Alonso jumped ship from Alpine to Aston Martin for 2023 and was rewarded for his bold move with a competitive car that yielded six podiums across the first eight races of the season. He then added two more podium finishes after the summer break to finish fourth in the drivers’ championship, on equal points with […]
Month: December 2023
Sainz outlines SF-23 car traits Ferrari must replicate in 2024 F1 season
The SF-23 proved most competitive in qualifying, with Sainz and team-mate Charles Leclerc combining to land seven grand prix pole positions. That one-lap success was partly enabled by Red Bull paying close attention to race pace to then pull clear over a longer stint, although Ferrari eased the pressure by struggling to manage the tyres. Unlocking the […]
Tension and money prevent Hamilton/Verstappen F1 driver line-up
Speculation about such a move erupted at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when it emerged that earlier this year Hamilton’s father Anthony had suggested in a conversation with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner that he touch base with the seven-time champion. It is understood that Horner did try to contact Hamilton about an informal […]
Madrid F1 project still lacking key steps, says FIA
Speculation last week suggested that a new race around the Spanish capital from 2026 is near a sign off, with talks at an advanced stage with F1’s commercial rights holder. The plans are for a race to take place around the IFEMA convention centre in the northeast of the city, close to its Madrid-Barajas international […]
Ducati finds it “strange” that Aprilia, KTM are getting MotoGP concessions in 2024
MotoGP announced on the Monday following the Valencia Grand Prix finale that it had finalised the framework for the new concessions system being brought in for 2024. Its primary aim is to help the struggling Japanese manufacturers get back up towards the front of the field by giving them extra benefits, such as more tyres […]
Why Alpine changed an F1 team that was “not daring” enough
The A523 was inconsistent, usually suffering at high-speed and low-downforce tracks. There were good moments, notably in Monaco, where Esteban Ocon started and finished third, while team newcomer Pierre Gasly matched that result in the high attrition Zandvoort race. However, there were mediocre weekends that saw the cars running outside the top 10, and there […]
The big dilemma facing Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP team in 2024
At the end of 2022, due to the economic instability that the RNF team was displaying, Yamaha did not renew its contract with Razlan Razali’s squad, a circumstance that left the Iwata-based manufacturer with only two M1s on the 2023 grid. If we take into account the testimony of all the voices coming out of […]
Williams F1 team has to develop ‘winning mindset’
Williams owner Dorilton Capital is investing to restore the Grove team to its former glory, with long-time Mercedes man James Vowles brought in to oversee the revamp as its new team principal for 2023. After identifying the squad’s key weaknesses, Vowles brought in former Benetton, McLaren and Ferrari stalwart Fry from Alpine to become the […]
Singapore F1 win proves Ferrari can deliver under pressure
On an off-kilter weekend for the otherwise dominant Red Bull squad, Sainz and Ferrari capitalised by nailing every session, resulting in a key pole position on the twisty street layout, less than a tenth ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and team-mate Charles Leclerc. He then converted that into a win with a cool and shrewd race, first […]
Ocon switches to “war mode” after “wasted opportunity” in F1 2023
The Frenchman also insists that he will switch to “war mode” next year with an even greater focus on his racing and fewer distractions out of the cockpit. Highlights of Ocon’s year were starting and finishing third in Monaco, and earning fourth place in Las Vegas from 16th on the grid. However, he also suffered a […]