Метка: Red Bull Racing

How F1’s points standings look after the 2024 F1 Belgian GP

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Mercedes’ 1-2 result in Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix initially closed the gap on its rivals in the constructors’ championship, before George Russell was stripped of his win.

Even with team-mate Lewis Hamilton inheriting the win, Mercedes remains in fourth place in the teams’ standings heading into the summer break.

As F1 enters its mid-season summer break, Max Verstappen extended his drivers’ championship lead for Red Bull over McLaren’s Lando Norris – despite his 10-place grid penalty in Spa that restricted him to fifth place.

Norris’s first corner slip-up proved costly, on a day when he not only failed to capitalise on Verstappen’s penalty but actually lost ground to his title rival.

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Perhaps most significantly, Red Bull has been outscored by all its three nearest rivals in the past two races, and its points lead has been slashed in recent races to 43 over McLaren.

2024 F1 world championship standings for drivers

How the Belgian GP impacted 2024 F1 drivers’ points

Verstappen gained two points on Norris at the head of the standings, extending his lead to 78 with 10 races remaining.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc retains third from Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – but Piastri is F1’s form man having scored 79 points over the last four events. He is now 10 points behind Leclerc.

Piastri has overtaken Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz for fourth in points, with the Spaniard now only 12 points clear of Hamilton.

Sergio Perez’s slump from the front row to finish seventh in Belgium sees him now 146 behind team-mate Verstappen.

2024 F1 world championship standings for constructors

Cla   Constructor   Points  Grands Prix
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1 Red Bull/Honda RBPT 408   44 43 10 44 54 44 29 8 25 29 25 18 16 19
2 McLaren/Mercedes 366   12 16 27 14 27 28 30 30 28 25 31 27 43 28
3 Ferrari 345   27 22 44 27 31 36 25 40 — 18 21 11 20 23
4 Mercedes 266   16 10 — 8 18 12 15 17 28 27 45 25 20 25
5 Aston Martin/Mercedes 73   3 10 12 8 7 2 2 — 14 — — 10 1 4
6 RB/Honda RBPT 34   — — 6 1 — 12 1 4 4 — 2 1 2 1
7 Haas/Ferrari 27   — 1 3 — 1 2 — — — — 12 8 — —
8 Alpine/Renault 11   — — — — — 1 — 1 3 3 1 — — 2
9 Williams/Mercedes 4   — — — — — — — 2 — — — 2 — —
10 Sauber/Ferrari 0   — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

How the Belgian GP impacted 2024 F1 standings for constructors

In the constructors’ championship, Red Bull’s advantage over McLaren is down to 42 – having failed to win a race over the last three grands prix. To put that into perspective, its advantage over McLaren was 93 after last month’s Spanish GP.

Ferrari remains third in the championship, 79 clear of Mercedes, as Aston Martin is best of the rest with 73 points.



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Verstappen ‘not banned’ from late-night sim racing

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Max Verstappen says he will continue to take part in sim races on grand prix weekends after laughing away suggestions that his hobby somehow affected his Formula 1 performances.

Verstappen finished fifth in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, in which the Dutchman appeared to be particularly irritable and frustrated with his strategy, and his Red Bull survived a collision with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

The triple world champion soon received fan criticism over taking part in the iRacing Spa 24 Hours until 3am on Sunday morning. And, after discussing the topic with Red Bull, team advisor Helmut Marko suggested Verstappen had agreed to stop taking part in sim races late into the night on grand prix weekends.

«Max has a different sleep rhythm and he had his seven hours of sleep,» Marko told the Red Bull-owned publication Speedweek.

«His late-night sim race on the Hungarian weekend only came about because a driver in his team was cancelled. Nevertheless, we have agreed he will no longer drive sims so late in future.»

Verstappen laughed away suggestions that his late-night exploits somehow affected him and said he would continue combining it with his F1 duties.

«We talked about it,» Verstappen said. «There is no other sim race coming up anyway, so no one needs to worry about that.

«So no, it’s not that I have a ban or whatever. I also don’t need to tell them what they do in their private time and during the weekends, and that’s the same to me.

«Racing till 3am is not something new and it’s something very important in my life.»

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, collide

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, collide

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Verstappen also pointed out he won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola after a late-night sim racing session as well, and was bemused by people trying to find reasons to criticise him for not finishing on the podium in Hungary.

«It’s always when you don’t win the race, [people] will always blame it on: ‘Ahh, he’s staying up until 3am or he’s being one kilo overweight,'» he said.

«There are always things to make up that you can argue about when you’re not winning a race.

«But, for example, in Imola I do win the race, both of them. I’ve been doing this since 2015. So for me, this is not something that is any different in my preparation.

«I mean, I’ve won three world championships, I think I know pretty well what I can and cannot do.

«I’m always very hard on myself, on what is allowed and isn’t allowed, so I think with all the experience I have in Formula 1, I know quite well what is possible.»

Additional reporting by Erwin Jaeggi



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Verstappen ‘not banned’ from late-night sim racing

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Max Verstappen says he will continue to take part in sim races on grand prix weekends after laughing away suggestions that his hobby somehow affected his Formula 1 performances.

Verstappen finished fifth in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, in which the Dutchman appeared to be particularly irritable and frustrated with his strategy, and his Red Bull survived a collision with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

The triple world champion soon received fan criticism over taking part in the iRacing Spa 24 Hours until 3am on Sunday morning. And, after discussing the topic with Red Bull, team advisor Helmut Marko suggested Verstappen had agreed to stop taking part in sim races late into the night on grand prix weekends.

«Max has a different sleep rhythm and he had his seven hours of sleep,» Marko told the Red Bull-owned publication Speedweek.

«His late-night sim race on the Hungarian weekend only came about because a driver in his team was cancelled. Nevertheless, we have agreed he will no longer drive sims so late in future.»

Verstappen laughed away suggestions that his late-night exploits somehow affected him and said he would continue combining it with his F1 duties.

«We talked about it,» Verstappen said. «There is no other sim race coming up anyway, so no one needs to worry about that.

«So no, it’s not that I have a ban or whatever. I also don’t need to tell them what they do in their private time and during the weekends, and that’s the same to me.

«Racing till 3am is not something new and it’s something very important in my life.»

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, collide

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, collide

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Verstappen also pointed out he won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola after a late-night sim racing session as well, and was bemused by people trying to find reasons to criticise him for not finishing on the podium in Hungary.

«It’s always when you don’t win the race, [people] will always blame it on: ‘Ahh, he’s staying up until 3am or he’s being one kilo overweight,'» he said.

«There are always things to make up that you can argue about when you’re not winning a race.

«But, for example, in Imola I do win the race, both of them. I’ve been doing this since 2015. So for me, this is not something that is any different in my preparation.

«I mean, I’ve won three world championships, I think I know pretty well what I can and cannot do.

«I’m always very hard on myself, on what is allowed and isn’t allowed, so I think with all the experience I have in Formula 1, I know quite well what is possible.»

Additional reporting by Erwin Jaeggi



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Red Bull’s biggest Hungary upgrades crucial for F1 2024 hopes

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Max Verstappen believes the success rate of Red Bull’s biggest upgrade package yet in Hungary will be crucial in determining its fortunes for the remainder of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

Red Bull’s RB20 started the season as the quickest car in the field, but in recent months McLaren and Mercedes have closed the gap, with their relative performance shifting from weekend to weekend.

Although both Verstappen and Red Bull still enjoy healthy leads in the drivers’ and constructors’ standings, the resurgence of their closest rivals mean wins don’t come as easily as they used to, and team-mate Sergio Perez’s struggles have left the door ajar for McLaren to mount a constructors’ title challenge.

So far, Red Bull has found it more difficult than some of its chasers to add performance to its car, resulting in Verstappen urging his team to push improvements through the pipeline quicker.

At this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix Red Bull is now introducing its most significant package so far, and Verstappen believes it will define how the second half of 2024 shapes up.

When asked if Red Bull’s Budapest specification was crucial for the team’s trajectory over the coming months, the Dutchman replied: «You could say that, yes. I think so.

«If this is not giving us some good lap time, then I don’t know how the rest of the season is going to evolve.

«But at the same time, I also don’t know what’s coming from the other teams, right? So we just focus on ourselves.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

«We are bringing quite some things to the car. It is a bit bigger than what we have brought already. And of course I hope that will give us a bit of lap time.»

Verstappen doesn’t expect the Budapest upgrades to be enough to restore Red Bull’s earlier advantage, but anticipates that it should bring the squad closer to Mercedes and McLaren instead.

«Over the last few races we have not had the quickest car,» said the reigning world champion.

«So, I don’t expect that to suddenly be any different. Hopefully the upgrades will give us a good boost, but at the moment I just want to see how that will all work this weekend.»

Verstappen was previously critical of Red Bull’s modest development curve this season, compelling the squad not to accept other teams catching up as normal under the current stable regulations.

While he conceded there is a shorter runway for Red Bull to keep finding gains under the cost cap and the aerodynamic testing restrictions it faces as F1’s leading force, Verstappen said he doesn’t want the team to make excuses.

«If you look at it realistically other teams have made bigger steps, that’s very clear,» he explained.

«I know that my team is pushing as hard as they can to find performance. These cars are just very complicated and some bits might be also just in the set-up itself.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Erik Junius

«At the same time, we need to find more performance. As the leading team you have less time, also in the wind tunnel [but] I’m not using that as an excuse, because I don’t want to think like that.

«But the reality is that we have less time and we try to do the best we can.»

Watch: Why Red Bull’s Domination is Potentially Over — F1 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix Preview



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Red Bull turmoil will only have longer-term impact on F1 team

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McLaren CEO Zak Brown doesn’t believe Red Bull has been too affected by the behind-the-scenes turmoil at its Formula 1 team yet, but thinks the squad might be impacted longer-term.

Red Bull has been embroiled in a power struggle ever since the passing of long-time owner Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022.

There has been a deepening rift between team boss Christian Horner, who enjoys the backing of the Thai majority owner, and the Austrian camp of incoming CEO Oliver Mintzlaff and Helmut Marko, who is inextricably linked to star driver Max Verstappen and his entourage.

Those tensions spilled out into the open at the start of 2024, when Horner faced an internal Red Bull probe over alleged wrongdoing against a female employee, a grievance that was dismissed by an independent barrister.

In the wake of the case, Verstappen’s father Jos made calls for Horner to leave, and tensions between the two flared up again at the recent Austrian Grand Prix. In the meantime, the squad’s talismanic designer Adrian Newey has announced his departure.

Brown, who was one of the paddock voices clamouring for more transparency over the Horner investigation, doesn’t believe Red Bull has been too affected by its power struggles just yet, but is expecting the inner turmoil to potentially be a factor as teams gear up for the 2026 regulations reset.

«I think the turmoil will have more of a mid- to longer-term impact,» he said. «Adrian Newey … this car was done last year, what they are racing now was done when everything was fine.

«It’s more ’26 when you’ve got a new engine coming, what’s going on with the driver front — that’s where you potentially are going to see the lack of stability that appears to be there maybe come through a little bit.

«Winning holds things together and, as that becomes more of a challenge for them, that’s where you might see some more fractures in various relationships inside that camp.»

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

But, with all F1 teams facing plenty of unknowns ahead of the 2026 season, when both the chassis and power unit regulations are undergoing sweeping changes, Brown is aware that 2025 could be McLaren’s best opportunity yet to challenge for the championship after working to get on par with Red Bull on pure pace.

«I think next year could be an epic season, right? You could have four teams fighting for the championship,» he said, while also acknowledging the likes of Aston Martin and RB could join the fray.

«It would be naive to rule out someone who’s not in the top four right now, because we do see how quickly things can change.

«Everyone has very similar technology, so there’s no reason why others can’t do what we’ve done the last year.»

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Horner’s pre-Goodwood F1 test drive an uplift in Red Bull positivity

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Even for someone who has experienced 381 starts in Formula 1, it is interesting how the nerves can still get to you. Christian Horner has been at all of Red Bull’s races and overseen its 120 victories and 277 podiums. But until just under a week ago, he had never sampled one of the cars that had powered his drivers to victory.

So when the opportunity came up to drive Sebastian Vettel’s RB8 at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, the very car the German won the 2012 F1 world championship in, it was too good an opportunity to turn down.

However, there was only one problem. Horner had not driven an F1 car since 1993, when he’d tested a Lotus that is now part of Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll’s collection of cars at the Norfolk team’s Hethel test track.

What followed was a last-minute opportunity for Horner to get a vital few laps in driving around Silverstone during a scheduled filming day — which proved to be an eye-opener.

«It was fun,» he said speaking after the Silverstone run where Liam Lawson had driven the team’s RB20 during the filming day. «It was the first time I’ve driven a Red Bull car and certainly the first time with a hand clutch and two pedals.»

He joked: «I wanted to set a benchmark for Liam! Sebastian was due to drive one of the cars but he’s on holiday with his family, and wasn’t able to make Goodwood.

«I haven’t driven a single seater since 1998 [in Formula 3000], and a Formula 1 car since 1993, so I thought well, there was the opportunity on Thursday just to drive a car with a hand clutch, and a left foot brake.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

«It was a great honour and privilege to drive one of these amazing cars, a championship winning car, so I was standing in for Sebastian.»

Horner showed me some videos of him starting from the pitlane; a standing start from the garage could have proved too tricky on his first run. He was quizzed how he found it and added: «I was flat on the straight for about three seconds! It’s mind-boggling how quick these cars are and just how much aero influence there is.

«The biggest thing that struck me is when I lifted off, it’s like somebody’s thrown an anchor out with the amount of aerodynamic braking. And particularly with a blown diffuser that there was on that car.

«It’s like heavy braking in a road car and then when you hit the brakes and you’re struggling to keep your chin out of your chest! So I enjoyed it so much, I missed the pit lane and I managed to squeeze in an extra extra lap!»

Horner’s press conference had taken place on the Friday, the day after his first run in a Red Bull. He was in relaxed mood in the motorhome while his son played with a toy remote control Red Bull car. Horner was there to unveil the RB17 hypercar with the soon-to-depart Adrian Newey.

There was no sign of any bad feeling between the two as they ripped off the covers off the RB17. In fact, after a short speech they shared a hug. It was like old times.

Newey has now departed his old office in the team’s HQ, which was adjacent to Horner’s, as he prepares to see out his time working on RB17 and the Red Bull Advanced Technologies department.

It was the same too on the Sunday. Ahead of the special run up Goodwood’s famous hill, there was plenty of positivity.

Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing

Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Daniel Ricciardo, Mark Webber, David Coulthard, Newey and Horner all arrived at different times during the morning and exchanged pleasantries. The majority had been enjoying a cocktail evening celebrating the team’s anniversary the night before with current and former employees from the past 20 years.

Ricciardo was especially buoyant as he bounced around the motorhome and seemed genuinely happy to be there, fist-bumping everyone in the building. For someone who has faced countless questions about his future with Red Bull, he was certainly enjoying this moment and looked carefree.

Verstappen cut a more straight-forward vibe. He too was relaxed, enjoyed the run up the hill, waved to the fans before heading back to Southampton Airport and flying back to Monaco. Job done as he attended his first Festival Of Speed having watched it before online.

Even under-fire Perez was on good form. He put aside his poor fun of performances in F1 and drove the electric Ford SuperVan up the hill, which had the equivalent of 1,400bhp and managed not to generate any negative headlines.

Which brings us on to the main event and the Red Bull parade. Horner need not have worried about his inexperience in a F1 car, for he drove up the hill as planned in a wonderful procession that included Newey behind the wheel of the Aston Martin Valkyrie — a car he’d helped design with Red Bull, but also ironic given the rumours of him now joining Stroll’s team…

It was a poignant show of solidarity to celebrate the achievements of Red Bull after what has been a tricky seven months. Differences put aside, it was impressive to witness a universal moment of positivity and a reminder of its success.

That could all bode well for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, which comes at a crucial time when Mercedes are just pulling back into contention.

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images



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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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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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Newey’s F1-inspired Red Bull RB17 hypercar revealed at Goodwood

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Adrian Newey and Red Bull have unveiled the RB17 hypercar that the famed Formula 1 designer has been producing with the team’s Advanced Technologies division.

Revealed in a display at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the RB17 has changed significantly since the project was first announced publicly in June 2022.

The main change concerns the engine, which is now a 4.5-litre V10 instead of an F1-inspired V8 turbo power unit, while an early interpretation with 4WD was abandoned.

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com ahead of the car’s public unveiling, Newey said he feels the result of such a project “should be works of art that you’re happy to display as such in your house or your garage”.

“Derive enjoyment simply from the art aspect. And it must sound good,” he added.

“That last challenge was a fundamental change from my initial design because I wanted a power unit that was capable of developing 1000hp, but with a maximum weight of 150kg on the combustion side.

“A turbo V8 would have certainly given that. Bu obviously, it doesn’t sound as good as a naturally aspirated.

“I think for me, [and] a lot of people would agree, the height of the sort of audio soundtrack for Formula 1 was the high revving V10s until the end of 2005.”

The RB17 has only recently entered its production phase, with its suspension elements currently being made before chassis, gearbox and engine building follows.

The finished car will then be track tested and is set to be smaller and stylistically altered compared to the model revealed at Goodwood.

“It’s a point in time,” Newey said of the Goodwood car. “Since then, so it’s nearly a year old, we’ve kept developing.

“Not only from a styling point of view, other things we’ve [changed]. The car is a little bit smaller than the blue car in length and width. I think the styling is further improved.

“Then we had other things that we needed to incorporate because we were anxious that it should comply with all the LMH [category from the World Endurance Championship] safety regulations.”

Newey said “it is possible” that the RB17 could one day race in the WEC and at Le Mans, but would require “quite a big redesign of, particularly, the aerodynamics” plus a different engine.

Only 50 RB17s will be built, with Newey committed to finishing the project before he leaves Red Bull in March 2025.

He has been attending select F1 races since his Red Bull exit was announced as part of the RB17 sales plan, with his son Harrison – 2015 BRDC Formula 4 runner-up and 2017-2018 Asian Le Mans Series champion – working as customer manager for the car.

Red Bull is offering its RB17 customers a track programme at various unspecified circuits, as well as a warranty of two years or 2,485 miles, whichever is reached earlier.



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