Today's F1 News Delivered Faster Than a Pit Stop
Alpine has announced that Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and Sporting Director Alan Permane will be leaving the team after the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix by mutual agreement. Szafnauer will fulfill his duties for the race at Spa-Francorchamps before departing, and Permane will do the same before the summer break. Alpine expressed gratitude to Szafnauer for his work and achievements, as they did for Permane's 34 years at Enstone. Additionally, Pat Fry will be leaving Alpine to join Williams as their Chief Technical Officer. Bruno Famin will become the Interim Team Principal from the Dutch Grand Prix, with Julian Rouse as Interim Sporting Director, and Matt Harman leading the technical team at Enstone, all reporting to Famin.
Click here to read the full article by Andrew Benson (BBC Sport)
Max Verstappen will receive a five-place grid penalty for the Belgian Grand Prix as he had to use a new gearbox, exceeding the permitted limit of four for the season. This comes after his previous gearbox failure at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Despite his dominant performance this year, winning every race so far, Verstappen will start no higher than sixth place. He remains confident in the car's potential with upgrades and currently leads the Drivers' Championship by 110 points over his teammate Sergio Perez.
Click here to read the full article by Fergal Walsh (motorsportweek.com)
Carlos Sainz was the fastest in the heavily disrupted and red-flagged Belgian Grand Prix practice for Ferrari, with a time of 2:03.207 on Intermediate tires. The session was largely unrepresentative due to the heavy rain, with only a few laps completed by drivers. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris followed Sainz in second and third place, respectively, also using Intermediate tires. The session was interrupted by a red flag when Logan Sargeant's Williams hit the barrier. Several drivers, including Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso, came out for exploratory laps, but no additional flying laps were set in the 60-minute session.
Click here to read the full article by Jake Nichol (racingnews365.com)
F1 Money Gang, the only betting-focused community on FanAmp, deep-dive their exclusive betting insights for the Belgian Grand Prix. Don’t miss out if you’re thinking of putting money on the race! And be sure to join the F1MG Base on FanAmp to discuss strategy, ask questions, and access exclusive bets every race weekend.
Mercedes introduced a new F1 upgrade with reshaped sidepods at the Belgian Grand Prix, aiming to close the gap to Red Bull. The update includes a more rounded air inlet, increased downwash, and a concave lower surface for better outwash near the rear floor edge. Alongside this, a circuit-specific low-downforce rear wing was also implemented for Spa. Mercedes' boss, Toto Wolff, had previously confirmed the team's plans to introduce these upgrades, and Lewis Hamilton mentioned them in a press conference.
Click here to read the full article by Lewis Larkam (crash.net)
Formula 1 drivers are expressing concerns about the risks of racing at the Spa circuit in wet conditions following recent accidents, including the death of Dilano van 't Hoff in a Formula Regional European Championship race. No track changes have been made before the Belgian Grand Prix, and drivers agree that the track layout should remain unchanged. However, with a wet weekend expected, drivers are urging the FIA to be bold in their decisions about delaying or canceling sessions to prioritize safety and visibility. The drivers refer to the farcical 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, where the race was attempted to start in poor weather conditions, leading to no racing occurring despite half points being awarded. Some drivers propose that no race is better than a dangerous one and emphasize the need for the FIA to carefully consider when it's safe to start a race.
Click here to read the full article by Scott Mitchell-Malm (the-race.com)