2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Sargeant's Suzuka weekend: How a NIGHTMARE unfolded.
Logan Sargeant experienced a forgettable weekend in Suzuka, marked by errors and incidents that could seriously jeopardise his future in the category.
Sunday 24 September 2023 18:42
Luis Raya
GPFans

Williams are one of the teams with the greatest difference between its drivers this season, with Alex Albon carrying the team's weight and accumulating 21 points, while Logan Sargeant is struggling in his first season in Formula 1. The Japanese Grand Prix has been particularly tough for the American driver, with many errors compromising his weekend, and many are placing him outside the grid for the next season.

Start from the pit lane. If starting from the back seemed like the worst, things took a turn for the worse when the American was penalised and had to start from the pit lane. The reason for this was that the team changed the chassis in the closed park, which also resulted in a 10-second penalty during the race. This seriously hampered his race, leaving little hope of achieving a good result in Suzuka.

Crash with Bottas on lap 5. After the chaos of the first lap and the withdrawal of the safety car, Valterri Bottas, in the last position, attempted to overtake Sargeant on the outside at the turn 11 hairpin.

‘How a NIGHTMARE unfolded’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...cident-bottas/


Why Logan Sargeant has been whacked with a massive penalty
Logan Sargeant's rookie season in Formula 1 has taken a turn for the worse, following an FIA decision.
25 September 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News

Rookie Logan Sargeant’s maiden Formula 1 campaign went from bad to worse at the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend, where the American was slapped with several penalties by the FIA. Sargeant’s car snapped on him which resulted in him trying to turn out of it, sending him off the circuit and into the wall.
His crash destroyed his car, with the cameras having panned to several distraught Williams mechanics. A long night was ahead of Williams ahead of the race, with Sargeant requiring a new survival cell. Whilst a new survival cell can be fitted, a completely new chassis is against the rules, as this would result in effectively a ‘third car’ being introduced.

The FIA’s technical delegate Jo Bauer was unhappy with how much work Williams had done to the spare chassis ahead of parc ferme concluding, to the extent that it was as if the outfit had three cars. As a result, Williams’ repairs were referred to the stewards, who agreed with Bauer that the rules had been breached.

‘Massive penalty’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/why-logan...ssive-penalty/


Vowles shows support for young F1 star ahead of 2024 Williams seat decision
Friday 29 September 2023 11:57
Cal Gaunt
GPFans

Williams has provided yet another vote of confidence in their young Formula 1 driver Logan Sargeant, but it remains unclear if he'll be in the seat next season. "We will give Logan the chance to prove himself until the end of the season," Vowles told Blick newspaper. “Other drivers I can think of were given two years to do that,” he added, likely alluding to former Haas driver Mick Schumacher who has been linked with the Williams seat.”

Despite Sargeant's recent crashes in Japan, Vowles defended him once more. "He did the three practice sessions at Suzuka as I would hope from him," Vowles remarked. "In his Q1 lap, he was almost exactly as fast as Alex [Albon] up until the accident. That shows that he has the speed."

Sargeant, in response, acknowledged that Williams had set clear expectations for him to exhibit "constant improvement" in each race "from now until the end of the season".

‘Team boss James Vowles confirmed their short-term commitment to Sargeant’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-f1-2024-seat/


Alex Albon: ‘It was game over’ after heavy Lap 1 contact with Bottas
24 Sep 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Alex Albon’s Williams took a big hit off the line from the Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas, forcing the Thai driver to eventually retire from the race.

‘Game over’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...266919352.html


Albon admits AlphaTauri F1 gains ‘a bit worrying’ for Williams
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Alex Albon admits that AlphaTauri’s recent performance gains are “a little bit worrying” for Williams’ chances of holding onto seventh place in the championship. AlphaTauri currently languish rooted to the bottom of the Constructors’ standings, having only accumulated five points across the 16 rounds to be held in the 2023 season.

The Faenza-based side sits five points behind Alfa Romeo, who are a further two points adrift of Haas in eighth place. However, Williams, who have been confined to the foot of the standings in four of the past five seasons, lead the way in the battle to secure seventh position, with the Grove-based side notching 21 points to date.

‘A bit worrying’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...-for-williams/


Williams' Albon worried by AlphaTauri's recent resurgence
30/09/2023 at 11:25
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

Alex Albon admits that he's worried about the recent improvement in performance by the AlphaTauri team, and what it might mean for Williams' hopes of a strong outcome to this year's constructors championship. "They were quick in Singapore and they're going to be quick again in every circuit," predicted Albon. "I think their step has been quite significant, and a little bit worrying.”

Tsunoda had started the Japanese GP in ninth place but dropped out ot the top ten in the race, which Albon reckoned was down to the team's tyre strategy over the course of the weekend. "I think they boxed themselves, I was really surprised by their tyre choice,” Albon mused. “They gave themselves only one medium, one hard, and I think Yuki didn't even have a new soft.”

“They gave themselves only one medium, one hard, and I think Yuki didn't even have a new soft," he summarised. “Obviously we didn't expect this much degradation in the race," agreed Tsunoda. "Other teams had hard tyres, we did not, so some things to look out for the future."

‘AlphaTauri's recent resurgence’;

https://f1i.com/news/488564-williams...esurgence.html

[Fortitude]

Rejected F1 team claims Andretti accepted by FIA.
Rodin Cars was one of a handful of potential teams hoping to join F1 with its existing partnership with junior racing squad Carlin.
Author Jake Nichol

F1's governing body opened up a process for interested parties to lodge applications to join the grid in January, with a number of responses being received. These included what is now known as Andretti Cadillac Racing, Hitech Grand Prix, Rodin Carlin, Asian start-up LKY SUNZ and the Craig Pollock-backed Formula Equal.

In a statement confirming the team's rejection, Rodin founder David Dicker said: "We wish to emphasise that our objective here is not to criticise the FIA or seek a reconsideration of its decision," said a statement. "We fully respect and accept the outcome. Our sole purpose is to release information we consider in the public interest to inform the Formula 1 community."

Rodin also highlighted the fact that through the partnership with Carlin, a pathway from the junior formulas right up to F1 was possible, but the FIA has seemingly decided that the project did not meet the strict criteria placed on the entry process. But hinting at a pass for Andretti, the statement continued: "We appreciate the opportunity to have participated in the FIA process and extend our best wishes to Andretti for their successful bid.”

‘Release information we consider in the public interest’;

https://racingnews365.com/rejected-f...ccepted-by-fia


FIA rejects carmaker's F1 team application as theory emerges over Andretti Global bid.
New Zealand-based manufacturer Rodin Cars was one of several parties to lodge a bid with the FIA in the hope of joining the F1 grid, with Andretti believed to be the front-runner.
16:28 Thu, 28 Sep 2023.
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

Explaining its plan for an F1 entry, Rodin revealed details of its submission. It had planned to build its cars at its current facility in New Zealand, which would have made it the only manufacturer based in the southern hemisphere on the grid.

Rodin said it would have been able to provide young drivers with a direct ladder through the junior formulae through its Carlin teams, all the way up to F1. It also claimed there was the "opportunity of discussions for a Ferrari collaboration on the Rodin F1 car", hinting at a potential engine deal with the Italian team.

The carmaker also pledged to reserve one of its F1 race seats for a female driver. "We have tested Liam Lawson, Jamie Chadwick and Louis Sharp at our facility in New Zealand, in both an F3 car and our own car, the Rodin FZed, which is a car somewhat quicker than a GP2/F2 car," Rodin said. "Jamie performed exceptionally well and, if she was available, we would have no hesitation in putting her in a seat."

‘Theory emerges’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...retti-31055185


FIA expected to grant Andretti F1 licence - but will Liberty Media and the teams agree?
7 Sep 2023
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

According to a report in German publication AMuS, the FIA will give their blessing to Andretti for them to join the grid for as early as 2025. The American outfit have been vocal in their interest in joining F1 since last year, however, it’s been met by a lot of backlash.

F1 and the teams are concerned that an 11th team would “dilute” the sport or cost the existing constructors crucial prize money. However, due to an EU sports law regarding participation in motorsport events, F1 might find it difficult to find enough reasons to reject Andretti.

The majority of the parties against Andretti from joining F1 are linked to financial reasons rather than the benefit of the sport. Given Andretti’s rich motorsport history and engine partner General Motors, there’s few grounds for F1 to reject them, particularly as they’ve progressed through the FIA’s stringent process.

‘Lot of backlash’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103522...ll-teams-agree


What happens if FIA approves Andretti Cadillac and F1 doesn’t
Sep 7, 2023
by Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

For the Andretti/General Motors combination that appears to still be the case. Unfortunately for them, it isn’t just the FIA’s call. It’s F1’s. And that position has been consistent for months – clearly, the commercial rights holder, which is aligned with the majority of teams on this, has not felt that expanding the grid is a good idea. The message has stayed the same: show us that you will grow the championship commercially and give F1 more than you will take away by turning 10 slices of the revenue shared among teams into 11 slices.

And while there is a financial aspect to winning over the FIA, that relates to showing the funding exists to being a competent F1 team on-track. It is not the same as presenting a good commercial case to F1 itself. This conflict has been known for months. And it has carried a clear risk that the FIA would give a team the green light but F1 would reject them on commercial grounds. In this case, an entry or entries are granted but they then engage in futile commercial discussions.

There’d be no Concorde deal, and therefore no prize money. There’d be arguments over the right to be shown on TV. And there’d be, after all of this, the serious risk of a long, complex and expensive legal dispute. So, for Andretti and General Motors, their FIA-approved entry would be walked back on because it cannot feasibly proceed, which would be a disastrous look.

‘Show us that you will grow the championship commercially’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...and-f1-doesnt/


Andretti ‘successful’ with one 11th F1 team bid officially rejected
28 Sep 2023 1:30 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Rodin Cars, company owner David Dicker: “Below, we outline the significant differences between the Andretti bid and the Rodin bid,” said the statement from Rodin. The reasons given are geographic diversity, guaranteeing a female driver (the team say they would have no hesitation putting W Series Champion Jamie Chadwick in one of their seats), as well as being an independent car manufacturer with an engine facility “fully capable of building an entire engine” from their manufacturing facility in New Zealand.”

Added to that are full composite capabilities, as well as their own test tracks, while Rodin pointed to the prototype of their FZero machine as having come from their own facilities. The statement outlines that they had an “opportunity of discussions” for collaboration with Ferrari on the Rodin F1 car, and funding would not be an issue thanks to the “personal wealth of their founder”.

‘Andretti ‘successful’ ’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/andret...rodin-rejected

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff says he will work on Hamilton-Russell tensions.
Mercedes has addressed the flare-up between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix.
29 September 2023
by Edward Hardy
Formula1News

Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell clashed, sparking concerns after a tense outing in Japan. However, Mercedes has sought to downplay the incident, describing it as a “heat of the moment” issue that will be addressed calmly in the post-race debrief.

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the incident but remained optimistic about resolving any conflicts. He stated, “Anything that needs tidying up or discussing afterwards, we’ll be able to do away from that pressure cooker and nice and calmly in the debrief.”

‘Flare-up’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolf...sell-tensions/


Mercedes chief reveals how Hamilton and Russell issues will be dealt with
Saturday 30 September 2023 07:57
Cal Gaunt
GPFans

Mercedes team-mates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell raised eyebrows when they found themselves entangled in a tense on-track battle during the Japanese Grand Prix. However, Bradley Lord, Mercedes' chief communications officer, has moved swiftly to downplay the incident, categorising it as a momentary flare-up of emotions that will be addressed in a composed post-race debrief

Lord acknowledged the incident but remained confident in the team's ability to address and resolve any conflicts. "Anything that needs tidying up or discussing afterwards, we'll be able to do away from that pressure cooker and nice and calmly in the debrief," he said.

‘Needs tidying up’;

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


Wolff confirms if Mercedes considered Russell and Hamilton swap
20 September 5:35PM
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has confirmed whether the team planned to swap George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages of the Singapore Grand Prix. Both Hamilton and Russell were closing down on Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz for the lead, after pitting during an earlier Virtual Safety Car for fresh Mediums.

When asked if they considered swapping the cars, Wolff told media, including RacingNews365: "No. I think both played for the victory and in that circumstance, you've just got to let them race and fight it out between themselves. I think it was the absolute right call. We would have finished P2, P5. Maybe P2, P4 and we wanted to win the race, so we took the risk and I would every day of the week do it again," said Wolff.

"It's algorithms and it's probabilities in the background, there are mathematicians and scientists and strategists at work to come up with the best solutions and then there are more simple racer minds that are trying to find the best compromise. In that case, there was a lot of debate beforehand when to put the car in a safety car window or virtual safety car window, but we did it and then it was deployed and we were all behind it."

"It's algorithms and it's probabilities in the background, there are mathematicians and scientists and strategists at work”;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-conf...s-of-singapore


POLE POSITION: Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will always be Toto Wolff's favourite, so maybe George Russell has to leave Mercedes
• Toto Wolff is thought to favour Lewis Hamilton over team-mate George Russell
• Mercedes boss ordered Russell to let Hamilton pass in Suzuka last weekend
• Red Bull to stick with Sergio Perez despite his wobbles in Max Verstappen’s wake
Published: 00:38, 29 September 2023
By Jonathan McEvoy for the Daily Mail
Mail Online

It was no surprise that Toto Wolff — remarkably in contact from home in Monaco rather than in Suzuka — ordered George Russell to let Lewis Hamilton pass last weekend. Despite the Mercedes team being in disarray on several levels, they insist they got this call right. Perhaps they did, though we can never be sure, but it certainly achieved what appeared to be Wolff’s main aim: to look after Hamilton. He finished fifth. He had been running sixth. Russell finished seventh. He had been running fifth.

But it remains true that Russell is No 2 in his boss’s affections. Wolff, the businessman, maybe sees more commercial opportunities in one driver than the other. Now, Wolff either believes in Russell’s abilities to win the title, or he doesn’t. He has nurtured him through the junior ranks but still patronises him, at 25 (shades of Ron Dennis with Lewis at McLaren).

He also pays him a fraction of Lewis’s moolah. Senior figures in the team say, ‘George is still learning’. Which sounds very much like, ‘Back in your box, boy’. In which case, if I were Russell, I wouldn’t be sure Mercedes is the team for me. It is also in a mess. After months of idle talk, they finished 49 and 57 seconds off the pace in Japan, whatever the damn strategy was.

‘Toto Wolff — remarkably in contact from home in Monaco rather than in Suzuka’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-Mercedes.html


Lewis Hamilton responds to Toto Wolff after threat to 'bin' Mercedes car
Toto Wolff claimed that Mercedes would 'bin' their W14 at the end of the season.
16:23, Fri, Sep 29, 2023
By Charlie Parker-Turner
Daily and Sunday Express

Lewis Hamilton has insisted that Mercedes will not ‘bin’ their 2023 car, despite recent comments from team chief Toto Wolff. The Brit has claimed that the W14 has shown signs of promise and the team will continue to use the vehicle as part of a ‘learning curve’.

Wolff appears to be under the impression that the vehicle is the sole issue and a complete change is on the horizon. Speaking after the Singapore Grand Prix, he said: “We will throw this one in the bin when it's really fast and then embark on a new journey. I think we have encouraging signs from the tunnel of a balanced car that's going to be more together, and we have answers to our questions. So, we are really looking at the results with an encouraging perspective.”

Hamilton viewed the comments as quite premature and hinted that it was unfair to simply say that the car was being ‘binned’ after all of the hard work that was used in developing the concept. “We won't ever bin the car of course. These cars are still masterpieces, really, even if they're not the fastest car in the world. Two-thousand people have worked so hard to build these things and they will continue to be a part of our history and our learning curve. There will be bits of it that we try to change, try to hold on to some of the positives because there's always positives, good and bad sides, and so we're trying to hold on to the positives.”

‘Lewis Hamilton responds to Toto Wolff’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...f-Mercedes-W14

[Fortitude]

Marko backs Perez to recover from poor Suzuka outing.
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has backed Sergio Perez to recover from his difficult outing at the Japanese Grand Prix.
24 September 3:30PM
Author Fergal Walsh

Perez was involved in a number of incidents during the race, the first of which was on the run to the first corner, forcing him to pit for a new front wing. The Mexican was then handed a duo of time penalties, first for a Safety Car infringement and secondly for making contact with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.

Red Bull opted to retire the car, but made a brief reappearance to serve the time penalty he was handed for colliding with Magnussen.

"He had an unfortunate day which originated in the free practice sessions,” Marko told Viaplay. “He couldn't match Max's speed and today just everything went wrong, but we are confident of a strong comeback from him.”

‘Marko backs Perez’;

https://racingnews365.com/marko-back...-suzuka-outing


Helmut Marko reveals FIA negotiation over Sergio Perez controversy
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez retired from the 2023 Japanese GP twice, following a miserable race for the Mexican.
25 September 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has revealed that the FIA granted the team permission to let Sergio Perez rejoin the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, so that he could serve a time penalty. Perez endured a disastrous Sunday at Suzuka, with the Mexican’s race having been ruined after just a few seconds.

Red Bull were keen to get the penalties served to avoid them carrying over to Qatar, something which was a relief to Marko. “Thank god we were able to serve the penalty here,” Marko told Sky Germany. “[They told us] if we did not serve the penalty here, then we would have had to do it in the next race and our strategy is to prioritise Max.”

‘FIA negotiation’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/helmut-ma...z-controversy/


Perez opens up on struggles, on the track and at home
29/09/2023 at 12:27
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Sergio Perez says his confidence was shattered this season by a Red Bull car that moved out of his comfort zone, which led to struggles not only out on the track but also at home where his cheerful demeanor was nowhere to be found.

"When the season started, the car suited me perfectly. But cars evolve during the season," Perez explained in an interview with Dutch newspaper De Limburger. After Miami, things went downhill. I had a different car that didn’t suit me so well. Then I failed to get into Q3 several times, so my confidence dropped. As a result, the driving went a lot less as well.”

“I struggled a lot in the summer. In the beginning, I was competing for the world title but, from May onwards, that changed. I was driving without confidence. At one point I just didn’t come out [of Q2]. That was very tough. Because you drive with a top team, the pressure to perform increases quickly."

'After Miami: Downhill';

https://f1i.com/news/488511-perez-op...d-at-home.html


Horner backs Perez to achieve astonishing Red Bull first
Friday 29 September 2023 06:57
Sam Cook
GPFans

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has backed Sergio Perez to finish in second in the drivers' championship, which would give Red Bull their first ever one-two in the standings. He needs to prove that he can beat everybody other than Verstappen regularly.

Horner agrees that this is important, not least because it would be the first time in Red Bull's history that they have had their drivers first and second in the drivers' standings. "He's got at least a one race weekend sort of [points] 'buffer' to Lewis and greater than that to Fernando [Alonso] behind him," Horner told Sky Sports.

"It's something that we've never achieved; we've never finished first and second with any of our drivers in the world championship so it would be a big thing for us to achieve. He came close last year, it would be his best-ever result, and he's got the best car that he's ever had to be able to try and achieve that result."

‘Christian Horner backs Sergio Perez’ ’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-team-history/


5: The Sergio Perez Interview Podcast
Publish DateSeptember 28, 2023
Kunal's F1 Blog.


By the end of the 2018 Formula 1 Season, Sergio Perez would become Force India’s most-experienced driver – and unless Esteban Ocon (who is next on the show!) goes on a podium scoring spree, he will also become the team’s most-successful driver.

Force India has helped stabilise Perez’s career and vice-versa; they make a lethal combo – one to watch out for this season. He is also the best person to judge Force India’s key strength – one that’s made them the talk of the paddock and the ‘best bang for buck World Champions’.

In this week’s episode of the Inside Line F1 Podcast, the famous Mexican driver joins us on the show – also becoming first driver in history to appear on our show twice! Super thanks to our friends at Force India for making this happen – #FeelTheForce, indeed.

‘Sergio Perez Interview’;

https://www.kunalsf1blog.com/5-the-s...rview-podcast/


PEREZ ‘STILL LEARNING EVERY DAY’ AHEAD OF 2024 TITLE CHALLENGE.
The Mexican driver has been under a lot of pressure this season, failing to deliver great results for Red Bull.
September 28, 2023
Sam Jones


Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has admitted that he is ‘still learning every day’ as he prepares to pick himself back up to mount a title challenge in 2024. The six-time race winner had a strong start to the 2023 season, winning two of the opening four races to put himself in a good position to mount a challenge for the 2023 drivers championship title. Perez couldn’t keep his form up though, with a crash during qualifying in Monaco proving to be the first domino to fall.

The Mexican failed to make it out of Q3 for five consecutive races including Monaco, whilst his teammate Max Verstappen carried the Red Bull team, winning 10 races in a row and breaking the record for most successive victories in the process. His struggles still remain, getting into two separate incidents before being forced to retire in Suzuka last weekend.

To get his season back on track, Perez has been working with the Red Bull engineers to make the car more suited to his needs. “But I didn’t give up and kept working hard with the engineers to sort things out, my self-confidence came back when I realised that I won races under my own steam earlier this year. I dare say I am 100 percent again now. And I also have the conviction again that I can have a shot at the world title next year.”

‘LEARNING EVERY DAY’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/pe...tle-challenge/


Sergio Perez hires help to aid Red Bull woes after struggling away from F1
Sergio Perez has struggled to come close to matching Max Verstappen's results during their time as team-mates in 2023.
15:10, Tue, Sep 26, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Sergio Perez has revealed the mental impact of his on-track performances for Red Bull this season, explaining that he has hired a mental coach to help him process and deal with the highs and lows that life at the front end of F1 presents. The Mexican driver kicked off his 2023 season with two wins in the opening four rounds, beating team-mate Max Verstappen on the streets of Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. These performances sparked hopes of an inter-team title fight and heaped the pressure on Checo.

Unfortunately, Perez couldn’t live up to his billing as a title contender for long. A disappointing showing in Miami allowed Verstappen to come from the midfield to win as Checo’s Dutch team-mate pulled off a sensational ten-race winning streak to effectively decide the championship prior to the summer break.

Speaking to De Limburger about his struggles, Checo revealed: “Formula One is my sport, my life, my passion. When you are having such a hard time at work, it is difficult to be cheerful at home with your wife and children. So I hired a mental coach because my family deserves to have that cheerful father at home. Together with my coach, I worked on becoming the best version of myself at home, but also as a driver. As a result, I found positivity again. I am now 33 years old, but I am still learning every day. On the track, but certainly also off it. Partly because of this, I will never get tired of Formula 1. It is really great what this sport still gives me.”

‘Hired a mental coach’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ez-Red-Bull-F1


Perez confident of F1 2024 title shot after hiring mental coach
09:34 Thu, 28 Sep 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Sergio Perez has revealed he has hired a mental coach to help him overcome the struggles he has encountered in Formula 1 in 2023. Perez said that work with his engineers behind the scenes has helped him rebuild his dented confidence, inspiring him to believe a renewed title tilt is possible next year.

“But I didn’t give up and kept working hard with the engineers to sort things out,” he continued. “My self-confidence came back when I realised that I won races under my own steam earlier this year. I dare say I am 100 per cent again now. And I also have the conviction again that I can have a shot at the world title next year.”

‘F1 2024 title shot’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...-mental-coach/

[Fortitude]

HAAS ‘DON’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT’ FROM NEW UPGRADES, SAYS STEINER.
Haas is set to bring major upgrades to the United States Grand Prix at the end of October.
September 30, 2023
Jasmine Hughes
FormulaNerds

The American racing team has endured a difficult 2023. Race weekends have brought mixed fortunes for the team, which often has decent one-lap pace but falls short during the race itself. So far, Haas has only finished in the points on four occasions this season.

Haas team principal Gunther Steiner admitted that Haas are fully sure of what it’ll get out of the new upgrades. “I don’t know yet exactly what to expect,” Steiner said, as quoted by Speedcafe. “Obviously you expect that you have got better performance, but the main thing is to get to see what you do next year, because next year’s car is completely changing concept.”

“With this year’s car, we couldn’t do a complete change anymore because there is some restrictions you have got yourself, like the radiators and the side-impact structure. So we wouldn’t go the full way, but we go in that direction as much as we could,” added Steiner. “But it’s more to learn and hopefully we get a more stable car; the car is very temperamental aero-wise – downforce comes and goes.”

Gunther Steiner: “I don’t know yet exactly what to expect!”;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ha...-says-steiner/


Guenther Steiner reveals details of new Haas car for United States GP.
The Haas team principal has given more info about how their new 2023 car will look towards the end of this season
September 20, 2023
By Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Guenther Steiner has revealed the new direction of Haas‘s 2023 Formula 1 car concept, as the team pulls the plug on the current design.

Haas have displayed promising one-lap pace throughout 2023 but have failed to translate the performances into results during races, partially due to a problem with tyre wear.

“The concept of the car will change quite a bit,” Steiner told the media. “Going in that direction you’re limited with your chassis and a few other things as you’re right now, but we are trying to go to the downward [sidepod] shape now, like everybody else has done.”

‘New Haas car for United States GP’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ted-states-gp/


One F1 team in ‘survival mode’ with ‘very little time’ to understand Austin updates
28 Sep 2023 7:30 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

In “survival mode” at the moment and then facing a race against “time” to understand the upcoming VF-23’s upgrades, Guenther Steiner can only hope the Austin updates do what the box says.

The team has not put a single updated part on the car since the Dutch Grand Prix with the American outfit pinning their hopes on a B-spec car that will hit the track at the United States Grand Prix. Until then, as Magnussen told Motorsport.com: “It’s survival mode.”

Team boss Steiner is hoping Haas’ Austin upgrades put them back in the fight for points finishes, the 58-year-old knows that until the car is on the track, Haas won’t know what they’re genuinely dealing with. Haas will have just five races from the United States Grand Prix until the end of the season to understand the revised car. “Absolutely, and we had very little time to develop it,” he said.

‘Survival mode’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/haas-i...austin-updates


Haas F1 Team Principal casts doubt over 2023 car development
September 29, 2023
By: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang

With six rounds left in 2023, Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner admits that questions still surround the short and long-term direction at Haas F1. Before the 2023 F1 season, Guenther Steiner made clear that a development plan was in place to correct the team’s seasonal mid-season decline. There was optimism on this issue over the winter, especially as an official agreement with new title sponsor MoneyGram was confirmed.

Having introduced virtually no significant upgrades in 2023, the American GP offers some hope for the team. A major set of changes have been scheduled for COTA, the first and – almost certainly – last updates of the season. If Haas cannot find performance with these changes (and understand them within a fairly limited timeframe), their winter development for 2024 will be compromised. As quoted by Speedcafe, team principal Guenther Steiner is uncertain about the impact of their planned updates:

“I don’t know yet what to expect. Obviously, you expect that you have better performance.
“But the main thing is to get to see what you do next year because next year’s car is completely changing the concept.”
Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner

‘Questions still surround the short and long-term direction at Haas F1’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...3-development/


Haas hoping 2024 decision will be learning 'shortcut' - Steiner
27 September 7:05PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner said the team is using its existing 2023 cost cap budget to help development on the 2024 car as it hopes to "shortcut" the learning process. The team will introduce an updated spec of its VF-23 at the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin, which will be a Red Bull-inspired car concept.

Steiner: It was better to do it this year. "This package came out of development we did for 2024, so we were always in that direction and that is the aim," Steiner told media, including RacingNews365. "At least we learn about the car and how it reacts, so we are getting better ready for next year.”

"That's the biggest thing, because continuing with this one we know where we are, and if you know where we are and you cannot find any performance, then you need to shift to a different concept. It was better to do it this year, at least an interval version. We didn't spend a lot of money on upgrades this year because we didn't find any performance, so we had some budget available. We said: 'We're making this step, at least we're doing the best to get ready for next year' ”.

‘Learning 'shortcut' – Steiner’;

https://racingnews365.com/haas-uses-...-help-2024-car


Guenther Steiner reveals innovative solution for increased team infrastructure spending
01 Oct 2023 3:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner suggests that rather than raising the limit on team infrastructure expenses, overspending should be handled on a case-by-case basis and put forward to rival teams. American investment firm Dorilton Capital purchased the Williams F1 team from the Williams family back in 2020, and Vowles has made no secret of the rebuild mission required at the team starved of funding for many seasons.

But, with this limit hampering Williams’ ability to get their infrastructure back up to speed, Vowles had been calling for a method of increasing that ceiling to allow smaller teams to catch up, though the matter stalled following an F1 Commission meeting. Steiner, though, believes that rather than a blanket increase to the limit, a system should be put in place where a team spends to that limit, and then presents its plans and reasons for wanting more CapEx spending power before fellow teams in a unique case-by-case setup.

Laying out his proposal, as per Motorsport-Magazin.com, Steiner said: “We have a CapEx limit now. Before anything is changed, someone has to go here and say: ‘I’m over it now’ and ask if it can be increased. And not just ask for the impossible. “Spend 36 million, see how far you get, and then explain to people what else you’re going to do. That’s how I would do it.”

‘Guenther Steiner reveals innovative solution’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenth...capex-spending

[Fortitude]

Budget cap means Ferrari must ‘be patient’ in pursuit of Red Bull – Leclerc.
Charles Leclerc is encouraged by the progress Ferrari has made with their SF-23 car in recent races, but accepts he will have to be patient to see how quickly they can catch this year’s champions Red Bull.
2024 F1 season
Posted on 2nd October 2023, 7:152nd October 2023, 9:34
Written by Ida Wood and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

“After Monza, we understood more things which are good for this year – even though it will be a small step in the right direction – but mostly for designing next year’s car, which is positive,” said Leclerc. He finished fourth for the third race in a row at Suzuka, while his team mate Carlos Sainz Jnr has taken two podiums in that time including the only win for a driver outside Red Bull.

Leclerc said the progress the team has made also vindicates the design direction they have taken for next season. “The 2024 project is very different to the car we have this year,” he said. “And this [run of form], with everything we’ve learned so far, it reaffirms that it’s a good choice what we’ve done for next year. And then the more we learn, the better it is for doing the last few details for next year’s car. So it’s super-important.”

‘Be patient’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/02/...-bull-leclerc/


‘I have a feeling’: Charles Leclerc admits Ferrari have been studying F1 rivals ahead of Qatar…
10:00 Sun, 01 Oct 2023.
F1 Oversteer

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has admitted that his team have been studying Mercedes ahead of next weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix. Leclerc was speaking to Sky Sports F1 with the race to finish behind Red Bull heating up.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship in Japan last weekend. In reality, they’ve known for a long time they were going to win the title given their complete domination of Formula 1 this year.

Speaking ahead of the race, Leclerc said: “Mercedes are strong, especially in the races. In Japan, they put us under a bit of pressure at the end by splitting the cars. In qualifying, it’s a bit more inconsistent, so it’s going to be a very close fight. We are a bit more inconsistent in the race, they are a bit more inconsistent in qualifying. But, I have a feeling inside me that we have learned a few things in the last weekend that will hopefully give us the upper hand for the rest of the season.”

“I have a feeling”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/cha...d-of-qatar-gp/


'I hate to find excuses' - Leclerc's role in volatile Ferrari year
Oct 1, 2023
by Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

In a chastening 2023 Formula 1 season for Ferrari, Charles Leclerc has had some specific issues to deal with. That hasn’t always been easy and at times Leclerc has made things worse for himself. The upshot has been a volatile season of grand peaks, low troughs, quiet races of real class and some rather anonymous ones too.

“We straight away knew what our weaknesses were,” says Leclerc. “We were, at least at the beginning of the year, super wind-sensitive, which is something I guess is quite difficult to understand for fans that are not properly into Formula 1.”

“There were some off-examples like Baku, where the wind was quite high, but we were super strong [Leclerc was on pole and finished on the podium], which was difficult to understand. But then as a general trend, we were struggling quite a lot. Even in one weekend, we could see a lot of very good sessions and also very difficult sessions. That was very, very difficult for us because also as a driver, it's very difficult to set up the car in a particular way, because you will get one car one session and a very different one the one after.

'I hate to find excuses';

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/i...errari-season/


Sainz ‘confident’ Ferrari can fight McLaren on ‘low speed’ tracks
09:34 Sat, 30 Sep 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Carlos Sainz is not concerned by McLaren’s strong pace at the Japanese Grand Prix, insisting that Ferrari will be able to battle his former team on several of the remaining tracks this year.

Asked whether he suspected McLaren would retain its Japanese GP pace across the remainder of the year, Sainz said: “I think in high-speed circuits yes, but when we go to places like Mexico, or even Austin, with more low-speed content we’ll be very confident we will have a race with McLaren.”

‘Sainz confident’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...-speed-tracks/


Sainz outlines hope for new Ferrari car
30 September 1:50PM
Author Fergal Walsh
Co-author Aaron Deckers

Carlos Sainz has detailed the biggest change he hopes Ferrari will make to its car for next year’s Formula 1 campaign. Sainz expressed his hope that the issues will be eradicated for next year’s challenger.

“For sure there are some things on set up that could be implemented into next year's car,” he told media including RacingNews365.com. “But I am hoping that next year's car has completely different characteristics than this one and it's a bit of a new start.”

“This year's car has given us a few headaches here and there. It is true that the car when it comes to one lap, C5 tyres on certain tracks it can be very, very quick. But it is true that many in the race even in Singapore, we were nothing special with tyre wear, our degradation still has its weaknesses that we need to address.”

‘Hope for new Ferrari car’;

https://racingnews365.com/sainz-outl...ew-ferrari-car


Leclerc: Ferrari ‘have learned things’ that will help in Mercedes fight
13:30 Sun, 01 Oct 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Charles Leclerc says Ferrari “have learned a few things” that he hopes will enable the team to have the “upper hand” over Mercedes. Leclerc believes Ferrari has taken a step forward recently and is optimistic that it will provide the team with the base to overhaul Mercedes across the remaining six rounds.

Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur asserts its battle with Mercedes can’t be delayed because of the potential risk of paying the price for it early next year. “You don’t have to postpone the fight, the fight is with Mercedes today, and we have to take it,” he said.

‘Ferrari ‘have learned things’!’

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...ercedes-fight/


Leclerc promises very different Ferrari design in 2024.
30/09/2023 at 09:16
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

Now attention is turning to next year's entry, and Leclerc says it should be a very different beast from this year's car. “We learnt plenty during Monza especially about our weaknesses,” Leclerc noted. “After Monza we understood more things which are good for this year.”

“We understood good things in the last few races. Whether this is all or not is difficult to say until we’ve actually achieved our development programme and confirmed it was that. I’m not confident this is everything we had to find to close the gap to Red Bull, but it’s a step in the right direction for sure," he noted. "Mostly for designing next year’s car, which is positive.”

"It’s super important. It was really good to understand that before the end of the season, as we still have quite a few races so we can maybe push a bit more in that direction. There were things we tested in Monza to make sure that it was really the case, and it was. We learnt a lot in Zandvoort and Monza and that is good for this year, even though I don’t think it will turn our season around.”

‘Very different Ferrari design in 2024’;

https://f1i.com/news/488551-leclerc-...n-in-2024.html

[Fortitude]

Alonso calls Aston Martin to make off-track F1 improvements.
Fernando Alonso has called on Aston Martin to make improvements off-track in order to return to the form it displayed at the start of the season.
30 September 6:10PM
Author Fergal Walsh
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

The Silverstone-based squad commenced the campaign in strong fashion, with Alonso scoring six podiums in the first eight races. However, in the following eight rounds, just one podium has followed, while Aston Martin has also been overtaken by Mercedes and Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship.

“Red Bull was not dominant in Singapore, and we didn't take that opportunity,” Alonso told media including RacingNews365.com. “So that was the thing that we need to obviously understand, we need to be aware of the challenge that we are facing. At the beginning of the year, we had a fast car. We already said at the beginning that we were facing a huge challenge in the season because our main competitors are huge organizations and very top teams,” he said.

“So it was more or less expected that Ferrari and Mercedes eventually they will match our pace and potentially go ahead. “Mercedes took not too long to be in that position, Ferrari took a little bit longer. And McLaren now, they are very strong. So we have to accept that we need to raise our level off track as well and the rate of development has to be a little bit faster next year.”

‘EL PLAN: Make improvements off-track in order to return to form’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-cal...1-improvements


Alonso highlights issue Aston Martin must fix
29 September 2:55PM
Author Ewan Gale
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Addressing the inconsistent results in recent months, Alonso told media including RacingNews365.com: "It's difficult to have a car that performs at all types of circuits and all types of corners.

"The window of operation of the car and the set-up is very narrow in this generation, so if you don't get everything right, you can easily be out of the top 10. If you get everything right that you can, you can fight for podiums and this happens to many teams.”

"Behind Red Bull, it seems quite close so when you can be the second fastest team or the fifth or sixth fastest team, in terms of results it is very different. So let's see if we can be a little bit more consistent track-to-track and if we can widen the operating window that the car is working in."

‘EL PLAN: Issues Aston Martin must fix’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-hig...artin-must-fix


Aston Martin prepare late changes to salvage 2023 season
September 28, 2023
By: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Aston Martin has a small window of opportunity to correct their failed efforts to develop the AMR23 this season. Significant issues began emerging after the Canadian GP. A large upgrade package was introduced in Montreal, including a new floor, with the intention of improving efficiency. With Alonso securing yet another podium and crossing the line in P2, these changes seemed positive.

Unfortunately for the Silverstone-based team, this result obscured the reality of the situation. In subsequent rounds, the AMR23 lost its superiority in low-speed corners – whilst failing to improve its top speed substantially. Moreover, a car that was easy to set up and optimize at the beginning of 2023 became difficult to keep in its operating window.

Next year’s cars will be an evolution from this year, and so any unresolved issues on the AMR23 could be carried over into 2024. This makes it critical for Dan Fallows and his team at the factory to reverse the car’s worrying new behaviors. Aston Martin could lose fourth in the Championship to McLaren, something nobody would have predicted after Bahrain. However, the series of corrections planned for the final races this year are of far greater significance.

‘EL PLAN: Late changes to salvage 2023 season’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...e-2023-season/


Alonso relieved after ‘just’ keeping his perfect Q3 record in 2023 going at Suzuka
23 Sep 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Fernando Alonso is the only driver in the field to have made it through to Q3 at every race so far this season – and he just kept that run going in Japan, qualifying P10.

‘EL PLAN: Keeping his perfect Q3 record in 2023’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...144650160.html


Krack confident of further Aston Martin podium success
02 October 8:45AM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

When asked about the fluctuations in form, Krack told media, including RacingNews365: "When you look at the season overall, you see teams going up and down all the time. "To be honest in Zandvoort we also performed better than we expected originally, then you go to Monza and it's obviously a different circuit.”

"But it is up and downs we have seen with all the teams so far this year, so that is something that we need to try and understand. In Formula 1, it's not never one thing. There are also circuits where there are slower corners, so I think all in all, you always have to try and improve your car," explained Krack.

‘EL PLAN: Further Aston Martin podium success’;

https://racingnews365.com/krack-conf...podium-success


Krack 'fine' with Alonso's F1 team radio after critical outburst
Saturday 30 September 2023 14:57
Sam Cook
GPFans

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has said that Fernando Alonso's recent critical comments were 'absolutely fine', insisting that the Formula 1 veteran's grievances will only spur the team on. “I think you can listen to the 20 drivers, and everybody's really hard,” Krack told the media after the Japanese GP.

“Everybody's passionate. If the driver would not be doing something like that, what driver is it? So, I think, it's fine. For us, we take it as a motivation and it also opens up always a different view of things. So, absolutely fine.”

‘EL PLAN: We take it as a motivation’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...adio-comments/

[Fortitude]

McLaren 'focused on the process', not rushing upgrades.
McLaren has developed its MCL60 at a healthy rate this season, with great success, but team boss Andrea Stella explains why it's always ill advised for a team to rush its upgrades.
02/10/2023 at 15:52
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

McLaren has developed its MCL60 at a healthy rate this season, with great success, but team boss Andrea Stella explains why it's always ill advised for a team to rush its upgrades. "I’m focused on the process," said the McLaren team principal. "And you can have targets, you can say ‘these are my two, three milestones from a results point of view’.”

"But in reality, you don't work against that. You work just at the fastest, reasonable pace that can be sustained in development. I mean, that's the definition, what we do is the fastest reasonable pace that can be sustained in development. Then we see where we end up."

'Focused on the process';

https://f1i.com/news/488683-mclaren-...-upgrades.html


STELLA: MCLAREN ‘ENCOURAGED’ BY THEIR DEVELOPMENT DESPITE WORRIES OF ‘OUTSTANDING’ RED BULL IN QATAR
Stella is 'encouraged' by McLaren's development but warns how it is easy to become complacent
October 3, 2023
Oliver Brindle
FormulaNerds

McLaren’s Team Principal, Andrea Stella, has spoken out on how he believes Red Bull is out of reach in the development race for this season. However, the Italian admitted he doesn’t want complacency to lead to a slip in development ahead of next year.

Team Principal Andrea Stella has now pointed out that they need to continue the pace they are developing at and avoid any complacency, which would lead to decline in performance similar to that of Aston Martin. Speaking to Racer.com, Stella said: “If anything, we are trying to be as rigorous as possible from a development point of view to ensure that we are not short-cutting any steps. We don’t get too like, ‘We need to develop faster’, and then you start to skip some methodical steps that we have applied so far.”

“But I think everyone at McLaren, especially the technical leadership – are very aware that the pace of development is already fast and that is what we need to keep pursuing. And then we will see once we are in Bahrain next year who has been able to develop faster. We saw with Aston Martin that over the winter, big steps are possible. Or like with McLaren that you can do it even during the season.”

'Encouraged by McLaren's development’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/st...bull-in-qatar/


Lando Norris: MCL60 pace “encouraging” going into final races of 2023
October 2, 2023
By Ashley Cline
The Checkered Flag

McLaren F1 Team‘s Lando Norris was pleased with the pace of MCL60 at the Japanese Grand Prix, where the team took its first double podium of the season. With seven races to go in the season, the British driver said that the team’s current performance is “encouraging.” “We’re back racing after a week off. We had a very successful race in Japan with another P2 for me and a double podium for the team. The car had strong pace, which is encouraging as we go into the final seven races of the season.”

“Qatar up next. It’s another Sprint race weekend, so more opportunity for points. This is only the second time we’re racing at the Lusail International Circuit, so we will have to learn as much as we can from the Friday practice session. I’ve been back at the MTC with the engineers in preparation over the last two weeks. We’ll look to extract the maximum from the car and hopefully bring home some more points.”

‘MCL60 pace “encouraging” ’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...races-of-2023/


Stella urges McLaren reflection as Aston Martin fight intensifies
02 October 4:00PM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Andrea Stella feels it is "important to acknowledge" the progress made by McLaren in 2023 as it eyes a late surge for fourth in the Constructors' Championship. "As we head into the Qatar Grand Prix week, it's important to acknowledge how far we have come in the season," Stella explained.

"Achieving a P2 and P3 in Japan was not an easy task, but it was made possible by the quality of the teams' work at the factory and trackside [at Suzuka]. We're more determined than ever to continue improving, as we work towards being consistent in fighting at the top of the field.”

"Qatar race is fairly new to F1, as we have only visited the Lusail International Circuit once before back in 2021. However, this is the first time we will be bringing the new generation of cars here, so everyone will be trying to make the most of the practice sessions, and the Sprint format only adds to that challenge."

‘Aston Martin fight intensifies’;

https://racingnews365.com/stella-urg...ht-intensifies


McLaren boys blown away by new wind tunnel!
13:03 Mon, 02 Oct 2023.
F1i.com

On Monday, McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown, F1 team principal Andrea Stella and Lando Norris stood in the eye of the team's new aerodynamic storm. McLaren's new state-of-the art wind tunnel that was four years in the making is now up and running.

The Woking-based outfit's achievement in bringing its new wind tunnel online marks a significant milestone for the Formula 1 team, showcasing its commitment to the ever-increasing importance of advanced aerodynamic research and performance.

‘Blown away’;

https://f1i.com/images/488669-mclare...nd-tunnel.html


McLaren unveil ‘biggest investment’ in decades with launch of new wind tunnel
02 Oct 2023 12:40 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

McLaren have released behind-the-scenes images of their new wind tunnel as their aerodynamics team moves back in-house for the first time since 2010. With the McLaren Technology Centre (MTC) having first opened its doors in 2003, the team soon found some of their equipment was quickly becoming out of date.

The most prominent of those was the wind tunnel with McLaren deciding to close it down in 2010 and instead rent Toyota’s in Germany, but have always longed to bring everything back on site. That dream became a reality recently when McLaren unveiled their state-of-the-art wind tunnel on the site of where the previous one once was.

‘Biggest investment’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclare...dtunnel-images


Red Bull's unexpected 2024 F1 threat
Oct 2, 2023
The Race

Lando Norris promised McLaren is “coming for Red Bull” after finishing second at Suzuka - but has the team really usurped Mercedes and Ferrari as Red Bull’s biggest 2024 Formula 1 threat? Norris knows Red Bull is uncatchable this year, but his eyes right after the race were firmly on the big picture.

With Norris signed up to the end of 2025 and Oscar Piastri recently agreeing a new deal to stay until the end of 2026, McLaren also has an outstanding and stable driver line-up. McLaren has the right facilities, people and resources to become a major player in F1 again - so what does it still need?

The one big question is whether it can overcome the long-standing technical weakness it has suffered from with its car. For years, McLarens have been tricky to drive and while recent developments have improved performance and added downforce, those inherent characteristics are still there. “You have to drive it one way, but it’s a way I don’t like to drive,” Norris has explained.

‘Lando Norris: “Coming for Red Bull” ’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/r...024-f1-threat/


McLaren eager to avoid any more Norris/Piastri F1 team orders
McLaren wants to avoid the need for imposing any more team orders on its Formula 1 drivers, after again intervening between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in Japan.
Oct 2, 2023, 9:58 AM
By: Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com

With its two drivers on slightly offset strategies at Suzuka, McLaren had to ask Piastri to let Norris through at one point to ensure that they did not waste time fighting each other and risk squandering the team's prospects for a double podium finish.

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has no doubts that the team has done the right thing in swapping its drivers around when needed, but he accepts it is something he is not eager to happen all the time. Asked how the Japan call compared to those made in Hungary and Italy, Stella said:

"It was much, much easier in a way, as those two situations were stressful, especially the one in Monza. And when I say stressful, I mean stressful because we created stress between our two drivers, which we could have avoided, really. That's something that we reviewed. It may happen again in the future, but when it is avoidable, we should avoid it.

‘Stressful, I mean stressful’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...ders/10527745/

[Fortitude]

IT’S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
One championship down, one to go, as Max Verstappen closes in on a third straight drivers’ title. But there are plenty of other fights up and down the field that are just heating up, so here are some of the topics we’re getting excited about heading to Lusail.
02 October 2023
Chris Medland
Special Contributor
Formula One - Official Site

Verstappen on the verge: It has looked an inevitability since very early in the season, and after repelling the early challenge of team mate Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen has raced away into the distance in terms of the championship standings, to such an extent that he’s set to wrap matters up with more than five races still remaining.

Mercedes versus Ferrari: Mercedes have been consistent point-scorers all year but Ferrari have found form since their home race at Monza, scoring a third and fourth there behind only the Red Bulls, and then winning in Singapore courtesy of Carlos Sainz. Charles Leclerc was then fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton at Suzuka – where Sainz also beat George Russell – and the gap has closed to just 20 points between the teams.

McLaren closing in on Aston Martin: There’s also tension brewing between Aston Martin and McLaren in a sporting sense, but this battle has taken on a very different form. Aston Martin were the standout team behind Red Bull in the early part of the year, with Fernando Alonso amassing multiple podiums after a sensational step forward was made over the winter. But that improvement has since been matched by McLaren, who scored just 17 points in the first eight races this year but have added 155 to that total in the eight since upgrading their car in Austria.

‘Ricciardo nearing a comeback (Delayed), Sprinting back to Qatar’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...cDEQ68ICT.html


Three storylines to watch at f1 Qatar Grand Prix
It will also be the first Sprint event to take place under floodlights, as the previous host venues – Silverstone, Monza, Brazil, Imola, Austria, Baku and Belgium – have all been daytime races.
Last Edited October 03, 2023 | 12:15 AM

One championship down, one to go, as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen closes in on a third straight drivers’ title.

Verstappen on the verge: It has looked an inevitability since very early in the season, and after repelling the early challenge of teammate Sergio Perez, Verstappen has raced away into the distance in terms of the championship standings, to such an extent that he’s set to wrap matters up with more than five races still remaining.

Mercedes versus Ferrari: The points between Verstappen and Perez are not the only ones to pay attention to at the moment though. While Red Bull wrapped up their constructors’ championship in Japan, there’s far from any clarity over who will be the runner-up this season as Mercedes and Ferrari fight it out for best of the rest honours.

‘Three storylines’;

https://www.gulf-times.com/article/6...tar-grand-prix


Full schedule for the 2023 Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix
03 October 8:45AM
Author RacingNews365 Staff

2023 F1 QATAR GRAND PRIX SCHEDULE
Date Event Time (Local) Time (BST)
Friday October 6th Practice 1 16:30 - 17:30 14:30 - 15:30
Friday October 6th Qualifying 20:00 - 21:00 18:00 - 19:00
Saturday October 7th Sprint Shootout 16:00 - 16:44 14:00 - 15:00
Saturday October 7th Sprint 20:30 - 21:00 18:30 - 19:30
Sunday October 8th Race 20:00 - 22:00 18:00

‘Full schedule’;

https://racingnews365.com/full-sched...tar-grand-prix


Lawson to continue as Ricciardo’s substitute at Qatar Grand Prix
Formula 1
Posted on 3rd October 2023, 15:563rd October 2023, 22:01
Written by Ida Wood

Liam Lawson will remain in AlphaTauri’s line-up for this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix. He has occupied the seat alongside Yuki Tsunoda since Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix in August. In the four grands prix Lawson has contested so far he has scored two points, reached Q3 and never finished lower than 13th.

Before being called up to make his Formula 1 debut, Lawson was combining his reserve driver duties for Red Bull with racing in Japan’s top-level Super Formula series. He sits second in the standings ahead of the double-header Monza season finale at the end of this month having won three of the seven races held so far.

‘Ricciardo’s substitute at Qatar Grand Prix’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/10/03/...ar-grand-prix/


Lawson's last big F1 chance to make a 2024 case
Oct 3, 2023
by Matt Beer, Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Lawson gets a fifth race as Yuki Tsunoda's team-mate, having impressed greatly since his mid-weekend call-up at the Dutch GP. But that still looks unlikely to result in a 2024 F1 race seat. AlphaTauri has already announced Tsunoda and Ricciardo as its line-up for next year, with Red Bull saying Lawson will return to a reserve role - although there have been reports he is guaranteed a 2025 race drive at one of its F1 teams.

Scott Mitchell-Malm: Even if he's not going to race next year, he needs to make the biggest impression he can now so that it lasts as long as possible. Otherwise the momentum he's built in this super-sub run will be well faded by the time he's a factor in the 2025 driver market.

Once Ricciardo's back, all Lawson can do is wait. Until then his focus has to be grasping every opportunity he has. Then it's up to others - but at the very least Lawson can take a lot of satisfaction knowing he did everything in his could to stake his claim.

‘Big F1 chance to make a 2024 case’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/l...e-a-2024-case/

[Fortitude]

A champion crowned as rivals fight for pride - What to expect at the Qatar GP.
The country missed out on the calendar last season as it focused on its hosting duties for the 2022 FIFA World Cup but is back with substantial infrastructural upgrades to better house the F1 circus.
04 October 2:07PM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365

A champion to be crowned: Whilst Verstappen's championship glory has been a question of when and not if for a long time given his dominance this season, the Dutchman's crowning is likely to be confirmed this weekend.

Perez bounce back? But what of Perez? It is imperative Perez rebounds instantly as he aims to take second in the Drivers' championship. A one-two is something Red Bull has never achieved in F1 - and really should be completing given the dominance of the car this term. But with Lewis Hamilton impressively racking up points in the Mercedes and closing to within 40 points of Perez, no further slip-ups can be afforded.

Eyes on Sargeant as pressure ramps up: With 19 of the 20 seats on next year's F1 grid now taken, Logan Sargeant is in the unenviable position of being the last to secure his future.
Tyres under the microscope: Tyre wear was a big talking point at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix in 2021 with high degradation presenting an intriguing tactical battle across the grid.

‘A champion crowned’;

https://racingnews365.com/a-champion...t-the-qatar-gp


F1 chief left 'scratching his head' ahead of Qatar GP return
Wednesday 4 October 2023 14:58
Anna Malyon
GPFans

Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner says that temperatures for this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix have left him "scratching his head". “In 2021, when we visited the first time, it was a ‘last-minute’ call I’d say," said Steiner in Haas' Qatar Preview. We were welcomed very much by everyone in Qatar, and it was a good race.”

"I remember the smaller garages but that was because they were built for motorbikes, but the facilities have all been upgraded and they look very good. The only thing that has me scratching my head is the temperatures, which are really high, in the forties. We’re racing at night though, so it should be okay.”

'Scratching his head';

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...einer-preview/


Why Steiner is 'scratching his head' in Qatar GP build-up
04 October 8:50AM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365

Working hard to get out of the hole: Whilst Nico Hulkenberg has often displayed promising one-lap pace for Haas this term, struggles with tyre degradation - especially on the rear tyres - have left the team fighting a losing battle come race day.

Steps looked to have been taken at the Singapore Grand Prix, only for a return to reality in Japan last time out. On how he manages his emotions from race to race, Steiner explained: “It’s very simple, just look forward and know what we are doing as a team.”

"We’re working hard to get out of this hole and that’s what motivates me every day of the week. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t know we’re working hard and getting better to where we want to be and should be.”

‘Working hard to get out of the hole’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-steine...ar-gp-build-up


Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix Predictions
October 4, 2023
By: Erika Di Guido
Last Word On Sports

Round 18 for Formula 1, the Qatar Grand Prix it’s getting closer. Let’s discover some facts about it and make predictions for the podium. Considering the track and recent performances, the drivers on the podium at the Qatar Grand Prix could be: Max Verstappen: unreachable in his success, the Dutchman is consistent on every track. The Japanese GP proved that the race in Singapore was just a single accident. It’s only natural to add Super Max on the highest step of the podium once again, and this time he could officially be the 2023 World Champion.

Sergio Perez: even if his season was marked by ups and downs, it’s possible that we’ll see a double podium for Red Bull in Qatar. After all, Sergio Perez and the RB19 have found a way to gain some positions, and he finished on the podium on multiple occasions. If this will be the case this Sunday, the Mexican could join his teammate for the celebrations.

Lando Norris: the McLaren driver, after a disappointing start of the season, had some good results, the most recent one the p2 in Japan. The whole McLaren team worked hard to improve the MCL60 and the efforts are paying off. The car shows a reliability and a potential to fight for the highest positions. A success in Qatar will definitely prove that McLaren is on the right path right now.

‘Predictions’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...x-predictions/


What's the weather forecast for the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix?
04 October 2023
Formula One - Official Site

The weather radar makes for good reading for both the drivers and the fans in the stands as it is expected to be hot and sunny on all three days of action. For a more detailed forecast, scroll down below.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 – FP1 AND QUALIFYING
Conditions: A sunny and dry day with gusts of wind up to 55kph in the afternoon. Rising sand in places especially in FP1. FP1: 38°C // Q: 32°C.
Maximum temperature expected: 41 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 31 Celsius
Chance of rain: 0%

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 – SPRINT SHOOTOUT AND SPRINT
Conditions: Still a dry and sunny day with gusts of wind up to 45kph in the afternoon, and a little bit more in the morning. SS: 36°C // SPRINT: 32°C.
Maximum temperature expected: 40 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 31 Celsius
Chance of rain: 0%

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8 – RACE WEATHER
Conditions: Fair weather all day, with light wind throughout the day. RACE: 32°C
Maximum temperature expected: 38 Celsius
Minimum temperature expected: 30 Celsius
Chance of rain: 0%

‘Weather forecast’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Yq0PMwb4a.html