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Ex-F1 driver ponders Hamilton to Ferrari move.
With speculation remaining over Lewis Hamilton's future in F1, former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has given his take on the options that the seven-time World Champion might consider.
08 April 9:05AM
Author Anna Francis
RacingNews365
"I suppose it’s down to what happens at Mercedes," Herbert told Standard Sport. "Can they turn it around? If that doesn’t work and Lewis still has the fire in his belly and thinks this is not the place for him where does he go?"
In terms of his other options, Herbert feels that time – or a lack of – could be a possible hindrance in any possible switch to Ferrari. "Would he go to Ferrari? Does he want to go there as he feels that's where he gets a championship?" Herbert continued.
"Would he feel he could take his energy and people from Mercedes there like Michael Schumacher did and actually change and steer it in a positive way? The problem with that is time."
‘Speculation’;
https://racingnews365.com/ex-f1-driv...o-ferrari-move
Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari rumours: ‘Problem’ identified with late career switch
07 Apr 2023 8:15 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Amid renewed suggestions that Lewis Hamilton could move to Ferrari to restart his quest for a record-breaking eighth Formula 1 title, Johnny Herbert has said that the 38-year-old faces a race against time.
With the young drivers of today, including the reigning two-time World Champion Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris, brought up on a staple diet of sim racing, Herbert believes drivers of Hamilton’s generation are being put at an immediate disadvantage.
He added: “The biggest difference now is that the majority of the young generation of great drivers on the grid have something that Lewis has never been comfortable with and want to put all their energies in, which is the sim stuff. It adds a sixth sense.”
‘Immediate disadvantage.’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...umour-problem/
Toto Wolff details clear stance on 'plan B' should Lewis Hamilton suddenly quit F1
Lewis Hamilton is in the final year of his Mercedes contract raising fears that he could walk away from the Silver Arrows as he trails behind rival Max Verstappen.
11:24, Sat, Apr 8, 2023
By Benjamin Goddard
Daily and Sunday Express
Mercedes principal Toto Wolff has detailed his clear stance on 'Plan B' if Lewis Hamilton decides to walk away from F1. The seven-time world champion has been highly critical of the Silver Arrows' W13 and W14 cars and claims that engineers failed to listen to him over this year's model.
"It may sound naïve, but I have the greatest difficulty in coming up with a plan B. Plan A is my favourite plan," Wolff told Autosport. "I don't want to negotiate with other drivers because I'm happy with my current duo. That's for sure. At the moment there is no plan B. Lewis is the plan.
'Plan B';
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...is-Hamilton-F1
No Mercedes Plan B if Hamilton leaves, says Wolff
8/4/2023, 15:12
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has admitted that there is currently no Plan B in place in case Lewis Hamilton elects to walk away from Formula 1 at the end of 2023.
“I think it may sound naive, but I really struggle to think of a Plan B, if my Plan A is still the one that is my favourite,” Wolff told Motorsport.com.
“I don’t want to engage in discussions with other drivers, because I’m happy with the ones that are in the team, that’s for sure. At the moment, there is no Plan B. It’s Lewis.”
‘No Mercedes Plan B’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...es-says-wolff/
Hamilton pleased to see Bottas ‘flourish’ with personal life
8th April 2023, 12:30
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week
When asked about his former team-mate and the level of comfort that he is expressing, Hamilton said: “It’s great, I just saw Valtteri in flip flops right now with his tan lines around his socks, his sock line!
“It’s great to see him flourish and feeling more and more a part of himself and knowing where he wants to go. I think just for everyone, it’s a whole discovery process, isn’t it? Compartmentalising and just making space for happiness away from the track.”
“I think probably the same applies to everyone here, all of us work so hard, we’re all travelling so much, we’re all away from our families and friends so much that we’re missing out on a lot of things. What are you doing to make time for yourself, and for something that makes you happy?”
‘Hamilton pleased’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...personal-life/
Will ‘disconnected’ Hamilton get key Mercedes change he wants?
Apr 8 2023
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
Mercedes has indicated it will revise the further-forward cockpit position of its Formula 1 car that Lewis Hamilton dislikes because it is “important to listen” to the seven-time world champion.
Hamilton said the cockpit position “100% has to change” and when asked by The Race if that will happen next year, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said: “We’re looking at the big concept and the driver position obviously is one of the things that’s most important.
“Not only in terms of the rational reasons like weight distribution or aerodynamics but also where the driver has the best feeling in the car. That’s something that Lewis was pretty vocal about. A seven-time world champion has an opinion and that is important to listen to.”
‘Cockpit position “100% has to change”…’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/will-...ange-he-wants/
I still love F1 but don’t like driving ‘not-great’ cars – Hamilton
2023 F1 season
Posted on 7th April 2023, 21:28
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Lewis Hamilton says he doesn’t enjoy driving cars that aren’t “great” but is ready to fight for the championship if the Mercedes W14 comes good. “I really do love it,” he said. “I don’t like driving not-great cars.” Mercedes has already said it intends to change the design concept of its W14 after failing to significantly close on the reigning world champions during the off-season.
“I don’t like driving a car that’s not the car that we had meant to have,” Hamilton continued. “But I love that challenge of ‘what can I do with it?’ Okay, wins are not possible right now so what’s the maximum we can get?”
“Can we be a little cheeky and if fifth is the best we can get, can we get a fourth or a third? Can we just make sure we’re consistent and make sure that you’re fit and ready so that when the car does all of a sudden switch on and it is the car that you dreamed of having you’re ready?”
‘Love that challenge’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/07/...cars-hamilton/
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Why Marko believes Perez proved a point in Australia.
Sergio Perez started at the back of the grid in Melbourne after crashing out in qualifying, but Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was impressed by the Mexican's recovery.
05 April 1:40PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
Perez battled his way through the field in the race and managed to stay out of the chaos at the end, eventually finishing in P5 and taking the fastest lap, something which Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes the Mexican had been targeting.
"This wasn't his weekend, but he took that fastest race lap and that will feel like a kind of reparation after Jeddah. There, of course, he also wanted the fastest lap," he said to ServusTV.
"In the race [Australia] he got the most out of it. We knew overtaking here isn’t easy, or even very tricky, and prior to the race we already took seventh or sixth place into account."
‘Proved a point’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-marko-...t-in-australia
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.
Asked whether Sunday’s outing was all about limiting the damage, Perez said: “Yeah, I think it’s as much as we could do, I mean, when you’re sat in those positions. I had a really good start at the restart, the first standing start I did. I had that really good one, I jumped like, three, four places, but then it was a massive mess.
“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
Sergio Perez's eventful Australian Grand Prix
04 Apr 2023
Official Site (Video)
From a disastrous final practice session to finishing P5 on race day, it was an eventful 2023 Australian Grand Prix weekend for Red Bull's Sergio Perez.
‘Disastrous final practice to an eventful 2023 Australian Grand Prix’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...998299519.html
What’s more alarming for Perez than his costly points loss
14:54 Wed, 05 Apr 2023.
By Josh Suttill
The Race
Sergio Perez started the Australian Grand Prix weekend insisting he was ready to fight for the Formula 1 world championship and Red Bull was now ready to give him “every single opportunity” to challenge for it. Multiple offs in final practice – where setting a representative laptime proved a struggle – perhaps inevitably translated into a crash just five minutes into the first segment of qualifying. “We had a bit of a technical issue from FP3 and we thought we fixed it but we obviously didn’t,” Perez said after qualifying.
Perhaps more disconcertingly, there seemed to be a continuing disconnect between team and driver when it comes to exactly what had gone wrong on Saturday. Team boss Christian Horner didn’t confirm the presence of an issue in the wake of qualifying, instead saying the team would conduct further investigations. And that hadn’t changed 24 hours later after Perez had charged from the pitlane to finish in fifth place and secure the fastest lap bonus point.
Perez’s loss of 14 points to Verstappen opens the gap at the top of the drivers’ championship to 15 but it’s the circumstances around that points loss rather than the tally of points lost itself that is worrying – after all, a reliability problem in Baku for Verstappen would reverse those positions. The ambiguity around the cause and the disconnect between Red Bull and Perez’s reasoning don’t absolve fears of a repeat.
‘Continuing disconnect’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/whats...y-points-loss/
Perez not happy with 'unacceptable' Red Bull problem
05 April 7:10PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
Sergio Perez was left frustrated by "unacceptable" problems with his RB19, which prevented him from challenging for the Australian Grand Prix win. "It was really bad, very bad weekend. What happened on Saturday, it's totally unacceptable," said Perez to media, after the race. We have to get to the bottom of it because I felt that we had a really good weekend up to yesterday [Saturday]."
Perez says the issues that the team experienced set their confidence back, despite having superior pace over the competition. "We worked so hard preparing the Grand Prix and then that just put us back completely we lost all the confidence," he said. "And then I think definitely we had the basic fight for the victory today, but finishing in P5 is damage limitation."
He managed to climb back up to P6 in the race and stay out of trouble during each of the stoppages, which became P5 at the end with Carlos Sainz's time penalty. This was effectively the same level of progress as Verstappen managed in Saudi Arabia when he drove to P2 after starting from P15 on the grid.
'Unacceptable Red Bull Problem’;
https://racingnews365.com/perez-not-...d-bull-problem
Christian Horner downplays Sergio Perez’s claim RB19 issues behind Melbourne woes
06 Apr 2023 12:15 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Christian Horner has downplayed Sergio Perez’s comments his RB19 was to blame for his qualifying disaster, the team boss saying it was more a case of “all the bits and pieces together weren’t quite perfect”.
Perez had a nightmare Saturday at the Australian Grand Prix where he seemed to be off the track more often than on it during the weekend’s final practice session, only for it to go from bad to worse in qualifying. The Mexican driver lost it at the start of Q1 when he went straight on at Turn 3 and into the gravel where he beached his car, his qualifying session over without a time on the board.
Perez blamed the car, saying that “already in FP3 we had this issue, we thought we had fixed it, but obviously we didn’t.” Helmut Marko, though, blamed the driver as he felt he was “insecure and impetuous”. He added that Perez’s earlier “problems were actually gone from practice.”
‘Christian Horner downplays Sergio Perez’s claim’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...elbourne-woes/
Fernando Alonso hoping for more tensions between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Tensions are building in the Red Bull camp, as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez do everything they can to get the edge.
6 April 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
Double World Champion Fernando Alonso has admitted that himself and Aston Martin are going to be paying “attention” to the current situation at Red Bull, after Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez disagreed ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
Alonso knows that Red Bull are currently too strong for Aston Martin to compete with but that a “hot environment” at the Austrians could spice things up, especially if Perez and Verstappen “touch”.
“We know that the Red Bulls are too far ahead now,” Alonso told DAZN. “But hey, anything can happen. A reliability problem, a touch between them. We know there has been a lot of talk about them having a hot environment so we will pay attention,” he smiled.
“Hot environment” at the Austrians could spice things up (EL PLAN)’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-...-sergio-perez/
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Toto Wolff rejects radical F1 reform which could see Max Verstappen quit the sport.
The Red Bull man has pledged to walk away from F1 but Toto Wolff may help keep Max Verstappen in the sport.
15:15, Sun, Apr 9, 2023
By Jack McEachen
Daily and Sunday Express
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff could help keep Max Verstappen in F1 if he rejects new proposed changes to the sport. The Red Bull star has hinted he may walk away prematurely if the format of race weekends are altered - as the number of sprint races continues to be increased with more attention placed on them.
After the race format was introduced in 2021, now as many as six Grand Prix will feature the event which could be set to gain even more prominence in the schedule. Haas boss Guenther Steiner explained there could be a second round of qualifying for the sprint race in the Azerbaijan GP this month, which has since been confirmed.
He said: “In Baku we are talking about having a second qualifying in the moment. We don’t know how we do it and if we do it. Instead of FP2 on a sprint event on Saturday morning, we do our qualifying. Then we are in a situation to evaluate would one FP1 be enough to get out what we want and go from there?”
‘Radical F1 reform’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...cedes-Red-Bull
Verstappen warns against F1 DNA changes – but they seem inevitable
9th April 2023, 13:35
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week
Max Verstappen, who has never been one to mince words and shy away from saying what he thinks, provided another eye-opening comment at the recent Australian Grand Prix.
Amid a debate over sprint races, a concept that Verstappen has publicly been against since their arrival in 2021, the Dutchman suggested that he would be willing to walk away from the sport should further changes be implemented.
“Even if you change the format, I don’t find that is in the DNA of Formula 1 to do these kind of sprint races,” he said. “I hope there won’t be too many changes, otherwise I won’t be around for too long.”
‘F1 DNA changes’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...em-inevitable/
Wolff: F1 must shape rules with 'Stanley knife' not 'baseball bat'
9th April 2023, 11:16
By: Matt Kew
Motorsport.com
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff says Formula 1 bosses should resist taking a “baseball bat” to the weekend format and instead make more precise rule tweaks with a “Stanley knife”. The timetable of a race weekend has been thrust into the limelight following comments from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali that he is in favour of scrapping free practice sessions.
The Austrian, who placed his trust in F1 chiefs to use data to shape decisions, said: “I think we all share the same objective that we want the sport to continue to develop well and grow its audiences. We just need to find a common denominator what the best principle is. I’m more on the conservative side, I like qualifying, I like the grand prix, the great prize.”
“But we have to also be open minded about where the sport is going to go and some of the sprint races have been fantastic. So whatever Stefano decides is good, I think he will have all the data on the table what is good for the audiences, what is good for the brand and then we just want to maybe try and tweak things without using a baseball bat, but a Stanley knife… a more precise way to cut it.”
'Stanley knife' not 'baseball bat'
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/w...-bat/10454425/
Is F1’s latest sprint race format a change worth making?
Debates and Polls
Posted on 9th April 2023, 8:309th April 2023, 0:05
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans
Formula 1 plans to introduce a new version of its sprint race format for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend.
It follows F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s comments earlier this year about his desire to cut the amount of practice sessions to one per weekend, and ensure every other time the cars appear on track they have something to compete for. The revised sprint format moves closer towards that idea.
Instead of using a Friday qualifying session to set the grid for Saturday’s sprint race, Friday would decide the grand prix grid. A second round of qualifying on Saturday, replacing the second practice session, would set the sprint race grid.
‘Latest sprint race format’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/09/...-worth-making/
Kelly Piquet WILL NOT let Max Verstappen pile on pounds after F1 retirement.
Saturday 8 April 2023 19:57
Graham Shaw
GPFans
The life of an F1 driver is often a tough one with a brutal exercise regime just one of the sacrifices the stars of the 2023 grid have to make - and reigning world champion Max Verstappen is no different.
But if the 25-year-old current king thought he might be able to loosen his belt a little in retirement - quite literally - he was wrong. The Dutchman admitted earlier this year that he had gained a few pounds as he took time out to properly enjoy the fruits of his second world title win in late 2022. Before the grind to get back into shape for the 2023 season.
During the recent Viaplay documentary 'Max Verstappen: Anatomy Of A Champion', Max was quizzed about his fitness regime, and looked ahead to the future as he admitted: "When I am forty, then I will no longer race. Then I will eat what I want." That is the moment where 33-year-old model and influencer Kelly interjects with a firm and simple answer - "No".
‘Pile on pounds after F1 retirement’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...t-gain-pounds/
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Ferrari address rumours of poor atmosphere after horrific start to F1 2023 season.
Fred Vasseur has denied that there is a poor atmosphere at Ferrari and insisted he has the support of the team’s senior figures.
09 Apr 2023 1:15 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
After a poor end to the 2022 season, Ferrari would have hoped to come out of the traps in 2023 much quicker than they have done. They are currently fourth in the Constructors’ standings, 97 points adrift of leaders Red Bull, and Charles Leclerc has failed to finish in two of the opening three races. It would be fair to guess that the atmosphere within the corridors of Maranello is less than ideal…
“The mood within the team is incredibly good,” the Frenchman told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com. “Everyone is very motivated, very concentrated and the drivers also provide maximum support. If the question is about the relationship I have with John and Benedetto, trust me, it’s very positive. We certainly didn’t get the results we expect, but we are all working together to improve the situation.”
‘Ferrari address rumours of poor atmosphere’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...1-2023-season/
How does Ferrari’s awful start in F1 2023 compare to previous seasons?
9 Apr 2023
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Since F1 changed the points system in 2010, Ferrari have never had fewer points than they do now in 2023. Ferrari have endured a miserable start to F1 2023 with just 26 points scored in the opening three races.
Charles Leclerc has two DNFs to his name - in Bahrain he retired due to an engine issue; in Australia he was involved in a Lap 1 collision with Lance Stroll.
‘Ferrari’s awful start’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102383...evious-seasons
Vasseur denies Sainz request as Ferrari development plans revealed
Saturday 8 April 2023 14:42
Harry Smith
GPFans
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has shut down Carlos Sainz's calls for the Italian team to change their development path, claiming that he is 'sticking to the plan' despite a rocky start to the season. "We are sticking to the plan," Vasseur said when asked about Sainz's calls for a change of concept.”
"We have made some adjustments in terms of balance and behaviour, and it was much better in Melbourne, and we'll continue in this direction. It's not a B-car if that is what you want to say. Ferrari's team principal was quick to shut down any speculation of a B-spec car, claiming that it would nigh-on impossible to pull off.”
"We won't come with something completely different. We will continue to update this one and we'll try to update massively. To do a new project during the season, to start from scratch, to do a new car with the cost cap, but also considering the restriction of the wind tunnel time, I don't want to say that it's impossible, but it's very difficult."
"We are sticking to the plan";
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...lopment-plans/
Ferrari to stick with update plan, no concept change for SF-23
08/04/2023 at 10:33
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur has ruled out the possibility of the Scuderia fielding a B-spec car later this season, insisting the team will stick with its scheduled update plan to evolve its SF-23. Ahead of the start of its 2023 campaign, Ferrari was earmarked as a favourite to hit the ground running in Bahrain.
"We have a flow of updates that will come, not for Baku, because we have the aero package for the level of downforce, and with the sprint race it is not the easiest one, but for Miami, Imola, not Monaco, and Barcelona," Vasseur explained in a call with the media this week. At each race, we'll have an update on the car. We are sticking to the plan.”
"We have made some adjustments in terms of balance and behaviour, and it was much better in Melbourne, and we'll continue in this direction. It's not a B-car if that is what you want to say. We won't come with something completely different. We will continue to update this one and we'll try to update massively."
‘Ferrari to stick with update plan’;
https://f1i.com/news/471200-ferrari-...for-sf-23.html
Ferrari upgrade boost as fast-track plan revealed by Fred Vasseur.
Ferrari principal Fred Vasseur says the team has managed to “speed up” their development process, meaning upgrades for the SF-23 will arrive ahead of schedule.
08 Apr 2023 8:21 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Fred Vasseur has denied that there is a poor atmosphere at Ferrari and insisted he has the support of the team’s senior figures. After a poor end to the 2022 season, Ferrari would have hoped to come out of the traps in 2023 much quicker than they have done.
Toto Wolff confirms ‘layout’ of Mercedes W14 ‘will change’ at Imola. “Surely the start of the season wasn’t what we wanted and what he wanted to have, there was the retirement in Bahrain, the penalty in Jeddah and the retirement in Melbourne, which was certainly not in the plans, but the motivation is intact,” Vasseur said.
“I have a good relationship with Charles, and I’m sure of it. When we talk in the heat of the moment, a few minutes after getting out of the car, both Charles and Carlos [Sainz] can’t be happy, and I should add that I would be very frustrated if I saw them relaxed and happy with the car.”
‘Team has managed to “speed up” their development process’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...1-2023-season/
Ted Kravitz explains Carlos Sainz's feelings as Ferrari star left crying over injustice.
Sainz was given a penalty for colliding with Fernando Alonso which knocked him out of the points in Melbourne, and was so upset that he shed a few tears in his Ferrari.
20:28, 7 Apr 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
The Mirror
Ted Kravitz voiced his sympathy for Carlos Sainz, who was emotional to the point of tears over the penalty he received at the Australian Grand Prix.
Kravitz, speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, said he understood why the Spaniard was so upset given Alonso had suffered no consequences and that the lap, technically, never took place. "Maybe Sainz's thoughts about this was that it never happened," he said.
‘Ted Kravitz explains Carlos Sainz's feelings’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...avitz-29658210
Ted Kravitz on why crying Carlos Sainz was so upset by Aus GP penalty
07 Apr 2023 6:30 PM
Thomas Maher
Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz has opined on why Carlos Sainz was upset to the point of tears after being given a five-second time penalty late in the Australian Grand Prix. Appearing on the Sky Sports F1 podcast after the Australian Grand Prix, Ted Kravitz explained the thinking behind Sainz’s position and said it was perhaps understandable why the Ferrari driver was so upset.
“Maybe Sainz’s thoughts about this was that it never happened,” he said. “You’re putting the Astons back in, like what happened with Sainz never happened. Yet you’re penalising Sainz for the thing that happened, but didn’t happen, because the Astons are still there.”
“And there’s no foul. So, if there’s no harm, Sainz is thinking there’s no harm to Fernando, then there’s no foul on me. He was in tears. If you listen to the team radio at the end of the race, he was crying on the radio after the race.”
‘Why Carlos Sainz was upset to the point of tears’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ted-kr...-time-penalty/
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Alonso: Upcoming upgrades make for 'interesting' races ahead.
Fernando Alonso says that with upgrades set to kick in, teams are heading into an "interesting" period of the season during which the pecking order could change from race to race.
10/04/2023 at 14:37
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
"It seems that qualifying is quite important now, because race pace is very similar and I think now we enter into a part of the season that is going to be very interesting: which team is developing the car faster?" commented Alonso in Australia recently.
"I think the first three races being away from Europe, it’s difficult to bring upgrades and things like that. But from now on, maybe we see the level of the teams changing a little bit, race-by-race, depending on who brings an upgrade that is good enough."
"I don’t know, for us, it’s all happy days at the moment," he said. "We never expected to be on the podium, maybe even throughout the season and in three races we have three. So everything that comes now is a plus and as I said today, third and fourth is a lot of points so we take every opportunity."
‘EL upcoming upgrades PLAN’;
https://f1i.com/news/471324-alonso-u...ces-ahead.html
Alonso urges Aston Martin humility in 'unexpected' podium streak
Saturday 8 April 2023 15:21
Sam Hall
GPFans
Fernando Alonso has impressed on Aston Martin the importance of remaining humble during an 'unexpected' podium streak. The Spaniard has finished third at each of the opening three grands prix of the season. "So we take this 2023 in a very humble manner and let’s see how it's going."
Across the opening rounds, jokes had been made that the podium had consisted solely of Red Bull drivers given the similarities between the two cars. But this changed in Australia, with Sergio Perez missing out on the top three places as Lewis Hamilton finished second. Referencing these jibes, Alonso said: "No more three Red Bulls on the podium, if Checo (Perez) was here!
‘EL humility PLAN’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...dium-humility/
Fernando Alonso amused by Mercedes pessimism over W14 car
10 April 2023
Inside Racing
Fernando Alonso has called out Mercedes over their pessimistic comments about the W14 car. “If you read their comments, it seems that they have a car that is not in Q3, but I don’t think that is that bad," he said.
“It’s not as good as Red Bull – no one has a car close to Red Bull – but they are getting better and they will be a contender for wins soon.”
“They did last year and they won a race after a very bad start, so I think this year they are also showing the potential they have.”
‘Called out Mercedes’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...m-over-w14-car
Alonso reveals ambitious goals for resurgent Aston Martin
Monday 10 April 2023 11:57
Harry Smith
GPFans
Fernando Alonso has reiterated that he believes he can win a third world title in F1, and that he believes he can do it with Aston Martin.
The veteran Spaniard raised some eyebrows when he announced his switch to Aston Martin in 2022, but the move has proved an inspired one with Alonso picking up three consecutive podiums to start the 2023 season.
"Well that's the aim for sure," Alonso said in an interview with sponsor Bang & Olufsen. "But I think at the moment we have to keep the feet on the ground.
"The aim for the team is just to have a good season. They were struggling a lot in 2022, so I think we have to - let's say walk before [we] run.
"Hopefully we have more podiums, hopefully we fight for race wins, but I think to fight for the championship, I think we need to, as I said, set the team a little bit before doing that."
‘EL ambitious goals PLAN’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...d-world-title/
Alonso ‘happy days’ but interesting F1 period now looms
Monday 10th April, 2023 - 1:08am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe
Fernando Alonso has declared it to be “happy days” with Aston Martin at present but he is fully aware the F1 landscape could quickly change once racing resumes after the spring break. Alonso is wary of what the European portion of the season will bring that follows the current spring break and the double-header in Azerbajian and Miami at the end of April, start of May.
“It seems that qualifying is quite important now because race pace is very similar,” said Alonso, in comparing his AMR23 to the W14. Now we enter into a part of the season that is going to be very interesting – which team is developing the car faster?”
“With the first three races being away from Europe, it’s difficult to bring upgrades and things like that. But from now on, maybe we will see the level of the teams changing a little bit, race-by-race, depending on who brings an upgrade that is good enough.”
‘EL ‘happy days’ PLAN’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/04/10...ing-f1-period/
Krack credits Aston Martin success to Vettel’s involvement
14:37 Sun, 09 Apr 2023.
by Sam Tomlinson
Motorsport Week
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has credited Sebastian Vettel’s involvement with the team to their 2023 successes. “I think he has his merits in where the [AMR23] is today,” Krack told the media in Australia.
“We had many, many meetings last year where he gave us a hint: do this, or do that, or do not do this with the new car, so I think he has his merits in here. He brought a lot of energy, a lot of positiveness when he arrived,” Krack added.
“He [was] leading by example at all times. He’s there early, he’s working really hard and it is this leading by example that everybody just sees and grabs on and gives an extra level of motivation.”
‘Lot of energy’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...s-involvement/
-
Toto Wolff reveals strategy change after U-turn on Mercedes retirement.
“Yes, this is what I do and this is my company,” he affirmed. “The ‘problem’ is that I can’t leave.”
11 Apr 2023 6:45 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff previously could not have imagined himself as Mercedes principal at 50, but now cannot foresee himself selling up. “In 2020 there was a moment of reflection,” he told Motorsport.com. “My plan in a way was to finish at 49. The idea I had before was to do something else, I wouldn’t have imagined myself beyond 50 as team principal.”
“But something in me has changed, in the past each of my projects was based on a clear guideline: buy shares in a company, develop it, and then sell the shares, and that was the plan when my adventure in Formula 1 began. But in 2020 I came to the conclusion that for the first time in my life I wanted to stay where I was, and I changed the strategy.”
“I thought about other scenarios, even the possibility of moving to Thailand, changing my business, basically changing my life. But in the end, here I am, I’m in my company. I’m one of three shareholders and honestly I think I had a great opportunity to be where I am. It is important to remember that especially when there are ups and downs.”
‘Strategy change’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...es-retirement/
Wolff reveals new mindset about own future in Formula 1
09:23 Sat, 08 Apr 2023.
By: Jonathan Noble
Co-author: Roberto Chinchero
Motorsport.com
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has revealed a totally different mindset about his own future in Formula 1, which means he will never turn his back on the Silver Arrows. In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Wolff has said previous ideas of cashing out on his investment in F1 have been banished.
Wolff said the decision he took to wed himself to the Mercedes team, rather than treat it as a simple investment tool, means he has can now no longer turn his back on F1. Instead, he feels a great duty to lay foundations to ensure the F1 outfit has a secure future.
“It’s my company. It's my team,” he said. “The problem is I cannot even walk away. I can only bring up talent and change the scope of my activities to go in a way. It's not a project anymore. It's my company. I'm one of three shareholders and I need to pinch myself every day of this opportunity. It's important with all the up and downs.”
“It’s my company. It's my team”;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/w...la-1/10454312/
Wolff 'cannot walk away', more committed than ever to F1
09/04/2023 at 10:33
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted that he did briefly consider walking away from the sport in 2020 when his previous contract expired. "When I really enjoyed it, I signed another three-year deal, and I really enjoyed it," he explained. "It was 2013/14/15, plus 2016/17/18, and then I signed another one - 2019/20/21.”
"And then came the crucial moment," he declared. "In 2020, I didn't know if I wanted to continue doing this or not. In 2020, I was thinking [about it],” he admitted. “My plan in a way was that when I'm 49, I'm going to stop doing this. Because as a 50-year-old, you're grown up, you're not being team manager anymore."
"I wanted to become a real entrepreneur and keep this forever," he said. “It took me one year to digest that - that I don't want to go back into the industry where I have been doing that for 25 years. That was the moment to keep on," he stated. "It was always previously linked to a contractual term, whereas now it's not anymore."
'Cannot walk away';
https://f1i.com/news/471259-wolff-ca...ver-to-f1.html
Toto Wolff confirms ‘layout’ of Mercedes W14 ‘will change’ at Imola
09 Apr 2023 7:45 AM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
Toto Wolff has elaborated a little further on what changes can be expected for the Mercedes car at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. It almost seems like Mercedes’ 2023 season is being split into two parts, pre-Imola and post-Imola as a significant upgrade package is being readied to be installed onto the W14.
“I don’t want to change the goals yet,” he told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com. “I always want to think that we are here to fight for a world championship, even if it doesn’t seem realistic. We are only at the beginning, and I want to keep the team motivated to do the best possible job.”
“There are many innovations in the pipeline, the layout of the car will change at Imola and we will see what this step entails.” But even after just three races, winning the world championship already seems like a tough ask with Red Bull 58 points ahead of second place Aston Martin.
‘Layout of Mercedes W14 will change’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...-mercedes-w14/
Toto Wolff goes viral after snooping on Red Bull car to try and fix Lewis Hamilton woes
Mercedes continue to struggle in 2023 as Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominate at the front of the field.
07:01, Sun, Apr 9, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express
Toto Wolff has gone viral on TikTok after a clip emerged of him spying on Red Bull at the Australian Grand Prix. The Mercedes boss was spotted walking past Sergio Perez’s car during a red flag stoppage in Melbourne. Instead of walking back to the Silver Arrows garage, the Austrian decided to hang around a bit longer. The 51-year-old is then seen to pirouette after peering at the rear right tyre and comes in for a closer look.
To add to the bizarre video, the clip has been dubbed with the Pink Panther theme tune music. Over 214,000 people have liked the clip since last weekend with 13,000 sharing it. Wolff was also spotted talking to Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur during the stoppage. TikTok user @brunomiguelsaraiva said: “RBR living rent-free in Toto's head.”
@just_bant3er posted: “Red Bull did the same, there all at it. That Bull is a rocket ATM, not long before the FIA change the rules like they did to Mercedes.” @bethanysloane111added: “I like Toto and George but I’d rather they sent engineer over to know what they are looking at.”
“RBR living rent-free in Toto's head.”;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-grand-prix
George Russell in scathing blast at Mercedes car as Toto Wolff backs Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes chief Wolff backed Hamilton over the seven-time world champion's criticism of his team's work on their W14 car, and now Russell has spoken his mind about it
17:49, 7 Apr 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
The Mirror
George Russell compared the Mercedes W14 to "a lame horse", following on from previous criticism of the car by his team-mate Lewis Hamilton. He said: "It is comparable to riding a horse. A Mercedes is a faster horse than a Williams. But it's not just about speed. Riding a horse from A to B and it doesn't zig is like sitting in a Formula 1 car that suits your driving style. One merges into another.”
"At the moment, however, we have a lame horse. We know that it has a lot of performance in it, but it is not happy that someone wants to ride it and the way of riding style does not suit him either. It still has its own head, which sometimes runs the risk of throwing you off. We still have to get used to each other and develop it so that it becomes fast and tame."
Last month, Hamilton called out his team in public, accusing them of not listening to his input on the design of the car. He later said he probably should have used different words, but is still "miserable" about working with a car with which he says he has no connection.
‘Still has its own head, which sometimes runs the risk of throwing you off’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...wolff-29657294
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Coulthard reveals MASTERFUL qualities that make Horner an ALL-TIME great F1 boss.
David Coulthard has opened up on what makes Christian Horner such a successful team principal, having worked with the Red Bull boss in his time racing for the team.
Tuesday 11 April 2023 07:00
Chris Deeley
GPFans
"The reality is Christian's a racer," Coulthard told the Inside Line podcast. "We came up through the British karting system, so I was aware of him, I knew of him, I'd watched him progress into cars behind my journey, and I knew of his Arden Formula 3000 team which was winning championships.
"To then see that Christian parachuted in as the new team principal was not at all concerning, because you need someone who understands the dynamic of racing...I had no doubt that Christian had the managerial skills to operate the team. But that's just part of the story. What was lacking at that time was the technical skills to develop and build a really strong car."
"His human skills," he said. "Christian is a nice man, you know exactly where you stand with him. You know what he expects, and you know when he expects it. He's also got a sense of humour and compassion that means when we're not working all the time, there is a time to relax, reflect, and celebrate. Some people are just on all the time. But it's [that, which] a lot of the time you don't see, that are some of the strongest human skills that people like Christian have."
‘MASTERFUL qualities’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...great-podcast/
Christian Horner on pit fence celebration ban: ‘We’ve done it 94 times without injury’
09 Apr 2023 6:30 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Red Bull’s Christian Horner was surprised to see the FIA putting a stop to teams celebrating the success of their drivers on the pit fence. “I was surprised it was an issue, to be honest with you,” Horner told reporters. “But I think anything that relates to safety, obviously, one has to take very seriously.
“But it’s a fairly iconic moment when you see a Grand Prix car finishing a Grand Prix and its team celebrating on a fence, and so long as it’s done in a manner that is safe… I personally have never seen an issue with it.”
“I’ve thought it’s been a part of Grand Prix racing and we’ve achieved that 94 times as Red Bull Racing, and not once have we ever had an injury or looked like there being an issue, but you know, if they’re the rules they’re the rules.”
‘94 times without injury’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...lebration-ban/
Horner slates 'LUDICROUS' sprint race decision
Monday 10 April 2023 08:00
Harry Smith
GPFans
F1 will trial an exciting new sprint race format at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix but not everyone is pleased with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner labelling the decision 'ludicrous'. "The reality is it’s absolutely ludicrous to be doing the first sprint race of the year in a street race like Azerbaijan," Horner said.
"But I think from a spectacle point of view, from a fan point of view, is probably going to be one of the most exciting sprint races of the year." Horner was apprehensive about the prospect of incidents at the upcoming races in Baku.
"From a cost gap perspective, all you can do is trash your car and it costs a lot of money around there. So one race is enough in Baku. The fact that we’ve got two... yeah, there could well be some action there. But that's part of the challenge and it's part of the task that we've got."
'LUDICROUS';
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...an-grand-prix/
Horner explains impact of Ricciardo's return on Red Bull
08 April 5:00PM
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Christian Horner feels that having Daniel Ricciardo back in the Red Bull garage at the Australian Grand Prix had a positive impact on the team.
The 33-year-old made his first race weekend appearance in 2023 in his new role as a reserve driver for the squad and – while he didn't get behind the wheel – was a visible presence throughout the event.
Horner believes that Ricciardo's presence has been positive for Red Bull, and hopes that the experience will continue to help the Australian to find his love for the sport again. "For us, it’s just positive to have him in the team, contributing to the team, to the drivers, to the engineering team," Horner said.
‘Ricciardo's return’;
https://racingnews365.com/horner-exp...rn-on-red-bull
Horner hails KEY Ricciardo trait after F1 paddock return
Monday 10 April 2023 10:59
Harry Smith
GPFans
Christian Horner has praised the positive impact that Daniel Ricciardo's return to the Red Bull garage had on the team at last weekend's Australian Grand Prix. Speaking to the media after the Australian Grand Prix weekend, Horner said: "It's great to have him back in blue and be back in the team. This is the first Grand Prix he’s attending this year, and he's really throwing himself into it.
"Sitting in all the briefings, he's been working hard on the simulator as well in the UK doing some race support and some development work on that." Horner was also keen to highlight the improvements Ricciardo has made to the atmosphere since returning to Red Bull.
"Daniel's just a positive energy to have around and it's great to see him getting his mojo back, to see that big smile on his face, and he lights up a room when he walks in."
‘Mojo back’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...an-grand-prix/
Verstappen patience lauded after Hamilton ‘missile’
Thursday 6th April, 2023 - 2:00am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has praised Max Verstappen for the patience he displayed during Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix after being forced to avoid Lewis Hamilton’s “missile” on the opening lap.
Hamilton and Verstappen have offered differing views on the manoeuvre that culminated in the RB19 being forced wide off track in order to avoid a collision with his long-time nemesis. In the past, Verstappen may well have held his line, but on this occasion, Horner felt he showed restraint, knowing that despite Hamilton taking second place, he had the pace in his car to reclaim the lead.
“The two Mercedes were fast starting,” said Horner. “They were both very aggressive on the first lap, (with) Max showing great patience not to get embroiled. George got a blinder, and he just sent it down into the first corner so Max got out of that, and by getting out of it to allow him through, that then compromised him through T2.”
‘Verstappen patience’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/04/06...australian-gp/
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Hill: Hamilton 'instinctive' speed may have started to leave him.
Damon Hill questions whether Lewis Hamilton's "instinctive, unconscious speed" has started to wane, leaving the seven-time world champion exposed to the rise to prominence of his Mercedes teammate George Russell.
12/04/2023 at 12:51
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
"You have to be aware of rising forces or empires," Hill explained on the latest F1 Nation podcast. "George has to work very hard to make himself a valued asset of the team, which he’s doing. He has to do the hard work. Lewis doesn’t have to.”
"They know what they’ve got with Lewis – they know, given half a chance, he’ll be back on top form and can deliver extraordinary races. They know George can do that too, but he’s yet to prove it. Lewis is very good at sussing this out – he’ll be thinking: ‘I’ll let you do the hard work, George, because it’s exhausting’.”
"As president of the GPDA he’s got a big workload, George. Lewis’ strategy is to remove distractions and leave time for downtime. Even with Valtteri Bottas, Lewis took a relaxed approach to the start of seasons. He lets things unfold and, eventually when he sees an opportunity, he steps on the gas and disappears into the distance."
'Instinctive speed’;
https://f1i.com/news/471401-hill-ham...leave-him.html
George Russell 'doing what Lewis Hamilton doesn't' as Mercedes driver looks to prove point
Mercedes stars Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have struggled to match Red Bull so far this season.
13:04, Tue, Apr 11, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express
George Russell is doing the opposite of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes as the 25-year-old aims to secure his future at the Silver Arrows. Damon Hill has stressed Russell has to do “all the hard work” as a junior with Hamilton no longer needing to.
Because of this, the Mercedes duo have different roles within the team despite Russell’s success. Hill made the remarks after analyst Tom Clarkson noticed Russell was almost acting like the “spokesperson” for the team at press conferences as Hamilton “sat back”.
‘Opposites’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rcedes-f1-news
Lewis Hamilton’s “instinctive, unconscious speed has possibly left him” says Damon Hill
11 Apr 2023
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net
Damon Hill has described the process an older driver like Lewis Hamilton must go through when battling a fast, talented teammate.
Hamilton was out-performed by George Russell last season, and didn’t win a single race in 2022 for the first time in his F1 career.
Now 38, he has been out-qualified at the first three grands prix of 2023 by the ambitious Russell.
‘Unconscious speed’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102396...sibly-left-him
Suspicions raised over Lewis Hamilton ‘mind games’ against George Russell
11 Apr 2023 11:30 AM
Mark Scott
PlanetF1.com
FIA press conference host Tom Clarkson has suspicions that Lewis Hamilton is playing “mind games” with George Russell at Mercedes. Clarkson, like many others, is fascinated by the Hamilton-Russell dynamic at Mercedes and there is a bubbling desire to see the partnership descend into similar scenes of chaos last seen when Nico Rosberg was in the opposite side of the garage.
And Clarkson wonders if Hamilton is already planting the seeds by lulling his team-mate into a false sense of security. “In the press conference [in Australia], after qualifying, they’d qualified second and third in Melbourne. Max, of course on pole,” Clarkson said on the F1 Nation podcast. “And every time a question was posed to both of the Mercedes drivers, Lewis was quite happy for George to answer the question.”
“Is he trying to sort of give him a sort of false hope of being the dominant person, and then he’s going to really hit him hard where it matters most on the stopwatch later on? I don’t know what his thought process was. But it was interesting anyway, to observe that he very much let George be the man.”
‘False hope’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...mercedes-mind/
George Russell complains about Lewis Hamilton’s behaviour
Mercedes returned to the podium in Australia for the first time since the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix.
8 April 2023
by Edward Hardy
Formula1News
Mercedes had a better than expected start to the Australian Grand Prix, as both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton raced past Max Verstappen to seize P1 and P2.
While it might be thought the start would spark joy in the Mercedes garage, it actually left Russell frustrated with the team, as he demanded over the radio to know why he was being attacked by his teammate.
Despite the row between the drivers, Mercedes managed to hold off the charging Dutchman, holding onto the lead in the opening stage of the race. With a poorly timed pitstop pushing Russell back to seventh, the race would get worse for the Brit when his car caught fire, forcing him to retire.
‘Complaints’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/george-ru...ons-behaviour/
Mercedes will 'never' let Hamilton/Russell partnership 'degenerate into a conflict'
07 April 2023
Ben Issatt
Inside Racing
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff will "never" let the Lewis Hamilton and George Russell partnership "degenerate into a conflict".
“A good dynamic between the drivers also depends on what the management sets them,” he said via Auto Motor und Sport. “I think we are in a good starting position because both drivers respect each other. Respect each other humanly.”
“We accept that there can be a rivalry between our drivers. But this rivalry must never degenerate into a conflict that could damage the team. I would never allow that. I have never allowed that either.”
"Never";
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...nto-a-conflict
F1: George Russell's performances will ‘make life difficult for Lewis Hamilton’
12th April 2023, 12:10
By George Dagless
Give Me Sport
Former F1 race winner Johnny Herbert believes George Russell will only continue to make life difficult for Lewis Hamilton with his performances at Mercedes.
"George is going to be getting stronger and stronger and it's going to make Lewis’ life more difficult," he said to GIVEMESPORT," just because George is like Max [Verstappen,] like Lando [Norris,] like Charles [Leclerc,] where they're all that next generation coming along. It still shocks me and surprises me - they always seem to get better, always by a little bit.
"Looking back to Ayrton [Senna] or Alain [Prost] people were like ‘wow,’ but there was always something better. Michael [Schumacher] came in and Mika [Hakkinen] came in. Then Lewis and Seb [Vettel] came along, and now we've got Max. So this new generation is going to be stronger than what it was with Lewis. And so he's got to think does he want to end the latter part of his career potentially being beaten by his team-mate?”
‘Getting stronger and stronger’;
https://www.givemesport.com/f1-georg...ewis-hamilton/
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KRACK: LAWRENCE STROLL IS DEMANDING MORE FROM ASTON MARTIN.
While Aston Martin is having an incredible start to their 2023 season, Lawrence Stroll has his sights set on Aston Martin’s first win says Mike Krack.
April 7, 2023
Rhiannon Temporal
FormulaNerds
Aston Martin finished the 2022 season seventh in the constructors' championship having scored 55 points. Only three races into the 2023 season, the Silverstone-based team has already scored 65 points and three podiums
Although Aston Martin saw both of their drivers finish in the top five in Australia, the Silverstone-based team is hunting for their first victory. While speaking to Formula One, Aston Martin Team Principal Krack outlined Stroll Sr’s expectations for his team. He revealed:
“The [team’s] mission is very clear. [Stroll] has not been having any delay in telling us ‘When are we going to win the next one?’ Obviously, he is happy we have made a step, but this is not enough for his ambitions.”
‘MORE FROM ASTON MARTIN’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/kr.../?nowprocket=1
IMPATIENT Stroll makes Aston Martin demands, asks just one question
Wednesday 12 April 2023 16:10
Joe Ellis
GPFans
Lawrence Stroll has already begun to question when Aston Martin are going to win races in Formula 1, team principal Mike Krack has revealed.
The billionaire owner of the company, and ergo race team, has high expectations and ambitions and is not going to settle for second despite his team's impressive start to 2023. "He has not been having any delay in telling us ‘when are we going to win the next one!’
"Obviously he is happy we made the step but this is not enough for his ambitions. The good thing with Lawrence is you know where you’re standing. He wants more and we will have to deliver more."
‘One question’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...mike-krack-f1/
F1 NATION: Damon Hill answers your questions on Max Verstappen, Lance Stroll, Mercedes and more...
11 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site
As the Formula 1 paddock pauses for a breather after a thrilling start to the 2023 season, it seemed an appropriate time to roll out a special episode of the F1 Nation podcast – with Damon Hill and Tom Clarkson on hand to answer your questions…
Why is Max Verstappen so at one with his Red Bull? What can Lance Stroll achieve alongside Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin? How long will it take Mercedes to work through their current issues? And what’s the best venue to visit on the F1 calendar?
‘Can Lance Stroll achieve’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...pauQUv0KW.html
Hill highlights BRUTAL thing Stroll must do to become world champion
Tuesday 11 April 2023 17:40
Harry Smith
GPFans
Damon Hill has outlined the brutal thing that Lance Stroll must do if he wants to achieve his dream of becoming a Formula 1 world champion. The Canadian driver had shown glimpses of his abundant talent during his six seasons in F1 to date but has really impressed with his performances in 2023.
“He’d have to set his goal as ending Fernando Alonso’s career," Hill said when asked by host Tom Clarkson. “Now that sounds brutal, but that’s what George Russell is trying to do, that’s what Nico Hulkenberg is trying to do with Magnussen.”
“You have to establish yourself as the undisputed king, [the] number one in that team. Hill also suggested that Stroll's commitment to the sport could no longer be questioned. This has to be it, to the exclusion of everything else - Formula 1.”
‘Sounds brutal’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...orld-champion/
Hill questioned Stroll's commitment to F1 prior to accident
13 April 9:50AM
Author Anna Francis
RacingNews365
Hill believes that Stroll – whose father, Lawrence Stroll, owns the Aston Martin team – has discovered an increased enthusiasm for being in Formula 1. "It's the ups and downs that are difficult, isn't it?" the former F1 driver said.
"It's the down bits where you're kind of going, 'Oh, God, maybe I don't have to be doing this'. It's no secret that Lance's family is very well off, and maybe he doesn't have to [be in F1]. He could get a job in the business maybe.”
"But he likes his outdoor sports. He's an outdoor active type, and I think he's a very good skier as well and talented, but this has to be it, to the exclusion of everything else, Formula 1.”
‘Stroll's commitment’;
https://racingnews365.com/hill-quest...or-to-accident
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Gasly reflects on Alpine's 2023 start: We're in no man's land.
Pierre Gasly has a pair of ninth place finishes to his name in 2023 as Alpine have made a slow start to the new season.
13 April 4:15PM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
"I wouldn't say that I'm pleased [with where we are] because we obviously want to fight higher up the grid and it feels like we’re a bit in no man's land behind the top four teams," Gasly explained to media, including RacingNews365.com, in Melbourne.
"Even though it's really close, we are still chasing and trying to get closer to those front runners. Generally, I think it's been an OK start, a decent start, but as a team we want to be fighting for bigger points."
After years of not being able to develop their car through a season, Alpine made a breakthrough in 2022, with most of the updates brought to the A522 working as the team intended, with Gasly banking on this track record to help propel the team closer to the big four and away from the midfield.
‘Slow start’;
https://racingnews365.com/gasly-refl...n-no-mans-land
Alpine hopes two-part upgrade can match 'huge leap' by Aston Martin
13 April 2023
Inside Racing
“Obviously, Aston has made a huge leap, and we’re the fifth-quickest team, which is not where we want to be,” team boss Otmar Szafnauer said.
“Our target was to be closer to third place but that isn’t the case at the moment. Actually, it may be, because if you say Mercedes is the third-quickest team, maybe we’re closer to them than we were last year.
“But it’s not good enough. It’s not where we want to be, and I think Aston has caught everyone by surprise by the jump they’ve made.”
‘Alpine hopes’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...y-aston-martin
Szafnauer makes BOLD Azerbaijan GP prediction with Alpine upgrades on the way
Wednesday 12 April 2023 21:40
Joe Ellis
GPFans
Alpine is confident it can challenge Mercedes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix thanks to some incoming updates. Team principal Otmar Szafnauer has hinted that the new upgrades set to go on the car on the streets of Baku could be worth three-tenths of a second per lap.
“We have put together a great package of updates for the race in Azerbaijan," said Szafnauer. "If our progress is as great as we think, we can compete with Mercedes in Baku, for example.
“We take a lot of updates, but of course, we don't know what Mercedes and others will do. What I do know: our further development is more intensive than last year, and that should pay off on the track.”
‘BOLD Azerbaijan GP prediction’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...grand-prix-f1/
Gasly confident over Alpine F1 gains with upgrades
15:25 Wed, 12 Apr 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Pierre Gasly has expressed confidence that Alpine will make substantial gains throughout the 2023 Formula 1 season with the upgrades it has planned.
That strategy enabled it to beat McLaren to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, with Gasly believing that approach stands Alpine in good stead for 2023. “Yeah, I’m confident,” he said of Alpine’s development plan for the remainder of the campaign.
“I think the team definitely showed last year they were probably the best team in terms of development through the year, so there’s a good understanding and correlation between the upgrades they’re bringing on the racetrack.”
‘Gains with upgrades’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...with-upgrades/
Watch out for Alpine? Six-tenths gain expected from new F1 upgrades
12 Apr 2023
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
Alpine could bridge the gap to Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari if their upgrades improve their 2023 F1 challenger as they expect. According to a report in German publication Auto Motor und Sport, Alpine have an “aggressive” development programme in place to improve their fortunes in F1 2023.
Alpine saw both of their cars crash out of the Australian Grand Prix following the final standing start of the race. Szafnauer conceded that spare parts, rather than upgrades, might have to be the immediate focus now.
“It’s not yet a problem for the cost cap, even though the accident cost us dearly,” he added. “But the accident has shifted the priorities. For now, we need spare parts for Baku. You don’t just rebuild things like a front wing in a fortnight. We still have to check whether that has an influence on whether we can bring our development package to its full extent.”
‘Six-tenths gain’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102400...ew-f1-upgrades
