Category: Formula 1

On 13 May, in the week leading up to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Christie’s Auction House will be offering a selection of watches from the personal collection of the seven-time world champion in an auction in Geneva.

The star item is a unique Platinum Vagabondage 1 that had been commissioned for Schumacher as a personal gift from his former Ferrari boss Jean Todt.

The watch showcases the strong bond between Todt and watch designer Francois-Paul Journe, and features symbols representing the German’s world titles, his helmet design and the Ferrari Prancing Horse emblem.

It is engraved with a dedication from Todt to Schumacher for Christmas 2004.

Christie’s estimates that the watch could go for anywhere between $1.2 and $2.2 million.

Another item of interest is a personalised Audemars Piguet that was commissioned for Schumacher by Todt for Christmas in 2003. It features a dedication to his then six titles and incorporates his red racing helmet from the time. This watch carries an estimate of £170,000 to £280,000.

Jean Todt, Team Principal, Ferrari, and Michael Schumacher, 1st position, on the podium

Photo by: Motorsport Images

A third watch that stands out is a Rolex Daytona Paul Newman that Schumacher owned – which carries an estimate of $230,000 to $440,000. This is an example of the most recognisable and famous steel chronograph from the watchmaker.

Speaking about the auction, Rémi Guillemin, Christie’s Head of Watches Europe and US said: “Christie’s expresses sincere thanks to the Schumacher family for their trust in us and their wish to share these masterpieces of horology with other passionate collectors around the globe.

“We are proud to present these iconic and unique timepieces belonging to one of the most celebrated Formula 1 legends. An exceptional moment, for watch and F1 enthusiasts alike. We are looking forward to meeting with passionate collectors during our international exhibitions and the auction on 13 May in Geneva.”

Schumacher remains one of the most successful F1 drivers in history and shares the record of seven world titles with Lewis Hamilton.

He retired from F1 at the end of 2012, following a brief comeback with Mercedes, but suffered severe head injuries the following winter in the skiing crash that left him in a coma. His condition since then has been kept private by his family.

Shanghai native Zhou first raced in Europe in 2010 following success in Chinese karting competitions.

He went on to move to English city Sheffield two years later, at the age of 12, to give his career the impetus it needed, but the cultural shift was substantial.

“It was a bit of a shock, coming from a huge city like Shanghai,” the current Sauber driver said. “Plus Sheffield is all the way up north and there’s no summer really. But still, my mechanics dressed in shorts. And this is a British thing, all the way up to F3, F2… whatever the weather, shorts and t-shirts.

“I enjoyed living in Yorkshire, I could focus purely on racing and going to school, learning the language. I made some good friends, some good memories with the team.

“I moved with my mum, I was so young – I couldn’t live by myself. She looked after everything. The support was important because for the first few months, going to school, I didn’t really know what everyone was talking about because of the language issue. So that was tough.

“But compared with Shanghai and even London, everyone in Yorkshire is super-chilled. The pace of life is less hurried. At school the teachers were really relaxed, helping me to improve in every single subject. I have great memories.”

Zhou had solid results, including winning the Rotax Max Euro Trophy and being crowned in Super 1 National Rotax Max, both in the Junior category. However, the level of competition was dramatically higher than what he had been used to.

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

“When I came to the UK I’d won literally every championship in China. As a kid, standing on the top step of the podium every weekend… then I came to the UK and I was finishing outside the top 10. These are heart-breaking moments for a kid, right?

“But I realised I had to gradually increase my knowledge to be competitive against the best. So a year later I was able to reach a lot of podiums and start winning. I was competing with Lando [Norris] back then.

“Lewis Hamilton’s name was on some of the championship trophies – they had the names of previous winners etched into the bases. It was a big thing for me to have my name on the same trophy as a world champion!

“That was an important year, 2013, winning the British and European championships. It made me think I could achieve my dream.”

Zhou went on to become a race winner at every level from F4 to F2, paving the way to his current Formula 1 career, in which he has achieved six points-scoring finishes in 48 grand prix starts with the Sauber squad.

Read the full interview with Zhou Guanyu, in which he touches upon attending the inaugural Chinese GP as a four-year-old as well as his time in the Ferrari and Renault young driver academies, in GP Racing‘s May issue, which goes on sale this week.

Hamilton’s bombshell move to Maranello was announced on 1 February, and the Briton has since been focusing on his 12th and final F1 season at Mercedes, with team principal Toto Wolff stating after the Australian Grand Prix that what was happening this year at Ferrari was “not his main priority today”, referring to his driver.

Yet, there will come a time when Hamilton and Mercedes will need to navigate this situation, as the squad seeks to hide any details regarding its next F1 car from its outgoing racer.

This won’t be a completely new situation for the seven-time world champion, but his transfer from McLaren to Mercedes had been announced much later in the 2012 season, on 28 September.

That’s why Hamilton is thinking about the moment he “will have to” start chatting to Ferrari and how that time will come about.

“I think it will start with a conversation with Toto, because I don’t know how to navigate”, the Briton said. “I’ve never been in this position before at this point of the year.

Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes-AMG, with Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

“When I was leaving McLaren, it was towards the end of the season. I didn’t get to go to Mercedes till, I think, it was in December when I had my first seat fit, after the season was done. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to navigate it.”

However, Hamilton reaffirmed his keenness to prioritise his current campaign with the Silver Arrows, especially as he seeks to end his unprecedented 49-race winless run.

“Right now, I want to finish on a high here”, he added. “So all my energy is going into this. Of course, there’s excitement for the future. But right now, we’re going through a difficult place. That’s my challenge.

“That’s where all my energy is going, to try and figure out how we can get ourselves back to the top. How can I work with the guys? How can I give better debriefs, give them better direction to get back fighting at the front?

“I’m a competitor first and foremost, so I want to win. Just thinking about the next year isn’t going to help me do that.”

Evaluation of 2026 aero ideas had left sim drivers experiencing some weird phenomena – including difficulties in spinning out on the straights under acceleration in low-downforce configuration, or being unable to run anywhere near flat out in what should be high-speed corners.

The situation hinted at F1’s rule makers potentially being on the backfoot with its preparations for the new rules era, where grand prix racing would be undergoing perhaps its biggest regulatory change ever with all-new engine and chassis.

However, as efforts continue to finalise the new car regulations, Autosport has learned more about the reality of those sim stories – and how the drama of the findings were actually part of the plan to prove certain concepts would not work at all.

Indeed, rather than F1 and the FIA sharing the alarm that teams found from the sim running, the lessons have actually added clarity to the direction that needs to be taken as grand prix racing moves towards the rules getting signed off in June.

Finding out what doesn’t work

As part of a much better working relationship between the FIA and teams, a lot of effort in framing future ideas for regulations involves them working together – as happened a lot with the 2022 regulations.

After all, the teams are the ones who understand more the competitive demands and performance characteristics of cars, and have at their disposal state-of-the-art simulator and simulation facilities to better future-proof stuff.

Fernando Alonso with the Aston Martin F1 Team AMR24 Simulator

Photo by: Aston Martin

Amid the efforts to sort out the 2026 aero regulations, the FIA has again been assisted by teams in working on what is known as the ‘Fangio’ model – the base outline of the new chassis and aero rules.

But there were two key questions that needed answering in the recent simulation work that threw up the stories.

The first was what was the minimum downforce level that an F1 car could get away with if the active aero was in its lowest position.

And the second was answering a question prompted by one unidentified team. This squad believed the active aero could work with only the rear wing moving – something that F1 and the FIA were never convinced about.

To get answers, a work plan was put in place involving three teams. This included a total 1,000 aero runs between them in recent weeks, as well as some simulator work on top to help fine-tune the elements and get the two answers needed.

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524, Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber C44

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

On the first question, a lot of progress was made with aero mapping and development to give the FIA the direction needed to finalise the active aero specifics.

And on the second point of not having a moveable front wing, the simulator runs – which included those alarming spins – delivered a definite answer: there was no way active aero could involve just the rear wing.

As one source close to the development of the new rules said: “It absolutely confirmed what we thought in the first place. All of the teams said: ‘Yep, you’ve got to adjust the front wing if you adjust the rear wing’. It was no surprise to us.”

The simulator runs duly confirmed that F1’s 2026 aero plans will have to include both the front and rear wing moving, and have given a direction for sorting out the aero balance between the two.

With the knowledge from the simulator running outlining the minimum wing angle that can be run at the back, allied to the range of adjustment needed at the front, the FIA is well set to sort out the remaining details over the next month or so.

How active aero will work – and what of DRS?

While some of the technical specifics and regulatory wording still need sorting, it is understood that the basic framework of the active aero has been settled upon now.

Whereas when F1 first set out on the idea for active aero there was scope for there being four different states of the wing – which could cover extra downforce for following cars in corners, a normal state, a low-drag state and then a DRS option – things appears to have settled on a much simpler solution.

Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber C44

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

It is understood that the extra downforce element and DRS states have gone. Instead, the active aero will involve the cars having two states – a normal setting for the car as it would appear when stationary, and then a low-drag state where the wing angles come down.

The second state is likely to be activated automatically at set zones around the track to help improve top speed – although how this works will have to be incorporated in F1’s Sporting Regulations rather than it being a technical matter.

By having active aero zones, the performance of cars can then be adjusted and optimised for each track, as DRS zones are done at present, to make sure that the cars are delivering what’s best for performance and spectacle.

While DRS will be gone, that will not mean the end of overtaking opportunities on straights.

Instead, a revision to the FIA’s 2026 technical regulations recently outlined a push-to-pass power boost – known as ‘override mode’ – that will allow a driver to deploy additional power up to 355km/h (220.5mph) for an overtake.

On course for June sign off 

Discussions about the 2026 chassis regulations continued at a meeting of F1’s Technical Advisory Committee last week, and sources indicate that the FIA and F1 are on course to hit the end-of-June deadline for the delivery of framework chassis regulations.

Some evaluation is also going on to understand if longer term there is a way to make the front wing have more than two states, so it can be better mapped for circuit demands.

This would help prevent teams needing to undertake expensive development into aero elasticity that they use at the moment to help flex the wings on the straights to reduce drag.

From 2026 Honda will move its works engine deal to Aston Martin, ending its successful association with Red Bull.

Following Honda’s initial decision to withdraw from F1, which led to Red Bull deciding to take its engines in-house and link up with Ford for 2026, the Japanese brand was forced to seek a new works partner when it reversed its exit decision.

After being approached by several candidates, Honda was impressed by Aston owner Stroll’s ambition to put all the key elements in place for a title bid from 2026 onwards.

In an exclusive interview with Autosport, Honda Racing Corporation president Koji Watanabe says that this target is shared by Honda as well.

When asked about Honda’s ambitions with its new partner, Watanabe replied: “To become world champion from 2026 onwards.

“We know that it will be very difficult and it is not so easy, but we need some good targets to put in our best effort together with Aston Martin.

“So, that’s why together with Stroll and Toshihiro Mibe [Honda CEO and president], we set the target to just aim for the world championship in that year. In reality, it is not so easy.”

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Offering an assessment of whether Aston Martin and Honda will have all the ingredients in place to mount a title challenge, Watanabe added: “Probably we’re missing something [right now], but we have to tell each other what is missing.

“From an Aston Martin point of view what is missing on the Honda side and also what is missing on the Aston Martin side. That is an honest conversation to become a top-class team together.”

Pressed further on what impressed Honda so much about Stroll’s plans for Aston Martin, Watanabe pointed to the squad’s state-of-the-art Silverstone facility as a key marker of just how serious the Canadian businessman was about realising his lofty goals.

“After we registered as a power unit supplier for 2026 some other teams contacted us as they were interested in working with Honda. Then we talked to those parties and made a decision,” he explained.

“Honda was very impressed with Mr Stroll’s strong passion and his strong leadership to fight for the world championship in 2026.

“They invest a lot of money to establish the factory in Silverstone. We visited them to see the factory that was under construction.

“Several times we have meetings with Martin Withmarsh and Mike Krack, so the management team. They are very open and the entire team is working in the same direction, it’s one united team. That is a very good image for us.

Watch: Alonso Commits to Aston Martin with Multi-Year Extension

“At the same time, they also think that Honda is a good partner for them to become world champion.

“We have already started a technical working team and also a steering committee meeting to discuss some important issues that we can maybe improve.”

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This year sees the third iteration of the event, which seems to get bigger and better each year. Las Vegas is a tough act to follow, so Miami is sure to be stepping things up yet again for 2024 – and with MoneyGram, you could be there.

If the number of celebrities in attendance and the amount of F1-related events taking place around the city are a measure of an F1 event’s success, then Miami is right up there as one of the best. And this is why.

Superstar fans

There were be plenty of superstars hanging out at the track last year and there will be more of the same this time, with globally recognized names from film, television, sports and even some of the world’s top tech entrepreneurs.

In 2023, the list of the great and the good included actors Tom Cruise, Vin Diesel, Diego Osorio, James Marsden and Michelle Rodriguez as well as TV’s Lisa Hochstein and comedian Dax Shepard.

From the world of sports, there were tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams and Roger Federer; American footballers Patrick Mahomes, CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott; skier Lindsay Vonn; NBA star Paolo Banchero and legend Shaquille O’Neal.

Music superstars Shakira, Timbaland, LL Cool J, Ludacris, Queen Latifah, Becky G and DaBaby were also in attendance; fashion was represented by Chantel Jeffries and Tommy Hilfiger; and billionaire tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos also made an appearance.

Fans of Drive to Survive will be thrilled to hear that this year, former MoneyGram Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner will be returning to the paddock during the weekend in his new role as the event’s new ambassador.

Steiner, whose 10- year stint at Haas ended last year, is hugely popular in America due to his starring role on the Netflix documentary and he will be on hand for meet and greets with fans before and during the event.

Live music events have been a highlight in previous years and this time it is the turn of global megastar Ed Sheeran to take to the stage, with John Summit also set to make some noise at the Hard Rock Beach Club this year.

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sheeran will headline the trackside stage on the Saturday while race day will see DJ Summit, one of the hottest names in dance music, pumping out high-energy tunes all day long for spectators.

Entertainment, everywhere

The Miami Gardens circuit is a bit of a trek from the city’s famous South Beach neighborhood, but the race’s influence will be will reach far and wide, with fast cars, late-night parties, and plenty of cool clubs hosting events in numerous spots.

The Wynwood Marketplace is at the heart of the action, with entertainment, simulators and virtual reality games. Last year, Lewis Hamilton had a pop-up shop there and even turned up on the Friday to sign autographs for his fans.

Bayfront Park and the Racing Fan Fest also have plenty going on, with Bayfront hosting Q&As with former champions, while the E11EVENMiami ultra-club hosts five nights of parties as part of its 24-hour Race Week EXPER11ENCE.

Inside the circuit, it is all about the classic Miami style, with music belting out in all directions, cameras snapping at selfie stations on every corner and bars providing a wide range of choice, from chillout to party vibes.

In the slightly bizarre environment of the marina, there are not one but two ‘clubhouse’ venues – the Yacht Club and the Boathouse – that combine a party atmosphere with great race views over the boats.

Hard Rock Beach Club brings South Florida’s beaches to the track alongside resort-style pools and luxury cabanas, with an area that spans turns 11 and 12 and creates a very unique way to watch an F1 race.

The stadium hosts the Team Village and fans can get a bird’s-eye view of the behind-the-scenes action from high up on the viewing deck – which is where one fan even spotted Max Verstappen in an ice bath last year!

Local artwork and murals by South Florida artists are also on display along with supercar displays, photo opportunities, free giveaways, interactive entertainment and even a gondola ride that takes fans high above the action.

There is plenty of specialty food too, with 81 different food and beverage concession stands on the race website including a smokehouse, various Latin options, fully-loaded burgers, sushi, craft beers, coffee, waffle cones and even an artisan baker.

Dressing up

F1 feels more on show in Miami than it does at most of the other races and it certainly plays up to the crowd, with some teams creating special liveries just for this event and most drivers sporting a one-off helmet design to make their mark.

Last year, Red Bull made a special effort for Miami, changing up its standard livery on the RB19 to a unique fan-created design that featured a pink, purple and light blue ribbons detail running down the sidepods.

In 2022, both AlphaTauri (now RB) and Williams created special ‘art cars’ to mark the inaugural event – although sadly both designs were far too radical to actually make it onto the racetrack and were just put on static show.

AlphaTauri’s design involved a mix of jade, lilac and light blue and a radical styling to reflect the ‘eclectic personality’ of Miami’s Wynwood district. The Williams had a graffiti livery created by Surge, inspired by vibrant cartoon illustrations.

The drivers have always come up with some unique designs for Miami, none more so than Lando Norris, who has taken a whacky sporting theme each time by turning his helmet into a basketball in 2022 and a beachball in 2023.

In 2022, Sebastian Vettel went for a snorkel and sea theme, representing the threat the region faces from flooding, while Daniel Ricciardo styled his helmet like a Hawaiian shirt and Pierre Gasly put a sunset on top of his.

Verstappen and Zhou Guanyu both went neon that year, with the Red Bull driver donning pink palm trees on his lid. However, he opted for a more subtle turquoise color switch on his standard design last season.

Albon stole the sporting vibe from Norris with a golf ball design for 2023 while Esteban Ocon, Logan Sargeant and Nico Hulkenberg opted for palm trees in turquoise and pink, dark blue and yellow-orange respectively, the latter with a matching shirt.

The helmet designs are becoming more and more avant-garde every year, so it will be fascinating to see how those helmet painters earn their money for this year’s race, and all will be revealed very soon.

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F1’s Net Zero by 2030 campaign aims to cut 50% of absolute carbon emissions compared to its 2018 baseline, which encompasses the energy consumption at its facilities, F1’s race events and all the travel and logistics in between. It pledges to put a credible offset strategy in place for the rest of its emissions.

While the full suite of data on 2023 is not available yet, F1’s latest impact report boasts a 13% cut between 2018 and 2022, while detailing the series’ latest initiatives to help achieve that goal.

The logistical aspect of hosting a 24-race calendar means that area has become 49% of its carbon footprint, with several initiatives under way to mitigate the impact of its expansion.

Following the move to more efficient Boeing 777F freighter jets, its logistics partner DHL has switched to a new fleet of 18 trucks powered by drop-in biofuel to reduce emissions across the calendar’s nine European races.

Restructuring the overseas calendar is also a key part of further streamlining logistics. And while still a work in progress, moving the Japanese Grand Prix to its new spring date is said to be one of the changes helping to optimise the flow of freight from Australia and China to subsequent rounds.

“The reason that’s important is because the calendar reflects our current freight model, which is where the majority of emissions are due to air freight that travels point to point,” said Ellen Jones, F1’s Head of Energy, Sustainability and Governance.

“When you can reduce those distances, you can reduce your carbon footprint, in addition to the technological innovation that we can then support, such as biofuels and trucks, and sustainable aviation fuel in the future.”

Boxes and crates of freight on the pit straight

Photo by: John Toscano / Motorsport Images

F1 has further come up with ways to reduce the amount of freight and personnel required at events, instead increasing its remote capabilities.

“The transition to renewable energy both at home and away is really critical for us and is really driven the first 13% in terms of our reductions,” said Jones.

“Within the 2022 stats, that’s driven a 56% decrease in emissions across factories and facilities. To be accounted in 2023 and beyond, you can also start to see how we’re transitioning to renewable energy outside of the UK.”

Last year, F1 trialled renewable power generators running on biofuel and solar energy at the Austrian Grand Prix, which it says reduced paddock emissions by 90%. Those findings will be used to power more races in a similar fashion in the future.

It comes amid a push to encourage promoters to make their events more sustainable. Jones says over 75% of race promoters are now incorporating renewable energy at their events, with the remainder expected to jump on board as F1 renews its deal with them.

“The first thing that we did when I started here about two years ago is to update contracts, you need to say what are our expectations to host a Formula 1 event,” Jones explained.

“We’ve had a fantastic response to how we work with our promoters. Not just with energy at event, but a number of critical areas for us, such as local fan travel, all the way through to local community.

“There are minimum delivery clauses that we have in place with our promoters. We have an annual sustainability plan and give feedback on how they’re delivering against those areas.

Cycling at Circuit Zandvoort

Photo by: Tim Biesbrouck / Motorsport.com

“And as we hit the next stage of our sustainability strategy, those minimum standards and contracts post-2025 are getting higher again.”

F1 is switching to power units running on sustainable fuels from 2026, although the emissions from its 20-car grid itself account for less than one percent of its total footprint. The move is therefore mainly seen as a way to influence the industry to adopt carbon neutral fuel elsewhere.

As for F1 itself, Jones was confident it is on-track to reach its 50% reduction goal by 2030 once the effect of its most recent suite of initiatives can be measured, although she cautioned F1’s gains won’t be linear.

“We definitely are on-track to hitting that target goal and the key parts of that are the outcomes of the trials and the work that you can read about in the 2023 report,” she added.

“It is the continued uptake of alternative fuels across all parts of our operations, from the car, to the air, to the generators on site.

“It is also that shared impact of bringing others on the journey with us. It’s one thing to have all 10 teams having a different solution when they’re in the paddock. There are much bigger savings when you have a centralised solution that people can work towards together.

“And then the third piece of that, which is probably has the longest lead time, is what do next generation operations look like?

“One and two are things that you will start to see this year, and you will see them accelerate. Next generation operations will have a longer tail, because there’s so much that goes into that technology.”

The report also details progress made on diversity, supporting scholarships for students underrepresented groups in STEM subjects. It has also seen an uptake in female participation at grassroots level through F1 Academy’s Discover Your Driver karting programme in the UK.

Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly have yet to score points as a late car concept change has seen the Enstone squad make a sideways step while its midfield rivals all made significant gains compared to last year.

Initial upgrades brought at the Japanese Grand Prix appeared to give a glimmer of hope, with Ocon advancing to Q2 to qualify 13th, but both he and Gasly were powerless to fight for points, their woes compounded by picking up early damage.

Alpine says it has now managed to bring an upgrade package meant for May’s Miami Grand Prix forward by one round, with one of its A524 cars benefitting from the new suite of parts.

The team has confirmed to Autosport that the upgrade consists of a revised floor that will be installed on Ocon’s car.

Both drivers are set to run the new specification from Miami onwards, with Gasly receiving priority on the next occasion where just one package is available.

“The last race in Japan underlined how big a challenge we have on our hands to improve our performance level,” said team boss Bruno Famin.

“We must develop the performance of the car in order to fight for higher positions. While it was good to bring the first updates to the car in Suzuka, we must do more.

“The team has been working extremely hard and we have been able to bring an upgrade to one car this weekend, one race earlier than planned.”

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Alpine’s decision to fast-track its upgrade package is a bold move as this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix returns after a four-season absence, so there is a limited amount of valid data available for the Shanghai circuit.

In addition, Shanghai is the first sprint event of the 2024 season, meaning teams have just a single 60-minute practice session to get on top of their car set-ups.

“The cars are completely different to the 2019-spec, so preparation has been different to normal,” Famin added.

“Matched with the fact it is a sprint event, we have less preparation and therefore it is crucial to be dialled in from the get-go. Both drivers were in Enstone last week on the simulator and putting the time in to be best ready for the challenge.

Bringing new parts to a sprint event came back to bite Alpine at last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Though not directly linked to its floor upgrade, Alpine’s weekend snowballed out of control after reliability issues in FP1 limited its running, meaning it went into Friday qualifying with barely any data on its new specification.

It then had to change Ocon’s car set-up after finding an alarming amount of plank wear, relegating the Frenchman to a pitlane start.

Having expressed concern over the winter that it could start the year on the back foot, and potentially even be on the last row, its situation is much better than that. Amid the pack of five teams picking up the rear, its tally so far leaves it seventh in the constructors’ championship.

But the biggest transformation at Haas is not something that can be measured in points. Instead, it can be gauged only in mindset, and that is something that drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg have openly raved about.

They talk of a totally fresh attitude, of the team no longer going into race day with a sense of dread about slipping down the order because of tyre degradation woes. Hulkenberg liked it to being “a runaway train in the wrong direction.”

Instead, its new car and engineering-first approach has left it with a challenger that means it can look forward to being in the fight on Sundays – and that is the key to consistent points.

As Magnussen said: “The fact that we can fight on Sunday is such a big thing. It’s a game changer. That was so frustrating last year, and even in ’22 we saw signs of that. But yeah, it’s just like a new fresh start.”

Asked about Magnussen’s game-changer assessment, Hulkenberg added: “It’s definitely that we’re in a different environment and world compared to last year.”

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Ultimately the biggest gain has come from the Haas car characteristic moving away from being quite peaky to one that is more benign.

“We flattened out the aero map, desensitising the car,” added Hulkenberg. “It seemed very crucial and key for the moment.”

But the change from having a Saturday car to a Sunday car is not something that is delivered with just the flick of a switch. Teams do not just pen a design that automatically is easier on its rubber.

Improved tyre management is the culmination of both aerodynamic and mechanical approaches, and it is these two factors that have come together to help.

And while the progress is promising, technical director Andrea de Zordo is eager to point out that it would be wrong for anyone to suggest that Haas has answered everything it needs to on tyres.

“Fully understand is a big word!” he said. “But I think we made a big step in that.”

He sees progress as a two-fold thing. First, the VF-24 design happens to be better in this area not by total accident, but also not entirely by choice.

Reflecting on the step change made this winter, de Zordo said: “I think we learned a lot, but at the same time I think there are some characteristics that maybe were even not planned.

“It just happened like that, that for some reason you pay more during the race than during the qualifying or vice versa. So this year the car is maybe a little bit better in the race, and it was probably a surprise also for us.

“But the good thing is we are looking at it and we are understanding step by step what the reason for that is – both in the mechanical and the aerodynamic side. Then, looking at that, we are trying to work in a direction that is good for both.”

There were also big lessons learned from the pre-season test in Bahrain, where Haas devoted itself to long-run performance to understand all the dynamics in place with its car.

“That allowed us to discover a lot of things,” added de Zordo. “Maybe small details in set-up and characteristics that make everything a little clearer. I think at the end, the issue we had last year, it depended on a lot of things, not only one thing.

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“It was aero characteristic, it was set-up, and driving style. And it seems that we have tried to put it all together. A lot more understanding this year. And we also know a lot of things that we can do.

“Of course, it takes time to do. So, we are working on it. And it’s quite encouraging because probably means that we can improve also during the year.”

Team boss Ayao Komatsu has talked too of a car that isn’t necessarily faster in all areas, but it is better where it matters.

“It’s not like it has got overall more grip because if you look at high-speed corner performance, I don’t think we’re much quicker than last year,” he said.

“But in terms of, let’s say, useable downforce on the rear especially, it’s much better. So, the drivers know what to expect.

“Last year’s car was so unpredictable, so difficult to use, that whatever we did on set-up or driving, it still fell off.

“But with this year’s car, it’s got just enough consistency. Although it is not quick enough, there is still enough consistency that we can make a difference. So, the foundations are there, so then now we really need to try to get upgrades onto the car. That’s the challenge.”

That challenge begins in China this weekend, where the team plans to introduce its first upgrade package of 2024.

And on a sprint weekend, where there are two qualifying sessions and two races, it will be fascinating to see if the team can build on what has been a hugely encouraging opening to the new campaign and continue life in its different world.

Watch: F1 2024 Chinese Grand Prix Preview – Everything You Need To Know

Red Bull Powertrains will be working in conjunction with Ford to help deliver the engine that will power the current world champion squad for F1’s new rules era.

It already has its dynos hard at work in evaluating the performance of its new turbo-hybrid design and while there have been various rumours about the level of progress Red Bull is making with its project, Horner insists everything is on track.

Speaking to Autosport about where things were at, Horner said: “With the engine, we’re on an aggressive curve being a brand new power unit manufacturer but the team is really rising to that challenge.

“Our facilities are complete, both from a test and development point of view with dynos and rig rooms, etc, and manufacturing capability.

“But two years in the engine world is a very small period of time. We’re on a steep learning curve, but we’re on that curve and where we would expect to be on that curve at this point in time.”

While Red Bull does not know the progress that is being made at other manufacturers, Horner says that it laid out some performance levels that it reckons it needed to reach on its roadmap to 2026 – and that are being met so far.

“We are hitting the targets that we’re setting ourselves,” he said. “Now, how those targets stack up to our competitors is always difficult to know. But the effort that’s going in behind the scenes is huge, because it is literally a race against the clock to the start of 2026.”

The uncertainty about the performance of Red Bull’s 2026 power unit prompted speculation earlier this year that it could be a factor in prompting Max Verstappen to question his long-term future at the squad.

However, the three-time world champion insisted that it was far too early to be concerned about how things were looking this far out from the engine running for the first time on track.

“I mean, if I have to speculate about everything… I might be worried if I’m still alive tomorrow, right?,” the Dutchman said about any potential engine fears.  “So, I don’t really worry about that too much.

“Of course, I am in close contact with Christian about that and the people working there. Everyone’s working flat out, so there is no need to panic about that. It’s still not 2026.

“We know that it is a very big task, we don’t take that lightly. And of course, with so many well-established engine manufacturers, we also don’t think it’s going to be easy to beat them.

“But we have a lot of good people working on the project and we’re very excited about it. So time will tell, of course, where it’s going to be.”