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  • Adrian Newey To Step Down As Aston Martin F1 Team Principal

    Adrian Newey To Step Down As Aston Martin F1 Team Principal

    Adrian Newey will step down as F1 Team Principal at Aston Martin’s F1 team principal.

    The 67-year-old world renowned designer, who replaced previous Team Principal Andy Cowell four months ago, will continue in his work as Aston Martin’s F1 Managing Technical Partner, with Audi’s Jonathan Wheatley – himself less than a year into his role – most likely to replace him.

    Wheatley and Newey spent almost two decades working together at Red Bull Racing before both announcing their own departures in the wake of the Christian Horner misconduct scandal in 2024.

    The news comes after a disastrous start to the Aston Martin-Honda partnership, largely on the engine side, which has seen repeated reliability issues and a lack of performance at the start of a new era of F1 technical regulations, which has aimed for a near 50/50 split between the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and the battery powered by the MGU-K.

    Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll have been unable to finish a Grand Prix due to excessive vibrations that have shaken the engine to the point of failure, with Newey revealing that the drivers risked long term damage to their health in a pre-weekend press conference at the season opening Australian Grand Prix.

    Kieran’s Analysis:

    This entire Newey/Wheatley/Aston Martin news came out of NOWHERE from my side. Two races into the season and a big change already?! Deja vu from 2025 in the Red Bull stables!

    In all seriousness, this change shapes 2 teams futures: Audi and Aston Martin.

    Firstly the positives from my side: Aston will have 2 of the biggest personnel at their best areas which will be a MAJOR boost for the entire team and drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Newey is widely regarded as the best car designer in the business and Wheatley, in this writer’s opinion, is one of the best team principals in F1 with DTS showing behind the scenes of the private man who would have been ideal for Red Bull to promote to succeed Christian Horner.

    Now the negatives and it will come primarily from the Audi side: losing a key figure to their long term project is a MAJOR negative for their plan. Wheatley was imagined to be the leading man in the case for Audi to become world champions in Formula One. However, it seems that train has been derailed which is not good for Audi. The question then remains: who will take over the seat? They could place Binotto who has experience as being a team principal but is overseeing the engine development. Could Audi promote someone with experience like Andreas Seidl who left the Audi project in 2024? Could we see a name like Allan McNish jump into that seat? Or is there another name in the hotseat? This writer is certain of something: shockwaves will be sent around the paddock as this could shape silly season for both team principals and drivers!

    Jack Prentice:

    On the face of it, this adds more chaos to an already unstable start to 2026 and the partnership between Aston Martin and Honda.

    After firing shots in the pre-weekend press conference at the first round in Australia by telling the world’s media that Aston Martin weren’t aware of how different the makeup of this Honda engine department was from the successful team that powered Red Bull to victory, and that the engine represented a danger to the driver’s long term health, Newey left observers in no doubt as to his feelings on a torrid start to the season.

    That however is not thought to be behind Newey looking for a new Team Principal, as is thought to have been leading the process for as long as he has been in that very role and it is coincidental that Aston Martin’s start has been as bad as it has.

    Formula One being Formula One, this does increase the spotlight on an already beleaguered partnership with the team 11th in the Constructors’ Championship following well documented inabilities to get the car to the finish.

    While this is undoubtedly going to create even more noise around the team, it does not alter or solve Aston Martin’s current problems with the engine and understanding of its car, and while Honda have made progress in identifying the root cause of its well known vibrations that could still take months to get on top of.

  • BREAKING NEWS: Red Bull sack Christian Horner as CEO, Laurent Mekies replaces him

    BREAKING NEWS: Red Bull sack Christian Horner as CEO, Laurent Mekies replaces him

    Red Bull Racing has announced that Christian Horner has been let go of his duties at Red Bull Racing with immediate effect. Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies will replace the long-standing team principal of the Milton Keynes team.

    Horner was the first and only team principal of the team from the inaugeral season since 2005, seeing 8 world drivers championships come under his wing from Sebastian Vettel from 2010 to 2013 inclusive and Max Verstappen from 2021 to 2024 inclusive. 

    In a statement to F1, Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, said:

    “We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,” added Mintzlaff. With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise, and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”

    Laurent Mekies went on to say, “The last year and a half has been an absolute privilege to lead the team with Peter [Bayer, Racing Bulls CEO]. It has been an amazing adventure to contribute to the birth of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people. The spirit of the whole team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning.”

    Laurent Mekies joins after taking over the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team in 2024, taking over from Franz Tost, who retires at the end of 2023. Mekies worked previously at Ferrari and saw many drivers under his wing once taking command of Red Bull’s sister team, including Liam Lawson, Daniel Ricciardo, and Yuki Tsunoda, the latter of whom he will be reunited with at Red Bull Racing. 

    Alan Permane has been given the top role at Racing Bulls as Mekies has moved up to the main seat at Red Bull Racing. 

    Formula One returns on 25th July 2025 at Spa Francorchamps, Belgium.

  • Formula One Round 11 Austrian Grand Prix: Lando Norris Holds Onto The Win as Red Bull Score 0 Points In Their Home Race

    Formula One Round 11 Austrian Grand Prix: Lando Norris Holds Onto The Win as Red Bull Score 0 Points In Their Home Race

     

    Formula One returned to Austria this week for the Grand Prix of the former world constructor champions Red Bull, and it certainly delivered. From qualifying, the McLaren driver Lando Norris led the field away from P2 after obtaining the largest winning margin of the season so far by over half a second, albeit due to the Alpine of Pierre Gasly spinning and disrupting many laps, including the championship leader Oscar Piastri and the reigning world champion Max Verstappen.

    Chaos before beginning

    Prior to the start of the race, Carlos Sainz said his car was stuck in first gear and wasn’t able to start the formation lap. Once he got going, he went to the pit lane, and his brakes then caught fire. As a result, he was out prior to the 5 red lights going out, bringing the grid down to just 19 drivers. The race was also reduced by 1 lap as a result of this aborted start.

    Lap 1 Drama

    After the extra formation lap, we saw everyone get off the line, and Piastri managed to get up to P2 ahead of Charles Leclerc. Going into turn 3, Kimi Antonelli locked up MASSIVELY and collided with Max Verstappen, ending the race for both of them. 

    McLaren Battle

    After waiting 11 rounds, we finally got the battle we waited for: Lando Norris vs Oscar Piastri! They were cutting back and forth all race before Norris pitted before Piastri to emerge P4. Piastri extended his stint. 

    Pressure for drivers

    Tsunoda and Colapinto, both drivers whose futures are under pressure at their current teams, collided at turn 4 a few laps prior to the midpoint of the race. Tsunoda got a 10-second time penalty for this, adding the cherry to the cake for Red Bull and Tsunoda’s disastrous weekend. Colapinto is reported to be on a race-by-race basis, so any mistake or collision is not in his or his team’s best interest.

    To add insult to injury, Colapinto received a 5 second time penalty for forcing another driver off of the track. That driver? Oscar Piastri! Tsunoda and Colapinto were fighting, Piastri emerged from the pits, attempted to pass traffic, and Colapinto didn’t see Piastri and pushed him onto the grass. 

    Mercedes struggling

    With the temperatures being on the EXTREME side, Mercedes knew they would struggle here. Antonelli’s collision with Verstappen on lap 1 was not the struggle they wanted or needed. Antonelli will more than likely get a grid penalty for the British Grand Prix. 

    Russell managed to hold onto P5 to get some good points for the team but off the pace from both Ferrari and McLaren

    Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber Masterclass

    After a disastrous 2024 season with no points scored until the penultimate round with Zhou Guanyu, Sauber has scored a double points finish! Bortoleto finished P8 and Hulkenberg P9 . This is Bortoleto’s first point in Formula One and is an insane turnaround for the team about to become Audi in 2026.

    Red Bull Struggles At Home

    This weekend for the Red Bull team was one of the worst-case scenarios for the Austrian team. After Max Verstappen got tied up with Kimi Antonelli at turn 3, the pressure was on Yuki Tsunoda, who has been struggling ever since he joined the Red Bull team. The Japanese driver was keeping his nose clean until he collided with the Alpine driver Franco Colapinto and earned himself a 10-second time penalty for the collision. 

    Results

    Lando Norris managed to win the Austrian Grand Prix after a battle with his teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished P2. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished P3 and P4, respectively. George Russell finished P5 to salvage what he could from Mercedes’ weekend, Liam Lawson finished P6 as the only Red Bull-powered driver to finish P6, and Fernando Alonso held off Gabriel Bortoleto to finish P7 and P8, respectively. Nico Hulkenberg finished P9, and Esteban Ocon finished P10! 

    Feature Image Credit: F1-Pirelli Press Area

     

  • Cadillac/GM Driver Thoughts

    Cadillac/GM Driver Thoughts

    General Motors-backed Cadillac is set to join the Formula 1 circus after an initially rejected bid using the Andretti name. They will enter in 2026 as an engine customer team before using their own engine by 2028 if, hopefully, they remain in the sport by that season. This announcement came very much as a surprise due to the withdrawal of Michael Andretti, although his father Mario will remain as a director. The talk of who will be behind the wheel of the two cars will begin in late 2024 and 2025. Who are the most likely based on what we know currently? The chance ratings are my personal thoughts.

    Colton Herta

    Colton Herta standing by his pit box (Photo by Chris Jones/IndyCar Media)

    Colton is American and currently drives for Team Andretti in Indycar, the F1 team may not have the Andretti badge but is this a chance for a return for the name? Colton finished P2 in the 2024 Indycar championship, winning the season finale, and is in great form. The investor of the new F1 team, Dan Towriss, is a big fan of him, which may put him in pole position as long as he gets enough super license points from the FIA, as the Indycar Series is absurdly underrated. If he has a strong 2025, there would be no issue.

    Chance: 9/10

    Alex Palou

    Álex Palou celebrating in victory lane with his team (Photo by Travis Hinkle/Penske Entertainment)

    Alex is the 2024 Indycar Champion and has been reportedly in talks with 3 teams in the past couple of seasons, Mclaren, Sauber & Red Bull, but none of them have ever materialised. He made one free practice appearance with McLaren in 2022 at the United States GP and was the reserve driver in 2023 doing the mid-season tyre test. He also competes for the Cadillac team in the IMSA series. A strong chance for Alex to be one of the few champions in America to move to F1.

    Chance: 8/10

    Jak Crawford

    Jak Crawford, Hitech (David Ramos, Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images / courtesy of FIA F3)

    As Formula E reserve driver for Andretti for the 2024-25 season, he already has some links to the team. He also has a solid link with F1 as an Aston Martin development and current Formula 2 driver. He is due to partake in the end of season test with Aston Martin.

    It could be a chance for Cadillac to take a driver from a rival who will continue to grow in confidence; he is only 19 presently, so skills will ever improve.

    Chance: 7/10

    Checo Perez

    Pole position qualifier Sergio Perez Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

    If the team goes for one experienced driver and one rookie, then look no further. If Red Bull decided to drop Checo for 2025 or 2026 due to his current form, then this could be his way to stay in the sport. As a probable midfield team, he could thrive, similar to his years racing for Sauber, Force India & Racing Point. As a new team, they may seek experience, and as a driver currently in his 14th season, from the Americas, could this be a fit? Perez for the last couple of months hasn’t been at his best, but sometimes a driver in the twilight years of his career needs a new challenge.

    Chance: 7/10

    Franco Colapinto

    Franco Colapinto, the Las Vegas GP (Photo by Simon Galloway / LAT Images)

    The shock of the year, when Logan Sargeant was given his marching orders, the Argentine was calm and collected, as he has performed well against new teammate Albon. The current situation is that there is no room for him in the upcoming 2025 F1 season. After initial success, he has made a few errors, costing Williams dearly. Cadillac could consider Colopinto with his few races of experience that excited the paddock, who is no longer a rookie after a great start to his career.

    Chance: 6/10

    Valtteri Bottas

    Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes (Jiri Krenek / courtesy of Mercedes AMG F1)

    An experienced driver in his 13th season, Bottas has lost his seat at Stake F1, aka Audi, for the 2025 season. So what’s next for him? While he waits for official confirmation, he has started a charity for families who suddenly lose their jobs called… ‘What’s Next?’. In F1, however, he has experience in the dominant Mercedes and midfield Willams teams, which gives him insight a new team like Cadillac will need.

    Chance: 5/10

    Jack Aitken

    Jack Aitken (Courtesy of Williams Media)

    Aitken has competed with Cadillac in the IMSA Sportscar Championship and in the 24 hours of Le Mans for last 2 years, and he is due to compete for them in 2025. He has been a member of 2 junior programs in Renault (2016-20) & Williams (2020-22). In 2020, he did Free Practice 1 in Austria and drove for Williams during the Sakhir Grand Prix. He held the reserve role for Wiiliams until 2022 before moving to Sportscar Racing. He may have a relationship with Cadillac, but his chance in F1 could have gone.

    Chance: 2/10

    There are a few drivers in the mix, and there could be further added to this list. This team have been given the opportunity to extend the grid to 22 cars for the first time since 2016, when Manor Racing were on the grid. The good thing is that two teams are joining in Audi & Cadillac/GM and a fresh canvas of rules, so hopefully not a team sitting at the back.

  • Verstappen takes pole ahead of Japanese Grand Prix

    Verstappen takes pole ahead of Japanese Grand Prix

    Max Verstappen has taken pole ahead of tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix, with team-mate Sergio Perez making it Red Bull’s 27th front row lock-out.

    It was perhaps closer than most were expecting between the duo, with just +0.066 separating them at the chequered flag. In comparison, the gap from Verstappen to P2 last year was over half a second.

    Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

    McLaren’s Lando Norris initially split the Red Bulls after the first runs in Q3, but Perez eeked out more of an improvement in the second runs to leapfrog the McLaren into second.

    The top five was rounded out by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. The other Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, in contrast, missed out on advancing to Q2 by only +0.061 and will start tomorrow’s race down in P16.

    Oscar Piastri will start P6 with Lewis Hamilton in P7, the Brit sounding more buoyant about the set-up of his Mercedes than he has in recent weeks.

    Charles Leclerc ran out of sync with the rest of the top ten in Q3, setting his only lap of the session with the entire track to himself. His time initially put him P7, but with the rest of the field re-emerging a few minutes later for their second runs he slipped to P8 by the time the chequered flag was brought out.

    George Russell qualified P9. He was released into the path of Piastri in the pits during Q1 but has escaped a grid drop, with Mercedes instead receiving a €5,000 fine for an unsafe release.

    Home favourite Yuki Tsunoda rounds out the top ten.

  • F1 Rumours: Are Audi Pulling the Plug?

    F1 Rumours: Are Audi Pulling the Plug?

    Audi confirmed their entry in August 2022 after the announcement of the new power unit rules for 2026. They decided, unlike Ford, to not just make power units but to take control of Sauber, currently known as Alfa Romeo, and are in the first year of that phase as a minority stakeholder of the team. But according to some, all is not well with paddock rumours and media, is it over before a wheel has been turned? Does this mean Peter Sauber is staying or is it just rumours?

    F1 have been trying to get the Volkswagen Group back in the sport which Audi are apart of along with Bentley, Porsche and others. Audi itself have had recent changes within its own high organisation levels and supposedly the idea may have come to an end before it has started, which will cost the German manufacturer millions.

    Image courtesy of Audi Motorsport Media Centre

    In early 2024, Audi will become 50% joint owners with Sauber and then in early 2025 they become 75% owners of the team. However, the new board at Audi have supposedly concluded the venture may be too expensive.

    According to some of the German Media, the rumour is that the VW Group want to keep the programme in house with a potential switch to Porsche. With the venture still in the early stages in F1 terms, this could mean a simple switch of data and staff between the companies.

    However, within the paddock, the rumour is that Toyota will try their chances once again, having previous knowledge of the sport. Additionally this could be in collaboration with Mclaren to a certain extent, as the team from Woking don’t have power unit supplier for 2026 as of yet. Toyota are looking to become a manufacturer again and also return as power unit supplier for the McLaren for the first time in history.

    Despite all of this, Audi are still looking to join F1 in the future as nothing has changed officially or been announced. But murmurings suggest this is something to keep an eye on as we go into the final races of 2023. Will we get a Germany v Mercedes regardless or Toyota v Honda? Time will tell.

  • Hamilton takes record ninth pole for Hungarian Grand Prix

    Hamilton takes record ninth pole for Hungarian Grand Prix

    Lewis Hamilton has taken pole for tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix – his first since 2021 – setting a record for the most number of pole positions at one circuit by one driver. He lines up ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, with the trio separated by only +0.085.

    It was the first try-out of a new qualifying format, with drivers mandated to use only hard tyres in Q1, medium tyres in Q2 and soft tyres in Q3.

    2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, Friday – Steve Etherington

    McLaren locked out the second row, further delivering on their upgrades from the last round in Silverstone. Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu had a strong showing in fifth, having topped Q1 earlier.

    Slightly further down in the top ten, Perez finally put an end to his run of Q1 eliminations and lines up P9 on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

    In his first qualifying session back in F1 – having been brought in as a replacement for Nyck de Vries at Alpha Tauri – Daniel Ricciardo ended up P13, with team-mate Yuki Tsunoda in P17.

    Although Mercedes have reason to celebrate with Hamilton’s pole, it was not an entirely great day for the team. George Russell complained about traffic on the build-up to his last Q1 lap and wasn’t able to improve, finding himself all the way down in P18.

  • Leclerc takes pole for Azerbaijan sprint race despite last minute crash

    Leclerc takes pole for Azerbaijan sprint race despite last minute crash

    Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has taken pole position for today’s sprint race in Azerbaijan despite hitting the wall in the closing moments of the session.

    It was the first outing of the new sprint weekend format, with an extra qualifying session to determine the starting order of the sprint race. The twelve-minute long SQ1 and ten-minute long SQ2 required the drivers to use the medium tyres, while the final eight-minute SQ3 mandated the use of a new set of soft tyres.

    SQ1 ended with a bang when Logan Sargeant crashed at Turn 17, possibly distracted by the two slow Ferraris on the inside of the corner. With only 25 seconds left on the clock, the session wasn’t restarted.

    In SQ2, Oscar Piastri narrowly missed out on advancing to the next stage by only +0.0032. His team-mate Lando Norris did scrape through, despite not having a new set of soft tyres available to him and therefore not being able to take part in SQ3!

    Leclerc set the pace in the first runs of SQ3 and took provisional pole. On his second run, however, he hit the wall at Turn 5 and damaged his front wing. He was able to back out and continue round to the pits, but compromised his team-mate Sainz’s lap in the process.

    Both Verstappen and Perez improved on their times in the closing moments, but it wasn’t enough to usurp Leclerc. It’s the Monegasque driver’s second pole of the weekend.

  • BWT Alpine F1 Team Reveal The A523

    BWT Alpine F1 Team Reveal The A523

    Showcased in London, Alpine’s new A523 was shown in not one, but two liveries.

    The two liveries are very similar to last year. One is a mixture of blue, black and pink and will be run for the majority of the season. For Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia, however, Alpine will run a fully pink livery for sponsor BWT.

    Alpine A523 Pink Version. Image Credit to BWT Alpine F1 Team on Twitter.

    In comparison to the 2022 car and livery, there are very minimal changes. There was a bit more blue added to the front wing with more carbon being exposed, more than likely due to the weight of the car. The sidepods and floor have also changed a little bit according to the images.

    BWT Alpine F1 2022 and 2023 car comparison. Image Credit to F1 on Twitter.

    Speaking about the car, the technical director at Alpine Matt Harman said, “These days are of course limited and not representative, but we’ve certainly had a great day and we now look forward to testing in Bahrain where we expect to continue our learning of the 2023 car.”

    Speaking at the launch, Pierre Gasly, who has joined Alpine after leaving Alpha Tauri,  said, “I’m extremely excited. Its a beautiful car. It’s a new beginning for me. A start of a new journey.”

    Team Principal of Alpine Otmar Szafnauer said that the plan for the year is, “Less DNFs, more points, hopefully some podiums, a lot closer to 3rd and further away from 5th than we were in 2022.”

    Speaking about last season, Pierre Gasly added, “Alpine has a fantastic season last year… The target is to consolidate 4th in the championship and close the gap to the top 3.”

    Esteban Ocon said, “We are all very proud of the work that we have achieved and the little bonus that we drove the car already.”

    Alpine conducted their shakedown on Monday and will head to Bahrain with the other teams next week to do three days of pre season testing before the first race of the season the following week.

  • Mercedes Follow The Footsteps of Recent Success with The W14

    Mercedes Follow The Footsteps of Recent Success with The W14

    Unveiling the brand new car at their factory today, the W14 has gone through a dramatic change in terms of its livery. Last year, the W13 went back to the roots of Mercedes’s nickname “The Silver Arrows” with an all silver livery. Vastly different to the 2021 and 2020 black liveries. However, given the German team’s performances in 2022, they have reverted back to the black  primarily due to the weight limits.

    The main concept of the W13 was retained but many parts were changed, inclyding the gulley bodeywork of the engine cover.

    Mercedes W14 On Track. Image Credit to Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team on Twitter

    Speaking about the car, team principal Toto Wolff said “Our hopes and expectations are always to be capable of fighting for a World Championship. However, our competitors were very strong last year, and we are playing catch-up”

    Driver George Russell, who picked up his first win at Brazil last year, said “I have been incredibly impressed with how the Team developed the car throughout last season. We have been building momentum throughout 2022 and we’re excited to see how that has progressed over the winter.”

    Driver Lewis Hamilton added to his colleague’s comments by saying “I’m excited to go racing again. I feel calm, energised, and have my focus sharpened. I’m ready to do what’s necessary to win.”

    Mercedes ran on 15th February but only managed 15kms before issues arose. Their official shakedown is planned for tomorrow, 16th February before pre season testing in Bahrain 23rd to 25th February before the first race weekend on 3rd to 5th March.