Today’s F1 News Delivered Faster Than a Pit Stop
Alpine F1 driver Pierre Gasly has become a co-owner of French football club FC Versailles, joining Alexandre Mulliez and Fabien Lazare. Gasly expressed his excitement about venturing into professional football and aims to contribute positively to the club's development. Mulliez believes Gasly's involvement will be beneficial, considering his passion for F1 and shared values. Despite Alpine's challenging start to the 2024 F1 season, Gasly remains optimistic and motivated to improve their performance ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.
Click here to read the full article by Connor McDonagh (crash.net)
Stake F1 will be known as Kick Sauber for the Australian Grand Prix due to anti-gambling laws in some regions, with streaming service Kick taking on the naming rights. The change reflects the team's shift from Alfa Romeo sponsorship to becoming the Audi Works team by 2026. This name switch will also apply in Spain, Belgium, and Qatar to comply with local laws and maintain branding consistency.
Click here to read the full article by Ewan Gale (racingnews365.com)
Ferrari's SF-24, now second-fastest behind Red Bull, boasts improvements from its predecessor, featuring a revamped chassis, altered cooling system, and refined suspension. Weaknesses in tire warm-up were identified, prompting upgrades focusing on downforce, set to debut between the Japanese and Emilia Romagna Grands Prix. The strategy includes sequential upgrades to the floor and sidepods to maintain performance and balance. These enhancements aim to increase downforce and optimize aerodynamic performance.
Click here to read the full article by Paolo Filisetti (racingnews365.com)
Mercedes is grappling with unresolved issues plaguing its performance at the start of the Formula 1 season, particularly highlighted by its recent setbacks in Saudi Arabia despite high hopes for its new W15 car to challenge Red Bull. The team's struggle revolves around a perplexing problem affecting high-speed cornering, leading to significant time loss compared to rivals, despite competitiveness in other areas of the track. Despite real-world data confirming the issue, Mercedes remains puzzled as its on-track performance contradicts simulator predictions, with grip inconsistency posing challenges both in qualifying and race conditions. With the upcoming Australian Grand Prix exposing vulnerabilities in high-speed corners, Mercedes is urgently seeking solutions, including potential regression to previous car configurations to address unintended performance drawbacks.
Click here to read the full article by Jonathan Noble (motorsport.com)
Guenther Steiner hopes Red Bull 'put an end' to the row engulfing Christian Horner, with the team principal's 'sex texts' scandal overshadowing the start of the Formula One season. Red Bull team boss Horner was accused of 'coercive behavior' by an unnamed female employee before he was cleared by a lawyer hired by the motorsports team to investigate.