The eight-time grand prix world champion ended pre-season testing in Qatar on Tuesday fourth overall and just under four tenths off the pace set by factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia. That came despite a first crash on the Gresini Ducati, which he says was the result of him exploring the limits of the GP23 for […]
Year: 2024
Wolff says F1 figures should live up to role model status amid Horner investigation
Red Bull’s Austrian parent company instigated an investigation into team boss Horner after allegations of inappropriate behaviour were made by a female employee, which led to him being interviewed by an independent barrister on 9 February. So far there has been no outcome, and Horner, who has strongly denied any wrongdoing, is continuing to oversee […]
Big money offer won’t tempt Verstappen to break F1 contract
Verstappen committed his long-term future to Red Bull back in 2022, off the back of his maiden title success the previous year. The now three-time world champion has always raced for the Red Bull family in F1, having started with Toro Rosso in 2015 before he joined Red Bull from the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. […]
Marko defends Red Bull for taking its time with Horner investigation
Following complaints from a female employee, Horner is under investigation by Red Bull’s Austrian energy drinks parent company for his behaviour. As part of the probe, Horner was recently interviewed by an independent barrister who has been appointed to draw together evidence of the unspecified allegations at the heart of the matter. Horner has remained […]
Mir feels Honda is “getting closer” with every run in MotoGP testing
The 2020 world champion has generally been upbeat about Honda’s current direction since last November, as the Japanese marque strives to snap a barren spell. Mir was 13th at the end of the opening day of the Qatar test on Monday, just under eight tenths off the best pace, and noted that areas in which the […]
Red Bull says jury out on whether it can make Mercedes-style F1 sidepods work
The Milton Keynes-based squad has gone aggressive with its car revamp for this year, which has included it adopting concepts similar to what Mercedes has run with in the past. This includes the high gulleys along the engine cover, as well as minimalist sidepods which appear to include a vertical inlet that is reminiscent of […]
Bagnaia says 2024 Ducati MotoGP bike “working perfectly” after testing
The Italian swept both days of this week’s Qatar test and led the way with a record-smashing 1m50.952s on Tuesday to lead team-mate Enea Bastianini by 0.120s. The 2024 Ducati also looked strong in the opening test of the year in Malaysia, with Bagnaia left beaming after the Qatar running. However, he does express a […]
The F1 design clues from Williams’ maiden test
The Grove-based team elected to switch off development of the 2023 car early, so it could concentrate more on making the step it needed for this season. It could already be assured of one detail, with the car featuring a push-rod rear suspension layout, rather than the pull-rod system employed for the first two years […]
Bagnaia destroys lap record as testing wraps up
The reigning world champion topped proceedings on Monday at the Losail International Circuit and cemented this on day two in the desert. Bagnaia clocked the first ever sub 1m51s lap of the Qatar Grand Prix venue, posting a 1m50.952s to lead team-mate Enea Bastianini by 0.120 seconds. Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro capped off a solid pre-season […]
Aston Martin won’t repeat 2023 F1 upgrade stumbles
Alonso started 2023 with a run of podium finishes and was occasionally the closest challenger to pacesetter Red Bull. However, in the middle of the season, Aston Martin took some wrong steps in development, and the team slipped down the order before a resurgence late in the year. Alonso believes that his team won’t repeat […]