Cellblock 6 easier said than done

The lack of practice time ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, due to the Sprint format, isn’t a concern for the Mercedes team. The return of the Sprint format for this weekend’s race at the Lusail Circuit means that the Formula 1 teams have just one hour of practice to nail down their setups before entering parc ferme conditions for the remainder of the weekend. It’s the fourth Sprint weekend of the year, following on from the Azerbaijan, Austrian, and Belgian Grands Prix, which means a standalone day on Saturday for a ‘Sprint Shootout’ to decide the grid for Saturday’s Sprint race. Mercedes unconcerned having ‘learned quite a bit’ about W14 With the lack of practice time meaning deciding on a setup can be a daunting task for the teams, given there’s so little time to refine the setup before it’s unchangeable, Mercedes say they aren’t unduly concerned about having only 60 minutes to nail it down. This is due to Mercedes having a fundamentally better understanding of their W14 … [Read more...] about Mercedes explain fearless approach despite Qatar sprint-induced compromise

The results Fernando Alonso has achieved in Formula 1 in 2023 came as something of a shock, even for the Spaniard… With six podiums from the first eight races this season, Fernando Alonso briefly looked capable of challenging for the runner-up spot in the Drivers’ Championship. However, in the last eight races, Alonso has only scored one podium and has slipped to fourth. Worse, he now has to look over his shoulder at the approaching Ferrari drivers, both of whom could still displace him further by the end of the championship. Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin wants to make the next step next year With Alonso slipping away in the championship as a result of Aston Martin’s slow but steady decline as the team have struggled to keep pace through the relentless development cycle of the established front-running teams, Alonso said he never even thought the results he’s achieved this season would have been possible when he first put pen to paper to join the Silverstone-based squad. “To … [Read more...] about Fernando Alonso proven wrong over ‘too optimistic’ ambition for F1 2023 season

Former British American Racing Formula 1 team principal Craig Pollock has confirmed he plans to return to the sport with a new team in 2026. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Earlier this year the FIA opened applications for new teams to enter F1 in 2025, 2026 or 2027. Pollock plans to submit an application for his new project, named Formula Equal . He intends the team to include an even split between genders at all levels. “The concept and the idea was to try and build a F1 team, 50% male, 50% female, which is extremely hard to do if you have an existing F1 team,” he told CNN . “It’s a lot easier with a clean sheet of paper.” The FIA previously indicated it will confirm at the end of next month which if any prospective new F1 teams have been selected. Among the criteria they will be judged on is “considerations of sustainability, EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion), and societal benefit”. The backing for Pollock’s project is rumoured to come … [Read more...] about Pollock confirms he is planning a return to F1 with new ‘equal-gender’ team

Lewis Hamilton’s rivals say his success is fully deserved, as he makes his first attempt to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of career victories today. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Hamilton’s next win will put him level with Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 grand prix victories, which was set in 2006. Like Schumacher, Hamilton has been able to achieved sustained success and win multiple championships due to the quality of equipment he’s driven. But his rivals say that does not diminish his achievement. “I think what Lewis is on course to achieve, and I’m sure he will overtake all of these stats, it is incredible,” said George Russell . “He’s obviously a fantastic driver. He’s been on it from the first day he jumped in a Formula 1 car and I’ve got a huge amount of respect for him. “I’ve got a huge amount of respect for Michael Schumacher, I’ve a huge amount of respect for Lewis Hamilton, they’re both greats, but I’ll be pleased for Lewis to … [Read more...] about Hamilton’s success not just due to his car, say rivals, as he nears Schumacher’s record