2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

EXCLUSIVE: ‘There will be consequences’ – Furious Rossi demands Alpine improve fast after stuttering start to 2023.
For Rossi, their struggles are not down to a lack of resources. Yes, they do not have the kind of facilities, hardware and software to rival Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari – but Alpine have invested heavily in all of those areas in recent years and are continuing to do so.
08 May 2023
Lawrence Barretto
F1 Correspondent & Presenter
Formula One - Official Site

It is clear the Frenchman is irritated by the situation. Having come in and restructured the team, and playing a very hands-on role for more than a year, Rossi recruited Otmar Szafnauer from Aston Martin as Team Principal and stepped back to do his day job of running Alpine Cars, of which F1 is one strand and features only two of his 18 direct reports.

It was now up to Szafnauer – with his wealth of experience that includes 13 years at Force India/Racing Point/Aston Martin – to utilise his extensive F1 experience and continue Alpine’s upward trajectory. So, does that mean Szafnauer is responsible for Alpine’s poor start to 2023?

‘There will be consequences’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...2a4u2T2yl.html


Alpine CEO makes Szafnauer demand and threatens changes
17:49 Mon, 08 May 2023.
By Josh Suttill and Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi says “he won’t wait until the end of the year” to make changes if Alpine’s Formula 1 team keeps underdelivering in 2023. Rossi launched into a scathing criticism of Renault’s works team ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, telling French broadcaster Canal+ that Alpine’s season had been “disappointing” and it was in a position “that is not at all worthy of the resources invested”.

More criticism from Rossi during the Miami GP weekend has emerged in an interview on Formula 1’s website, with Rossi saying the team is “making too many mistakes” this season. Rossi called for a mindset change within the team that “starts with owning up to your mistakes, to not repeat the mistakes and to learn from your mistakes”.

He said there’s been “a lot of excuses” for the “poor performance and a lack of operational excellence” this year. “I need to tackle this, I need the right people to tackle this,” Rossi added. “I need the team to be aware they need to do that as it’s not up to me – it’s up to them, they have to do it. It’s their responsibility. I hope they make the same diagnosis. I will make it clear to them that this is the diagnosis and they need to fix that.”

“Won’t wait until the end of the year”;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/alpin...atens-changes/


Gasly lost two places in last five laps as ‘I had to save a lot of fuel’
2023 Miami Grand Prix
Posted on 8th May 2023, 16:558th May 2023, 16:29
Written by Ida Wood and RJ O'Connell
RaceFans

Pierre Gasly scored his best finish of the season so far last weekend but was disappointed with the result as he fought further up the order during the race. “I had a great start, managed to pass for P4, and tried to keep up the pace with Sainz and Alonso in front of me,” said Gasly. “But unfortunately they were just faster than us today.”

“So I tried to do the best we could. In the second stint I was running in P6 then with 15 laps to go, I needed to do a lot of fuel-saving, which was a little annoying when you know that you have a Ferrari and Mercedes behind catching and closing on you. I wanted to give everything we could, but at the same time we needed to save the fuel, and we saw Charles just catching us slowly lap by lap. And unfortunately with four laps to go he managed to pass.”

The circumstances of the race made it more difficult than usual for teams to accurately judge how much fuel they needed. Miami’s new track surface gave varying levels of grip during the race weekend and the grand prix ran without a Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car appearance.

‘Needed to do a lot of fuel-saving’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/05/08/...a-lot-of-fuel/


Alpine CEO slates team’s ‘unacceptable’ and ‘amateurish’ early season performances
08 May 2023 10:00 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi was not holding back in his criticism of the team’s early season form, saying they were showing “amateurishness” in Bahrain and it wasn’t any better in Baku.

“It’s disappointing, it’s actually bad,” he said. “This year ended up starting with a flawed performance and flawed delivery. It’s obvious our position in the standings is not worthy of the resources we spend, and we are quite far – in fact very far – from this year’s end goal.”

“I’m noting not only an obvious lack of performance and rigour in the delivery, but also potentially a state of mind that is not up to this team’s past standards.” He added: “I did not like the first grand prix, because there was a lot of – I’m sorry for saying this – amateurishness, which led to a result that wasn’t right. It was mediocre, bad. And the last race in Baku was tremendously similar to the one in Bahrain. That is not acceptable.”

‘Unacceptable’ and ‘Amateurish’

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine...-performances/


Alpine CEO slams own team in epic spray as midfield bolter exposes brutal truth
May 9th, 2023 5:04 pm
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
FoxSports(Australia).

There’s a special place for the spray among the armoury of motivational tools. Carefully calibrated it can energise the troops to lift to another level at a critical juncture. Misdirected and it will be little more effective than a kick to the guts at a low moment.

Whether Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi’s evisceration of his own team at the weekend’s Miami Grand Prix falls into the former or latter category is up for debate. Five rounds into the season and Rossi is clearly fed up. If drivers aren’t fumbling qualifying performances, they’re crashing into the walls or they’re wiping each other out of races.

If the team isn’t making mistakes serving penalties, its cars are spontaneously combusting. All Alpine has to show for five rounds of racing is a paltry 14 points and sixth in the constructors championship behind McLaren — and McLaren has been the outright slowest car at two races so far this year.

‘Epic spray’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...57b681f681e9de


Angry Alpine CEO warns ‘the buck stops with Otmar Szafnauer’ for team failure
09 May 2023 7:30 AM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

After slamming the team for “amateurish” performances at the start of the year, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi has warned that team principal Otmar Szafnauer is ultimately responsible for the team’s success or failure.

Szafnauer moved across to Alpine at the beginning of last season after leaving the same role at Aston Martin, the team which he had represented in its various guises for over a decade, with Alpine jumping up to fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship at the end of 2022.

But the beginning of this season has been much tougher from their perspective overall, with a series of reliability issues and a collision between their drivers, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, ending both of their races in Australia in April.

‘Buck stops with Otmar Szafnauer’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine...mar-szafnauer/


Szafnauer to speak with CEO Rossi over Alpine 'amateur' blast
08 May 4:00PM
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi had branded the team's start to 2023 as "amateurish" following various mishaps. Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer says he will be seeking discussions with CEO Laurent Rossi after he branded the team's start to the 2023 Formula 1 season as "amateurish."

The Enstone squad have had a slow start to the campaign, featuring a horror weekend in Baku where they suffered a fire, a crash and were forced to start Esteban Ocon from the pit-lane, while he and Pierre Gasly collided in the Australian GP restart chaos. "Reading something like that in the paper puts no more pressure on, everyone wants to do well here," Szafnauer told media, including RacingNews365.com, of Rossi's comments made to French TV over the Miami weekend.

"They're well experienced technicians and engineers at the highest level, and we put pressure on ourselves so we just have to fix it. I have no idea [why the comments were made], you'll have to ask him, but I'll be asking him. This weekend was busy that I haven't had a chance yet.”

‘Seeking discussions’;

https://racingnews365.com/szafnauer-...-amateur-blast

[Fortitude]

F1 suffers ANOTHER near-miss in the pit-lane, with McLaren star Lando Norris narrowly missing a pedestrian in Miami... just a week after Esteban Ocon had people blocking the track in Baku before the race was over.
The FIA are investigating the incident, which occurred on lap five of 57, when an individual – believed to be a local marshal – walked in front of Lando Norris's McLaren as the Briton entered the pits.
Published: 10:28, 9 May 2023
By Jonathan McEvoy For Mailonine
Mail Online

Formula One narrowly avoided a pit-lane collision with a pedestrian for the second time in consecutive weeks in Miami on Sunday, it has emerged. Footage of the near-miss was loaded on to Sky Sports' F1 website, but has since been taken down.

An FIA spokesman said: 'We are aware of the incident and looking into it with local organisers.' The scare came a week after Alpine's Esteban Ocon yanked on the brakes to avoid running over dozens of people who were crossing at the pit-lane entrance to prepare for the post-race celebrations during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.

‘FIA are investigating’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...collision.html


‘Learned nothing’: Lando Norris’ terrifying F1 pit lane near-miss
May 9th, 2023 6:42 am
Andrew McMurtry from News.com.au
Fox Sports (Australia)

Lando Norris has narrowly avoided turning a horror Miami Grand Prix into a tragedy after man walked across the pit lane as he entered for his scheduled stop. Coming just a week after photographers descended onto the pit lane in front of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon in Baku, the F1 was faced with another near-miss.

While last week Ocon had at least a little straight to slow down, it’s a blind corner in Miami and the man crossed the track near the entrance to the pit lane. On the footage, it was clear Norris adjusted his wheel slightly to the left when he saw the man.

Incredibly, it comes after the FIA published new post-race prodecures, meaning team mechanics can’t moved into Parc Ferme with cooling fans until the last car has taken the chequered flag, while: “Any other personnel or VIPs are not permitted to enter the pit lane until after the last car has taken the chequered flag”. Infringements will result in the removal of passes from the teams and even reporting the team to the Stewards. Fans couldn’t believe they were seeing another near-miss just a week after the Baku incident.

‘Learned nothing’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...303642bd70483c


F1 narrowly avoids disaster with another TERRIFYING pitlane near miss
Monday 8 May 2023 13:57
Joe Ellis
GPFans

For the second time in as many weeks, F1 nearly saw a disaster on the pitlane as Lando Norris narrowly avoided a pedestrian at the Miami Grand Prix. The McLaren driver was a very early stopper having started on the soft tyres only to be punted at the first corner by Nyck de Vries.

After failing to make up many places on the opening few laps, the Brit opted to come in early for clean air but one man was not aware. Footage that emerged on Twitter saw of the McLaren driver's onboard camera which saw the man only just get out of the way before Norris came through.

‘TERRIFYING’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ane-near-miss/


Lando Norris almost hits man in the pit lane as F1 has another terrifying close call
Less than one week after Alpine driver Esteban Ocon nearly hit a group of photographers in the pit lane, Formula 1 has another near miss they will have to learn from
17:57, 8 MAY 2023
BY Patrick Austen-Hardy
Daily Star

For the second race in a row, Formula 1 was terrifyingly close to a tragedy in the pit lane. McLaren ace Lando Norris pulled into the pit lane for a change of tyres during the Miami Grand Prix. However, as the Brit ACE came hurtling down, a man could be seen walking directly across the pit lane entrance in the way of his car.

While Norris did not have to swerve out of the way, it was another terrifyingly close call that raises more questions about pit lane safety, particularly after Esteban Ocon almost ploughed into a row of photographers during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix just one week ago.

‘Another terrifying close call’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...tator-29927270


FIA investigate second pit-lane incident after Lando Norris near-miss
Lando Norris did not need to avert his course to avoid the man walking across the pit-lane but the outcome could have be very different
9 May 2023 • 11:09am
By Tom Cary, SENIOR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The Telegraph

The FIA, Formula One’s governing body, says it has launched an investigation into a second pit-lane incident in as many weeks after footage emerged of another near-miss during Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix. Onboard cameras from Lando Norris’s McLaren, as shown on the below video from footage originally broadcast by F1 TV, show a man walking across the pit-lane entrance just as Norris arrives for a pit-stop.

The Briton did not need to swerve to avoid the man, but the outcome might have been different had he arrived a second earlier. The incident comes just a week after stewards at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ordered the FIA to review its parc fermé procedures after a group of "permitted media and other personnel” were allowed into the pit-lane before the race had finished.

‘Launched an investigation’;

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-...investigation/


Lando Norris nearly ran over a marshal during Miami Grand Prix in latest F1 near-miss
Tuesday 9 May 2023 11:44 am
Callum McAvoy
Metro.co.uk

The FIA have launched an investigation after British F1 star Lando Norris came close to running over an official during the Miami Grand Prix. Footage has emerged showing Norris’ McLaren coming in for a stop on lap-five of last Sunday’s race and only narrowly avoiding hitting what appears to be a volunteer marshal who was walking across the pit-lane.

An FIA spokesperson told the PA: ‘We are aware of the incident and looking into it with local organisers.’ This near-miss has come just a week after the shocking scenes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Esteban Ocon came incredibly close to running over a large group of officials and photographers as he came into the pits on the last lap of the race.

‘The FIA have apologised and Formula One, they assured us that this is not going to happen any more,’ the Alpine driver said ahead of the Miami race…. But this latest incident will bring yet more scrutiny upon the FIA at a time where their decision making is being widely criticised and their relationship with F1 is looking very strained.

‘Yet more scrutiny upon the FIA’;

https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/09/f1-la...o=newsnow-feed

[Fortitude]

McLaren face "reality check" after poor Miami F1 showing wiped out Baku progress.
McLaren has been served a “reality check” by its poor performance in Formula 1’s 2023 Miami Grand Prix that offsets its progress in Baku, according to team boss Andrea Stella.
17:13 Mon, 08 May 2023.
By: Matt Kew
Co-author: Adam Cooper
Motorsport.com

Lando Norris lost an estimated 0.2 seconds per lap in Florida following a Turn 1 hit from Nyck de Vries that damaged his floor. He finished 17th as Oscar Piastri classified in 19th. The team had considered retiring Piastri altogether as the rookie worked to manage spiking brake temperatures while a fix for a brake-by-wire hydraulic system fault was sought.

With that misfortune arriving straight after a 9-11 result in Azerbaijan when a revised floor was introduced, the dismal Miami showing has left McLaren to face a “reality check”. Team principal Stella said: “The main takeaway is that after a decent weekend in Baku from a performance point of view, we had a reality check.”

“The information we gained here helps us understand that some development directions still need to be pursued, like improving the car in off-brakes, off-throttle. At the moment, the car just doesn't work in this condition. At tracks like this, this becomes too much of a limitation.”

“Reality Check”;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...ress/10466862/


Oscar Piastri’s F1 ‘misery’ as big McLaren gamble blows up in their face at Miami Grand Prix
May 8th, 2023 7:57 am
James McKern from News.com.au
Fox Sports (Australia)

Oscar Piastri’s difficult start to the season continued at the Miami Grand Prix on Monday morning (AEST). As Red Bull’s Max Verstappen etched his name into the Formula 1 record books with a dominant win, it was at the other end of the grid where things fell apart for McLaren.

The young Australian star was always going to be behind the eight-ball after starting from 19th place on the grid. But it qwas a gamble with the tyres from McLaren that left both drivers stranded.

A usual tactic for back of the grid runners is to throw on the harder compound and go as long as possible, however McLaren attempted to buck that trend.

‘Misery as big McLaren gamble blows up in their face’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...e88ddfd28e2b4b


Piastri reveals he had a ‘major failure’ on his McLaren just six laps into the Miami GP
09 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site

McLaren endured another weekend where bad luck and reliability woes combined to cost them any chance of points in Miami. Lando Norris was in the wrong place at the wrong time, hit from behind into the opening corner by Nyck de Vries, while Oscar Piastri was left frustrated after a systems failure negated any chance he had of progressing through the field.

“We had some kind of major failure about six or seven laps in on the brake by wire, and energy recovery, something like that, so I was managing a lot of issues after that," he revealed after the race. "I had a really good Lap 1, which was the highlight of the weekend, but yeah frustrating afternoon, trying to drive round the issues.”

“I mean it’s been a tough weekend, but I think we are still very motivated to try and get the car further to the front. I think Baku was obviously a very different weekend to this one, where we were a lot faster. So, we need to understand why that was a good weekend relative to where we were and why this weekend is bad. Obviously, the reliability issues during the race we need to get on top off as well.”

‘Major failure on his McLaren’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...hR1swG7Jz.html


Piastri recounts McLaren brake-by-wire failure
Monday 8th May, 2023 - 1:25pm
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Oscar Piastri said his brake pedal felt “about two metres long” after suffering a brake-by-wire issue in his McLaren during the Miami Grand Prix. “It was a calculated risk on the strategy,” he said of starting on the soft compound Pirellis. “We went into the race with two [sets] of hard tyres. Try something a bit different because, to be honest, we weren’t going to get to the points on pace today.”

“So [we] tried something different [and it] didn’t really work. It worked on the first lap, got a lot of positions off the start, and then about three or four laps after the pitstop I had a BBW failure, with some other failures as well. That was why the pace was so terrible. After that, I had a brake pedal that was about two metres long, it felt like, amongst other things.”

‘McLaren brake-by-wire failure’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/05/08...-wire-mclaren/


McLaren underline Piastri excellence after 'critical' problem
09 May 8:00PM
Author Ewan Gale
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has praised Oscar Piastri for the way the rookie handled what could have been a race-ending brake issue at the Miami Grand Prix.

Australian Piastri was on the back foot from the start as internal gremlins threatened to end his event prematurely. “He needed to drive the entire race with a problem on the brake-by-wire, which Oscar was excellent in being able to cope with,” Stella told media, including RacingNews365.com.

“After having locked the tyres three or four times, he kind of realised how he needed to adapt the way he was braking to the issue.”

‘Could have been a race-ending brake issue’;

https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-un...itical-problem

[Fortitude]

‘I was dreaming of a little more than one point,’ admits Magnussen after starting on row two in Miami.
Kevin Magnussen started fourth for Haas in Florida, and though he came away with a point for 10th place, he admitted afterwards he had his heart set on a little more than that, given his high grid slot.
07 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

‘Heart set on a little more’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...288293774.html


Magnussen should have no regrets about fighting a losing battle
May 9 2023
By Matt Beer
The Race

For 38 of the Miami GP’s 57 laps, Magnussen expertly resisted everything Leclerc could throw at him, showing zero deference to Ferrari as either a more competitive car or Haas’s technical partner. If Leclerc got down the inside, Magnussen hung on around the outside. If Leclerc got him in a DRS zone, Magnussen made sure he got DRS back at the next one.

The difference to so many other top team vs underdog battles in recent F1 seasons is that in Miami Magnussen and Haas didn’t give up against Leclerc until they were absolutely sure that this was not a winnable battle. And in a season when pretty much everyone behind Red Bull is within the same second much of the time, that’s absolutely the right attitude to have.

“Obviously, I was dreaming of a little more than one point today,” Magnussen admitted on Sunday night. But all the big teams finished the race and had no problems. So it was a pretty difficult race to score points. There were no gifts as such.” And there were definitely absolutely no gifts given away by Magnussen.

‘Showing zero deference to Ferrari’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/magnu...losing-battle/


2023 Miami Grand Prix: Leclerc and Magnussen swap positions three times in running battle
07 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Charles Leclerc overtook Kevin Magnussen only for the Dane to immediately re-take the place, before Leclerc got back in front again a lap later, to take P9.

‘Running battle’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...554318099.html


Magnussen: Long fight with Leclerc in Miami 'tough on tyres'
10/05/2023 at 08:41
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Kevin Magnussen says he should have perhaps better managed his tyres during his long fight with Charles Leclerc in the Miami Grand Prix as the battle took its toll on the Haas' rubber.

"I had a s****y start and then had a long fight with Leclerc, which was tough on my tyres and I probably should have looked after my tyres a little more in hindsight," the Haas driver acknowledged. "But anyway, I think we had a strong day and got one point."

"There [were] no gifts as such and I still got one point, so I'm pretty happy with that. [There was] probably a little more degradation than I'd love to have, but I think we made a good step forward this weekend."

'Tough on tyres';

https://f1i.com/news/474097-magnusse...-on-tyres.html


Magnussen dreamt of more in Miami
Tuesday 9th May, 2023 - 4:07am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Kevin Magnussen went into the Miami Grand Prix dreaming of more than the single point he scored but was otherwise left satisfied.

“Obviously I was dreaming of a little more than one point today but I think all the big teams finished the race today and had no problems, so it was a pretty difficult race to score points – there were no gifts, as such.”

Having started fourth, Magnussen slipped to seventh on the opening lap before battling with Leclerc. That saw the pair swap places, the Haas driver holding the advantage until pitting the Haas on Lap 14.

‘Dreamt of more’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/05/09...more-in-miami/


Magnussen hails 'step forward' for Haas after Leclerc battle
08 May 2:45PM
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

Kevin Magnussen feels that Haas made a "good step forward" during the Miami Grand Prix weekend after the Dane secured a points finish.

"There [were] no gifts as such and I still got one point, so I'm pretty happy with that. [There was] probably a little more degradation than I'd love to have, but I think we made a good step forward this weekend."

Starting from P4 on the grid enabled Magnussen to battle with cars he is not frequently close to on track. This was something that he enjoyed, though he admits that he would rather have track position in the first place. "It's fun to race, of course," the 30-year-old explained. "But I would have preferred to not race and just be in front."

'Step forward';

https://racingnews365.com/magnussen-...leclerc-battle

[Fortitude]

Ralf Schumacher takes another jab at Guenther Steiner’s ‘good practices’.
It’s fair to say there’s no love lost between Schumacher and Steiner with the German blaming the team boss for his nephew Mick losing his race seat at the end of last season.
10 May 2023 1:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Ralf Schumacher has delivered his latest jab at Guenther Steiner saying if Haas’ “good practices” are upheld, he expects to hear all about the cost of Nico Hulkenberg’s Miami crash.

With Hulkenberg into the wall in Friday’s first practice at the Miami Grand Prix, Schumacher just had to say something.

“If the team’s good practices are maintained, we will know tomorrow what the crash cost – and next year at the latest with the Netflix documentary we will know what is being thought about it,” Speedweek quotes the Sky Sports’ pundit as having said.

‘No love lost’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ralf-s...ood-practices/


Ralf pokes Steiner after Hulkenberg crash
MAY 7, 2023
GrandPrix.com

"If the team's best practices are maintained, we will know very soon what the crash cost," Ralf told Sky Deutschland.

However, Ralf insisted that his jibe at Steiner is actually not criticism of a crash by the otherwise impressive returning German Hulkenberg, 35.

"To be fair, Nico has often been outstanding, making the car look better at the moment than it is. You have to give Nico a big compliment, he's just doing a good job."

‘Crash cost’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/ralf-...erg-crash.html


Schumacher pokes Steiner after Hulkenberg crash
"We will know very soon what the crash cost"
7 MAY 2023 - 12:30
By GMM

Schumacher, 47, and Gunther Steiner fell out badly over the Haas team boss’ treatment of Mick last year - and the ultimately decision to oust him.

"And next year at the latest we will all find out in the Netflix documentary what he thinks about it too," Schumacher added, again referring to Hulkenberg’s crash.

"We will know very soon”;

https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/...sh,181289.html


Guenther Steiner: I grew up a butcher's son – it taught me how to fillet a driver
Haas F1 team principal on his new book, his complicated relationship with Mick Schumacher and the sport's continued growth in the States
5 May 2023 • 2:21pm
By Tom Cary, SENIOR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The Telegraph

Of all the team principals currently operating in Formula One, only Guenther Steiner could turn a conversation about Miami and the F1's current burgeoning popularity in the United States into a rhapsody about the cocaine boom of the 1980s and drug-smuggling in motorsport.

"F*king hell! It must have been a good time in Miami back then!" exclaims the Italian in his distinctive Germanic-sounding twang as we look ahead to this weekend's grand prix in the Sunshine State, a 'home' race of sorts for Steiner's North Carolina-based Haas F1 team. "Have you seen that Netflix show Bad Sport?" he asks. "One of the episodes was about this IndyCar driver in the 1980s [Randy Lanier] who funded his drive by smuggling drugs into Miami."

The son of a butcher, Steiner could have followed his father into the family business but eventually ran away with the motorsport circus. "If I buy a cut of meat I know what I'm looking at," he says of his butchery skills these days. "But I couldn't skin a cow." Could he fillet a Formula One driver? "Haha. Maybe." Steiner did a bit of that in the last season of Drive to Survive; his treatment of Mick Schumacher earning him criticism in some quarters for being overly harsh.

“"F*king hell!”;

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/formula-...ion-with-haas/


Guenther Steiner names the next team principal he wants to see write book
09 May 2023 10:00 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Guenther Steiner has singled out Toto Wolff as the one team principal he would like to see write his own autobiography. Steiner has been on somewhat of a tour to promote his book and was recently speaking to the Miami Herald where the subject of whose memoir he would like to read was brought up.

“Oh, I am overthinking this,” he said. “Toto Wolff because a lot of us don’t know where he really comes from. There’s still some mystery there. I know quite a bit about where he was before F1, so putting that on paper, I’ll pick him.”

The day-by-day review format of Steiner’s book was a little different than standard autobiographies and he said the reason for that was that he did not think there was enough in his life to make an autobiography interesting. I was not ready for that, and they came up with the idea of a year as Guenther as a team principal, and I liked it a lot better.”

“Toto Wolff… … I’ll pick him.”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenth...ee-write-book/

[Fortitude]

Bottas says Alfa Romeo’s qualifying pace in Miami flattered the team ahead of disappointing race.
The Finn finished down in P13 and said his speed in the race “reflects more the true pace we have at the moment” – and welcomed news they will be getting an upgrade package in Imola.
07 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

‘Upgrade package in Imola’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...208211503.html


Zhou eyeing Imola upgrade after Alfa Romeo struggle with grip on race day in Miami.
07 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Zhou Guanyu said he was “just sliding around” during the Miami Grand Prix as he struggled for grip all race long – something he hopes an upgrade package will help solve for the next race at Imola.

“Just sliding around”;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...250447226.html


Bottas identifies 'main focus' for Alfa Romeo: A lot of work to do
10 May 5:10PM
Author Anna Francis
RacingNews365

Despite reaching Q3 in qualifying with Valtteri Bottas, Alfa Romeo failed to score points at the Miami Grand Prix. Bottas admits that the team need to make a big improvement.

"There are some positives to take from this weekend, although there is still a lot of work to do to be fighting in the top 10," Bottas explained after the race. The start of my race was quite good: we made up a few places and were well into the points.”

"I tried my best to keep up the fight and defend my position; unfortunately, we didn't quite have the pace we showed [on Saturday], when we had managed to be competitive on the single lap. I think our finishing position reflects where we stand at the moment, and we must keep working to improve."

'Main focus';

https://racingnews365.com/bottas-ide...-of-work-to-do


2023 Miami Grand Prix - Sunday
23:59 Sun, 07 May 2023.
Alfa Romeo Racing - Official Site

Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake put up a fight in the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, with both cars involved in the action from lights to flag. Despite a feisty performance and a strong opening stint, Valtteri Bottas finished outside of the points in 13th, with team-mate, Zhou Guanyu, completing his performance in 16th.

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative: “We saw some real signs of improvement this weekend, especially in qualifying, which had been a weaker point earlier this season. We take this as an encouragement and as a spur to keep working hard. We may not have scored points today, but we have a foundation on which to build – starting tonight, back in Hinwil, where the team is already at work, analysing today’s race and producing the upgrades that will make their debut in Imola.”

“Today’s race saw us fight for a place in the top ten for a large part of the afternoon: in a race with no retirements, this was as far as we could go. The season remains long, and we’re motivated to make another step forward next time around: everyone is pushing for it and I’m confident we will keep moving in the right direction.”

“Some real signs of improvement this weekend, especially in qualifying”;

https://www.sauber-group.com/motorsp...d-prix-sunday/


Formula 1: Two possible directions for Guanyu Zhou’s future
15:21 Sun, 07 May 2023.
by Siddharth Bharani-Dharan
Beyond the Flag (Weblog)

As things currently stand, the Formula 1 future of Guanyu Zhou at Alfa Romeo has the potential to go in two very different directions. Coming into the 2023 Formula 1 season, the general expectation from many was that Guanyu Zhou would run the course of his contract and depart from Alfa Romeo at the end of the year. However, there could be a growing chance that he stays with the Zurich-based team for one more season.

With Valtteri Bottas being the team leader, most believed he would perform a lot better than the 23-year-old Chinese driver, but that has not been the case. Zhou has been quite even with Bottas through the first four races of the year. Zhou is only two points behind Bottas and has finished higher than him twice. But the C43 has been underwhelming so far, causing both drivers to struggle at times and leaving the team in eighth place in the constructor standings.

On the flip side, the team may choose not to bring back Zhou. Alfa Romeo could look for a new face in the garage as they enter a new era in which Audi’s larger stake begins. Lando Norris is one name Alfa Romeo could look to immediately. There is growing speculation that the 23-year-old will depart McLaren after this season. Even though his contract doesn’t expire until 2025, Alfa Romeo could use this opportunity to their advantage.

‘Two very different directions’;

https://beyondtheflag.com/2023/05/07...ou-alfa-romeo/

[Fortitude]

Alex Albon explains his anger over Williams team radio messages.
Alex Albon has admitted he did not agree with Williams’ strategy decision during the Miami Grand Prix and was left feeling frustrated.
10 May 2023 7:15 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

After qualifying in P11, Albon had been expected to again challenge for the points-paying spots but his Williams car was rarely seen towards the top end of the grid.

He ended the race 14th, his worst finish this season, and still has just the one point to his name despite a reasonably positive start to the season. It seems Albon’s biggest complaint came with the team’s instructions over tyres and he was particularly frustrated when told to ease up and try and preserve his rubber.

“I think at the time I got told to manage the tyres we weren’t catching the cars in front,” said Albon, as per Motorsport.com. “So it was either try and not manage and try and catch the cars and overtake them, or just stay at the back.”

‘Anger’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alex-a...adio-messages/


Albon at odds with Williams, explains testy radio messages
10/05/2023 at 10:28
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Alex Albon put his foot down in last Sunday's Miami Grand Prix, on the track but also on the radio with his Williams team following a disagreement with his race engineer during the event.

The Thai-British racer questioned his team's call to push at one point in the race while he later found himself at odds with the Williams pitwall when he was asked to manage his rubber and felt that he should do the opposite.

"I'd rather be aggressive and then suffer the consequences later than never try and just finish last. So that was why I think I said I don't really agree with it. But then at the same time, we wanted to push very hard in the first few laps with the tyre, and it was making the tyre grain up. So I didn't agree with that either. So a bit of everything."

‘Testy radio messages’;

https://f1i.com/news/474102-albon-at...-messages.html


Albon: Miami showed Williams true pace
Wednesday 10th May, 2023 - 8:38am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Albon had started the race 11th but suggests that’s something of a false positive and relates more to the performance of others than himself. “We don’t have the pace, so we’re just trying to do different things,” he said.

“I do think we’re the ninth or 10th slowest car, that’s the reality of it – we’re just getting the most out of it most weekends. On a track where the tyres do get hot, where there is deg, exposes our weaknesses.”

“[Sunday] was a really clear example. These kinds of circumstances normally suit us. We did a great job in qualifying and this was our true pace.”

‘Williams true pace’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/05/10...ams-true-pace/


Sargeant apologises for 'painful' first lap error in Miami
09/05/2023 at 13:49
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

Logan Sargeant has apologised to his Williams team for the error he made at the start of Sunday's Miami Grand Prix which effectively doomed any hopes he had of a decent race. "It sucks. It was a mistake on that first lap that ruined our chances, so sorry to the team - but I’ll take it on the chin.”

On the first lap after the lights went out, he ran into the back of Lance Stroll's Aston Martin at the turn 14-15 chicane and damaged his front wing, forcing him into an emergency pit stop for repairs. “I put the car in a place I shouldn’t have in that second sector and took my front wing off,” Sargeant told the media in the paddock at the Miami International Autodrome on Sunday. “That ruined the race from there.”

'Painful';

https://f1i.com/news/474051-sargeant...-in-miami.html


Sargeant admits he ‘put the car in a place I shouldn’t have’ as Lap 1 damage wrecks his home race
09 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site

Logan Sargeant endured a trying first race on home soil, the Florida native propping up the field in Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix as he came home last – and admitting afterwards that he gave himself a mountain to climb after contact with another car meant he needed to pit for a new front wing on the very first lap.

“I put the car in a place I shouldn’t have on Lap 1," he said. "It was a decent opening lap until that point as well. I should’ve just settled and went from there. [I] took the wing off and pretty much ruined my race from there.”

That damage required a pit stop, and as well as the new front wing Sargent was fitted with a set of the hard compound tyres. He managed to make the one-stop strategy work in so far as he got that set of tyres all the way to the end, but his race became more about tyre management than pace. And with all 20 cars finishing, there was little in the way of opportunity to move up the order.

‘Endured a trying first race’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...caSiDh821.html

[Fortitude]

Boss Tost admits rookie de Vries ‘under pressure’.
Russian racing driver Egor Orudzhev observed last week that if the 28-year-old Dutchman doesn't up his game soon, "I think Helmut Marko will fire him".
07:57 Tue, 09 May 2023.
Grandprix.com

Alpha Tauri team boss Franz Tost admits Formula 1 rookie Nyck de Vries is "under pressure" to perform in 2023.

Indeed, de Vries has had a troubled start to his first full season on the grid, often crashing or clearly trailing the pace of teammate Yuki Tsunoda. In Miami, he finished 18th compared to Tsunoda's 11th.

"In itself, Nyck's performance was not that bad," boss Tost, explaining that de Vries needed an unscheduled pitstop for a flat-spot, is quoted by the Dutch publication Formule 1. When asked if he is satisfied with de Vries performance so far in F1, he added: "Satisfied is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration.

‘Under pressure’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/boss-...-pressure.html


Tsunoda came up short but 'gave it everything' in Miami GP
10/05/2023 at 16:38
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Yuki Tsunoda came up short in last weekend's Miami Grand Prix, the AlphaTauri charger concluding his race hot on the heels of Haas' Kevin Magnussen but just outside the top ten.

"Yeah, really tough – I literally gave it everything," said Tsunoda who fought hard to score his third consecutive P10 finish. "I was pretty happy with the performance. It’s a shame that I couldn’t score points, but yeah, [I’m] happy with it."

Tsunoda's takeway from his trip to Miami was the confirmation of a more consistent level of performance. "It’s good that I’m being consistent and hopefully I can be consistently in the points [in the future]."

'Gave it everything';

https://f1i.com/news/474131-tsunoda-...-miami-gp.html


Tsunoda insists he’s ‘happy with the performance’ despite just missing out on points in Miami
07 May 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Yuki Tsunoda has now finished in 11th place three times this season – including again in Miami, and the Japanese racer insists he’s giving it everything behind the wheel.

‘Happy with the performance’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...857064287.html


Tsunoda hopes 'big updates' for Imola can get AlphaTauri back on track
10 May 10:25AM
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Yuki Tsunoda is hoping that "big updates" planned for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix will get AlphaTauri back on track, after a disappointing start to the season.

The AlphaTauri driver qualified in P17 but managed to recover to P11 in Miami after pulling off moves in the opening stages of the race, notably running side-by-side with Zhou Guanyu at the Turn 14 chicane before using his straight-line speed to get past at Turn 17.

"It's kind of a trend of AlphaTauri, sometimes when the qualifying is bad the race is good. So obviously we have to find out why we are good, but it's really pretty surprising," he told media, including RacingNews365.com.

'Big updates';

https://racingnews365.com/tsunoda-ho...-back-on-track


Franz Tost axes AlphaTauri engineer he ‘didn’t trust’ after slow start to 2023
06 May 2023 7:15 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Franz Tost is back to trusting his own engineers after a troublesome figure is “out”, according to the AlphaTauri team boss. “The engineers tell me we make some good progress but I don’t trust them anymore,” Tost said in Jeddah. “I just want to see the lap time because this is the only thing that counts.”

“Because during the winter months they [the engineers] told me, ‘the car is fantastic, [we] made big progress’ then we came to Bahrain and we are nowhere.” Of course when any team principal responds like that, the follow up question on everyone’s mind is always going to be: who has got the sack?

Tost was not pressed on the matter during the conference but Motorsport.com has reported that it is head of aerodynamics Dickon Balmforth who has fallen on his sword. Balmworth joined AlphaTauri in May 2018 having previously spent 12 years at Red Bull and before that almost three years at Williams.

‘Franz Tost axes AlphaTauri engineer he ‘didn’t trust’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/franz-...uri-departure/


Franz Tost explains why he decided to quit AlphaTauri
2023 is Franz Tost's 18th and final season as AlphaTauri's team principal, with Laurent Mekies set to replace him.
by Nick Golding
4 May 2023
Formula1News

Following some speculation, it was officially confirmed ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost would be leaving the Faenza-based team at the end of 2023, with Ferrari’s racing director Laurent Mekies to replace him in 2024.

Despite having been their team principal for so long, Tost isn’t exactly pleased for his time with the team to be coming to an end, with him ultimately being a fan of “the challenge”. “No, my shoulders are still strong,” Tost joked to GPblog and others. “And generally I like the challenge, I like the pressure, and this was not a problem, for me, not a problem.”

So what exactly does the future hold for Tost once he’s left AlphaTauri and the Red Bull family? As it stands, he’s unsure, with his initial plan being “to take a step back” and assess his options. “Don’t know yet, was asked already, but don’t know yet, it’s not decided,” said Tost.

‘Decided to quit AlphaTauri’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/franz-tos...it-alphatauri/

[Fortitude]

Adrian Newey received Mercedes phone call in attempt to sign him – report.
Toto Wolff reportedly had one of his colleagues phone Adrian Newey in an attempt to lure him over to Mercedes with Red Bull’s Helmut Marko having the last laugh.
10 May 2023 12:15 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

According to F1-Insider.com, Mercedes went as far as to approach the design guru in the weeks before he committed his future to Red Bull.

‘Shortly before Red Bull’s mastermind Adrian Newey extended his contract with Red Bull a week ago,’ claims the publication, ‘he received a phone call from a former Red Bull employee, who is now one of the personal assistants of the Mercedes team boss and shareholder is Toto Wolff.

‘On behalf of her boss, the lady tried lure the top-class aerodynamicist to Mercedes. Newey, however, declined with thanks and preferred to commit himself to Red Bull for another year.’ That opened the door for motorsport advisor Helmut Marko’s latest jab at Mercedes. “Mr. Wolff does not seem to have the full confidence in his own people to fix the problems with their car,” he said.

‘Last laugh’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...-adrian-newey/


Mercedes attempt to poach Red Bull's Adrian Newey as Toto Wolff assistant makes phone call
Mercedes and Red Bull have been poaching staff from one another for several years now.
07:20, Wed, May 10, 2023
By Stuart Ballard
Daily and Sunday Express

Mercedes clearly recognise the role Adrian Newey has had on Red Bull's current dominance in F1 as they reportedly tried to poach the Chief Technology Officer from their rivals recently. Newey is widely regarded as one of F1's greatest car designers having helped Red Bull once again set the benchmark this year.

And it seems as though Mercedes wanted to test the waters on whether Newey fancied a new challenge in recent weeks. According to F1 Insider, Newey received a phone call from 'one of Toto Wolff's personal assistants'. Newey is said to have 'declined with thanks' before signing a new deal with Red Bull.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner clearly had no concern of Newey potentially leaving before the new contract was signed. "Adrian and I work together, we've been sitting next to each other, for 18 years now," Horner said last week. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner clearly had no concern of Newey potentially leaving before the new contract was signed. "Adrian and I work together, we've been sitting next to each other, for 18 years now," Horner said last week.

‘Attempt to poach’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...errari-F1-news


Mercedes fail in bid to poach Adrian Newey from F1 rivals Red Bull as Toto Wolff mocked
Adrian Newey recently signed a new Red Bull contract amid rumoured interest from Ferrari, but it appears the Italians weren't the only ones interested in the celebrated car designer
16:06, 9 May 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

Mercedes reportedly launched a sensational bid to poach Adrian Newey away from their bitter Red Bull rivals before the designer committed his future to his current team. The 64-year-old's contract was due to expire at the end of this season, sparking reported interest from Ferrari. But it was confirmed ahead of the Miami Grand Prix weekend that Newey had put pen to paper on an extension with his current team.

But it seems Ferrari were not the only ones working on a bid to snatch Newey away from Red Bull. According to F1 Insider, Mercedes made an attempt to lure him away from their biggest F1 rivals and help them to reverse their declining fortunes. The Silver Arrows won eight constructors' titles in a row but were slow to adapt to the new car regulations which came into force in 2022.

They have been playing catch up ever since and remain some way off the performance levels of defending champions Red Bull. The report claims Mercedes wanted to bring in Newey to help them to solve their car performance woes. But he is said to have thanked them for their offer and declined, before signing on again with Red Bull.

‘Mercedes fail’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...dbull-29935909


LEGENDARY DESIGNER ADRIAN NEWEY SIGNS RED BULL EXTENSION
Technical genius has designed all of Red Bull's title winning cars, utilising innovative designs and aesthetically pleasing chassis
May 1, 2023
James Phillips
FormulaNerds

The odds of Red Bull staying at the top of F1 have become more likely with the news that legendary designer Adrian Newey has extended his contract with the reigning World Champions. Newey has enjoyed a highly successful career in F1 that marks him out as one of the sport’s all time greatest figures. Starting out in 1988, his designs made an immediate impression. His first car for the new defunct March team achieved a P2 finish.

Fired in 1989, the team began its decline that would see it close its doors. This proved to be a blessing in disguise as his designs had attracted the attention of Frank Williams. The dominance of Newey’s designed cars was crushing, Williams winning five Constructor titles in six years. Contract issues saw him move to McLaren for 1998. His first car, the MP4/13 won both titles that year. After another title in 1999, Newey’s title run stopped.

He moved to Red Bull for 2005, a team starting out from the ashes of the failed Jaguar operation. The technical regulation changes for 2009 saw Red Bull emerge as a powerhouse in F1. Every title-winning Red Bull from 2010-2013 and 2021 onwards has been designed or heavily influenced by Newey.

‘Technical genius’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/le.../?nowprocket=1


Former Red Bull driver crushes rival’s hopes of one day poaching Adrian Newey
12 May 2023 6:02 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Adrian Newey penned a new Red Bull deal to end speculation over a potential team swap, something which David Coulthard never foresees happening. And it has been predicted by David Coulthard, who drove for Red Bull from 2005-2008, and played a key role in luring Newey to Red Bull, that this team is where the 64-year-old will see out his Formula 1 career.

“He’s been with the team for such a long period of time, he’s in his 60s, the question is did he want to take a new challenge with another team?” Coulthard stated on Channel 4. “Every team wanted him. He’s committed to Red Bull long-term, this will be his last Formula 1 team.”

‘Former Red Bull driver crushes rival’s hopes’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/david-...-adrian-newey/

[Fortitude]

Wolff cools expectations over Mercedes’ Imola F1 upgrades.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has told fans not to expect a seismic improvement in performance as it prepares for its first major upgrade package of the season.
10:46 Wed, 10 May 2023.
by Rob Kershaw
Motorsport Week

The German side previously identified the sixth race of the season in Italy as the point at which it would introduce the first set of changes to the W14 that it hopes will bring it closer to the fight at the front with Red Bull.

Mercedes has just one podium finish so far this year through Hamilton in Melbourne, and although alterations to its inconsistent car are forthcoming, Wolff asserts that they will not be game-changing.

“Like I said already, we need to manage our own expectations, because we’re bringing an update package that’s going to consist of new suspension parts, and bodywork and some other things,” he explained. “But I have never in my 15 years in Formula One seen a silver bullet being introduced, where suddenly you unlock half a second of performance.”

“Like I said already”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...a-f1-upgrades/


Mercedes: Imola upgrade will set new baseline from where to develop
08/05/2023 at 18:03
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Toto Wolff is keeping his expectations in check regarding the impact of the upgrades Mercedes will introduce next week at Imola, but the changes should establish a new baseline from where the team can develop its troubled W14.

"But what I'm looking forward to is that we take certain variables off the table, where we believe we could have introduced something that we don't understand in the car. [I am hoping] we can go more to a stable platform, and then we should see where the baseline is and what we can do from there."

Wolff said the magnitude of the changes implemented by Mercedes at Imola will be "pretty large" and cover both the aero and mechanical spectrums of the car. "I think we are chasing downforce and we're trying to do the best possible job in terms of the mechanical platform," the Austrian explained.”

‘The magnitude of the changes’;

https://f1i.com/news/474014-mercedes...o-develop.html


Wolff hopes updates will discover 'poisonous' traits of W14
09 May 9:25AM
Author Ewan Gale
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

Mercedes will introduce a long-awaited major upgrade package at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. "I think we are chasing downforce and we are trying to do the best possible job in terms of the mechanical platform," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.com.

"So what we are doing is introducing new bodywork and a new floor and new front suspension. That is a pretty large operation, large surgery. There is going to be a lot of learning. In the virtual world, it is good lap time."

Explaining the changes will help determine the Brackley-based outfit's future development path, Wolff added: "The upgrade we are bringing is going to help us to set the direction, to understand the various areas we believe could play a role in why the car is so poisonous to drive."

‘Large operation, large surgery’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-conf...rcedes-surgery


Wolff plans to perform SURGERY on ‘poisonous’ W14 in upgrade reveal
Tuesday 9 May 2023 20:47
Harry Smith
GPFans

Toto Wolff has claimed that the Mercedes W14 is a 'poisonous' car to drive as he explained a major upgrade package ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

After the Miami Grand Prix, Wolff told the media: "I think we are chasing downforce and we are trying to do the best possible job in terms of the mechanical platform.”

"So what we are doing is introducing new bodywork and a new floor and new front suspension. That is a pretty large operation, large surgery. There is going to be a lot of learning."

‘Plans to perform SURGERY’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...na-grand-prix/


Toto Wolff not pleased with George Russell performance
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has rejected praise over the performance of his drivers in Sunday’s Grand Prix after a disappointing weekend.
8 May 2023
by Edward Hardy
Formula1News

“That’s the story of the car, that we have very good sessions like on Friday, then we had very difficult qualifying, and then on Sunday we have solid pace,” Wolff told reporters.

“But solid pace is not where we want to be, and we need to understand why we are lacking that speed for a lap.”

“So there is nothing to be relieved of by having a more decent Sunday, because you’ve got to start at the front and you’ve got to be able to manage the Red Bulls and the other teams, and that’s not the case yet.”

‘Rejected praise over the performance of his drivers’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolf...l-performance/


Toto Wolff slammed for ‘PR nonsense’ after embarrassing Lewis Hamilton performance
Lewis Hamilton failed to make it into Q3 on American soil for the first time in his F1 career.
8 May 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News

@F1_Jordan wrote on Twitter: “Merc still a second off, embarrassingly lost It gets more frustrating with all the PR nonsense they come out with, especially Wolff after Australia talking about “clear improvements” when it was all track specific Too much talking, not enough doing!!!”

@Mrz999 added: “0 upgrades and losing ground every weekend, this Imola upgrade will only bring us back to Bahrain level competitiveness. Seasons gone.”
@F1Merc44 commented: “They haven’t brought any big upgrades, did people really think the car would get a second quicker without any upgrades?”
@sirhqmilton said: “It’s embarrassing. The teams a lost, hopeless case. Nothing can fix this tractor even with those upgrades”

Others like @lakeshow12345 noted that the team are “truly lost” if the Imola upgrades aren’t a success: “Upgrades are scheduled for next race. If improvements don’t work, then they are truly lost.”
@lewishammers” Feel like we’re constantly being gaslit by them to make us think the car is getting better when in reality it’s not. Expecting nothing from these Imola updates.”

‘Nothing can fix this tractor’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolf...n-performance/