Mercedes tasted victory for the first time this Formula 1 season last week in Austria, as George Russell capitalized on a late-race incident between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, storming to the front to take the checkered flag at the Austrian Grand Prix. Can the Silver Arrows make it two in a row with a win at home in the British Grand Prix?
While that might be a tall order given what we have seen from McLaren and Red Bull so far — more on that in a moment — the team got off to an “encouraging” start in Friday’s two practice sessions at the historic Silverstone circuit.
Lewis Hamilton finished seventh in FP1, running a mix of the hard and the medium compound, and then improved to P6 in the second session while running a mix of all three compounds, including some runs on the softs. Russell was on a similar program, placing fifth in the first session on a mix runs using the hards and the mediums, and then finished tenth in the second session while using all three compounds.
“P1 was a strong session with the car feeling great. FP2 was a slightly more challenging hour, and we need to pick through why that was,” reported Russell in the team’s post-practice media report. “It was much windier, and I don’t think we got the [tires] in the right window, so that could explain a chunk of it. The conditions are likely to change across the weekend, with more rain possible too, so we will have to be adaptive.”
“The car felt generally good today. We’re still a little bit behind the ultimate pace at the front but today was encouraging. I don’t think the times are fully representative of where our speed was, but nevertheless, we know we’ve got work to do tonight,” said Hamilton. “We will therefore do what we can to try and find more performance and hopefully that can get us a little closer to those ahead.”
As far as the pecking order after the first day, Russell put McLaren and Red Bull a bit ahead of Mercedes, indicating that it might be a battle with the Ferraris on tap this weekend for the Silver Arrows.
“After today’s running, I’d say that the competitive picture looks similar to the past few races. McLaren and Max [Verstappen] look a step ahead and it’s close between ourselves and Ferrari,” added Russell. “We will work hard overnight to try and take a step forward and see where that leaves us tomorrow.”
As has been argued here and elsewhere, over the past three race weekends no team has been hotter than Mercedes. The Silver Arrows have scored 100 points over that stretch, more than McLaren, Ferrari, and yes, Red Bull.
Can they extend that streak at Silverstone? It might be too early to tell, but the week did get off to an encouraging start for the team.
A major story this Formula 1 season centers on how the chasing pack behind Red Bull has caught the 2023 Constructors’ Champions, setting up a vision of a title fight as the season enters its second half. Chief among that group? McLaren, as the darlings of last year’s second half have shown tremendous pace this year.
And if Friday is any indication at the British Grand Prix, that will continue this weekend.
Lando Norris topped the timing sheets in both FP1 and FP2, with teammate Oscar Piastri on his heels in both sessions as the Australian driver was third-fastest in FP1, and second-fastest in FP2. While practice results often tell a fraction of the full story, what should give McLaren comfort is that all teams — including Red Bull — used the softest compound available in FP2.
Both drivers, as well as Team Principal Andrea Stella, viewed Friday as a “solid” first day.
“It’s been a solid day. We’ve done a good amount of running and some nice laps, so I feel reasonably comfortable. We’ve made some changes over the morning which helped me get into a good rhythm, which is super important around such a high-speed track like this,” said Norris in the team’s post-practice report.
“I think we’ve got a few more to tweaks to make, but it’s difficult with the challenges of wind and rain. It’s been a clean two sessions, and that’s a good start to the weekend, so I’m happy with that.”
Piastri, who capitalized on the late-race incident between Norris and Max Verstappen to score a podium finish in the Austrian Grand Prix, hailed the results on Friday while cautioning that weather could throw teams a curveball the rest of the weekend.
“That’s Friday done. It’s been a decent day for the team, especially in FP2. We’ve got a few things to sort out overnight to make it a bit better on my side, but I think it’s been a solid first day at Silverstone,” said Piastri.
“Going into tomorrow, I think we’re in a reasonable position, however we’re probably going to get very wet which can change things. I’m looking forward to getting back on track.”
The McLaren boss took a similar approach.
“Today at Silverstone we had two productive sessions. There was an ever-present risk of rain, but it only materialised towards the end of the second session, which gave us enough time to go through our run plan and set-up work,” said Stella. “In general, we got encouraging information – but conditions were very particular today, so we’re not looking too much at the lap times themselves. We’re now just focusing on tomorrow, when we need to be ready for whatever the weather brings.”
Diving into some of the telemetry data, courtesy of F1-Tempohighlights Norris’ strength on Friday when compared with Verstappen. Here is a look at both driver’s fastest lap in FP2, with both drivers on the softest compound:
Whether this is a matter of setup or engine mode, of course, remains to be seen.
But certainly, this was a strong first day for McLaren at the British Grand Prix.
Haas made Formula 1 news earlier this week, announcing on Thursday ahead of the British Grand Prix that young Oliver Bearman would be one of their two drivers for the 2025 F1 season.
That move made many wonder if Haas would aim to sign a more experienced driver for the spot alongside Bearman. Team Principal Ayao Komatsu admitted during Friday’s FIA Press Conference that this is the plan.
“Yeah, of course, especially for a team like us, we cannot have two rookies,” said Komatsu on Friday when asked if the Bearman promotion would influence Haas’ decision regarding their second seat. “So now that we’ve taken Ollie as a rookie, we will try to appoint somebody who’s got decent F1 experience.”
Addressing the decision to promote Bearman to a full-time F1 seat, Komatsu called the young driver a “perfect match” for Haas.
We are still pretty much a growing team. We are a relatively new team. And then we are restarting, let’s say, and improving our performance. And Ollie, obviously, is a very talented young driver with a very strong head on his shoulders,” said Komatsu. “And he’s very calm, but mature, got the speed, and very much a team player. So the things how we want to progress as a team, that’s what I mean by a very perfect match.”
The Haas team boss praised Bearman’s approach during the limited practice action he has seen at Haas as part of his reserve duties with the team, including his FP1 debut a year ago.
“[T]hat’s what was impressive before when we first put him in the car in Mexico, you know, very first time in a Formula 1 car, FP1 session. Of course, he was excited,” described Komatsu. “But then again, he understood the objective of the team what this session means to the team, what we need to achieve. And then, of course, he’s trying to drive as fast as possible. But within that bigger picture, he understands always the context very, very well.
“So that’s what was impressive before. And then, of course, you know, it’s not something he needed to change today. Of course, he was, I’m sure, very happy to drive in front of his home crowd after the announcement. So he was enjoying it. But fundamentally, the approach was exactly the same.”
Bearman made a stunning F1 debut earlier this season, finishing seventh in place of an ailing Carlos Sainz Jr. at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The young driver had only one hour of practice time ahead of qualifying at Jeddah Corniche Circuit and impressed the entire paddock by advancing to Q2 and qualifying 11th.
In the main event, Bearman held off Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton down the stretch, despite the veteran drivers pursuing him with fresher tires. It was a performance that turned heads throughout the sport and paved the way to a full-time seat.
While we still await news on who his teammate might be, we now know a bit more about the future at Haas, and how a veteran will be beside the rookie next season.
Will it be Kevin Magnussen returning to Haas? Or one of the other drivers looking for a seat, such as Esteban Ocon — who has been linked with Haas in recent weeks — or another driver such as Valtteri Bottas?
Thursday’s media day at the Formula 1 British Grand Prix kicked off with some news regarding a young British driver. Haas announced in the morning that Oliver Bearman, the Ferrari Academy driver who is currently splitting reserve duties between Haas and Ferrari, would be taking one of the team’s two seats on the F1 grid next year.
Bearman’s promotion was a topic of discussion during Thursday’s FIA Press Conference, with three of his countrymen joining the praise for the young driver. Among those included both Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, who Bearman fended off in the closing stages of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to finish seventh in his stunning debut in replace of an ailing Carlos Sainz Jr.
“Yeah, [he] did a phenomenal job earlier on this year. Yeah, bright young talent, and I think it’s great that the UK is pumping out a lot of great young talented drivers,” said Hamilton. “I would say Silverstone and the [British Racing Driving Club] have been a part of that, I would say, because they do invest in young and up-and-coming, a lot of the sport’s young and up-and-coming drivers. I think, yeah, I think it’s amazing for the sport. Takes the pressure off of all of us. At least hopefully one of the Brits would be up there.”
“I think he deserves it,” said Norris. “I think he showed in Saudi how good of a job he can do, even under the pressure that he was in to perform and get so much out of the car in his first weekend. So I’m excited to see him on the grid next year and look forward to racing.”
George Russell, the winner of the Austrian Grand Prix, joined in on the praise for the young British driver.
Y”eah, clearly Ollie’s a great driver and it’s great to see four Brits on the grid and I think it just goes to show the strength of British motorsport. I think when we raced in Karting, the competition was so high and I think that translates into next year, 20% of the grid being Brits. Obviously, Alex [Albon], half British as well, so it’s great to see him there and I’m sure he’ll do a great job.”
Bearman is scheduled to take part in FP1 this week as part of his reserve duties for Haas, before taking over next year on a full-time basis. He currently sits 14th in the F2 Drivers’ Championship standings and secured his first win of the season in the F2 Sprint Race at the Austrian Grand Prix.
And if he needs some advice, he has a seven-time F1 champion winner he can turn to.
“No, no, I’ve not been asked to and it’s not even been a thought,” said Hamilton if he was asked to take Bearman under his wing. “I don’t think he needs to. I think he’s a sharp enough lad. And I think, I mean, naturally, as one of the older drivers here, my door’s always open if anyone ever has a question or any advice that’s needed.”
It seems that cooler heads have prevailed in the wake of the collision between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix.
The collision ended any chance at either driver capturing the victory at Red Bull Ring, and with emotions running high in the media pen after the race, there were concerns that the incident could drive a wedge between the friendly rivals. But now both drivers have had their say at the British Grand Prix, and it truly appears that Norris and Verstappen have turned the page.
Norris gave his views during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday, and speaking with Sky Sports F1 Verstappen shared his thoughts, leading with how quickly he reached out to Norris and how “upset” he was by the entire incident.
“That’s why I already said after the race, there’s no point to discuss it now. Emotions are running high and stuff like that,” began the Red Bull driver.
“I woke up already quite early because I wanted to talk to Lando but he already texted me, in the morning on Monday. I think the day after your emotions are a bit lower. I respected that a lot. And we are great friends. He’s a very nice guy, honestly. And of course I was also really upset and disappointed that we got together because naturally, of course on the track you race each other hard, but as a friend as well, you’re very disappointed that happened.
“But I think also quite quickly, when we were talking, we had the same opinion of we have to race each other hard because that’s what we like to do and that’s what we’ve always done. Not only in F1, even when we used to race together online and stuff like that, that’s what we really enjoyed about each other – battling hard, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”
As Norris noted during the FIA Press Conference, Verstappen enjoyed the battle, despite the climactic conclusion that knocked both drivers out of contention at Red Bull Ring. Verstappen even noted how the two have battled both on-track, and in the virtual racing world.
“For me the only thing I cared about is maintaining my relationship with Lando because we are great friends. After the race I said we have to just things cool down because emotions run high. We immediately spoke on Monday and I think we came to the conclusion that we actually really enjoyed our battle,” said Verstappen.
“We both looked at the incident and it was such a silly little touch that had great consequences for both of us, and naturally a little bit more for Lando with how the puncture then evolved,” continued the Red Bull driver. ”We like to race hard. We have done this for many years, not only in Formula 1 even online racing where we had a lot of fun together. These things have to carry on because that’s what we like to do and that’s what we like to do as well.”
Verstappen indicated that he told Norris that the McLaren driver can “trust” Verstappen not to aim to “crash him out” the next time they tangle on the track.
“We agreed with 99 per cent of everything, which I think is quite a lot already. Naturally, I always said to Lando ‘when you go for moves on the outside or inside, you can trust me that I’m not there to crash you out of the way’. Same the other way around, because we spoke about that as well,” said Verstappen.
“Naturally, there’s always a human reaction when someone dives on the inside or outside that you have a reaction to it. But I felt everything I did was nothing massively over the top. Like how you design a car, you try to go to the edge of the rules, maybe find some grey areas here and there. That’s the same with how you race, otherwise you will never be a top driver or succeed in life.”
When Verstappen was asked about the reaction he might receive at Silverstone — a home race for the McLaren driver that is likely to have a very pro-Norris crowd — Verstappen conceded that one thing matters above all, and it is not the reception he will receive this week.
“The only thing that I care about in my life is that I’m getting on well with Lando,” said Verstappen.
While the speculation coming into the week centered on the incident, and how the two parties would move forward, it seems Norris and Verstappen have put this issue to bed.
Now we all wait to see their next battle on the track.
Heading into the British Grand Prix, the main topic on everyone’s mind in Formula 1 remained the previous race, last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. In particular, the moment where it seemed that everything changed, when Lando Norris and Max Verstappen collided on Lap 64, ending each driver’s chances at bringing home a victory.
Much was said and written — as well as debated — regarding that incident. Beyond the usual queries regarding fault and how the incident was handled by race stewards, many wondered if it would impact the relationship between the two drivers, who are friends away from the track.
At Thursday’s FIA Press Conference ahead of the British Grand Prix Norris addressed the incident, walking back some of his harsher comments in the post-race television pen as well as indicating that the drivers have spoken since the collision and that they are “happy” to just to racing again.
“Honestly, I don’t think he needed to apologize,” said Norris Thursday. “Some of the things I said in the pen after the race were more just because I was frustrated at the time, a lot of adrenaline, a lot of emotions and I probably said some things I didn’t necessarily believe in, especially later on in the week.
“It was tough. It was a pretty pathetic incident in terms of what ended both our races. It wasn’t like a hit, it wasn’t like an obvious bit of contact. It was probably one of the smallest bits of contact you could have, but with a pretty terrible consequence for both of us, especially for myself.”
Pressed on whether Verstappen needed to apologize for the incident Norris conceded that there was no need for an apology and that the two have spoken since the Austrian Grand Prix.
“He doesn’t need to. I don’t expect an apology from him. I don’t think he should apologise,” said Norris. “I thought it was, as reviewed, good racing, at times maybe very close to the edge, but like I said we’ve spoken about it and we’re both happy to go racing again.”
Norris also admitted that there are things he needs to do “slightly” differently in the future, but that he would not be changing his racing style dramatically in future battles with Verstappen.
Nor does he expect anything different from his Red Bull rival.
“I think yes, there are definitely things I need to do slightly differently but in the end of it, I don’t think he’s going to change too much, I don’t think I need to change too much,” said Norris. “Could we have avoided the crash? Definitely, because I easily could have used more kerb. But there’s things from both sides that I’m sure we wanted to do better or in a slightly different way.”
Bringing his comments to a close Norris outlined that more than anything else, he is excited to renew his fight with Verstappen on-track.
“It’s clear how he races. It’s tough, it’s on the limit. It’s what we love, it’s what I love,” Norris said. “I thoroughly enjoyed the whole fight I had with him. Of course it was a shame things ended the way they did. But apart from that, things are clear from what you see on TV and I’m excited to go racing again this weekend.”
One of the burning questions following the Austrian Grand Prix was whether Max Verstappen and/or Lando Norris would change their racing style following a dramatic late-race collision that ended both drivers’ chances of securing a victory.
According to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, Verstappen will not be changing a thing.
Speaking with Sky Sportsahead of the British Grand Prix the Red Bull boss backed his driver’s approach while noting that future incidents between Norris and Verstappen should be expected given how both drivers are performing at the moment.
“Certainly, from Max’s side, he’s not going to change,” said Horner.
“There’s an element, I think, of Lando learning how to race Max and they’re discovering that. Inevitably, there is going to be more close racing between the two of them as the cars look so close over the forthcoming races.
“Max is a hard racer – he’s probably one of the hardest racers on the circuit and everybody knows that if you’re going to race against Max, he’s going to give as good as he gets.”
Horner also addressed comments made by McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella immediately after the race. Speaking with Sky Sports F1 analyst Ted Kravitz, Stella outlined how the reluctance of race stewards to intervene in the past — such as during the 2021 season when Verstappen was battling with Lewis Hamilton — led to moments like the incident in Austria.
As you might expect, Horner had a different view.
“He raced incredibly hard in 2021, he’s a tough racer, and he hasn’t really been racing anyone for two years because he’s been out front so much,” Horner said.
“The conflict between the two of them has been building over two, three, four races where they’ve been racing each other closely and hard, and at some point that was always going to spill over – and it did at Turn 3,” began Horner. “He was punished in 2021 if he did something wrong just as Lewis, who he was racing so hard that year, was for things he did wrong.
“I think it’s wrong and unfair to label a driver like that and I’m sure in the heat of the moment it was frustrating for Andrea, but that’s just tough racing. He worked with Michael Schumacher [at Ferrari] for so many years – he of all people should know that.”
During his discussion with Sky Sports, Horner also addressed another burning question following the Austrian Grand Prix: Have Norris and Verstappen discussed the incident?
According to the Red Bull boss, that chat has already happened.
“I understand they’ve spoken already, I don’t think there is any issue,” added Horner.
How the two drivers handle similar battles going forward will be a major storyline throughout the rest of the 2024 campaign. But one thing is clear:
The FIA Press Conference schedules for this weekend’s British Grand Prix — which have yet to be announced — could be fascinating.
This weekend’s Formula 1 British Grand Prix is a home race for many teams, given that several factories are located near the historic Silverstone circuit. Williams is among those teams, as their Grove factory is just 41 miles down the A43 from Silverstone.
As such, Williams is going all out for this week’s race.
Among several activations the team has planned for the week is a London Fan Zone, right in the heart of Piccadilly Circus. But the most stunning plan the team has for the week is their theme livery for the British Grand Prix itself, a one-off “Union Jack” design that features not only the iconic flag of the United Kingdom but also the names of “all 1,005 team members” on the car itself:
According to the team’s official announcement, the FW46 will be “ … transformed to fly the flag in thanks and appreciation to everyone at the team’s Grove HQ, New York and London bases and at races who are working tirelessly on our mission to return the team to the front of the grid.”
“Silverstone is always one of the highlights of the year and I’m delighted we are thanking our staff as the centrepiece of our home race celebrations. Williams is transforming from top to bottom so we can fight our way back to the front, and our people and culture will be key to that success,” said Team Principal James Vowles. “It takes extraordinary effort from every individual at the factory and at track to race in Formula 1, and I’m especially proud of the resilience whilst under pressure we have demonstrated so far this year.”
Driver Logan Sargeant praised the design as the “perfect” tribute.
“I’ve always loved racing at Silverstone. The track has everything a driver wants with its quick and flowing nature,” said Sargeant. “I have fond memories of this place throughout my career, and it’s always been one that I’ve performed well at. Racing with the names of every single team member on the car is the perfect way to mark everyone’s hard work and a home race for Williams.”
One of the most climactic moments in recent Formula 1 memory took place just a few short days ago when an on-track battle between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen — that has been brewing for weeks — finally boiled over. A collision between the two on Lap 64 of the Austrian Grand Prix kicked off hours of debate over who was at fault, and speculation about what lies ahead.
However, the time for talking draws to a close quickly this week, as the British Grand Prix at the historic Silverstone Circuit is set to get underway, the final race of an F1 tripleheader that has taken the grid from Barcelona to Austria and now Silverstone … while changing the complexion of the F1 season.
Here are the tk burning questions ahead of the British Grand Prix.
Where do Max and Lando go from here?
This question is critical not just for the British Grand Prix, but for the rest of the 2024 F1 season, if not beyond.
Where do Lando Norris and Max Verstappen go from here?
Is their on-track battle which has been simmering for weeks — and the subsequent Lap 64 collision — the moment that changes everything on the grid? Or will a few days of respite and some internal discussions, perhaps even a pint or two, see both parties move on from the incident and turn the page? And what happens if, as expected, these two lock horns in Silverstone or beyond? Will either driver approach things differently in the wake of Austria?
Over on social media at least, there is hope that in the days and weeks ahead the two teams and drivers emphasize hard but fair racing, as the “Norris versus Verstappen” battle that is shaping up looks to be the most intriguing title fight since 2021. But, as we will note in a minute, that season was not without its share of controversial moments, beyond the final laps of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Then there is the potential for what things look like at Media Day Thursday. The bevy of post-race questions and answers in Austria seemed primed to build the incident into something even bigger, but will the assembled media look to move beyond the incident itself and to the future, or will the incident and what it means on a personal level be the focus?
Then there is the fact that the grid leaves Austria and Red Bull Ring behind to make the trip across the English Channel to Silverstone and the British Grand Prix, a home race for Norris. Will what is sure to be a charged environment factor into the equation?
Where Norris and Verstappen go from here is the burning question in the sport right now, and starting in just a few hours we will get our first glimpse at how that question is answered.
How will race officials handle things going forward?
Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images
One of the more fascinating viewpoints on the Norris-Verstappen clash came from McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella. As you might expect, the McLaren boss backed his driver to the fullest.
But he also had some criticism for how race officials have handled similar battles in the past.
Speaking with Ted Kravitz of Sky Sports F1 immediately after the Austrian Grand Prix, Stella pointed to how race stewards often took a hands-off approach in the past. “I see that the entire population in the world would know who is responsible except for a group of people,” began the McLaren boss to Kravitz.
“But the problem behind it is that if you don’t address these things honestly, they will come back. They have come back today because they were not addressed properly in the past when there were some fights with Lewis [Hamilton] that needed to be punished in a harsher way. You learn now to race in a certain way, which we can consider fair and square.”
Kravitz immediately pointed to the 2021 São Paulo Grand Prix which saw a similar duel between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, and an incident where it appeared to many watching that Verstappen had forced Hamilton off the track. But race officials took no further action.
You can see that incident here and make your own determination.
Returning to Stella, the McLaren boss indicated that Brazil 2021 was just one of “many” such incidents.
“Yes, there is many episodes,” continued the McLaren boss. “The fact is that we have so much respect for Red Bull, so much respect for Max – they don’t need to do this. It’s a way to almost compromise your reputation. Why would you do that?”
Stella then concluded his thoughts with Kravitz.
“I think the stewards found that Max was fully to blame in this episode. So it’s not about racing in a drivers’ way, it’s about racing within the regulations,” said Stella. “And the regulations must be enforced in a way that is effective, because when a car is out of the race as a consequence of this accident, the punishment needs to be proportionate to the outcome.
“And we had twice before that episode moving under braking. So I think it’s just evident we have to enforce the way to go racing because we want to have fun, we want to enjoy.”
So that leads us to the race stewards now, and how they will handle matters going forward. They may point to the penalty handed down to Verstappen in Austria — the ten-second penalty along with two points on his Super License finding him “predominantly at fault” for the collision — as a sign that they are intervening to ward off any further incidents on the track. Perhaps they are right. But you best believe that if the #1 and the #4 come close this weekend, a lot of eyes will be watching.
Not just the two drivers, but the race stewards as well.
Can Meredes keep their hot streak going?
As we have noted over the past few days the hottest team in F1 over the past three race weekends?
Mercedes.
Upgrades the team started rolling out at the Miami Grand Prix began bearing fruit in Imola and Monaco but turned into something of a bumper crop since then. Over the past three race weekends, the Silver Arrows have banked 100 points, more than any other team on the grid, including both Red Bull and McLaren.
And as we will see in a moment, much more than Ferrari.
Can Mercedes keep this streak going at Silverstone?
Word out of the team was optimistic on that front in the hours after George Russell’s win in Austria. In the team’s post-race report on Sunday Lewis Hamilton noted that Silverstone might suit the current configuration of the W15. “We now look ahead to Silverstone,” said Hamilton. “It is always such a special weekend, and I can’t wait to see all the fans there. It is a track that should hopefully suit us a little better than here in Austria so let’s see what we can do.”
Along similar lines, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff outlined that the success in Austria on a track that has not always been fertile ground for the team illustrates just how far they have come. “We now look forward to Silverstone next week. We are encouraged by our overall performance this weekend at a track that has not normally been a [favorite] for our cars,” said Wolff. “Our aim over the next few races is to continue to show progress and aim to get closer to the front.”
Can they keep it rolling this week?
Will we finally learn where Carlos Sainz Jr. is headed?
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
The clash between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen knocked what was the top-line question on the mind of everyone associated with F1:
Where is Carlos Sainz Jr. headed for next season?
Sainz remains the big fish in the driver transfer market, and while all signs pointed to the Spanish driver signing on the dotted line with Williams for next year, Alpine has emerged in recent weeks as a serious contender for his services.
Sainz outlined ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix that a decision was coming “soon,” but seemed to take a different approach in the moments after his podium finish in Austria. When asked about his contract situation after finishing third in the Austrian Grand Prix Sainz indicated he was not going to be pressured into deciding before he was ready.
“As I said before, for sure that pressure, I’m not going to receive it on a Sunday afternoon after a podium we are keen to enjoy. As I said before, I think it’s sometimes, like George was saying, we take it for granted when we’re on one of these podiums, celebrating, wearing a Ferrari suit, and I was thinking, try to enjoy this moment because who knows when it’s going to be the next time in the future,” said Sainz at the post-race FIA Press Conference Sunday. “So as much as maybe there are some teams that are nervous or pressuring me, it’s time for me also to enjoy this moment of being on a podium.
“And I’m going to be honest and straightforward with the teams, but it’s such an important decision for me also that I’m going to take all the time that I need to take it. And if there’s teams that cannot wait or are a bit impatient, I cannot do anything about it. It’s going to be my future, my decision, and I’m going to try and be as honest as possible with everyone and give myself the time that I need.”
If — hypothetically — Sainz were to sign with Williams, announcing it ahead of the British Grand Prix might be something the Grove-based outfit would be keen to do. Will that be what happens this week, or will this decision linger past the British Grand Prix, and perhaps into the summer shutdown and beyond?
If so, will that open the driver market floodgates?
If Sainz does announce his 2025 destination this week, will that open the 2025 driver floodgates?
Multiple drivers in recent weeks have pointed to Sainz as, to use the phrasing utilized by Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, the “cork in the bottle.” Speaking ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix during the FIA Press Conference Magnussen raised that notion when asked about his F1 future.
“He is,” said Magnussen while gesturing to Sainz when asked about why a decision was taking so long. “Carlos is the cork in the bottle. I think a lot of guys are waiting for him to make a move and then eventually all the other pieces of the puzzle will fall. That’s the truth of that.”
Magnussen found support in Zhou Guanyu a week later. During the Thursday driver press conference, the Kick Sauber driver had this to say when asked about his 2025 plans. “Like, it’s very easy to say: we’re all waiting for what Carlos wants to decide at the end of the day. But hopefully he can make his decision sooner,” said Zhou. “And then I think that will just turn around a lot the driver market.”
Looking at the options in front of teams and drivers alike, you can see how Sainz is that proverbial “cork in the bottle.” Assuming for the sake of this hypothetical Sainz decides to sign with Williams, which takes away one more seat for the drivers looking for a ride. That might see Alpine move towards either Jack Doohan or Mick Schumacher as an option, then Valtteri Bottas contemplating a return to Kick Sauber, and then perhaps Esteban Ocon taking one of the spots at Haas.
However, should Sainz shock the paddock and sign with Alpine, then the Williams seat could be the landing spot for Bottas, opening up Zhou for a return to Kick Sauber, and then on down the line.
So if Sainz does declare his 2025 intentions, it could certainly set several moves into motion.
If Sainz does announce his 2025 destination this week, will that open the 2025 driver floodgates?
Multiple drivers in recent weeks have pointed to Sainz as, to use the phrasing utilized by Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, the “cork in the bottle.” Speaking ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix during the FIA Press Conference Magnussen raised that notion when asked about his F1 future.
“He is,” said Magnussen while gesturing to Sainz when asked about why a decision was taking so long. “Carlos is the cork in the bottle. I think a lot of guys are waiting for him to make a move and then eventually all the other pieces of the puzzle will fall. That’s the truth of that.”
Magnussen found support in Zhou Guanyu a week later. During the Thursday driver press conference, the Kick Sauber driver had this to say when asked about his 2025 plans. “Like, it’s very easy to say: we’re all waiting for what Carlos wants to decide at the end of the day. But hopefully he can make his decision sooner,” said Zhou. “And then I think that will just turn around a lot the driver market.”
Looking at the options in front of teams and drivers alike, you can see how Sainz is that proverbial “cork in the bottle.” Assuming for the sake of this hypothetical Sainz decides to sign with Williams, which takes away one more seat for the drivers looking for a ride. That might see Alpine move towards either Jack Doohan or Mick Schumacher as an option, then Valtteri Bottas contemplating a return to Kick Sauber, and then perhaps Esteban Ocon taking one of the spots at Haas.
However, should Sainz shock the paddock and sign with Alpine, then the Williams seat could be the landing spot for Bottas, opening up Zhou for a return to Kick Sauber, and then on down the line.
So if Sainz does declare his 2025 intentions, it could certainly set several moves into motion.
Can Ferrari stop the bleeding?
Forget Sainz’s future team, what about his present one?
As noted above Mercedes has been the hottest team in F1 over the past three race weekends. But looking at the top four teams in the Constructors’ Championship standings, the team that has been the coldest?
Ferrari.
While Mercedes leads the way with 100 points over that period, followed by 84 for McLaren and 79 for Red Bull, Ferrari has just 39 points during this recent stretch. Following Charles Leclerc’s triumphant drive at the Monaco Grand Prix (and a podium finish for Sainz in that race), Ferrari has struggled.
Ferrari endured a difficult week in Montreal, as they endured a points-less result in the Canadian Grand Prix. Barcelona was a step better, as Leclerc delivered a P5 and Sainz a P6, but Austria saw another step back for Leclerc, as he finished seventh in the F1 Sprint Race, and out of the points in the main event.
Sainz salvaged something bigger for the team with his podium finish in the Austrian Grand Prix, but the Scuderia have seen their rivals either pull closer to them in the standings (looking at McLaren and Mercedes) or pull further away from them in Red Bull’s case.
Can they turn things around at Silverstone?
“I think, if anything, it just proves that the last two weekends haven’t been easy,” said Sainz on Sunday when asked about the team’s recent struggles. “We’ve been always the first Ferrari finishing behind the first Mercedes. Even if you count Canada, you could argue those three weekends in a row. So I think Red Bull and McLaren were in a league of their own this weekend. Then there was a step. There was George and me battling for that P3, P4. And yeah, that was not the situation at the beginning of the year.
“So it shows that we need to work hard. We need to understand what’s happened the last couple of races. And once we understand it, hopefully already for Silverstone, we can bring a step and improve our performance.”
Regarding Silverstone, Sainz indicated that the team was working hard back in Maranello to try and deliver the upgrades needed to boost performance, particularly in the higher-speed corners.
“Well, I see the factory pushing flat out, you know, to understand the troubles that we’ve hit in the last couple of weekends and trying to bring already for Silverstone a package that allows us to perform a bit better in the high-speed corners because it’s clearly been our weakness,” said Sainz. “Yesterday, Max was so much quicker through there, but not only Max, also Mercedes and McLaren were a clear step ahead of us in those type of corners. And we know Silverstone is the king of the high speed, so we need to do a step. Obviously, we want to be competitive there. And we are going to fight everything we can and try to find everything we can, sorry, to make ourselves more competitive there.”
With the quick turnaround, Ferrari is under tremendous pressure to deliver this weekend and stem the tide.
Which young driver shines in practice?
Photo by James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images
Two teams have already announced that young drivers will be handling driving duties in at least one practice session at Silverstone. Williams announced that Franco Colapinto would be stepping in for Logan Sargeant during FP1, while Oliver Bearman will be getting in the cockpit of the VF-24 for the third of his six scheduled practice sessions for Haas this season. Bearman’s most recent FP1 session for Haas came at the Spanish Grand Prix when he finished 19th out of 20 drivers in the opening segment of practice.
For Colapinto, this is just his second time in the cockpit of an F1 car, and his first F1 session. His debut in an F1 car came at post-season testing in Abu Dhabi last winter.
“I have so many emotions. I am extremely delighted and it’s a very important moment in my life and my career. I will be the most prepared I can; I will be doing a lot of laps in the simulator and studying the details needed to drive this year’s car. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the new car after driving last year’s in Abu Dhabi,” said Colapinto in the team’s announcement. “To be able to drive it at a track like Silverstone is a privilege, it is one of my favourite tracks and to drive it at the team’s home race means a lot. To all the Argentine fans – I hope you enjoy FP1 as much as I’m going to! It’s an important moment for our country and I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve been given. I’m going to give my all to make you proud!”
For Bearman, however, this is his third stint in a practice session for Haas this season, and it comes not only in a season where he made his F1 debut — and scored his first points — replacing an ailing Carlos Sainz Jr. in Saudi Arabia, but also as many expect he will be in a seat at Haas full-time next year.
And Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu admitted earlier this year that Bearman was “under consideration” for a seat. “Of course we are evaluating him,” said Komatsu. “If he is not [under] consideration, we wouldn’t be running him in FP1.”
How will these two young drivers take to the track this weekend, and will Bearman inch closer to a full-time spot in the grid?
As the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix drew to a close, the fight was on.
A slow pit stop from Red Bull and Max Verstappen opened the door, and Lando Norris barged through the crack. When the two drivers came down pit lane for their final pit stops Verstappen enjoyed a lead of around seven seconds over his friend and rival, but problems on the left rear tire of Verstappen’s RB20 saw the stop last 6.5 seconds, an eternity in F1 terms.
McLaren answered with a stop of just 2.9 seconds, and as the two race leaders lumbered off of pit lane and back onto the track, Norris was within striking distance of Verstappen.
For over ten laps the two pushed themselves, and each other, to the limits. Norris briefly seized the lead for a moment, but with his overtake coming off the track he quickly surrendered the position back to Verstappen. As the two drivers were fighting on the track, they were taking their battle to the stewards via their teams, with both drivers griping about the conduct from their rival over the radio.
Finally, that simmering pot boiled over.
Norris got a run on Verstappen at the start of Lap 64 and seemed to have the edge heading into Turn 3, but as both drivers made the turn Verstappen looked to fend him off, and the two cars came together:
The result? A puncture for both drivers, and an opportunity for George Russell. The Mercedes driver seized the moment, taking the checkered flag for the second victory of his career, and was celebrating on the podium as both Norris and Verstappen licked their wounds.
Verstappen tumbled down to a fifth-place finish — a result that he maintained despite race stewards handing down a ten-second penalty for ruling that he caused the contact between the two — but Norris saw his race end, a bitter result given what seemed possible just moments prior.
Speaking after the race both drivers addressed the incident.
“I’m disappointed, nothing more than that, honestly,” Norris told Sky Sports F1. “It was a good race. I looked forward to probably I’d say just a fair battle, a strong fair battle. But I wouldn’t say that’s what it was in the end.
“Tough one to take. It was a mistake-free race from my side, and I feel like I did a good job but I got taken out of the race, so nothing more than that,” added Norris. “But it’s still a tough one to take when we’re fighting for the win and I’m trying to be fair from my side and he just wasn’t. That’s not what I’m thinking about. I don’t care about that now. I’m just gutted for the team.”
The McLaren driver also indicated that he expected stewards to intervene in the moments before the climactic collision.
“Yeah. I mean there’s a rule. You’re not allowed to react to the other driver and that’s what he did three times out of three. Two times I managed to avoid it and not lock up and run into him, and the third time he just ran into me,” continued Norris. “I was just trying to drive my race. He was clearly a lot slower at the end. He ruined his own race just as much as he ruined mine. There’s nothing more I can do. I did my best and it was good enough. Got ruined through not my own fault.”
On the other side of the clash the Red Bull driver offered his view of the incident.
“Of course from the outside it’s hard to see when I brake. I know in the past it was a bit of a complaint,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.
“Now I always move my wheel before I brake then you brake in a straight line trajectory. It’s always easy to say on the outside that I’m moving under the braking, but I think the guy in the car knows best what he’s doing,” continued Verstappen. “Everyone can have their own opinion but I’m the one driving. I’m in control. Of course, from the outside it’s easy to judge and comment but whatever, it’s what happens.”
Pressed on the incident, Verstappen indicated that he would speak with Norris to discuss the matter. “I need to look back at how or why we touched,” he said. “Of course, we will talk about it. It’s just unfortunate it happened.
“I felt like sometimes he dive-bombed so late on the brakes. One time he went straight. One time I had to go around otherwise we would have touched,” continued Verstappen. “I think it’s also the shape of the corner provides these kind of issues sometimes. I’ve had it also the other way around. It is what it is. It’s never nice to come together.”
The convergence at the front of the F1 grid these past few weeks has foreshadowed a moment like this between the two friends, who have now become rivals at the sharp end of the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings. And in many ways the struggle from Red Bull in the pits that opened the door to this climactic ending in Austria was foreshadowed in Miami by none other than Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur.
Speaking to the media, including SB Nation, in the Ferrari hospitality space in the hours after Lando Norris’ maiden F1 victory Vasseur noted how the increased pressure teams like Ferrari and McLaren were putting on Red Bull could lead to mistakes from the usually mistake-free operation.
“What is true is that compared to one year ago when we are able to do a good job and to put everything together, we are there, it means that we are putting [Red Bull] a little bit under pressure. They have to take to be a bit more aggressive with the strategy,” started Vasseur that Sunday night.
“They are not anymore in the comfort zone of last year when last year that doesn’t matter what’s happened after lap two, they were in front and it’s, I think it’s a game changer in the management of the race,” added Vasseur. “And this, it’s an opportunity for us because that if we are doing another small step, I think that we will be really in a position to fight with them every single weekend.”
Sunday’s slow pit stop from Red Bull, and the ensuing fight between Verstappen and Norris, is exactly what Vasseur was envisioning.
The incident between Norris and Verstappen will certainly be debated in the hours and days to come, but there is no rest for the weary as the grid heads to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix next weekend, the final race of a tripleheader. But what will be critical to watch over those coming hours and days will be how these two drivers respond going forward.
Will Sunday’s incident be just a flashpoint, or yet more foreshadowing of how the rest of the 2024 F1 season will unfold?
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