Wolff fully committed to seeing Mercedes back to front of F1 grid

The German manufacturer has had a difficult start to the 2023 campaign, with the new W14 proving to be well adrift of the pace-setting Red Bull RB19.The competitive situation has prompted Mercedes to work on a complete revamp of its design concept, which it hopes can deliver big steps forward in pace over the remainder of the season.Wolff has long talked about the management challenges …Keep reading

What is really behind Domenicali’s “cancel” F1 practice comments

During a visit to the opening round of the MotoGP season in Portugal, Domenicali was interviewed by Portuguese channel SportTV for his thoughts on various topics.But it was one remark that caused a stir as it suggested that he was looking at a bold shake-up of the F1 weekend timetable.“I am a supporter of the cancellation of free practice sessions, which are of great use to the engineers …Keep reading

Williams not wedded to Mercedes for 2026 F1 engine supply

Williams currently uses Mercedes PUs but has the option to switch to another partner when the new regulations come in.In theory, Mercedes might be obliged to part company with one of its three customers as under the 2026 PU regulations a manufacturer can only supply three teams, including its own works outfit, “unless agreed otherwise by the FIA.”Ferrari will lose …Keep reading

Alpine’s push to wipe Gasly F1 penalty points blocked by rivals’ opportunism

Gasly has been at the centre of a focus on F1’s driver penalty points system after he totted up 10 points – just two shy of the limit before a race ban kicks in – last year.With some of his points coming from minor offences like track limits, his situation prompted discussion over the winter about whether the system needed a rethink to ensure innocent drivers did not fall foul of a rule …Keep reading

Piquet fined £780,000 for racist comments towards Hamilton

In an interview on a Brazilian podcast in November 2021, Piquet used a racial slur referring to seven-time world champion Hamilton, while being asked on his views on Hamilton’s British Grand Prix clash with Max Verstappen.Piquet apologised for his remarks when they surfaced last June, stating his language “was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it”.He also claimed he was …Keep reading

Mercedes: Not realistic to be beating Red Bull this F1 season

Red Bull has started the 2023 season in truly dominant form, with its RB19 appearing to be around one second per lap quicker than the rest of the field in race trim. While Red Bull has played down talk that it is a shoe-in for the F1 title this year, rivals are not anticipating being able to slash its advantage in the short-term. PLUS: Why Red …Keep reading

Horner: Red Bull has to “make hay” before rivals catch up

The Milton Keynes outfit has got its 2023 season off to a dominant start by logging 1-2 finishes in the first two rounds of the season.However, Horner expects other teams to make progress, and stresses that Red Bull has to make the most of its early advantage.“It’s so early in the season,” he said in an interview on a Sky TV business programme. “I mean, it’s a 23-race calendar, we’ve …Keep reading

Why Saudi Arabia is not put off by its F1 critics

Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia has weathered a fair few storms, from sportswashing criticisms and concerns over human rights to the safety doubts after the missile attack at the race in 2022. On the eve of the event taking place last weekend, human rights group Reprieve issued a strongly worded statement regarding the situation inside Saudi Arabia.Maya Foa, Director of Reprieve, said: “For all the …Keep reading

Stegelmann joins AlphaTauri F1 as head of commercial

Stegelmann will be responsible for the ‘Global Partnership Acquisition’ at the team and its fashion branch.Stegelmann previously worked as Chief Commercial Officer of the Motorsport Network, later managing the sales team of ITR, which organised the DTM series until 2022.He was also involved in the sales and marketing concept, development and implementation of Formula E.Before that, his …Keep reading