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F1 – Leclerc beats Verstappen to Australian Grand Prix pole position.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc beat Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen by almost three tenths of a second to take his second pole position of the season in an Australian Grand Prix qualifying session that was disrupted by two red flag periods.
09.04.22
FIA
Q1 began with both Ferraris heading out on track soon after the pit lane opened and Leclerc immediately moved to P1 with a lap of 1:19.391. McLaren’s Lando Norris slotted into second just under four tenths off the Ferrari driver.
In Q2 Verstappen was first out on track, with Pérez not far behind. Verstppen crossed the line in 1:18.611, marginally off his Q1 best, to take top spot, with his team-mate second. Alonso then split the Red Bulls as Leclerc made his way to fourth ahead of Norris.
Verstappen was again on track early in Q3 but the Dutchman’s opening run featured a small lock up in the penultimate corner and he crossed the line in 1:18.399. Pérez then took top spot just 0.001s behind his team-mate. Leclerc was running quickly though and his 1:18.239 was good enough for provisional pole.
‘Pole Position’;
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-leclerc-...-pole-position
Leclerc keeps Australian GP pole after F1 stewards investigation
09/04/2022, 13:48
By Scott Mitchell
Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc has kept his Australian Grand Prix pole after the stewards deemed no further action was necessary over him allegedly driving unnecessarily slowly in qualifying.
Leclerc took his second pole of the season after defeating early championship rival Max Verstappen in Melbourne. However, on Saturday evening he and his Ferrari team were called to the stewards at 20:55 local time.
Leclerc has allegedly breached Article 33.4 of the sporting regulations and the race director’s notes by “driving unnecessarily slowly on an inlap” in Q1.
‘Leclerc On Pole’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/lecle...investigation/
Perez in the clear after yellow flag investigation
2022 Australian Grand Prix
Posted on
9th April 2022, 13:24 | Written by Will Wood
After investigating the incident, the stewards cleared the Red Bull driver of failing to respect the yellow flag. “As [Perez] approached turn 11, a single yellow flag was displayed for a car in the escape road,” the stewards explained.
“[Perez] was warned by his team on the radio at the same time the signals were displayed at the corner. Compared to his previous lap, he lifted 70 meters earlier, braked 50 meters earlier, and carried 14kph less speed into the corner.”
“As a result of these actions, the stewards conclude that [Perez] acted appropriately to the situation and take no further action.”
‘Lifted in the Clear’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/04/09/...investigation/
Fantastic Ferrari, marvellous McLaren and awful Aston: Aus GP qualifying analysis
Riccardo to start in top 10! | 01:39
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
April 9th, 2022 8:55 pm
Charles Leclerc has capitalised on difficult weekend for Max Verstappen to seize pole position for the first Australian Grand Prix in three years.
It was a disjointed session that Ferrari found easiest to master, its super-usable car doing the business when Red Bull Racing couldn’t and delivering Leclerc his second pole of the season.
But McLaren stole headlines with its unexpectedly powerful performance around Albert Park. Lando Norris was a fabulous fourth, and though a scruffy last lap left Daniel Ricciardo seventh, even the home hero was optimistic about his race.
‘Top 10 Ricciardo’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...ddac8d944bee78
Hamilton: I’m going to be battling as hard as I can for a podium
Paul Velasco
9 April, 2022
There is a sniff of a podium for Lewis Hamilton after he qualified fifth fastest for the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, but it is clear that the Mercedes W13 is proving to be an unlucky number for the World Champion team.
“I think we did a decent job to get to where we are because we had a bigger deficit yesterday,” Hamilton told Sky F1, with reference to Friday practice.
“My last lap, I felt like I there was more in it, so I had this unexpected step of grip and didn’t get to maximise it, but I am still naturally happy with it,” added the seven-time F1 World Champion.
‘Unlucky Number’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/04...ying-mercedes/
‘Angry’ Sainz reveals what led to disaster qualifying at 2022 Australian GP
Charles Leclerc qualified on pole for the 2022 Australian Grand Prix in the other Ferrari.
by Rob Kershaw
9 April 20229 April 2022
Sainz’s first lap in Q3 was set to be good enough to at least put him in the top five before a crash for Fernando Alonso, who had set a purple first sector, brought out the red flag.
Sadly for Alonso’s compatriot, the subsequent red flag was deployed just as he was about to cross the finish line, putting pay to his run.
‘Red Flag’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/angry-sai...australian-gp/
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Leclerc dominates down under as Verstappen fails to finish.
Australian Grand Prix – Charles Leclerc took a pole to lights victory in Melbourne while an issue for Max Verstappen saw him retire.
by Emer Hedderman
10th April 2022
As the lights went out for the first Australian Grand Prix since 2019, it was an ideal start for polesitter Charles Leclerc, who held station at the front and pulled out over half a second on Max Verstappen over the first lap. Behind the top two,it was Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes driver moving up from P5 while the big losers of the top 10 were Lando Norris, who got swamped and fell from P4 to P6, and Sainz who dropped to P14.
By lap 12 Verstappen was four seconds behind the leader, with the gap only widening, and was struggling with his tyres. The Dutchman telling his team “my left front is completely grained”. Lap 39 saw Verstappen told to “stop the car” and the reigning champion pulled his Red Bull off the track just after T2. He told his team he could “smell some weird fluid” and fire extinguishers were required when the car stopped. That meant Perez moved to P2 while the Mercedes cars of Russell and Hamilton were into P3 and P4. The Mexican was told not to worry about his teammate’s issue as it wasn’t relevant for his car.
Hamilton was also sending messages to his team, his “you guys put me in a really difficult position” was quite strange as it was Vettel’s accident and subsequent Safety Car which allowed Russell to be ahead of his teammate and in the final podium position.
‘Charles Leclerc Domination’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/leclerc-do...o-finish-78709
Ferrari fans in raptures as Leclerc dominates Australian Grand Prix
By Michael Lynch
April 10, 2022 — 4.41pm
Charles Leclerc proved himself the class of the Australian Grand Prix field, winning a dramatic race in which his main challenger Max Verstappen’s hopes went up in smoke when his engine failed.
Ferrari fans were in raptures at Albert Park as Leclerc was imperious all race. The Monegasque driver qualified his Ferrari on pole position and made every post a winning one as he got off the line first and was never headed to win easily and increase his lead in the drivers’ championship. Leclerc also set the fastest lap.
Second home was Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, whose car proved more durable than that of the reigning world champion, with young British driver George Russell third for Mercedes.
‘Ferrari, Scuderia, Tifosi In Raptures’;
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/motorsp...10-p5acf1.html
Charles Leclerc extends championship lead with Australian GP win.
Charles Leclerc extended his championship lead on Sunday at the Australian Grand Prix as he took victory in Melbourne, with both Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz retiring.
By George Dagless
Published: 10 Apr 2022, 07:43
Leclerc had his Ferrari on pole and controlled the race for the majority of the Grand Prix, with his two closest rivals losing serious ground over the course of the race. Carlos Sainz, already on the backfoot after a P9 in qualifying, found himself in the gravel trap and retiring early on, before more technical woes for Max Verstappen.
Indeed, we’ve already seen mechanical issues for Verstappen this season with him retiring in Bahrain and, after this further issue in Melbourne, it does appear as though the Red Bull is a quick but fragile car.
Saying that, Sergio Perez at least managed to bring his RB18 home as he finished in second place behind Leclerc, though the Monegasque was in a league of his own come the end of the race, whilst George Russell was on hand in the Mercedes to pick up third.
‘Championship Lead Extended.’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87993839...tralian-gp-win
What happened to Max Verstappen to cause F1 Australian GP retirement?
10/04/2022, 07:54
HITC
Verstappen retired from the Australian Grand Prix on Lap 39, but what happened to the Red Bull driver? Did it affect Sergio Perez?
The title defence of Max Verstappen has been hit or miss so far in 2022.
A fuel pick-up problem in Bahrain was followed up with victory in Saudi Arabia.
However, he could (NOT) add another win in Australia, conking out in the second half of the race at Albert Park. But what happened to Max Verstappen to cause his Australian Grand Prix DNF and retirement?
‘Questions’;
https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1.../Australian+GP
‘UNACCEPTABLE’ ISSUE LEAVES VERSTAPPEN DOWNCAST OVER F1 TITLE
10/04/2022, 08:15
By Josh Suttill
Max Verstappen branded his retirement from the Australian Grand Prix “frustrating and unacceptable” and says he doesn’t “even want to think about the championship fight” after his second DNF in three Formula 1 races.
“We’re already miles behind, I don’t even want to think about the championship fight at the moment, I think it’s more important to finish races,” Verstappen said when asked by Sky how it affects his title hopes. Today in general was just a bad day again, not really having the pace. Just managing my tyres and trying to bring it to the end.”
“Quite an easy P2 and I knew I could not fight Charles so was no point trying to put pressure on him. We didn’t even finish the race, so pretty frustrating and unacceptable. “These kinds of things, if you want to fight for the title, cannot happen,” he admitted. “I don’t know [what the problem was] I had to stop the car. They have to get the car back home and investigate.”
‘Frustration’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/verst...table-problem/
Martin Brundle's awkward Marco Materazzi encounter on Australian Grand Prix grid-walk
MARTIN BRUNDLE bumped into Italian football legend Marco Materazzi on the Australian Grand Prix grid.
By MIKAEL MCKENZIE
06:05, Sun, Apr 10, 2022
Firstly Brundle strolled up to the 48-year-old and asked "are you Marco Mariachi?", completely butchering Materazzi's surname.
He then proceeded to ask the ex-footballer which team he played for and how he felt about Italy not making it to this year's World Cup in Qatar after their shock loss to North Macedonia.
"We are speaking about Formula 1," an annoyed Materazzi replied. Brundle got the sense that the former defender was in no mood to talk and quickly ended the conversation while muttering "well that didn't go well" to the camera.
‘‘Formula 1 Speak’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix
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Leclerc: Chances for the Championship, make me smile.
Leclerc will leave Melbourne leading the Formula 1 Championship with 71 points, as his reliability-inflicted rival, Max Verstappen languishes down in sixth place 46 points down, after failing to finish yet again in Australia.
Jad Mallak
10 April, 2022
It was a perfect weekend for the Monegasque, with pole, race win, and the point from the fastest lap all to his name, as the he seemed imperious at the wheel of the rapid F1-75, his lead never threatened during the 58-lap race. The Ferrari star said after the race: “It’s the first one where we’ve controlled the gap and what a car today. Of course, I did a good job all weekend, but it’s not possible without the car.”
“Especially this weekend with the race pace, we were extremely strong,” he reveled. “Obviously we are only at the third race, so it is difficult to think about the championship. But we’ve got a very strong car, a very reliable car too and for now we’ve always been there.”
“I hope it continues like this and if it does then we probably have chances for the championship, which makes me smile,” the four-time Grand Prix winner added.
‘Smiling Championship Chances’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/04...akes-me-smile/
‘It feels incredible’ - Charles Leclerc wins Australian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen forced into second retirement in three races; Lewis Hamilton fourth
10th April 2022, 12:23
Irish Times.
Australian Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc hailed his team for producing a fast car after Ferrari stormed to the most dominant win of the Formula One season at Albert Park on Sunday.
Starting from pole, the 24-year-old from Monaco crossed the finish line more than 20 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s runner-up Sergio Perez to claim his fourth career win in style.
Having gone winless in the last two years as Ferrari struggled, Leclerc has now won two of the last three races, including the season-opener in Bahrain, to emerge as the early championship favourite. “It feels incredible . . . because now I know underneath me I’ve got a car that is capable of winning,” Leclerc told reporters.
‘Winning Car Beneath Me’;
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/oth...prix-1.4849242
Charles Leclerc: "Difficult" to talk about world title after Australia win
By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has suggested that he will not get carried away with his excellent start to the new Formula 1 campaign.
Commenting after his victory at Albert Park, Leclerc said: ""We are only in the third race so it is difficult to think about the championship, but we have a very strong car, a very reliable car too, so I hope it continues like this and, if it does, we will have chances for the championship.
"That makes me smile after the last two years, which have been difficult for the team and myself so it is great to be back in this position."
‘Great To Be Back’;
https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/formula...8.html?newsnow
Formula 1: Charles Leclerc eyeing feat no one has pulled off since 2015
10/04/2022, 11:01
by Asher Fair
In the first three races of the 2022 Formula 1 season, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has already doubled his career win total, winning the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit and then adding another dominant win in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit.
Drivers can only score a maximum of 26 points in each race, so Leclerc is guaranteed to be the points leader after the next race in Imola.
Additionally, even with second place finishes in the next four races, Leclerc would not fall from the lead — even if Russell, or any other driver, were to win all four races and do so with the fastest lap.
Doubling Career Win Total’;
https://beyondtheflag.com/2022/04/10...e-pulled-2015/
Binotto left with mixed emotions after split fortunes for Ferrari
10/04/2022, 10:30
Author Anna Francis
Whilst it was a successful day for Charles Leclerc at the Australian Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz's race ended in disaster. Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto has given his take on the event.
"Today was great," the team boss told Sky Sports F1. "I think today [has been] a great satisfaction, but we know that each single race can be different. But at least, let's enjoy [it] for today. Charles had to get up to speed, but I think [he] worked well through the weekend. He made the pole, the fastest lap in the race, and [took] a fantastic win."
On the other side of the garage, Sainz was left feeling frustrated after a challenging day. "He's certainly pretty disappointed today," Binotto explained. "I think we understand his disappointment. I think it was important for him to prove that he was fast again coming here [to] Australia, but he has been very fast on Friday, fast on Saturday morning.”
‘Mixed Emotions’;
https://racingnews365.com/binotto-le...es-for-ferrari
Sainz reveals what caused early-race problems and retirement
10th April 2022.
Author Thomas Maher
Carlos Sainz has shed some light on why he struggled so much in the early stages of the Australian Grand Prix, before making a driver error that forced him out of the race.
A disconsolate Sainz later explained that he felt he was starting the race on the back foot due to a change of steering wheel moments before the lights went out. We had another problem with the steering wheel with some switches not working," Sainz told Viaplay after the race.
"We had to change the steering wheel, but the steering wheel was not well-positioned for the start and it caused me [to go into] anti-stall twice because of this."
‘Early Race Problems’;
https://racingnews365.com/sainz-reve...and-retirement
Sainz airs concern with Ferrari 'imperfections'
Ewan Gale
Sunday 10 April 2022 09:45
Addressing his scrappy race, Sainz explained: "We had a problem with the steering wheel, a similar problem to yesterday which was a few buttons that were not working. We had to change the steering wheel and it meant the steering wheel was not well-positioned at the start and we got anti-stall at both starts because of the clutch and the torque.”
On his frustration at missing out on points, Sainz said: "This car, the worst possible scenario was a top four with a good comeback. Without the issues of yesterday and the issues of today, we should have been fighting for the win.”
"So to go away with zero points is very disappointing. We need to be more perfect as a team and this weekend we clearly haven't been."
‘Ferrari Imperfections’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...imperfections/
Leclerc stays calm as Ferrari fever grows ahead of return to Italy
Issued on: 10/04/2022 - 10:42
France24
Level-headed Charles Leclerc claimed his second grand prix win of the season Sunday but insisted it was too early to talk about winning the drivers' championship as the circuit prepares to move to Ferrari home territory in two weeks' time.
"It's good to be in the championship lead -- 34 points is always good to take wherever you are in the calendar, but I don't want to focus too much on the championship now. "Italy will be incredible but we need to approach it as we do every race weekend," he added.
"It's extremely important not to put extra pressure on ourselves and try to overdo things. "We are working as a team extremely well since the beginning of the season and we just need to keep doing our job like we did in the first three weekends."
‘Stay Calm, Ferrari Fever Grows’;
https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...eturn-to-italy
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Marko warns of 'difficult times ahead' for Red Bull.
"It leaked petrol, but we don't know where and how," Marko told Sky Sport Germany, revealing that the issue is not a direct repeat of the fuel system error that occurred in Bahrain.
10/04/2022, 09:30
Author Thomas Maher
Red Bull's Helmut Marko says his team are facing a "difficult balancing act" as they attempt to get on top of their reliability and weight issues. The Red Bull advisor spoke about the problem that meant Verstappen was already on the sidelines as the race concluded.
"It just leaked a lot of petrol. That's why we said he should stop immediately – preferably where there is a fire extinguisher. We don't just have these reliability problems, which are actually largely unknown to us – we don't know that at all," he commented.
"Difficult times are ahead of us. We were surprised at how fast Ferrari was today." Marko was full of praise for Ferrari's performance, adding: "They had to pay much less attention to the tyres than we did. Ferrari was in a class of its own and, unfortunately, we were clearly behind, even though [Sergio] Perez drove a great race."
‘Difficult Times Ahead’;
https://racingnews365.com/marko-warn...d-for-red-bull
Horner suggests cause of Verstappen’s ‘unacceptable’ DNF in Melbourne
Max Verstappen has retired from two of the opening three rounds of the 2022 season due to reliability issues.
by Rob Kershaw
10 April 202210 April 2022
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has indicated that there might have been another fuel problem for Max Verstappen as he was forced to retire for the second time in three races at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
Horner sympathises with the reigning world champion, and is as yet unsure of exactly took his car out of the race. “[It’s] definitely frustrating, I think as Max said we didn’t have the pace to race Charles today, they were in a league of their own but [it’s] frustrating not to be bagging those points.”
“I’d rather fix a fast car than try and make a reliable, slow one fast,” he maintained. “We need to get on top of it, we can’t accept DNFs but we need to understand what the issue is and we need to address it.”
‘Fixing The Fast Car’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/horner-su...-in-melbourne/
Video: How Verstappen’s F1 title defence is going wrong
10/04/2022, 21:28
The Race
Max Verstappen’s retirement from second place in the Australian Grand Prix leaves him, in his words, “already miles behind” Charles Leclerc in the fight for the 2022 Formula 1 world championship. It’s Verstappen’s second retirement in three races, so despite winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix he’s now 46 points off the world championship lead.
With 20 races to go, there’s plenty of time for Verstappen and Red Bull to catch up, but that’s only possible with a reliable car. To add to those reliability concerns, Verstappen and Red Bull were outpaced both in qualifying and the race in Australia while Leclerc and Ferrari won after leading every lap from pole position.
So what’s the problem and how big a threat are Red Bull’s current struggles to Verstappen’s hopes of defending the world championship? Our new video examines what’s going on.
‘VIDEO Analysis’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/video...s-going-wrong/
Verstappen anger with Red Bull as Leclerc eyes F1 title - GPFans F1 Recap
Sam Hall
Sunday 10 April 2022 23:30
Max Verstappen has labelled a second Red Bull retirement in the opening three races as "unacceptable" after ending the Australian Grand Prix in flames.
"We are already miles behind," he told Sky Sports F1. "I don't even want to think about the championship fight at the moment, I think it is more important to finish races.
"Of course, today in general was a bad day again. Just not really having the pace, just managing my tyres to try bring it to the end because it felt like an easy P2 and I knew I could not fight Charles so there was no point trying. But we didn't even finish the race so it is pretty frustrating and unacceptable."
‘Frustration’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...-quot-failure/
Perez: Lost Red Bull points will be ‘very costly’
Date published: April 10 2022 - Henry Valantine
Sergio Perez admitted the points Red Bull have lost from the first few races could well prove to be “very costly” later in the season. Max Verstappen retired from second place in Australia on Sunday for his second retirement in three races and, coupled with Perez’s own DNF in Bahrain, Red Bull find themselves well behind Ferrari and Charles Leclerc in both championships – despite having a car to compete with them at the front.
“We’ve been so unlucky for these first few races,” he told Sky Sports F1 after the race. “It’s nice to be back on the podium, but I think the race didn’t go as planned. We had a bit too much degradation on the tyres. I have a pretty good idea at the moment on the things we did wrong, but there’s a good analysis to be made.”
“We were quite far from the Ferrari today. It’s only race three of the season, so it’s a long way to go. It’s a shame that we lost Max today for the team.”
‘Points Lost Costly’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...y-points-loss/
Perez concerned by Red Bull failures but “sure we will turn things around”
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on
11th April 2022, 0:0110th April 2022, 22:44 | Written by Will Wood
Retirements costing us a lot of points – Perez. Max Verstappen’s retirement from yesterday’s Australian Grand Prix was the third time one of the two Red Bull cars has dropped out of a race with a technical problem over the first six races.
“It’s certainly a concern,” admitted his team mate Perez, who finished second. “We’ve lost a lot of points already in these first three races that in the end can make a huge difference in the championship. So we are obviously aware of it.”
“All the team back home in Milton Keynes, here, are working flat out to try to come up with solutions. We don’t know exactly the issue on Max’s today. We will see. I’m sure we will turn things around and hopefully we can start again from zero when we go back to Europe.”
‘Working Flat Out’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/04/11/...nd-up-11-04-5/
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Hamilton calls for immediate improvement amid dwindling title hopes.
Seven-time champion is already 43 points adrift of Ferrari’s leader Charles Leclerc.
11/04/2022, 09:45
Giles Richards
Lewis Hamilton has demanded more from his Mercedes team if he is to keep any hope of competing for this year’s Formula One world championship alive.
“I have got to keep that encouragement and energy high. I will be on Zoom calls with our bosses, really trying to rally them up. It is about making sure we leave no stone unturned, that the hunger is there and we are maximising every moment. I will be chasing the people in the wind tunnel, the aerodynamic guys, and just looking at every single area.”
‘Chasing People’;
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/oth...opes-1.4849791
Russell doesn’t ‘care who’s in front’ when it’s P5 at stake
Date published: April 11 2022 - Michelle Foster
rge Russell does not care which of the Mercedes team-mates is in front when it comes to fifth and sixth places. Given a shot at a podium finish in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, the Mercedes team-mates were elevated up the order when Max Verstappen retired, Russell running just ahead of his team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
Russell was asked about the situation, telling F1-Insider.com that while a driver always wants to beat their team-mate, helping Mercedes to improve the W13 is the most important task right now – especially when fighting for fifth or sixth. “Of course you always want to be in front of your team-mate,” he said. “But for us it’s crucial we make the car faster.”
“When it comes to fifth and sixth place between me and Lewis, I don’t care who’s in front.” Sunday’s result means despite their troubles, Mercedes are second in the Drivers’ standings and the Constructors’.
‘Mercedes F1, 2nd Drivers and 2nd Constructors Standing’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...e-in-front-p5/
We need more speed NOW, warns Lewis Hamilton... Brit urges Mercedes to 'leave no stone unturned' in search of improvements to keep his title hopes alive after finishing fourth at Australian Grand Prix
By Jonathan McEvoy for the Daily Mail
Published: 22:30, 10 April 2022
It was an all-encompassing cry of frustration from Lewis Hamilton’s cockpit. ‘You guys put me in a really difficult position,’ he protested as he finished the Australian Grand Prix fourth best.
‘I will be making a lot of calls,’ he said. ‘I am flying to KL (Kuala Lumpur) tonight for a work event with Petronas. I will be on Zoom calls with sponsors and our bosses and really trying to rally them. We have got some improvements that we need to make and we need everyone’s support in doing so.
‘It is about making sure we leave no stone unturned, that the hunger is there and we are maximising every moment. On the Zoom calls, I will be chasing the people in the wind tunnel, the aero guys, just looking at every single area. There is performance to be gained in all areas and we need it now, not in two or three races. I have to keep that encouragement and energy high. I will be going on the simulator.’
‘Speed NOW’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rand-Prix.html
Russell: ‘Pretty crazy’ to be second in F1 championship standings
10 April 2022, 15:36
by Fergal Walsh
Russell has finished fourth, fifth and third respectively through the first trio of grands prix, leaving him second in the standings behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. “I think it’s credit to the team back at Brackley and Brixworth because obviously we want more performance,” Russell said.
“We are a step behind Ferrari and Red Bull in terms of pace, but you’ve got to be there at the end if you want to pick up the points, and that’s what we’ve done on a number of occasions now.”
“I mean, this weekend we were the fifth fastest team behind these two guys and obviously McLaren and Alpine. And currently standing P3 on the podium and P2 in the Championship is pretty crazy.”
‘Crazy Second In Standings’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...hip-standings/
Wolff offers a glimmer of hope for Mercedes
Date published: April 10 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed that the Silver Arrows do leave Australia in a better state and with a fantastic team spirit.
“We are leaving Melbourne in a better state than when we arrived- more lessons learned, more data to analyse and more points on the board,” Wolff said. “Clearly we haven’t got the pace yet to challenge Ferrari and Red Bull but we know where we need to seek performance.”
“One factor that leaves me very optimistic for the future is the mindset and strength of the team. Everyone in the UK, in Stuttgart and in the travelling race team is pulling together every ounce of effort we have to tackle the performance gaps with determination and a deep hunger. Seeing Lewis and George perform at an exceptionally high level today with a tool that is clearly not on the pace of the leaders is another example of the spirit of this team.”
‘Glimmers Of Hope’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...mercedes-hope/
Wolff not concerned by risk of Hamilton retirement amid Mercedes’ woes
Toto Wolff has no concerns about Sir Lewis Hamilton's commitment to the cause after a tough start to the season.
by James Clifford
11 April 202211 April 2022
“You can only walk away if you don’t like what you do any more but Lewis loves doing this,” he said, as quoted by The Sun.
“Lewis is in fantastic shape, his lifestyle is hugely disciplined and he has many, many years to go.
“And isn’t it a great challenge for him? He was at McLaren, then went to Mercedes when it wasn’t great and has won six titles. The team has got it wrong now, but he can be a part of the rise again.”
‘No Walking Away’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/wolff-not...mercedes-woes/
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A £1.50 part and a strategy misstep – Alonso’s lost weekend.
The problem was everything that the team tried to make up for its qualifying misfortune ultimately made matters worse. That probable podium became a last-placed finish.
12/04/2022, 08:25
By Matt Beer and Mark Hughes
Whether Alonso’s suggestion of pole, team principal Otmar Szafnauer’s prediction of second on the grid or technical chief Pat Fry’s belief it would’ve been row two (which The Race’s own assessment concurs with), the lap Alonso was on when a hydraulic failure caused him to crash in Q3 would’ve put him ahead of the Mercedes on the grid.
And that would’ve left him ideally placed to capitalise when Max Verstappen retired. Taking the third position George Russell inherited was surely on the cards. Perhaps holding Sergio Perez’s Red Bull off for second place would’ve been too given how hard Perez had to fight the Mercedes.
“The podium today would have been easy with Max out. With George on the podium, I think we were a lot faster than the Mercedes on this circuit. So we lost an opportunity.” Szafnauer said the failure that sent Alonso into the barriers was down to a part that The Race estimates probably cost about £1.50. “It was an o-ring on an oil seal,” Szafnauer replied when asked by The Race if Alpine had identified the exact issue.
‘£1.50 O-Ring on an Oil Seal’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/a-1-5...-lost-weekend/
Melbourne bad luck leaves Alonso "speechless".
But for a technical failure which caused him to crash on Saturday afternoon, few doubt that Fernando Alonso could have put his Alpine on the front row for Sunday's race.
NEWS STORY
11/04/2022
Starting the race from tenth, the Spaniard opted for the hard tyre while those ahead of him all went for the medium. His long opening stint strategy appeared to be working out for him, until Sebastian Vettel’s encounter with the barriers brought out the safety car, thereby allowing his rivals to take advantage and pit.
However, now running fourth, Alonso didn't follow suit and though he was able to hold on to fourth for a few more laps he slowly began to drop down the order, and by the time he finally stopped in lap 39 he was effectively out of the picture. "I'm speechless, to be honest," said the Spaniard at race end. "It's hard to accept that everything is going in the wrong way at the moment.
"But it's only three races in the championship, still twenty to go," he added. "Luck, I guess, is going to compensate sooner or later in the 23 races and we will be in other occasions lucky. I guess so.
‘Luck To Compensate Sooner Or Later’;
https://www.pitpass.com/72254/Melbou...nso-speechless
Fernando Alonso makes podium claim after unlucky Australian Grand Prix
By George Dagless
Published: 10 Apr 2022, 16:30
“We were looking for P6 or P7, starting on the hard tyre on the reverse [strategy], which was good, starting in tenth. [It was] the Safety Car in the wrong moment of the race that was our killer, so I’m a little bit speechless because I think today, we could have been on the podium, to be honest.”
“If we qualified third or fourth yesterday, with Max [Verstappen] out, George in the podium – I think we’ve been a little bit faster than the Mercedes this weekend.”
“So we lost that opportunity here, also in Jeddah where we were doing a very good race. So this is the way it is at the moment, a little bit unlucky. Twenty races to go, in some of them I will be super lucky, I guess.”
‘Will Be Super Lucky’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87993886...ian-grand-prix
‘Alpine flattered to deceive with Melbourne pace’
Date published: April 11 2022 - Jon Wilde
Martin Brundle thinks Alpine “flattered to deceive” with their pace at the Australian Grand Prix, which promised them far more than it delivered. There were suggestions Fernando Alonso could have been on pole position in Melbourne but for a crash caused by a hydraulic failure while on a very promising lap in Q3.
His team-mate Esteban Ocon, meanwhile, started eighth and finished one place higher, essentially because of Max Verstappen’s retirement while running second behind pole-sitter and eventual winner Charles Leclerc.
“Alpine flattered to deceive on pace,” wrote Brundle in his post-race column for Sky Sports. “Esteban Ocon came home seventh, 62 seconds off the lead.”
Flattered To Deceive’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/martin...ttered-aus-gp/
Alonso: Hard to accept everything going wrong
Jad Mallak
Fernando Alonso was left ruing his luck after finishing last at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, admitting it was hard to accept how everything is currently going wrong.
On race day, Alonso was doing well, but the timing of the Safety Car during the race hurt his strategy, as he ended up finishing the race dead last.
Asked about his race down under, the Spaniard said: “Speechless, to be honest.
‘Speechless’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/04...g-going-wrong/
P7 Esteban Ocon thinks 'top five could have been possible' in Australian GP
10 Apr 2022
Formula 1.
Esteban Ocon is pleased with his P7 finish in the 2022 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, but thinks "top five could have been possible" at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit.
‘Top Five Possible’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...011600762.html
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Ricciardo and Norris extracted "everything possible" in Australian GP.
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl believes Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo extracted "everything possible" from the MCL36 at the Australian Grand Prix.
Ewan Gale
Monday 11 April 2022 09:30
The team-mates finished fifth and sixth to collect 18 points and promote McLaren to fourth in F1's constructors' standings, finishing behind only Charles Leclerc, Sergio Perez and Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
The result marks a turnaround for the Woking-based team after only a single points finish from a possible four in the opening two rounds of the season.
‘Maximum Extraction’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...australian-gp/
Norris: McLaren performance 'better than it looked' in Melbourne
10 April 13:30
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Dieter Rencken
Lando Norris finished the Australian Grand Prix in P5, with a sizeable gap to the Mercedes cars ahead. However, the McLaren driver is feeling positive about what the Woking-based squad were able to achieve.
Lando Norris feels that McLaren were better than they looked in the Australian Grand Prix, with the Briton and teammate Daniel Ricciardo finishing in fifth and sixth respectively.
Ahead of the event, Norris had predicted that the team would enjoy a battle with the Mercedes cars in the race. However, this fight did not quite materialise. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton ended the day in P3 and P4, with Hamilton nearly 25 seconds ahead of Norris on track by the end of the Grand Prix.
Fight Didn’t Materialise’;
https://racingnews365.com/norris-mcl...d-in-melbourne
Brundle expects McLaren to 'edge forward' in pecking order
12/04/2022, 12:50
Author RacingNews365 Staff
Martin Brundle has predicted that McLaren will continue to move forwards after the team looked to have made significant progress at the Australian Grand Prix.
"McLaren are clearly beginning to return their car to a sensible aero base after the hurriedly butchered brake cooling changes in Bahrain," Brundle wrote in his column for Sky Sports F1.
"I would expect them to edge forward from there. Norris and home boy Ricciardo were equally matched in a solid and reliable car."
‘Sensible Aero Base Return’;
https://racingnews365.com/brundle-ex...-pecking-order
Ricciardo relieved to avoid another 'painful home race' as he delivers P6 in front of Aussie fans
11 April 2022
Formula 1.
Daniel Ricciardo was relieved to score his first points of the season and, moreover, accomplish that in front of his home fans at Albert Park given a rocky start to the season for McLaren.
“All weekend it’s just been a step in the right direction,” said Ricciardo. “A few weeks ago in Bahrain, many home fans were thinking, ‘oh no, this is maybe going to be a painful home race for Daniel’, but it was really nice to have such a quick turnaround.”
“The team certainly found a bit in the last few weeks and that’s been really nice and encouraging, so steps, big steps in the right direction. We will keep at it, keep chipping away. As always, still things to improve.”
‘Right Steps, Keep Chipping’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...yNMxyLniu.html
Ricciardo hails 'big step forward' for McLaren after tough start
11/04/2022, 09:30
Author Mike Seymour
Co-author Dieter Rencken
"Obviously [it was a] much better weekend – positives, for sure," Ricciardo told media, including RacingNews365.com.
"I thought at the start of the race it looked like we could hold the pace of Mercedes, but then they started to pull away a bit and they just had more pace than us.”
"We were a little bit lonely at the end of the race, but in any case, for the team, this weekend has been a big step forward. [It's] our first points of the year and a good weekend for both of us."
‘Positives For Sure’;
https://racingnews365.com/ricciardo-...er-tough-start
Aus GP result as ‘good as it gets’ for McLaren
Date published: April 12 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Lando Norris believes that the Australian Grand Prix could be the best performance that McLaren deliver for a while. “We are still optimising everything and there’s still a lot of things we’ve had to work on,” he said, quoted by RACER.
“But realistically, the car’s just worked well from the off. The car’s just been good from FP1 and throughout the whole weekend.
“It shows there’s strengths in the car and we just need to keep working on our weaknesses if we want to be here more often, because not all tracks are as smooth and as quick as this.
‘Optimisation’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...ked-australia/
Has McLaren got its mojo back?
21/04/2022, 14:20
by Fergal Walsh
It was a shock to everybody, including McLaren, to see where in the field the once-great F1 titan was competing during the opening two rounds of the 2022 Formula 1 season. Just last year, the Woking squad ended their nine-year victory drought with a spectacular 1-2 in Monza.
This past weekend in Melbourne, things took a genuine turn for the better. Lando Norris qualified in fourth place, ahead of everyone bar the Red Bulls of Checo Perez and Max Verstappen and Ferrari pole sitter Charles Leclerc. Even in the race the car looked comfortable throughout and in the early stages, it appeared that it had the speed to challenge Mercedes, but that started to fizzle out as the laps ticked down.
Despite that, McLaren remains one of the sport’s most marketable teams, and Formula 1 doesn’t need McLaren to be competing outside the points, never mind any lower. Although its successful history doesn’t entitle it to a spot at the front in the modern era, it only seems right to want to watch it compete for success.
‘F1 Titan Mojo’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...its-mojo-back/
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Bottas commends Alfa Romeo performance after P8 finish in Melbourne.
After a DNF in Jeddah cost him a top-10 finish, Valtteri Bottas was happy to leave Melbourne with a good haul of points as he commended the work done by his Alfa Romeo team over the weekend.
11 April 2022
Formula 1
Despite an “unlucky” Safety Car, and a battle with Lance Stroll that saw the Aston Martin driver penalised for weaving on the straight – while the Canadian also pushed Bottas wide at Turn 3 at one point – the Finn finished in P8 after passing Pierre Gasly in the closing laps. And while Bottas was happy with the points, he felt a higher finish could have been on the cards.
“Overall, I think it was a good race, good strategy. A bit unlucky with the Safety Car because we stopped before it but other than that it was okay,” said Bottas.
“It was a good performance with close racing and battles from beginning to end. Of course, the most important thing is that we brought home some points, and that is due to a good job done by everyone in the team; I am happy with the calls that were made and how we raced.”
‘Good Haul Of Points’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Du2GxntW1.html
Bottas takes issue with Stroll’s racing tactics
Date published: April 10 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Valtteri Bottas felt that Lance Stroll’s driving went beyond acceptable defence at the Australian Grand Prix.
Bottas’ Alfa Romeo team were not quite able to deliver the kind of pace which they had shown at the opening rounds in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia, but nonetheless, Bottas was very much a contender for points as the race entered its closing stages.
However, as he came across Aston Martin’s Stroll, who was trying to nurse his tyres to the end and snatch a point or two having gone long, the stewards look issue with his driving. The Canadian racer would receive a five-second time penalty and a point for his superlicence for weaving down the straight.
‘Stroll Weaving’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/valtte...troll-tactics/
Stroll calls Australian GP weaving penalty 'funny decision'
Phillip van Osten
11/04/2022 at 17:44
Lance Stroll says he "doesn't get" the Australian Grand Prix stewards' decision to hand him a five-second penalty for weaving during his battle with Valtteri Bottas.
"I don't get it," he said. "It was two guys weaving all the time, it's just the last move really. You can weave down the straight as long as you don't weave when the guy's approaching very close behind you.”
"I'm weaving to try and break the slipstream, not to try and defend, and then they penalise me for it. I don't get it. I guess a lot of funny decisions going on right now."
‘Funny Decisions’;
https://f1i.com/news/438263-stroll-c...-decision.html
‘I don’t think that’s how you should race’ – Bottas slams Aston Martin driver
Valtteri Bottas was involved in two incidents with Lance Stroll during the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
by Rob Kershaw
11 April 202211 April 2022
Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas has taken issue with Lance Stroll’s defensive tactics during the 2022 Australian Grand Prix. Stroll incurred the wrath of the stewards twice over the course of last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, colliding with compatriot Nicholas Latifi during qualifying before contravening the sporting regulations during his defence of his position from Bottas.
“Stroll moved to the right to defend against a potential overtake from Bottas,” read the stewards’ ruling. “Stroll returned to the racing line and then moved to the right for a second time to defend from another move by Bottas.”
“The second move breaches the regulation which prohibits more than one change of direction to defend a position.”
‘Stroll Rule Breach’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/i-dont-th...martin-driver/
2022 Australian Grand Prix - Sunday
April 10th, 2022
Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN
Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN claimed four important points at the Australian Grand Prix, as Valtteri Bottas finished eighth at the end of a thrilling race. Team-mate, Zhou Guanyu, went close to making it a double-points finish as he pulled off a remarkable comeback to finish P11, just over two seconds away from the top ten.
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal: “Bringing home four points with another top ten finish is really good, especially to bounce back after the off-race in Jeddah. The team did a good job in difficult circumstances today: the timing of the first Safety Car wasn’t ideal and it cost us track position, especially with Zhou; we also got stuck in a couple of DRS trains that made progress hard, so we had to earn our place the difficult way. That we did, and we went so close to having two cars in the points again, is proof that we are going in the right direction. The whole team did well today, now we can focus on the race in Imola to continue our battle for a good position in the constructors’ championship.”
‘Bringing Home Four Points’;
https://www.sauber-group.com/motorsp...d-prix-sunday/
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Gasly went through 'all the emotions' to conquer points in Melbourne.
Pierre Gasly earned both his AlphaTauri wage and his points in the Australian Grand Prix as he overcame an ill-timed safety car and won a fierce on-track battle with Lance Stroll.
12/04/2022 at 16:52
Michael Delaney
"I had a really good start, managed to pass two cars in the first lap, was running in a good position in P9, boxed and then we got slapped by the Safety Car like in Saudi," Gasly explained.
"Pretty upset – we dropped to P14 – but yes, we stayed focused and managed to finish in P9. Clearly, we had to fight hard for it, especially with Lance," he recounted.
"I must say I enjoyed the battle, it was the most entertaining moment of the race. I went through all the emotions. It was pretty intense on a track like this, but in the end, I got the best of him."
‘Conquering All Emotions’;
https://f1i.com/news/438311-gasly-we...melbourne.html
Gasly hanging Imola hopes on AlphaTauri updates
Date published: April 11 2022 - Henry Valantine
Having appeared less competitive in 2022 so far, Pierre Gasly is looking to AlphaTauri’s planned upgrades at Imola to kick-start their season.
AlphaTauri only have 10 points to their name after three races this season, which leaves them down in P8 in the Constructors’ Championship – a far cry from Gasly’s 2021 performances that saw him regularly battling at the head of the midfield.
“It’s a positive start to the season, but we will continue to develop the car over the next few weeks,” Gasly told reporters after the race, quoted by Motorsport.com Germany. “I’m really looking forward to the update at Imola. Hopefully it will bring us the performance we expect from it.”
‘Updates For Improvement’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...imola-updates/
Gasly pleased with points after getting 'pretty mad' during race
22/04/2022, 09:30
Author Anna Francis
The AlphaTauri driver started from 11th on the grid, and managed to gain places in the opening laps. However, the timing of his pit-stop did not coincide well with a Safety Car period, resulting in him losing places.
Gasly was left angry by this, but kept his focus in order to work his way back up into the points-paying position of ninth. "I'll take those two points today!" the Frenchman said after the event.
"It's been quite an unfortunate race for me. I managed to pass two cars at the start, but then I got unlucky pitting right before the Safety Car and dropped to P14.
‘Two Points? That Will Do Nicely!’;
https://racingnews365.com/gasly-plea...ad-during-race
Gasly invites FIA to check genitals amidst underwear clampdown.
AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly has invited the FIA to check his genitals in reaction to the furore surrounding the governing body's clampdown on non-fireproof underwear.
Ewan Gale
Saturday 9 April 2022
On the same weekend a reminder was given about drivers wearing jewellery, race director Niels Wittich has raised the concerns surrounding the safety of underwear that is not fire retardant.
But addressing how the FIA would police the matter, an unhappy Gasly said: "I won't comment on that.
"If they want to check my arse, feel free, I've got nothing to hide. My cock, everything. If that makes them happy, feel free."
“Feel Free’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...ear-clampdown/
Gasly jokes FIA can check ‘everything’ in light of underwear rule
Date published: April 10 2022 - Michelle Foster
Pierre Gasly has joked, at least we hope, about the FIA checking his “everything” at race weekends after the drivers were reminded that they need to wear fire retardant underwear.
“It’s been the rule forever, since I’ve been here it’s been the rule, so nothing new. I’m just going to come with more jewellery next week,” said Hamilton. “Well I’ve got certain piercings that I really just can’t take out, that not many people know of… Nah I’m kidding!” Verstappen replied: “I would be too heavy if I wore jewellery, so it’s not possible.”
Racing at home this weekend, Daniel Riccardo said, “This was the first time I’d heard about the fireproof underwear. Obviously we wear the leggings if you want to call it that, but we don’t have actual underwear-underwear that’s fireproof, so that was just more of a surprise. I’d never heard of it.”
‘Check Everything!’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...is-everything/
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Villeneuve reminds Stroll that F1 team isn't 'a clothing brand'.
Jacques Villeneuve says fellow Canadian and Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll is learning the hard way that running an F1 outfit isn't like managing "a clothing brand".
12/04/2022 at 15:33
Michael Delaney
"Running a team takes more than just money as Lawrence Stroll is now finding out with Aston Martin," Villeneuve told Formule1.nl.
"It is not a clothing chain or a watch brand, because it is much more complicated, especially if you’re running a team for your son. Finding solutions becomes all the more complicated."
"Looking at this weekend you saw that Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll kept getting into trouble," said the 1997 F1 world champion. "Stroll’s incident with Latifi in qualifying was just embarrassing. He also once blamed the track for the crash, which was perhaps the strangest explanation for a crash ever. And in the race we saw that Stroll really does use his mirrors given his weaving tactics."
‘Aston Martin Complicated Solutions’;
https://f1i.com/news/438305-villeneu...ing-brand.html
Aston Martin becoming F1’s biggest disaster since McLaren Honda.
Lawrence Stroll described bringing Aston Martin back to F1 as a dream come true, but their return is quickly becoming a nightmare.
Date published: April 13 2022 - Finley Crebolder
Lawrence Stroll described bringing Aston Martin back to F1 as a dream come true, but their return is quickly becoming a nightmare.
The Canadian has invested in a huge brand in Aston Martin to bring them to the grid, has signed one of the biggest names – and highest earners – in the sport in Sebastian Vettel, has vastly increased the number of staff, and has forked out £200million on a new factory.
There’s little doubt that, when it comes to spending power and facilities, he has moved them firmly towards the top of the pack. And so far, what does he have to show it? Well, nothing. Quite literally.
‘Nightmare Comes True Instead’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/as...ming-disaster/
Villeneuve slams Aston Martin's disastrous 2022
11th April 2022, 09:26
By GMM F1
Aston Martin's 2022 season so far has been disastrous in almost every way imaginable. From Sebastian Vettel's covid to the new Aston Martin safety car being called a "turtle" by world champion Max Verstappen, team owner Lawrence Stroll is "finding out that Formula 1 takes more than just money".
Even before Australia, however, some were speculating that the dire situation could push Vettel into early retirement. "It was so bad here that you almost feel sorry for him," fellow German Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland.
Villeneuve, meanwhile, told the Dutch publication Formule 1: "Stroll's incident with Latifi in qualifying was just embarrassing, but I think Vettel would rather be at home. He also made mistakes at Ferrari, but his mistakes this weekend were something else. They were not big hits, but sponsors don't like that. It also costs money because of the lost points let alone the damage," he said.
‘From Disaster to Disaster, Goes Aston Martin F1’;
https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/formula...3.html?newsnow
Aston Martin repairs may take up F1 development capacity
13/04/2022, 10:11
By Scott Mitchell and Edd Straw
Aston Martin’s development progress could be impaired by the need to manufacture new Formula 1 components to replace the ones that were lost in the four crashes it suffered during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
While the design and development work itself won’t be impacted, Aston Martin will need to focus more of its short-term manufacturing capacity than anticipated on producing the parts. This means production of any new-specification components in the pipeline could be delayed.
“Now we need to really collect all the bits that we have,” said (Mike) Krack when asked if development could be affected by the need to rebuild its stock of parts. “We start to run low on spares. So it’s something that we need to address. I am quite sure you have counted the amount of incidents and the amount of wings and front suspensions that we have damaged. So you can calculate quickly how many we will need to go to Imola.”
Repairs, More Repairs, Further Repairs’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/aston...ment-capacity/
Villeneuve: Stroll learning it takes more than money to run an F1 team
Jad Mallak
11 April, 2022
After a miserable Australian Grand Prix weekend for Aston Martin, ex-Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has questioned Lawrence Stroll’s credentials to run a team at the pinnacle of the sport.
The reality is that the Canadian billionaire is finding out the hard and very expensive way that running and F1 team is not quite the same as a massive clothing chain or watch brand. Referring to the massive success Stroll achieved in the fashion business that has made him worth $3-billion according to Forbes, Villeneuve warned that it won’t be the same in F1. And it hasn’t so far.
No one smiling as the Aston Martin factory. “The question now is, what does the big boss Lawrence Stroll do? If he deals with his drivers the way he does business, these are not nice conversations,” he predicted. “The atmosphere in the factory must also be to die for, there you are currently not welcomed with a smile.”
‘Credentials Questioned’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/04...un-an-f1-team/
