Рубрика: Autosport News

Hamilton says ‘no excuse’ for no F1 race in Africa amid Rwanda talks

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Lewis Hamilton insists Formula 1 cannot “continue to ignore” Africa as he reveals he has spoken to those hoping to stage a grand prix in Rwanda.

As revealed by Autosport in an exclusive interview, F1 bosses have scheduled September talks with representatives of Rwanda as they continue to push on with plans to host a race in the East African country.

Despite the current calendar containing a record 24 races, there could be further stops added at a later date, with plenty of prospective venues eager to get involved in the boom in interest.

The African continent has not staged a round of the F1 championship since the 1993 South African Grand Prix and Hamilton believes it is time the series returned.

Asked at the Dutch Grand Prix if it was the right time for a race to return to Africa, the seven-time world champion replied: “100%. We can’t be adding races in other locations and continue to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from.

“No one gives anything to Africa. There’s a huge amount of work that needs to be done there. I think a lot of the world that haven’t been there don’t realise how beautiful the place is, how vast it is.

“I think having a grand prix there, it would really be able to highlight just how great the place is and bring in tourism and all sorts of things. Why are we not on that continent? And the current excuse is that there’s not a track that’s ready, but there is at least one track that’s ready there.

Alain Prost, Williams FW15C Renault.

Alain Prost, Williams FW15C Renault.

Photo by: Motorsport Images

“In the short term, we should just get on that track and have that part of the calendar and then work on building out something moving forward.”

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told Autosport that a meeting had been set up with Rwanda to talk about the project, which he said showed promise.

“They are serious,” said Domenicali. “They have presented a good plan and actually we have a meeting with them at the end of September. It will be on a permanent track.

“We want to go to Africa, but we need to have the right investment, and the right strategic plan.”

Hamilton would be open to discussions on the matter with Domenicali as Rwanda seemingly continues to strengthen its interest in hosting a race.

Rwanda has shown an increasing interest in motor racing, with representatives of the Rwanda Development Board travelling to the Monaco GP this year to meet with the FIA, while the country will also be hosting this year’s FIA Annual General Assembly and Prize Giving Ceremony at its capital city Kigali in December.

“Rwanda is one of my favourite places I’ve been to actually,” added Hamilton.

“I’ve been doing a lot of work in the background. I’ve spoken to people in Rwanda, I’ve spoken to people in South Africa. But that’s a longer project, Rwanda. It’s amazing that they’re so keen.”

Hamilton, who won two of the three races heading into the summer break, spent the time off visiting a refugee camp in Senegal.

 

After a family break in Turkey, the Mercedes driver revealed how he then embarked on a trip to Africa.

“I went and travelled through Africa, I maximised my time straight from the airport into activities, history, museums,” he added.

“Just cultural experiences in each of the different countries I went to. But there’s so much to take from it. I’m still digesting the trip, if I’m being honest. Going to a refugee camp and seeing the work that is being done there, how people who are displaced are affected.

“It’s one thing reading about it or hearing on the news, but actually seeing and speaking to kids who are walking 10 kilometres to get to school just having education and 10km back. Not having school meals ever, not even being able to eat during the day.”

It was during the trip that Hamilton decided he wanted to help the organisations that are in place to offer aid and support to displaced families.

“There’s really tough lives over there and it’s mostly women and children that are [there]. There wasn’t a lot of men there, particularly because they’ve either [been] killed or taken in the different conflict areas,” he said.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, 3rd position, waves from the podium

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, 3rd position, waves from the podium

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“So that was really heavy to see and experience. And then the history of Senegal and seeing the slave areas, it was really heavy as well to see that, to see what the country’s been through, but it’s such a beautiful place. But yes, through all those experiences I feel it’s adding to my compass of what I want to do more of.

“I’ve been to Africa before, so it’s not like the first time I’ve seen [or] I’ve been shocked by anything. And it’s not that it upsets me, it just gets me working my mind like, okay, it’s great to see organisations doing amazing work. It’s like, ‘Hey, what can I do to get on board? How can I help?’ And so that’s now what I’m trying to figure out.”





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Red Bull’s tech organisation «didn’t change» after Newey’s departure

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Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache says the team’s organisation hasn’t changed following Adrian Newey’s withdrawal from all Formula 1 technical matters.

Newey has still been seen on the team’s pit wall as a strategist and has focused on his RB17 hypercar project in recent months, but his days of consulting the Milton Keynes team on its car designs have been over for several months now.

PLUS: Adrian Newey explains his last Red Bull «work of art»

The news of the talismanic designer deciding to leave the team was perceived as a huge blow, and an equally big coup for whichever outfit is able to land him next, with Aston Martin believed to be in pole position to snap him up in 2025.

Speaking to Autosport, the team’s technical director Wache has outlined what has changed at Red Bull and how the squad had already prepared for life beyond Newey.

«Clearly the feedback and advice from Adrian were very beneficial for us,» Wache said.

«I don’t want to dismiss what he did for the team and what he did for myself personally. He is a massively experienced person, very smart and very successful.

«However, now we are where we are. Our daily job didn’t change fundamentally besides that we don’t have anyone looking over our shoulder anymore and saying: ‘Hey guys, did you think about this or that?’

«Fundamentally it doesn’t change what we are doing.»

Pierre Wache, Chief Engineer of Performance Engineering at Red Bull Racing

Pierre Wache, Chief Engineer of Performance Engineering at Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

When asked how big Newey’s input was on this year’s RB20, Wache said: «I think it was less than before, but he was still involved and part of the team in his position for the RB20.

«But you’re a team, so you don’t count who is doing what exactly. You move as a group towards something, towards a common goal.»

The Frenchman explained Red Bull had already been preparing for life without the 65-year-old, putting in place a team with strong technical leaders like head of aerodynamics Enrico Balbo and head of performance engineering Ben Waterhouse, both of whom signed new contracts earlier this year.

«The organisation didn’t change because we were already organised to be able to deal without his input, because it has happened in the past that he was a bit less present at some times than at other times,» Wache pointed out.

«The main aspect is [that his input is] not there anymore, but the organisation didn’t change and you just have to deal without his input.

«We organise ourselves with a full technical team to cope and to look forward, not to look backwards.

«I speak for myself now. The main thing is that you should never think that you are perfect. You try to employ people around you to compensate for your weakness, that’s how it should be.

«I hope and it’s what I see that all the people below me are better than me in some aspects, to compensate for what I am not able to do myself.

«We are a group and a bond, everyone has their strengths and being able to work together is the most important aspect. A group with one individual doing everything doesn’t exist, it’s about all individuals that work together.»

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Mercedes set to hand Antonelli FP1 rookie outing at F1 Italian GP

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Andrea Kimi Antonelli is set to be handed his first FP1 outing with Mercedes at the Italian Grand Prix as preparations for his potential promotion to its Formula 1 line-up from 2025 intensify.

The Italian, who turns 18 on Sunday, is strongly tipped to be named as replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes from 2025, and has conducted a series of private tests in W13 and W14 F1 cars this year.

According to Autosport sister site it.motorsport.com, Mercedes is set to give Antonelli his first public F1 outing at Monza in one of its mandatory FP1 outings for a rookie driver, where the team is also expected to finalise its arrangement to promote its junior driver into its 2025 driver line-up alongside George Russell.

Prema Formula 2 racer Antonelli is expected to take over Hamilton’s W15 F1 car for the session in order to be engineered by Peter Bonnington, who recently became acquainted with the youngster during the Pirelli tyre test immediately after the Belgian GP.

Bonnington has recently been promoted to Mercedes head of race engineering, a role he will dovetail with race engineering duties, and keeps him at the team in 2025.

Several members of the Mercedes engineering team, including Bonnington, remained at Spa-Francorchamps to follow Antonelli’s progress at the test.

Antonelli has already been fulfilling simulator driver duties at Mercedes alongside his private testing programme, while his FP1 outing will be his first public F1 appearance on track for Mercedes.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Prema Racing

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Prema Racing

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Mercedes is yet to formally announce its FP1 rookie driver plans for this year and after Monza there are just two events, Mexico and Abu Dhabi, which are either not street tracks or run under a sprint race format.

In an exclusive interview with Autosport over the F1 summer break, Antonelli said he was not taking anything for granted at Mercedes but was also not afraid of being judged on the biggest stage.

«Some degree of worry I think is always there, the prospect of not being able to perform I think frightens everyone,» Antonelli said about the prospect of becoming an F1 rookie.

«My approach is to see it as a great opportunity to learn, grow and also enjoy the moment.

«I’m not afraid of being judged, I know Mercedes has a clear opinion about my potential, already this season in F2 the championship didn’t kick off in the best way but there were no negative thoughts.

«I am quite calm, if the opportunity presented itself to me I would take it with eagerness and try to make the most of it.

«Recently there has been some pressure on me with all the rumours about next year, but I have always tried to enjoy it. I’m enjoying the opportunities I have.»



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AMABA winner Loake completes Aston Martin F1 prize test at Silverstone

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Joseph Loake claimed his Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year prize on Wednesday, completing 25 timed laps as he got behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the first time.

The 19-year-old, who currently competes in Formula 3 for Rodin, was announced as the AMABA winner at the Autosport Awards in December last year, also received £200,000, full British Racing Drivers’ Club membership, an Arai helmet and a Jordan Bespoke personalised helmet bag.

Following a single installation lap, Loake enjoyed a nine-lap ‘circuit and car familiarisation’ run before setting a baseline pace on both hard and soft tyres.

To round out the day, two further runs on new hard and then new soft tyres gave Loake the full F1 experience.

“Words don’t really describe how crazy a machine this is,” said Loake.

Joseph Loake, Aston Martin

Joseph Loake, Aston Martin

Photo by: Aston Martin Racing

“It’s just such a special day for me. Obviously, I hope to drive a car like this again and hopefully race one and take one to a world championship one day, but the first time is always the most special and it’s a day that I’ll never forget.

“It’s just so incredible that I got this opportunity.”

The final showdown with Taylor Barnard, Callum Voisin and Arvid Lindblad was completed across two days at Silverstone in late 2023, each of them aiming to impress the judges in MotorSport Vision Formula 2, Beechdean Motorsport-run Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and United Autosports Ligier LMP3 machinery.

Elaborating further on his experience, Loake added: “It was just about enjoying my first time in a Formula 1 car.

“It was definitely very difficult to get up to speed and to speed up my brain and everything that goes on. But once you’ve done the first two runs and have figured it out a little bit, you straightaway are trying to find lap time.

Joseph Loake, Aston Martin

Joseph Loake, Aston Martin

Photo by: Aston Martin Racing

“The racing driver in you comes out and you forget that you’re in an F1 car and you think you’re about to go and qualify, so you try to find all of the time you can.”

This year’s finalists will be announced on Thursday, all of whom will hope to join names including David Coulthard, Jenson Button and Lando Norris on the illustrious list of winners.



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Red Bull may have hit F1 concept ceiling

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Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache has conceded that the team may have hit the ceiling with the development of its F1 car, though suggested the overall limit of the regulations has not been reached.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit has established itself as the benchmark in the latest technical era, with Max Verstappen winning almost three-quarters of the races in that time.

But rivals McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari have begun to peg back Red Bull’s advantage since the Miami Grand Prix, where Lando Norris picked up his first F1 victory, with the Briton joined by team-mate Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in winning races, in addition to Carlos Sainz’s triumph in Australia earlier in the season.

Asked in an exclusive interview with Autosport whether the RB20 had delivered as he and the team expected pre-season, Wache replied: «I would say not really.

«We improved compared to last year, without doubt, but we didn’t deliver what we expected in some areas. Especially in the high-speed corners, we expected a little bit more than what we have.

«Without thinking about the competitiveness of the car, so just based on our own references, we expected a little bit more with our tools.

Pierre Wache, Technical Director, Red Bull Racing

Pierre Wache, Technical Director, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

«I think some aspects can be linked to the correlation,» he added when pushed for the cause. «We are using quite an old wind tunnel and it can also be linked to the reduced capacity due to our position in the championship [ATR] and maybe also the fact that this is the third year with this type of regulation.»

On whether Red Bull was beginning to hit the ceiling with regards to its development path, Wache admitted: «Our ceiling [with one specific concept] maybe, but it doesn’t mean that it is the overall ceiling.

«In this business you take ideas from the others as well. During the past two years people took our ideas, but fundamentally you need the others to find some other stuff as well to make a step. I think that is starting to happen now and that gives you a different ceiling.»

Verstappen broke the record for most wins in a single season for the second successive campaign last term, securing 19 victories which included a record-breaking 10 in a row between Miami and Monza.

The dominance was expected by many to continue into the new year and, whilst it did seem to play out that way before the return to Miami, it has been anything but plain sailing for the Dutchman and the team since.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

«I think we expected the opposition to come [catch us] earlier, to be honest with you,» insisted Wache.

«When we started the 2022 season, we didn’t have the quickest car — Ferrari had the quickest car in the beginning of 2022. We expected a massive competition in 2023, but that didn’t happen.

«We also expected the competition to be there more or less from the start [this year]. We expected the others to be very close because the performance you can find with the car is of course limited under the same regulations. After the first four or five races the others came back, maybe with an offset and a bit of delay, but we expected that from the start to be honest.»

Asked if the gap closing was more down to rival improvements or Red Bull’s smaller-than-expected progress, Wache said: «I think it is both together.

«The limitations you have with these regulations are quite high and what you can find to make more steps is getting more difficult of course. Then it is almost sure that, because you keep the same regulations, the opposition will come back at some point.»

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The key storylines to follow as F1 returns from summer break

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Formula 1’s shutdown is over, with teams heading to Zandvoort for the first of 2024’s 10 remaining rounds. As F1 wakes up from its summertime siesta, here is a refresher of some key storylines you may have missed, and some lingering questions seeking an answer in the Dutch dunes and beyond.

Red Bull is backing Perez; will it be a costly mistake?

Shortly after the Belgian Grand Prix Red Bull decided to stick to its guns and keep faith in Sergio Perez… for now. The Mexican has struggled massively to be quick and consistent in the RB20 since May. He has tumbled down to seventh in the standings, scoring less than half of the number of points of team-mate and championship leader Max Verstappen.

Red Bull felt none of the potential replacements within its ranks were a clear and immediate upgrade and instead decided to throw its weight behind Perez to turn things around. Speaking to Autosport, technical director Pierre Wache vowed Red Bull would do everything it can through its remaining upgrades to make the car more comfortable for Perez to drive.

The reality is that Perez and Red Bull remain in a difficult position, despite the public vote of confidence. For a company boasting two F1 teams and a large young driver programme, it is puzzling that it found none of its other drivers well-positioned to take over from Perez.

Meanwhile, McLaren has closed to 42 points in the constructors’ championship, so Red Bull still desperately needs its wingman to start contending for regular podiums. It may have decided to keep backing Perez for now, but this key 2024 storyline is far from over.

Can McLaren actually win the title?

While Perez and Red Bull are stumbling, McLaren is sniffing blood. And as the rivalry between CEO Zak Brown and Red Bull boss Christian Horner has picked up in recent months, so too has the prospect of McLaren winning its first constructors’ title since 1998.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Under team principal Andrea Stella, McLaren has continued its impressive development curve and has now had the fastest car on certain circuits, but a spate of errors have prevented the Woking squad from fully capitalising on its potential. Despite those mistakes, it has still been the highest-scoring outfit over the past eight races, and if that trend continues could catch Red Bull by Singapore or Austin.

Ferrari is only 21 points further behind McLaren in third, but problems with its latest car upgrade meant the Italian outfit has lost second to McLaren and has been the lowest-scoring team in the top four since June. Fred Vasseur’s squad is under a lot of scrutiny as it tries to find permanent solutions to its high-speed bouncing issues.

Mercedes has been much more impressive, going toe-to-toe with both Red Bull and McLaren thanks to a spate of iterative upgrades on its W15. With three wins for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell over the past four races, F1’s formerly dominant squad has finally picked up momentum under the current era of regulations.

Given it is trailing Red Bull by 142 points and McLaren by 100, its resurgence is likely coming too late to be a factor this year. But as the top teams take points off each other, it will indirectly influence its rivals’ fortunes.

Will Red Bull lose further pillars?

After the departure of design guru Adrian Newey, another figure Red Bull will be losing is sporting director Jonathan Wheatley. The 57-year-old will leave Red Bull at the end of the current campaign to become the Audi F1 team principal.

Rumours of Wheatley’s exit first started swirling around the Miami Grand Prix in May, with the long-time servant yet to agree to a new contract. Wheatley had been known to harbour ambitions to become a team principal somewhere and given his 18-year stint at the outfit, Red Bull was understood not to stand in his way if such an opportunity did open up. 

That has now happened at Audi, in what has been sold as a dual management role with former Ferrari F1 chief Mattia Binotto. He took over the reins of the team on 1 August as it prepares to morph from Sauber into the Audi works team in 2026.

Red Bull is adamant it won’t be derailed by first Newey and then Wheatley abandoning ship, saying it will replace its sporting director from within as it sees an opportunity to refresh its management structure. Nevertheless, Wheatley is another key pillar that made Red Bull tick, so his replacement will have big shoes to fill, while the team will also have to reassure the Verstappen camp that he is not another domino falling at the team.

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing

Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Meanwhile, the case into potential misconduct by Christian Horner is deemed fully closed after an appeal by the female employee involved was dismissed. The matter, which burst into the public eye on the eve of the season start in Bahrain, had been hanging over the team for months.

But the overarching power struggle at the squad remains unresolved for now, even if Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has pledged to see out his current contract until 2026, taking the sting out of a break clause in Verstappen’s contract.

How will Oliver Oakes fare as Alpine boss?

Alpine also found a new team principal to replace interim boss Bruno Famin in Oliver Oakes. The ambitious Briton is well known for his role at the helm of junior series stalwart Hitech, which he started leading as a 27-year-old in 2015. Now 36, Oakes becomes one of the youngest team bosses of the modern F1 era.

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Following the signing of technical leader David Sanchez from McLaren, Oakes is the latest piece of the puzzle Alpine is building to try and work its way out of its current plight. The team is widely tipped to take Mercedes customer engines, as it abandons its own Renault engine programme in France.

Still, the Alpine gig will a tough test for Oakes as he navigates the choppy waters on a course set out by Renault CEO Luca de Meo and controversial former team principal Flavio Briatore, who returned in a hands-on role to get the Enstone-based team on the right track.

Silly season nears its conclusion for Audi and Alpine

A figure who won’t be joining Alpine is Carlos Sainz, who finally decided to join Williams after one of the longest silly season sagas in years. With ‘blocker’ Sainz now off the table, it is expected some of the last remaining seats for 2025 will be filled shortly.

Alpine is understood to be leaning towards reserve driver Jack Doohan to replace Haas-bound Esteban Ocon as Pierre Gasly’s team-mate. Amid its performance woes on-track and rumblings off it, Sauber/Audi has failed to land its priority targets and is now likely to retain one of its current drivers, Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu, alongside new signing Nico Hulkenberg.

Jack Doohan, Alpine F1 Team

Jack Doohan, Alpine F1 Team

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

The two remaining empty seats on the 2025 grid might take longer to be filled, so don’t hold your breath on Mercedes or RB. Mercedes has all the time in the world to formally promote its junior protege Andrea Kimi Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton and could theoretically wait until the end of the campaign to do so.

But what will happen to Ricciardo and Lawson?

Red Bull can similarly wait and see how things develop over the second half of the campaign to decide on Perez’s long-term future and fill the final seat at its RB sister team. Horner and Marko decided to retain Daniel Ricciardo alongside Yuki Tsunoda for the rest of the year.

But Red Bull still has reserve driver Liam Lawson waiting in the wings. He is free to go if Red Bull doesn’t hand him an F1 seat in 2025, so a decision will have to be made on its plans for the New Zealander sooner rather than later.

Having impressed with his 2023 cameos for the injured Ricciardo, Lawson has been the perfect tool to put pressure on Red Bull’s current roster of drivers, but it now risks losing him altogether. Depending on how Perez and Ricciardo fare over the next few weeks, Lawson might yet get his full-time RB promotion in 2025.

If that doesn’t happen, Red Bull could turn to F2 frontrunner Isack Hadjar as the next reserve driver in line.



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What was really behind the FIA’s F1 asymmetric brake rule change

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Speculation in Formula 1 got intense during the summer break in the wake of a change the FIA made to the technical regulations outlawing asymmetrical braking systems.

Off the back of the most recent FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting that ratified a host of revised and future rules, an added clause regarding braking systems set tongues wagging.

The changed Article 11.1.2 of F1’s Technical Regulations had some fresh text which is in bold below.

«The brake system must be designed so that within each circuit, the forces applied to the brake pads are the same magnitude and act as opposing pairs on a given brake disc. Any system or mechanism which can produce systematically or intentionally, asymmetric braking torques for a given axle is forbidden.»

Brembo F1 brake pistons detail

Brembo F1 brake pistons detail

Photo by: Brembo

The nature of the mid-season change to the technical regulations, something which is not very common, fuelled a wave of speculation that the FIA was responding to a device that one or more teams may have been using this season.

There were even wild accusations thrown at Red Bull that its drop of form since the Miami Grand Prix was linked to a potential banning of a system it may have been using — with some even suggesting that Max Verstappen’s retirement from the Australian Grand Prix could have been linked to this.

However, the reality of the situation is very different as high-level sources at the FIA have explained that the change was not prompted at all by anything teams were doing at the moment – it was more about future-proofing regulations.

An FIA spokesman told Autosport: «There is no truth that any team was using such a system.»

So what was going on?

Ultimately the tweak alters very little when it comes to the legality of asymmetric brake systems. The changes made by the FIA to 11.1.2 of the technical regulations are supplemental to the original text, which only implies that the forces being applied to the brake pads are equal on either side of the calliper.

The new and additional text forbids the braking circuit, either front or rear, to be able to produce asymmetric braking torques.

It therefore prohibits what would more commonly be referred to as a brake steer system, whereby one wheel, usually the inside wheel, is braked with more bias than the outside, in order to help balance and steer the car.

However, according to FIA sources, the wording that was originally in place was already enough to make any asymmetric braking system illegal anyway.

The real motivation in changing the rules instead came from efforts to tidy up the regulations for 2026, and make it clearer in the next rules era what was and was not allowed.

As part of the ongoing discussions to frame the 2026 regulations, a specific clause has been added to the rules to outlaw asymmetric brake systems completely.

And, following a request from teams to ensure that nobody tried to exploit the tiniest of grey areas before then, it was requested that the new clause be added to both the 2024 and 2025 regulations.

McLaren history

Brake steer devices are not a new thing in F1. Famously, McLaren had such a system on their cars in 1997/98, known as a fiddle brake, which employed an additional brake pedal in the cockpit to apply braking force to just one side of the car.

McLaren MP4-13, third pedal

McLaren MP4-13, third pedal

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Such a device is, of course, still outlawed, having been prohibited by regulation changes at the time and now covered in 11.1.3.

The rules state: «Any powered device, other than the system referred to in Article 11.6, which is capable of altering the configuration or affecting the performance of any part of the brake system is forbidden.»

Had there been any nefarious behaviour by a team in running a braking system that was against the original regulations, then throwing in a mid-season regulation change would not have been the first course of action.

Instead, the FIA would likely have issued a Technical Directive, which would have gone to all teams and alerted rivals to something being amiss elsewhere.



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Williams F1 upgrades can become 2025 baseline

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Williams head of vehicle performance Dave Robson believes upgrades to the team’s 2024 Formula 1 car can provide a baseline for next year’s machinery.

The Grove-based outfit has struggled to continue the strong form of last season after entering the current campaign with an overweight car as focus instead turned to upgrading its infrastructure during the winter.

While upgrades will be added to the car across the season in an attempt to make an instant step, teams are forced to strategise resource output due to F1’s aerodynamic testing restrictions and financial regulations.

This is complicated further over the next 18 months as attention begins to switch to the new-for-2026 regulations, meaning that teams may choose to sacrifice next year’s challengers to get a headstart on the new cars.

PLUS: Is the Williams revival still on track?

«It’s an interesting challenge we’ve been talking about for quite some time,» said Robson.

«There are bits of ’26 we can start to look at; not the aero side of it by regulation, but there are other things we can start to consider and that process inevitably is underway.

«The aero will come, although we’ve been able to do a little bit of aero under the TD from the FIA, they are really helping to understand the regulations. So that’s always useful to just get everyone’s mind into the 2026 game.

«Balancing the resource between not just from now, but from several months ago through the next couple of years, is going to be tricky.

Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46

Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

«But obviously it’s the same for everyone and I’m sure most people will be fully focused on 2026 very quickly come the new year, and then it will be interesting then to see what people do next year.»

Expanding on how the time will be split, Robson added: «For us, there’ll be brief periods early next calendar year when the 2026 car will come out of the wind tunnel and that will give us an opportunity for the odd day or two to put the FW47 — so the 2025 car — back in.

«We’ll be looking to do that and if we can find some way of bringing performance to it without compromising the 2026 programme, then we’ll obviously look to do that.

«But I suspect that will end really quite early in the calendar year, and it will be full on from a resource and budget point of view, on the 2026 car.»

As the focus will change so early in the year, it affords the opportunity to merge the 2024 and 2025 projects together to better maximise developmental gains, something that Robson has confirmed is being explored.

He said: «It’s been an interesting one because this year’s car and next year’s car, you can largely think of as just one project.

«The work on it will finish quite early next year, and there will be a case of racing it but not doing too much with it.

«That has, partly by serendipity I suppose, allowed us to consider these big updates that will come and bring them quite late in the year, knowing that they effectively, at least inspire or become the baseline for next year’s car.

«That already starts to offload some of the work. We’ve brought some of that FW47 work forward which will allow us to concentrate on the 2026 car as soon as possible.»

Watch: What it’s like being an F1 strategist — Exclusive interview with Bernie Collins



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Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari only «good news» for me

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Charles Leclerc says it’s «always good news» teaming up with a driver of Lewis Hamilton’s calibre, as will be the case at Ferrari from the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Ferrari signed Hamilton before the 2024 campaign even started, with team principal Frederic Vasseur making the most of an exit clause in the long-time Mercedes driver’s contract to entice him to Maranello.

Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz and become Leclerc’s fourth team-mate in F1, with the previous ones being Marcus Ericsson (at Sauber) and Sebastian Vettel.

The Monegasque is excited about this new challenge, which he sees as an opportunity to learn from F1’s most successful driver in history, as he told Autosport in an exclusive interview.

After praising current team-mate Sainz, whom he branded «such an incredible driver», Leclerc said: «When you have a seven-time world champion joining the team, it’s always good news.

«First, because it’s super interesting and super motivating for me. Super interesting because I can learn from one of the best-ever Formula 1 drivers.

Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, battles with Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, battles with Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

«And second, super motivating because I’m super motivated to show what I’m capable of doing against Lewis in the same car. So, for these two reasons, I’m really looking forward to it.»

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Leclerc had signed a contract extension one week before Hamilton officially made his bombshell move to Ferrari – but the news was no surprise to him, so he knowingly committed his future to the Scuderia.

«I knew that it was a possibility and that it was likely because both sides wanted to make it happen,» he clarified. «But I was happy with that, so I definitely knew that it was more likely than not.

«That was enough for me. I didn’t ask many more details, also, because I’m not entitled to know all of this, and I don’t want to know all of this, but everybody has always been super honest with me.

«If anything, it reassured me even more, because when you take a driver like Lewis Hamilton within the team, it obviously is a strong sign. I think that could be a positive thing seen from our side, and could bring some extremely talented people to the team. So I saw that as a positive, if anything.»

There is an argument that Leclerc has everything to gain from this situation as far as his reputation is concerned. Being beaten by a seven-time world champion could be understandable, while becoming the first driver to clearly outperform Hamilton would obviously be historic.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

However, Leclerc does not quite agree with this particular outlook on the situation.

«As a driver, I will live as bad whether I’m two tenths behind Lewis or two tenths behind whoever else,» he explained. «For me, it’s a pain I am suffering every time I’m behind my team-mate. You just want to be first, whatever situation you are in.

«When I was with Seb, for example, I was hating it so much when he was beating me, even though it was my first year with Ferrari and I knew he had a lot of experience. No matter the situation you find yourself in, you hate it when you are getting beaten.»

Additional reporting by Roberto Chinchero

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