The Italian snapped a 15-year title drought for Ducati in 2022 when he beat Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo to the championship, marking the Italian brand’s first since 2007. Bagnaia then successfully defended his crown in 2023, fending off Ducati rival Jorge Martin of Pramac Racing in a showdown at the final round of the season. With […]
Year: 2024
Alpine rules out Schumacher F1 test
Schumacher has joined Alpine to race its A424 Hypercar this year, in a bid to get back to top-line competition after a season on the sidelines as Mercedes F1 reserve. While he is continuing those reserve duties when available in 2024, the partnership with Alpine has prompted suggestions that the German could get some running […]
F1 warned of consequences if customer parts are banned
As F1 heads to a new rules era from 2026, one idea that some outfits want is to clamp down on the kind of partnerships that exist between Red Bull/RB and Ferrari/Haas. McLaren CEO Zak Brown in particular has been extremely vocal on the point, as he suggests F1’s regulations are “no longer fit for […]
Livery rules or new technology? What F1 needs to get its colour back again
Where once the F1 field was full of vibrant liveries that really stood out, F1’s latest ground effect era has witnessed teams strip back to as much bare carbon fibre as possible in a bid to save critical weight from their heavy cars. It is a trend that shows no sign of abating – as […]
No change to Audi’s 2026 F1 commitment
Audi’s acquisition of Sauber was officially announced in August 2022, and since then the Swiss team has been ramping up its infrastructure and headcount under CEO Andreas Seidl. Meanwhile Audi has been developing its power unit at a dedicated new F1 facility at its Neuberg base. However, last year key F1 advocate CEO Markus Duesmann […]
Hamilton didn’t tell parents about Ferrari F1 switch until announcement day
News emerged on the morning of 1 February, a day after Hamilton informed Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff over breakfast, that the seven-time champion would join Ferrari for the start of 2025. Given the story leaked first, Mercedes and Ferrari did not formally confirm the shock switch until they coordinated their announcements later that evening. […]
LCR boss feels Honda’s MotoGP approach “much more efficient” in 2024
The team founded by ex-racer Cecchinello has been competing with Honda equipment since its entry into the premier class in 2006 with Casey Stoner. It has accumulated four victories since then, three with Cal Crutchlow and the most recent with Alex Rins at last year’s United States Grand Prix, also the latest win for a Honda rider […]
New F1 sprint more logical but not more exciting
Despite his success in sprints in recent seasons, Verstappen has made it clear he is not a fan of having an extra event tacked on to the weekend. This year’s timetable has been changed, with the shootout on Friday followed by the sprint and main qualifying on Saturday. The key change is that while previously […]
Quartararo has “good connection” with Yamaha’s ex-Ducati MotoGP engineer
Bartolini’s recruitment is the result of a drive from Yamaha in a bid to improve its form, after going from title contenders in 2021 and 2022 to a first winless season in 20 years in 2023. The Italian previously served as Gigi Dall’Igna’s right-hand man at Ducati before he was approached by Yamaha. The Japanese […]
Why progress, not early form, is all that matters for Alpine F1 boss
The French manufacturer has been bracing itself for some early struggles, with the performance of its new A524 in Bahrain testing last week suggesting it will be battling at the back of the field – and could even be last. But while it has not been shying away from its competitive reality, Alpine team principal […]