Метка: Singapore GP

Red Bull staff being poached is a “natural development” – Marko

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has downplayed the latest developments within the Milton Keynes-based squad, with key staff having been poached by rival teams.

In the last few months, chief technical officer Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and head of race strategy Will Courtenay have been signed by Aston Martin, Sauber/Audi and McLaren as managing technical partner, team principal and sporting director respectively.

Last year, chief engineering officer Rob Marshall also departed Red Bull to join McLaren, initially as technical director of engineering and design, shortly before taking on the chief designer role.

Following the Courtenay announcement last week, Jos Verstappen bitterly remarked about the brain exodus: “This is what I warned about… It’s too many people now [leaving].”

Marko’s point of view very much differs from the Dutchman’s, as shown by his interview with Autosport’s sister publication Formel1.de.

When asked whether the power struggle between team principal Christian Horner and himself might be to blame for the situation, Marko replied: “Well, I would say that it’s a natural development, when you’ve been as successful as we have been, that people are poached.

“[Courtenay] had an offer that was significantly more attractive in terms of position and financially, and that was the case for most of the people mentioned.”

Hannah Schmitz, principal strategy engineer at Red Bull Racing

Hannah Schmitz, principal strategy engineer at Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

The Austrian also clarified that principal strategy engineer Hannah Schmitz would be the one and only candidate to replace Courtenay as head of race strategy.

“We have to stand together and do everything we can to ensure that this world championship is won this year and that we also build successful cars for next year and the year after that, because that’s the basis for being able to keep a Max Verstappen,” Marko insisted.

Verstappen’s future at the team is not guaranteed, with Mercedes having considered a move for the three-time world champion before promoting highly-rated junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli to a race seat for 2025. His signing to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton has led team principal Toto Wolff to acknowledge the team should stop flirting with Verstappen.

Meanwhile, strengthened by Newey’s arrival, Aston Martin is now openly courting the Dutch driver, who remains coy about this prospect.

Asked whether Newey could have solved Red Bull’s current predicament, Marko said: “That’s an illusory rhetorical question. We have a diverse team, and they have to – and will – solve this.”

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Red Bull will however look forward to completing work on its new wind tunnel, with its current model in Bedford no longer up to date.

“A more modern wind tunnel would help,” Marko admitted. “Our wind tunnel is a post-war model that the British army built.

“We are no longer up to date – by a long way. And I hope that in 2026, our new wind tunnel will be up and running.”



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Singapore GP steward Herbert explains Verstappen’s FIA swearing penalty

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Johnny Herbert has explained the decision making behind Max Verstappen’s penalty for swearing, having been part of the FIA stewards panel at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.

Verstappen has been issued with a community service order by F1’s governing body for swearing in a live televised press conference.

PLUS: What happened the last time Verstappen did community service

It comes after an Autosport exclusive interview with the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in which he urged drivers to curb their foul language.

In the article, Ben Sulayem said: «We have to differentiate between our sport — motorsport — and rap music.
 We’re not rappers, you know. They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them and we are [us].»

While Herbert — who was a race steward at the Singapore GP where the Dutchman swore in the press conference and was punished — says the sanction was not a direct result of Ben Sulayem’s wishes to target bad language, he has provided insight into the decision.


«At the press conference in Singapore, Max used the ‘F’ word about his car. The press conferences are beamed around the world,» he told CasinoHawks. 

«There is more swearing than there ever has been. A press conference is not the place for it.

«Some journalists have said the sport is trying to make robots out of the drivers. That’s not the case. You are just asking them not to swear, which I think is the right thing. Most drivers don’t swear.

Johnny Herbert, former driver and FIA steward, arrives at the track

Johnny Herbert, former driver and FIA steward, arrives at the track

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

«The incident was referred to us as stewards. We had a good open chat with Max for about 20 minutes, half an hour, in what was a difficult situation. 


«You could see in his face he was really worked up about it. But when he left, he appeared to be mollified about the process and why it’s there. He did not blame us as stewards.

«As stewards, we have a range of tools to punish drivers. We are there to implement the rules and make a decision together.

«We could have fined him, but we felt it would be more beneficial to get him to do something socially responsible. It is up to Max and the FIA what that is.

«It all blew up afterwards because he went to the press conference and gave one-word answers then held his own impromptu press conference outside in the paddock.

«That showed Max’s rebellious streak. I love that side of him, it is what makes Max, Max, his honest and outspoken character. But there is a time and a place.

«Personally, I think there is too much swearing. I don’t want my five-year-old grandchild listening to that sort of language.»

Herbert also admitted that Ben Sulayem’s controversial interview «did not go down very well with the drivers» and claims they were «antagonised».

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President

Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images

He added: «There is an FIA code about not using foul language. A week before, the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem had talked about swearing and saying F1 drivers shouldn’t swear, and they were not ‘rappers.’ 


«That did not go down very well with the drivers who were antagonised, especially Lewis [Hamilton] who felt it was a racial slur.

«The drivers were not happy about it. They all bandied together with Max.

«I have noticed that the drivers are a much closer-knit bunch than I have seen for many years. They have much stronger opinions on issues.

«Swearing is something Ben Sulayem is wanting to stamp out. You can’t so much in the heat of the moment during a race in the car when emotion comes out.

«I hope common sense prevails on F1 drivers swearing moving forward — the drivers and FIA need to work together.

«There has to be an understanding that both sides need to work together. I know the FIA President is unhappy with foul language. 

«There is an understanding among drivers that swearing at a press conference is not right. It is just something that built up from the President’s initial ‘rappers’ comment which some found offensive to then Max being dragged before the stewards in Singapore.»

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, in the post Qualifying Press Conference

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, in the post Qualifying Press Conference

Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images

Herbert also says that there has since been a meeting with the F1 drivers and that the exact details of the community service punishment dished out to Verstappen are yet to be agreed.


He said: «We had a meeting with the drivers afterwards when at least one, who I won’t name, made clear that in his opinion, swearing was not acceptable.

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«There are many youngsters around the world who love the sport and worship the drivers. Drivers have to understand that they are role models.

«We made the decision that there was a case to answer if you like. It is between Max and the FIA to agree what the sanction should be and what it would be. That part is out of our control.»



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Singapore Grand Prix rights owner charged in former transport minister gifts case

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The rights owner to Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix has been charged in connection with a major corruption case surrounding the country’s former transport minister.

S. Iswaran was jailed for a year on Thursday after being found guilty of receiving gifts while in office.

The owner of the rights to the race in Singapore’s Marina Bay, Ong Beng Seng, has now been charged having been accused of giving alleged kickbacks to Iswaran – who announced his resignation earlier in the year.

It is claimed by prosecutors that Ong, the 78-year-old Malaysian based in Singapore, gave Iswaran tickets to the F1 race, Premier League matches and a ride on a private jet – with the gifts totalling more than $300,000.

Ong has not entered a plea but his company, Hotel Properties Ltd – which includes brands such as the Four Seasons — asked for a trading halt on Friday.

Ong, who also has a stake in Mulberry — was arrested by Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in July 2023 and the Attorney General’s Chambers confirmed on Friday he has been charged under Section 165, in relation to the abetting of Iswaran receiving gifts as well as an additional charge of obstruction of justice.

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

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

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Iswaran’s role of transport minister meant he dealt with Ong’s Singapore GP Pte, which promotes the grand prix, as an advisor but the state revealed earlier in the year that the 2024 race would proceed as normal despite the allegations.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing scandal, Singapore hosted the 2024 race last month as McLaren’s Lando Norris took a dominant victory at Marina Bay.

F1 returned to Singapore in 2008 as the first night race to ever be staged in the series, running through to 2019 until a two-year hiatus due to COVID.

Singapore’s current contract with F1 is in place until 2028 after an extension to the deal was announced two years ago.

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The critical element Haas needed for Hulkenberg to crack an old F1 weakness

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu says convincing Nico Hulkenberg to buy into a different approach to winter testing is behind their much-improved results in the 2024 Formula 1 season.

The American squad, which came last in 2023, is currently engaged in a close fight with RB for sixth place in the constructors’ championship, as three points separate them with the final six races of the campaign looming.

Hulkenberg has scored 54.2% of Haas’s 31 points so far – compared to 66.7% of its nine in 2023 – with the team’s impressive improvement in form long credited to is design alterations in the VF-24 compared to the VF-23, meaning its drivers can now keep their tyres alive and push on harder in races.

But while the current Haas car is a much better machine, Komatsu has now revealed how he sees the team’s gains as much down to improvements on the driver side as well.

In an exclusive interview with Autosport, Komatsu explains that he feels Hulkenberg has been “better” overall compared to the driver who restarted his career with Haas last year, but “not better in terms of giving us reference in qualifying, in terms of tyre management, race management”.

In 2023, Hulkenberg was a regular qualifying star for Haas but could not score regular points due to the team’s struggles with in-race tyre wear.

Hulkenberg has already matched his 2023 Q3 appearances total (eight) with a quarter of the season remaining, but his team boss is adamant he has been “so much better” at in-race tyre management too due to a key decision taken at the start of the year.

“It doesn’t just come from him,” Komatsu added. “Just the whole team, the way that we work together from pre-season testing, involving drivers in the centre to understand how he needs to manage tyres.

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, with his engineers

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, with his engineers

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“Yes, the car is better, so it’s easier to manage. But from his side as well, I think his understanding is much better.

“And then because we’ve been focused on it from day one, I think he knows he feels how much time on tyre management will make a difference.

“So, he’s much more open to, let’s say, input as well. So, on that side, the long-run sustained running, I think he’s better. Qualifying, I think same, but ‘same’ as in ‘very good’.”

Komatsu is referring to how Haas completed 15 long-run stints across the opening two days of Bahrain pre-season testing – with no time spent on the soft tyres conducting performance running – before both Magnussen and Hulkenberg did a full race simulation on the final day.

“We had to do that race practice – tyre management – in pre-season testing,” Komatsu says – explaining that Haas’s plan was to do this to get a full understanding on its tyre wear over longer stints.

“Last year, of course we were trying to get him to do the management, but he’s not totally bought into it because he hasn’t experienced how much difference it’s going to make.”

When asked why this had been the case, Komatsu replied: “You’ve got to believe that it’s going to have such sensitivity.

“You’re telling the driver, ‘you’ve got to, let’s say, lose tenths in certain corners’. How painful is that?

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

“But then you’ve got to understand that ‘if you do this, you see the payback in a good way’. ‘If you don’t do it, this is the result of it’. But unless you experience it and see on the data – feel it back to back – it’s very difficult to accept it black and white.

“I don’t think tyre management was ever his strength. If you look at the previous races he used to do with Renault, I don’t think it was his strength and obviously these tyres are so sensitive.

“So, again, when he came back [for] 2023 in the pre-season testing, of course, we didn’t have the same focus, right?

“But this winter, for me, there was no option. It’s not optional. It’s not conditional.

“It’s just: ‘No, we’ve got to understand this one. We’ve got to get the drivers to experience it – the consequences, positive or negative – then they will buy into it.’ Then they know why they’re doing what they’re doing’.”

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Hulkenberg also said Haas’s pre-season tyre wear work was “good” and “a lot of work also there understanding different strategies, how to manage the tyre”.

“It was, I think, a good learning experience for us,” he told Autosport. “We don’t, obviously in race weekends, have a lot of practice to play around with that.

“So, it was good, but at the same time because the car and the aero characteristic was so fundamentally different that we were not in the same boat anymore as last year, it was immediately better.

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, in the cockpit

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, in the cockpit

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“So, you know, did we have to do that much in hindsight? Maybe not.

“But anyway, it was good. And if you do low-fuel runs in testing, for me anyway, that’s not very useful. I don’t need it. So, I liked the way we approached that.”

Hulkenberg is set to leave Haas and join Sauber for 2025 – you can read how he views leaving the much-improved Haas to join now the worst team on the grid in the soon-to-be Audi works team in this exclusive interview in the latest Autosport magazine.



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F1 abandons Abu Dhabi rookie sprint race idea for 2024

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Formula 1’s plans to host a rookie sprint race at December’s Abu Dhabi’s post-season test have been abandoned due to logistical reasons, with the idea set to be revisited in the future.

The concept to hold a 10-car sprint event on the Tuesday after the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix looked set for approval, with all major stakeholders in favour of the idea to give rookies more relevant mileage in current F1 cars.

The plans were further fleshed out and then discussed during Wednesday’s F1 Commission meeting, but the consensus was that F1 and the FIA would leave themselves with too many logistical headaches to be solved in two months’ time.

Therefore, it was agreed to revisit the plans for next year’s post-season test, with more time to properly flesh out the concept and the organisational aspect.

«The concept of a “rookie race” to be added to the 2024 post-season test schedule at Abu Dhabi was discussed,» a report from the commission meeting stated.

«While the concept received widespread support, it was determined that due to timing and organisational constraints, the event would not take place in 2024, and discussions will continue to formulate a potential concept and plan for 2025.»

The outline of the plan for the Tuesday after Abu Dhabi was for a short qualifying session and then a sprint race involving 10 rookies, fitted around the regular Pirelli test element to the day.

2026 cars to see increased aerodynamic performance

New regulations will come in for 2026

New regulations will come in for 2026

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

The F1 Commission also discussed tweaks to the all-new 2026 technical regulations, which were a source of concern from the teams when a first outline was presented in June and was then further refined in the FIA’s Technical Advisory Committee.

It was agreed the 2026 cars will get an increase in aerodynamic performance levels compared to the original proposals.

«Following discussions during recent Technical Advisory Committee meetings, and ongoing talks with Formula 1 teams, a number of amendments to the 2026 Technical Regulations in the areas of performance, aerodynamics and safety have been included in the latest iteration of these Regulations,» said the statement.

«These involve an increase of the expected aerodynamic performance of the cars following extensive collaboration between the teams and the FIA over the last few months.»

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The F1 Commission also agreed on the 2026 sporting and financial regulations and confirmed that there will be three separate three-day tests ahead of the 2026 season to help teams get up to speed with their all-new power units, which will be particularly valuable for new engine manufacturers Audi and Red Bull-Ford.

«The 2026 Sporting Regulations have undergone a significant re-vamp, seeking to simplify their structure,» the statement said.

«In terms of substance, the 2026 pre-season test schedule will involve three, three-day tests, in recognition of the challenges presented by the new Power Unit Regulations.

«The 2026 Financial Regulations will be an evolution of the current regulatory framework.The objectives of the 2026 regulations are to provide a competitive balance between sporting fairness and financial sustainability.»

All changes are still subject to approval by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council, which will gather on 17 October.



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Hamilton strategy «battle» puts Mercedes in spotlight

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Ever since Lewis Hamilton announced his shock switch to Ferrari for next year at the start of the current Formula 1 season, conspiracy has swirled over his treatment at Mercedes.

What the partnership has achieved together can only spoken of in the same manner as Michael Schumacher’s stint with the Scuderia at the start of the century, yet there have been signs of disharmony across the current season.

With Hamilton’s qualifying form dipping at multiple rounds over the year — especially after strong practice pace — there have been suggestions from his supporters on social media that favour was now focused on team-mate George Russell.

A strategy call that resulted in Russell take the win in Belgium, before being thrown out for an underweight car, left Hamilton reeling.

There was even an email in circulation earlier this year claiming to be from a Mercedes employee suggesting sabotage, threatening key members of the team and forcing a police investigation.

While there is no evidence of sabotage, nor claim from Hamilton himself, the way the world now works with Twitter (or X), Instagram and Facebook the dominant force for news and opinion means perception is often more powerful than truth.

Of course, Hamilton’s own admission that he was «not good» in qualifying when taking sixth on the grid for the Italian Grand Prix eliminates doubt.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

But murmours of such unfair treatment returned after he was put onto the soft tyre at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix having qualified third — only one of two drivers to start on that compound.

It was to the detriment of his race and he would eventually finish just sixth, behind Russell.

Speaking at team sponsor Petronas’ headquarters in Kuala Lumpur in the week after the event — in a video filmed by an audience member and circulated on social media — Hamilton and Russell reacted to the strategy call.

Here’s how the chat went:

LH: «It wasn’t fun. We sat in our meeting in the morning before the race — actually, the night before they already mentioned they would like to split the cars. For me, I was a bit perplexed by it because, in the past, when we have been in that position… normally, if George has qualified well like he normally does and I’m out of the top 10, then we will split the strategies. But, when we were so close, it didn’t make sense to me. But I battled as hard as I could to fight for the medium tyre, but the team continued to suggest that I start on the soft. When they took the tyre blankets off and everyone was on mediums…»

GR: «When I saw that, I was thinking ‘Lewis won’t be happy’.

LH: «I was so angry. Already from that moment, I was frustrated and then I tried my best to keep up with the guys ahead. They were too fast and I tried to make the tyre last as long as they could. I knew [when I stopped] that the race was done for me because the hard tyre was going to be a struggle in that heat.»

It must be pointed out that Hamilton laughed his way through his answer, showing little animosity over the situation, even if the choice of words suggests otherwise.

Team principal Toto Wolff had explained the team had «read the race wrong» when selecting the strategy but providing more insight, technical director James Allison said: «I’ll just start off by saying we shouldn’t have started on the softs. That was a mistake. If we could turn back time, we would do what those around us did and select the mediums.

«The reasoning was that the soft tyre very often allows you to get away from the start abruptly and allows you a good chance of jumping a place or two in the opening laps of the race. We had no real expectation before the race that we were going to suffer the sort of difficulties that we then experienced on the soft rubber.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, in the garage

Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, in the garage

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

«So, we imagined we would get the upside of the soft rubber, of getting a place or two. We didn’t, because that just isn’t the way the starts played out and then we hoped that the downside of the soft being a bit more fragile wouldn’t really play out particularly badly because, if you look back over the years in Singapore, on the whole, the pace starts very, very easy at a Singapore race and the drivers then build up the pace over many, many laps, leaving a soft tyre perfectly OK to run relatively deep into the pit window.

«So, we didn’t get the places at the start, the pace started building up from around about lap five and that left Lewis with a car that was not particularly happy anyway, suffering from quite poor tyre degradation and needing to come in early as a consequence and really ruined his race for him. Yeah, so just a clear mistake.»

Mercedes, like any team, determines its strategies through the use of historical race data and the information picked up across the active weekend. Regardless of Hamilton’s thoughts, there is no doubt the team selected the compound it felt was the best to help maximise its result at the end of 62 laps.

To suggest anything otherwise is grossly unfair and insulting to a professional team that has had all the success a group could wish for.

But that’s not to say the relationship between team and driver is not damaged. Hamilton was the on-track laboratory for Mercedes as it struggled at the dawn of the current technical regulations and in the space of two years has gone from wanting to be a Silver Arrow for life, emulating Sir Stirling Moss, to jumping ship for Ferrari.

In years gone by, the team may have paid more attention to his pleas in the pre-race briefings rather than allowing a «battle» to escalate.

Wolff insisted this year that his personal relationship with Hamilton hasn’t suffered, yet he was left «shocked and hurt» by the seven-time champion’s Ferrari switch.

The question is whether harmony will remain between what was once the powerhouse of F1 until the split comes at the end of the year.



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US court dismisses Haas trademark case against Steiner

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A United States judge has dismissed the trademark infringement case made by Haas Automation against its former Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner.

In May, the Haas F1 team’s parent company Haas Automation sued Steiner for alleged trademark infringements in his ‘Surviving to Drive’ autobiography, claiming that Steiner used Haas branding and trademarks in his book without permission or consent from the company.

After not getting a satisfactory response from Steiner on the matter, Haas Automation took the Italian and his book’s publisher Ten Speed to court in California, where the parent company is headquartered.

Haas took particular issue with the photography used in the book, including the front cover, which Haas Automation alleged breached federally registered trademarks for its CNC machine tools business and motorsport activities.

Steiner’s defence argued that the use of Haas logos fell under fair use and was protected by the First Amendment. The California judge ruled the use of Haas logos was artistically relevant to the book and was not explicitly misleading, two criteria on which a copyright infringement is judged according to the so-called Rogers test.

«The Book recounts Steiner’s experiences as team principal of the Haas F1 Team during the 2022 season,» the court documents stated.

«Using photos that include the Haas marks is an artistic choice to provide additional context about the 2022 season with the Haas F1 Team.

Gunther Steiner

Gunther Steiner

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

«Here, there is no explicit indication, overt claim, or explicit misstatement that the ‘source of the work’ is Haas Automation.

«While there’s an argument the photo on the cover implicitly suggests endorsement or sponsorship, there is no explicitly misleading statement or suggestion by way of the Haas marks.

«Accordingly, defendants’ use here of the Haas marks is protected under Rogers. Defendants’ motion is therefore granted.»

A state-level common law unfair business practices claim was also dismissed. The defence sought to have its legal fees reimbursed by Haas Automation but, because Haas’ complaint was deemed «objectively reasonable», that motion was denied.

Steiner has also taken Haas to court himself in North Carolina over commissions and royalties that he alleges his former employer owes him over several years, a case that is still ongoing.

Backed by Haas Automation founder and NASCAR team owner Gene Haas, Steiner was the driving force behind the Haas F1 squad from its 2014 inception.

The former Jaguar and Red Bull Racing director led Haas F1 as team principal from its first grand prix in 2016 until the end of the 2023 season, when his expiring contract was not renewed and he was replaced by Ayao Komatsu.

When approached by Autosport, the Haas F1 team declined to comment on the matter.



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Monza low the turning point for Red Bull’s 2024 F1 season

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Christian Horner thinks Red Bull’s poor Italian Grand Prix weekend may have been the low point that helped turn its 2024 season around.

Red Bull’s performance dip hit a new low in Monza where the RB20 was the fourth-fastest car, with Max Verstappen calling his car a «monster» as he became ever more pessimistic about his chances of holding off McLaren’s Lando Norris in the championship.

But the Italy trip did turn out to be a useful data-gathering exercise as Red Bull continued its floor experiments across both cars, and according to team principal Horner, it unearthed the root cause of what had been going wrong with the RB20’s handling.

«We already could see the issues, but I think what Monza really exposed was perhaps some of the root cause, or helped to identify the root cause of the issue. So I’m taking Monza as the low point and we’re starting to build out of that,» he said in Singapore.

Following Monza’s poor showing, Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez was back in contention in Baku on a different set-up to the Dutchman, and in Singapore, Verstappen finished second, albeit a sobering distance between runaway winner Norris.

Those are not the kind of results the formerly dominant team will have been excited about, but at least they indicated that Red Bull has started to turn a corner, with a four-week gap to Austin’s US Grand Prix an opportunity to convert its painful summertime lessons into a more robust car upgrade.

«Obviously the gap to Lando was significant in the first part of the race and we’ve now got the best part of a month to work hard and try and bring some performance to the car in Austin,» Horner said.

«When you consider where we were a couple of weeks ago, I think we have made some real progress. We’ve got a vein of development, and we’ve understood some of the issues with the car. I think we’re starting to address them.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

«We were better in Baku, we were better here. So, there’ll be a lot of late nights in Milton Keynes. 

«The McLaren is the benchmark car at the moment and we have a bit to catch up, but we’ve got the people and the capability to do that.»

Horner said Red Bull’s Austin upgrade hasn’t been signed off yet, but the lead times involved in getting new parts through the design and production cycle means the Milton Keynes factory has been flat out to try and incorporate its latest design solutions into the car that will take it through a challenging triple-header in Austin, Mexico and Brazil.

«It probably hasn’t been finalised yet, so there’s a lot of information that are coming out of these events that will influence what’s going on the car in Austin.

«We’ve got a lot of useful information out of the last two races, but they’re very, very different venues to the sweeping curves of Austin and Mexico. Brazil is a different one again, so it will be interesting. 

«Everybody is massively motivated in the team and we’re still fighting obviously for both championships.»



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The 10 defining moments of Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career

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Formula 1 said goodbye to Daniel Ricciardo at last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, as it became increasingly clear that the RB driver was set to be replaced by Liam Lawson.

That news was officially confirmed on 26 September, meaning Lawson will partner Yuki Tsunoda for the final six rounds of the 2024 season, leaving the future of the eight-time grand prix winner unclear.

There are just two spots left on the 2025 grid and, with one seat being the Red Bull one currently held by Sergio Perez, his only chance of staying in F1 is via a shock move to Sauber.

It’s therefore likely to be the end of Ricciardo’s F1 career, which began in 2011 and has twice seen the 35-year-old finish third in the championship — his best result.

So what are the 10 career-defining moments for Ricciardo in F1?

Red Bull sends Ricciardo to the HRT F1 Team on loan

Daniel Ricciardo, HRT Formula One Team HRT F111

Daniel Ricciardo, HRT Formula One Team HRT F111

Photo by: Sutton Images

Ricciardo became a Red Bull junior driver when he was 18 years old having just finished sixth in the 2007 Formula Renault Italia standings. This meant Red Bull supported his career from that moment onwards and in 2010 he became its test and reserve driver, a role he also held for sister team Toro Rosso which is now RB.

The Australian continued to impress and in June 2011 Ricciardo was finally offered the opportunity to become an F1 driver. But it wasn’t with either of the Red Bull-owned squads, because the operation had paid the struggling Hispania Racing Team to take Ricciardo on loan for the final 11 rounds of the season.

Ricciardo did well despite a poor car, as over time he gradually became quicker than veteran team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi — out-qualifying him for grands prix like Italy, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. It was a vital learning experience and at the end of the year, Ricciardo was announced as a Toro Rosso driver for 2012, where he spent two seasons before a promotion to Red Bull.

Ricciardo claims maiden victory during debut season at Red Bull

Ricciardo moved to reigning world champions Red Bull for 2014 after fellow Aussie Mark Webber called time on his 12-year F1 career. Although Red Bull had just won the previous four titles, Ricciardo wasn’t exactly thrown into an easy situation because he was up against the reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel in the first year of turbo-hybrid racing.

But Ricciardo thrived and quickly asserted himself as the faster driver, in which his impressive start culminated in a maiden grand prix victory at the season’s seventh round in Montreal.

It was a frantic race which saw the Red Bull driver running second behind Nico Rosberg with three laps to go despite starting in sixth. But trouble had hit Mercedes, as that year’s world champion Lewis Hamilton retired on lap 46 with a brake failure while team-mate Rosberg, who he bitterly fought for the title, was forced to drive with less engine power.

This resulted in Ricciardo passing Rosberg for the lead with two laps remaining and that eventual victory was huge, as the then 24-year-old now held a strong upper hand on Vettel.

It was the first of three victories for him in 2014, which resulted in a new long-term contract while Vettel departed for Ferrari in 2015.

Ricciardo debuts his famous ‘shoey’ celebration in Hockenheim

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, 1st position, performs a shoey on the podium

Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren, 1st position, performs a shoey on the podium

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

Ricciardo fully established himself as one of F1’s leading drivers after the 2014 Canadian GP and 2016 saw him finish third in the championship for the second time in three years. That season he also won in Malaysia, but his podium at the Hockenheimring two months prior was perhaps the more memorable moment as Ricciardo debuted the shoey.

The shoey is a unique Australian celebration which entails a driver drinking champagne from their race-worn shoe on the podium. It was introduced to motorsport by V8 Utes racer Ryal Harris, before Ricciardo brought it to F1 after his second-place finish at the 2016 German GP.

It no doubt caught everybody by surprise but people loved the moment. So whenever he scored a podium afterwards, Ricciardo did a shoey — often because others encouraged him — and sometimes dragged others into doing one too like Hamilton, Rosberg, Max Verstappen, Martin Brundle and even Sir Patrick Stewart.

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The highs and lows of Monaco

Ricciardo claimed an incredible victory at the 2018 Monaco GP as he drove the final 50 laps with 25% less horsepower while fending off former team-mate Vettel who was right behind. But it came after heartbreak just two years prior, as Ricciardo led the 2016 Monaco GP until a botched pitstop 32 laps in where Red Bull did not have the proper tyres ready in time

This led to a nine-second stop and Ricciardo left the pit lane behind Hamilton, who eventually won the race. The Aussie was understandably furious, but redemption came in 2018 as he arguably produced the best drive of his career which was Michael Schumacher-esc according to team boss Christian Horner.

Crash with Verstappen which potentially caused Ricciardo’s Red Bull exit

Verstappen and Ricciardo were team-mates between 2016 and 2018, during which the pair became good friends and were very closely matched on track. But over time, it was clear that Red Bull was placing its long-term future in Verstappen, who signed a new deal at the end of 2017 while talks with Ricciardo rumbled on ahead of his contract expiration the following year.

The then 28-year-old was at the stage of his career where the next step was more important than ever, given Ricciardo was heading towards his later years so took a lot of time to decide. In the end, he made a shock move to Renault for 2019 and the aftermath of the 2018 Azerbaijan GP is perhaps seen as a catalyst to that decision.

At the season’s fourth round, he and Verstappen had been battling all race until it came to an explosive end on lap 40 when the Red Bull pair collided down the start-finish straight. Verstappen, who had just overcutted Ricciardo for fourth, made a late move to defend the inside and his team-mate locked up before hitting the back of the sister RB14.

It was arguable who was to blame, but Ricciardo thought Verstappen had brake-tested him yet felt the team favoured the eventual world champion more on that occasion.

So, it was perhaps a sign that Ricciardo would never be the number one driver as long as Verstappen stayed at Red Bull. This made Baku 2018 a key point in the Aussie believing the grass was greener elsewhere.

Ricciardo gives up life at the front to move to Renault

Daniel Ricciardo, Renault F1 Team

Daniel Ricciardo, Renault F1 Team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Ricciardo’s move to Renault is one which shocked the entire paddock as it came with a lot of risk, given the French marque ultimately finished fourth and 297 points behind Red Bull in the 2018 championship.

But the grand prix winner cited the need for a fresh challenge, saying there was not much room left to grow with Red Bull while the Renault project excited him.

Ricciardo hoped that his move would be like that of Hamilton, who left the championship-winning McLaren for midfield Mercedes in 2013 before winning six titles at the Silver Arrows. But Ricciardo’s Renault stint was ultimately not like that at all, because the team dropped to fifth in the 2019 standings while the Aussie finished ninth in the drivers’ championship.

Ahead of the following campaign, Ricciardo announced that he will join McLaren at the end of 2020 meaning he contested just two seasons for Renault. Although his second year there was much better — Ricciardo finished fifth in the championship with two podiums — the move to Renault will perhaps be his lasting legacy as it actually regressed his career instead of kicking it on.

Ricciardo becomes the star of Drive to Survive

Drive to Survive has caused F1’s popularity to skyrocket and Ricciardo became an enigmatic protagonist during season one, which followed the championship in 2018. It closely documented a crucial year in Ricciardo’s career as he weighed up his future options and the third episode – titled “Redemption” – captured his victory in Monaco, as well as the infamous collision in Baku.

Ricciardo would also feature in other episodes and later series becoming somewhat of a standout star for the Netflix programme. Fans resonated with what they saw on screen and this glimpse behind the visor helped both him and the series to garner more interest.

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Vettel leaving Ferrari triggers Ricciardo’s move to McLaren

Despite an underwhelming debut year at Renault, Ricciardo was still highly thought of so it was no surprise that McLaren signed him for the 2021 season after its driver Carlos Sainz opted to replace Vettel at Ferrari.

The expectation for Ricciardo at McLaren was high, yet it just wasn’t meant to be as he struggled to get to grips with the car.

From the off, Ricciardo was slower than team-mate Lando Norris and come the 2021 summer break he was 63 points behind the Brit, a gap he failed to truly bridge.

That’s despite Ricciardo claiming an emotional victory at the 2021 Italian GP to which he said “never left” over team radio. But, instead of that causing his fortunes to change, it ultimately proved to be an anomaly amid a very disappointing two years at McLaren.

It ended in Ricciardo being dropped for the 2023 season, despite him originally being contracted for that year, placing his F1 future in big doubt.

Successful Silverstone test gives Ricciardo one last chance in F1

Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri

Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Ricciardo’s McLaren departure meant he was without a seat at the start of 2023, so he returned to Red Bull to become its reserve driver. However, rookie Nyck de Vries struggled significantly at AlphaTauri — formerly Toro Rosso — and his future was thrown under question after just 10 point-less grands prix.

With Ricciardo as reserve driver, the Red Bull-owned team knew it had a ready-made replacement and a Pirelli tyre test at Silverstone in the RB19 gave him the opportunity to show that he still had it.

Ricciardo impressed and it was revealed that he clocked times which would have put him on the front row of the previous weekend’s British GP. So, Red Bull moved quickly and placed him at AlphaTauri for the rest of the season replacing De Vries.

This gave Ricciardo that lifeline he so desperately craved to show F1 that he did still have a future in the series.

 

Crash at the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix marks the beginning of the end for Ricciardo

Ricciardo’s F1 return only lasted an initial two races because he broke his hand in second practice for the Dutch GP by crashing at Zandvoort’s Turn 3.

This gave Lawson his series debut and the Kiwi contested the next five grands prix, during which he impressed by scoring points in Singapore after reaching Q3. Before Ricciardo’s injury, Lawson, who finished third in the 2022 F2 standings, was never really considered for an F1 drive but his five-race stint allowed him to showcase his skills and demonstrate that he is good enough to compete in motorsport’s top category.

It even led to Horner stating that the 22-year-old will one day become a full-time grand prix driver. So, from the moment Ricciardo returned to the cockpit in Austin, questions of when will Lawson come back were constantly asked even though the team opted to keep him as its reserve driver for 2024.

But no points in the opening eight grands prix, though Ricciardo did finish fourth in the Miami sprint, meant the writing was on the wall for the Perth-born driver resulting in Lawson being given the opportunity once again.



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