Ferrari’s Leclerc hails ‘fantastic experience’
Charles Leclerc put 98 laps on the first day of in-season testing in Budapest, but his ultimate run was undoubtedly the most impressive. The 19-year-old ‘s final effort of the day behind the wheel of Ferrari’s SF70H yielded the fastest lap, a feat achieved no less on soft tyres! From the outside, Leclerc looked fast…
Marko takes aim at Massa: ‘He should retire!’
Red Bull’s Helmut Marko wasn’t happy with Felipe Massa after the Japanese Grand Prix, believing the Williams driver held up Max Verstappen as he chased Lewis Hamilton. The two frontrunners stumbled upon the Brazilian and the McLaren of Fernando Alonso. The Mercedes driver negotiated the backmarkers with relative ease, but Verstappen lost crucial time getting…
Sponsor insists Kvyat benched for two races only
Scuderia Toro Rosso sponsor Acronis insists Daniil Kvyat who will be replaced by Pierre Gasly this weekend at Sepang will be back in action in Austin. Based on the Russian driver’s disappointing results to date and “mistakes of his own making”, according to team boss Franz Tost, the Faenza-based outfit has placed Kvyat on the…
Singapore ‘exhilarating’ when you get it right – Alonso
As everyone awaits Fernando Alonso’s decision on his future, it’s business as usual for the Spaniard who heads to Singapore with high hopes of achieving a good result. McLaren-Honda has left the European season behind with a string of disappointing performances, although to be honest it was just more of the same for the Woking-based…
Villeneuve gets two-seater gig for Monza
Jacques Villeneuve will be giving passengers a thrilling ride around Monza this weekend in Formula 1 Experience’s two-seater car. The 1997 world champion accepted the offer to drive the demo double-seater when asked by Paul Stoddart who runs the programme along with engineer Mike Gascoyne. “I agreed because it’s Monza — the temple of speed.…
Incredible tyre wobble effect investigated by Pirelli
Pirelli is thoroughly investigating a strange tyre wobble phenomenon which affected several drivers in qualifying yesterday at Spa. The massive vibrating effect was caught on camera as slow motion replays showed several cars affected by the unknown issue as they exited the final chicane at Spa. The amplitude of the rear end deformation movement was…
Palmer shrugs off Sainz replacement claims
Despite facing F1’s heavy head winds, Jolyon Palmer is firmly holding on to his Renault seat, discarding any short term change. Reports are shoving Palmer out of the French manufacturer’s works team and pushing in Carlos Sainz as a result of Renault’s convoluted deal to switch its engine supply from Toro Rosso to McLaren. But…
Alonso gets 35-place grid drop for Japan!
Fernando Alonso’s hopes of delivering a good result at Honda’s home race were seriously compromised by an unexpected power unit change and subsequent penalty. Alonso’s engine was diagnosed with a hydraulic issue last yesterday and McLaren was forced to break the curfew for the second time this season in order to change the unit. ‘Starting…
Hamilton happy to race in an era of ‘such great young talent’
Lewis Hamilton says he’s happy to be up against Formula 1’s impressive youth, pointing to the age gap which exists between himself and Max Verstappen, his nearest challenger on Sunday. The 32-year-old and veteran of 204 Grands Prix pulled out all the stops to keep his 20-year-old rival at bay in the closing stages of…
McLaren’s Brown: ‘F1 budget cap inevitable’
McLaren boss Zak Brown believes a semblance of a level playing field in Formula 1 will only be achieved by the introduction of a budget cap. As F1 seeks to overhaul the sport’s revenue distribution model and protect the economic viability of its mid-field teams, a spending cap is once again on the agenda. F1’s…