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How Binotto's Sauber arrival changes F1's 2025 driver market Mattia Binotto is set to become the boss of Sauber F1 team on August 1st, reporting directly to the Audi board. He will decide who partners Nico Hulkenberg for next year after Carlos Sainz declined an offer due to uncertainty over Red Bull and Mercedes' plans. Binotto's Ferrari past and experience could influence Sainz's decision as he weighs up a late offer from Alpine. The 2025 driver market is uncertain, with drivers considering Sauber's poor performance in 2024 and the risk of a tricky season next year before Audi's potential improvement in 2026. Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, Sauber drivers, expressed uncertainty about their situations, with Bottas stating that the remaining driver market is waiting for Sainz's decision, but hinting that things could change without an announcement. Zhou views Binotto's arrival as a reset in talks about possibly staying with the team, noting it will be different due to Audi's goals for next year and beyond.. Source: Motorsport

Revealed: First images of F1’s new flexi-wing checks The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) is conducting an analysis of flexi-wing checks ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix to better understand the dynamics at play with front wing movement, which has resurfaced as teams seek benefits from aerodynamic elasticity in the current ground effect machinery. The analysis involves selected teams fitting a special camera on their nose and placing reference dots on the front wing elements and endplate to gather data on the movement of the wings during racing conditions. This may lead to changes in regulations for 2025, potentially addressing the issue of understeer and oversteer inherent in current designs.. Source: Motorsport

How Audi's massive leadership change affects the F1 driver market Mattia Binotto has taken over negotiations with drivers for Sauber/Audi's F1 team, replacing Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann who were ousted from their roles. Nico Hulkenberg is committed to join Sauber in 2025 but a teammate needs to be found. Charles Sainz was a target for Seidl and Audi, but doubts about the project have emerged and he has formed a priority order in his mind with Audi not being the favored option. Carlos Sainz is considering multiple options for the 2024 season, including staying at Ferrari, joining Audi, or leaving F1 altogether. Valtteri Bottas's talks with Sauber have been "reset" due to Audi's new leadership, making him a stronger contender for the Williams drive. Zhou Guanyu's chances of staying at Sauber are renewed as he was previously considered a last-resort option by Audi's previous leadership.. Source: The Race

Norris: Too early to make me number one to boost F1 title hopes Here is a summary of the article: Lando Norris, McLaren's second-placed driver in the Formula 1 championship standings, does not support the idea of being made the team's number one driver to boost his chances of beating Max Verstappen for the title. Despite being 76 points behind, Norris believes that allowing both drivers to race on equal terms without bias towards either of them is the best approach. His teammate Oscar Piastri agrees, stating that they should focus on individual performance rather than prioritizing one driver over the other. Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo, a Formula 1 driver, expressed his priorities, stating that while he is willing to support Norris if needed, his primary focus is on scoring points and winning the constructors' championship for his team.. Source: Motorsport

Hamilton: Verstappen needs "to act like a world champion" after radio outbursts Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has criticized Max Verstappen's behavior on the radio during races this season, saying he needs to change his attitude as a true champion should behave differently. Verstappen, who drives for Red Bull Racing, has been known to lash out at his race engineer over the radio using aggressive language and tone due to frustration with his team's performance. Hamilton, who had a tumultuous 2021 season with Verstappen, including multiple collisions during their title fight, believes he should not behave in this manner, citing his own experiences as an example. Despite promising to discuss a recent collision privately after the race, the two drivers have yet to do so.. Source: Motorsport

2024 F1 Belgian Grand Prix session timings and preview The Belgian Grand Prix will take place at the Spa circuit, with Max Verstappen facing a 10-place grid drop due to exceeding his engine allocation. McLaren is expected to be competitive, making it challenging for Verstappen to extend his winning streak. The event features three practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, followed by qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday. The schedule includes broadcast times in local time zones, with examples given for the Australian Grand Prix (April 9th) and Spanish Grand Prix (May 14th). The current season has 23 Grands Prix, starting on March 18th in Bahrain and concluding on November 26th in Abu Dhabi, featuring a mix of day and night races, as well as back-to-back events in Europe and Asia.. Source: Motorsport

The surprise lead contender to become Alpine’s new F1 team boss Alpine's Formula 1 team is searching for its third team principal in less than a year, with Oliver Oakes being considered as Bruno Famin's replacement. Famin took on the role full-time in 2024 after initially intending to find someone else, but his tenure has been marked by integration issues between the former Renault and Alpine teams. The team is currently discussing a potential customer engine deal with Mercedes and exploring ways to utilize its Viry-Chatillon engine division, which may involve abandoning the Renault V6 turbo-hybrid project. Additionally, the team's car has struggled for competitiveness, dropping to eighth in the championship due to being overweight and slow at the start of the year.. Source: The Race

F1's Felipe Massa on his near-fatal 2009 Hungary GP accident Here is a summary of the article: Felipe Massa, a Formula 1 driver, reflects on his serious accident in 2009 during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he was hit by a spring detached from Rubens Barrichello's car at high speed. The incident left him in shock and unconscious, requiring nine days of hospitalization and surgery. Despite missing the rest of the season, Massa made a successful comeback in 2010. In an interview, Massa emphasizes that his family, including his pregnant wife Rafaela, suffered more than he did while witnessing the accident. He expresses gratitude for surviving the incident and living a happy and healthy life with his family. Massa attributes his lack of victories in F1 to uncompetitive cars rather than the accident itself, denying any significant impact on his performance.. Source: Motorsport

PADDOCK INSIDER: With continued questions about Sergio Perez's future, Spa will be crucial as Red Bull face a call on their driver line-ups Red Bull Racing's driver lineup is uncertain after the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps due to one-year contracts held by all drivers. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are part of Red Bull's main team, while Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda drive for AlphaTauri, Red Bull's sister team. Perez's recent poor performances have sparked concerns about his future with the reigning world champions, whom he signed a new deal with just last month.. Source: Formula 1

Hamilton takes aim as Verstappen's frustrations mount Lewis Hamilton thinks Max Verstappen needs to act like a world champion to help Red Bull overcome their current struggles. After finishing fifth at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen was frustrated with his car's handling and Red Bull's strategy over team radio. Hamilton, who hasn't spoken to Verstappen about their collision in Budapest, believes that Verstappen needs to set an example for his team and be a leader. He also thinks Red Bull's 76-point deficit in the championship is not insurmountable, citing his own experience of being behind by 40 points when he was fighting for the championship.. Source: Racer

Alpine set for new F1 team boss with Oakes tipped to replace Famin Alpine's Formula 1 team is preparing for a leadership change, with Oliver Oakes, currently boss of Hitech F2 and F3 teams, set to become the new team principal. Bruno Famin, who took over on an interim basis after Otmar Szafnauer's departure, will step back from his role. The transition is expected to occur during the summer break. Alpine is also undergoing significant changes as it prepares to switch to Mercedes customer engines in 2026 and potentially abandon its current Renault works power units. Additionally, the company is reviewing the future of its Viry-Chatillon engine factory, informing staff that a review is underway in case the F1 project is cancelled.. Source: Motorsport

Verstappen downplays Spa win chances as engine penalty looms Max Verstappen is expected to take a power unit penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix due to exceeding the maximum number of components allowed this season, which will result in a grid penalty. His goal will likely shift from fighting for victory to damage limitation, trying to minimize the impact of the penalty and still score points. Additionally, Verstappen has considered the possibility of McLaren's Lando Norris closing the gap in the drivers' championship later in the year, but believes Red Bull needs to focus on improving their car performance rather than worrying about the competition.. Source: Racer

Norris recalls Verstappen’s broken Hungarian GP trophy with special helmet Lando Norris will wear a customized helmet for the Hungarian Grand Prix featuring an assortment of wildlife, designed by Herend Porcelain. This is to commemorate his accidental trophy-smashing incident at the same event last year, where he knocked off Max Verstappen's first-place trophy, worth around £35,000, and broke it at its base. Norris initially joked about the incident but later apologized to Verstappen and acknowledged his mistake. Herend Porcelain also supplied a replacement trophy to Verstappen five weeks after the 2021 race. Additionally, Esteban Ocon, who won the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2019, will wear a custom helmet inspired by the trophy he won that day.. Source: Race Fans

Who is heading F1’s midfield battle? Here is a summary of the article: Red Bull's constructors' championship hopes are threatened by midfield rivals Haas, who are now just four points behind them in the standings. Red Bull's decline is attributed to an upgrade package that has not had the desired effect. Meanwhile, Haas and Alpine have improved, with Haas collecting sixth-place finishes at recent rounds. Williams has also scored points despite limited upgrades. Sauber remains at the bottom of the constructors' championship, struggling with pitstop issues and car performance. Aston Martin serves as a benchmark for assessing teams below it in the standings. The article highlights the close competition among five teams: Haas, Williams, Sauber, Alpine, and Aston Martin. Red Bull's poor performance has allowed Haas to close in on their position. Alpine and Williams have made progress through weight reduction efforts, while Haas has prioritized unity and explored new ideas under leadership from Ayao Komatsu. Sauber needs to recover from a poor stretch of races to avoid being stuck at the bottom. The article also mentions that Red Bull's performance may stagnate until 2026 when the Audi project is expected to come online.. Source: Motorsport

THIS WEEK IN F1: 10 tricky quiz questions on Grand Prix history in Hungary and the week's F1 news Lewis Hamilton is preparing for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix, the next round of the Formula 1 championship after his record-breaking victory at the British Grand Prix. This will be his attempt to secure back-to-back wins, having gone without a win for two and a half years prior to his recent success. The Hungaroring track has been a strong suit for Hamilton, who aims to capitalize on his historical performance there.. Source: Formula 1

Ferrari focuses development efforts on resolving bouncing issue Ferrari is developing a new upgrade package to address the bouncing issue caused by its recent changes at the Spanish Grand Prix. The previous update in Imola brought significant progress, with Charles Leclerc winning from pole in Monaco. However, the latest changes introduced in Spain have resulted in bouncing problems that negatively impact performance. Team principal Vasseur believes the cause is an aero problem and plans to bring new parts to reduce bouncing at the next race, potentially reverting to the pre-Barcelona specification for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Despite this setback, Vasseur remains optimistic about Ferrari's wind tunnel correlation and their track record of successful upgrades over the past year.. Source: Racer

Horner says Red Bull wins are ‘more rewarding’ in 2024 Christian Horner, Red Bull's team principal, finds their victories in 2024 more rewarding due to increased competition compared to last year when they dominated with 21 out of 22 wins. This season, four different teams have taken wins in the first 12 rounds, and Red Bull has emerged victorious seven times. The closer battles require marginal fine details and pushing limits to gain an advantage, making winning more satisfying for Horner. Despite having a significant lead in the drivers' championship and constructors', Horner believes this year is "far more normal Formula 1" compared to last season's dominant performance.. Source: Racer

TECH WEEKLY: How crucial updates from McLaren and Mercedes brought the 2024 season to life The 2024 Formula 1 season initially appeared to be a repeat of Red Bull's dominance in previous years, led by Max Verstappen. However, significant upgrades from McLaren and Mercedes in May have changed the dynamics of the season. McLaren's upgrade introduced at the Miami race allowed them to achieve a pole position and victory, while Mercedes' upgrade across the Monaco and Canada weekends brought them closer to Red Bull. As a result, both teams are now capable of challenging Red Bull for wins, injecting new life into the season.. Source: Formula 1

Uralkali claims Haas F1 has missed payment deadline after court ruling Here is a summary of the article: Uralkali, the former title sponsor of the Haas F1 team, claims that Haas failed to pay a $9 million refund owed to Uralkali as well as deliver a Formula 1 car following the termination of their sponsorship deal in March 2022. The dispute was settled through arbitration in Switzerland, which ruled in favor of Haas and found no breach of contract occurred. However, the court ordered Haas to return part of the sponsorship balance paid and deliver a team race car from 2021 to Uralkali. Despite the deadline having passed, Haas has not made the payment or delivered the car, prompting Uralkali to threaten legal action and warn potential sponsors about the treatment they may receive if they partner with Haas.. Source: Motorsport

Toyota's surprise potential Haas F1 alliance explained Toyota is in talks with Haas F1 Team to form an alliance that would grant Haas access to Toyota's state-of-the-art technical facility in Germany, including two windtunnels and high-specification equipment. The deal is not a fully-fledged works arrangement, as Toyota focuses on hydrogen technology for the next five years and Haas has an existing engine supply agreement with Ferrari until 2028. In return, Toyota aims to enhance its technologies and working processes, evaluate future possibilities in grand prix racing, and get closer to the sport. This deal may start as a client arrangement and gradually evolve into something more immersive if it suits both parties. The partnership would utilize Toyota's underutilized engineering facility and allow Haas to potentially surpass what Dallara offers in some areas.. Source: The Race