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Showing posts from July, 2023

How strategy will be key in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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There are three possible strategies that can be used to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, all of which involve a one-stop strategy. As shown in the Sprint race on Saturday, tyre graining is a big issue for the teams to contend with on the softer compound tyres. Those who started on the Soft found themselves towards the back of the field at the finish, so it is likely that the Medium tyre will be used most along with the Hard. F1 tyre supplier Pirelli say the fastest strategy is to start on the Medium tyre before switching to the Hard tyres between Laps 13 and 20. An alternative would be to start on the Hard tyre and switch to the Soft between Laps 38 and 45. It is possible to go on a two-stop strategy, which is slower on paper but could yield results if there is a stoppage. The first option is to start on the Medium, then a swap to the Hard between Laps 8 to 16, then another set of Hards between Laps 27 to 35. It is possible to start on the Medium and switch to the Medi

Aston Martin detail 'countermeasures' for Baku DRS problems

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Mike Krack has detailed the steps Aston Martin were forced to take to try and overcome their Formula 1 DRS problems over the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend. The Silverstone squad were hit with problems affecting their rear-wing system throughout the Baku weekend - with Fernando Alonso believing it cost him a shot of qualifying higher than sixth on Friday for Sunday's race. In the end, Alonso managed to finish fourth in the Grand Prix, helped by an audacious overtake on Carlos Sainz while Lance Stroll came home in seventh, losing sixth to Lewis Hamilton after a mistake at Turn 16. And while boss Krack did not know what had caused the problem with the flap, he did talk about some of the steps Aston took to try and rectify the issue. Viewed by others: FIA OPINION: FIA must wake up after Baku calamity

Russell calls out 'questionable' tactics from Stroll

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George Russell feels that Lance Stroll's tactics as both drivers made a pit stop during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix were "questionable". The pair entered the pits at the same time as a flurry of drivers opted to make a stop when the Safety Car was deployed in the early stages of the race. As such, Aston Martin decided to double stack Fernando Alonso and Stroll, with the Canadian seemingly dropping back behind Alonso to avoid any delays in the pits. Russell managed to overtake Stroll as they both drove down the pit lane. The incident was noted by the FIA but no further action was deemed necessary. Russell on pit lane overtake When asked if frustration had led to his pit lane pass on Stroll, Russell told media, including TheFOXposts.Com : "Well, it played [into] my hands. "I managed to overtake him on the way into the pit lane. I think it's against the rules to do what he did. "It was obviously a bit questionable but it was quit

Alpine confession after Azerbaijan weekend 'snowballed out of control'

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Alpine Sporting Director Alan Permane has conceded the team "didn't do a good enough job" after a nightmare Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend . The event got off to the worst possible start for the squad, with Pierre Gasly's A523 catching fire within the first 15 minutes of the only practice session during the alternative Sprint format, whilst teammate Esteban Ocon was also confined to the garage with concerns focused around the rear of his car. Gasly went on to crash out of qualifying later in the day, although Ocon made the best of a bad situation to reach Q2. But the pace was never present for the French manufacturer and the team failed to pick up points in either the Sprint or Grand Prix. Viewed by others: z73rFHnvU2FFNzb6N F1 PiViTE2t Lewis Hamilton Hamilton questions FIA over crucial Baku change

F1 Academy 2023: Key talking points emerge from first race weekend

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As the Formula 1 action unfolded in Azerbaijan, the first-ever F1 Academy season got underway over in Austria, with a jam-packed schedule across 28-29 April kicking off the first event of 2023. The debut campaign of the series – which aims to help in preparing young female drivers to progress through the ranks of motorsport – saw 15 drivers from three teams take to the Red Bull Ring to com Pet e in three races. While F1 Academy is not yet being televised, there were several key talking points to emerge from the history-making weekend in Spielberg, including the matter of the coverage itself. How to watch F1 Academy 2023 In the days leading up to the opening F1 Academy 2023 weekend, questions remained over whether the series would receive live television coverage. It was confirmed just ahead of the event that the category is not yet being televised live. Instead, a highlights programme will be released in the days after the races. During the weekend itself, fans

Alonso hails Stroll: He will lead the team for 15 years!

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Fernando Alonso says his Aston Martin Formula 1 teammate Lance Stroll will lead the team "for the next 10 to 15 years". The pair appear to have a good working relationship, with Stroll acknowledging over team radio early in Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix that he would not attack Alonso ahead of him, as the pair had the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton in their sights. Later in the race, Alonso radioed his team to tell Stroll of a brake balance setting that he thought would benefit the Canadian. "We talk a lot during the weekend from Friday, already from Thursday," Alonso told media, including TheFOXposts.Com , when asked about his relationship with Stroll. "What we both felt here in the past, also in the strategy meeting, what we will do, what will be the plan for each of the cars and things like that. "So if we feel something in the car during the race that we didn't speak about, and there is something new that can help the other

Vettel set to drive an F1 car again: I can't wait!

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Sebastian Vettel is set to drive a Formula 1 car again as part of a special appearance. Months after retiring from the sport at the end of the 2022 season, the four-time World Champion will return to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July where he will get behind the wheel of multiple F1 cars from his own collection. This will include the Williams FW14B in which Nigel Mansell won his 1992 championship, as well as Ayrton Senna's McLaren MP4/8 from the 1993 campaign. As well as racing on Goodwood Hill, Vettel's cars are set to be displayed in the main paddocks for visitors to see. The German will use his appearance not only to celebrate his 15-year career in F1 but also to promote the matter of sustainability in the sport's future, a topic that he continues to advocate for. As part of this, Vettel will only drive cars running on synthetic fuel at the event. Viewed by others:

Vasseur insists Ferrari not in 'panic mode'

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Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur insists that the team are not in "panic mode" over their form in the first races of the 2023 F1 season. After a difficult start to the campaign, the Scuderia had a more positive outing during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, with Charles Leclerc claiming pole position for both the Sprint race and Sunday's main event. However, the SF-23 was unable to match the pace of Red Bull at the Baku City Circuit. Sergio Perez took victory in both events, while Leclerc finished in P2 and P3 respectively. While Vasseur acknowledges that he would prefer for Ferrari to have had a better start to the year, the Frenchman has also praised the squad for their reaction to the situation. Viewed by others: Carlos Sainz Sainz makes Miami declaration after poor Baku showing

How to watch the 2023 F1 Miami GP live on TV

Just a week on from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, F1 heads stateside this coming weekend for the Miami Grand Prix. The Florida race is the first of three to take place in the United States in 2023, with last year's event seeing Max Verstappen take victory after overtaking both Ferraris. TheFOXposts.Com will be bringing you all the action from Miami as it happens, and you can follow the race weekend on our live blog. Here's how to watch the 2023 Miami Grand Prix live on TV in the UK, USA and Australia. 2023 Miami GP UK Broadcast Schedule (BST) Day Session Channel Time

Brundle: F1's planned rule change 'doesn't make sense'

Martin Brundle has fired Formula 1 a warning by suggesting the proposal to ban tyre blankets "doesn't make sense". The sport's tyre supplier Pirelli has used test sessions to prepare for the prospective ban in 2024 as it aims to align with environmental targets, given the removal of blankets would vastly reduce the electricity consumption of the entire grid. Drivers were left unimpressed with tests during the end of last season when blanket temperatures were reduced from 70 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees, with Pirelli ditching plans to implement a permanent change for the current season following the pushback led by Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. But plans to ban tyre blankets remain on the table despite drivers outlining the likelihood of crashes should the change be made. Such fears were highlighted at the World Endurance Championship event at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend where Ferrari driver Antonio Fuoco, among others, crashed when exiting the pi

Red Bull's best special livery designs

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Red Bull revealed the winner of their 'Make your Mark' com Pet ition ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, confirming the first of their three special livery design s for the season. The design com Pet ition will allow fans to add their own touch to the as-yet undefeated RB19 at all three United States-based events in 2023, with the striking design submitted by graphic design student Martina Andriano. It will mark only the seventh time Red Bull have changed their livery for a race, although the team ran three camouflage-inspired design s during shakedown runs last decade. But which has been the best? From the movie tie-ins with Star Wars and Superman to the Wings for Life photo looks and the Honda tribute from Turkey two years ago, the choice is yours! Take a look at the pictures below and cast your vote! © xpb.cc © xpb.cc

How Ocon broke unusual F1 record

Esteban Ocon broke an unusual eight-year-long F1 record thanks to his late pit stop at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Alpine driver was required to start the race from the pit lane after his car was modified under parc ferme conditions. As such, the team opted to run Ocon on a different strategy to much of the field, keeping him out for most of the race on the Hard tyre. It was not until the final lap of the event that the Frenchman made his mandatory pit stop, which then led to a controversial moment as photographers, marshals and other officials had gathered near the entry of the pit lane just as Ocon was driving in. Ocon was forced to take avoiding action and fortunately nobody was harmed in the incident. He ended the Grand Prix outside of the points in P15. Since the race, Pirelli have revealed that Ocon's late stop meant that he had broke n the record for the longest stint on a C3 compound tyre, having ran them for 300km. This breaks the previous record

Tost in Vettel-de Vries comparison: Crashes must happen

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AlphaTauri Team Principal has used Sebastian Vettel as an example to underline his belief that rookies, including Nyck de Vries, must be given a 'crash credit' when learning the ropes in F1. Dutchman de Vries entered the sport having impressed on debut with Williams when standing in for Alex Albon at last year's Italian Grand Prix, scoring points with a ninth-place finish. He has already cultivated a strong career in motorsports, impressing in sportscar racing as well as becoming champion in F2 and World Champion in Formula E with Mercedes. But his start to life as a full-time F1 driver has been challenging with AlphaTauri struggling for pace in the opening rounds, although Yuki Tsunoda has secured points in the previous two races. Viewed by others: Sergio Perez Why Perez believes he can 'beat anyone' aft

Drivers take aim at F1 DRS changes: Completely wrong direction

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Several Formula 1 drivers have criticised the decision to shorten the Drag Reduction System (DRS) zones for the upcoming Miami Grand Prix amid overtaking problems in recent events. Drivers formed a fairly uniform stance against the latest modifications to DRS zones, with two of the three activation zones in Miami now being shortened compared to last year's event. The previous race in Azerbaijan was met by criticism by many for its lack of overtaking opportunities, despite containing the one of the longest start-finish straights in the sport. The FIA had shortened the DRS zone in Baku, which followed on from modifications at the Australian GP to include a fourth DRS zone. Speaking ahead of the Miami GP, Mercedes' George Russell said that the drivers had not been consulted for their opinions prior to the latest tweaks. Viewed by others: Pierr

2023 F1 Miami Grand Prix – Free Practice 1 results

George Russell topped the opening free practice session for the Miami Grand Prix, ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari 's Charles Leclerc . Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen finished over four tenths of a second behind the Mercedes driver, who had a change of steering column in his W14 car and missed much of the session. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz finished fifth ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly, the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, followed by Nico Hulkenberg, who set the fifth-fastest time before crashing bringing out the red flags. Check out the full results from the opening free practice session: Result Free practice 1 - Miami Pos. Driver Team Time Tyre Results are being loaded... View full r

Leclerc: No 'miracle' will help Ferrari catch Red Bull in Miami

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Charles Leclerc feels that no " miracle " exists to enable Ferrari to leapfrog Red Bull in the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. Leclerc bagged a pair of third place finishes in Friday's two practice sessions, but crashed heavily in FP2 at Turn 7. Fortunately for him, only the right-front sustained damage with the new upgrades Ferrari have brought remaining undamaged on his SF-23 machine. And while the Monegasque believes they can match Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez over a single lap in qualifying, doing so in the race will prove almost impossible - owing in part to the high tyre wear rate on the Ferrari. Viewed by others: Sergio Perez Perez slams own driving after poor Miami Friday M

Ferrari: Leclerc crashes 'reflect mindset'; won't tell him to 'calm down'

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Ferrari believe that Charles Leclerc 's twin Formula 1 crash es over the Miami Grand Prix reflect his " mindset " of being behind Red Bull, but insist that they won't tell him to "calm down". Leclerc crashed twice during the recent race weekend in Miami, once in FP2 and the other in Q3 which brought about an early end to the session. He went nose-first into the barriers during the practice incident when trying to navigate the fast-sweeping Sector 1 at Turns 6/7, but hit the rear of the car at Turn 6 in the bigger qualifying shunt. In the race, Leclerc could only manage seventh place as he struggled early in the race, getting caught in a DRS train. And Senior Performance Engineer Jock Clear believes the crashes were legacy of Leclerc trying to out-drive the car. Viewed by others: Alpine F1 Team