F1 2024

[MrCurry]

As for Redbull? I guess they'll be stuffed for 2025 if they can't figure out where they went wrong. Teams will be switching focus to
the '26 car designs from January 2025.

Yeah, funny how Red bull have gone off the boil exactly since the Christian Horner sexting story broke. Turns out internal turmoil and competing factions Jos & Marko vs Horner isn’t so good for team performance!

I find it really interesting and unexpected how McLaren have become the team to beat this year. I don’t remember them being anywhere in winter testing. I wonder if we will at any point find out what’s made the difference for them. I mean whether it will be a “thing” like the season winning technologies which became public knowledge after the fact in past eras of F1, such as double diffuser, blown exhaust, extra brake pedal, Red Bull’s bendy floor bib or Mercs’ oil burning engine of the early hybrid era?

 

[1%er]

Ferrari announce new technical director with seven-person structure revealed​

After months of speculation, Ferrari have announced Loic Serra will take the role of Technical Director Chassis when he joins the Italian stable later this year. Ferrari have been in the hunt for a replacement for Enrico Cardile and were in the race to sign Adrian Newey, but reportedly lost him to Aston Martin.

Ferrari announce Loic Serra will take up the role of Technical Director
Earlier this year it was confirmed that Cardile, Ferrari’s then Technical Director Chassis and Aerodynamics, had left the team to take up a position as Aston Martin’s new Technical Director. That was thought to be the clearest indication yet that Ferrari have finally, after several attempts, signed design legend Adrian Newey. But as the weeks went on those rumours faded with Aston Martin emerging as the 65-year-old’s preferred choice. Ferrari instead looked internally for Cardile’s replacement with team principal Fred Vasseur saying he has “huge trust” in the people already working at Ferrari and hinting that his next Technical Director will have a “five letter” name. He does. “Serra”.

The Scuderia have confirmed the former Mercedes man, who was already signed by Ferrari last year, will take up the role when he joins the team after his gardening leave on 1st October. He will head up a seven-person team that covers everything from Chassis Project Engineering to Track Engineering to Chassis Operations. “Scuderia Ferrari HP announces that is has entrusted the role of Technical Director Chassis to Loic Serra,” the team announced. “As previously announced, the French engineer, born in 1972, will join the team on 1 October. Loic in this new role will report directly to the Team Principal, Fred Vasseur. Serra will therefore be responsible for the following departments: Chassis Project Engineering, headed up by Fabio Motecchi; Vehicle Performance, headed up by Marco Adurno, Aerodynamics, headed up by Diego Tondi; Track Engineering, headed up by Matteo Togninalli and Chassis Operations, headed up by Diego Ioverno, who also continues in the role of Sporting Director. The role of Technical Director Power Unit continues to be assigned to Enrico Gaultieri reporting directly to Fred Vasseur.”

Serra, who was the first of Vasseur’s major signings announced last year, will reunite with Lewis Hamilton next season with the Briton also swapping silver for red.

 

[taperoo2k]

Yeah, funny how Red bull have gone off the boil exactly since the Christian Horner sexting story broke. Turns out internal turmoil and competing factions Jos & Marko vs Horner isn’t so good for team performance!

If you'd asked anyone in 2023 if they thought Newey would leave Red Bull? You'd have been laughed at. Horner is destroying the team to
keep control. Newey built the technical structure at Redbull from the ground up, not sure that will stay together with Newey gone and
a few other key people.

I find it really interesting and unexpected how McLaren have become the team to beat this year. I don’t remember them being anywhere in winter testing. I wonder if we will at any point find out what’s made the difference for them. I mean whether it will be a “thing” like the season winning technologies which became public knowledge after the fact in past eras of F1, such as double diffuser, blown exhaust, extra brake pedal, Red Bull’s bendy floor bib or Mercs’ oil burning engine of the early hybrid era?

It's the technical team reshuffle combined with new facilities like the wind tunnel that's helped McLaren turn the corner towards being title contenders.
Also helps they managed to get Rob Marshall; his engineering skills are probably sorely missed by Redbull.

I find the more fascinating thing being how quickly the RB20 turned into an also ran. If they lose both titles it would be quite remarkable, given how utterly dominant the RB19 was.

Ferrari announce new technical director with seven-person structure revealed​

After months of speculation, Ferrari have announced Loic Serra will take the role of Technical Director Chassis when he joins the Italian stable later this year. Ferrari have been in the hunt for a replacement for Enrico Cardile and were in the race to sign Adrian Newey, but reportedly lost him to Aston Martin.

Ferrari announce Loic Serra will take up the role of Technical Director
Earlier this year it was confirmed that Cardile, Ferrari’s then Technical Director Chassis and Aerodynamics, had left the team to take up a position as Aston Martin’s new Technical Director. That was thought to be the clearest indication yet that Ferrari have finally, after several attempts, signed design legend Adrian Newey. But as the weeks went on those rumours faded with Aston Martin emerging as the 65-year-old’s preferred choice. Ferrari instead looked internally for Cardile’s replacement with team principal Fred Vasseur saying he has “huge trust” in the people already working at Ferrari and hinting that his next Technical Director will have a “five letter” name. He does. “Serra”.

The Scuderia have confirmed the former Mercedes man, who was already signed by Ferrari last year, will take up the role when he joins the team after his gardening leave on 1st October. He will head up a seven-person team that covers everything from Chassis Project Engineering to Track Engineering to Chassis Operations. “Scuderia Ferrari HP announces that is has entrusted the role of Technical Director Chassis to Loic Serra,” the team announced. “As previously announced, the French engineer, born in 1972, will join the team on 1 October. Loic in this new role will report directly to the Team Principal, Fred Vasseur. Serra will therefore be responsible for the following departments: Chassis Project Engineering, headed up by Fabio Motecchi; Vehicle Performance, headed up by Marco Adurno, Aerodynamics, headed up by Diego Tondi; Track Engineering, headed up by Matteo Togninalli and Chassis Operations, headed up by Diego Ioverno, who also continues in the role of Sporting Director. The role of Technical Director Power Unit continues to be assigned to Enrico Gaultieri reporting directly to Fred Vasseur.”

Serra, who was the first of Vasseur’s major signings announced last year, will reunite with Lewis Hamilton next season with the Briton also swapping silver for red.

Good signing for Ferrari, he was part of Mercedes era of dominance. Looks like Newey to Aston Martin is nailed on, unless the press are wrong of course.

 

[1%er]

Haas Names Oliver Bearman as Replacement for Kevin Magnussen in Azerbaijan GP
Haas F1 Team has announced that Oliver Bearman will replace Kevin Magnussen for the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This change comes after Magnussen received a race ban due to accumulating 12 penalty points on his racing license. Team principal Ayao Komatsu commented on the inclusion of Bearman in a press release from the team, stating: "I'm excited that Ollie will be driving the VF-24 alongside Nico in Baku. He's already shown great promise in his FP1 outings and post-season test, and he performed very well when he drove for Scuderia Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, picking up points in the process. This is another excellent opportunity for both Ollie and the team to work together, this time throughout an entire race weekend, and he couldn't ask for better teammate than Nico to provide him with a reference."

Magnussen's suspension followed a collision with Pierre Gasly during the Italian Grand Prix, which resulted in a 10-second time penalty and two additional penalty points. Under Formula 1 rules, reaching 12 points triggers an automatic race suspension. Bearman, who is set to join Haas full-time in 2025, previously filled in for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he finished seventh and earned points for the team. The decision to have Bearman race in Azerbaijan allows Haas to maintain a full lineup while giving him valuable experience ahead of his permanent role. He will race alongside Nico Hulkenberg, who is currently with the team. Bearman is currently in fifteenth place in the Drivers' Standings, and this race offers him another chance to add to his points tally as he prepares for his future with Haas.

 

[1%er]

'Newey to become co-owner at Aston Martin as part of F1 deal'​

Adrian Newey announced his departure from Red Bull Racing earlier this year. It is now known that the Brit has chosen Aston Martin as his next destination. Newey is said to have signed a multi-year deal with the team of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll. According to The Times, Newey will even get shares in the Formula 1 team as part of the deal.

So Red Bull's 65-year-old top designer will take up a new challenge with another team in the premier class of motorsport. According to the English outlet, Newey will become a shareholder at Aston Martin as part of a million-dollar deal to sign with the team. Newey's announcement will be made before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. After almost two decades of loyal service, news emerged in May that Newey will leave Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's team. When the departure was announced, everyone questioned his next move. Ferrari were mentioned, but Aston Martin appeared as the front runner in recent weeks.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko recently said in a podcast that Newey made the difference when he joined Red Bull in 2006. The Austrian constructor has won six Constructors' World Championships, thanks in part to Newey-designed cars.

 

[1%er]

Ferrari 'try to snatch Max Verstappen's engineer' to join Lewis Hamilton​

Ferrari have reportedly launched an ambitious bid to snatch Max Verstappen’s engineer away from Red Bull ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s arrival. There might be three months of the current season left to run, but anticipation surrounding Hamilton’s move to Ferrari is already picking up. After 12 successful years with Mercedes, the Brit is packing up and leaving for new pastures, but Ferrari are keen to make sure Hamilton has the tools to compete upon arrival.

The Italian constructor have been busy prepping their team for the 2025 season, with team principal Fred Vasseur having lured Loic Serra from Hamilton’s soon-to-be-ex team Mercedes. But Vasseur isn’t believed to be stopping there, with the Ferrari chief having reportedly made an approach for Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. As per Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, it’s claimed Ferrari’s advancements have been met by a cold shoulder from the Red Bull man. In fact, such is Lambiase’s importance to the Red Bull project, it’s said Verstappen personally has requested that the engineer is not allowed to depart at the end of this season.

What’s more, there are reports Red Bull tabled a contract extension, which boasted favourable terms for the engineer, in an attempt to fend off any outside interest. Lambiase isn’t said to want out either, meaning Ferrari will most likely have to look elsewhere if they wish to strengthen their engineering ranks next year. But according to one former F1 star, Hamilton is being backed to succeed at Ferrari, whatever the conditions. Former world champion Jenson Button believes Hamilton’s adaptability will see him settle well with the Prancing Horse. He told Sky Sports earlier this year: “I think if it was Lewis of sort of seven, eight years ago, it will be a tricky relationship. But now, he just seems so relaxed in himself and no, I don’t think they’re going to have issues as being team-mates at all. No more than Carlos [Sainz] and Charles have right no. Do I think they’ll work well together? Yes. I think the positives that Charles has, he knows the team, speaks Italian. If he wanted to, he could make it really really difficult for Lewis and that team, the atmosphere. And you can say, ‘Well, that’s not sportsmanlike’, but that’s part of racing and Nico Rosberg will tell you that as well. It’s about getting the team of people behind you, so that gives you strength and it takes away strength from your team-mate. But, Lewis has been around long enough to understand the situation and I’m really, really looking forward to that fight between team-mates."

 

[1%er]

Newey commits to £30m Aston Martin deal​

Leading Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey will join Aston Martin next year. An Aston Martin source told BBC Sport that Newey has made a long-term commitment to the team, said to be a five-year contract worth up to a possible £30m a year, including bonuses and add-ons. The deal will be announced at a news conference organised by Aston Martin at their F1 base at Silverstone on Tuesday.

Newey, who in April negotiated an early exit from his contract as Red Bull chief technical officer, will start work in early March.
The 65-year-old's manager Eddie Jordan refused to discuss the situation when approached for comment by BBC Sport. An Aston Martin spokesperson said: "Adrian has been linked to many teams and would be an asset to any team, but we don't have anything to announce." Securing Newey is a coup for Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll after investing heavily in the team with the ambition of turning them into world championship contenders.

Stroll has funded a state-of-the-art new factory, including a wind tunnel, employed a series of top engineers and secured Honda as a works engine partner from 2026. The team also have two-time world champion Fernando Alonso under contract until the end of 2026. Newey has built a reputation as the greatest F1 designer in history after winning 12 drivers’ championships and 13 constructors’ titles in a career that spans the Williams, McLaren and Red Bull teams. In particular, he has a reputation for stealing a march on rivals at the beginning of a period of new regulations.

The deal he negotiated to leave Red Bull, to whom he had been under contract until the end of 2025, frees him to join another team in time to have a significant impact on the design they produce for 2026. F1 rules forbid teams from starting design work on the aerodynamics of their 2026 before the start of next year. Newey will be the design lead for a team who have invested heavily in engineering talent in recent years.

Former Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell joins as chief executive officer on 1 October. Aston Martin have signed former Ferrari chassis technical director Enrico Cardile, who will start work in his role as chief technical officer at an unspecified point in 2025. Aston Martin's technical director is Dan Fallows, who joined in April 2022 after working as an aerodynamicist under Newey at Red Bull from 2006 until 2021.

 

[MrCurry]

Newey commits to £30m Aston Martin deal​

Leading Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey will join Aston Martin next year. An Aston Martin source told BBC Sport that Newey has made a long-term commitment to the team, said to be a five-year contract worth up to a possible £30m a year, including bonuses and add-ons. The deal will be announced at a news conference organised by Aston Martin at their F1 base at Silverstone on Tuesday.

Newey, who in April negotiated an early exit from his contract as Red Bull chief technical officer, will start work in early March.
The 65-year-old's manager Eddie Jordan refused to discuss the situation when approached for comment by BBC Sport. An Aston Martin spokesperson said: "Adrian has been linked to many teams and would be an asset to any team, but we don't have anything to announce." Securing Newey is a coup for Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll after investing heavily in the team with the ambition of turning them into world championship contenders.

Stroll has funded a state-of-the-art new factory, including a wind tunnel, employed a series of top engineers and secured Honda as a works engine partner from 2026. The team also have two-time world champion Fernando Alonso under contract until the end of 2026. Newey has built a reputation as the greatest F1 designer in history after winning 12 drivers’ championships and 13 constructors’ titles in a career that spans the Williams, McLaren and Red Bull teams. In particular, he has a reputation for stealing a march on rivals at the beginning of a period of new regulations.

The deal he negotiated to leave Red Bull, to whom he had been under contract until the end of 2025, frees him to join another team in time to have a significant impact on the design they produce for 2026. F1 rules forbid teams from starting design work on the aerodynamics of their 2026 before the start of next year. Newey will be the design lead for a team who have invested heavily in engineering talent in recent years.

Former Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell joins as chief executive officer on 1 October. Aston Martin have signed former Ferrari chassis technical director Enrico Cardile, who will start work in his role as chief technical officer at an unspecified point in 2025. Aston Martin's technical director is Dan Fallows, who joined in April 2022 after working as an aerodynamicist under Newey at Red Bull from 2006 until 2021.

I don’t much like this situation as I want Lawrence Stroll to fail in his ambitions!

ETA: on a more serious note (not that I’m not serious about disliking Stroll snr), I wonder if Alonso will have time left in his career to benefit much from Newey’s involvement, or whether it takes the new 2026 generation of car before Newey’s genius provides them with any advantage? Nando surely can’t hang on and be competitive many more years?

 

[1%er]

The key issue facing the FIA in F1's latest flexi-wing drama​

The issue of flexi-wings once again came to the fore in F1 during the Italian Grand Prix weekend, with the McLaren and Mercedes wings drawing attention from both the FIA and rival teams. Red Bull's Christian Horner and Ferrari's Frederic Vasseur said they would be seeking talks with F1's governing body for clarification over the matter. The concern comes from the way in which the central portion of the flaps of the MCL38 and W15 machines flex under load and then return to what may be considered a 'normal' position once the aerodynamic pressure decreases and the load on the flap, lifts.

The regulations do have very precise limits on flexibility, but verification comes through static tests by the FIA, considering the near-impossibility of carrying out live, dynamic tests. Recently, the FIA has imposed measuring points to observe the oscillations of the flaps in such a way to be then able to impose metrics to be able to contain the flexing of individual elements within a set range. The choice of collecting data in this manner, although the most logical option with which to capture data to contain the phenomenon of wing flexibility, is also the most complex and difficult to measure.

Difficult for the FIA to measure
Under this method, the data must be collected over a large period of time, across a wide-range of wing profiles across a number of different circuits, including both high and low downforce ones. The exact same flap would therefore be subjected to totally different pressure on different tracks, varying only the incidence of the flap itself and determining the elasticity for the wing element - although again, this is very complex in the consideration of the interaction between the single element and the other elements of the front-wing.

Therefore, the FIA's idea of continuing to measure the flexibility of various wing elements not only on the alleged flexible McLaren and Mercedes wings, but from those on all the cars on the grid. This should allow it to find a unique solution, which can be applied across any wing assembly, regardless of its shape. It remains a complex issue however because of the precise optimisation of how the flexibility of the wing has been factored in to become an integral part of the aerodynamic concept of each car, with the interaction between the airflows that touch the front-wing and the rest of the car crucial in determining its behaviour.

Since the Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA has acquired additional data during FP1 and FP2 sessions to assess dynamic behaviours through a mandated video camera which captures areas of the front wing which are not visible through the official FOM broadcast cameras. This exercise will continue at least up until Singapore to ensure every team will have been running the mandated FIA camera on different types of tracks - low, medium, high and very high downforce. This will ensure a large database allowing the FIA to draw the most objective picture of the situation and quantify differences between the various dynamic patterns observed on track.

 

[1%er]

'New investors join Aston Martin in billion-dollar deal'​

Performance-wise on the track, 2024 has not been a stand out year for Aston Martin, but in other areas, the team are doing well. The deal with Adrian Newey has been finalised, a new state-of-the-art factory has been commissioned and Fernando Alonso has been committed for the next few years. All this makes the Aston Martin F1 Team of interest to new investors. Sky reports that two global investors will buy a stake in the team.

Accel and HPS Investment Partners are said to be the two parties that, according to the British broadcaster, will in principel co-own AMR GP Holdings Limited, the F1 team's parent company, for the equivalent of €1.8 billion. This reportedly gives them 20% to 25% of the shares. As a result, by simple calculations one could find out what Aston Martin F1 is worth at least based on these companies evaluation; namely five (assuming 20% of the shares are bought) times 1.8 billion euros, and that is 9 billion euros.

Aston Martin shares acquired by US companies
According to Sky, there is an agreement with HPS to refinance the debt after the construction of the new Aston Martin F1 headquarters and factory at Silverstone on undoubtedly more favourable terms. HPS Investment Partners are a US company that manages around $115 billion in assets, while Accel are one of the giants in Silicon Valley's venture capital sector. Accel invested in Facebook, for example, at a time when it was still a small player.

The share sale has not yet been officially announced. That would happen next week, according to Sky. If the deal is completed, it will be the largest transaction Lawrence Stroll (co-owner) would have received for shares of the team.

 

[Limejuice]

The key issue facing the FIA in F1's latest flexi-wing drama​

... Red Bull's Christian Horner and Ferrari's Frederic Vasseur said they would be seeking talks with F1's governing body for clarification over the matter.

You can always rely on Whinger to wade into a controversy, wielding a self-righteous sword.

Remember back in Vettel's days there was much controversy about.. what was it? Flexible front wings? Yes, flexible front wings. Ted Kravitz showed many a clip of the Red Bull flapping like a hummingbird when it reached 2 mph. But in the FIA tests, they didn't deflect further than the rules proscribed. So that was peachy, said Whinger.

And in 2021, was there not some controversy over "bendy" rear wings on some cars? Which ones? Well, it was Alfa, Ferrari and, um, er... Red Bull.

At Red bull, all these "irregularities" happened under the doleful gaze of the great air-flow expert, Saint Adrian of Newey, someone genetically incapable of allowing stray air-flow to interfere with his designs by accident.

That rancid smell? I think it's called hypocrisy.

I like Fred, so he gets a pass. Whinger can go impale himself.

 

[spitfire]

Good rant 10/10 no notes.

 

[Limejuice]

Time once again for a dive off the 20m platform into the swimming pool of Formula One. Feet-first is the only way to survive.

This weekend it's Azerbaijan, or more specifically, Baku. It's 6km around the circuit, the fourth-longest in F1, with plenty of places to spontaneously smack into a wall.

The UK telly times for the weekend will be:

Fri 13 Sept
FP1 - 10:30
FP2 - 14:00

Sat 14 Sept
FP3 - 09:30
Qual - 13:00

Sun 15 Sept
Race - 12:00

Free trivia: Garry Kasparov, chess maestro, was born in Baku.

 

[taperoo2k]

You can always rely on Whinger to wade into a controversy, wielding a self-righteous sword.

Remember back in Vettel's days there was much controversy about.. what was it? Flexible front wings? Yes, flexible front wings. Ted Kravitz showed many a clip of the Red Bull flapping like a hummingbird when it reached 2 mph. But in the FIA tests, they didn't deflect further than the rules proscribed. So that was peachy, said Whinger.

And in 2021, was there not some controversy over "bendy" rear wings on some cars? Which ones? Well, it was Alfa, Ferrari and, um, er... Red Bull.

At Red bull, all these "irregularities" happened under the doleful gaze of the great air-flow expert, Saint Adrian of Newey, someone genetically incapable of allowing stray air-flow to interfere with his designs by accident.

That rancid smell? I think it's called hypocrisy.

I like Fred, so he gets a pass. Whinger can go impale himself.

Ah Horner. Goes running to the FIA when he realises Redbull are stuffed. Not sure what he's going to do in 2026 if
the Redbull Power Unit spits out it's pistons and the battery decides to blow up as soon as Horner looks at it.

 

[taperoo2k]

Newey has joined Aston Martin. He starts in March 2025.

Adrian Newey to join Aston Martin on long-term deal

Aston Martin have won the race to sign Adrian Newey, with the Formula 1 design guru with joining the British manufacturer on a long-term deal as Managing Technical Partner.

www.formula1.com

Adrian Newey: Will Formula 1 design 'genius' turn Aston Martin into winners?

This is a really interesting interview with Newey that was released today.

 

[Limejuice]

Newey has joined Aston Martin. He starts in March 2025.

Adrian Newey to join Aston Martin on long-term deal

Aston Martin have won the race to sign Adrian Newey, with the Formula 1 design guru with joining the British manufacturer on a long-term deal as Managing Technical Partner.

www.formula1.com

Adrian Newey: Will Formula 1 design 'genius' turn Aston Martin into winners?

This is a really interesting interview with Newey that was released today.

F1's worst-kept secret.

 

[taperoo2k]

F1's worst-kept secret.

Pretty much. Though I doubt even Newey can help Lance Stroll win a world championship. Even at 43, Alonso
is running rings around Lance. If they are in a title fight? I don't think he'd cope with Alonso in his element.

 

[Limejuice]

I wonder if we'll see Papaya Rules 2.0 in Baku..?

McLaren mustn't fumble the opportunity they have to write a coda for Adrian Newey's RB epoch.

 

[Limejuice]

Leclerc stoves his car into a wall. Red flag.

He says the track was dusty. The commentators say he was way too fast into a corner.

Close-up on Fred Vasseur, who is clearly thinking imponderable thoughts, in French.

 

[Limejuice]

Red flag #3.

Colapinto clouts the wall in the car he inherited for the wall-clouter-in-chief.

Talk about consistency (and expense).

 

[1%er]

F1 Free Practice 1 Results​

1. Max Verstappen
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Sergio Perez
4. Lando Norris
5. Carlos Sainz
6. Oscar Piastri
7. Fernando Alonso
8. George Russell
9. Charles Leclerc
10. Daniel Ricciardo
11. Oliover Bearman
12. Nico Hulkenberg
13. Lance Stroll
14. Valtteri Bottas
15. Yuki Tsunoda
16. Franco Colapinto
17. Alex Albon
18. Pierre Gasly
19. Zhou Guanyu
20. Esteban Ocon

 

[1%er]

No David Croft this weekend he is on his honeymoon somewhere in Franch, he will be replaced by that Harry Benjamin bloke

 

[1%er]

Free Practice 2 F1 result​

1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:43.484 19 laps
2 Sergio Perez Red Bull + 0.006 22 laps
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes + 0.066 21 laps
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari + 0.466 24 laps
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren + 0.499 24 laps
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull + 0.545 23 laps
7 Lance Stroll Aston Martin + 0.609 22 laps
8 Nico Hulkenberg Haas + 0.991 23 laps
9 George Russell Mercedes + 1.052 16 laps
10 Oliver Bearman Haas + 1.063 23 laps
11 Yuki Tsunoda VCARB + 1.161 23 laps
12 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin + 1.199 24 laps
13 Alex Albon Williams + 1.253 24 laps
14 Franco Colapinto Williams + 1.265 22 laps
15 Valtteri Bottas kick Sauber + 1.301 23 laps
16 Daniel Ricciardo VCARB + 1.572 25 laps
17 Lando Norris McLaren + 1.672 24 laps
18 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 1.907 21 laps
19 Esteban Ocon Alpine + 2.326 23 laps
20 Guanyu Zhou Kick Sauber + 2.463 23 laps

 

[Limejuice]

FP3 - two red flags already, and there's 20-odd minutes left.

 

[1%er]

Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Third Practice Results​

1. 1. George Russell Mercedes 1:42.514
2. 2. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.013
3. 3. Lando Norris McLaren +0.223
4. 4. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.235
5. 5. Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.348
6. 6. Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.454
7. 7. Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.510
8. 8. Alex Albon Williams +0.680
9. 9. Franco Colapinto Williams +0.724
10. 10. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.787
11. 11. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.960
12. 12. Yuki Tsunoda VCARB +0.989
13. 13. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.057
14. 14. Daniel Ricciardo VCARB +1.356
15. 15. Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.362
16. 16. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +1.650
17. 17. Valtteri Bottas Sauber +1.673
18. 18. Zhou Guanyu Sauber +2.355
19. 19. Esteban Ocon Alpine No time
20. 20. Oliver Bearman Haas No time

 

[1%er]

Leclerc faces Azerbaijan GP stewards' investigation​

Charles Leclerc faces a stewards' hearing following an alleged infringement during final practice. Ferrari driver Leclerc has been summoned for allegedly failing to slow under yellow flags, with the incident timed at 1320 local time, 50 minutes into FP3. Leclerc went on to finish second-quickest in the hour-long session which was punctuated by two red flags. The Monégasque, who was quickest at the end of Friday's two practice sessions, trailed Mercedes' George Russell by just 0.013s. Leclerc will be aiming for his fourth consecutive pole position around the Baku Street Circuit when qualifying commences at 1400 local time (1300 BST). The 26-year-old, however, has failed to convert any of his three previous pole positions into victories, finishing fourth in 2021, retiring a year later, and third last season.

 

[1%er]

F1 driver slapped with 20-place grid penalty at Azerbaijan Grand Prix​

Zhou Guanyu will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the back of the grid after taking a 20-place grid penalty. The Chinese racer took two new components after Friday's action in Baku. The Sauber team opted to fit a new energy store and control electronics to his machine after a difficult start to the weekend, and both of these came outside of the permitted season-long allowance. While the penalty was significant, it is unlikely to have a major impact on Zhou's ability to score points in Baku. The Sauber team have been slipping away from the back of the field in terms of performance lately, and have struggled greatly in qualifying.

Even more concerning for Zhou is his head-to-head record against team-mate Valtteri Bottas. The 25-year-old has been outqualified in 15 of the 16 races so far this season, dealing a hammer blow to his chances of sealing a new contract with the Sauber squad. Zhou's race record hasn't been much better. Bottas has been the highest-finishing Sauber driver on 11 occasions this year, although neither have been able to score a point.

 

[1%er]

McLaren introduce team orders for rest of F1 season… But it comes with a catch​

Lando Norris will get team orders at McLaren in his quest to snatch the F1 world championship from Max Verstappen following the controversial incident at the 2024 Italian GP which ultimately cost him valuable points. Oscar Piastri pulled off a bold Lap 1 overtake at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza that whilst it was clean, ultimately dropped Norris down to third behind Charles Leclerc, as the latter went on to win ahead for Ferrari.

The pair were then allowed to race for victory as long as they followed ‘papaya rules’ despite Norris having an excellent chance to eat into Max Verstappen’s championship lead as the world champion went on to take the chequered flag in sixth. As a result, the McLaren came under fire for failing to prioritise the Brit and ahead of the 2024 Azerbaijan GP at the Baku City Circuit, team principal Andrea Stella revealed they have new rules in place following an internal review. “We [will] bias our support to Lando but we want to do it without too much compromise on our principles,” Stella said to BBC Sport. “Our principles are that the team’s interest always comes first. We want to be fair to both drivers. What we don’t want to see anymore is a situation like in Monza in which we enter a chicane P1/P2 and we exit P1/P3, because that is a detriment to the team. The team interests come first and these are the situations that above all we need to fix because as a matter of fact, the way we entered the race in Monza left the door open for this situation.”

Zak Brown reveals the McLaren catch
Norris currently trails Verstappen by 62 points heading into the 2024 Azerbaijan GP, with seven Grand Prix and three Sprint Races to go following the 51 laps of the Baku City Circuit located in Europe by the Caspian Sea. Stella also revealed Norris, as he did at the 2024 Hungarian GP, does not want Piastri to pull aside and wave him through if they are contesting a race victory in the latter stages on the grounds he wants his maiden F1 title to feel authentic. So it remains to be seen just how it translates on track, although appears the young Australian will concede favourable opportunities or will swap positions if they’re close on track as long as they’re not duelling for the win.

But whilst McLaren are finally making the tough call to back Norris in the F1 title race, there is an interesting catch as revealed by the group CEO, Zak Brown, who essentially said it’s on the 24-year-old to ensure he keeps the team orders around for himself. “We’re going to work as a team to see what we can do to help Lando,” Brown told Dale Jr Download. “And we’re going to kind of do it a race or a time. In two races, if we’ve closed the gap, we’ll keep working as a team but if, in a couple of races, Max has won a couple, Lando’s had a DNF, and it’s kind of mathematically over, then we’ll go back to letting [Piastri] have a go.”

How did Oscar Piastri react to McLaren team orders?
Piastri, a young, talented and hungry driver at the start of his own career, should not be blamed for trying to win F1 Grand Prix when it’s there in front of him and the team are permitting it to happen. But how does he feel about the new policy from McLaren, particularly after the team had to beg his teammate to allow him to take his first career triumph at the 2024 Hungarian GP? “The conversations [with Oscar] have been very collaborative,” Stella added. “Even when I said to Oscar, ‘would you be available to give up a victory?’ He said, ‘it’s painful, but if it’s the right thing to do now, I will do it.’ Every driver is hard-wired to go for a victory. “So I am very impressed by the level of team spirit and maturity and collaboration that we found in this period.”

 

[Buddy Bradley]

All the streams seem to be f**ked this afternoon, none of the usual ones are working.

 

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