This Week – 11/08/2024
Hello and welcome to This Week, a week where stories which we knew wouldn’t just disappear and where we haven’t seen full answers. whether that be the Christian Horner allegations being dismissed by another investigation at Red Bull, could there be new twists as the US Congress calls for answers on Andretti and could F1 be heading to Rwanda? It may be the summer break but the rumour mill never shuts down.
General News
F1 bosses have scheduled talks with representatives of Rwanda next month as the African country bids to push forward with plans to host a grand prix. The continent hasn’t held a race since 1993 but has been a key target for the sport with it understood that Rwanda’s plans are at an advanced enough stage for more serious discussions to take place.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said a meeting had been set up with Rwanda to talk about the project, which he said showed some promise. Domenicali said, “They are serious. They have presented a good plan and actually we have a meeting with them at the end of September. It will be on a permanent track.”
Rwanda has shown an increasing interest in motor racing, with representatives of the Rwanda Development Board travelling to the Monaco Grand Prix this year to meet with the FIA. But the F1 boss warned it needed the right plan and investment. Adding “F1 was now at a stage where there was enough interest around the world for it to pick the best calendar it possibly could. Up until 2020 we were in a situation where the number of places that wanted to host F1 were not so numerous.”
“Therefore we were not able to apply what I would say was a constructive pressure to grow what we can offer to our customers and to our fans.” Rwanda has turned a huge corner since the 1994 genocide, to become one of East Africa’s booming modern economy however the regime is criticized by human rights activists for his authoritarianism and stubborn grip on power.
One other likely new addition to the calendar over the next few years is a Thailand Grand Prix, with the government there pushing hard. Domenicali said he planned to travel to the country after this year’s Singapore Grand Prix to evaluate the latest on the project, which originally was planned to be a street race around Bangkok, but could now be something different.
Domenicali says one of the lessons from the first half of the season is impossible to predict with any certainty how things are going to turn out. While following the dominance early on by Max Verstappen who won four of the first five races, since Miami there has been five different winners from three different teams with Verstappen only winning three races.
Domenicali never joined the doom-mongers at the start of the year, as he was always convinced that the combination of the cost cap and aerodynamic testing restrictions would eventually serve to close things up. He has always been open-minded about things; aware that what is viewed right today may not be true for tomorrow. So just as Verstappen’s dominance was not set in stone from the off, so too must F1’s longer-term future be viewed as an ever-evolving thing. The Italian believes that this creates an opportunity to continue to build on the growth in recent years.
He told Motorsport.com, “I’m very pleased to say what I said at the beginning of the year is exactly what is happening when everyone was believing that I was saying that for political reasons. This will for sure continue until the end of 2025. This element of sporting action, and sporting drama, is definitely there.”
However, some have raised concerns that the 2026 regulation change could see the field once again spread out like in 2009, 2014 and 2022, as these changes lead to one team dominating. Domenicali does not shy away from the growing concerns that 2026 can unravel all the greatness that F1 is delivering right now. But he thinks that it is important to recognise the motivations that prompted the decision to shake things up.
But he says a discussion needs to be had about whether a five year regulation cycle is suitable anymore suggesting it could be slowed down, but they need to wait and see how this new technology will come in and how this will be developed. Previously the reason was to stop dominance their would be regular changes, but with the regulations restricting spending and aerodynamics, there could be an argument made that it’s not a major factor.
He argues the changes have attracted two new suppliers, Audi and Honda, because of the sustainability and focus on new technology. Though Renault are set to pull out of the sport meaning the sport hasn’t gained a new manufacturer but Domenicali says that Renault’s decision is a different because they ‘have to deliver a result in a different timeframe.’
Red Bull
Red Bull has admitted they had expected their 2024 car to be stronger in high-speed corners, with technical director Pierre Wache says the team’s RB20 “didn’t deliver what we expected” in every area. Red Bull won all but one race in 2023, and rather than rest on its laurels made significant changes for this year’s RB20 to ensure it would remain out front in F1.
While the season started with three one-twos from four races, since Miami the team has only won three of the following seven Grands Prix the others being won by Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren. Wache says they were expecting its 2024 car to be stronger in certain areas, especially in high-speed corners, based on its simulation data.
When asked if the RB20 was as good as hoped, he replied: “I would say not really. We improved compared to last year, without doubt, but we didn’t deliver what we expected in some areas. Especially in the high-speed corners we expected a little bit more than what we have. Without thinking about the competitiveness of the car, so just based on our own references, we expected a little bit more with our tools.”
We know they changed the concept going into the season coupled with the reduction in aero testing last year by being champions you need to wonder did that drag them away from high speed corners where we have seen them struggle this season compared to the last two years. Wache suggested that this could also be down to the ATR restrictions, as champions the team gets less wind tunnel time, having topped the championship since 2022 they have lost 30% each time, which has an impact as they haven’t gained time.
But regardless of Red Bull’s own progress not hitting the heights it had hoped, Wache says the squad actually expected rival teams to catch up from the start of 2024 as teams converge on car designs. Red Bull did expect this competition to come sooner and these regulations make it harder over time to maintain that advantage.
Helmut Marko has insisted Sergio Perez is still the best option to finish the season alongside Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen. The Mexican’s future in the second quarter had called into question his future despite having a contract, but at the start of the summer break the team reconfirmed their commitment to him.
But after considering their options, Red Bull decided to keep backing Perez, with RB’s line-up of Ricciardo and Tsunoda also remaining unchanged. In his column on Red Bull-owned publication Speedweek, Marko explained that Perez was “still our best solution” given the alternatives that were available, saying the 34-year-old just has to find more consistency.
He wrote, “Sergio Perez will also be in the Red Bull Racing car after the summer break because we now have races on the tracks where he was good last year and we are banking on stability. He has repeatedly shown good performances in between, and he was also very fast in third place on Saturday at the last race weekend in Spa.”
He dismissed the rumour that Liberty Media convinced or was trying to ask Red Bull to keep him, saying while they wanted him to race in Mexico City the “choice of driver is not based on Liberty’s intentions.”
Red Bull will also have to decide on what to do with reserve driver Liam Lawson, who is free to find a seat elsewhere if Red Bull can’t give him an F1 drive in 2025. But Marko ruled out Lawson being loaned out to rival teams to keep him within the ranks.
The Austrian explained “We will announce what will happen with Liam Lawson in September.The fact that he was allowed to gain further Formula 1 kilometres of experience in Imola had been planned for some time. Even if the competition would like to use him on loan, he is not available for that.”
Fionn McLaughlin and Scott Lindblom have been offered the opportunity to join the Red Bull junior programme following a three-day test for young drivers in F4 and F3 cars. This puts them on the same path as Verstappen. McLaughlin has been karting at the age of five and by the time he was seven was competing in and winning in various championships throughout Ireland.
Fionn has gone on to compete successfully at British, European and world level and is currently competing in the OK class. The Irishman finished seventh in the European championship and nineteenth in the world championship. He said, “My goal in racing is to be a world champion. I never give up and I work hard until I’m at the top. I will keep working until I’m there.”
The woman who complained about Red Bull team principal Christian Horner’s behaviour has had her appeal against the investigation that cleared him dismissed. She first lodged a complaint in December that contained allegations of coercive, abusive behaviour and sexual harassment by Horner.
Horner has always denied the allegations of inappropriate and controlling behaviour and was cleared by an internal investigation conducted by an independent lawyer. Another independent lawyer has now concluded the appeal against that decision was not upheld.
In a statement, Red Bull said it had “accepted and adopted” the conclusions of the lawyer. It added: “The company respects the privacy of all its employees and will not be making further public comment of this matter at this time.”
The complainant has been suspended by Red Bull since March. BBC Sport has previously reported the reason given to the employee was she had been dishonest.
The row has rumbled on as a civil war continues off the track, with Jos Verstappen accusing Horner of ‘tearing the team apart’ with the Thai and Austrian owners divided between the Verstappen and Horner side. Chief technical officer Adrian Newey resigning and leaving the team early next year because of the row.
Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli the favourite to replace Lewis Hamilton this week gave his first major interview to Motorsport.com, should he get a seat at Mercedes next year will arrive in the sport with huge expectations on his shoulders. His rise is similar to the seven-time champion, Formula Regional to F2 in just one season, should he jump into the Mercedes he would be one of the youngest drivers in the sports history.
In his first wide-ranging interview, Antonelli tells Motorsport.com he is not taking anything for granted, nor is he afraid of being judged on the biggest stage. Antonelli says about the prospect of becoming an F1 rookie, “Some degree of worry I think is always there, the prospect of not being able to perform I think frightens everyone. My approach is to see it as a great opportunity to learn, grow and also enjoy the moment.”
“I’m not afraid of being judged, I know Mercedes has a clear opinion about my potential, already this season in F2 the championship didn’t kick off in the best way but there were no negative thoughts. I am quite calm, if the opportunity presented itself to me I would take it with eagerness and try to make the most of it.”
His F2 teammate Ollie Bearman made his debut in Jeddah standing in for Carlos Sainz, which earned the Englishman praise and a seat with Haas in 2025. However his F2 results will not decide whether he gets a seat, with Mercedes judging his progress by his private testing programme in the 2022 car.
Speaking about that he said “It was a really great experience. I carried that excitement with me through the first lap too, even if the conditions were not the best, it was raining and in the afternoon it even snowed! Then on the second day the track improved and in the dry the performance emerged; power, deceleration, aerodynamic load. It was crazy.”
Antonelli’s rise is similar to Max Verstappen, who went from Formula Regional to F1 and then into a Red Bull seat within eighteen months. Also, the man he seeks to replace, Hamilton who went from GP2 to the front-running McLaren. Something he wasn’t expecting as it is such a big jump but welcomed the challenge.
CEO and team principal Toto Wolff has given an interview about his mental health to Sky Sports. Wolff has been in the sport since 2009 with Williams before joining Mercedes in 2013, where he is the team’s co-owner along with the German manufacturer. He masterminded an unprecedented eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021, as well as seeing Lewis Hamilton set new records for the most poles and wins in F1, as he equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven drivers’ championships.
However, there have been times where Wolff struggled with his mental health. Wolff told Sky Sports “I have struggled so badly with these things, for months not being able to have a clear thought but I came to the realisation that it comes with a lot of advantages.”
“I call it a superpower. This is what I want to give people that have mental health issues as a hope. I was thinking when I was really bad at times, ‘that person hasn’t got what I have’, and that’s why that person can be more successful.”
Wolff key decision was to give up his driving career aged twenty-five to study at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, before founding his own investment company, Marchfifteen, in 1998, then Marchsixteen, in 2004.
Wolff explained, “One very important moment came to me. I was successful with my business, I sold it and moved to Monaco. I was in my late 20s and there was a Grand Prix. There was a party and I was there as a guest of someone and I saw these very successful people having a party and I thought, ‘they don’t suffer, in a way I do, that’s why they are successful’.”
The Austrian revealed he has seen a psychologist and encourages people to be honest if they are unhappy with something in their life.
he said, “I always seek help. I always asked questions from a very early age. Some of the days were so bad that I found my way to a psychologist. There’s not a single treatment in a way that I tried from speaking to psychologists, cognitive behavioural therapy because I like to just optimise on how can I solve the problem quickly. I have done probably more than 300 or 350 hours of talking.”
Aston Martin
team principal Mike Krack says there is “huge pressure” inside the team to revive its results but claims owner Lawrence Stroll understands this will take time. The team has not been able to repeat the gains it had between 2022-23 seasons which saw it fight Red Bull in the first half of last year when it had six podiums in eight races.
Although Aston’s year-on-year gains were impressive last season, rivals Ferrari and Mercedes initially persevered with flawed car concepts before joining the outwash side-pods aerodynamic path Red Bull had proven was so successful, along with McLaren leaping in front of all three squads to trail Red Bull, meant the green team’s glittering results dried up.
Speaking to Autosport, Krack discussed how “where others were underperforming and we were overperforming in the competitive order” meant early 2023 was “flattering and probably not a true reflection of where we really were as a team”.
When asked how Stroll viewed Aston’s situation in 2024 – with the outside perception that the team has gone backwards as others have gained more significantly around it – Krack replied: “Well, I think there are two aspects. One is: what progress do you make compared to the competition over the years? Where you have ambitious targets and you try to manage them. That is something that I think you have a discussion [about] and you have a plan in place and you know that you cannot go from seventh to first. It’s not possible.”
He says the upgrades haven delivered which then increases pressure on the team to deliver and resolve the issues quickly, which also sees impatience. I think Aston has been hit twice failing to keep up with its rivals who have closed the gap and are fighting for victories and it not being able to develop and bring upgrades to move themselves forwards.
Krack put it simply “We started the season in fifth, wanted to get closer, had a plan to get closer to the top cars, and have not delivered that.”
Alpine
Pierre Gasly says he is ready to be Alpine’s team leader after a smooth integration at Enstone against a rocky backdrop. Having joined Alpine in 2023, Gasly’s arrival coincided with the major upheaval within the Enstone-based team, with senior personnel changes that continued this year.
Flavio Briatore returned as an advisor to Renault CEO Luca de Meo, bringing in Hitech chief Oliver Oakes as team principal. While teammate Esteban Ocon is leaving the team for Haas following a series of incidents with Gasly, all this against a lack of competitiveness of its 2024 car, Gasly is nevertheless keeping faith in the future, having extended his contract a few weeks ago.
But he and many outside the team believe he is growing into a natural team leader and his vision for the team is “trying to make it in one way.” He told Motorsport.com, “I think we’ve managed to get to a very trustful and efficient place in this environment we’ve built up. And the confidence and the trust I got in the guys and they got in me just increased throughout the first season and still this year, and I think we both appreciate the efforts we’re doing on both sides.”
Gasly says the team has given him the flexibility to thrive by respecting his freedom, this he explained creates trust with the team. He added he was a type of driver who likes information to understand what’s going on and why they are doing things in certain ways, but also needs his freedom and space to perform at his best.
Ocon has revealed he received support from the “right people” in the aftermath of his controversial clash with Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix. The collision at Portier on the opening lap saw him retire and later lose his seat with Alpine at the end of the season a few days later before signing for Haas.
He was even threatened with suspension for the Canadian Grand Prix – a punishment that never saw the light of day, whilst social media abuse prompted a statement from Ocon hitting out at the reaction. Speaking to motorsport.com he revealed he was supported by Williams team principal James Vowles who oversaw his junior career, who called him in the aftermath.
He said, “You know, when there’s noise left to right, it’s always that there is something big that has happened. And it took for sure too much proportion, especially on social media, which is what Damon Hill said… He said, ‘I’m glad I didn’t drive in the social media days’.”
“That’s basically what he said. Back then, yes, you would have had a conversation with the press and then you come back to the next race, but that’s why I made the social media statement that I made – and it was important to raise my voice at the time that I did.”
I think he makes a good point we live now in a 24/7 news cycle and with social media we can all share our opinions, sometimes their can be toxic discussions and arguments, as well as all abusive towards drivers when accidents or ‘controversial’ accidents happen.
Williams
Williams is planning a three-pronged upgrade to help get its 2024 season back on track but has otherwise started focusing on 2025. This season the team has taken a step backwards after trying to build a good all-rounder to compete on all circuits.
while the 2023 car allowed Alex Albon to shine and take a decent haul of points on several circuits, 2024’s FW46 isn’t competitive anywhere, being overhauled in the midfield by the likes of RB and Haas. At the half way stage, it has slipped to ninth compared to seventh at the summer break, on just four points.
Team principal James Vowles has stuck to his long-term approach in turning Williams’ fortunes around, he explained Williams will target three areas of improvement with updates coming shortly after the summer break. These are focused on improving its aerodynamics and suspension design while also trimming further weight off the car, which has been the team’s Achilles heel in 2024.
Vowles said at Spa, “We have updates coming up this summer break – I hope in Zandvoort and I hope again in Baku or the race after Baku which is Singapore. What I can tell you is there are substantive numbers that should add up to us being back in a position of fighting for points.”
“It’s achieved through a number of things. It’s aerodynamic updates, you’re going see a suspension update, and you’re going see weight coming off the car. So it’s fundamentally three core routes wherever we’re doing this.” These may sound small but we have seen big steps from Mercedes in July because of upgrades in Barcelona, but these are likely to be the last of the season as Vowles said that they have been working on next year’s car “for quite a few months.”
He suggested that this could allow them to focus on the 2026 regulations sooner in a similar way to Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari.
Going further in an interview with Motorsport.com, Vowles says he was not concerned about the team being ninth in the constructors believing they need to go through some pain before fighting for wins. He says the reason why they have gone backwards is they are investing in transforming the team for 2026.
Vowles said, “I want ’26 to be good whereas the others around me in the pit lane are focused on ’24 and ’25. Not everyone can work on the ’26 car but so long as we are doing the right thing to close the gap, if the worst was to happen, I’m still okay with it. As long as I can see progress in the systems development for 2026 taking place, I know that I can translate that into a much higher success rate.”
Vowles’s vision has convinced Carlos Sainz to join the team next year ahead of the regulation change, but the team has decided to compromise the next eighteen months ahead of those regulation change. They are hoping that the regulations restricting spending continues to close up.
when asked about having assessed his first nineteen months in charge he said “I do too much. I don’t regret it but I do too much. So in a space of a year, I decided to change jobs. We’re renovating a 170-year-old house. We have a small daughter and have a puppy, so I think we have ticked every box that you can do. But I don’t have any regrets because I am someone who just loves learning, pushing myself until I can’t find anything. You think you have to limit and push past it.”
RB
Daniel Ricciardo says the team still needs to work hard to find solutions to the cars weaknesses despite upgrades at Spa. In July the Australian has rediscovered his form as of late, picking up three points finishes in the last six races after initially struggling to match team-mate Yuki Tsunoda.
That has led to his future being speculated about with reports he could be replaced by Liam Lawson who stood in for him when he broke his hand last year, to a possible return to Red Bull following Sergio Perez’s poor form. Though Red Bull confirmed at the start of the break their would be no mid-season change at either team.
He finished eleventh which became tenth a Spa, after George Russell was disqualified from the race for an underweight car. It was a reward for RB, which added updates to the car for the weekend as it aims to close the gap to the front of the midfield battle, continuing a four-race scoring streak between its two drivers.
However, Ricciardo suggested work still needs to be done with inherent issues still persisting. He said, “I still feel like our strengths are in a little bit more the lower speed stuff and our weaknesses are a bit more in the real quick stuff. I think real high speed we still got to work on a bit, but all the kind of tighter, twistier stuff we seem to be alright. So yeah, probably same characteristics, just now load is our friend so maybe I’ll put on some weight over the break, and that’ll help.”
I feel like we are finding the old Ricciardo again, but its taken time longer than we might of expected and we know he isn’t in a front running car to get points is very tough as the midfield is very tight and they don’t have the same resources as the sister team. But they can punch above what the car is capable off.
Haas
Kevin Magnussen is keeping his options for the future open amid his impending exit from Haas at the end of 2024, with the Dane admitting that other categories of motorsport could be of interest should he be unable to find a seat in F1. Last month it was announced he would be leaving Haas for the second time after having a year out in 2021.
Haas will have a new line up next year of Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon, while teammate Nico Hulkenberg moves to Sauber which becomes Adui in 2026. The only seats free are at Sauber, Mercedes, Alpine and RB, but Magnussen’s future is uncertain though he wants to stay in the sport.
when asked during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend if the likes of the World Endurance Championship and IndyCar would appeal should he not secure an opportunity in F1, Magnussen responded: “Yeah, all of the above. I think everything is on the table in that case. So, yeah, it’s hard to… I’ll see what’s available out there and make my mind when I get there. Right now, I’m in Formula 1 and there’s still a couple of seats open for next year that I’d like to see where all that ends up, and then look at things afterwards.”
Team Principal Ayao Komatsu spoke of the team’s “special relationship” with Magnussen in the statement announcing his departure, adding that he hoped to “find a way to keep working together in some capacity”.
Andretti
Liberty Media has announced the US Department of Justice is investigating why they rejected Andretti’s bid to reject their bid to enter the sport. At the quarterly earnings call CEO Greg Maffei says the DoJ’s Antitrust Division over the legality of F1 refusing entry to Michael Andretti’s team.
Partnering with General Motors brand Cadillac, Andretti has long been pushing for an F1 entry as an eleventh team, setting up a Silverstone base and going on a widespread recruiting spree, which includes former F1 man Pat Symonds.
While the FIA accepted Andretti Global’s bid on a technical level, F1 itself has kept the door shut on the American powerhouse because it didn’t feel Andretti could become competitive in the medium term, and therefore wouldn’t provide enough commercial value to the series.
Speaking to Wall Street on Thursday, Maffei says he was confident the sport hadn’t breached US regulations. He said, “Looking at Andretti, as you saw this morning, we announced that there is a DoJ investigation. We intend to fully cooperate with that investigation, including any related requests for information.”
“We believe our determination, F1’s determination, was in compliance with all applicable US antitrust laws, and we’ve detailed the rationale for our decision, vis-a-vis Andretti in prior statements.” Maffei reiterated that F1 and Liberty Media aren’t ruling out accepting an expansion team if it ticks all the boxes.
In May, the chairman of the United States House Judiciary Committee opened a probe into Liberty Media’s denial of Andretti’s F1 entry in an escalation of political interest. Republican Jim Jordan writing to F1’s owners demanding explanations for the decision-making process that has blocked Andretti’s hopes.
The Week Ahead
Next week is the middle week of the summer break so this tends to be the one where the teams are in the shutdown phase, but as we know there are always stories. You never know what is going to happen in this sport, like there were no rumours until we heard about Domenicali looking at Rwanda but that’s the beauty of covering this sport. The driver market will kick into overdrive in the week leading up to Zandvoort.
It feels like we are in the holding pattern and the aftermath of Carlos Sainz joining Williams, which will likely kick start the pieces falling into place in September/October. I think we are seven months into this its now all about second drivers with RB, Mercedes, Sauber and Alpine having seats to fill. Though we believe the Mercedes seat is going to Antonelli, but I feel until that’s confirmed the other pieces cannot fall into place.
The next two weeks continue the theme we have seen in recent weeks teams taking stock of where they are and what they need to do in the second half of the year which is kind of split into four races then five given we have a break in the middle. I think that’s the point where we can possibly start looking towards the permutations to as to how the championship plays out.
As this week proves stories never truly go away, we have had the Horner allegations resurface as well as questions about Andretti, I think I wrote back in February these could run and run. But it is hard to see how these are going to be resolved in the long term. This story while not as dominating keeps popping up as we have seen Andretti aren’t just going away and their appears to be no easy answers.