Рубрика: Autosport News

Hamilton wants a MotoGP team because F1’s growth can be replicated

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has shown interest in purchasing a team in MotoGP, claims Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei.

It was announced in April that Liberty would acquire 86% of the shares of Dorna Sports, the Spanish company which has owned MotoGP since 1992.

The deal was valued at $4.2billion, with the remaining stake staying with MotoGP management and in August Liberty confirmed it was selling a $825million stake in F1 to fund the purchase.

The acquisition of MotoGP will present Liberty with the chance to revolutionise the pinnacle of motorcycle racing in the way it has with car racing since taking over F1 in 2016.

Liberty has overseen a boom period for the world championship, with its appeal at an all-time high, increasing value and revenue streams and leading to plenty of interest in its MotoGP venture.

“When we announced [the acquisition on MotoGP], it’s a great example, we had immediately people call up and say, ‘I want to buy a team’, including people like Lewis Hamilton,” Maffei told the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference.

“Why? Because they saw what had happened in Formula 1, and they want to follow.

“We had, major distributors call and say, ‘We want to be involved’. And unfortunately, I had to tell them we really can’t talk about [that] until we get EU approval, but we’d love to talk once we get it.

Greg Maffei, CEO, Liberty Media Corporation

Greg Maffei, CEO, Liberty Media Corporation

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“I think there’s an opportunity when you’re at the league level to take advantage of those changes that you can make.

“When you’re at a team level, in general, teams don’t cash flow as well. Not absolutely true.

“NFL teams cash flow pretty well, but in general, it’s really big multiples of cash flow, and we’re still too traditional in wanting that cash flow.

“But in addition, your ability to change the dynamics, to set the stage and do the things that you want are far better, far easier, more manageable.

“Still takes time, but you can get it done at the league level. In a way, it’s very difficult at the team level.”

Ownership of F1 has certainly given Liberty the opportunity to instigate change and open it up to a new fanbase – particularly in the United States.

Now it hopes to work the same magic with MotoGP, with Maffei ready to put similar plans in place.

“MotoGP is, to start with, it’s an unbelievably exciting product,” he said. “I don’t know if many of you have seen the racing, but to see people driving motorcycles, 220 miles an hour, six inches from each other, it’s wild, and the overtaking there is incredibly impressive.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“It is, unfortunately, one that is too little known here in the United States and around the world. There’s interest in Asia and other places, but the real heart of it has been in Spain and Italy, to some degree, France.

“The opportunity to expand it… we saw what we were able to do with Formula 1 by telling the stories, making them humanised, making the story larger than just about the car, the technology, but also about what the drivers were doing, what was going on behind the scenes, telling those stories, making sure the world understood the breadth of what was going on.

“But also we did a lot to improve things like improving what you can see on the screen, making our fans understand the story better. All of those are things that can be helped here.”

Under Liberty’s watch, the number of F1 races is the United States has increased from just the US Grand Prix in Austin to also having the Miami Grand Prix and Las Vegas Grand Prix on the calendar, with Maffei eyeing similar growth in the country for MotoGP.

“Frankly, growing in the US — they have one race in Austin for which they receive relatively modest revenues from TV and the like,” he added.

“There’s an opportunity to improve that. The opportunity perhaps for a second race in the US.

“All of those, I think, are interesting in ways that look familiar to us from Formula 1 and hope we can replicate here.”



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March and Arrows F1 co-founder Alan Rees

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Alan Rees had the distinction of helping to found two Formula 1 teams, and was one of the earliest employees of a third. The Briton, who has died aged 86 after a long illness, was a partner in both March and Arrows, which entered the grand prix arena in 1970 and ’78 respectively. In between times, he was recruited by Shadow to put together its UK operation for an F1 entry in 1973.

Although he had been a successful driver with a couple of Formula 2 wins on his resume, Rees never became as well known as some of his partners, Max Mosley and Jackie Oliver included. Yet his name is enshrined in F1 history in the titles of the teams he helped set up. The March and Arrows monikers were derived from the initials of their creators, in the latter case with a bit of licence.

Rees provided the AR in the middle of March, Mosley the M, Graham Coaker the C and Robin Herd the H. His was one of the Rs in Arrows — or perhaps both of them — in a slightly looser acronym. The other letters came from the names of Franco Ambrosio, Oliver, Dave Wass and Tony Southgate.

There were greater similarities between March and Arrows than the way they acquired their names. Both were created in a rush and burst upon the scene in a flurry of headlines.

March Engineering was established in 1969 as a builder of off-the-shelf racing cars, F1 machinery included, with a lot of hype and not much money. Each partner was said to have put in £2500, though Rees in later years was never slow to tell people that he reckoned he was the only one to have provided the full amount.

As well as building F1, F2, Formula 3, Formula Ford and Can-Am cars for its first full season in ’70, March would run works operations in the higher three single-seater categories with Rees as team manager. Chris Amon would score a couple of F1 podiums with Herd’s Cosworth-engined 701 design driving for the works team in year one, while Jackie Stewart took a victory, at the Spanish Grand Prix, in a March run by Tyrrell while it awaited the arrival of its own car following its split from Matra.

Rees (right) helped set up the March organisation and played a crucial role in Ronnie Peterson's early career

Rees (right) helped set up the March organisation and played a crucial role in Ronnie Peterson’s early career

Photo by: David Phipps

The following season Ronnie Peterson took five podiums with the 711 on the way to second in the championship behind Stewart and the new Tyrrell. The same year the Swede dominated the European F2 Championship with the works March team, winning five of the 11 rounds.

The establishment of Arrows was equally rapid at the back end of 1977 after Rees and his cohorts walked out of Shadow, taking backer Ambrosio with them. “Alan said, ‘If Olly’s going, I’m going’,” recalls designer Southgate. “So I thought I might as well follow them.”

Like March, Arrows did things in a hurry. The FA1 was designed and built in just three months before the team had to produce a successor even more rapidly. The fledgling team saw the writing on the wall when Shadow boss Don Nichols took the team to the High Court in London alleging infringement of copyright. When the American won the case, Arrows had the A1 ready to go.

Rees was again TM at Arrows and also played a key role in looking after the finances — he had a degree in economics from the University of Wales in Cardiff. He would remain in the headphones at Arrows into its Footwork incarnation after the buy-out by Japanese businessman Wataru Ohashi at the end of 1989.

He stepped off the pitwall during the ’90 season, handing the reins to John Wickham, who had brokered the Footwork deal, but remained an integral part of the team as financial director. He and Oliver would regain control and ownership of the team, and only when Tom Walkinshaw took a majority share in what had become Arrows again early in ’96 did Rees depart.

Rees also played a key role in the establishment of Shadow: he was one of the first employees along with Oliver and Southgate. Former BRM man Southgate headed up the design of what became the DN1, while Rees had to create the infrastructure to build and run the cars.

Rees (in hat, with Christian Danner and Thierry Boutsen) went on to found Arrows in 1979 after breaking away from Shadow

Rees (in hat, with Christian Danner and Thierry Boutsen) went on to found Arrows in 1979 after breaking away from Shadow

Photo by: Sutton Images

Premises came through Nichols and his sponsor, Universal Oil Products: one of UOP’s sister companies provided a factory in Northampton, which, says Southgate, “was basically derelict and really wanted pulling down”. The staff, meanwhile, came via Rees’s contacts book. Among the recruits from March was a young Roger Silman, who would go on to team management roles with Toleman and Tom Walkinshaw Racing across its successful Group 2 touring car and Group C sportscar campaigns with Jaguar and finally Arrows.

“Reesy had a chuckily, cheeky sense of humour, so was always fun to be around,” recalls Southgate. “As an ex-driver he was enthusiastic about finding new talent. I remember at Shadow in ’77 when he told me we were going to go for this kid called [Riccardo] Patrese. I’d never heard of him! It was the same when Tom Pryce arrived a few years before [1974]. That was down to Reesy.”

Rees moved into team management when he was recruited by Roy Winkelmann Racing in 1963 as a driver and TM in Formula Junior, which was followed by a move to F2 in ’63. His two wins over a five-year stint in the formula came on the Reims road circuit in 1964 and at Enna in ’65, both times at the wheel of Brabham chassis — and both by just a couple of tenths. He was also instrumental in bringing future F1 world champion Jochen Rindt to the team in ’65.

The time at Winkelmann included two world championship starts when F2 machinery joined the F1 grid at the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring, in 1966 and ’67, a best result of seventh coming in the last of those years. That season also included his only start in an F1 car when he drove a works Cooper-Maserati T81 at the British GP at Silverstone to ninth place.

The son of a haulage contractor, Rees had started racing with a Lotus Eleven sportscar in 1959 before a switch to a Lola Mk1 yielded a class runner-up spot in the following year’s Autosport Sportscar Championship. The successes continued on his move to single-seaters in Formula Junior: he won the British Automobile Racing Club championship fought out over two heats and final at Goodwood in support of the Tourist Trophy sportscar race in 1961 driving a Lotus for Ian Walker Racing. That led to a works Lotus FJ drive the following year before the move to Winkelmann.

The Rees name continued in motorsport after Alan stepped away from Arrows. His son, Paul, started racing in the early 2000s, reaching the MotorSport Vision Formula Two Championship in single-seaters before a switch to the Porsche one-make ranks.

Southgate (middle, with Don Nichols, right) remembers Rees fondly as a talent-spotter

Southgate (middle, with Don Nichols, right) remembers Rees fondly as a talent-spotter

Photo by: Motorsport Images



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Autosport Podcast: Newey to Aston Martin

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The worst-kept secret in Formula 1 has finally been confirmed: Adrian Newey will be joining Aston Martin as a shareholder and managing technical partner on a three-year deal in March 2025.

Fresh from the press conference announcing his arrival, Jon Noble joins Bryn Lucas on the Autosport Podcast to discuss the move and answer some of the big questions — Why did Newey join Aston Martin instead of Ferrari? How will he fit into an already loaded technical department at Silverstone, including his ex-colleague Dan Fallows? And how he will get the best out of Fernando Alonso as they finally get to work together for the first time in their careers?

 



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The timeline of Adrian Newey’s decision to move to Aston Martin

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Adrian Newey admitted that he didn’t know where his Formula 1 future lay after his decision to quit the Red Bull team. There were plenty of options on the table from other teams, but projects outside of F1 and even retirement were considered by the revered designer.

At his unveiling at Aston Martin on Tuesday, Newey spoke of needing a new challenge; with Red Bull, he’d helped turn it from a midfield outfit into a championship winner and then pounced on the 2022 regulations to imbue the team with a new era of dominance.

With his new role at Aston Martin, officially ‘technical managing partner’, he’ll be looking to recapture the same lightning in a bottle and move the prestigious marque to the front of the field.

Newey spoke about the lengthy decision time needed for him to chart his next course. After becoming more involved in the 2022 Red Bull project, the Briton took a step back through 2023 and 2024 — so jumping back into a more hands-on role was also a factor in his deliberations.

But rumours that Newey was set to step down from his Red Bull role had already come to the fore in March amid the team’s tumult, in which a power struggle between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko accelerated the undercurrent underneath the misconduct allegations against Horner earlier this year.

Whether it was of any consequence to Newey will likely never be known, but it was known that cracks had started to form at that stage — as the Thai side and the Austrian side of Red Bull GmbH were in conflict.

March — First suggestions that Newey’s long-term Red Bull future was in doubt

A scheduled trackside absence at the Australian Grand Prix was an unfounded base for suggestions that Newey may move to a different project. Rumours that he would start to devote all of his time to Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar emerged, but he was indeed due to return to his trackside role at the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks later.

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing, looks over at the car of Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, on the grid

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing, looks over at the car of Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, on the grid

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

However, this was also when Aston Martin made its first play for Newey. Perhaps seeking to capitalise on the off-track disorder at Red Bull, Lawrence Stroll is said to have offered Newey a princely sum of money to change postcodes, offering him the challenge of getting Aston Martin to the front as the 2024 car did not come out of the blocks as quickly as its predecessor.

The stumbling block was that Newey had penned a fresh deal at Red Bull in 2023, and the ex-Williams/McLaren technical chief had stated at the end of that year that he was not looking to leave. But it had become evident that the situation had started to change…

April — Newey decides to leave Red Bull over Suzuka weekend

The rumours of Aston Martin’s offer to Newey continued to spiral, but it wasn’t until the end of the month that it became apparent he would leave Red Bull. When Newey returned to the circuit at Suzuka, he felt that his mind was made up.

«I felt as if I needed a new challenge,» he said. «And so towards the end of April, I decided I need to do something different. I spent a lot of time with Mandy, my wife, discussing: ‘Okay, what’s next. What do we do? Do we go off and sail around the world or I do something different, America’s Cup or whatever’?

«When I decided to stop at Red Bull, which was kind of really over the Suzuka weekend back in April, then genuinely I had no idea what would be next.»

Autosport reported that Newey was set to leave the team on 25 April, although his contract potentially necessitated a wait until 2027 before another team could sign him. He was contracted to 2025, with a potential 12-month gardening leave period also to serve. But a resolution wasn’t far away.

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing, on the grid

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing, on the grid

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

May — Departure announced, but what’s next?

On 1 May, Red Bull announced that it and Newey would be parting ways. The 65-year-old was going to begin winding down his at-track activities and shift more of his focus towards completing the RB17, and the team had also agreed to cut his contract short so that he could leave the Red Bull Technologies set-up in March 2025. Crucially, this would make his involvement in a team’s 2026 car possible.

Aston Martin had already made its play earlier on, but Ferrari was considered the prime option. The Italian squad had battled against Newey throughout the late 1990s, the 2000s and 2010s, and again in 2022, and the two giants finally uniting appeared to be a compelling prospect. Future Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton stated that «if I was to do a list of people that I’d love to work with, [Newey] would absolutely be at the top of it».

Williams also threw its hat in the ring, perhaps optimistically; team principal James Vowles was very much on board with the idea of restoring Newey to the team after he’d left at the end of 1996. «It would be remiss of me to not be talking to him. It is as simple as that,» Vowles noted.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown played down any Newey links, but nonetheless stirred the Red Bull pot by stating «he’s probably the first domino to fall, my guess is not the last based on the resumes that are flying around». Mercedes apparently explored the chance to sign Newey but opted against it — deciding to continue to back James Allison.

June — Aston Martin factory visit impresses Newey

Newey was still deciding whether to stay in F1 at this stage, although his people (led by Eddie Jordan) were in firm discussions with Ferrari and Aston Martin over a deal.

Adrian Newey, Aston Martin Formula One Team, Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman, Aston Martin Formula One Team

Adrian Newey, Aston Martin Formula One Team, Lawrence Stroll, Executive Chairman, Aston Martin Formula One Team

Photo by: Aston Martin Racing

It was in late June that Newey decided he wanted to remain involved in a «man and machine» sport — recounting «what’s the pinnacle of man and machine? Clearly, it’s Formula 1. So yes, I remain interested in America’s Cup. I remain interested in many other things, but if I’m going to do man and machine, might as well keep going at the pinnacle as long as people want me.»

In that time, Newey had been invited for a private tour of Aston Martin’s new facilities: the first building had been complete for almost a year, while the second and third parts were nearing completion. And he was impressed, not just by the scale of the new facilities, but by the layout and the «demonstration of Lawrence’s commitment» to the team in funding the new building. The chance to assist the team with bedding in a new wind tunnel surely would have been of some interest.

«I think it was huge,» Stroll said of the visit’s role in swaying Newey. «It is hard to understand, comprehending or trying to explain these three spectacular buildings if you don’t visit. It is a very big part of our tool to make us a championship team. We certainly couldn’t have been a championship team with our old tool, so this had to be built to show our intent, our ambition to win. So getting Adrian here was critically important.»

July and August — RB17 duties take over Newey’s F1 involvement as rumours quieten

In the wake of that tour, Aston Martin was evidently the favourite to secure Newey’s services as Ferrari’s willingness to offer similar serenades had cooled. But no decision was going to be officially communicated until September, owing to a Red Bull agreement with Newey. In that time, Aston Martin announced the installation of Andy Cowell as CEO and Enrico Cardile as chief technical officer.

Newey was otherwise occupied with his Red Bull RB17 duties, with the reveal coming at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The car was not yet complete, having only entered the production phase at that stage, with further work to continue after track testing.

Across race weekends, Newey was also working with the drivers’ feedback and assisting the team with clients — aiming to drum up custom for the 50 road-going RB17s to be produced.

September — Aston Martin announces Newey signing

At an event at its factory, Aston Martin announced that Newey would be joining the team as a technical managing partner and as a shareholder. Newey will set the vision for the various technical heads — including Dan Fallows, Luca Furbatto, the incoming Enrico Cardile, et al — with the aim of going for the 2026 title.

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Ferrari had effectively pulled out of the running; although it had set aside a significant budget to entice Newey, it felt it would not win out in a bidding war against Aston Martin. Newey, who will join the team in March 2025, will be able to influence the team’s path towards developing for 2026.

«Lawrence’s passion and commitment and enthusiasm is very endearing. It’s very persuasive,» Newey said. «The reality is, if you go back 20 years, then what we now call team principals are actually the owners of the teams, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis, Eddie Jordan, etc. In this modern era, Lawrence is actually unique in being the only properly active team owner.

«It’s a different feeling when you have somebody like Lawrence involved like that, it’s back to the old school model and to have the chance to be a shareholder and a partner is something that has never really been offered to me before. So it’s a slightly different slant. It’s one I’m very much looking forward to. It became a very natural choice.»

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Newey is ready for Aston Martin, but is it ready for him?

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Aston Martin’s expected confirmation later this morning that it has signed design legend Adrian Newey is a game-changing moment for the team.

For if there is one individual who has a bit of a midas touch, then Newey – having helped guide his three most recent teams (Williams, McLaren and Red Bull) to multiple championship success – would be your prime candidate.

His tally of 12 constructors’ titles, with 13 drivers’ championships having been won in his cars, says all you need to know about his influence.

But success in F1 is never down to just one individual. The greatest geniuses in the world will never achieve success if they do not have the right people and infrastructure around them.

Even someone as brilliant as Newey needs access to the most modern facilities and technology, and to have around them a strong calibre of staff who can manifest ideas and guidance into reality.

This is something that Newey himself will have been more than well aware of, and it probably explains a great deal about why he wanted a factory visit – taking place in secret before the Spanish Grand Prix – to see for himself just what Aston Martin could offer.

So is Aston Martin, which is enduring a pretty challenging season on track right now, in a position to be able to give Newey the environment he needs to thrive?

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Newey would not pretend for one second that he is a one-man band who can miraculously get parachuted into a team and, all by himself, design, create, manufacture and build a race-winning car.

His strength is in acting as the powerhouse for all the brains of a team – outlining a global vision for the car that has its elements then realised by those working around him.

It’s not for him to design every last nut and bolt of an F1 car, but he’s there to think bigger picture, challenge areas he thinks are not up to his standards, and stay one step ahead of the opposition.

As Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache said about Newey’s input there: “On a daily basis, he’s not part of our process. He’s more coming from the sideways and trying to help us or challenge us on different aspects of the team – it could be mechanical design, aero or vehicle dynamics.» 

For Newey to succeed in such a role, he needs a strong team around him who can manifest his vision – and be trusted to get on with what he wants.

He had that at Red Bull, and Aston Martin certainly seems to have put the right calibre of people in place to deliver it for him there too.

In technical director Dan Fallows, he has someone he worked well with previously at Red Bull, and with quality talent like engineering director Luca Furbatto, new signing Enrico Cardile, executive director Bob Bell – and incoming CEO Andy Cowell, there is a wealth of race-winning talent that can be well utilised.

Dan Fallows, Technical Director, Aston Martin F1 Team

Dan Fallows, Technical Director, Aston Martin F1 Team

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Some have suggested it could be a struggle to fit Newey in to what appears to be quite a complicated structure, but Aston Martin sees things differently: the depth of talent is something that can help Newey get the best out of himself.

Team principal Mike Krack said: “I think Formula 1 these days is so broad. It is not like you have to make huge changes.

“I think there was a time when there was a team that had seven technical directors in the past, so I think we are very far from that. I think someone like that, you have to make any kind of effort to integrate and adjust your structure to get the best out of it.”

In terms of tools at his disposal, Newey’s likely start time of next spring fits perfectly as well.

Aston Martin is already well bedded in at its new state-of-the-art Silverstone factory. There is no doubt that there was a disruptive phase to the move from its old former Jordan factory to the new building, but that is now well in the past.

More crucially, by the time Newey joins, Aston Martin’s wind tunnel will be fully up and running.

Furbatto explained recently that the new tunnel is ready to go online, but will need some months of commissioning to make sure that it is fully accurate before proper work begins.

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“There will be a time when you have to do what’s called commissioning, so to make sure that the flow that is hitting the model is what we want and so on,” he said.

“That will take maybe two or three months to get that sorted. And I think it will be ideally suited to start the development of the 2026 car, which is allowed from January 2025.”

That is a time frame that fits in ideally for Newey’s arrival, as both he and the team will be able to hit the ground running from day one.

There is also another good aspect to the timing of Newey’s arrival, and that is that he is joining a squad that still has scope to change and evolve around him – as nothing is set in stone.

There is no doubt that Aston Martin is a team that is growing and developing itself – so is in a different cycle to more established outfits like Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.

As Furbatto explained: “Well, I think you should not underestimate the fact that as a team, we are developing a car, but also developing facilities.

“Imagine you’ve got a budget cap and, let’s say, you can afford 1000 people. If you’re Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, or McLaren, for example, you’ve got established facilities. 

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

«It’s a matter of effectively fitting the car in the tunnel or running on the rig and so on. But in our case, we are developing a facility at the same time, so a percentage of the engineers are working on making sure that we’ve got state of the art wind tunnel. We have to commission the tunnel. We’ve got to dial in facilities.

“So if you take the analogy of the 1000 people, maybe 800 are working on the car and 200 are working developing the facilities. I think that will get much better, because [factory] building two and three are finished, and now we’ve got the tools available. Hopefully we see positive results in 2025 but I think our biggest effect will be in 2026.”

All of these elements of staff and tools combine to suggest that, by next spring, Newey will find around him exactly what he needs to thrive. And these are the same things that have convinced Fernando Alonso that Aston Martin is the right place to be – even if he knows it will take time.

“I think there are some ideas and some evidence of things that we did right, things that maybe we didn’t understand at the first go,” explained the Spaniard recently.

“I’m confident we have the talent in the team, we have the motivation, we have now the new factory, and we have new people coming as well.

“It’s just, unfortunately, Formula 1, you cannot change things from night to day, but we will not stop working until we get in a competitive position.”



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Are rookie sprint races a good idea? Our F1 writers have their say

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Speaking at the recent Italian Grand Prix, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said a project is on the table for F1 to organise a rookie sprint race at the post-season Abu Dhabi test.

Our F1 writers weigh up the practicalities of the proposal.

Jonathan Noble — The idea’s practical issues are not insurmountable

When talk of a rookie sprint race after the Abu Dhabi test first popped up, it seemed to be one of those left-field ideas that would get short-shrift from everyone.

Like reverse grids for grands prix, wildcard entries to replace the current stars, or sprinklers to randomly soak tracks, there have been plenty of wacky proposals over the years that pop up, get discussed and then quickly fall away.

But as the details of the rookie sprint idea have been digested by paddock regulars and team bosses, it is clear that the concept has some merit, even if there are complications to overcome.

The basic premise is simple: get the 10 rookie drivers who will be taking part in the post-Abu Dhabi GP test on the Tuesday after the season finale, give them a qualifying session halfway through the day and then put on a sprint race in the late evening.

Franco Colapinto, Williams FW45

Franco Colapinto, Williams FW45

Photo by: Jake Grant / Motorsport Images

The advantage will be, in this era of very restrictive testing, of giving the youngsters some valuable experience of both a low-fuel run and then a race-stint style distance to better understand both battling wheel-to-wheel with other cars and how tyres behave over long stints.

There are some challenges in making it happen though, including framing suitable regulations, the question of extra personnel/costs that teams may need, the increased risks of car damage, the FIA infrastructure needed to police and run it and then the issue of how it is broadcast – and what impact that has on current F1 channels.

While not easy to tick all those elements off (and perhaps it is too much of a stretch to get things sorted for this year), none of it is insurmountable. Like everything in life, if there is a will there is a way.

With teams clearly motivated to bring on the next generation of drivers and accepting that the current two FP1 sessions rookies can get is probably not enough, that there seems to be unanimous support from teams to find a solution probably means it will get across the line in the end. And it is something that should be embraced.

As Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: «It’s going to be a strain for the team, obviously, because we have another day. But we are in the entertainment industry, and that’s the best idea so far that we have come up to give them more driving time.»

Mark Mann-Bryans — A way to introduce tomorrow’s stars to F1’s competitive edge

The introduction of a sprint race for rookies at the season’s end is a fantastic way to give up-and-coming drivers true time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.

There is very little to be learned by running raw talent in FP1 sessions throughout the season, when focus is on car set-up and performance – it does not offer a fair reflection on the ability of the youngster coming into the seat and is also potentially harmful to whichever driver is having to sit out the hour-long first run of a grand prix weekend.

Jack Doohan, Alpine A523

Jack Doohan, Alpine A523

Photo by: Jake Grant / Motorsport Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed out just 10 minutes into his FP1 debut for Mercedes in Monza as he was trying to push to the limit, but in a session where the other 19 runners were going about their race preparations and set-up.

The Abu Dhabi test has also previously offered another opportunity but, once again, it is almost performative by nature – the season has ended, there is no racing, just running and it serves only to add more laps onto a driver’s CV.

A sprint would bring interest, increase the competitive edge of running rookies and not only help them cut their teeth but show what they could do under the spotlight of an actual race.

Limit each team to one car, keep the same ruling as the current Abu Dhabi test – no driver can take part if they have competed in more than two grands prix – and truly give some of the sport’s future world champions a platform to show what they can do.

There does not need to be any tangible reward, a podium would be more than enough, with the opportunity to catch the eye as the main attraction for those taking part.

Filip Cleeren — A chance for left-field entrants like IndyCar’s O’Ward?

I think the idea of having rookie sprint races makes a huge amount of sense. It is a travesty that young drivers get so little seat time in contemporary F1 cars, and two FP1 sessions per year really don’t cut it. Just ask 2025 debutant Jack Doohan, who saw his Canada outing with Alpine halted after just three laps with a mechanical issue.

Under the — sensible — budget cap the days of endless testing have long gone, and it has since been a common theme that upcoming drivers have found it hard to get seat time unless their parent team invests in a programme testing a previous car. Some teams, like Mercedes has done with Antonelli, have gone all in to specifically prepare a driver for a race seat, but not every team has the available car or test team to do so.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes F1 W15

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Holding a rookie sprint at the end of the season solves a few issues in one fell swoop. The teams and their equipment are already there, and the car and spare parts will be obsolete after the test anyway, so the impact on the budget cap should be minimal.

One of the outstanding issues will be the operational burden of organising another event — with marshals, race control and presumably some sort of TV coverage — on a Wednesday, while also adding to the workload of team personnel after a gruelling Las Vegas — Qatar — Abu Dhabi triple-header, meaning teams will likely have to ferry in and out more staff.

From a sporting perspective, there is nothing like the pressure of an actual qualifying session and a race, and going through that whole programme with a battle-hardened Formula 1 race team will be an invaluable experience. As the influence of F2 and F3 results on F1 promotion dwindles, we often hear how impressive certain drivers have been in private testing, but now we would actually get to see it with our own eyes.

With teams likely fielding one car featuring a member of their young driver academy, I can’t help but daydream about some of the other left-field options that could spice things up. How well someone like Pato O’Ward would fare has been a question on a lot of fans’ lips, and the Mexican has previous experience of Abu Dhabi as a participant in last year’s rookie test. I would love to see McLaren give him a semi-competitive outing, as the (too condensed) IndyCar season will be long over by then. Get him in the car!

Possible driver line-ups

Red Bull: Isack Hadjar
McLaren: Pato O’Ward or Gabriel Bortoleto
Racing Bulls: Ayumu Iwasa
Ferrari: Oliver Bearman or Robert Shwartzman
Mercedes: Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Alpine: Jack Doohan
Sauber: Theo Pourchaire
Williams: Zak O’Sullivan
Aston Martin: Felipe Drugovich
Haas: Oliver Bearman or Pietro Fittipaldi



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Who has won the most consecutive F1 world drivers’ championships?

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Max Verstappen is currently enjoying a period of F1 world championship dominance, winning the last three drivers’ titles.

The Dutchman is also leading the 2024 standings and could claim a fourth straight crown which would make Verstappen just the fifth driver in F1 history to achieve said feat.

So, who are those drivers?

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2002

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2002

Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Images

  • Race wins during dominant run: 48 from 85 starts

  • Poles during dominant run: 40

  • Podiums during dominant run: 66

Michael Schumacher holds the record for the most consecutive F1 drivers’ championships, as he won five on the bounce from 2000 to 2004. It began with a risky move to the struggling Ferrari team in 1996, which hadn’t won a title for 13 years while Schumacher was the reigning, two-time world champion following a successful stint with Benetton.

It took a while for the German to claim his third crown because the Scuderia needed a big rebuild, and Schumacher helped by bringing designer Rory Byrne and technical director Ross Brawn with him from Benetton. 

The three of them, alongside team boss Jean Todt, are credited for building Ferrari into a championship-winning organisation once again. It started with the constructors’ title in 1999, before Schumacher finally became a triple world champion in 2000 when he clinched the crown at the penultimate round.

But he was so dominant during the early 2000s that only one of his five titles with the Italian outfit was won on the final day of the season. That came in 2003 when a young Kimi Raikkonen finished just two points behind Schumacher in a breakout season for the then McLaren driver, who actually scored two more podiums than his Ferrari rival but five fewer victories. 
The following year was perhaps Schumacher’s most dominant though, as he set the then record for the most points in a season (148) after winning 12 of the opening 13 grands prix. But that was his seventh and final title, as the regulation overhaul in 2005 caused Ferrari to struggle while Renault’s Fernando Alonso became the new world champion. 
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1, 3rd position, performs celebratory donuts after the race

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1, 3rd position, performs celebratory donuts after the race

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

  • Race wins during dominant run: 42 from 78 starts

  • Poles during dominant run: 37

  • Podiums during dominant run: 61

Lewis Hamilton won four consecutive titles from 2017 to 2020, during which the seven-time world champion broke many of the records previously set by Schumacher.

It came after a disappointing 2016 when Hamilton was beaten to the championship at the Abu Dhabi season finale by Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who subsequently announced his retirement just five days later. 
A new team-mate in Valtteri Bottas presented Hamilton a fresh start for 2017, a year in which the regulations were overhauled. Although Mercedes remained competitive, Ferrari now presented a threat so large that come the summer break Sebastian Vettel led Hamilton at the top of the championship by 14 points. 

The Brit responded perfectly though by winning five of the next six grands prix to clinch his fourth title with two rounds remaining. Vettel made another title charge the following year and even led the championship after 10 rounds, but he again fell short as a strong second half resulted in Hamilton clinching his fifth crown with two races to go. 

Mercedes was then left as the outright dominant force again in 2019, as the Ferrari SF90 struggled with overall downforce. This left Bottas as Hamilton’s main threat, but the Finn was never capable of consistently challenging his team-mate meaning the world champion cruised towards a third and fourth consecutive title in 2019 and 2020. 

The latter even saw Hamilton claim the record for the most race wins ever after surpassing Schumacher’s tally of 91 at the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix. His dominant period ended at the season finale in 2021 though, when Hamilton was set for a record-breaking eighth world championship until Verstappen overtook him for the lead on the final lap after a controversial late safety car restart in Abu Dhabi. 

4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010-13)

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, salutes his car

Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, salutes his car

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

  • Race wins during dominant run: 34 from 77 starts

  • Poles during dominant run: 40

  • Podiums during dominant run: 53

  • Team during dominant run: Red Bull

All four of Vettel’s world championships came during a dominant period with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013. The Austrian squad continued its strong end to 2009 — it won the final three grands prix — by largely keeping the same car design for 2010 but having maximised the RB6’s rear length to aid the double diffuser, a device that improved downforce.

It helped Red Bull win nine of 18 grands prix, five of which were won by Vettel who became F1’s youngest ever world champion — 23y133d — after clinching the title on the final day despite having never led the standings until then. 

The German’s second championship was more straightforward because he clinched it with four rounds left in 2011 aboard the dominant RB7, which gave him 11 victories in 19 as well as a record-breaking 15 pole positions. 

Regulation changes meant Red Bull overhauled its car for 2012 though, which put it behind some rivals. Ferrari’s Alonso led the championship by 37 points after 13 races but extensive updates for round 14, the Singapore GP, significantly changed Red Bull’s campaign as Vettel won the next four grands prix before claiming the title at the Interlagos season finale.

He then cruised towards a fourth championship in 2013, as the then 26-year-old clinched it with three rounds remaining amid a record-breaking run of nine consecutive race wins to end the year. But that was Vettel’s final championship as Mercedes mastered the switch to turbo-hybrid engines in 2014, while Vettel won zero races that year before joining Ferrari in 2015.

4 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1954-57)

Juan Manuel Fangio, Mercedes, congratulates Stirling Moss, Mercedes

Juan Manuel Fangio, Mercedes, congratulates Stirling Moss, Mercedes

Photo by: Motorsport Images

  • Race wins during dominant run: 17 from 28 starts

  • Poles during dominant run: 18

  • Podiums during dominant run: 21

  • Teams during dominant run: Maserati (1954 and 1957), Mercedes (1954-55) and Ferrari (1956) 

Juan Manuel Fangio was the man to beat in the 1950s, as the Argentine won five world championships — four of which were done on the bounce — between 1954 and 1957. It began with Fangio becoming the first and only driver to win a title competing for more than one team in a season, as in 1954 he left Maserati for debutants Mercedes from round four onwards. 

Fangio won six of nine grands prix that year to clinch his second world title with two races remaining, before claiming the 1955 crown with rounds to spare again. 

But that was his final year racing for Mercedes, as it withdrew from motorsport following the fatal Le Mans 24 Hours in 1955 where 83 spectators died after Silver Arrows driver Pierre Levegh crashed into the crowd. 

So, Fangio joined Ferrari for 1956 as the Italian outfit now had the quickest car thanks to it inheriting Lancia’s remarkable D50. The Scuderia won five of eight grands prix as a result, with three going to the reigning world champion which resulted in him beating Maserati’s Stirling Moss to the title on the final day.

But Ferrari wasn’t willing to pay his high salary again, so Fangio returned to Maserati in 1957 where six podiums including four victories helped him cruise to a fifth crown. But at the age of 46, Fangio was growing tired of racing so he only started two grands prix in 1958 before retiring mid-season thus ending his world-championship winning run. 

3 — Max Verstappen (2021-23)

World Champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

World Champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Erik Junius

  • Race wins during dominant run: 44 from 66 starts

  • Poles during dominant run: 29

  • Podiums during dominant run: 56

  • Team during dominant run: Red Bull

Verstappen has created headlines ever since he came to F1 at the age of 17, which made him the youngest driver to start a grand prix. He then became the youngest driver to win a grand prix when he won on his Red Bull debut at the 2016 Spanish GP, aged just 18y227d.

It took a few years to consistently fight for victories due to the dominance of Mercedes, however in 2021 the Silver Arrows was hurt by regulation tweaks that decreased downforce — while Red Bull had an upgraded Honda engine fitted. 

This aided a title battle for the ages between Hamilton and Verstappen, where the latter initially had the upper hand as he led by 32 points after nine rounds. 

That advantage rapidly closed though when Hamilton won the British GP, while Verstappen crashed out after being hit by his title rival at Copse. It caused the tension between both to escalate and the Mercedes driver claimed the championship lead at the next race, as he finished second in Hungary while Verstappen was ninth after suffering damage on lap one.

The rest of the season was extremely dramatic as the title rivals often collided into one another and they entered the final round level on points — though Verstappen was ahead as he had an extra victory. 

But it looked like Hamilton would eventually claim the title, as he led the Abu Dhabi GP with eight laps remaining when Nicholas Latifi’s crash caused a safety car. Although Red Bull pitted Verstappen for fresh tyres, Hamilton stayed out and this proved costly as the race restarted with one lap to go — even though rules stated that the race should have finished behind a safety car — allowing the Red Bull driver to overtake at Turn 5 and claim his maiden world championship. 

But, as 2021 was the final season before a huge regulation overhaul, it was unknown who would be the leading team come 2022.

That proved to be Red Bull though, and by some way, culminating in Verstappen dominating his way to three titles on the bounce in a manner that had never been seen before. During that time, he set several records like most wins in a season (19 in 2023), most consecutive race victories (10 in 2023) and most podiums in a year (21 in 2023).



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How Piastri is already showing signs of being a true F1 great

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


“The future is his.”

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, again, saying exactly how it is. In this case, regarding the coming years of Oscar Piastri in Formula 1.

Specifically, Stella was answering a question regarding how Piastri might react to the expected team orders push from McLaren to support Lando Norris’s 2024 title bid.

“I think it will be [OK],” Stella said at the end of his post-race media briefing at his home Italian race, where he knows exactly the right bakery just outside the Monza track to visit for pre-event treats for his team.

“If the things we say are sensible according to the principles like fairness, because it’s also fairness that [means] if you support your team-mate winning the championship, for the team it’s a big boost. If we win both championships it’s a massive boost and the benefits for a big boost of the team, even if he is the other driver.

“Because we don’t have to forget that Oscar is in the middle of his second season in Formula 1. The future is his, it’s Oscar’s. He needs to make sure that when it’s the time to support, he puts the support he gives to the team or to Lando, [so that in the future] for him [it’s] an investment.”

It’s therefore clear, in the aftermath of that lap one pass on his team-mate at Monza, a race McLaren surely should’ve won 1-2, how the orange team is working hard to keep Piastri and his camp onside during what is a delicate phase in their relationship.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38 battles with Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38 battles with Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

The way the 2024 season started – with Red Bull dominating and McLaren seemingly having not progressed from how it ended 2023, as generally Max Verstappen’s squad’s closest challenger – meant logically any title push was unlikely so as a result a team orders discussion would have been far down the list of priorities.

But given how Monza played out, as much as Stella himself is understood to dislike having to discuss them publicly, getting all controllable elements for a title tilt in line is McLaren’s clear imperative heading to F1’s latest street track run now coming in Baku and Singapore.

Thanks to F1’s hefty calendar size these days, everyone down to George Russell in eighth is still mathematically in the hunt. While Norris is 62 points adrift of Verstappen in second, Piastri is 106 back in fourth. Charles Leclerc and Ferrari remain dark prancing horses in between too…

PLUS: Why Ferrari could be a dark horse for the title – but we can’t be sure until October

That points gap – and as many have been pointing out, the “not bad for a number two driver” experience of Piastri’s manager Mark Webber has surely been covered by the two Australians – can be read into what happened at the start at Monza.

Especially given McLaren hadn’t moved to impose team orders at that stage. It still might not heading to Baku, or at least not publicly acknowledge any change to the ‘Papaya Rules’ saga given it doesn’t have to.

But had it not been for his pitstop timing misfortune in Miami, which helped Norris significantly, Piastri’s points gap relative to the suddenly vulnerable Verstappen might be much closer to his team-mate’s right now.

Overall in 2024, Piastri hasn’t enjoyed quite as long a purple patch in the upgraded MCL38. It’s worth remembering how those critical Miami developments went to Norris first, who he now trails 11-3 in terms of qualifying head-to-head.

Pole man Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, celebrates in Parc Ferme

Pole man Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, celebrates in Parc Ferme

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

That stat reflects what is one of Norris’s key strengths, even if he can still often push too hard and pay the price, and Piastri has also shown this term he still needs to improve on the critical in-race tyre management factor as well as cut out critical qualifying mistakes.

On the tyre management factor, it was clear just how important clean air was on the shock graining factor at Monza.

Norris at one stage couldn’t understand why his left-front was impossible to keep alive, while eventual winner Leclerc found his car balance suddenly massively improved once the McLarens had pitted out of his way last Sunday. The added sliding in the dirty air just exacerbated the handling issues the graining generated.

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But, having shown himself capable of leading McLaren’s charge, as he also did at tricky venues like Monaco, Piastri is making quite the name for himself in F1.

Amid the discussion of the rapid rise of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Ollie Bearman for 2025, Piastri did likewise last year, having won rookie Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles, and had two  F1 teams go to court to secure his services. He’s lived up to the expectations that it generated.

Other teams – an Adrian Newey-featuring technical department at Aston Martin, perhaps? – will have been paying attention to exactly this during 2024’s wild driver market merry go-round.

That could well be repeated in the years to come given the number of rookies coming next season that will either sink or swim – to borrow Toto Wolff’s favourite metaphor for Antonelli – and veterans such as Fernando Alonso perhaps not getting another career chapter. Illustratively speaking, of course…

Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, sprays champagne at Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, 1st position

Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, sprays champagne at Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, 1st position

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

Piastri showing so well against Norris in 2024 is itself impressive – especially in just his second year in F1.

That uncompromising approach in Monza – where his pass was on-the-edge but fair, with lots of intricate, pressurised judgement needed to pull it off – suggests he’s got the ruthless streak great F1’s champions have shown in the past like Michael Schumacher or Alonso himself.  

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Indeed, the question about Norris lacking the same may well be factor in why McLaren hasn’t imposed team orders to this point.

Piastri’s young F1 career is key. A lot is now expected of him, but that’s been the case since he arrived at the top level and he’s just thrived ever since.



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Mercedes duo puzzled as W15 got “almost slower” over Italian GP

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are struggling to understand why optimal performance eluded Mercedes over the Italian Grand Prix, as Formula 1’s pecking order looks unpredictable.

Hamilton topped both the second and third free practice sessions at Monza, as well as Q2, but he and Russell ended up qualifying sixth and third respectively, before finishing the Monza race only fifth and seventh in that order.

Hamilton was just 22.8 seconds shy of race winner Charles Leclerc but said that Mercedes was suffering “more degradation” as well as “generally lacking one-or-two-tenths” per lap in race conditions.

Asked about the W15’s balance, the seven-time world champion added: “It was OK, it was nothing special. You’re either graining the left front or graining the left rear. We just didn’t have the pace. We have to go and look and try to understand why.

“Also, because we looked better on Friday, we got almost slower through the weekend, or others got faster, or we were too light and they were heavy, who knows?”

Russell’s relatively poor result was mostly down to an error in the first corner on the opening lap, which forced him to take to the escape road and immediately dropped him to seventh. Losing “a huge amount of performance” to front wing damage in the wake of the incident, he had also had to make an earlier-than-planned pitstop.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, as George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, runs straight

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, as George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, runs straight

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

The incident was highly detrimental to his odds of achieving a victory or even a podium finish – but this would have been a tall order anyway, the Mercedes driver reckons.

“I just got caught out by Oscar [Piastri]’s braking point and I touched the brakes, started locking up because I was so close to him and I had to take avoiding action,” Russell said. “It’s quite upsetting when your whole weekend goes away from you so quick, but looking at the pace afterwards I don’t think we would have been able to keep up with the McLarens and Ferrari.

“It was a really disappointing day, but ultimately didn’t have the pace. The sport’s a bit strange at the moment with how Red Bull have lost so much pace. Ferrari seemed to be struggling in Zandvoort and all the races prior, but then they were so quick on Sunday in Zandvoort and this whole weekend, so I don’t really know.”

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Meanwhile, Hamilton is hopeful that upcoming upgrades, albeit minor, will help the team in the fight against other top teams after all six McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes cars qualified within two-tenths of each other at Monza.

“There’s definitely some performance to come over the course of the next few races,” he said. “We do have small bits. I don’t know if we have anything huge coming, but hopefully we have some more performance.”

A two-time winner in the last five rounds, Hamilton therefore expects to have “another chance to fight for a win at some stage”, explaining: “I’m hoping if we make some progress, there will be some tracks that will be a little bit better than we are [at Monza].”



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