While former team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane both reckoned that it would realistically take a few more years for the Enstone-based squad to hit its victory targets, the French car manufacturer’s senior management believed it could be done quicker. It was this disconnect of timeline and ambition that ultimately saw Alpine […]
After more than a season of Mercedes going it alone in pursuit of its zeropod concept, it finally abandoned the idea as it pursued the growing trend for what has become known as the downwash solution. The fact that Red Bull had been so successful from the off with its downwash design inevitably prompted suggestions that Mercedes’ change […]
Williams team boss James Vowles has been seeking greater capital expenditure freedom for his squad, after discovering that its facilities are well down compared to many rivals. While F1’s financial rules allow some spending on capex improvements, Williams feels the $36 million allowed over a four-year period is not enough to get where it wants […]
Twelve races down there’s a lot of data available to explain where Red Bull is so good, how McLaren and Aston Martin changed throughout the season, where Mercedes and Ferrari need to improve, and how far back the midfield teams really are this season. Martyn Lee chats with Jon Noble and returning special guest Blake ‘BrrrakeF1’ Hinsey, […]
The start of the Saturday sprint event at Spa was delayed by rain, and when it eventually got underway the cars ran on full wet tyres behind the safety car – as mandated by the rules – before the field was released. Half the cars then came straight in for intermediates, with the rest following […]
Stroll missed pre-season testing in Bahrain after breaking both his wrists and a toe in a crash while cycling in Spain three days before that event was due to start. But just one week later he returned for the season-opener in Bahrain in a car team-mate Fernando Alonso has taken to six podiums so far […]
The perils of racing single-seaters in the rain were highlighted last month by the fatal accident of Formula Regional racer Dilano van ‘t Hoff at Spa, with the lack of visibility in the rain a major factor in the multi-car collision that claimed the Dutchman’s life. Rain also derailed the Belgian Grand Prix’s Saturday sprint, […]
As the Dutchman roared away to a crushing victory in the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend, he joked with his Red Bull team that he had such a lead over the opposition that he might make an extra stop just to give his mechanics some extra pit stop practice. Red Bull boss Christian Horner later […]
Following the replacement of Laurent Rossi as Alpine CEO, team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane have left by mutual consent following last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. With chief technical officer Pat Fry also moving to Williams, the attention on Enstone has been squarely focused at the depleted senior-level structure. PLUS: Why ‘football manager’ […]
Former Alfa Romeo team principal Vasseur took the reins at Maranello in January after the departure of Mattia Binotto. One of his main tasks was to strengthen the team with some key hirings, a task made harder by the time it takes to recruit key personnel who are tied down by gardening leave. The job […]