Category: Formula 1

The Faenza-based squad has found itself locked in an intense fight with Haas for supremacy of the five-squad chasing pack that is behind F1’s top teams of Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin.

The current competitiveness of the F1 grid means that there are scant few points on offer for the bottom five teams, meaning Haas and RB have to pull out all the stops to capitalise on any opportunities that come their way.

PLUS: The F1 hero to zero dividing line that has never been so thin

RB currently leads that private battle from Haas, having scored seven points so far this year to its rival’s five, but a double DNF in China proved costly in not allowing it to stretch its advantage.

With so little performance difference between teams, any gains are critical, which is why RB has elected to bring some developments to Miami despite it being a sprint event.

Speaking to Autosport about the midfield battle, team boss Laurent Mekies said: “We’ll have an update in Miami to help us try to keep surfing on the top of that very edge.

“There is nothing guaranteed in this group. I’m sure our competitors will bring updates as well and only if you nail the weekend will you get to that P10.”

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal, RB F1 Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

RB has appeared to have the pace edge over Haas at times this season, but its rival has managed to bring home a decent stack of points.

Mekies said the margins between the two teams were so small, though, that he had no confidence to state that his squad was in control of the fight.

PLUS: How studying Tost, Whiting and Binotto shaped F1’s latest team boss

“We have never been confident that we have the quickest car of the five [teams at the back],” said Mekies.

“We got it there by half a tenth in Australia, half a tenth in Japan and we missed it by a 10th and a half in China.

“In the race, we were probably equal, or if not half a tenth ahead. So we have never had any confidence. It’s a battle every time.

“But it’s a fantastic exercise for everyone. It’s superb training for the team to execute sharp weekends, and you need a strong race from every perspective

“It’s only by doing that you will get a point. As soon as one of these elements, be it tyre management, strategy, or anything, falls off the cliff, you will give up that point.”

Watch: Adrian Newey Set to Leave Red Bull

Alonso’s recent Aston Martin contract extension means he will carry on racing until at least the end of the 2026 F1 campaign, by which time he will be 45.

That would make him the oldest F1 driver to compete since Graham Hill in 1975.

Alonso already holds the record for the most grand prix races ever started and is set to hit an unprecedented 400 GPs at the 2024 Qatar round.

McLaren driver Norris was asked about Alonso’s longevity – it is 23 years since the Spaniard made his F1 debut, next year will be the 20th anniversary of his first world championship, while his most recent world title came for Toyota in the 2018-2019 World Endurance Championship – at last weekend’s Chinese GP.

While also answering a question about whether he would like to race for so long, Norris replied: “I’d better be careful what I say. I think it takes a lot of dedication – I don’t think anyone thinks Fernando lacks that in any way.

“He shows that with everything that he does in life. Whether it’s at the track or away from the track, in different sports or whatever.

“So, it depends on what you want to do. Everyone is different. It’s rare that you see someone commit for so long in any sport.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“He’s probably one of the oldest guys competing at the top of any sport in the world and I think to be able to do that at the level that he has done and continues to do, you’re probably never going to potentially see it again, within Formula 1. And if you do, it’s going be extremely rare.

“[I have] a lot of lot of respect for that kind of thing. I have no idea if I’ll want to do it in 20 years’ time, if I’m still going strong.

“But I love where I am now and if I continue to do such a thing, yeah, we’ll see.”

Speaking alongside Norris, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon were equally uncertain on how long they envision their F1 stints ideally lasting.

Ocon said Alonso’s record is “a dream career for any athlete or racing driver” and added, “I don’t know if I would still be racing at his age but, truly, his dedication is something that is an example for all of us”.

Leclerc said it is “difficult to imagine myself in 15- or 18-years’ time still [racing] in F1”, but also revealed he is eyeing a specific new late-career challenge in any case.

“I would love to be racing still for many years,” he added. “I would like to experience other things like Le Mans – that’s definitely a place where I will see myself racing one day.

“I mean as long as I am fully motivated then I will race. And I love what I do, so for now that’s what I want to do for the longest time possible.”

Watch: Adrian Newey Set to Leave Red Bull

The Milton Keynes-based team will produce its own power unit for the first time in 2026, when its new Red Bull Powertrains division ties up with Ford.

Although Red Bull is under no illusions about the challenge that lies ahead as it takes on the might of manufacturers like Mercedes, Ferrari and Audi, it equally feels that it can be competitive based on the efforts undertaken to become a class leader.

Reflecting on how things were stacking up with less than two years to go, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “We’re on a steep learning curve where we’ve got 70 years of disadvantage to Ferrari, but we’ve got a great group of people.

“We’re applying the same philosophy as we have on the chassis to the engine. But it’s a different challenge with the engine. So, there’s no guarantees.”

Horner said that trying to work out where Red Bull stacked up against rivals was unclear right now, but he felt there were elements that were in its favour and some that worked against it.

“There’s no knowledge of where anybody else is with these new regulations,” he explained.

“It’s a clean sheet of paper and we don’t have the benefit of an existing engine to learn from. So, from a cost-cap perspective, that’s a disadvantage.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

“But then at the same time, we don’t have a distraction of the current engine and the reliability fixes and so on, that are having to be dealt with there.

“I guess we’re only really going to see in 2026. But we’re meeting our targets at this point in time.

“And with just under two years to run, if I look at the progress we’ve made in the last two years from almost a standing start, it’s been very impressive.”

With F1 heading into an all-new rules era from 2026, where both chassis and engine regulations are changing at the same time, there is a high chance that the competitive order will be shaken up.

But Horner has no fears about Red Bull being any worse off than competitors despite having to focus on both car and engine.

“If I was going to back any team to get the chassis right, I think we’ve got a reasonable track record,” he added.

“We’ve taken on a new project with the engine, but we’ve got some exceptional people and we’ve got an incredible facility.

“For sure. It’s very bold what we’ve done and it’s very brave and it’s pretty ballsy, but Red Bull wouldn’t have won 117 races and done what we’ve done without making bold decisions. And we believe that it will pay off.”

Watch: Adrian Newey Set to Leave Red Bull

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Monaco is considered home for almost half of the 20 drivers on the current F1 grid as well as Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff but there are more reasons than just the huge tax-free benefits that draw them there.

One of the world’s smallest nations, Monaco has a total area of just over two square kilometres – barely bigger than London’s Hyde Park. However, it is jam-packed with buildings and home to a population of almost 40,000, a quarter of which were born there – Charles Leclerc being one of them – and a third being millionaires.

Despite its size, it actually has quite a few different districts, each of which has its unique style. Monte Carlo is the best known, but others include La Moneghetti, Condamine, Fontvieille, Larvotto and Monaco-Ville, and an average property in some of these areas can cost twice the price of those in London’s exclusive Mayfair.

Currently out of 20 F1 drivers, there are nine Monaco residents – Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and George Russell, who joined them last year. The exact locations of their homes are top secret, but occasionally fans do get a glimpse into their day-to-day lives – such as Lando Norris in his iconic Fiat 500 Jolly or more recently Charles Leclerc walking the streets with his new puppy Leo.

There are also many ex-drivers in residence including Nico Rosberg, who spent most of his childhood there; David Coulthard, who has been a resident since 1995 and used to own the Columbus Hotel until 2020; Jenson Button; Mika Hakkinen; Riccardo Patrese; Stoffel Vandoorne; Daniil Kvyat; Antonio Giovinazzi; and Paul di Resta.

So, what is the appeal of living in Monaco?

Fitness

Many drivers have their own home exercise rooms, but there are enough private gyms around the city to ensure they are not working out alongside another F1 driver. Leclerc, for example, makes daily visits to his local health club.

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

However, it is the great climate coupled with the superb countryside nearby that takes training up another level, with many drivers regularly cycling or running on the winding paths or roads through the hills or along the coast.

There are plenty of spas for relaxation too, and several drivers follow the practice of cryotherapy, where extreme cold is used to freeze and remove abnormal tissue. Leclerc, for example, pays regular visits to the Thermes Marins Monaco for that.

Lifestyle

The residential properties may be expensive, but an F1 driver’s salary affords places that are opulent and luxurious, most coming with stunning sea views over the harbour, making it the perfect place to hang out between races.

There was a time when rivalry on track meant friendship off it was impossible to build, but many of the current drivers do actually get on – so living so close to each other can make for a more sociable life when they are not on the road.

Dining out in the town – if you have a full wallet – is supreme, with a huge selection of Michelin-starred restaurants including Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse a l’Hotel de Paris, La Table d’Antonio Salvatore au Rampoldi and Pavyllon Monte-Carlo.

Many drivers also spend time on the Mediterranean Sea, with plenty of small bays to go jet skiing and not one but two full harbours of yachts – Leclerc has his own and spends many days travelling around the 3.8km of coastline and beyond.

In the mountains behind the city, meanwhile, those roads that are great for cycling are also the perfect place to drive – and Verstappen, for one, is believed to have a collection of exclusive supercars, including a £2m Aston Martin Valkyrie.

Privacy and security

Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team signs an autograph

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

It may sound strange, but Monaco actually offers F1 drivers a bit of normality! The unique privacy laws and severe restrictions on professional photography – for which express written permission must be received from the government – allow them to move around without being hassled.

Security is high too – in fact, Monaco is often cited as one of the world’s safest countries. The ratio of police to population is said to be seven times higher than in the UK and there are CCTV cameras everywhere, covering people’s every move.

Logistics

The location of the Principality is ideal for the frequent traveller lifestyle of an F1 driver, being around 15 miles from Nice airport – which has an extensive private plane network. There is a heliport that can take them there in seven minutes.

And when F1 comes to town every year, of course, the drivers who live there can enjoy the unique experience of being able to go back to their own apartments for the night and enjoy some home comforts during the race weekend.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team driver Hulkenberg, spoke about the benefits of this, saying: “It’s a nice change up to the normal routine. It feels a bit strange to go home every night and between sessions, but it puts me at ease.”

Climate

The weather is great all year round – mild and sunny in winter and hot but pleasant in the summer, with plenty of places to cool down in air-conditioned apartments, private pools or the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

The area has its own microclimate with an average of more than 300 days of sunshine each year and in the winter, it rarely goes lower than 10 degrees Celsius, while summer temperatures hover around a pleasant 30 degrees.

Tax haven

We have, of course, saved the real benefit until last. All the other elements make for a great lifestyle but most of these can be enjoyed in many other places too. The one truly rare thing about living in Monaco is the financial perks it offers.

The Red Bull Energy Station in the harbour

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Anyone moving in must have financial liquidity of half a million pounds just to apply for a property, and to receive the tax benefits you have to actually reside there for six months and one day of every year.

With from those caveats, and the added condition that French nationals do not receive the tax advantages, the government does not charge any income tax at all, nor does it charge any wealth tax, local tax, property tax or capital gains tax

When Norris moved there, he said he did so for “the reasons you probably expect” and explained: “It’s something that obviously a lot of drivers go to do, and especially with how racing is – you’ve seen it with a lot of the drivers, how quickly things can also go downhill.”

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Aston Martin protested against the qualifying result in Shanghai after Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz rejoined Q2 after spinning off the track.

Sainz was stationary for 77 seconds after tapping the wall coming out of the final corner, but the Spaniard managed to get going again and advanced to Q3 at the expense of Aston driver Lance Stroll.

As its driver was eliminated, Aston decided to protest the results based on article 39.6 of the F1 sporting regulations, which states that “any driver whose car stops on the track during the qualifying session or the sprint qualifying session shootout will not be permitted to take any further part in that session.”

The stewards dismissed the protest as it had been clear from previous instances that the rule is only intended for cars that re-join a qualifying session after having received outside assistance from marshals or recovery vehicles, while Sainz continued under his own power.

But the incident re-opened a discussion about tidying up the rulebook, as previously it was agreed that the outside assistance element should be added to 39.6, though the amendment didn’t make it into the 2024 sporting regulations.

“It’s just clarifying things and, in the end, a lot of discussion with the stewards and you’ve got to respect the decisions they’ve come to,” Aston Martin’s performance director Tom McCullough explained.

“But hopefully it’ll get tidied up and be less ambiguous going forward because it’s pretty clearly stated in the messaging system that the car stopped.

“That article says that that car shouldn’t take part further in qualifying. So, that’ll get tidied up going forward.”

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur agreed that an explicit clarification is welcome to avoid further confusion, pointing out that F1’s sporting regulations have become ever more complex.

“I don’t know if it’s clear, but for sure we need to have some understanding of what happened,” Vasseur said.

“We asked the race director if we could restart, he said yes, and it was the end of the story. We have to define the situation exactly.

“But what is true is that the regulations are more and more complicated. When I started the job, the sporting regulation was 20 pages, today it’s 75.

“We are all trying to find a loophole and the regulations are now more and more complicated, but on this one, we will find an easy clarification.”

McCullough revealed Aston’s long-time sporting director Andy Stevenson immediately called out the potential rules breach once Sainz’s car had stopped on track.

“Andy sits next to me on the pit wall and he knows that rulebook inside out, he is like an encyclopaedia. He’s been here for so long,” McCullough said.

“The minute it came up on the official messaging system that a car had stopped, he went – bang – ‘Article 39.6, he can’t [rejoin].’

“We were a little bit surprised, which is why [we protested].”

Andretti recently opened a new headquarters in Silverstone and has now started a recruiting spree to populate its European base with F1 staff, despite having been told by the series it will not be allowed to enter in the 2026 season.

The 60 vacancies include senior F1 roles such as head of aero development, head of mechanical design and various other engineering positions including aerodynamics and CFD, model design, electronics, control systems, IT, vehicle performance and manufacturing.

All roles are based in its Silverstone Park estate on the periphery of the grand prix circuit and across the road from Aston Martin’s new headquarters.

In its rejection statement, F1 said it wasn’t convinced Andretti would provide enough value, but it left the door open for a new entry process for the 2028 season. The American powerhouse is planning to field works engines by Cadillac’s parent company GM which should help reinforce its case.

Speaking to the Associated Press, F1 and IndyCar legend Mario Andretti said there would be more sit-down meetings with F1 chiefs, including at next week’s Miami Grand Prix.

“We only had one meeting with them, that’s a problem,” the 1978 world champion told AP.

“We haven’t had enough. I think that’s why I really welcome our next meeting. Let’s sit down.

Michael Andretti, Mario Andretti, Dan Towriss, Andretti Global

Photo by: Andretti

“There were some opportunities missed along the way, but we’ve got to look forward, not back. I’m remaining hopeful because we never stop working towards this.

“It was made clear that our work is at pace, and as you can see we’re not just talking.

“We’re putting brick and mortar together. We’ve shown that with the team that already has a place in Silverstone.”

Andretti was convinced F1’s rejection was based “definitely on the financial side” as he and his son Michael, who owns and runs the team, felt they were never told about any other convincing reasons.

“We’re trying to say, ‘We’ll do whatever you ask of us.’ But they haven’t told us yet except for some excuses like, ‘Oh we don’t want you coming on, we don’t want you to be embarrassed’,” he added.

“But we don’t want to embarrass ourselves, and the fact is General Motors has made it so clear that they’re excited about this project.

“They have a long-term commitment there, and I don’t know what else we can do.”

The name will be the same. 12 years after he left, Nico Hulkenberg is heading back to the Sauber Formula 1 team in 2025. Yet his circumstances are much changed and so are the team’s – and the championship overall from the final days of the V8 engine era.

As the Audi rebrand looms, this is the shot Hulkenberg felt he’d previously been unjustly denied in F1. And it’s one he’s absolutely earned.

Hulkenberg’s move from Haas to Sauber for 2025 has been a while in the making. Only last September, he was openly coveting this exact transfer – recognising that Audi had wanted a German driver when it first formally announced its F1 entry a year earlier.

The manufacturer has also been agitating in the 2025 driver market so turbocharged early by Lewis Hamilton’s decision to join Ferrari.

This has stirred another famous agitator in the sphere, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor and driver career kingmaker, Helmut Marko. But Audi – via Sauber team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi – has deliberately positioned itself as “a player in the market” and not a spectator.

It wants its 2026 driver line-up sorted early and has made its offers to reflect that position. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz reportedly has a lucrative offer to formalise mutual long-term interest in the project, while Hulkenberg has matched Audi’s early intentions in signing sooner.

Given Audi’s status and motorsport pedigree, this is a remarkable career turned around for the driver who in 2021 had been adrift since the year before and sampling IndyCar – a venture he ended up not comfortable in pursuing – in between COVID-19 replacement drives for the Racing Point/Aston Martin squad.

Hulkenberg on the grid at the Chinese Grand Prix

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The Audi move provides Hulkenberg the shot he thought he’d been denied.

Back in 2013, Hulkenberg’s previous F1 season with Sauber featured several stunning performances in Ferrari-powered machinery where his drives at Monza, Korea, Suzuka and Austin were the highlights. In Korea, he thrillingly kept Fernando Alonso and Hamilton at bay.

Then, his 2010 Brazil rookie pole for Williams and his frontrunning drive for Force India at the same track two years later were still fresh memories. In 2013 he was therefore repeatedly linked with a subsequent move to Ferrari and joining Sauber was seen as preparation for such a change.

But it never came – at the Scuderia or elsewhere. The change to the V6 turbo hybrids placed a new premium on driver weight and Hulkenberg, at 6ft, felt this went against him.

Audi, helmed by Andreas Seidl, who led the crack Porsche LMP1 squad where Hulkenberg won the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours on debut in 2015, knows what it’s getting

“I’ve never had an answer where [teams] said, ‘Sorry, no – we turned you down because you’re too tall’,” Hulkenberg said in an interview with select media including Autosport at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.

“Probably they wouldn’t tell me straight to my face. But I’m pretty sure that it has, yeah, hindered the odd opportunity and occasion to jump to a top car. Packaging issues, less space, more weight [were the reasons cited], which is not the right way around in this business.”

He was speaking in the smaller, comparatively spartan Haas motorhome that soaking day at Spa.

The German returns to Sauber having raced for the team back in 2013

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

The American squad and its then-team principal Guenther Steiner gave Hulkenberg an F1 revitalisation in 2023. Haas needed a more reliable driver than the crash-prone Mick Schumacher and Hulkenberg had badgered Steiner with calls and even data presentations about what he still had to offer as a racer.

He delivered swiftly. His seventh place at the Australian GP, which might’ve been a podium had the stewards’ ruled differently over the chaotic ending of that event, convinced Steiner to activate the option in Hulkenberg’s initial 1+1 contract for 2024. This was even before he really regularly starred in qualifying last year, before inevitably slipping back amid the VF-23’s massive in-race tyre wear problem.

That good form has continued this year – with Hulkenberg leading team-mate Kevin Magnussen 2-0 in Q3 appearances from the opening five rounds and by four points to one in the drivers’ standings.

Audi, helmed by Andreas Seidl, who led the crack Porsche LMP1 squad where Hulkenberg won the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours on debut in 2015, knows what it’s getting. The odd rash error still remains along the lines of shunting with Hamilton at Interlagos 2012 – think his Qatar GP start gaffe – but overall Hulkenberg feels he’s the same driver he was when his Renault stint ended in 2019. He just feels much fitter these days.

At 38 in August next year, there will be some who say this call is blocking a seat for an up-and-coming young racer.

But the reality is that it actually makes it easier for Haas to now sign Ollie Bearman for 2024. It’s understood the team would like to do this if Bearman can keep up the impressive performances he showed in Jeddah in his six 2024 F1 FP1 appearances and the remaining Formula 2 rounds this year.

The other young driver tipped for a 2025 F1 promotion – Andrea Kimi Antonelli – was never a Sauber/Audi contender given his Mercedes ties.

Then there is how Hulkenberg is delivering the type of results a hotshot such as George Russell was securing at the back of the grid for Williams in 2019-2021 – so it’s not as if fans are missing out on that front.

The driver market moves have opened up a chance for Oliver Bearman to make the step into F1

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Of course, people like change. But the lack of F2-F1 promotion in the last two years reflects both the comparative weakness of recent junior category fields and that F1 teams just don’t make the more emotion-drenched decisions outsiders may desire.

Hulkenberg’s experience is obvious to Audi. It says it wants him to be “closely involved in the development of Audi’s first F1 car for 2026” – via the Sauber press release announcing his signing.

This development does make things harder for two existing F1 drivers: Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. It has been becoming clearer that the Swiss-based team wants an all-new line-up for the Audi’s first F1 season, given the choices Hulkenberg has already made and on which Sainz is now deliberating.

The Hulkenberg-to-Audi move does complicate the driver market picture

If Sainz does get the chance he desires elsewhere on the grid – most likely from Red Bull given the competitiveness and contract length it could offer, even if it’s unwilling to hand out as high a salary for Sainz as Audi – Sauber has a handy fallback in either incumbent.

Zhou has the appeal to the Chinese market where Audi is keen to sell more road cars. This, in theory, would leave Bottas looking to extend his F1 career at Alpine or return to Williams.

Here, the Hulkenberg-to-Audi move does complicate the picture because it has been suggested to Autosport that Williams could be a rookie starting spot for Antonelli. That makes it more likely all parties around these potential deals may now wait longer to see where the pieces fall, even if others drop elsewhere.

Results-wise, both Bottas and Zhou have overall been underwhelming these past two years. That reflects more on the 10-time grand prix winner who could command a significant salary when joining from Mercedes for 2022 and may yet be a candidate to replace Magnussen at Haas, but also more on Sauber’s current place in the F1 pecking order.

Audi will aim to hit the ground running as a ‘big’ F1 team in 2026

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

This heaps pressure on Audi and its engine project from 2026.

Its OEM status, 13 Le Mans wins, two World Rally crowns, the 2017-2018 FE teams title and 2024 Dakar Rally successes mean it must be considered a ‘big’ F1 team. That’s even though its current iteration is trapped in the bottom five pack that struggles to score regular points.

Sauber has also endured pitstop humiliation this season and two instances of its upgraded front wings coming apart without drivers striking them against other cars or walls (for Zhou in Australia qualifying and while overtaking Kevin Magnussen last time out in China).

However, given both these aspects were implemented as a drive to improve performance, the intentions are pleasingly positive.

Audi now needs to provide overall class-leading equipment, but also provide the time and resources to get its engineering might into position to succeed in F1. This can take a long time, as Mercedes discovered when it bought a title-winning entry in Brawn in 2009 and as Toyota never found out half a decade earlier.

The German marque had pretty instant success at Le Mans and in FE, where it ultimately pulled out surprisingly fast. It may not be able to replicate this in F1, but the rewards, if enough patience and resources are provided around the right driving talent, are much greater overall this time around.

Can Hulkenberg help Audi’s development at the start of its F1 journey?

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

While teams and series bosses could not reach an agreement on a new points structure at the Geneva get-together on Thursday, they did sign off plans for new rear-facing cameras to appear from the Barcelona event in June.

The new camera will offer fans a unique perspective on pursuing cars, as the camera will be placed on top of the rear crash structure that protrudes out the back of the car.

This is a big departure from what F1 has had up until now, which is the rear facing camera being situated bang in the middle of the car near the cockpit.

So whereas previously the rear view has included the engine cover and rear wing, the new angle will offer an uncluttered view behind – which should be hugely spectacular when cars are running nose-to-tail.

Speaking to Autosport earlier this year about the plans, F1’s director of broadcast and media Dean Locke said the new angle should be able to mirror some of the spectacular on-boards we get from other categories of racing – especially saloon and touring car racing.

“Our [previous] rear-facing camera from the roll hoop is good, but it’s in the middle of the car,” he said.

“So, you don’t get what we do in Porsche Supercup, where we put something in the rear light and you get those two cars that are really, really close.”

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

F1 worked with Aston Martin and the FIA on some experiments with the new rear-facing camera last year.

While the view that was offered was spectacular, positioning a camera in such an extreme location was not without its difficulties.

Locke added: “It was really amazing, and we really liked it, but it’s just an awful long way from our processor. It’s four meters and on that sort of cable, you can get quite a lot of interference and things like that. So, we’ve been working around some issues.”

With the technical problems overcome, the final hurdle was to get approval from both teams and the FIA because the camera’s location is in a safety-critical area of the car.

But with everybody comfortable that there were no negatives to the use of the camera, the plan has now been signed off to run the cameras at events properly from the Spanish GP.

F1 currently schedules six sprint weekends per year on a selection of circuits, with the first sprint of 2024 taking place last weekend in China, and the second following next week at the Miami Grand Prix.

Sprints have been treated to mixed reviews by drivers and fans, with the additional competitive sessions compared to free practices generally raising interest, but also increasing the load on team personnel.

A tweaked format for 2024, with teams now allowed to make car adjustments between the sprint race and grand prix qualifying, was seen as a step forward.

PLUS: Did F1’s new sprint format work?

China’s entertaining sprint, with a somewhat different pecking order compared to the actual grand prix, further emboldened F1 CEO Domenicali to suggest there is a case to go beyond six sprints per year in the future.

“The qualifying sprint in those incredible conditions, we had a lot of running [in the rain] and that reminds us that we have the duty to make sure that every day there is some action on the track to respect the fans that are coming here and want to have fun,” Domenicali told Sky Sports F1.

When asked if that could mean more sprints in the future, he replied: “Why not? Why not? I would say this is great because it keeps the tension on every day and this is something that will be discussed in the future.

“Now, let’s see how this year with the sprints will go. But that’s a point of discussion for sure that I want to discuss in the next F1 Commission.

Stefano Domenicali, CEO, Formula One Group, and Yao Ming on the grid

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

“We need to avoid any possibility to have a situation like Japan with cars not running [because of weather conditions].

“This is not good for the people that are coming to see us and see the drivers. I am sure that the teams will understand that we need to find solutions.”

World champion Max Verstappen, one of the fiercest critics of sprint races, conceded that the updated format for 2024 was a solid improvement.

But he also added that F1 shouldn’t take that as a reason to pump up the number of sprints in the future.

“The sprint format was better, a bit more straightforward I would say,” Verstappen said after swooping both Shanghai’s sprint and grand prix.

“But let’s not overdo it as well, because we are already doing 24 races a year, six of these sprint events as well.

“I get it. I guess it sells better and better numbers on TV, but it’s also more stress on the mechanics and everything.

“You have to deal with it, but let’s not think that now we need 12 of those because it will take its toll on people as well.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, on the grid

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

McLaren’s Lando Norris added: “I don’t think it’s too bad for us as drivers, honestly. I don’t think we can be the ones to complain at all.

“It’s the hundreds of mechanics and engineers that have to travel so much. It’s not healthy for them. It is not sustainable.

“So, the problem is not with us. People should look out more for the rest of the team.”