Рубрика: Autosport News

Is Lawson the right driver for Red Bull to replace Perez with?

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Just one month after Sergio Perez secured a two-year contract extension with Red Bull, his Formula 1 future seems to be unravelling.

Performance clauses are putting Perez at risk of losing his seat in a near future, as the grid becomes more and more competitive.

The Mexican has scored just 11 points in the four grands prix since his new deal was announced – fewer than Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg or Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and far behind Max Verstappen’s tally of 86. What’s more, he is yet to outqualify his team-mate this season.

While Red Bull previously could afford for Perez to lag behind Verstappen, that is no longer the case with McLaren and Mercedes catching up in the constructors’ championship. The Milton Keynes-based outfit currently deems its driver’s form «unsustainable» and is reconsidering his position.

Key to Perez’s odds might be a seemingly innocuous filming day which Red Bull ran this week at Silverstone with arguably its hottest young prospect, Liam Lawson, in the car.

Although the team had to use demonstration tyres, Lawson was allowed to drive the RB20 over a maximum of 200km, which corresponds to 33 laps of the Silverstone grand prix layout.

This gives the team an opportunity to assess his ability, as it did with Daniel Ricciardo in more favourable circumstances a year ago – it was then a Pirelli test, so mileage was not limited and tyre compounds were in line with what might be used on a grand prix weekend.

Ricciardo and Tsunoda are failing to make an impact

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, Yuki Tsunoda, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, during the driver presentation

Daniel Ricciardo, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, Yuki Tsunoda, Visa Cash App RB F1 Team, during the driver presentation

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

It might seem surprising that Lawson is viewed as a credible candidate for a Red Bull seat after he was overlooked for an RB drive this year, with Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda retaining their positions.

Red Bull was hoping that one of them would show their credentials by clearly gaining the upper hand over the other, but it hasn’t happened so far – although Tsunoda has the advantage, having scored 20 points to Ricciardo’s 11 (but only 13 to 11 since the Australian got a new chassis in China) and leading 10-5 in their qualifying head-to-head.

Red Bull is therefore turning its attention to Lawson. The 22-year-old New Zealander has enjoyed success at every level, with his early achievements comprising a runner-up spot in ADAC F4 ahead of Enzo Fittipaldi and Frederik Vesti, Toyota Racing Series championship from Marcus Armstrong, and second in Euroformula Open in a field which included Yuki Tsunoda.

Lawson went on to take fifth place in Formula 3, just 21 points behind champion Oscar Piastri, then narrowly beat Logan Sargeant to third position in the 2022 Formula 2 season, while only just missing out on the DTM and Super Formula titles in 2021 and 2023 respectively – showing his versatility to be a key asset.

However, if anything made Lawson’s potential crystal-clear, it was his five-round stint standing in for Ricciardo at AlphaTauri when the veteran suffered a metacarpal fracture in free practice at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix. The rookie wasn’t out of his depth compared to team-mate Tsunoda in qualifying and had a remarkable showing in Singapore, where he reached Q3 and achieved the team’s best result of the year until that point by finishing ninth in the race.

Liam Lawson, AlphaTauri AT04

Liam Lawson, AlphaTauri AT04

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Since then, Lawson has been biding his time and focusing on his role as Red Bull and RB’s reserve driver – which involves crucial set-up work on the simulator in Milton Keynes, as many young drivers performed for the team in the past before graduating to F1.

Stepping away from any kind of racing is never easy for a driver, but pressure has been increasing on Ricciardo. The Australian being replaced by Lawson as early as the summer break is plausible.

«The goal was that [Ricciardo] would be considered for Red Bull Racing with exceptional performances,» Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko told Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung two weeks ago. «That seat now belongs to Sergio Perez, so that plan is no longer valid.

«We have to put a young driver in there soon. That would be Liam Lawson.»

Lawson could then be evaluated with a view to fast-track him to the mother team in 2025. Or, Red Bull will perhaps pick him to replace Perez even earlier, which cannot be ruled out at this stage.

The New Zealander has admittedly not proven to be a once-in-a-generation talent yet, but his potential is plain to see and he has become a relatively safe pair of hands, having not retired in any of his latest 20 races, taking place in F2 and Super Formula.

Whether Lawson definitely is the best candidate for that Red Bull seat remains to be seen, but what is certain is the Milton Keynes squad will leave no stone unturned when it comes to assessing his skills. 

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The «major contributor» behind Bearman securing Haas F1 drive

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Oliver Bearman says his Ferrari cameo at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was a «major contributor» to his 2025 Formula 1 seat at Haas, amid his tough Formula 2 season.

Bearman was announced last week as one of the American squad’s race drivers for the upcoming F1 campaign, when he will make his full-time debut in the championship.

The announcement had been in the pipeline for a while, and seemingly nobody was less surprised than current Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, whose F1 future is at risk.

«I’ve known it for four months, pretty much,» said the Dane, whose current team-mate Nico Hulkenberg is moving to Sauber next year. «I mean, it hasn’t been decided for four months, but I knew that was what was going to happen. So it’s not news to me.»

Four months ago was when Ferrari protégé Bearman got a chance to showcase his ability, as Carlos Sainz was struck by appendicitis at Jeddah.

Becoming the third youngest driver in F1 history, aged 18, the Briton impressed in the SF-24, qualifying eleventh and scoring important points for the Scuderia with seventh in a mistake-free race – which he believes was crucial to securing his 2025 seat at Haas.

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«I think Saudi showed what I was capable of, showed that rookies and people with lack of experience aren’t really so far behind the normal cohort,» Bearman said at the British Grand Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24 battles with Oliver Bearman, Ferrari SF-24

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24 battles with Oliver Bearman, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

«I think I did put a good showing for myself in Saudi, and of course, with the F2 campaign going the way it is, it’s hard to ignore that.

«I still felt that I could do a good job in the free practices, but let’s say I’m happy that Saudi happened because I think it’s a major contributor to why I’m here right now.»

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While Bearman took sixth in F2 to be the second-best rookie last year – just behind Victor Martins, despite being four years younger – his 2024 campaign is not panning out as hoped.

The Prema driver was forced to withdraw from the Jeddah round after taking pole position, following his call-up by Ferrari, and has since struggled for one-lap pace; qualifying on the front two rows just once more in the first eight rounds.

Races haven’t been much better for the now-19-year-old. He was involved in collisions at Bahrain, Melbourne and Silverstone, was struck by technical issues at Sakhir and Red Bull Ring, crashed out in Monaco and suffered a nightmare pitstop when leading at Imola. He also had a dismal 21st in the Barcelona sprint race.

«I feel like I’m performing at a higher level than ever, then I get to Barcelona, and I literally finish last. Last year, I won the race by [three] seconds,» he emphasised.

«I don’t have an answer yet. I hope that I can put the inconsistency down to something else rather than myself, because I honestly feel like I’m performing as high as I ever have – which makes sense, because I’m the most experienced that I’ve ever been.»

Sitting 13th in the drivers’ championship, Bearman admits to struggling with the Dallara F2 2024’s required driving style.

Oliver Bearman, Prema Racing

Oliver Bearman, Prema Racing

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

«Especially when I’m doing [F1] free practices, it’s really hard when the balance of the car is also changing from session to session,» he added, having taken part in three FP1 sessions with Haas.

This led him to clarify that he tends to «get on a bit better with F1», and this running helped paint him in a positive light at Ferrari and Haas.

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«I do feel like the F1 running carried a lot of weight,» he said. «But there’s no way of hiding behind the fact that in F2 it continues to be a little bit difficult. That always leaves a bit of a question mark in the back of your mind.»

Bearman’s sole podium finish so far in 2024 has been his win in the Austrian sprint race, a rare ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy campaign – occurring just five days before he was announced by Haas.

«It couldn’t have come at a better time, honestly,» he admitted. «It’s continuing to be a difficult season in F2, because even on Sunday [at Red Bull Ring], I had an engine failure. It felt like all that hard work was almost down the drain.

«It came at a really good time, a really important time – not only for my prospects with F1 but also for the team, because in Formula 2 we needed a good result to bolster the motivation of everyone, and that really helped us out.»

Bearman is now aspiring to follow in Charles Leclerc’s footsteps by earning a promotion to the Scuderia as early as his sophomore season.

«I hope so! That would be the dream,» he concluded.

«It’s not really in my hands, I feel like all I can do is perform at my best.»

Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble and Jake Boxall-Legge



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McLaren won’t be «nasty» as it takes the fight to Red Bull in F1

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McLaren CEO Zak Brown says McLaren is «prepared to go toe-to-toe» with Red Bull as it mounts a Formula 1 title challenge, but pledges the team won’t be «nasty» about it.

Following a string of car upgrades McLaren has closed the performance gap to Red Bull in recent weeks, having been the highest-scoring team over the past six races.

McLaren’s surge to the front has raised simmering tensions between Brown and his Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner, heightened by Norris’ race-ending collision with Verstappen in Austria.

Sergio Perez’s performance struggles in the second Red Bull have left the door open for McLaren to mount an unlikely title challenge and close a 78-point gap as the season hits the halfway mark.

And with both teams expected to be finely matched for the second half of the 2024 season, Brown pledges McLaren is ready to take the fight to Red Bull without crossing the boundaries.

«We’re prepared to go toe-to-toe,» Brown said. «Nasty is not how McLaren goes racing. I think you can go toe-to-toe, but you don’t have to be nasty about it.

«They seem to, at times, have a win-at-all-costs mentality. That’s not how we go racing, but we think you can go toe-to-toe and take the fight to them our own way.»

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Lando Norris took his maiden win in Miami, but a number of strategy mistakes have prevented the Briton or team-mate Oscar Piastri from adding to that tally.

In Silverstone, McLaren left the door open for Lewis Hamilton to take Mercedes’ second win in a row, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen still wringing out three victories on weekends when he hasn’t necessarily had the quickest car.

When asked how McLaren has dealt with the added pressure and spotlights of fighting for wins rather than occasional podiums, Brown was adamant the «good stress» of fighting at the front hadn’t impacted the team’s pitwall.

«It’s exciting. It’s a good stress of going: ‘Don’t get this wrong because this is for a race win’, and when it’s a fourth or a fifth or an eighth it’s [different].

«But I think it’s enjoyable. I’m on pitwall and the tone of the team led by Andrea [Stella, team principal], by Randy [Singh, racing director]… you wouldn’t know if we’re racing for the win or we’re in 10th. I think that’s what you want to see.

«There’s nothing on pitwall like: ‘Oh my god, we’re in the lead’. It’s business as usual, so the team is definitely up for it.»

This iteration of McLaren is relatively new to racing for wins as a collective, but Brown maintains there is enough winning pedigree running through the Woking-based squad to iron out recent race execution errors.

«There’s a lot of race wins and championships inside McLaren, so while it’s a little bit newer to me, Andrea Stella’s been there, done that with one of the best drivers and best teams in the world, as a lot of people inside McLaren.

«We’re hungry for it and we’re very critical of ourselves. If we made a mistake, we talk about it offline, but we definitely do a very detailed post-race analysis. But there’s a lot of confidence in the team.»

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, pours Champagne over Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, at the McLaren celebration gathering

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 2nd position, pours Champagne over Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, at the McLaren celebration gathering

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Fighting for race wins is a new reality for its drivers, with Norris finding out the hard way in recent races that he has to be firing on all cylinders to defeat Verstappen.

«To win the Formula 1 world championship everyone needs to be at 100 percent,» Brown replied when asked by Motorsport.com/Autosport if there were still elements of his racecraft Norris should refine.

«Lando is learning every time out there, right? He’s got the benefit of one win. Max and Lewis and [Michael] Schumacher, when you’ve won as much as they’ve won, that gives you a lot of experience.

«Lando’s still getting that experience of winning grands prix, which I think is great, because the only way to get it is to get stuck in there and he’s just going to continue to improve as a driver.

«He’s perfectly capable of winning the world championship now, but that doesn’t mean he still can’t get better.

«I think Max is a better driver today than he was in year one or year two of his championships, so these drivers continuously refine their game.»



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Montoya to drive Hollinger’s F1 Williams FW26 at Goodwood

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This weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will have a unique crossing of worlds as Juncos Hollinger Racing co-owner Brad Hollinger is sporting an IndyCar presence in West Sussex while also featuring two legendary Williams cars from Formula 1.

A former shareholder and board member at Williams, Hollinger is now in his third full year as a team owner alongside Ricardo Juncos in North America’s premier open-wheel championship.

The FW19, the Renault-powered Williams machine that Jacques Villeneuve drove to the 1997 F1 title, will be on display for onlookers. However, it’ll be the BMW Williams FW26 from the 2004 season that is set to be run, primarily by original pilot Juan Pablo Montoya, who will be followed with his son Sebastian also getting behind the wheel.

 

Montoya, a two-time Indianapolis 500 champion and seven-time race winner in F1, previously set the fastest-ever lap at Monza in the FW26, producing a lap at 1m19.525s around the 3.6-mile circuit in 2004, a season that saw him take one win (Brazil), three podiums and two fastest laps en route to finishing fifth in the championship.

“It’s got a BMW V10 and redlines at about 18,000rpm,” Hollinger told Autosport, of the FW26. “Yeah, so Juan Pablo is going to drive it and his son is going to drive it, and Karun Chandhok is going to drive it on the first day [sadly, the car broke down on its Friday afternoon run].

“And Juncos Hollinger Racing is going to have a presence there and cross-promote.”

Hollinger shared how unique of an opportunity it is for JHR to help promote IndyCar at the famous British festival of racing.

“We thought it would be a great way to promote where IndyCar is, that we’re an up-and-coming organisation,” he said. “We have great racing and there’s plenty of cross-pollination actually.

“You know, it’s still racing, just a different kind of vehicle, that’s all.”

One of Juncos Hollinger Racing’s tents will be set up, with a chance to open up not only the sport but also, perhaps, intrigue potential new partners.

“The idea is obviously to gain more sponsorship for JHR,” Hollinger said. “Obviously, quite a lot of who’s who in racing will be there, so we’re hopeful that really helps as well.”



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F1 drivers with the longest gap between first and last wins

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Lewis Hamilton’s run without a race win came to an end at Silverstone in July after waiting 945 days since his last at the Saudi Arabian GP in 2021. The Brit took his final home grand prix for Mercedes after announcing earlier in the year that he would join Ferrari for the 2025 season.

The emotional win was his 104th Formula 1 victory, breaking a number of records with the win, including the most wins on a single track. 

Mercedes had struggled with the regulation changes since 2022, but the team have made a comeback in recent weeks with both George Russell and Hamilton taking consecutive wins at the Austrian and British grands prix respectively.  

The British GP win also saw Hamilton claim the record for the longest interval between his first grand prix win and his latest, taking the accolade from Kimi Raikkonen.

F1 drivers with the longest interval between their first and last race wins

1. Lewis Hamilton — 17 years 27 days

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG

Photo by: Erik Junius

First win: 2007 Canadian GP 

Last win: 2024 British GP 

Interval duration: 17 years, 0 months and 27 days 

Grand Prix interval: 338 races

Lewis Hamilton claimed his first grand prix victory during his debut season with McLaren at the 2007 Canadian GP. The Brit qualified on pole and kept the lead at the start over his team-mate Fernando Alonso. Despite an easy race for Hamilton at the front things were more tumultuous behind as ten drivers failed to finish, including six out from collisions, two gearbox failures and the disqualifications of Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella for exiting the pit lane when the red light was one. 

Aged just 22 at the time, many impressed by his ability to take his maiden win so early in his career. The win also gave Hamilton the lead in the driver’s championship by eight points. Although he didn’t win the championship at the end of the season, he finished joint second with his team-mate Alonso, who both finished just one point behind Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton’s latest win came 17 years and 27 days later at the 2024 British Grand Prix. After qualifying in second, the race took a dramatic turn when two periods of rain forced all the cars to pit for intermediate tyres. Once the rain began to show signs of easing, Mercedes made the call to switch Hamilton to slicks, giving him the race lead from the slower-to-respond Lando Norris.  

The seven-time world champion managed his new soft tyres better than the McLaren driver, resulting in Hamilton’s first win in 945 days. In an emotional post-race interview, he shared there were «days where I didn’t feel like I was good enough», before standing on top of the podium in front of his home crowd for the first time since 2021. 

2. Kimi Raikkonen — 15 years 6 months 28 days

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1st position, lifts his trophy on the podium

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1st position, lifts his trophy on the podium

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

First win: 2003 Malaysian GP 

Last win: 2018 United States GP 

Interval duration: 15 years, 6 months and 28 days 

Grand Prix interval: 294 races 

Kimi Raikkonen took his maiden victory at the 2003 Malaysian GP with McLaren, during his third season in Formula 1. The Finn made an error during his flying lap in qualifying and qualified in seventh-place, despite being the fastest in the prior practice session. A first-lap incident between Jarno Trulli and Michael Schumacher saw Raikkonen move up to fourth place and with Coulthard retiring on lap three, he was then quickly into the podium positions. 

Raikkonen began to close in on the race leader, Fernando Alonso in the Renault, after his softer tyres began to wear away. The Spaniard pitted on lap 16, giving the McLaren the lead. Raikkonen was able to keep pushing, building up a lead of 30 seconds ahead of Barrichello in the second and 45 from Alonso with 10 laps to go. He brought home the chequered flag for his maiden win saying: “It is difficult to say how I feel. Tomorrow morning I will really realise I won my first race.” 

His last win came 15 and a half years later at the 2018 United States GP, during his final year with Ferrari. The victory was his first in over five years, previously winning the 2013 Australian Grand Prix with Lotus, which set the record of a 113 winless race steak. Raikkonen had started from second, before taking the lead off the line and bringing home the win with a one-stop strategy.  

3. Michael Schumacher — 14 years 1 month 1 day

Podium: Race winner Michael Schumacher, Benetton

Podium: Race winner Michael Schumacher, Benetton

Photo by: Ercole Colombo

First win: 1992 Belgian GP 

Last win: 2006 Chinese GP 

Interval duration: 14 years, 1 month and 1 day 

Grand Prix interval: 237 races 

Michael Schumacher claimed the first of his then-record-breaking 91 wins at the 1992 Belgian GP. 

The German qualified in third for the extremely wet race, but gambled on slicks towards the end with a drying track. This gamble paid off, as he jumped the Williams of Nigel Mansell to take his first victory. 

The seven-time world champion’s last win came in 2006, in his final year with Ferrari ahead of his first retirement at the end of the season. The race began on intermediate tyres following earlier rainfall and Schumacher was able to gain on the Renaults of second-placed Fisichella and race leader Fernando Alonso. The Renault drivers switched positions on lap 29 and it took Schumacher just four corners to catch Alonso. 

The Ferrari pitted just a lap sooner than the leading Renault for dry tyres later in the race and Fisichella lost the lead when he could not warm up cold Michelin tyres. Rain returned on the penultimate lap resulting in the leaders tip-toeing to the finish line and allowing Schumacher his final victory.  

4. Alain Prost — 12 years 20 days

Podium: race winner Alain Prost, Williams, second place Michael Schumacher, Benetton, third place Mark Blundell, Ligier

Podium: race winner Alain Prost, Williams, second place Michael Schumacher, Benetton, third place Mark Blundell, Ligier

Photo by: Sutton Images

First win: 1981 French GP 

Last win: 1993 German GP 

Interval duration: 12 years, 0 months and 20 days   

Grand Prix interval: 191 races 

Alain Prost took his first Formula 1 victory on home soil at the 1981 French Grand Prix in his Renault. It was the first of 51 race wins throughout his career, which formed his four world championship titles.  

Prost was able to work his way up the grid from his starting position of third and was rapidly approaching race leader Nelson Piquet before the race was red-flagged on lap 58 due to a thunderstorm. Prost took the lead at the restart, and despite gearbox problems only briefly lost the lead to John Watson’s McLaren before bringing home the win. 

His final race victory came at the 1993 German GP with Williams, ahead of his F1 retirement later in the year. Prost started on pole but lost the lead to his team-mate Damon Hill. The Frenchman closed back in on the other Williams towards the end of the race before a tyre failure on Hill’s car on the penultimate lap gave Prost the win.  

5. Niki Lauda — 11 years 3 months 28 days

Niki Lauda, McLaren, Alain Prost, McLarne, Ayrton Senna, Lotus

Niki Lauda, McLaren, Alain Prost, McLarne, Ayrton Senna, Lotus

Photo by: Motorsport Images

First win: 1974 Spanish GP 

Last win: 1985 Dutch GP 

Interval duration: 11 years, 3 months and 28 days 

Grand Prix interval: 175 races 

Niki Lauda claimed his first win just four races after joining Ferrari in 1974. The Austrian driver started the race on pole but lost the lead at the start to Ronnie Peterson in the Lotus. A quick for the time pitstop of 35 seconds gave Lauda back first place. The race ended just six laps short of the full 90, after being timed for two hours due to the wet weather and saw the Ferrari finish 35.61 seconds ahead of his team-mate Clay Regazzoni.  

Lauda’s final win was his only victory during his last season in Formula 1. Despite claiming the championship the previous year, he faced 11 retirements from the 14 races he competed in 1985 but was able to take the win at the Dutch GP despite qualifying 10th.  

Lauda moved himself into fourth place in the opening laps of the race. Keke Rosberg’s engine exploded on lap 19, with Lauda coming into the pits for fresh tyres, which prompted the other race leaders to also have a change of tyres, resulting in him taking the lead of the race. 

Second place went to Lauda’s McLaren team-mate Prost, with the pair battling to a chequered flag finish of just 0.232 seconds.  

6. Nelson Piquet — 11 years 2 months 3 days

Podium: race winner Nelson Piquet, Brabham, second place Riccardo Patrese, Arrows, third place Emerson Fittipaldi

Podium: race winner Nelson Piquet, Brabham, second place Riccardo Patrese, Arrows, third place Emerson Fittipaldi

Photo by: David Phipps

First win: 1980 United States GP West   

Last win: 1991 Canadian GP 

Interval duration: 11 years, 2 months and 3 days 

Grand Prix interval: 172 races 

Nelson Piquet took his final win just two months sooner than Lauda., securing his first win during his third year in Formula 1 at the 1980 United States GP West in California.  

It was a clean sweep of a weekend for Piquet who started on pole and claimed the fastest lap, as well as leading all 80 laps. He finished 49 seconds ahead of Riccardo Patrese in the other Arrow and brought Piquet into the driver’s championship, giving him joint first place with Rene Arnoux in the Renault. 

The three-time world champion’s final win came at the 1991 Canadian GP, despite qualifying in eighth place. All but one car ahead of Piquet retired, with the race leader Nigel Mansell suffering an electrical failure halfway around the final lap. Piquet was able to claim his unexpected final victory with Benetton ahead of his retirement at the end of the season.

Race winner Sebastian Vettel, Toro Rosso

Race winner Sebastian Vettel, Toro Rosso

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

First win: 2008 Italian GP 

Last win: 2019 Singapore GP 

Interval duration: 11 years, 0 months and 8 days 

Grand Prix interval: 212 races 

Sebastian Vettel claimed his maiden win during his second season in the series, racing with Torro Rosso at the very wet 2008 Italian GP. The German driver took pole and started the race under safety car conditions due to the heavy rainfall, before building a large gap out in front. He briefly lost the lead to second-placed Heikki Kovalainen after his first pit stop but was able to claim the place back just three laps later and crossed the line 12 seconds ahead of the Finn in his McLaren. 

Vettel’s first win gave him the record for the youngest driver to win an F1 race at 21 years and 73 days old — a record which was later broken by Max Verstappen in 2016 when he was 18 years and 228 days old.  

The four-time world champion claimed his final of 53 wins at the 2019 Singapore GP. His last race win had been over a year previous at the 2018 Belgian GP and he appeared out of contention for the win in the early stages of the race, despite starting in third.  

Vettel’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc started from pole and managed the pace as the leaders focused on managing their tyres in the hopes of working on a one-stop strategy. Vettel was brought in to pit first to protect him from those behind, resulting in an undercut on his team-mate due to his pace on fresher tyres. Despite Leclerc’s anger Ferrari told the young Monegasque to hold position behind Vettel, who went on to win the race by 2.641 seconds. 

8. Jack Brabham — 10 years 9 months 25 days

Jack Brabham, Brabham BT33 Ford

Jack Brabham, Brabham BT33 Ford

Photo by: Motorsport Images

First win: 1959 Monaco GP 

Last win: 1970 South African GP  

Interval duration: 10 years, 9 months and 25 days  

Grand Prix interval: 108 races 

Three-time world champion Jack Brabham took his maiden victory with Cooper during the 1959 Monaco GP — the first race of the season. The win was the first by an Australian driver at a Formula 1 race and was his first of five podiums in 1959, which helped him secure the drivers’ championship at the end of the year.  

Brabham’s last F1 win came at the 1970 South African GP where he started in third in his own team’s car. He was quickly overtaken by Jochen Rindt at the start but Rindt got caught in a tangle with second place Chris Amon who span across the track and into Brabham.  

The Australian lost a number of places and was passed by Jacky Ickx, Jean-Pierre Beltoise, Jackie Oliver and Bruce McLaren, but he made back the four positions by the end of lap six. Brabham caught up to the leading Jackie Stewart to take the lead by lap 20 and managed to hold on out front until the chequered flag.  

9. Gerhard Berger — 10 years 9 months 15 days

Podium: Race winner Gerhard Berger, Benetton Renault

Podium: Race winner Gerhard Berger, Benetton Renault

Photo by: Motorsport Images

First win: 1986 Mexican GP 

Last win: 1997 German GP 

Interval duration: 10 years, 9 months and 15 days  

Grand Prix interval: 171 races 

Gerhard Berger secured his maiden win at the penultimate race of the 1986 season in an event which was dictated by tyre wear. This was at a time when there were multiple tyre manufacturers – Berger being on the Pirellis – and while the Austrian started in fourth, he took the lead after the drivers on the Goodyear tyres needed to pit. Berger held onto his Pirellis as people behind him on Goodyears blistered under the Mexican heat, giving him the win.

Berger took ten wins in his career, with his final coming at the 1997 German GP. The Austrian took Benetton’s first pole position since Michael Schumacher two years previous at the Japanese GP, and while he briefly lost his race lead to Giancarlo Fisichella on lap 17 after pitting for new tyres as part of his two-stop strategy, Berger reclaimed the lead on lap 25. 

His second pitstop on Lap 34 saw Fisichella’s Jordan briefly reclaim the lead by roughly half a second, with Berger saying he knew it would be “very difficult” to pass him again, however the Italian driver then went wide, giving Berger back a lead that he was able to keep for the race win.  

10. Riccardo Patrese — 10 years 5 months 2 days

Podium: Race winner Riccardo Patrese, Brabham BT49D-Ford Cosworth, third place (later fifth place) Elio de Angelis, Lotus 91-Ford Cosworth, Princess Grace and Prince Rainier

Podium: Race winner Riccardo Patrese, Brabham BT49D-Ford Cosworth, third place (later fifth place) Elio de Angelis, Lotus 91-Ford Cosworth, Princess Grace and Prince Rainier

Photo by: Motorsport Images

First win: 1982 Monaco GP 

Last win: 1992 Japanese GP  

Interval duration: 10 years, 5 months and 2 days  

Grand Prix interval: 167 races 

Riccardo Patrese took his maiden win during his sixth season in Formula 1, after a difficult five seasons with over half of his races ending in retirement.  The 1982 Monaco GP was described as “a real strange one” by Autosport’s Nigel Roebuck during his report and has been described as the race nobody wanted to win, with the lead changing four times in the final three laps. Rene Arnoux started in pole position, but spun off at the Swimming Pool on lap 15, handing Prost the lead until he crashed into the barriers at the Chicane du Port on lap 74 in wet conditions, putting Patrese in the lead.  

The Italian’s car then slid on a patch of oil heading into the Lowes hairpin, leaving his Brabham sideways on the corner, with his tyres turned uphill. Patrese was pushed by marshals because he was blocking the track, but with the car now facing downhill, he was able to start rolling and restart his stalled engine. He was overtaken by Didier Pironi and Andrea de Cesaris, but both cars ran out of fuel on the final lap and the Tunnel and Casino Square respectively.  

Former world champion James Hunt was sat in the commentary box and exclaimed: «We’ve got this ridiculous situation where we’re all sitting by the start-finish line waiting for a winner to come past, and we don’t seem to be getting one!» 

Patrese’s final win of his six grand prix victories came at the 1992 Japanese Grand Prix. After starting from second place, he stayed firmly behind his Williams team-mate Nigel Mansell until the Brit began to slow on lap 36, handing the lead to his team-mate before retiring the car nine laps later with engine failure. Patrese retained the lead for the remainder of the race, finishing 13 seconds ahead of second place Berger.   

Current Formula 1 driver race win intervals

Here are the intervals between the current F1 grid’s first win and their latest win. 

Driver First Win Last Win Interval between Race interval
Lewis Hamilton 2007 Canadian GP 2024 British GP 17 years and 27 days 338
Fernando Alonso 2003 Hungarian GP 2013 Spanish GP 9 years, 8 months and 18 days 172
Max Verstappen 2016 Spanish GP 2024 Spanish GP 8 years, 1 month and 8 days 170
Daniel Ricciardo 2014 Canadian GP 2021 Italian GP 7 years, 3 months and 4 days 144
Charles Leclerc 2019 Belgian GP 2024 Monaco GP 4 years, 8 months and 25 days 98
Valtteri Bottas 2017 Russian GP 2021 Turkish GP 4 years, 5 months and 10 days  90
Pierre Gasly* 2020 Italian GP — 3 years, 10 months and 4 days 86

Esteban Ocon*

 2021 Hungarian GP — 2 years, 11 months and 11 days 67
Sergio Perez 2020 Sakhir GP 2023 Azerbaijan GP 2 years, 4 months and 24 days 48
Carlos Sainz 2022 British GP 2024 Australian GP 1 year, 8 months and 21 days 36
George Russell 2022 Sao Paulo GP 2024 Austrian GP 1 year, 7 months and 17 days 33
Lando Norris* 2024 Miami GP — 68 days 6

*Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon and Lando Norris added as the interval between potential next win is increasing.



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How to get tickets to the 2025 British Grand Prix at Silverstone

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Tickets for the 2025 British Grand Prix on 6 July are expected to go on sale in a few months following the sell-out 2024 race. Sunday’s grand prix sold out over the weekend after struggling to sell tickets on the run-up to the event.

Silverstone’s managing director Stuart Pringle cited Red Bull’s dominance as a reason for poor ticket sales, however, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton warned that promoters needed to make sure rising cost of tickets should not get out of hand by becoming too expensive for fans.

This year’s race winner said he believed the cost of tickets was “too high”, with Max Verstappen adding: «I don’t think it’s my fault. The F1 season is very exciting. There are a lot of teams fighting for wins now. If a promoter can’t fill the seats and they blame it on someone, then I think they first have to look at themselves, what they’re doing wrong. Because in other places it’s quite easy to fill.»

How to get tickets to the 2025 British Grand Prix

Although the tickets for the 2025 British GP are yet to go on sale, fans can now register their interest for tickets on the Silverstone website. The circuit is allowing fans to sign up to be the first to hear about when specific tickets such as grandstands and general admission access go on sale.

Tickets are expected to go on sale within the next couple of months, which is when they have normally gone on sale in previous years.

Watch: How Hamilton Triumphed Against the Odds — F1 British Grand Prix Analysis

The tickets for the 2024 race went on sale in September 2023, with the first being camping tickets which were released in mid-September. Silverstone Racing Club members were offered the first tickets, with Enclosure tickets offered three days later. Silverstone Racing Club memberships are limited and are currently both sold out.

The following day grandstand tickets were opened up to the public, with general admission tickets becoming available a week later.

The release schedule is yet to be announced for the 2025 British Grand Prix tickets.

How much will 2025 British Grand Prix tickets cost?

It is expected that the 2025 British GP tickets will be a tiered pricing system similar to previous years. Silverstone usually opens up the cheapest tickets to fans first before opening the next tier, until each tier is sold out.

Fans can get priority access if they are part of the Silverstone Racing Club, with 48-hour early access for Full Circuit Members and 24-hour access for Grid Members.

In 2024 children under 11 saw a 50% discount on tickets and those under two went free but were still required to have a ticket.

Fans of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, gathered at the stage

Fans of Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, gathered at the stage

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

What are the different ticket options available for the 2025 British Grand Prix?

For the last grand prix F1 fans had the option to buy single-day tickets as well as three- and four-day options.

General admission tickets are the cheapest option available, with 2024 prices starting at £99 for Friday’s practice sessions. These tickets went up to £199 for just a single-day ticket for Sunday’s race.

General admission ticket holders are allowed into select areas around the track but do not have designated seating. These tickets allow fans the flexibility to move around the Silverstone circuit during the day.

There is also a general admission plus ticket which includes grandstand admission. These allow fans access to a select number of grandstands, including Abbey, Copse A, Copse C, Luffield Complex, Luffield Terrace and Stowe.

Grandstand tickets offer fans a guaranteed view of the track and a seat to watch all of the action. There are a host of grandstands around the circuit, with 2024 prices starting from £319 for seats in the Copse grandstands, but these can get as expensive as £709 for a four-day pass in the Hamilton Straight grandstand.

There is also a Roving Grandstands ticket option available for Friday and Saturday, which allow fans to move around the circuit to view the action from different grandstands. This is not available for the race day as grandstand tickets will sell out.

Peter Bonnington, Senior Race Engineer, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 2nd position, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, 1st position, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 3rd position, on the podium

Peter Bonnington, Senior Race Engineer, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 2nd position, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, 1st position, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, 3rd position, on the podium

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

The best views can be found on the Hamilton Straight, Luffield, Becketts and Stowe, but these are usually the first grandstands to fully sell out.

Enclosure and VIP packages offer a guaranteed seat in a grandstand, as well as access to a variety of lounge areas. Those with the more expensive tickets will also be able to see talks from special guests, which will not be seen on the main stage.

What was the cost of 2024 British Grand Prix tickets?

Here is a full starting price list for the 2024 British GP ticket prices when they went on sale. Silverstone tickets were part of dynamic pricing and resulted in some tickets seeing up to a £200 increase due to demand.

Ticket type Friday Saturday Sunday Three-Day Four-Day
General Admission £99 £129 £199 £239 £339
GA plus grandstand admission*       —      —      — £349 £449
Roving Grandstand £149 £199      —      —      —
Abbey A  Grandstand      —      — £439 £489 £589
Abbey B Grandstand      —      —      — £539 £639
Becketts Grandstand       —      — £449 £499 £599
Chapel Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Club Corner A Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Club Corner B Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Club Corner C Grandstand      —      — £459 £509 £609
Copse A Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Copse B Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Copse C Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Copse D Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Farm Curve Grandstand      —      — £309 £359 £459
Hamilton Straight A Grandstand      —      —      — £609 £709
Hamilton Straight B Grandstand      —      —      — £489 £589
Luffield Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Luffield Corner Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
National Pits Straight Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Stirling A Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Stirling B Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Stowe A Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Stowe B Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Stowe C Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
The View Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Vale Grandstand      —      — £319 £369 £469
Village A Grandstand       —      — £379 £429 £529
Village B Grandstand       —      — £379 £429 £529
Woodcote A Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Woodcote B Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529
Woodcote C Grandstand      —      — £379 £429 £529

*General Admission plus grandstands included Abbey, Copse A, Copse C, Luffield Complex, Luffield Terrace and Stowe access

What was the cost of Enclosure and VIP tickets to the 2024 British Grand Prix?

Ticket type Friday Saturday  Sunday Three-Day Four-Day
Club Silverstone      —      —      — £689 £789
Hangar Enclosure       —      —      — £689 £789
International Paddock Enclosure      —      —      — £849 £949
International Paddock Enclosure (Lakeside seats)       —      —      — £849 £949
Mahiki T1 Enclosure      —      —      — £689  £789
Mahiki VIP Enclosure      —      —      — £1,199 £1,299
Village Enclosure £239 £389 £489 £689 £789
Wellington Enclosure £319 £469 £569 £849 £949

 



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Verstappen urges more Red Bull upgrades as F1’s aero testing rules begin to bite

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Max Verstappen has called for Red Bull to continue pushing through car upgrades as Formula 1’s sliding scale aerodynamic testing regulations begin to unfold.

The Milton Keynes-based outfit has been the dominant force in F1 since the dawn of the ground effect era in 2022, with Verstappen and Red Bull taking both drivers’ and constructors’ titles so far.

But it has been the sheer number of victories for the Dutchman in this period that has underlined his dominance, having twice broken the record for most wins in a single season en route to his titles.

Yet the current campaign paints a very different picture at the midway stage, despite Verstappen remaining on top of the standings. Both Ferrari drivers, both Mercedes drivers and McLaren’s Lando Norris have tasted success, with Sergio Perez’s struggles opening the door for a title battle in the constructors’.

F1’s sliding scale regulations were introduced alongside the budget cap in an attempt to level the playing field, with the bottom team in the championship standings given 45% more testing time than that of the championship-winning squad — each of the 10 teams separated by 5% increments.

Asked whether these regulations were beginning to impact Red Bull’s dominance, Verstappen replied: «Naturally, it will always help to have more time but that’s how the rules are, right? To try to slow down the winning team.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Erik Junius

«When you are the ones chasing you are happy when it is like that and, when you are the ones leading and being caught up during the season, you look at it like it is not what you want. But that’s how the rules are written, everyone agrees with it and you just have to deal with it.»

Verstappen had beaten the nearest non-Red Bull challenger (Carlos Sainz) by 25 seconds in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, but with Mercedes joining McLaren and Ferrari in the fight for wins — when the Scuderia is not battling issues with its own upgrade package — the three-time champion has already called for update efforts to continue.

The team arrived at the British Grand Prix with an upgrade package, though damage picked up in Q1 meant Verstappen was unable to fully display the improvements through qualifying.

On the effectiveness of the new package, Verstappen said: «We can see the gain.

«The weekend was a little bit hit and miss with trying a few bits on the car and of course, the weather doesn’t help. But when you look at it, if we didn’t have damage with the floor, we would have definitely been in the fight for pole. So that is a positive.

«We need to keep pushing, we need to keep bring bits — and I know they will come and hopefully they will be a little bit better than the upgrades at the other teams.»

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Erik Junius

Christian Horner has long warned that Red Bull would begin to be bitten by the law of diminishing returns given its strong headstart under the current technical regulations.

But when this rhetoric was put to Verstappen, he warned: «I refuse to believe so, because then you just get lazy.

«I am confident that everyone within the factory, they are always pushing flat out to try and bring bits of performance to the car, but there are a lot of smart people in other teams that are also doing the same thing.»

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Hollinger compares ownership in F1 versus IndyCar

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Brad Hollinger is among the few that have seen the world of Formula 1 and the IndyCar Series from an ownership perspective.

In 2014, the Pennsylvania native dove into the pinnacle of motorsport and became the second-largest shareholder and a board member at Williams. He spent six years with the team before selling off his 15% share and then in 2021 invested in a vision presented by Ricardo Juncos and became co-owner of Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) and jumped into the IndyCar Series.

In nearly three full-time seasons in IndyCar, JHR has ascended up the grid year-on-year, to the point of nearly touching the podium just two races ago after Romain Grosjean captured fourth place at Laguna Seca and recorded the team’s best-ever result.

With significant time now spent in both F1 and IndyCar, Hollinger recently talked exclusively with Autosport to share his thoughts on how the two single-seater categories compare.

“In some ways it’s almost identical,” Hollinger said. “The enjoyment, the passion, the thrill, it’s very similar, no doubt. I happened to hit it quite perfectly with Williams. Williams had floundered after the BMW deal, then they brought in Toto Wolff and he made some changes, all for the good. Brought in Pat Symonds, who did a great job.

The Williams team celebrate a podium finish for Valtteri Bottas, Williams F1, 3rd Position

The Williams team celebrate a podium finish for Valtteri Bottas, Williams F1, 3rd Position

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar

“The first race I went to after I bought in, in 2014, was Austria; we qualified first and third. We ended up third that season, third the next season. So, it was quite a good fairytale to say the least.

“Then, as they tend to do in Formula 1, the money dried up a bit. Claire [Williams] took over for her dad and it became difficult to be competitive. That was not so fun. It became more of a pure business and a whole lot less a fun, passionate sport.”

And that’s what forced Hollinger to look at IndyCar.

“Compare that to IndyCar where, a brand new team — Ricardo did a great job setting up an Indy NXT organisation, but I know he’d done one race, the Indy 500, a couple of years before in IndyCar,” Hollinger said.

“He wanted to get into IndyCar, I said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to as well’ coming from Formula 1. It’s meaningfully different. The racing, to me, is infinitely better. It’s fiercely competitive and close, but the atmosphere I love because, to me, it’s much more collegial, much more open, not so much this cloak-and-dagger shit that you have in Formula 1. Like, my God, you can’t take a picture; they hide everything. It’s like, ‘For God’s sake guys, it’s racing!’

“So, it’s just a much more collegial atmosphere, I find. In IndyCar, people help each other out. Yeah, there’s a bit of cut-throat and drivers changing hands and all that good kind of stuff. That’s normal in any sport, whatever it is, whether it’s football, soccer, basketball. So, I really enjoy IndyCar. IndyCar is just flat out more fun.”

Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images

Taking learnings from F1 to build-up JHR

This year, in particular, has seen JHR make significant moves to propel the organisation forward.

Over the offseason they brought in Mark Myers, a veteran of 22 years in motorsports on both the agency and team side, including nearly four years with Arrow McLaren, to take on the role of chief marketing officer, along with the internal promotion of Lee Zohlman stepping up as the chief commercial officer after serving as the senior partnership advisor.

In May, JHR announced the arrival of David O’Neill, the former Haas F1 team sporting director and team manager, as its new team principal.

Hollinger credits his learnings from F1 as part of knowing what to implement in IndyCar in an effort to find further success.

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“Certainly, bringing in David O’Neill has been huge. Mark Myers has been huge,” Hollinger said.

“These are guys that come from significant organisations in Haas and McLaren. They’re doing an organisational structure and template that works really well in racing. To get to the top, I think that’s exactly what it takes.

“Not only do you have to have the right vision, right passion and the right culture, you also have to have an organisation that knows the pecking order, is knowing and doing what their responsibilities are. I think that order is necessary and with the talent we have now, we’ve been able to do that.”



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F1 announces sprint race calendar for 2025, Belgium replaces Austria

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Formula 1 has announced the six grand prix weekends that will feature sprint events in 2025, with Spa-Francorchamps reinstated as Austria drops off for the first time since 2021.

Five of the events on the sprint calendar remain the same from 2024’s schedule; China and Miami will continue to host Saturday races, as will Austin, Brazil, and Qatar.

Belgium had previously held a sprint race in 2023, although this was omitted alongside the Azerbaijan sprint from this year’s calendar as the returning Chinese Grand Prix and the Miami round were installed as new hosts.

The return of a sprint race to the Belgian Grand Prix weekend comes at the expense of the Austrian Grand Prix, which first hosted a sprint in 2022 and remained on the schedule for the next two seasons.

Having held a sprint in every season since the format was introduced in 2021, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix will continue to do so having produced a series of highly acclaimed shorter races.

Both Qatar and the United States Grand Prix were first introduced to the sprint calendar in 2023 when the number of 100km races was increased from three to six, and remain on the bill for both this season and next.

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL60, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23, the rest of the field at the start

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL60, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL60, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23, the rest of the field at the start

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

F1 has also revealed an increase in viewing figures for sprint weekends over ‘normal’ weekends featuring three practice sessions, underlining its decision to continue with the format.

It is expected that the current layout used in 2024, in which the sprint race takes place on Saturday prior to grand prix qualifying, will remain in place.

This had been changed for this season to allow parc ferme to open between the sprint race and qualifying proper, ensuring that teams could address any mistakes in set-up to account for the loss in practice time.

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The changes ensured that the sprints became more of a standalone event, rather than directly affecting the full-length grand prix, and now does not penalise drivers for any set-up changes between the sprint race and the grand prix.

Due to the revisions to the 2025 calendar over 2024, this ensures that the China and Miami sprints are no longer in consecutive weekends, while all three sprint rounds following the summer break are also more spaced out.

2025 F1 sprint race calendar

Chinese GP — Shanghai International Circuit — 22 March
Miami GP — Miami International Autodrome — 3 May
Belgian GP — Spa-Francorchamps — 26 July
US GP — Circuit of the Americas — 18 October
Sao Paulo GP — Autodromo de Interlagos — 8 November
Qatar GP — Losail International Circuit — 29 November



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