Category: Formula 1

Ahead of F1’s second sprint event of the year in Miami, Mercedes has taken on board a better understanding of what it did wrong in Shanghai two weeks ago.

There, thanks to new parc ferme rules that opened up after the Saturday race, it elected to make massive set up changes to both Russell and Lewis Hamilton’s cars ahead of qualifying for the grand prix.

Those changes proved not to bring any step forward in pace and actually meant that the drivers were on the back foot in qualifying as they had to adjust immediately to a new direction for their W15.

Russell said that for Miami, Mercedes would change its approach to set-up changes and lean more towards sticking with what it has for the duration, even if it is not perfect.

“What we learned is that if you took the car upside down, and you go straight into a qualifying session, where every single lap in Q1 or Q2 is vitally important for how it sets you up for Q3 and the tyres you have left, it’s very difficult to adapt in such a short period of time,” he said about the mindset for the Miami sprint.

“So probably better the devil you know than trying to find to find that sweet spot.”

George Russell, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Russell thinks it is far better to try to work around any known deficiencies than throwing everything in an all-new approach that brings much uncertainty.

“If you were to stick with a suboptimal set up, it is a suboptimal set up that you know, and you can adapt to over time,” he said.

“Of course we’re trying to chase perfection, trying to sometimes reach for the stars, and in doing so in such a short period of time, it can throw you off course.

“I’m sure we won’t be making the same mistake this weekend. It is an incredibly exciting field out there between the four teams after Red Bull.

“And if you find that sweet spot, you can find yourself gaining five, six or seven positions on a Saturday afternoon. So yeah, we need to make sure we are in the right place to deliver.”

Mercedes is bringing some minor updates to the Miami weekend in a bid to try to unlock the potential that it feels there is in its W15.

And having been bold with some experiments in recent grands prix, Russell thinks the time has come to settle on a direction now and make the most of it.

“There’s been a lot of learning from the past couple of races,” he added. “I think we find ourselves in a much better position now that we’ve done some extreme sets of options between the races.

“We know where the car is operating at its best. I think now we just need to fine tune that and build upon some better foundations.”

Following Nico Hulkenberg’s impending departure at the end of 2024 to join Sauber next season, in preparation for its Audi rebrand in 2026, Haas now has an empty seat for 2025.

Bearman, who is currently reserve driver for both Haas and Ferrari, is considered as the favourite to take over Hulkenberg’s drive due to his current position in the team and will take part in six FP1 sessions this year.

The 18-year-old Briton’s chances of breaking through into F1 next season were enhanced by his super-sub appearance for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, where he finished seventh in place of an unwell Carlos Sainz.

Komatsu says that, although Bearman needs to perform in F2 to at least ensure he maintains the necessary superlicence points to step up, the Chelmsford-born racer must primarily continue to demonstrate a desirable working ethic at Haas in his reserve role.

“It is a combination; he needs to perform in F2, for sure. Bu when we work with him directly, you [need to] understand all the ins and outs, all the environment or the reasoning for certain things happening,” Komatsu explained.

“So yeah, I’d put probably more weight on what we do with him, how he performs in our environment. But of course he needs to perform in F2. That’s clear.

“It’s completely open,” Komatsu added. “We’ve got six [FP1] sessions lined up for him, so we will see the first of that in Imola. We are really looking forward to see how we can develop him and how well we can work together.”

In reflecting on how well Bearman has integrated himself into the team thus far, Komatsu labelled the Prema F2 driver as “impressive” and noted that his first FP1 appearance for the team in Mexico last year had given him “nothing to complain about”.

Oliver Bearman, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

Asked if Hulkenberg’s departure would influence Bearman’s practice programmes, Komatsu said that the focus on assisting the team with its preparations for the given weekends retained the most importance.

“It doesn’t change [the programmes] – because you can’t as a team, you’ve got an objective for that weekend, you have a clear idea of what you need to get out from FP1, FP2, FP3 to prepare for your quali and race. So that approach doesn’t change,” the Japanese said.

“But it’s more over does the driver understand that objective? Can he play a strong part in fulfilling that kind of objectives?

“If this young driver is only interested in, let’s say, going flat out everywhere showing the world how quick he is – that’s not really mature approach.

“But Ollie is not like that. What Ollie’s shown in Mexico and then Abu Dhabi, he’s got the speed. But he really understands the bigger picture, and he can play a positive part in contributing to the team. I would like to see the continuation of that.

“Also, at some stage he will face an issue; maybe you’ve got the car issue that maybe he loses half a session? How does he react to that? That kind of adversity. So that’d be an interesting one to see.”

Should Bearman manage that, Komatsu added that it would “of course” be a logical decision to promote him into the 2025 drive.

As the RB20 is prepared for action we are able to see the front and rear brake assemblies in various states of undress. 

Disc fairings are used at both ends of the car to help control the passage of airflow and transfer of heat, with a window employed at the front end to allow some of that heat to migrate to the secondary nest within the drum, as seen on the left-hand side of the car. 

Notably some of the assembly has a silver coating to help reduce heat transfer between each nest.

There’s a new paint job on the front wing of the Ferrari SF-24 this weekend, but the main structure remains the same. The nose is sat on the secondary element, whilst the mainplane dips around the central section. The endplate has been angled outward whilst the upper two elements are pushed away from the endplate and only attached by a couple of slender spars, as the team looks to generate more outwash.

A collection of front wings wait outside the Mercedes garage as the team prepares its W15 for action. Mercedes was the first to use the semi-detached flap and endplate arrangement, something that still remains in place today. There also appears to be a different trim level on some of the upper elements, with the team likely planning to assess what downforce level works best for it alongside its rear wing choices.

Ferrari is also employing a disc fairing to reduce heat transfer into the main brake drum, which in-turn passes that heat into the wheel rim and tyre. All of the teams are keen to control this heat transfer, given how sensitive the Pirelli tyres can be and especially as heat transfer from the brakes would create peaks and troughs in how the bulk temperature would be changed.

A close up of the rear brake duct’s inner fence. The snorkel exit is employed to reject heat and the cascade of winglets is stacked up below.

McLaren’s internal front brake pipework consists of numerous, torturously routed channels that deliver cool air to the disc and caliper, whilst reducing the transfer of heat into the main brake drum. Also note the internal configuration at the rear of the car, with an expanding chute that traverses the forward face of the assembly to deliver some of the airflow to the outer flank.

An overview of the Mercedes W15’s rear end, with the deep spoon-shaped rear wing employed, along with a double beam wing arrangement. Also note the flared upper corner of the diffuser, whilst a double stepped arrangement is favoured on the lower brake duct deflector winglet.

To help deal with the temperatures in Miami, Mercedes has a more open cooling set up, with a generous louvre arrangement employed on the bridge of the engine cover shelf, whilst another louvred panel has been deployed on the upper surface of the sidepod to help with heat rejection.

Ferrari, meanwhile, has opted for just three generously sized louvres on its engine cover for FP1.

A look at the Mercedes W15’s deep spoon-shaped rear wing from the front, with the team utilising the semi-detached flap and endplate arrangement, which helps to alter the vortex structure at the wingtip.

A close up of the VCARB 01’s rear end, which features just a single beam wing element, whilst the lower rear brake duct deflector winglet has an interesting stepped arrangement. The lower section features a half-moon shape that reverses the lower tip back upon itself.

A close up of the RB20’s front end gives us a view of the shark mouth horizontal sidepod inlet, while Red Bull has also set up the car with the two additional driver cooling nostrils on top of the chassis.

Haas has a combination of solutions on its front wing as it searches for the maximum amount of flow conditioning whilst trying to retain the right downforce performance window. This includes a double kick diveplane on the endplate, three semi-detached flaps in the endplate connection, along with an additional outwashing winglet hung from the uppermost flap and outwashing slot gap separator brackets.

Ocon and team-mate Pierre Gasly endured a torrid start to the 2024 season with Alpine, which is one of three teams yet to score points.

The Bruno Famin-led outfit fast-tracked a new floor to China, which both drivers will now use in Miami, while it has also made efforts to bring the weight of its A524 down.

Off the track, Famin has recruited senior engineer Sanchez as the Enstone-based squad’s overarching technical director, with the Frenchman recently having been released from a short-lived McLaren stint.

Sanchez will oversee the team’s new technical structure with three more specialised technical directors reporting to him.

With both of its drivers being out of contract at the end of the year, Ocon said Sanchez’s capture was an important sign that Alpine is serious about turning around its fortunes as he weighs up his future.

“Things are changing,” Ocon replied when Autosport asked him about how he is judging the progress the team has been making in its factory.

“You saw the announcement of David Sanchez in the team. The team is making an effort to change things and the team is not happy with the situation overall of being where we are.

“We should be progressing and not going backwards, like it has been the case in this year. Bruno, all the team members, they are competitors and they want to be doing well.

“And, obviously, that is a very strong topic on my side to know that you want to progress towards the front and not just be satisfied with the situation.”

Gasly cautioned that Alpine’s many internal changes will take time to show results, which he said weighed heavy on the team.

“It’s tough sometimes, because I do think the team is improving in many different areas,” he said.

“Ultimately, it doesn’t show on the track and sometimes it’s quite tough for the guys, because everyone’s putting a lot of effort. But at the minute, the car concept that we’ve got is not working.

“The most important thing is how we are able to react. There are a couple of good signings for the team.

“I’m aware that it does take some time. We can’t expect a massive change in a very short space of time.

“But I feel like we’ve got enough data now to really spot what’s working and what’s not, and then it’s a matter of how we tackle it.”

Audi is one of several possible destinations for Sainz ahead of his upcoming exit from Ferrari, with the German OEM having long been interested in securing his services for its F1 entry in 2026 when it rebrands the Sauber squad.

In recent weeks, Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko suggested that Sainz has “a very lucrative offer from Audi that we can’t match or beat” as the world champion squad considers replacing Sergio Perez for 2025, while reports from Spanish media on Thursday included speculation that Sainz has already rejected an Audi offer.

He insisted there is “no truth” to that suggestion when facing the F1 press corps ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, where he was also asked if he had received any assurance – informal or otherwise – about the possibility of an Audi drive remaining available as he waits to see what other chances may open at Red Bull or Mercedes.

“No,” replied Sainz, speaking for the first time since it was announced that Audi had secured its first 2026 driver in recruiting Haas driver Hulkenberg from next year.

“The only assurance that I have is from myself that I want to take the right decision.

Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

“That’s why it’s also taking a bit longer and that’s why I want to see all the options available before taking any fundamental decision.

“I think Nico joining Audi makes complete sense for them and for Nico. I think he’s a great driver whose talent I’ve managed to see, I think he’s a great signing for them and I congratulate them because he’s been doing great at Haas.”

Speaking in the Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday, Sainz reiterated again “there are certain things that don’t depend fully on myself and there’s going to be some waiting to be done” regarding his 2025 F1 choice.

“But, in the meantime, it’s not like we are completely stopped [negotiating],” he added. “We’re still in conversations with people and advancing what we can advance.

“But all those things include the waiting that, as I said before, we’re going to need to do [for] people to make up their minds in many areas.”

Despite a contract that runs until 2028 and a dominant car in the RB20, Verstappen’s future at Red Bull was called into question in the wake of the team’s power struggles that had been simmering under the surface for a while and boiled over this year.

Verstappen previously said it was key to his Red Bull future that all key pillars of the team remained in place, but one of its most crucial members is now leaving Milton Keynes, with ace designer Adrian Newey announcing he will depart from the F1 team.

It raised fresh questions over Verstappen’s plans, who played down the significance of Newey leaving by saying his departure is “not as dramatic as it seems” to the outside world.

But amid wild suggestions of a €150 million per year offer made by Mercedes for the Dutchman’s services, Verstappen said performance would be a much more important factor for his future than finances.

When asked if there was any truth to the €150m rumours, he replied: “No. But at the end of the day, even if let’s say that would be the case, €150 million…. money is not going to be the differentiator for me to go somewhere.

“I’m happy with what I’m earning already, it’s about performance.”

Verstappen is the odds-on favourite to secure a fourth straight title in 2024 and if he were to trade Red Bull for Mercedes, who has struggled for performance this season, he would likely be walking away from a potential title in 2025.

“I know myself that if I will be driving for P5 or P6, you get quite grumpy with yourself,” he explained.

“So, it’s always about performance at the end of the day. I mean, everyone knows that, Toto [Wolff] also knows that.

“My future is within Red Bull at the moment.”

Asked if he felt it was odd that Wolff kept publicly courting him as Lewis Hamilton’s potential replacement, he replied: “No, because I think everyone should always be optimistic and hopeful in things.

“But at the moment, I can say that I want to stay with the team because I believe in the project that we have with everyone involved.

“But at the end of the day, in sports but also in life, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.”

F1 returned to Vegas for a first grand prix in 41 years with the 2023 event eventually won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, using a new track incorporating the city’s famous Strip.

But the event attracted considerable criticism for some initial ticket packages costing close to $1,000 for just the Thursday practice running, before prices fell considerably closer to the event.

This decision was down to promoter Las Vegas Grand Prix Inc, which is owned by F1 commercial rights holder Liberty Media, trying to implement “the learnings we saw in Miami in year one” in terms of expensive hospitality offerings, according to event CEO Renee Wilm.

Speaking at the Motorsport Stage at Soho Beach House ahead of this weekend’s third Miami race, Wilm was asked what the main lesson LVGP had picked up following its first event as an F1 race promoter last year.

“We really did take some of the best practices from around the globe that we incorporated into our event,” she replied.

“But we also would love to set the bar even higher with that fan experience and on the sporting side. So, we couldn’t have been prouder that it was a fantastic race.

“I think one of the biggest takeaways for us was the fan engagement and creating a product ladder that was more accessible via a wider variety of fans.

“We leaned very heavily on the high-end, VIP hospitality outside of the paddock based on some of the learnings we saw here in Miami in year one.

“And, unfortunately, that led to a lot of our fanbase really not being able to afford the ticket to be on track, and that’s not something we want to do – we never want to isolate our fans.

“So, this year we’ve completely revamped and we’ve added about 10,000 additional, much more affordable tickets.

“Some leaning in on entertainment, some closer to the paddock so that you can be part of those initial turns of the track.

“And then much lower priced in the Flamingo Zone to allow those entry-level backpackers to really enjoy the event.”

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

Tickets on the LVGP Inc website currently have general admission tickets for the 2024 event available from $150, with the top level hospitality packages at $12,500.

Wilm also said “from a personal perspective, I would love for the Las Vegas GP to be the last race of the season” in the future but admitted F1 had to be “respectful to our partners” in this regard.

Since 2014, F1’s season finales have all taken place at the Abu Dhabi track.

“I now know, first-hand, how hard it is to be a promoter,” Wilm added.

“I think one of the takeaways from this project has made us a lot more sympathetic to what it takes to put on this kind of event.

“I think it would be an incredible opportunity for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but it would be a big concession from our partners in the Middle East.”

Earlier this week it was confirmed that Newey will leave Red Bull after a 19-year stint at the Milton Keynes squad, having made a huge contribution to the team’s two title streaks with Sebastian Vettel and now Verstappen.

The news has been received as a huge blow for Red Bull, especially if it ends up losing Newey to a rival team amid interest from Ferrari.

But while Verstappen praised Newey’s contributions and wished the 65-year-old would have stayed, he said the prospect of Red Bull losing its talismanic design genius is not a major disaster either.

“Of course, Adrian was incredibly important for the success that Red Bull had but over time his role has changed a bit,” Verstappen said.

“I think a lot of people don’t understand what he was actually doing. I don’t say he is not doing anything, but his role has evolved. A lot of good people came into the team, that has strengthened that whole department.

“Of course, I would have preferred him to stay, because you can always rely on his experience. And as a person, he is a great guy to chat to and relate to.

“But I also really trust that the technical team that we have outside of Adrian is very, very strong and they have basically shown that for the last few years with how competitive the car is.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1st position,

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“So, from the outside, it looks very dramatic, but if you actually know what is happening inside the team, it’s not as dramatic as it seems.”

Verstappen said there was no point in personally trying to convince Newey to stay and doesn’t begrudge him a new challenge.

“I don’t need to convince anyone, because at the end of the day, if someone really wants to leave, they should leave,” he added.

“That’s also what I wrote to him. If you think that is the right decision for yourself and your family, or you seek a different challenge, or whatever, you have to do it.

“At the end of the day, F1 is a shark tank, everyone thinks about themselves at the end of the day. I know that, I’m not stupid. So that’s fine.”

“I cannot deny that I would have preferred him to stay just for how he is as a person, his knowledge and with what he will bring potentially to another team if he wants to join.

“Besides that, I trust that the people that we have, they’re incredibly good at what they do.”

Stroll ran into Ricciardo under the safety car in Shanghai, which ended Ricciardo’s chance of scoring his first points of the 2024 season with RB.

Ricciardo was incensed by the incident, especially after it became clear that Stroll ducked responsibility for the incident and blamed drivers ahead, saying it made his “blood boil”.

The Australian revealed in Miami that he and Stroll still hadn’t cleared the air, but suggested there would be no point in doing so if Stroll still felt he was blameless for the contact.

“I would say no, because I feel it’s not going to go anywhere,” Ricciardo replied when asked if he wanted to speak with the Canadian.

“I can accept an apology, I’m not that much of an asshole. But the fact that there’s not even that… He clearly doesn’t think he did anything wrong. So I guess there’s not much to say.

“Obviously, if we sit next to each other in the drivers’ briefing and he wants to chat, I’m not going to ignore him or anything.”

Daniel Ricciardo, VCARB 01, Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24, and the remainder of the field

Photo by: Mark Sutton

Ricciardo explained that in previous incidents he always made a point of clearing the air with his rivals, even if he wasn’t fully convinced he was in the wrong, just to avoid other drivers painting a target on his back.

“When I was younger, maybe I was more stubborn, didn’t always apologise for something that was my fault,” he said.

“But the last few years, if I take someone out or even if it’s 50/50, I’ll still say: ‘Look, maybe I could have done better, so sorry for ruining our day.’ I’ll just text them clear the air a little bit.

“We’re all rivals, but you don’t want to have a target and you don’t need enemies. I’m not going as far as saying he is an enemy or anything. It’s an incident and we’ll move on.

“But you don’t obviously want to get what you’re giving. In that position, if I didn’t see him in person I would at least say: ‘Hey man sorry, I was looking somewhere else, or you braked really hard and caught me off guard.’ Whatever, just something.

“But yeah, it’s fine. Obviously we’re talking about it, but I have certainly moved on.”

Stroll ducked questions about the incident in Miami, and when asked if he attempted to reach out to Ricciardo, he said: “Not for this room. Those things are done behind closed doors.”

Aston Martin has lodged a petition to review the 10-second time penalty and three points on Alonso’s licence that were handed down for a collision he had with Carlos Sainz in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint.

A stewards’ meeting has been called for 8am in Miami on Friday to judge whether or not Aston Martin has gathered a significant and relevant enough new piece of evidence to justify a fresh hearing over the matter.

Speaking ahead of the Miami GP, Alonso did not want to go into too many details about the case, but said there were some important answers that Aston Martin was chasing.

And in particular, the Spaniard says that they want some clarity in terms of why he appears to have been singled out so harshly for incidents in recent races – which included the sanction he got for his defensive driving against George Russell on the final lap of the Australian GP that triggered a crash.

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“Obviously we have different opinions, but this happens in any sport,” said Alonso.

“Even when you watch football on TV, depending on which team you are, it’s a yellow card or red card or not. I think we will have different opinions as well always.

“But I think that in China, I think 99% of the people were enjoying the sprint event and the battles, and I think I had the hardest penalty of the race.

“So maybe it was a little bit confusing there, but let’s see tomorrow.”

And with penalties having been given to him in both Australia and China, Alonso reckoned that it was important that he and the team got some answers about why certain decisions had been taken.

“The rules are the rules, and we accept those,” he said. “Sometimes we agree, sometimes we disagree, but we have to accept it because they [the stewards] have all the power to make those decisions, and they have all the understanding of the rules.

“But, as I said, I had the hardest penalty in the last two events in Australia and in China, so it’s good to make sure that everything is okay and nothing else is happening.”