts of the Pitstop podcast when he admitted that the Red Bull was ‘hard to drive’. He’s able to compare it directly to the slower, but perhaps tamer, VCARB 01.
Former Red Bull man Alex Albon likened the handling to playing ‘Call of Duty’ on a video game controller because it’s ‘so sensitive’. Verstappen admits his driving style may be unfavourable to teammates, but the team have committed to building their car around the four-time world champion.
Lawson says the ‘aggressive’ front end demands confidence as well as accuracy from the cockpit. He can understand how his predecessors lost their way. “It’s very different,” he said. “It’s quick but it’s hard to drive. It’s what I would call ‘fronty’. It’s very aggressive. It’s a car that takes confidence. It’s got a lot of front grip, and if you don’t quite get it right, you lose the rear. And if you lose the rear in a Formula 1 car, you just lose all your confidence.”
‘Hard to drive’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lia...-red-bull-car/
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Wolff overjoyed with Bottas' "incredibly important" return to Mercedes.
In his first comments after the announcement of the comeback, Wolff directly addresses Bottas: "Welcome home, Valtteri! It's great to have you back."
19 Dec 2024
Ludo van Denderen
GPblog.com
Mercedes' most experienced driver next season will be Valtteri Bottas, but in principle, the Finn will not be in action. Toto Wolff, Mercedes' CEO and team boss, expects Bottas to be of great value to the racing stable. "His impact and contribution in the five years he was with us previously as our race driver was immense. Along with scoring multiple Grands Prix wins, he played a vital role in five of our championship victories"
"His technical feedback and input were important in helping us to those successes and pushing the team forward. Not only that, but he was also a fantastic colleague and team member. His dry sense of humour and personable nature made him a firm favourite with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth," Wolff continued.
‘"Incredibly important" return to Mercedes’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31973...-mercedes.html
Toto Wolff has already delivered ‘inexcusable’ message Kimi Antonelli must heed ahead of his 2025 F1 debut
17 Dec 2024
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
There’s a lot of hype surrounding Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Formula 1 debut – the sort of which hasn’t been witnessed since Max Verstappen burst onto the scene nearly nine years ago. The Silver Arrows are taking a gamble in placing the 18-year-old straight into a seat, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Antonelli won’t and cannot be expected to explode onto the scene.
Netflix’s Drive to Survive team will probably be covering their efforts closely as Antonelli embarks on his first full-time venture. Wolff spoke to them a few years ago during the 2021 season and mentioned what sort of attitude he will not tolerate from a young driver racing for Mercedes like Antonelli will be next year.
“With a young driver, you need to expect mistakes,” he said. “But things that would be inexcusable are arrogance, a sense of entitlement, and an approach of ‘it wasn’t my fault, it was always someone else’s mistake.'” Did Kimi Antonelli deserve the Mercedes Formula 1 seat for 2025? One key example which suggests that it may have been unfair to promote the young Italian so soon lies within his new teammate. George Russell was forced to spend three seasons at Williams developing as a driver at the back of the field before he got an opportunity with the German manufacturer.
‘There’s a lot of hype’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/kim...rcedes-season/
Toto Wolff expected to go back on his promise to Lewis Hamilton now Ferrari move completed
Toto Wolff made a promise to Lewis Hamilton after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Dec 15, 2024
Sam Smith
Daily and Sunday Express
Toto Wolff has been accused of talking “b******* for the cameras” with a promise he made to Lewis Hamilton after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Mercedes chief claimed that he will cheer if the seven-time world champion wins races with Ferrari.
However, former Haas boss Guenther Steiner believes his former counterpart was talking “b*******” and will not be cheering if Hamilton earns victories while Mercedes struggle. “He doesn’t wish him that,” the 59-year-old told the Red Flags Podcast. “That was b******* for the camera, this was for the camera.”
Asked if he thought Wolff would be happy if Hamilton wins his eighth world title with Ferrari, Steiner added: “No, because he didn’t win it. There can be only one winner. Why should he be happy? He said, if it is not us, it should be you, yeah, for sure. But if he doesn’t win it, he doesn’t really care who wins it, in my opinion.”
“That was b******* for the camera”;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...milton-ferrari
'When the driving ends': Toto Wolff shares whether Lewis Hamilton could ‘one day’ return to Mercedes after Ferrari move
11 Dec 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer
Lewis Hamilton said goodbye to his Mercedes team at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last weekend. While his final years at Brackley fell short of both sides’ expectations, they will forever have a unique bond. Together, they broke all of the most significant records for a driver/team combination. Hamilton leaves with the most appearances, wins and championships for a single outfit.
Toto Wolff open to having Lewis Hamilton back at Mercedes when he leaves Ferrari. It’s unclear whether Hamilton will still be involved in F1 when he retires. He hasn’t expressed any notable interest in running a team or becoming a pundit, but few of the drivers have. Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Toto Wolff said Hamilton could still be part of Mercedes’ future. He implicitly closed the door on a driving return after promoting 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli as George Russell’s teammate.
“There is no such thing in an end to the relationship Mercedes has with Lewis, neither what we as a team have, nor I and Susie personally,” Wolff said. “I think Lewis has decided to do something else for the last part of his career, which I understand, but he’s always going to be part of that family, and always welcome in the family.”
'When the driving ends';
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/tot...-ferrari-move/
Marko and Wolff reveal trigger of closer relationship
Despite being their teams being rivals, Toto Wolff and Helmut Marko have a close relationship.
17 Dec 2024
Jan van der Burgt & Nick Golding
RacingNews365
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff have revealed that their relationship has gotten closer since the tragic passing of Dietrich Mateschitz. "Look at the year 2021," Marko said in an interview alongside Wolff with ORF. "That was the toughest season ever, both athletically and mentally and everything bordering on that.”
"The outcome satisfied us very much, but Mercedes of course in no way. And that brings emotions. We are full of passion for this sport and that brings a lot, but we are also mature enough to have learned how to deal with loss and how to learn to live with it. That fact actually brings us closer together as people."
Despite Red Bull and Mercedes being fierce rivals, Wolff has huge amounts of respect for Marko and what he has achieved. "At the end of the day, we're both like, 'we're a small group of Austrians with great mutual respect.' But when you're rivals and trying to win with all available weapons, it's hard to grow closer together," said Wolff.
‘Trigger of closer relationship’;
https://racingnews365.com/marko-and-...r-relationship
'He's got enough': Toto Wolff initially rejected Lewis Hamilton’s ‘support’ proposal after Angela Cullen split
11 Dec 2024
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Toto Wolff rejected Lewis Hamilton’s Stephen Lord proposal after Angela Cullen split. Hamilton is still a genius, and that was proven by recent drives at both the Las Vegas Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
But after a shock split from long-time aide and trainer Angela Cullen, he was left searching for some more help in early 2023. He requested the services of Mercedes coordinator Stephen Lord, to which Toto Wolff initially refused, as Lord admitted to F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast.
“Initially, Toto said no, he said Stevo’s got a job, he’s got enough on his plate. By all accounts, Lewis persisted and in the end, Ron Meadows, the sporting director and Toto said ‘Well, look. Stevo will do it if he agrees to do it for two or three races until you find a suitable replacement for Angela.’ I started that side role in Saudi last year and here we are still, which I kind of suspected might happen.”
'He's got enough';
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/tot...-cullen-split/
Toto Wolff swerves question about signing Max Verstappen after row
Toto Wolff asked by Crash.net if he has been put off signing Max Verstappen after George Russell row.
9 Dec 2024
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
Wolff unusually appeared at Russell’s side for his news conference on Thursday in a clear show of support for his driver. The off-track drama raised question over whether Mercedes would still want to sign Verstappen in the future after publicly courting him earlier this season.
Wolff somewhat dodged providing a direct response when asked by Crash.net if he had been put off signing Verstappen over his conduct. “George put the line in the sand,” Wolff said.
“There is a relationship between two drivers that needs to stay between the two of them and for them to manage. As a team principle I don’t think I should get involved.”
‘Toto Wolff swerves question’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106145...ppen-after-row
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Timeline identified for Adrian Newey to lead Aston Martin into F1 title fight.
Newey will officially join Aston Martin in March. It means he will have time to influence their 2026 car, the first in the new set of regulations.
21 Dec 2024
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net
Craig Slater noted that Newey joins an already impressive line-up at Aston Martin. “Nuclear fusion. You have got Andy Cowell here, and Newey. The engine guy and the car guy,” he said.
“They are the two most significant engineers in F1 - in Newey’s case, of the last 30 years. Cowell is the only engineer to supplant him in Mercedes’ period of dominance.” Newey will work with Fernando Alonso - achieving a personal goal - in 2025, and his teammate Lance Stroll.
‘Timeline identified’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/105776...f1-title-fight
Coulthard makes ‘uncomfortable’ Adrian Newey Red Bull to Aston Martin admission
22 Dec 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
“I do a lot of talking. I’m Irish. Irish people do a lot of talking,” Jordan replied. “But when there’s money involved and you need to keep your trap shut, you do. Invariably.” Jordan went on to do some handing out of praise of his own, aimed at Red Bull.
“In my lifetime, I’ve done some really, really scary deals, deals that have come off, some that haven’t. But I really believe the negotiations I had with Red Bull were the finest and the best caliber. They were incredibly decent and proper people to deal with. They understood exactly the situation, why I was talking to them, and the position of Adrian, having been there 18 years, he was a huge servant to them.”
“He’s won dozens and dozens and dozens of World Championships there, but it was probably one of the greatest deals I’ve ever done in my life, not financially, but mentally. I felt so great about how that’s structured.”
‘When there’s money involved and you need to keep your trap shut’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/david-...-martin-switch
END OF YEAR REPORT: Aston Martin – A season below expectations but with key high-profile arrivals
20 Dec 2024
Alasdair Hooper
Formula One - Official Site
By Aston Martin’s own admissions, 2024 fell significantly short of their expectations. While the season before had brought podium-scoring exploits, this year the on-track performances failed to sparkle on a regular basis. In the end that would result in a relative no man’s land of P5 in the constructors’ – 374 points behind fourth-placed Mercedes. That said, the continued work behind the scenes and key personnel additions – including one particularly high-profile individual – means this is still one of the teams to watch in the months and years to come. Here is their end of year report…
Best finish: Fernando Alonso – 5th in Saudi Arabia
It’s hard to fathom that Aston Martin’s best finish came in the second race of the year – but that’s an indication as to how their season petered out. While Fernando Alonso crossed the line behind the likes of Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri that day in Jeddah it represented one of just a few ultra-competitive events for the Silverstone squad.
To put their campaign into perspective, Aston had scored 73 points by the time we got to the 2024 summer break. After that they only racked up 21 more points, all scored by Alonso. That’s a long, long way from last year’s tally of 280, and shows why Alonso in particular was wishing very openly to see the back of 2024.
‘Significantly short of their expectations’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...zwVvddsdHpzko7
Alonso finds silver lining in Aston Martin gloom
A difficult season was endured by Aston Martin in 2024 - but there is lots to look forward to, according to Fernando Alonso.
19 Dec 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365
Alonso denied it set its goals too high after its strong uptick in performance from the previous campaign. “No, I don’t think that the expectations were too high,” Alonso told media including RacingNews365. “We did a very strong campaign in 2023, and people were expecting us to fight for bigger things, or at least to be at the level that we were at the beginning of this year. And this is normal.”
“This is Formula 1, and we want to be there as well. You know, we didn’t succeed, you know, the second part of the year. We are aware of that. But we are not ashamed of that.” Alonso moved to point out the positives from its campaign as it continue to upgrade its new factory at Silverstone.
“We are working towards fighting for the championship in the future and the second part of the year we didn’t maybe bring to the circuit what we thought that it was in the pipeline,” Alonso said. “But at the same time, we have finished some of the facilities in Silverstone, with building two and three of the factory, the wind tunnel will be soon operating. And we have Adrian Newey on board, so it was not a bad, 2024.”
‘Silver lining’;
https://racingnews365.com/alonso-fin...n-martin-gloom
Montoya hints at surprising move Verstappen: 'They'd be pretty happy'
18 Dec 2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com
Juan Pablo would not be surprised to see Max Verstappen end up driving for Aston Martin future, provided that the British team's investments go according to what they planned and they will have a fast car in the competition.
The former F1 driver continued: "If everything lines up well, Aston could be winning in ‘27 or ‘28, not before that. But by 2028, Fernando's going to be 47/48. So, who's going to be there? And by then, does Lance still want to race?" Montoya explains why Verstappen could be welcomed if Lawrence Stroll manages to build up a team capable of fighting for titles.
For the now four-time world champion Verstappen, the most important thing is to have a quick car. However, he has also done that for years together with Adrian Newey and Honda at Red Bull Racing. "It wouldn't be the most surprising thing in the world if Max Verstappen joined Aston Martin, would it? Honda and Newey; they’d be pretty happy to have Max driving the car," the former Williams and McLaren driver concluded.
‘Not be surprised to see Max Verstappen end up driving for Aston Martin’;
https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31950...y-montoya.html
Formula 1: The next 'understudy' of Fernando Alonso is not who you think
Fernando Alonso’s driver management company, A14, has been getting more attention recently, as Gabriel Bortoleto is set to be their first driver in Formula 1. Who's next?
Dec 24, 2024
Siddharth Bharani-Dharan
When Gabriel Bortoleto won the Formula 2 championship at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi just weeks ago, two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso was eagerly waiting to congratulate one of his drivers.
The Brazilian driver headlines the small group of drivers managed by Alonso’s company, A14.
‘The next 'understudy' of Fernando Alonso’;
https://beyondtheflag.com/formula-1-...o-01jf6m65djh3
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Hamilton’s Ferrari bombshell, Newey’s Red Bull exit and more – The key moments of an unforgettable 2024 F1 season.
How do you sum up a season as action-packed and eventful as 2024?
24 Dec 2024
Alasdair Hooper
Formula One - Official Site
January and February are the months where you’re sat wondering what on earth you’re going to write about. This time around there was no such problem. Following on from the huge news that Guenther Steiner had left Haas the month before (which would have been a key moment, but I have to set a limit somewhere) came the absolutely gargantuan announcement that – yes – Lewis Hamilton was moving to Ferrari for 2025.
It’s hard to describe how seismic this was and still is. Not only did it blow the driver market wide open – thanks to the knock-on impact of a vacancy at Mercedes and the fact Carlos Sainz was out of a seat now – but it would bring to an end the most successful driver/team partnership in F1 history. Before 2024 had even got going, the excitement for 2025 was already building.
Adrian Newey leaves Red Bull. After almost 20 years with Red Bull, and numerous more championships added to the design guru’s list of accolades in F1, a bombshell announcement dropped on May 1 – Adrian Newey was leaving the team.
‘Key moments’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...z6GyTmq8RbTfkr
Funniest moment, best radio message and more – F1's 2024 alternative awards
29 Dec 2024
Alasdair Hooper
Formula One - Official Site
Most improved driver – Oscar Piastri. We start with a semi-serious – and subjective – ‘award’ with Oscar Piastri taking the imaginary crown this year. Not only did the McLaren man secure his maiden Grand Prix victories in his second full season, his consistency also helped the team win their first constructors’ championship in 26 years. While an honorable mention could go to Yuki Tsunoda for his best-ever F1 campaign, the fact Piastri moved up three positions in the drivers’ top 10 drivers vote for 2024 gives this added validity.
Unluckiest driver – Alex Albon. Five retirements and one DNS in Brazil – oof. Williams’ Alex Albon comfortably takes this category with his Lap 1 crash in Mexico, from a P9 starting slot, and his DNS in Brazil – having secured P7 in qualifying no less – possibly enough to secure the unluckiest title on their own. What’s more, if we were to have an ‘unluckiest team’ award then look no further than those Williams mechanics…
Funniest moment – Yuki Tsunoda’s ‘brown flag’
Best radio message – ‘You can win this George!’
Best special livery – McLaren’s Senna-inspired Monaco livery
Best special race suits – Ferrari’s blue in Miami
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...mYJfV02S2h3ZPK
Vasseur says flexi-wing saga impacted 2024 F1 title race
06/01/2025
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has pointed to the controversial use of flexi-wings by rival teams as a decisive factor in the tightly contested 2024 Formula 1 season. Vasseur then elaborated on the difficulties Ferrari faced in reacting to the situation, hampered by the cost cap regulations and the time taken for the FIA's assessment.
"I'm a bit frustrated with this, because it's clear performance, and we wait two months for the decision if it's legal or not," the Scuderia chief explained, quoted by Motorsport.com. "And with the cost cap, you have always to keep in mind the cost cap. It means that you have to be efficient with the budget. It means that if you start to do a development and at the end, it's a no-go, you burn €600,000.”
‘Flexi-wing saga’;
https://f1i.com/news/528769-vasseur-...itle-race.html
Why Red Bull felt they were ‘pegged back’ by Formula 1 over 2024 ‘grey areas’
6 Jan 2025
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer
Red Bull have a ‘feeling’ that F1 ‘grey areas’ cost them in 2024. Red Bull should have optimism for 2025 after winning 12.5% more races than any other constructor last season. Speaking on a 2025 Formula 1 preview podcast by The Race, Scott Mitchell-Malm mentioned...
“Red Bull is no longer going to have the target on its back that it had due to its early dominance in this ruleset,” he said. It’s definitely, definitely a feeling within that team that it became a very convenient development for Formula 1 if Red Bull could be pegged back some way and others could be given licences to make gains in the grey areas that Red Bull didn’t consider to be so grey.”
“You look back through the year when talking about McLaren. Jon mentioned the step they made in Miami there with their upgrade. Red Bull were convinced that the performance swing through the season could not be explained by normal development alone,” he continued. “The only thing you can infer from that is that Red Bull felt there was a desire or a willingness to be a little bit more lenient for the teams playing catch-up, and not lenient at all on the team that was out in front.”
‘Pegged back’;
https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/why...24-grey-areas/
Andrea Stella highlights key role FIA played in McLaren F1 2024 title success
4 Jan 2025
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
In 2018, with the FIA moving to introduce regulations to clamp down on any possible disparities – supplied engines must be of identical specification to the manufacturer, and supplied with identical oils, fuels, and software.
“In itself, it’s not particularly satisfying because I think nowadays, thanks to the regulations, thanks to the good work that the FIA have done in terms of creating parity, as to the way the engine is used between customer and works teams,” Stella said in response to a question from PlanetF1.com about winning the Constructors’ crown as a customer team.
Andrea Stella praised the FIA for their work on ensuring parity when asked about the topic by PlanetF1.com. “In itself, it’s not particularly satisfying because I think nowadays, thanks to the regulations, thanks to the good work that the FIA have done in terms of creating parity, as to the way the engine is used between customer and works teams.”
‘Key role FIA played’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclare...onship-success
How McLaren avoided rivals’ development hurdles in F1 2024
2 Jan 2025
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Houldey detailed how McLaren adopted a studious approach to upgrades throughout 2024. “I can’t answer for any other team and I’m sure there are many different reasons why different teams have been taking parts off, putting parts back on again,” Houldey said.
“The Miami floor was relatively easy, actually. It had so much performance, it was going to be better in every part of the corner, and there was no concern. It may have caused a little bit more bouncing, it might not, but these were going to be small effects with total lap time.”
“The harder one for us was the late season package in Austin where actually the performance wasn’t as high, but we’d been so diligent in ensuring that in every trajectory, every part of the corner, it was still better, that we were still confident that it was going to go onto the car and offer us some lap time. And I think that’s in part because of the way that we have good toolsets, that the CFD and the wind tunnel all give very similar results.”
‘Studious approach’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/...es-in-f1-2024/
Why Toto Wolff branded Mercedes the ‘dirty track champions’ in F1 2024
31 Dec 2024
Motorsport Week
There were countless occasions across 2024 where Mercedes started a race weekend looking in competitive shape as it was on the leading pace in opening practice. However, that nascent promise tended to dissipate once the track grip ramped up, prompting other sides to make a seismic step that Mercedes was unable to unlock.
“I think we are dirty track champions,” Wolff told media including Motorsport Week in Las Vegas, a race that the team would go on to win through George Russell. “FP1 is always great and then the moment the grip kicks in, we’ve seen that the performances deteriorate.”
‘Toto Wolff: “The more you drive, the more you fail, the more you learn. But the competition doesn’t sleep.” ’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...ns-in-f1-2024/
The "self-fulfilling injury" in Williams's 2024 F1 crash-fest
Alex Albon has revealed that one of Williams’s time-saving but weight-adding measures in its 2024 F1 car build process actually meant it suffered more car damage during its early-year crashes
Dec 29, 2024
Alex Kalinauckas
Motorsport.com
Alex Albon says Williams suffered a “self-fulfilling injury” with the early season timesaving but weight-adding measures on its 2024 Formula 1 car, which led to additional crash damage.
But the added weight of metal parts meant more force going through a monocoque in a crash, such as when Williams was forced to sideline Logan Sargeant after Albon crashed in Australian Grand Prix practice, his chassis was too damaged to be used again and the team did not have a spare at the time.
‘Williams's 2024 F1 crash-fest’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...fest/10685184/
