-
Max Verstappen blames F1 race control for ‘creating own problems’ in Australian GP restart chaos.
Max Verstappen believes race control only have themselves to blame for the chaos and confusion seen at the end of a messy F1 Australian Grand Prix.
3 Apr 2023
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net
The reigning world champion won Sunday’s triple red-flagged race which ended in bizarre fashion to increase his early championship lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
Verstappen described the conclusion in Melbourne as a “mess” and accused race control of bringing the chaos on themselves. “I think it's quite clear, I just didn't understand why we needed a red flag,” the Red Bull driver said.
“I think if you would have had a Safety Car and then just had a normal rolling start we wouldn't have had all these shunts and then you have a normal finish. So they created the problems themselves at the end of the day.”
‘F1 race control’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102374...-restart-chaos
Horner pleased with Verstappen response: 'He made short work of Hamilton'
03 April 8:50AM
Author Luke Murphy
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Christian Horner praised Max Verstappen's response to the first lap battles with the Mercedes drivers, after the Dutchman fell to third on the opening lap. Christian Horner was pleased with Max Verstappen's reaction to falling behind in the opening corners of the Australian Grand Prix.
"The two Mercedes were fast starting, they were both very aggressive on the first lap. Max showed great patience to not really get embroiled," Horner told media, including RacingNews365.com.
"They [Mercedes] started having a go at each other, and then they pitted George, the red flag came out, and then it was just a straight fight between Max and Lewis, and he made very short work of that. Then it was a question of controlling the race from that point onwards."
‘Great patience to not really get embroiled’;
https://racingnews365.com/horner-ple...rk-of-hamilton
Perez happy to 'limit the damage' after going from pit lane start to P5 in Melbourne
03 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Sergio Perez took the chequered flag in fifth position at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, and the Red Bull driver was pleased with his work on Sunday, as he managed to “limit the damage” following his early exit from qualifying.
Perez came into the weekend one point off his team mate Max Verstappen in the championship, but after his qualifying ended with him in the gravel, the Mexican started the race from the pit lane – after Red Bull opted to fit his car with a raft of new PU components under parc ferme conditions.
“I had to back out of it, otherwise I wouldn’t finish. When we looked where we started and how difficult it was to pass with the DRS train that we ended up [in], we managed to limit a bit the damage from yesterday.”
'Limit the damage';
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...KWfUm4OHm.html
Horner reignites battle for Red Bull number one driver
Monday 3 April 2023 11:57
Ronan Murphy
Christian Horner has responded to questions around who is Red Bull's number one driver this season. “Max and Checo have the same car, it’s up to them, to what they do on the track," Horner told Sky Sports Italia.
However, Horner said that what other teams and drivers do will have an impact on what his own team and drivers do on the track this season. Let’s not underestimate the Ferrari that will react, Mercedes will arrive and Aston Martin that has a great car," he continued. "It’s not all about our drivers.”
‘It’s up to them’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...stappen-perez/
Mark Hughes: Red flags hid Verstappen’s Melbourne margin
3rd April 2023, 07:30
By Mark Hughes
The Race
Safety car, rolling restart, Russell, Hamilton and Verstappen. Max had not been his usual no-compromise self on the opening lap, precisely because he knew he had no need to.
“I could have been a bit more aggressive,” he said. “I knew I had a quick car and knew losing a position at the start wasn’t end of the world.” Not only a quick car but a quick car in all the right places. Its advantage over Hamilton’s Mercedes – with both deploying DRS – was in the order of 9km/h and he was onto them.
‘Verstappen’s Melbourne margin’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/mark-...bourne-margin/
The single lap when Verstappen revealed some of Red Bull’s true pace in Melbourne
2023 Australian Grand Prix interactive data
Posted on 3rd April 2023, 14:35
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans
For lap after lap, the Red Bull pair produced lap times in the order of a second or more quicker than their rivals. Race leader Sergio Perez put 19 seconds on the team’s closest pursuer, Fernando Alonso, in 18 laps. Where was that performance advantage during yesterday’s Australian Grand Prix?
No doubt the scale of Red Bull’s superiority will vary to some degree from track to track. Nonetheless on outright one-lap pace in qualifying the story was little changed. Red Bull were quickest by 0.292s in Bahrain, 0.155s in Saudi Arabia (where Verstappen did not take part in Q3 due to a technical fault) and 0.236s in Australia.
‘Red Bull’s true pace’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/03/...-in-melbourne/
Ferrari floundering, cracks appear at Red Bull: What we learned from the Australian Grand Prix
Monday 3 April 2023 12:57
Jim Kimberley
GPFans
As F1 leaves Melbourne under the cloud of questions about the FIA's handling of the restart process at the Australian Grand Prix, we still found answers that we didn't know before the weekend.
From Ferrari tensions to a closing up of the running order, here's what we learned from F1's time Down Under...
‘Leclerc is Low, Red Bull isn't impervious, This is Alonso's Aston Martin, FIA Feel Cautious, Bottas in Bahrain was a blip, Alpine's volatile lineup explodes’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...rned-analysis/
-
Toto Wolff: Mercedes needed ‘a little bit of happiness’ before Australian GP breakthrough.
Toto Wolff has admitted Mercedes were in need of “a little bit of happiness” before the team’s breakthrough performance in Australian Grand Prix qualifying.
02 Apr 2023 4:00 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Having targeted a return to regular race-winning contention in 2023, Mercedes were aghast to find themselves six tenths away from pole position – the same deficit with which their started last season – at the season opener in Bahrain.
With Wolff admitting the race the following day was one of the worst days of his career, the team boss ordered sweeping changes to the W14 car after acknowledging the team had pursued the wrong development path.
‘A little bit of happiness’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...australian-gp/
Toto Wolff breaks silence on rumoured W14 upgrades
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has confirmed that the team are working on a W14 upgrade, but it will not be coming anytime in the immediate future.
1 April 2023
by Mitchell Wilks
Formula1News
While all the focus is on Mercedes’ desperate attempts to find a way up the pecking order once again, Wolff has maintained that he is satisfied with how the team are working to find solutions, claiming they are ‘going in a good direction’. “We shouldn’t expect like a miracle: suddenly we are on pole by half a second.”
Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, though, the team principal insisted that the changes will not be immediate, when speaking to Sky F1: “We’re doing good steps, good developments, but you’ve got to run them, confirm them, produce them. So, I think we’re not looking for introduction before Imola. We want to do it right also.”
‘Rumoured W14 upgrades’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolf...-w14-upgrades/
Mercedes poke fun at ‘Darth Toto’ as Michael Masi returns
Lewis Hamilton recently said he has no intention of speaking to Michael Masi, following his return to the Formula 1 paddock.
1 April 2023
by Edward Hardy
Formula1News
The Mercedes F1 Team has embraced the return of Toto Wolff’s iconic hooded look, much to the delight of fans. Nicknamed ‘Darth Toto’ in reference to the Sith Lords in the Star Wars series, some have speculated that this personality could allow the Mercedes boss to use the force to secure an eighth world title for Lewis Hamilton.
“Lewis being told Masi is in the paddock. Darth Toto: Let the anger flow through you!” a poster on Reddit joked in reference to the former race director’s return after his controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi decision.
‘Darth Toto’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/mercedes-...-masi-returns/
F1 'needs Lewis Hamilton to join Ferrari' as Toto Wolff ready to approve Brit's exit
Lewis Hamilton has been urged to join Ferrari, with Toto Wolff ready to sanction a move to shake up F1.
05:50, Tue, Apr 4, 2023
By Alex Turk
Daily and Sunday Express
F1 needs Lewis Hamilton to ditch Mercedes for Ferrari just as much as the Scuderia need the Brit, according to Eddie Jordan. Speculation about Hamilton's future refuses to go away as he nears the end of his Mercedes contract while driving a car incapable of winning him a record eighth world championship.
Jordan believes Hamilton leaving Mercedes to replace one of the drivers would be the best outcome for F1. He told OLBG: "Formula One needs Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari, and Ferrari needs Lewis Hamilton. "Hamilton should look to go to another Championship-winning team, but the drama is who is going to move aside?”
“Formula One needs Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ari-Toto-Wolff
WOLFF: F1 MUST BE MORE CLEAR WHEN TO USE RED FLAGS
Three red flags were needed during an incident-packed Australian Grand Prix, with the first being delayed after dong laps around the safety car, which cost drivers who pit under the safety car
April 3, 2023
Nathan Hartley
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that Formula 1 must be more clear when using a red flag after losing out during the Australian Grand Prix with George Russell. The headlines from last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix came from the three red flags shown during the race. This caused many drivers to crash, causing a lot of controversy and disgust.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that Formula 1 must better identify when to use a red flag, as the incidents during the Australian Grand Prix only required a safety car or virtual safety car in the opinion of many drivers.
“We just need to understand going forward when are red flags being put out, and what is a safety car or VSC? I think in those incidents you could have applied either. I’m fine whether you call a VSC or safety car, or you red flag it, as long as we understand in terms of us being able to plan a little bit. Let’s define all together what is a VSC, what is a safety car and what is a red flag.”
‘Formula 1 must better identify when to use a red flag’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/wo.../?nowprocket=1
Mercedes boss dismisses Verstappen complaints about Hamilton
The Mercedes chief gave his take on Hamilton's first-lap pass on Verstappen
April 3, 2023
By Andrew Wright
Total Motorsport
Verstappen was quick on the team radio to complain, saying Hamilton forced him off track, but the stewards wasted little time in deciding no further action was necessary. Wolff was asked about the incident after the race, in which Verstappen recovered to win ahead of Hamilton, and absolved his star driver of any wrongdoing.
“We have lots of discussion around racing rules,” Wolff told the media after the 2023 Australian GP. “I don’t think that was a bad one. They [Red Bull] have a straight line speed advantage with the DRS open that is just mind-boggling,” Wolff added.
“But this is the meritocracy of the sport and if you have a car that’s that quick on the straight and you’re doing the right things, then it’s up to us to find the tools to improve the straight-line performance.
‘Mercedes boss dismisses Verstappen complaints’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ints-hamilton/
-
15 seconds of despair – Aston Martin’s (reversed) implosion.
What was lost in 15 seconds took about 15 minutes to be regained as the FIA finally communicated that the very last restart, rolling round to the flag behind the safety car, would return to the order for the previous start.
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
Apr 3 2023
The Race
In less than 15 gut-wrenching seconds of Formula 1 chaos, Aston Martin’s Australian Grand Prix descended into despair. After Fernando Alonso lost third place being pitched into a spin at the first corner, his team-mate Lance Stroll picked up the baton by pouncing on Alonso’s aggressor Carlos Sainz to hold third himself on the run to Turn 3.
“We had a rollercoaster of emotions,” was Alonso’s summary. Team principal Mike Krack used the same word. If anything, it doesn’t quite do it justice. “We lived it the way you live it on TV as well,” said Krack. “You have the restart, and then there was all these incidents.” Alonso was no fan of the red flag in the first place – it was met with a sharp “What?!” at the time – so that would no doubt have fuelled the sense of injustice he felt at being nerfed out of another podium.
In the car, seconds after the red flag was thrown, Alonso recalled what happened last year at Silverstone, when a stoppage after the start necessitated a restart in the full original order: “Check it immediately,” he insisted after mentioning it. “That’s typical,” said Krack. “He remembers every race he’s done, and what happened where, and what we should look at! That’s pretty impressive. We were pretty confident it would be ordered like that, but you never know.”
‘Reversed implosion’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/15-se...sed-implosion/
Alonso on a high after 'rollercoaster of emotions'
02/04/2023 at 13:49
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
Fernando Alonso was back on the podium again after a chaotic finish to the Australian Grand Prix, with his third consecutive third-place finish from the first three races of the 2023 season. "I was pretty sure that I could be second, to be honest, in the last start, because we've been very good, very strong on the starts. It was good again, I was side-by-side into turn 1.
"[But] you also sometimes have to realise there are a lot of risks as well. Every time there is this kind of restart, and maybe you end up with a DNF - which was very close for me this time. We had a rollercoaster of emotions today," he admitted, concurring with the suggestion that he'd rarely seen anything like Sunday's chaos in his 358-race career in Formula 1.
"It was probably my craziest race here in Melbourne, but it’s great to come away with another podium," he said. "We have to be pleased with this start to the season and three podiums in as many races Many things going on at the beginning [of today's race], but then also at the end now, you know - the last half an hour it was difficult to understand what's going on!”
'Rollercoaster of emotions';
https://f1i.com/news/470872-alonso-o...-emotions.html
Fernando Alonso sends message to Lewis Hamilton as pair share Australian GP podium
12:33 Sun, 02 Apr 2023.
By George Dagless
Give Me Sport
The three world champions on the current F1 grid stood on the Australian GP podium on Sunday. Fernando Alonso has taken the opportunity to praise Lewis Hamilton for his performance at the Australian Grand Prix.
The two old rivals shared the Australian GP podium with Max Verstappen on Sunday, with the Dutchman coming home ahead of Hamilton and then Alonso.
Taking to social media after the race, Fernando praised Lewis for his performance as the Merc man took P2, in what was a nice gesture from the 2005 and 2006 world champion:
Mega drive @LewisHamilton ������ https://t.co/gi1xLgEveH& mdash; Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) April 2, 2023
‘Message to Lewis Hamilton’;
https://www.givemesport.com/fernando...ian-gp-podium/
EXCLUSIVE: 'It would be nice to end our careers together. I'd love that': Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton once despised each other, but now Aston Martin's golden oldie says reuniting with the seven-time world champion would be perfect
• Fernando Alonso struggled to gel with Lewis Hamilton at McLaren back in 2007
• Now the Spaniard thinks the Mercedes star would make the perfect team-mate
• Aged 41, Alonso is looking the closest to rivalling Red Bull's pace this season
Published: 22:30, 31 March 2023
By Jonathan McEvoy for the Daily Mail
Mail Online
So would Fernando welcome his old sparring partner Lewis to the team? ‘It would be nice to end our careers together,’ says Alonso, despite currently partnering the owner’s son, Lance Stroll. ‘I’d love that.’
Really? They hardly gelled last time, in Hamilton’s rookie season at McLaren in 2007. The Hamilton retinue sat one side of the team hospitality area amid the hostilities, Alonso’s on the other, in a dispute flamed by the fuel of the Spygate scandal. In British eyes, Alonso was Dick Dastardly, plotting in Spanish against innocent young Lewis.
‘Alonso was Dick Dastardly’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...n-perfect.html
Fernando Alonso quips ‘no three Red Bulls on the podium’ as F1 pecking order assessed
02 Apr 2023 7:00 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Perez had joked in Bahrain about him, Max Verstappen, and Fernando Alonso ‘all being Red Bull drivers’ and that ‘it was nice to see three Red Bull cars on the podium!’
“No more three Red Bulls on the podium, if Checo was here,” Alonso remarked.
“But no, I think Mercedes were also strong in Jeddah, to be honest. I think all race on Sunday, I was within one-tenth of George [Russell], you know, fighting to get this extra five seconds or whatever at the end. So it was very, very close.”
‘No three Red Bulls on the podium’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernan...-bulls-podium/
-
Fred Vasseur blasts FIA inconsistency: ’30 laps for Alonso, five seconds for Sainz decision’.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has hit out at the FIA after Carlos Sainz was slammed with a five-second penalty at the Australian Grand Prix, one that dropped him fourth to 12th.
03 Apr 2023 5:45 PM
Michelle Foster
Informed of the penalty, an anguished Sainz pleaded: “No, it cannot be, Ricky [Adami, race engineer], this will put me out of the points. No, it’s unacceptable. Tell them it is unacceptable, tell them they need to wait until the race is finished and discuss with me. Ask them please, please, please, please, please, to wait and discuss with me, clearly the penalty is not deserved, it’s too severe.”
“My job is to take the positive and the negative,” Vasseur told Channel 4, “but just like this, it’s more the negative because I think we did overall a good job. Carlos had a very good recovery after the unlucky pit stop just before the red flag, and to get penalised like this at the end is very harsh. For sure you are emotional in this kind of situation because you are not far away from the podium, you are P4, coming from nowhere when all the others got a pit stop for free. He did a mega good job.”
“I think we can discuss [for] hours about the penalty if it’s harsh or not. Depending on the position of your team, the analysis will be different, but I think what is a shame for me is that considering it was not impacting the podium, at least the stewards could’ve listened and had a look at the data.”
‘FIA inconsistency’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fred-v...sainz-penalty/
Sainz penalty harsh after F1 ‘changed rules twice in 10 minutes for Alonso’ – Vasseur
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 4th April 2023, 0:013rd April 2023, 23:29
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said the Australian Grand Prix stewards should have heard from Sainz before penalising his driver for his collision with Fernando Alonso on Sunday. Vasseur pointed out the stewards had reversed a decision which went against Alonso at the previous round.
Vasseur confirmed Ferrari would not appeal against the decision, but questioned why it had been taken so quickly. “They took 30 laps before to decide if Alonso was into the box or not and today took five seconds.”
‘Would not appeal’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/04/...nd-up-04-04-6/
Ferrari baffled by Sainz decision after Alonso rulings
Wednesday 5th April, 2023 - 12:19am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has been left baffled by the decision-making of the Australian Grand Prix stewards after a penalty that knocked Carlos Sainz out of the points. Vasseur, speaking to UK television station Channel 4, then referenced what had unfolded with Alonso during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Alonso was punished for a grid box infraction at the start of the race in Jeddah, serving a five-second time penalty at his first pit stop. It was not until shortly before the end of the race, however, that the stewards dished out an additional 10-second penalty for what they perceived was a further misdemeanour during that stop.
A further three hours after the race had finished, they overturned their decision on the basis of mitigating circumstances coming to light. “(In Saudi) They took 30 laps to decide if Alonso was in the box or not, and this (the Sainz incident) took five seconds,” added Vasseur.
‘Ferrari baffled’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/04/05...australian-gp/
Vasseur identifies key flaw in FIA handling of Sainz penalty
Tuesday 4 April 2023 17:38
Harry Smith
GPFans
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has criticised the FIA's handling of Carlos Sainz's time penalty at the Australian Grand Prix, insisting the governing body should take more time to think about their decisions. Now that the dust has settled, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has weighed in on the penalty debacle.
"His pace was very strong and very consistent," Vasseur told Motorsport.com, "and he came back not far away from the podium. And then to lose it like this, not from nowhere but before the end. I can perfectly understand the emotion and the fact that he was in shock with that."
Vasseur went on to support the FIA's handling of red flags in the closing stages of the Grand Prix. "I'm not complaining because it's always difficult to take decisions when you have to do it live. But coming back to the decision about Carlos, they had time to take the decision. In this case, they have to take time."
‘Vasseur identifies key flaw’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...an-grand-prix/
Rob Smedley: Ferrari progress under Fred Vasseur will take months
Thursday 30 March 2023 17:57
Andrew McLean
GPFans
Ferrari’s performances may not improve for months according to former engineer Rob Smedley, as Fred Vasseur takes time to get his revolution into full swing at Maranello.
Smedley is confident that the improvement Ferrari followers crave will come but it could take until the middle of the season as Vasseur takes time to work his magic. “I’ve got a rule that yo good people who are effective and can just get on will see changes within six months,” Smedley told the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
‘Six months’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-fred-vasseur/
Ferrari make worst start to a season in 14 years while Hamilton breaks a record
2023 Australian Grand Prix stats and facts
Posted on 5th April 2023, 7:23
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Just three years ago, Ferrari produced their worst season in four decades, slumping to sixth in the championship. So it will be cause for alarm that, three races into the new season, they’re on course to do even worse.
Ferrari left Australia point-less after a race bookended by misery. Charles Leclerc went out in a racing incident on lap one while Carlos Sainz Jnr, having overcome an unfortunately-timed pit stop, copped a five-second time penalty on the penultimate lap. This might ordinarily cost a driver one place, if that, but as the race finished behind the Safety Car the luckless Sainz dropped from fourth to 12th.
Ferrari hasn’t started a season as badly as this since 2009. They scored no points over the opening three races that year, though only the top eight places scored at the time. Even so, with two retirements and finishes of ninth, 10th, 14th and 15th they would only have taken three points under today’s scoring system.
‘Worst start to a season in 14 years’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/05/...eaks-a-record/
"Blockbuster" F1 move would see Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc swap teams
Mercedes star Hamilton has been tipped by many to consider a Ferrari switch to give him the best chance of another title before retiring, in a move which could see Leclerc come the other way
17:14, 4 Apr 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
The long-term futures of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc with their current employers appear uncertain given the situations they find themselves in. With their individual scenarios in mind, it has been suggested that a possible swap could take place in the near future. Hamilton would be taking one final gamble in a bid to secure that eighth world title, while Leclerc would star afresh alongside George Russell in what would be a young and exciting driver line-up for Mercedes.
Matt Gallagher and Tom Bellingham, two of the most recognisable F1 content creators thanks to their success with WTF1, agree that such a move would be "blockbuster". But they also share the opinion that it is very unlikely to happen.
"No-one has any idea when [Hamilton] is going to go and where he is going to go," Gallagher, a long-suffering Ferrari fan, told Metro. "If he wants to win an eighth world title, does he want to move away from the team that's provided him with six of those championships? Probably not."
"Blockbuster";
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...cedes-29629672
-
McLaren’s Andrea Stella: “It was good to see that we were in condition to race well”.
Andrea Stella was able to oversee the McLaren F1 Team’s first points finishes of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season in Sundays Australian Grand Prix.
April 5, 2023
By Paul Hensby
The Checkered Flag
Stella says that even without the three red flags in Australia, the team were showing good pace, and they can return home for the four-week break before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with confidence that they are heading the right way in the development of the MCL60. “An eventful race today in Melbourne,” said Stella. “We managed to stay out of trouble and were able to score our first points of the season.
“Even without the three red flags, it was good to see that we were in condition to race well and make good overtaking moves, so there’s plenty of positives. At the same time, we know we have to stay realistic and have a lot of hard work ahead.
“Both trackside and back at the factory, we’ll use the energy from this double points result to make us even more determined to deliver a quicker car. Thank you to everyone trackside, at the MTC and our colleagues at HPP for their hard work.”
“In condition to race well”;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-to-race-well/
McLaren realistic after Australian adventure
Wednesday 5th April, 2023 - 10:03pm
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe13:06
Andrea Stella is refusing to get carried away with McLaren’s result in the Australian Grand Prix despite the importance attached to the crucial points that were scored. For the first time since 2019, McLaren emerged from the first two races of a season without a point, as a result of a number of factors, some unfortunate, others of its own making
Wary team boss Stella, however, said: “We don’t get carried away. We know it was a very eventful race. But it’s good to score points after having some difficult races at the start of the season in which we were in a condition to score points, but for various issues, we couldn’t. So it’s good now to come out of these first few races with some good points.”
‘Realistic’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/04/05...australian-gp/
Lando Norris believes penultimate Aus GP stoppage was for entertainment purposes
03 Apr 2023 7:15 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris is unsure the red flag caused late on in the Australian Grand Prix was fully necessary, with Kevin Magnussen’s crash having prompted a full stoppage of the race.
Serious questions for Australian GP officials after fan hit by debris in Magnussen’s crash “I don’t see everything obviously, I see what I see in the cockpit,” Norris told Channel 4 after the race.
“I don’t feel like the second to last red flag was needed. The last one, I’m sure it was because there was a lot of people in the gravel and things, but the one before, possibly not. Maybe to put on a bit of a show.”
‘Entertainment purposes’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...red-flag-show/
Norris speaks out against late standing restarts 'for the show'
03 April 11:40AM
Author Luke Murphy
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
"It's tough. I feel like you can just be so unlucky. I kind of hate it. I feel like a rolling start is better in these situations," Norris told media, including RacingNews365.com.
"I don't like the restarts, I guess maybe [a standing restart] in the first quarter of the race I [would] understand it. But in the second half, and especially with four laps to go, I feel like you ruin a lot of things.”
"I don't feel like it's fair for a lot of people who have done a good job and get taken out and it's race over. I don't feel like the second to last red flag was needed. It just caused a bad end to the race. I think if we just finished behind the Safety Car then it would have been a bit more straightforward."
‘Against late standing restarts’;
https://racingnews365.com/norris-spe...s-for-the-show
Australian Grand Prix ‘our best weekend so far’ says Norris after double points finish for McLaren
02 Apr 2023
PlanetF1.com
Lando Norris said he didn’t have high hopes for the race in Melbourne but eventually finished P6, a result he party attributed to “staying out of trouble” in a chaotic Grand Prix at Albert Park.
‘Our best weekend so far’;
https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1/McLaren
McLaren go on massive hiring spree amid early season woes
McLaren announced the signing of former Ferrari head of vehicle concept David Sanchez last month.
4 April 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
McLaren’s dramatic push to return to the front of the field is certainly ramping up in pace, with the Woking-based side having announced the signing of Aston Martin’s head of aero performance Mariano Alperin.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown is certainly wasting no time at all, after announcing that a huge restructuring would be taking place at Woking. It’s understood by Motorsport.com that McLaren have agreed deals with 15 new employees, all of which will work under the team’s aero department.
Reports state that the British side have signed key figures from Aston Martin, Red Bull and Ferrari, demonstrating Brown’s intent on turning 2023 around.
‘15 new employees’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/mclaren-g...y-season-woes/
-
Kannapolis-based Haas F1 team survives wild finish to score points in Australian Grand Prix.
The Kannapolis-based Haas F1 Team drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nick Hulkenberg finished p17 and p7, respectively. The Haas team is protesting that final result that saw Hulkenberg dropped form p4 to p7 prior the last restart. The order for the final restart was reverted to before the previous restart had begun, dropping Hulkenberg from p4 to p7 in the provisional classification.
Sun, 02 Apr 2023.
By David Whisenant
WBTV11:11
“It was wild and a bit messy at times,” said Hulkenberg. “We’ll have to look through everything that happened as there were a lot of things happening. I had a super start the third time around on softs and came through to P4, so it’s a shame there were a few incidents and then the race was red flagged.”
“There are a lot of positive learnings again and I feel there are a lot of good things happening. I’m refreshed, in a very positive mindset and really enjoy working with the team and experimenting with the car. We have very good momentum and that’s what we want to take into the next races.”
‘Positive learnings’;
https://www.wbtv.com/2023/04/02/kann...an-grand-prix/
‘Unsafe’ Haas central to scathing F1 track invasion report
14:52 Sun, 02 Apr 2023.
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race
The FIA stewards have published a ruling over the “unacceptable” Australian Grand Prix Formula 1 track invasion that posed “significant danger to the spectators, race officials and the drivers”. Of particular note in their ruling was the finding that Nico Hulkenberg’s stranded Haas car, which he had parked up post-race, proved reachable for spectators while it was in an “unsafe” state.
The security measures and the protocols, which were expected to be in place for the event, were not enforced, resulting in an unsafe environment for the spectators, drivers and race officials. “Furthermore, spectators were also able to reach Car #27 [Hulkenberg’s Haas], which was parked at exit of Turn 2 and which still had its light flashing red (i.e. the car was in an unsafe condition with possible electrical discharge).”
The Australian GP had issued guidelines for a post-race track invasion in the lead-up to the race, imploring attendees to “wait for the course car with the green flashing lights on and siren sounding” before entering the track.
‘F1 track invasion report’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/unsaf...vasion-report/
Haas Files Protest in Wild Red Flag-Filled F1 Australian GP
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg dropped from fourth to seventh place, due to red flag confusion in the final lap.
PUBLISHED Apr 2, 2023 11:20 AM EDT
By Nico DeMattia|
The Drive
The 2023 Formula 1 Australian grand prix was possibly the messiest F1 race I've ever seen, from beginning to end. Red Bull's Max Verstappen got off to an uncharacteristically bad start, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed out of the race barely a kilometer into the first lap, and Williams' Alex Albon was shunted from behind and crashed out in the ninth lap. The latter of which drew a red flag, causing a standing restart. However, none of that compares to the absolute mess that occurred within the final laps, which caused the Haas F1 team to file a protest.
In lap 55, Haas driver Kevin Magnussen crashed out of the race, sending debris all over the track and forcing yet another red flag and another restart. Moments after the restart, chaos once again ensued, as several drivers immediately crashed. Both Alpines crashed out, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz shunted Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso off the track, and Williams' Logan Sargeant crashed into AlphaTauri's Nyck de Vries. All of which drew yet another red flag and another standing restart. However, that was actually good news for Haas F1, as those crashes moved Nico Hulkenberg to the number four spot for the final lap.
‘Possibly the messiest F1 race I've ever seen’;
https://www.thedrive.com/news/haas-f...-australian-gp
F1 stewards reject Haas protest over Australian GP result
14:32 Sun, 02 Apr 2023.
By: Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com
Haas lodged a complaint in the aftermath of the Melbourne event after feeling that the regulations had not been correctly applied in determining the order for the final safety car restart that decided the finishing positions.
This was based on Article 57.3 of the Sporting Regulations that states the order for restarts: "will be taken at the last point at which it was possible to determine the position of all cars."
The FIA felt that this could not be established for all cars based on that restart as not everyone completed a timing sector. However, Haas argued that it should have been possible to do it from Safety Car line 2, which is at the exit of the pits before Turn One, as all cars had got through there on the run away from the line.
‘F1 stewards reject Haas protest’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...sult/10452333/
Australian GP protest result leaves F1 team boss furious as FIA refuse to change stance
The Australian GP was embroiled in chaos with DNFs, red flags and safety cars galore.
16:55, Sun, Apr 2, 2023
By Alex Turk
Daily and Sunday Express
Haas' protest about the result of the Australian Grand Prix has been unsuccessful, leaving team principal Guenther Steiner furious after a chaotic race in Melbourne. Nico Hulkenberg scored Haas six points Down Under, but Steiner felt aggrieved that it should've been more.
The basis of Haas' argument was that all cars had passed the Safety Car 2 line just before Turn 1 in Melbourne, so it should've been used to determine the order. If the FIA had agreed, Sergio Perez and Yuki Tsonoda would've joined Hulkenberg in profiting from that ruling.
However, the governing body determined that the SC2 line was an unreliable reference due to its location in the braking zone. It meant cars could move ahead of others by carrying in too much speed and exiting the track, which Perez did. For that reason, the stewards supported race director Niels Wittich's decision, leaving Haas unsuccessful in their efforts to maximise their points haul.
‘SC2 line was an unreliable reference’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-news-FIA-Haas
-
F1: China's Zhou hits career-high 9th as Verstappen extends lead in Australia.
Chinese racer Zhou Guanyu hit a career-high ninth finish at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, earning two points in the drivers' standings, at Albert Park in Melbourne.
17:35, 02-Apr-2023
CGTN
Chinese racer Zhou Guanyu hit a career-high ninth finish at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, earning two points in the drivers' standings, at Albert Park in Melbourne.
Zhou was also ahead of his teammate Valtteri Bottas, who finished 11 and had no points.
Last year, Zhou finished 18th with six points in his rookie season with Alfa Romeo, with his best result being a 10th-placed finish during his debut Bahrain race.
‘Career-high 9th’;
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-04-0...JoQ/index.html
Finnish pundits believe Valtteri Bottas has every right to be ‘a little worried’
04 Apr 2023 4:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Failing to score a point in Australia despite only 12 cars reaching the chequered flag, Finnish pundits say Valtteri Bottas’ pace around the Albert Park circuit was “not acceptable”.
Finnish pundits Toni Vilander and Ossi Oikarinen agree with the driver that there is cause for concern after his lacklustre weekend in Melbourne. “That’s not acceptable,” Oikarinen told Viaplay. “As Valtteri himself said, at this point you have to be worried.”
“If you change the settings of the car well before the race and test the new one, and it still doesn’t work, then there is a fundamental fault somewhere. It is necessary to sit down with the team and think about what to do. Such a race is not acceptable for Valtteri or the team. You have to press the reset button.”
‘A little worried’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/finnis...ottas-worried/
Zhou pleased to get first points of the year in Melbourne – but Bottas calls on Alfa Romeo to 'figure out' their lack of pace
05 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site
There were contrasting fortunes down at Alfa Romeo in Melbourne, after Zhou Guanyu finished in the top 10 for the first time this season, while team mate Valtteri Bottas endured a “lonely” race to the chequered flag in 11th.
With Bottas and Sergio Perez starting in the pit lane, Zhou started in what became the back row of the grid – alongside Logan Sargeant – in P17. But the Chinese racer then produced some strong overtakes, while benefitting from the red flags, to make his way through the field.
'Figure out';
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Ebj1t1GdJ.html
Bottas confused by pace-hit Australian weekend
Thursday 6th April, 2023 - 8:13pm
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe
Valtteri Bottas has conceded to feeling confused following an Australian Grand Prix weekend in which he was far off the pace in his Alfa Romeo. The Finn missed out on a place in Q2 by a quarter of a second, and was 0.157s behind Williams’ Logan Sargeant, who was next ahead of him on the grid.
After starting from the pit lane, Alfa Romeo gambled by pitting Bottas at the end of lap one and switching him onto the hard tyres in a bid to run to the chequered flag. The plan was scuppered, however, by the chaos that unfolded with the three red flags throughout the event, resulting in Bottas enduring what he has described as “a lonely race”, finishing 11th, whilst team-mate Zhou Guanyu was ninth.
‘Plan was scuppered’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/04/06...australian-gp/
Bottas urges Alfa Romeo to 'find answers' over 'confusing' situation
06 April 6:20PM
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Valtteri Bottas has called on Alfa Romeo to "find answers" after being left "confused" by his lack of pace in the Australian Grand Prix. "It was disappointing that after the [penultimate] restart I was P9, but then they put me back to P12, because the timing cut off before or something like this," Bottas told media, including RacingNews365.com.
"So it wasn't my lucky day. [The race] was quite lonely, to be honest. We obviously started from the pit lane, but then with the [first] red flag everyone was more or less on the same tyre. The pace felt a bit better than yesterday, but even with many things happening it just didn't quite [help me]."
'Find answers';
https://racingnews365.com/bottas-urg...sing-situation
How new front wing can make whole Alfa Romeo F1 car better
6th April 2023, 16:34
By: Matt Somerfield
Co-author: Giorgio Piola
Motorsport.com
The new nose and front wing have been aimed at both ramping up downforce and also helping give the team more options to better balance the car in future races. Alfa Romeo's head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar said the downforce gains from the updates had wider benefits for the whole car.
"We thought that front wing would bring a bit back the car balance," he explained. "I don't think we have particular weaknesses at the moment. With the front wing, for example, the whole car is working better together. So I would say it's just overall development."
‘Make whole Alfa Romeo F1 car better’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...tter/10453707/
-
Tsunoda left wanting more despite taking first point of 2023 in Australia.
Yuki Tsunoda has finished the last three races – including the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – in 11th place. At times in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, it looked like he was going to set a new record for consecutive finishes in the same position, until a late penalty for Carlos Sainz jumped him one place forward into P10 and ensured he picked up his first point of the season.
03 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site
The Melbourne race’s final standing restart saw Tsunoda – who’d spent the majority of his Sunday hovering around the points – pass a host of cars, including Pierre Gasly’s Alpine after it had run wide, before Gasly and Esteban Ocon came together and ensured another red flag was needed.
That overtaking prowess left Tsunoda in fifth place and on for a very decent haul of points – until the stewards ruled that a countback was required, which demoted Tsunoda back to 11th at the chequered flag, only for Sainz’s penalty to push him up to 10th.
‘Left wanting more’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...YKzEBxKsz.html
Nico Hulkenberg swears in surprise at what Yuki Tsunoda did during F1 Australian GP.
In a radio message to his Haas team, Nico Hulkenberg could not hide how impressed he was with what AlphaTauri star Yuki Tsunoda had managed to achieve in one of the restarts in Melbourne
22:59, 3 Apr 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
Nico Hulkenberg was blown away by the way Yuki Tsunoda made up several places during the third and final standing start of the Australian Grand Prix. The Melbourne race was littered with incidents and several crashes – evidenced by the fact only 12 of the 20 drivers finished. Four of those eight who retired did so after that last standing start on the penultimate lap of the race, before the red flags were waved for the third time.
Amid all that chaos, the rest of the drivers had to be very quick to react to all the danger around them and pick the small gaps they needed to find to avoid being taken out themselves. Tsunoda did that expertly with a superb display of his skill. After getting an excellent launch off the line, the AlphaTauri ace roared past two other cars before he even reached the first corner and managed to get clear of Ocon moments before Gasly veered across the track and into the side of his team-mate.
The race was red flagged again and all the cars still running made their way back to the pit lane. While sat there in his Haas, Hulkenberg spotted that the AlphaTauri was behind him and couldn't believe that the Japanese racer had managed to make so much progress in the few seconds they had been racing. "Tsunoda is behind me for real?" the German asked his race engineer over the radio, with the note of surprise in his voice unmistakeable. After that was confirmed to him, he added: "S***, so he made up a lot of places too, didn't he?
‘Could not hide how impressed he was’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...nberg-29622826
AlphaTauri’s Jody Egginton: “We leave Melbourne with a lot of data to go through”
April 6, 2023
By Paul Hensby
The Checkered Flag
Jody Egginton says Scuderia AlphaTauri have a lot of data to go through ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after failing to extract as much performance from their AT04 as they had hoped they would during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.
He praised the drivers for doing everything they could to maximise their result, but Egginton says the team still have work to do to unlock the AT04’s potential and bring both Tsunoda and de Vries into regular top ten contention.
“It was a very difficult race for us,” said Egginton. “Both drivers pushed hard to extract all they could from the package, but we couldn’t manage to get the cars moving forward as required. The pace of the car was not there on all compounds, and we struggled for straight-line speed, as such, we weren’t able to attack nor hold position in some phases of the race.”
‘Leave Melbourne with a lot of data’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...to-go-through/
How AlphaTauri F1 floor updates helped address a core weakness
17:05 Wed, 05 Apr 2023.
By: Matt Somerfield
Co-author: Giorgio Piola
Motorsport.com
After a disappointing start to the campaign, with its AT04 not making the step forward hoped for, the squad has worked hard to address areas where it felt it was especially lacking.
The first fruits of that labour appeared in Melbourne, where the team brought some key developments that it hoped would start it on a journey back nearer the front of the midfield pack. These were focused on the floor body, the floor fences, the floor edge and the diffuser.
Some of these new features cannot be seen easily, as they are hidden away underneath the car. However, the team said the central section of the floor, upon which the plank is mounted, was made wider in two places along its length, while the transition around the rear crash structure has also been altered.
‘Floor updates’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...ness/10453266/
Red Bull co-operation with AlphaTauri has ‘intensified’ under FIA’s watchful eye
06 Apr 2023 6:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Blasting his engineers after the AT04’s lap times failed to live up to expectations, Franz Tost says he can’t follow Aston Martin’s path and “poach capable people” from Red Bull but that the co-operation with the senior team has “intensified”.
Tost has revealed they’ve already reorganised the aerodynamic department. “The aero department was reorganised,” he told Sport1.de. “We have separated from some employees and I am now expecting an increase in performance from the new people. I don’t want to name any names just yet, just this much – the responsibility is now divided between three people.”
‘Red Bull co-operation’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bu...n-intensifies/
-
Hill claims Albon 'lucky to be walking' after scary Australian GP crash.
he Williams driver spun out of the race on lap seven, hitting the barrier at turn six before his car fired back onto the tarmac.
Tuesday 4 April 2023 19:11
Joe Ellis
GPFans
Hill, the 1996 F1 world champion, was with many F1 fans in hoping that nobody would collect Albon's stricken Williams as their vision was limited by a cloud of dust.
Thankfully, all drivers involved avoided a potentially awful incident, and Hill said after the race that Albon was very fortunate to have walked out of the paddock that evening. “He’s lucky to be walking, because if he’s a little bit more into the track it would have been a side-on T-bone with Nico Hulkenberg,” Hill said on the F1 Nation podcast.
Hulkenberg himself described the incident as a "code brown" moment after the race, but he did manage to bring home points for Haas with a seventh place finish.
‘Very fortunate’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...x-crash-lucky/
Albon 'very angry with myself' as he explains Melbourne crash
05 April 2023
Inside Racing
Alex Albon was left "very angry with myself" after crashing out of the Australian Grand Prix. "It’s obviously disappointing," he said. "Firstly it’s my mistake and apologies to the team.”
"It’s one of those things that clearly looking at the results today and seeing where everyone is at, there was a good chance for points. We need to score points when we can, especially when there are opportunities to score points.”
"There are a few cars out of place, out of sequence. That’s when we need to do well. Everything was looking up until my mistake. So I’m very angry with myself."
'Very angry with myself'
https://insideracing.com/formula-1/1...elbourne-crash
Albon pinpoints reason behind Turn 7 crash
Alex Albon crashed out of the 2023 Australian Grand Prix
April 3, 2023
By Ed Spencer
Total Motorsport
Alex Albon believes a sudden change in tyre pressure caused him to crash out of the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. Albon, who had out-qualified an impressive eighth on the grid, was running strongly until a spin at Turn 6 caused him to hit the wall putting him out of the race and bringing out the first of two red flags.
“I was going through there slower than a lap before,” said Albon to the media. “But went a little bit wider in turn five went on the exit curb didn’t think too much of it, if I am honest.”
“But looking at the data briefly, the tyre data spiked a bit, and with these tyres, you get punished, so we think that’s the cause. Everything was lining up until my mistake. [So] very angry with myself.”
‘Reason behind Turn 7 crash’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ash-australia/
Williams confirm Albon’s “tyre temperature spike” theory for crash
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 3rd April 2023, 0:013rd April 2023, 7:28
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans
Alexander Albon claimed his crash at turn six during yesterday’s race came about because his tyre temperatures rose when he ran wide at the previous corner.
“When I lost the car, I was going through slower than the previous lap,” he explained after the race. “I went wide on the corner before and spiked the tyre temperatures, losing grip and [went] into the next corner a bit hot, so I think that’s what happened but we need to look at it.”
The team’s head of vehicle performance Dave Robson affirmed Albon’s explanation. “Unfortunately, touching the kerb at high speed in turn five led to a small snap and a spike in tyre temperature, which led him to lose the car at the next corner,” he said.
“Tyre temperature spike”;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/03/...nd-up-03-04-6/
Sargeant apologetic over unpenalised restart collision
06 April 12:50PM
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
While Carlos Sainz was handed a penalty for a collision at the penultimate race restart of the Australian Grand Prix, Logan Sargeant also had an incident which resulted in retirements for himself and Nyck de Vries. The Williams driver has explained what happened.
"It just felt like when I hit the brake nothing was up to temp[erature] – tyres, brakes," Sargeant told media, including RacingNews365.com.
"I just touched the brakes and locked both fronts immediately. Apologies to Nyck, I hate to end the day like that, but I have to look and see what happened. It definitely felt strange because I felt like I had braked in a similar spot [at] the previous two starts."
‘Sargeant apologetic’;
https://racingnews365.com/sargeant-a...tart-collision
Logan Sargeant apologises to Nyck de Vries: ‘There was nothing I could do’
05 Apr 2023 9:00 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Logan Sargeant has issued an apology to Nyck de Vries after the Williams driver speared into his fellow Formula 1 rookie during the controversial Australian Grand Prix restart.
Sargeant admitted to being surprised to find such little grip at the restart, telling F1 TV: “The last restart was pretty weird.
“I felt like I braked like I did on the previous two restarts but it seemed like nothing was up to temperature, brakes, tyres. [I] hit the pedal and it was immediate both fronts locked and there was nothing I could do from there.”
‘Nothing I could do’
https://www.planetf1.com/news/logan-...nyck-de-vries/
-
Alpine undertaking ‘huge effort’ to stockpile spare parts ahead of Baku.
Otmar Szafnauer says that Alpine plan to use the four-week break before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to stock up on spare parts.
17:35, Thu, 06 Apr 2023.
by Sam Tomlinson
Motorsport Week
“The break wasn’t planned but it is a welcome break from both getting ample car parts, spares as well as when we do bring developments,” Szafnauer said, prior to last Sunday’s race in Melbourne.
“You know there’s a huge effort to make enough of those parts to ensure that you can really push hard – so that definitely helps.”
“And also the break allows you to plan further upgrades that you find through your simulation tools, and knowing that the break is there, you plan them a bit differently – but it definitely helps.”
‘Huge effort to stockpile spare parts’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...ahead-of-baku/
Alpine using spring break to stock up on spare parts for Baku
07/04/2023 at 14:07
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer says the French outfit squad is taking full advantage of the three-week break between Melbourne and Baku to stock up on spare parts for the next round in Azerbaijan.
Szafnauer confirmed the high-risk nature of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sprint weekend. "There is more jeopardy because it’s a street race and some of the walls are pretty close," he said.
"Like I said the nice thing is we’ve got this three-week break to make some spares in order to be prepared for both the sprint race and the race in Baku. Hopefully it’ll all be okay and we won’t suffer in Miami."
‘More jeopardy because it’s a street race’;
https://f1i.com/news/471174-alpine-u...-for-baku.html
‘It’s a shame’ – Szafnauer reveals how Ocon and Gasly reacted to their race-ending crash in Australia
05 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site
It was shaping up to be Alpine’s best race of the season so far, with Pierre Gasly running fifth and keeping within DRS range of a Ferrari ahead whilst Esteban Ocon had climbed into the points after qualifying just outside the top 10. But then it all went horribly wrong...
“Well, they each apologised, so they each thought they played a role in it,” said their Team Principal after the race. “It was just chaos out there; had Pierre not gone wide in Turn 1 – but a lot of people did – then I think he would have been further up the road. Esteban at the same time just followed Tsunoda through on the racing line and Pierre didn’t see him and came over to the racing line and just hit him. Which is… unfortunate.”
Szafnauer was keen not to apportion blame too quickly, the Team Principal having plenty of experience in overseeing team mate clashes – including with Ocon – in his time at Force India/Racing Point.
‘Each apologised’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...mpwzU0GCc.html
Otmar Szafnauer not playing the blame game after Alpine’s double DNF in Australia
04 Apr 2023 9:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Otmar Szafnauer says there’s no point “trying to blame one or the other” of the Alpine drivers for Sunday’s race at the Australian Grand Prix, rather he sees it as something to “learn from”. While Ocon lost out on a point for 10th, Gasly lost out on ten as he had been running P5 at the second restart.
“I think Pierre deserved fifth place thanks to merit and good pace,” said his team boss. “When we told him to push, he tried to keep up with Sainz and he did it. He wasn’t as fast as Sainz, but not much.”
“And then at the end we told him to push to make sure he stayed ahead of Stroll and he did it. So the pace was really good.”
‘Not playing the blame game’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/otmar-...e-game-aus-gp/
Alpine and Ferrari’s F1 success: The Australian Grand Prix we didn’t see
April 3rd 2023
Author Ekagra Gupta
PlanetF1.com
There was the race we all saw: Charles Leclerc in the gravel, three red flags, a late chaotic restart with two wrecked Alpines and a penalty for Carlos Sainz. But there was also the race that you can see in the data and it looks very different.
It’s why Alpine and Ferrari can walk away from Albert Park with a spring in their step, why McLaren will count itself lucky, and why Aston Martin will be anxiously looking over its shoulder and hoping that its upgrades deliver.
Bahrain saw Pierre Gasly start from the back and Esteban Ocon slide back there after a series of bizarre penalties. Gasly’s ninth-place finish hinted at the Alpine’s pace, but there was little chance to show it in Saudi Arabia when the team — like Ferrari — lost ground due to the safety car.
‘Australian Grand Prix we didn’t see’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
