Benefits after losing job

In a tense press conference at the Circuit of Americas, team representatives clashed over how F1’s financial situation has led to the loss of two of their rivals. Here are some of the key points made by both sides of the discussion. Wolff: Marussia and Caterham overspent Mercedes executive director Toto Wolff said Formula One should protect its nine remaining teams but that Marussia and Caterham ran into trouble because they were spending beyond their means. I have an emotional and a pragmatic view. The emotional view is that there is personal drama behind it. There are families who need to pay mortgages, there are kids going to school and these people don’t have any jobs today anymore and that is a drama and it is painful and I am sorry for that. The rational side of things is that we have seen in the past that teams come and go. We have seen great teams who have folded, went into liquidation or administration. Great names: Brabham, Arrows, Ligier, Prost, Larousse, Leyton … [Read more...] about F1 teams clash over costs and revenue sharing – F1 Fanatic

As he prepares for his first F1 season in charge at Ferrari, Fred Vasseur reckons his “close” relationship with Charles Leclerc will be an “advantage”. For the third time in his motorsport career, Leclerc has Vasseur as his team boss. The two first teamed up back in 2016 when the Monégasque driver raced for ART Grand Prix in the GP3 series. Leclerc won the title before moving onto Prema in F2. But after just one year apart, the driver and Vasseur were collaborating once again as he stepped up onto the Formula 1 grid with Alfa Romeo where the Frenchman had been appointed team boss. This year they’re again working together, this time at Ferrari. Vasseur believes their “close” relationship with benefit both of them. “I’ve been following Charles since his karting days,” he told Canal+. “After a period at ART in F3 [GP3 as it was then known], he made his F1 debut with Sauber, so we’ve always been close. “It’s an advantage for me, because I know him well, and it’s an advantage … [Read more...] about Fred Vasseur sees ‘close’ relationship with Charles Leclerc as an advantage for Ferrari

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. - Some nights, Tara Boyd wishes she and her husband had just given up when the eight-foot storm surge from Hurricane Ian flooded their mobile home, forcing them to swim out into the storm. It would have been "easy to let go and just drift away," she said. But they fought to survive. And they've been doing that ever since. She hates to admit that living after Ian feels harder than living through its terror. She can't help it, especially on the really hard, frustrating days spent at a Federal Emergency Management Agency recovery center obtaining no real answers about the progress of their aid applications and then getting into their black Dodge Nitro, which they've been living out of since November. Boyd, 43, thinks about it when she watches her husband, Gerald Boyd, a veteran who was still recovering from a stroke when the storm hit in September, squeeze his long, hulking frame into the passenger seat at night to sleep. To deal with his cramping legs and … [Read more...] about For some, life after Ian is ‘more tragic than the hurricane itself’

Listen to this article Former McLaren team principal Seidl has replaced Fred Vasseur, who has left to replace Mattia Binotto at Ferrari. Seidl has come in solely as CEO in order to focus on the bigger picture of all the companies in the Sauber Group as the organisation continues to grow ahead of the planned transition to the full Audi identity in 2026, and as such he won't attend all the races. Managing director Alessandro Alunni Bravi has taken on the job of team representative on race weekends. When asked about Seidl joining the team, Bottas said: "It was two weeks ago I met him for the first time. "First of all, a nice guy, but I can see that he's really motivated. He seems to have a pretty clear direction, what to do with the team and how to motivate people. He seems to have the vision. "Obviously he's still just taking in a lot of information and trying to learn from other people about the team, what's been happening in the past. I'm confident he is a good man … [Read more...] about Bottas: New CEO Seidl has a clear direction for Sauber in F1

Max Verstappen’s chance to score a stunning victory in the Spanish Grand Prix became real when Red Bull switched his race-leading team mate to a three-stop strategy. After the race said team mate was unimpressed. “We threw the win away” lamented Daniel Ricciardo following his mid-race tactical switch. Did Red Bull make a tactical mistake? Red Bull facing a Ferrari threat On lap 16 at the Circuit de Catalunya Red Bull’s cars were running first and second but it was clear the chasing Ferraris had the potential to beat them. Before the race Christian Horner had said he was surprised his team had out-qualified the red cars, who lost their way with set-up in qualifying, but that Friday had shown Ferrari’s race pace was at least as good as Mercedes’. Sure enough, after Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen emerged from behind Carlos Sainz Jnr’s Toro Rosso, Red Bull’s lead was eroded. Vettel had cut Ricciardo’s six second lead to two, and the pair had Verstappen between them. … [Read more...] about Why Red Bull’s strategy was a success – but not for Ricciardo · RaceFans

Lotus team stats 2014 Best race result (number) 8 (2) Best grid position (number) 5 (1) Non-classifications (mechanical/other) 12 (11/1) Laps completed (% of total) 1,800 (77.32%) Laps led (% of total) 0 (0%) Championship position (2013) 8 (4) Championship points (2013) 10 (315) Pit stop performance ranking 4 When the reality of F1’s financial crisis hit hard at the end of the season and two teams filed for administration, Lotus team chairman Gerard Lopez won many admirers for his clear-headed explanation of the threat faced by his team and others . With that in mind, his pre-season warning about the difficulties Lotus faced in the year ahead makes interesting reading with the benefit of hindsight. “We face an extremely well-resourced rival in Mercedes who have dedicated considerable efforts to their power units for the 2014 season,” said Lopez in March . “We are doing everything we can to enable Renault … [Read more...] about 2014 F1 season review: Lotus – F1 Fanatic

F1’s aerodynamics overhaul failed to deliver “significantly” closer racing, according to Mercedes’ technical director, who believes cars capable of tighter battles are “very different” to the 2022 machines. The FIA rolled out the first major update to its F1 technical regulations since 2014 last year, aiming to shake up the grid and appease fans’ demand for more overtaking action. The new cars took inspiration from the 1970s and 80s for their marquee modification, utilising ground effect to stick them to the track, instead of relying on the wings for downforce. This would decrease the influence of ‘dirty air’ on racing and allow drivers to follow each other more closely. Two rounds into the season, fans couldn’t believe their luck. The new regulations were setting the stage for a thrilling 22-race title battle, after Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc went wheel-to-wheel in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Their Red Bull and Ferrari machines were visibly more comfortable racing at … [Read more...] about Mercedes tech chief questions theory that new regulations have led to ‘significantly closer racing’

The Chinese Grand Prix may have been another point-less outing for Lotus but the green shoots of recovery at the team are clear to see. Romain Grosjean took them into Q3 for the first time this year in Shanghai. The fact he was frustrated at his eventual starting position of tenth shows his aim has been raised considerably higher since their miserable start to the season in Melbourne, where both cars were ejected in Q1. In Sunday’s race Grosjean spent almost every lap in the top ten until his fourth gear failed, forcing him to retire. But Pastor Maldonado reached the chequered flag, underlining the progress made by the team who just three races ago had only managed a total of 19 laps during practice. “Romain had been running reasonably well in the points and able to race his rivals, and a points finish was realistic,” said trackside operations director Alan Permane. “Pastor did a great job from the back of the grid to finish in fourteenth.” “For Barcelona we have more … [Read more...] about Lotus make leaps but no one can touch Mercedes · RaceFans