The Milton Keynes-based team has been hard at work on its RB20 for several months now, having elected to switch off development of its 2023 challenger early because it was so far ahead of the opposition. But while it knows that it will need to make progress if it is to stay ahead of its competitors next […]
Eleven laps remain of the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Max Verstappen is 3.6 seconds behind his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez. Defeat in Baku, and a 2-2 record from the opening four races of the season, stare back from the leading RB19. But then that gap starts to come down – quite rapidly at first – […]
Outside of the Red Bull-Ferrari-Mercedes triumvirate, Lando Norris was the only driver to manage a podium finish in 2022, with his third place at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. When McLaren limped out of the starting blocks in 2023 with a car in dire need of an aerodynamic overhaul, Norris must have imagined that it […]
IndyCar is known for its close, action-packed races with Dallara-built cars that are largely spec outside damper development and having two different engine manufacturers. It leads to very close racing, with top six qualifying shootouts on several road courses covered by three tenths or less. In its 2023 opener at St Petersburg, there was a […]
Verstappen and Red Bull crushed the competition by respectively winning 19 and 21 of the season’s 22 races, meaning the Dutchman has plenty of standout wins to choose from as he sat down with Motorsport.com/Autosport to pick his best and worst race weekends of the year. After careful consideration, the triple world champion replied: “I […]
Think back through Fernando Alonso’s long Formula 1 career. Once he’d become a race winner with Renault 20 years ago in 2003, his star potential was clear. Then, rather a lot changed. Endurance tyres for 2005, a whole new driving style with the change from Michelins to Bridgestones in 2007, the car rules changing in […]
Lewis Hamilton appeared downbeat at the season’s end, frustrated at the lack of Mercedes’ progress after falling off its perch. But he comprehensively beat team-mate George Russell. PLUS: Is Mercedes experiencing an extended blip or the end of an F1 dynasty? His consistency and ability to reach the high notes that Russell could not achieve […]
Alex Albon’s coolness under pressure stood out in 2023, and is a key part of the connection he’s forged at Williams since joining to reboot his Formula 1 career after his Red Bull difficulties. The team knows it can rely on him. But his resilience also boosted him massively when it came to hanging on […]
Charles Leclerc proved largely inseparable from Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz in 2023 as their car’s characteristics swung from favouring one to the other. But his form in the last two races moved him ahead in the championship. His efforts in Las Vegas almost yielded victory, as the colder conditions and low track grip played to […]
Since 2021, F1 teams have had to operate under a budget cap limit which was introduced to put grand prix racing on a more stable financial platform. The evidence of the past few years is that the grid overall has closed up, especially because previous big spenders have not had the luxury of throwing more […]