2024 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

F1 2024 Bahrain GP Review – Red Bull is "In a Different Galaxy".
Max Verstappen starts F1's 2024 season the way he ended 2023 - with a straightforward light to flag victory.
23:39 Sat, 02 Mar 2024.
Motorsport.com

At the 20th edition of the Bahrain Grand Prix, it was also a Red Bull 1-2 as Sergio Perez battled his way up to 2nd place in an enthralling fight with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Mercedes' George Russell. Bryn Lucas is joined by Jon Noble and Matt Kew to break down the Bahrain Grand Prix and what they've learnt after the first round of the year.

‘Toto Wolff: "In a Different Galaxy" ’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/video/...galaxy/647638/


Max Verstappen Continues Doing Max Verstappen Things At F1 Bahrain GP
Another F1 season kicked off Saturday, and Max Verstappen showed no signs of slowing down with a weekend sweep in Bahrain.
MAR 2, 2024
BY PHILLIP HORTON PUBLISHED
AutoWeek

Victorious Verstappen, Again: Grab the script from F1 2023, and CTRL+C, CTRL+V it. This was relentless brutality from Verstappen as any feint hopes rivals may have harboured about a closer title fight were well and truly extinguished before the season opener had even reached its halfway mark. At times Verstappen lapped 0.8-1.0 seconds faster than the chasing pack, guiding the RB20 around the floodlit Sakhir Circuit with ease, as he opened the year with a Grand Chelem: pole position, fastest lap, all 57 laps led, and the race victory.

Teammate Sergio Perez rose from fifth to second to complete a Red Bull 1-2, giving the team a perfect start, but boss Christian Horner was quick to be caution. “I’ve been in this business too long to draw too many conclusions from a single race,” he said. “It’s a fantastic start, we’ll enjoy this moment, maximum points score. But it’s a long season, many different venues, different challenges, different conditions. And what we saw in the testing is that things are closer. Now we got it right this weekend, we took the right cars into the race, we executed a perfect race with both cars and we got a great finish. But I think that it will converge.”

But Mercedes boss Toto Wolff summed up the situation by declaring that “I think today Max is not in a different league but he’s in a different galaxy, the performance is extraordinary.”

‘Grab the script from F1 2023, and CTRL+C, CTRL+V it’;

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/form...f1-bahrain-gp/


Lewis Hamilton's Red Bull remark speaks volumes as Mercedes view shared after Bahrain GP
Lewis Hamilton endured a mixed weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix as he kicked off his final season as a Mercedes driver.
20:04, Sat, Mar 2, 2024
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Lewis Hamilton admitted that Mercedes were ‘further back from Red Bull than they had thought’ after an underwhelming start to the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Silver Arrows struggled for race pace at the Sakhir International Circuit, eventually crossing the line in P5 and P7.

Hamilton admitted after the Bahrain GP that Mercedes were wrong about the gap between themselves and Red Bull. Giving his lowdown on the race, he told Sky Sports F1: “I personally feel great, physically I feel great so winter training has worked. We probably feel a bit of disappointment within the team, I'm not sure about everyone else.”

“I was definitely hoping that we would be better this weekend than we were, but it was a tough race, it was very close with everybody and degradation is high with the car. There is plenty of areas we can improve. We were further back from the Red Bulls than we thought as well.”

‘Lewis Hamilton's Red Bull remark speaks volumes’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...des-Bahrain-GP


Winners and losers from F1's 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix
Mar 2, 2024
The Race

Max Verstappen and Red Bull breezed into the 2024 Formula 1 season in the same crushingly dominant spirit they've been in since mid-2022. So dominant in the Bahrain Grand Prix, in fact, it was almost tempting to make him the only winner in our usual post-race rundown of the stars and flops.

WINNERS
MAX VERSTAPPEN: Even if you hadn’t taken the hints from testing, practice and qualifying of closer challenges to Red Bull too seriously, the ease with which Verstappen left the field standing was still striking.

CARLOS SAINZ: Given how close everything in Verstappen’s wake was, whoever emerged as best non-Red Bull in Bahrain was always going to have really earned it. And Carlos Sainz gets extra credit for the attacking style of his drive to third place and for keeping the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez just about in his sights.
Lance Stroll: For Stroll to still finish on the lead lap and with a point was a testament to the strength of his recovery. - Josh Suttill

‘LOSERS, MERCEDES, McLaren, Aston Martin, RB, ALPINE’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/b...inners-losers/


Verstappen makes history as Alpine's dramas worsen | Bahrain GP recap
In this video, RacingNews365's Ian Parkes and Nick Golding dissect the biggest talking points from the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
2 March 9:30PM
Ian Parkes & Nick Golding
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen cruised to victory in the 2024 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix and achieved F1's first-ever Grand Chelem, in what was an emphatic start to his title defence. The reigning World Champion was joined on the podium by Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.

After the first of a record-breaking 24 races, all the biggest talking points – including an Alpine exclusive – were discussed by RacingNews365 F1 writer Nick Golding and lead editor Ian Parkes, who was present in the paddock.

‘Verstappen makes history’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...hrain-gp-recap


Perez left ‘very satisfied’ after strong race to P2 in season opener
02 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Sergio Perez started the Bahrain Grand Prix from fifth on the grid, but raced to second place behind Red Bull team mate Max Verstappen.

‘Sergio Perez started from fifth on the grid, but raced to second place’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...174450704.html


Perez: Red Bull has 'a lot to learn' from Bahrain
02/03/2024 at 20:17
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

"I overtook Carlos at the start and from there we were able to chip away at things," he (Sergio Perez) said after eventually getting past both Russell and Leclerc to move up to P2 in the second half of the race.

“I think second was the maximum we could have achieved,” Perez said. "But overall I think it's a great way to start the season. It was a really strong race from the team, it’s a great start to the season - you can’t get better than a one-two to start a year which looks like it’ll be a really tight battle."

Perez also reported a number of issues with the RB20 in its first outing of the season. "There's plenty we will learn from tonight's race, which will be important for the championship. It was quite a tricky race with the management of the tyres," he told the media in parc ferme afterward, explaining that the problem he had experienced was in the form of excessive sliding.

'A lot to learn';

https://f1i.com/news/501465-perez-re...m-bahrain.html

[Fortitude]

Sainz’s audition for Mercedes: The drive that caught Wolff’s eye.
Carlos Sainz Jr.’s performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix was nothing short of a statement, racing with the kind of fervor that says he’s not just here to compete; he’s here to win.
3rd March 2024, 07:43
Andrew Maitland
Grandpx.news

With Lewis Hamilton set to take his spot at Ferrari in the upcoming season, Sainz is eyeing a future possibly with Audi but also hasn’t ruled out the chance of landing a coveted seat at Mercedes or even Red Bull.

Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ master strategist, couldn’t help but praise Sainz’s Bahrain exploits. “Carlos put in a very strong performance,” Wolff acknowledged, hinting at the Spaniard’s driven state, “He’s probably still driving around with some anger.” Yet, Wolff maintains the team’s focus remains inward: “However, we focus on our team.”

Former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos sees Sainz’s current season as a pivotal audition for his future, “This is his job interview,” remarked Doornbos, impressed by Sainz’s refusal to back down, “He drove like he was a fire engine.”

‘Pivotal audition for his future’;

https://grandpx.news/sainzs-audition...ht-wolffs-eye/


Carlos Sainz reveals reason for ‘relief’ behind Bahrain Grand Prix podium
02 Mar 2024 10:29 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Carlos Sainz revealed that the last time he felt comfortable attacking other cars without worrying about tyre life came in the middle of last season.

“Yeah, it’s actually a bit of a relief because I remember last year, the last race where I was attacking was Austria – and we’re talking about 13, 14 races ago,” Sainz explained to media including PlanetF1.com after the race.

“Then the rest of the races last year, you just had to manage, you just had to look in the mirrors, you just had to control your pace, and there were very little opportunities to go and overtake people.”

‘Relief’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...nd-prix-podium


Martin Brundle saw 29-y/o F1 driver do something ‘lovely’ at 2024 Bahrain GP
Sat 2 March 2024 21:00
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

Martin Brundle hailed Carlos Sainz during the 2024 Bahrain GP after watching the Ferrari racer pull off a ‘lovely’ overtake on his Scuderia teammate Charles Leclerc. Sainz pulled out from Leclerc’s slipstream only 200 metres from the apex of Turn 1 to catch his teammate sleeping. The move left the Monegasque with no time to react and with zero room to defend as Leclerc followed the Mercedes of George Russell through the first bend.

Russell taking to the apex of Turn 1 almost cost Sainz and the Mercedes ace dearly, though. Sainz’s daring, late braking saw the nose of his Ferrari sail close to the gearbox of the Silver Arrows ahead. A point Brundle was quick to note before voicing praise for Sainz’s overtake. “That was very close up the back,” Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 (2/3, 15:30). “Lovely move there from Sainz.”

‘Martin Brundle hailed Carlos Sainz’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...24-bahrain-gp/


Sainz thrilled to have a car that allows him ‘to attack’ after racing to podium in Bahrain
02 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Carlos Sainz was beaming after his “fun” run to P3 in the season opener – especially as he felt he was able to be aggressive with his car, rather than simply having to defend.

‘Sainz thrilled’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...169798554.html


Damon Hill hands Carlos Sainz huge backing above Charles Leclerc for Mercedes
“Charles Leclerc, maybe, relies on his speed quite a lot," Naomi Schiff added
02 Mar 2024
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net

Carlos Sainz is a better fit for Mercedes’ 2025 vacancy than Charles Leclerc, believes Damon Hill. Ex-F1 champion Hill added: “If you remember Carlos, famously at Silverstone, countered the strategy that Ferrari suggested he did.

“He knows what he’s doing. He’d do very well in a team that is used to running at the front. When you come from Ferrari, you know how a big team works. You can deal with all that stuff. It’s a big feather in your cap. Apart from the fact that he is a feisty driver.”

Hill compared Ferrari’s duo: “It seems like Charles has awful bad luck and problems in races. “It could be a case of: does he manage it as well as Carlos? Or is Carlos a thinking driver who maybe doesn’t have the ultimate pace, but in a race it’s not about ultimate pace, it’s about management.”

“He knows what he’s doing”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104498...clerc-mercedes


Finishing near Perez shows Ferrari have taken “big steps forward” – Sainz
2nd March 2024, 18:00
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

“I’m very happy,” Sainz said. “When we were at the car launch, I remember saying ‘this year, I hope I had a car to overtake and not to defend’. Last year, I spent my whole year defending. We arrive to the first race and I am attacking and making overtakes, which makes me happy. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the move.”

While recognising there is still a big gap between Ferrari and Verstappen in particular, Sainz said the performance of his new car shows the team are heading in the right direction. “I’m happy with the overtakes, with the race pace,” he said. “Keeping up with Checo there at the end wasn’t easy, but we managed. Still a long way to go to beat Max, but it’s true that we’re also at the toughest circuit on rear tyres, which we know that for our car is never the best.”

“Big steps forward;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/02/...forward-sainz/


Fred Vasseur reacts to feisty Carlos Sainz display as Charles Leclerc dynamic changes
03 Mar 2024 11:00 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Racing wheel-to-wheel, and perhaps a bit too close for Ferrari’s liking, Ralf Schumacher says one “can tell” the relationship between the Ferrari team-mates has changed. Schumacher, though, says it feels to him like something has changed between the team-mates. “You can tell that the two of them are no longer so familiar with each other,” the German told Sky Deutschland.

“It was the first race, perhaps the team should have told Charles at that moment that he was having problems anyway with the tyres and should let his team-mate through. Today Carlos Sainz was faster, but I think Charles’ car wasn’t quite okay.” Sainz’s actions, though, were welcomed by his team boss Fred Vasseur.

Honestly,” he told the media including PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher. “I was convinced that he would have this kind of reaction. It’s also why we decided to get it out early, turn the page and focus on the season. “And the reaction of Carlos was not unprofessional. Today he did a very good job.”

‘Fred Vasseur reacts to feisty Carlos Sainz display’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos...sseur-reaction


Sainz sure Ferrari didn’t intend to ‘undercut’ Leclerc past him
3rd March 2024, 0:11
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

No favouritism at Ferrari – Sainz: Sainz passed the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc early on, only for his team mate to pit soon afterwards. As Sainz delayed his pit stop, Leclerc jumped back in front of him. Sainz passed him again and went on to finish ahead. But Sainz, who will leave the team at the end of the year, does not believe there was any favouritism in the team’s strategy. “I don’t think it was an intended ‘undercut’,” he said.

“I think Charles degraded the tyres probably a bit earlier than me, and they decided to keep me out for three or four laps. Honestly, those three or four laps were very strong. I think I managed to go down to 37s, low 37s again. So it was worth it. Then luckily it didn’t compromise my race because I could pass Charles fairly quickly and go and attack George [Russell], which I passed also quite quickly. So I don’t think I lost too much race time on that situation.”

‘No favouritism at Ferrari’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/03/...nd-up-03-03-7/

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff: “Trauma of Austin” still affects Mercedes set-up.
Toto Wolff admits that previous set-up mistakes are impacting Mercedes’ approach to start the F1 2024 season.
March 3, 2024
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang


Since Formula 1 ushered in new regulation in 2022, Mercedes have been a shadow of their former selves. One of their better showings was in COTA last year, but Toto Wolff explains that their post-race disqualification is still fresh in the memory.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton crossed the line 5th and 8th in the first race of 2024. In isolation, this result is confirmation that Mercedes is still several steps behind Red Bull. The Mercedes team principal explains that past errors contributed to this incorrect choice:

“We were a little too low [in COTA 2023]. The trauma from Austin is still in our bones,” Wolff explained in Bahrain. So we wanted to stay a little on the conservative side with a new car.” Despite this confession, the 52-year-old is still optimistic about the season ahead: “We were caught on the wrong foot two years in a row, and now we have a car that suits us better.”

“Trauma of Austin”;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...rcedes-set-up/


Toto Wolff reveals all on unexpected Mercedes issue in Bahrain Grand Prix
03 Mar 2024 12:00 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Toto Wolff has admitted there was an “unexpected” engine cooling issue for Mercedes and one of their customer teams during the Bahrain Grand Prix. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were unable to get the maximum from their Mercedes cars in Bahrain on Saturday, with Wolff predicting they lost around half a second per lap as a result of the issue.

Wolff revealed that the cooling problem also affected Williams, Mercedes’ customer team, but it cost them significantly in race trim. With only a week until the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to find a fix for the problem, the Mercedes team principal and CEO was confident that the team would be able to do so, given there’s a trade-off the teams find between keeping the engine cool and optimising performance.

“I’m sure we can get on top of the cooling,” Wolff stated, “because it’s a specification of how much you open the car up, and it’s always a balancing act between do you want to lose half a tenth in performance by having less efficient aero and opening the slot gaps up against the cooling… But technically [in Bahrain], it was running over what we thought we should be.”

‘Engine cooling issues/ problems’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...ain-grand-prix


Wolff reckons Mercedes engine woes cost 0.5s per lap in Bahrain
02/03/2024 at 18:17
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Mercedes endured a challenging Bahrain Grand Prix plagued by engine issues that affected both their own cars and those of their customer team Williams, according to team boss Toto Wolff. The team now faces the task of quickly addressing the engine problems to avoid hampering their campaign in the upcoming races.

"[Pre-season] testing was pretty good,” commented Wolff as he reviewed his team’s weekend. “Also, the performances on Thursday and on Friday were encouraging. The car was stable, was good. The drivers like it. When we started the race on the soft tyre, everything pretty much [was] to plan. And then, unfortunately, we had to start pulling the engine more than we expected. We can't understand yet where that came from.”

“We have one of our customer teams, Williams, who had the same issue. The other two [McLaren and Aston Martin] not. That was unexpected." According to Wolff, the combined effects of Mercedes’ engine woes and preventive measures resulted in a performance drop exceeding half a second per lap. "From then on, if you switch 0.3-4s of power unit performance off, then you have to lift-and-coast on top, so I think at times probably altogether it was 5 or 6 tenths of a second that we couldn't take from what the car had in it,” he said.

‘Engine woes cost 0.5s per lap’;

https://f1i.com/news/501426-wolff-re...n-bahrain.html


Helmut Marko explains Max Verstappen theory as Mercedes line up Lewis Hamilton replacement
Lewis Hamilton's eye-catching move to Ferrari has left Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in need of a capable replacement.
13:06, Sat, Mar 2, 2024
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Helmut Marko believes that Toto Wolff has already given Max Verstappen a call about potentially replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes from 2025 onwards. The seven-time world champion exercised an exit clause in his contract, meaning the Silver Arrows are in need of a new star driver come the end of the season.

That said, the most compelling replacement from Wolff’s point of view would be Verstappen, and Marko believes that the Mercedes boss has likely already made contact. “I would be surprised if they hadn’t,” he told Krone Zeitung. “But Max is a very loyal driver.”

‘Helmut Marko explains Max Verstappen theory’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ilton-Mercedes


Wolff: Verstappen, Red Bull can win every race
Verstappen secured a dominant victory in the F1 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
2 March 6:50PM
Ewan Gale & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has conceded Max Verstappen was on a "different galaxy" in the Bahrain Grand Prix. Wolff said: "I think Max was not in a different league but in a different galaxy. The performance was extraordinary. But everybody else, we saw the differences between the Ferraris and I believe that the group of Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes were probably in a similar ballpark. We just need to look at ourselves, get on top of our problems and if we are able to manage our race weekend better, we will be racing those guys."

Red Bull was only denied a perfect season by Carlos Sainz's Singapore Grand Prix victory last season, such was the dominance of the RB19. With the team securing a one-two finish on Saturday, Wolff was asked if a clean sweep for the Milton Keynes-based outfit was possible, given Verstappen's talent. "Unfortunately yes," replied Wolff. "You need to acknowledge his performance levels, they are very strong."

‘Red Bull can win every race’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-vers...fferent-galaxy


Mercedes think they've got their very own Max Verstappen who can topple Red Bull star
Mercedes are struggling to pose a threat to Max Verstappen and Red Bull, and that task will only get tougher after Lewis Hamilton departs.
08:30, Sun, Mar 3, 2024
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Toto Wolff has compared teenage starlet Kimi Antonelli to Max Verstappen after revealing that the young Italian’s presence impacted the decision not to give Lewis Hamilton a long-term contract with Mercedes.

Explaining the similarities between Verstappen’s rise to F1 and that of Antonelli, Wolff told ORF: “There was a situation many years ago where we had the opportunity to let Max drive and that wasn't possible back then because we simply didn't have a cockpit. [Nico] Rosberg and Hamilton were tied to us long-term, and Red Bull naturally seized the opportunity.”

“They gave him a contract with Toro Rosso, with the possibility of driving for Red Bull the following year. We then lost the young driver, and you can see how successful he has become. And precisely because we have a junior on the horizon who is really driving at a very high level, I simply wanted to keep this option open."

‘Toto Wolff has compared teenage starlet Kimi Antonelli to Max Verstappen’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...Kimi-Antonelli


Wolff not ruling out Vettel as Hamilton replacement
Toto Wolff has described Sebastian Vettel as a "giant" of Formula 1, as the quadruple world champion once again refuses to rule out the prospect of a sensational return.
MARCH 2, 2024
GrandPrix.com

Toto Wolff hasn't called me, the German driver told Neue Zurcher Zeitung newspaper, "but we've exchanged a few text messages. So far it's not an issue for me, also because at 36 I still have plenty of time.

‘Toto Wolff has described Sebastian Vettel as a "giant" of Formula 1’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/wolff...placement.html


Wolff’s texts to Vettel exposed: F1 comeback in the works?
08:20 Sat, 02 Mar 2024.
Andrew Maitland
Grandpx.news

Wolff, in his comments to Sky Deutschland, acknowledged Vettel’s enduring prowess and stature, “Sebastian is a great guy and a giant of this sport.” The Mercedes strategist is playing the long game, weighing the merits of experience versus the vigor of youth, as the team contemplates its future direction.

In this high-stakes chess game, Mick Schumacher also remains a piece on Wolff’s board, “Mick is also part of it,” Wolff admits, albeit with a touch of empathy for Schumacher’s position in the frenzied driver market.

‘Mercedes strategist is playing the long game’;

https://grandpx.news/wolffs-texts-to...-in-the-works/

[Fortitude]

‘Shocking’: Lando Norris says Reliant Robin would have been better than his McLaren in one key…
McLaren driver Lando Norris says his car felt ‘shocking’ around the final corner during Saturday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
Sun 3 March 2024 18:00
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Norris scored eight points in the season-opening race after finishing sixth ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri. But it wasn’t all plain sailing as the British driver revealed some serious balance issues heading into the start/finish straight. Norris qualified seventh in Sakhir but was able to pass Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso in the early stages. He mounted a late charge to reel in the Mercedes of George Russell but wasn’t able to get within DRS range before the chequered flag.
Lando Norris says McLaren felt worse than Reliant Robin one area. Speaking to F1TV directly after the race, Norris said he struggled to wrestle his car around turns 14 and 15 throughout the race. The British driver even joked that a three-wheel Reliant Robin would have negotiated the sequence faster.

“Reliant Robin would have been better than his McLaren in one key…”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/drivers/...ea-in-bahrain/


Norris hopeful McLaren can hit back against rivals after ‘not nice’ car feeling in Bahrain
04 March 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Lando Norris was left feeling happy with his sixth place in the Bahrain Grand Prix after what he called a “difficult day” in the McLaren, despite the team matching the pace of Mercedes.

“It didn’t feel great [on track], but then when you look at things, we were the same pace as Mercedes which is pretty much where we expected to be, and I think we should be happy with that,” said Norris. “A little bit off, I’d say quite a bit off the Ferraris and a long way off the Red Bull, but again that’s what we were expecting.”

“I think it was a difficult day, the car balance was not nice. I think the wind conditions, as much as they died down and changed to what we thought was going to be favourable, I don’t really think it ended up that way. Some things to look into, but I’m happy with today. It was tough and I wanted that little bit more, especially to George [Russell] who was not far ahead, but I feel like I got the most out of the car today so I was happy with that.”

‘Some things to look into’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...116NKF9Kg.html


Question marks raised against Lando Norris’ decision to pen new McLaren contract
Lando Norris is off the market at a time when Mercedes and Red Bull are considering new drivers
04 Mar 2024
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net

Doubts have been raised about why Lando Norris chose to commit himself to McLaren long-term. Damon Hill wondered if Norris and McLaren agreed their new contract while knowing about the deal that Hamilton and Ferrari were thrashing out.

Hill asked: “They must have got wind of what was going on… Once you look around at the sharp end, it looks very difficult. Sticking with a team on the up was his logic. That was the way he explained it: ‘They are going places, I am comfortable in this team, I believe in this team…’ ”

“Sticking to it, in the absence of any obvious option, yes”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104501...laren-contract


McLaren needs "two big steps" to catch F1 rivals Ferrari and Red Bull
4th March 2024, 10:36
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com

McLaren emerged from Bahrain's season opener as the fourth-fastest team, well behind Red Bull and Ferrari on race pace while nipping on the heels of Mercedes.

"There's a big step between us and Ferrari on a circuit like this and then another step from Ferrari to Red Bull," Norris said after finishing sixth at Sakhir. "We've got two big steps to make up but starting with one would be good."

When asked if making those steps feels achievable this year, he replied: "To Ferrari? Yes. Again, at certain tracks, we're going to do it and at certain tracks, we're not."

"Two big steps";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...bull/10582828/


McLaren explains lengthy MCL38 development period
McLaren is aiming to develop three key areas with the MCL38 but the time to improve the car will take time, as explained by Team Principal Andrea Stella.
4 March 2024, 11:15AM
Fergal Walsh & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has explained why his squad is having to wait to see significant improvements to the MCL38 challenger. It has commenced the new campaign in a much stronger position compared to 12 months ago when it was positioned towards the back of the field having missed development targets.

With developments expected in the coming races, Stella outlined that being efficient while operating under Formula 1's cost cap is behind McLaren's delay in fitting new parts. It’s just how long it takes to get some projects mature enough to actually say, ‘Okay, let's deliver to the race car’,” Stella told media including RacingNews365.

“Especially in a regime of cost cap, you can't afford to release expensive parts of the car [and say] 'OK let's take it trackside, let's see how it works'. You really need to deliver mature parts. If I take some of the areas that we wanted to address, this is taking just longer than the time required to release the parts and have them ready for the launch. So it's just the time it takes for development.”

‘McLaren is aiming to develop three key areas with the MCL38’;

https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-ex...lopment-period


McLaren admits Piastri strategy mistake
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has admitted his team should have called Oscar Piastri into the pits a lap earlier to prevent Lewis Hamilton from undercutting the Australian.
3 March 2024
by Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Hamilton got ahead of Piastri through pit strategy, boxing for a second set of hard compound tyres on Lap 33. Before his stop, the seven-time champion sat eighth, one spot behind Piastri, who took his second stop on Lap 34. It was a small but telling difference. As the McLaren driver rejoined the track, Hamilton was able to pass him, moving into a seventh-place he would hold to the finish.

Piastri added: “I think there was a few things in the race that we needed to do a little bit better in terms of pit stops and strategy. I think it was a little bit closer than it needed to be and obviously, we lost out on that. I tried my best to stay in front, but just didn't have any grip on those hards coming out of the pits.”

‘Piastri strategy mistake’;

https://speedcafe.com/mclaren-admits...ategy-mistake/


Piastri ‘excited’ for next few races after P8 finish in season opener
02 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Bahrain hasn’t often been a happy hunting ground for McLaren, so Oscar Piastri is hoping his P8 there bodes well for the races coming up.

‘Happy hunting ground for McLaren’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...861454461.html


Norris happy with P6 after ‘difficult day’ at season-opener
02 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Lando Norris was looking at the positives after his sixth place in the Bahrain Grand Prix – especially as it’s not a track that usually suits McLaren.

‘Looking at the positives’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...789054258.html

[Fortitude]

‘He’s not bothering’: Martin Brundle says 106-podium driver looked ‘dispirited’ during Bahrain…
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso seemed ‘dispirited’ at times during the Bahrain Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle says.
Sun 3 March 2024 17:00
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Alonso impressively qualified in sixth place for the season-opener in Sakhir, beating McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as well as Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. However, the Spaniard had to settle for ninth in Saturday’s race, and Sky commentator Brundle says his lack of pace relative to the cars around him left him demotivated.

Brundle says Alonso left time on the table in Bahrain. Speaking live on Sky Sports F1, Brundle suggested that Alonso was driving somewhat within himself during the Grand Prix. He noticed that the 106-time podium-finisher wasn’t approaching turn four, at the end of the second DRS zone, with the same aggression as some of his rivals.

‘‘He’s not bothering’’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/drivers/...ed-in-bahrain/


Alonso: Aston back to ‘normal’ in Bahrain GP after qualifying high
04/03/2024 at 08:08
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Fernando Alonso says his ninth-place finish in the Bahrain Grand Prix was a proper reflection of Aston Martin’s current performance level relative to its rivals after qualifying flattered the potential of its AMR24 car.

"Today I think is exactly what we expected," the two-time world champion said. "Our simulations were saying that we were around P9 with not much fight in front of us, the top four teams a little bit with too much ahead, and with comfortable gap behind.”

"And it's exactly like that. I think I had [Oscar Piastri's] McLaren 18 seconds ahead and the Sauber [of Zhou Guanyu in 11th] 28 seconds behind. So, we were in the middle of no one's race."

‘Aston back to normal’;

https://f1i.com/news/501577-alonso-a...ying-high.html


Alonso: Aston Martin back to normal after exceptional Bahrain F1 qualifying
12:12 Sun, 03 Mar 2024.
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com

Fernando Alonso says Aston Martin's fifth place in Formula 1's Bahrain Grand Prix pecking order was exactly as projected after exceeding expectations in qualifying. In an extremely tight qualifying battle, Alonso's final Q3 lap was good for sixth, 0.363s off polesitter Max Verstappen and only half a tenth behind George Russell in third.

"Today I think is exactly what we expected," the two-time world champion said. "Our simulations were saying that we were around P9 with not much fight in front of us, the top four teams a little bit with too much ahead, and with comfortable gap behind.”

"And it's exactly like that. I think I had [Oscar Piastri's] McLaren 18 seconds ahead and the Sauber [of Zhou Guanyu in 11th] 28 seconds behind. So, we were in the middle of no one's race."

"Our simulations were saying that we were around P9”;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...ying/10582666/


Alonso pinpoints Aston Martin’s place in the pecking order after season opener
02 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Fernando Alonso qualified sixth for the Bahrain Grand Prix, but after racing to a P9 finish he said that grid slot did not represent Aston’a “real position”.

‘Place in the pecking order’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...214651694.html


Lance Stroll satisfied after ‘good recovery’ drive to points in Bahrain
02 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

After a tangle with Nico Hulkenberg on Lap 1, Lance Stroll dropped to the back of the pack, but climbed back up the order to finish P10 at the flag.

‘Good recovery drive’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...303530803.html

[Fortitude]

24-year-old driver told he was ‘quietly impressive’ after Bahrain Grand Prix showing.
Zhou Guanyu was an overlooked ‘standout’ for Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber at the Bahrain Grand Prix, BBC F1 commentator Harry Benjamin says.
Mon 4 March 2024 17:30
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Zhou narrowly missed out on a points finish as he brought home his Sauber in 11th, one spot behind Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll.

Harry Benjamin praises Zhou Guanyu after Bahrain. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Chequered Flag Podcast, Benjamin said Zhou’s ‘impressive’ display had gone under the radar.

He thinks it’s exactly the kind of drive the former F3 Asia champion will need to produce in 2024. “Really impressed, quietly impressive by him actually,” he said (30:00). “Standout for Zhou, what he needs for this season as well.”

‘Quietly impressive’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/24-...-prix-showing/


Zhou Guanyu boosts contract hopes with strong Bahrain drive
March 5, 2024
Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
Last Word On Sports

Zhou Guanyu was one of the stand-out drives from Bahrain, which will be critical to replicate ahead of contract talks this year. Perhaps it is premature to discuss Zhou Guanyu’s contract at this stage of 2024. After all, there are still twenty-three rounds of the F1 season to complete. With that said, every performance is critical in such a highly competitive field.

Zhou delivers a near-perfect race: The 24-year-old started from 17th place last Saturday, having qualified just 0.001 behind his teammate. However, the Chinese driver quickly put himself in contention for points.

After a strong start and producing very competitive laps on the hard tyres, Zhou was in a battle with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll for P10. In most previous F1 seasons, a DNF from the front-runners would have pushed Zhou into the points.

‘Stand-out drives from Bahrain’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...bahrain-drive/


‘We need to make sure it doesn’t happen again’ – Bottas reflects on 52-second pit stop in Bahrain
04 March 2024
Formula One - Official Site

A 52.4s pit stop was the nadir of a frustrating opening Grand Prix of the season for Kick Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas, with the Finn coming home a distant 19th at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Bottas’s race had already got off to a compromised start when, from P16 on the grid, he got caught up in contact between Lance Stroll and Nico Hulkenberg, Bottas nerfing the rear of Hulkenberg’s Haas and damaging his front wing.

“Obviously there was an issue with the wheel nut,” said Bottas post-race. “Something to investigate to make sure it doesn’t happen again, I think that’s the main take from me today. And also, unlucky with the Turn 1 incident – I had a bit of damage in the front wing.”

‘52-second pit stop’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...LZ0QhdhAE.html


Bottas: Disastrous Bahrain GP pit stop ‘can‘t happen again’
05/03/2024 at 09:23
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Valtteri Bottas' opening race of 2024 in Bahrain was a nightmare for the Sauber driver, culminating in a disastrous 52.4-second pit stop that effectively ended his challenge. “Obviously there was an issue with the wheel nut,” said the 34-year-old after the race. Something to investigate to make sure it doesn’t happen again, I think that’s the main take from me today.”

“And also, unlucky with the Turn 1 incident – I had a bit of damage in the front wing. It wasn’t actually a huge effect, just slight understeer maybe in certain corners, but nothing huge. So, not my day, but hopefully that’s my bad luck for the year done!”

Starting a lowly 17th, the Chinese driver clawed his way back to finish a commendable 11th, just behind the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The performance suggests promise for the all-new Kick Sauber C44, leaving Zhou cautiously optimistic.

‘Can‘t happen again’;

https://f1i.com/news/501635-bottas-d...pen-again.html


Explained: Why Valtteri Bottas suffered a 52-second pit-stop at Bahrain Grand Prix
03 Mar 2024 6:30 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com’s Thomas Maher after the race, Pujolar revealed that a wheelnut problem was to blame for the delay, with Bottas’s stop officially clocked at 52.4 seconds. “We had an issue where we had to change the wheelnut,” Pujolar said. “It’s something that we are working on.”

Asked why Sauber missed the opportunity to change Bottas’s front wing during his long second stop, Pujolar said: “We had damage on the endplate, so we lost a bit of performance there, but it was OK to continue without changing. It was better to keep it on the car.”

‘52-second pit-stop’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/explai...ain-grand-prix

[Fortitude]

What Red Bull's rivals have to prove at F1's Saudi Arabian GP.
Red Bull obliterated all the opposition at Formula 1 2024's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Is there any reason to expect that to change in Saudi Arabia?
Mar 6, 2024
The Race

Our writers pick out what Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin need to do better this weekend:
Ferrari: Validate race pace step: Ferrari was Red Bull’s closest challenger in Bahrain, delivering on most people’s expectations after pre-season testing.
Mercedes: Avoid basic set-up errors: How good is the 2024 Mercedes? After the Bahrain Grand Prix, we really have absolutely no idea.

McLaren: Show us winter talk wasn't cheap: There was fighting talk coming out of McLaren pre-season, about how the impressive development slope of 2023 shows no sign of flattening out and so the 2024 car should prove a significant step forward.

Aston Martin: Is there only long-term potential? Last year's second-best team in the season opener (albeit assisted by Leclerc's retirement from third) showed no hint of a repeat in 2024, even if Fernando Alonso's sixth-fastest time in qualifying briefly raised expectations.

‘Red Bull obliterated all the opposition’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/w...di-arabian-gp/


Red Bull's advantage smaller than first feared
Oscar Piastri was happy with McLaren's performance last weekend in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, although Red Bull remain the side to beat.
6 March 6:30AM
Nick Golding & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Oscar Piastri believes the gap between Red Bull and the chasing pack is smaller than it was 12 months ago despite Max Verstappen's dominant Bahrain Grand Prix victory. The big talking point ahead of the 2024 season was whether Red Bull with the RB20 would be untouchable, a question which was partially answered in qualifying in Bahrain. Whilst it was Max Verstappen on pole, Ferrari were in genuine contention.

When asked whether he felt the advantage held by the Milton Keynes-based outfit had matched that of a year ago, Piastri told media including RacingNews365: "No, I think it was a bit more realistic to what we expected to be honest. I think they look in a pretty similar place to last year, similar kind of gap and so not a massive surprise, to be honest. And the races last year, they're always quicker than they were in qualifying. But maybe still not quite as far ahead as we first feared at the start of testing. But still, you know, a long way ahead."

‘Advantage smaller than first feared’;

https://racingnews365.com/red-bulls-...feared-piastri


STELLA: MERCEDES AND FERRARI ARE ‘WITHIN REACH’ FOR MCLAREN
What a difference a year makes for McLaren in Bahrain. In 2023, the team finished the race with a P17 and a retirement. Whereas in 2024 they walked away with double points, finishing P6 and P8
March 6, 2024
Rhiannon Temporal
FormulaNerds.com

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella says the team will complete a “proper assessment” following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Following the season opener in Bahrain, McLaren walked away with double points and a P4 in the constructors’ championship. While the season opener may not have matched their seemingly high pre-season expectations, the Woking-based outfit is miles off the lows they suffered in Bahrain last year.

Up and running in 2024. It’s a double-points weekend in Bahrain! ����#BahrainGP ���� pic.twitter.com/sgrSlToVA8
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) March 2, 2024
In fact, seeing where the team started compared to where they ended in 2023, there is a lot to cheer about this season. This is an outlook shared by Lando Norris, who says the team has a “good starting position” this year.

‘What a difference a year makes for McLaren’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/st...h-for-mclaren/


Damon Hill delivers verdict on new proposed Qiddiya F1 circuit in Saudi Arabia
Wed 6 March 2024 08:00
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Former Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill has shared his reaction to the proposed new circuit in Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix takes place on Saturday with Sergio Perez hoping to repeat his race-winning performance from 2023. Posting on Instagram, Hill has given a short evaluation of one of the wildest tracks ever imagined that could join the calendar in the coming years.

Posting on Instagram, Hill reacted to the pictures of the Qiddiya venue in Saudi Arabia and simply said: “Next level. Literally!” Hill is referring to the incredible first corner which involves a 20-storey climb for the drivers on track. It looks like something out of a Mario Kart game given the structure the circuit appears to be built on.

The circuit is part of a much bigger construction project located about 30 miles from the capital Riyadh. The Qiddiya track has been designed by the famous Herman Tilke and former driver Alex Wurz.

‘Damon Hill delivers verdict’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dam...-saudi-arabia/


Saudi Grand Prix 2024: Schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
6th March 2024, 08:58
MARC MAYO
Evening Standard

Saudi Grand Prix session schedule
The full weekend schedule is as follows (all times GMT):
• First practice: Thursday, 1.30pm
• Second practice: Thursday, 5pm
• Third practice: Friday, 1.30pm
• Qualifying: Friday, 5pm
• Grand prix: Saturday, 5pm

‘Saudi Grand Prix 2024: Schedule’;

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/b1143443.html

[Fortitude]

PALMER: Why I expect Red Bull’s rivals to put up a stronger fight this weekend in Jeddah.
Max Verstappen cruised to victory in the season opener in Bahrain – but his rivals will harbour hopes of a stronger challenge in this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Here's why...
06 March 2024
Jolyon Palmer
Former F1 Driver
Formula One - Official Site

Red Bull meanwhile appeared to have a routine, trouble free run out front as Max serenely notched another win. Race pace has become much more important than qualifying pace in recent years, especially on circuits that are straightforward to overtake on like Bahrain.

High degradation levels and three DRS zones mean that if you have a good race car you can storm through the pack, as Alonso showed last year and Sergio Perez demonstrated from fifth on the grid on Saturday night. The Red Bull race pace is definitely a cut above the rest, but the picture is not as clear cut as it would seem.

The high degradation surface of the Bahrain track suits them though and while the gap from Max to the rest looks ominous, it has been cut from 38 seconds last year down to 25 this year – and should come down more once their competition can optimise their cars and performance. The season is long and while Max is the favourite coming into Jeddah as well, I expect Red Bull's rivals to close at least some of the gap.

‘Rivals will harbour hopes of a stronger challenge’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...lPAJeNHqE.html


Red Bull say RB20 draws inspiration from rivals in less obvious areas
6th March 2024, 12:00
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans.net

Red Bull surprised many in Formula 1 when their new RB20 appeared for the first time at their launch. The team had been expected to reveal a car which was a clear evolution of its championship-dominating predecessor. But while the RB20 clearly comes from the same lineage, it also owes a debt to other, less successful designs.

Two striking aspects of the car’s design immediately drew comparison with Mercedes W15. Its sidepod inlets have been drastically narrowed, and now include vertical intakes much like those on Mercedes’ ‘zero sidepod’ design, plus additional thin horizontal intakes above.

“For greater efficiency, the inlet shape has been revised to better utilise the available pressure to feed the radiators or primary heat exchangers downstream,” said the team in its submission to the FIA. This has allowed the leading edge of the sidepod to be reshaped, improving the airflow around the nearby entrance to the floor.

‘RB20 draws inspiration’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/06/...obvious-areas/


2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – What the Teams are Saying ahead of the Weekend – Part 1
March 6, 2024
By Joe Briley
The Checkered Flag

#1 – Max Verstappen – Oracle Red Bull Racing: “The team had a great first race of the season and I am looking forward to Jeddah, which is a proper high speed semi street circuit, seeing less degradation on the tyres.”
#11 – Sergio Pérez – Oracle Red Bull Racing: “I am looking forward to heading to Jeddah this weekend after such a good team result in Bahrain. Things weren’t totally perfect in the first race and there is plenty of evolution to be done with the car but we have a good base to work from now.”

Team Principal – Fred Vasseur – Scuderia Ferrari: “In Jeddah we will face a completely different test and we want to check if the positive signs we have seen from the SF-24 in the past couple of weeks are repeated on this very different track.”
Team Principal & CEO – Toto Wolff – Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team: “We’ve got an opportunity to take a step forward immediately. Jeddah is a street track with a lot of high-speed content. It will be good to continue our learning with the new car on a very different circuit to Bahrain. We will be aiming for a more consistent weekend and to understand our true performance relative to the rest of the grid.”

#4 – Lando Norris – McLaren F1 Team: “Jeddah up next! We’ve started the 2024 season well, and we’ll hopefully take that momentum into the Saudi Arabian GP.”
#81 – Oscar Piastri – McLaren F1 Team: “I’m looking forward to returning to the Saudi Arabian GP. We’re in a better position this year and it feels good to have already secured some points in the first race. We noted some things to improve on over the week, which we’ll aim to address this weekend.”

‘What the Teams are Saying’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...eekend-part-1/


What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?
06 March 2024
Formula One - Official Site

While Pirelli opted for the hardest compounds in their range for the abrasive Bahrain international Circuit, they have gone one step softer for Jeddah, bringing the C2, C3 and C4 tyres for the drivers to use as they tackle this incredibly fast street track.

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is second only to Monza in terms of speeds reached, and thus is a completely different challenge to Bahrain. It is also expected to be a one-stop race, which will also influence which tyres the drivers opt for throughout practice.

Drivers will get two sets of the hard tyre (marked white), three sets of the medium tyre (marked yellow), and eight sets of the soft tyre (marked red), as well as the green intermediate tyre and the blue full wets, should they be required.

‘Tyres’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...vwNB6qIPI.html


Ferrari shed light with Carlos Sainz absent from Saudi Arabian Grand Prix media duties
06 Mar 2024 2:35 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has been excused from Wednesday media duties ahead of the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Ferrari has confirmed that the Spaniard is feeling “unwell” and has therefore returned to his hotel. “Carlos is not feeling well and has gone back to the hotel,” his team confirmed.

Sainz then expects McLaren to be contending at the front of the grid in Saudi Arabia. “Let’s see the differences first,” Sainz said of the Saudi Arabian GP. “We go with this new 2024 car so it will be a bit of a surprise for everyone to see where we are.”

“I expect the cars like the McLaren, last year they were very good in high speed circuits, to be competitive there but you know our car has also improved in the high speed so hopefully we can be also stronger.”

“Carlos is not feeling well”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...x-media-duties


Leclerc bleak over Ferrari's Jeddah F1 chances
Ferrari opened the new Formula 1 season with a podium at the Bahrain Grand Prix but Charles Leclerc has hinted that Saudi Arabia will be a more tricky affair.
6 March 2024, 4:55PM
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

Charles Leclerc has hinted that Ferrari will be further from the front-running pace in Saudi Arabia compared to the season-opening round in Bahrain. Leclerc missed out on pole position by two-tenths of a second last time out in Bahrain before his car was hit with brake issues during the Grand Prix.

However, teammate Carlos Sainz showed strong pace and climbed to third place in the final classification. The second round of the campaign takes place at a much different venue with Jeddah's F1 track offering the drivers a high-speed challenge around a street track configuration.

Speaking to media including RacingNews365, Leclerc conceded: “I don’t think this [track characteristic] is our main strength, I felt like it was more the medium-speed [corners] where we were strong. I think also we have historically always been strong in Bahrain. So I would prefer to wait a few more races to see what are our weaknesses and what are our strong points as it’s probably too early to say for now.”

‘Ferrari will be further from the front-running pace’;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-bl...dah-f1-chances

[Fortitude]

2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – What the Teams are Saying ahead of the Weekend – Part 2.
The FIA Formula 1 World Championship is back in Jeddah this weekend for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, for the second part of the season opening double header.
March 6, 2024
By Joe Briley
The Checkered Flag

Five teams are yet to score points, after missing out at Bahrain. With the likes of Oracle Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren F1 Team competing at the front and in the top ten, it’s likely that only a handful of positions in the points will be available to teams in the midfield. Amongst others, Visa Cash App RB will be wanting to get their first points on the board after showing promise at the Bahrain Grand Prix – Daniel Ricciardo topped the first practice session on Thursday morning.

‘What the Teams are Saying ahead’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...eekend-part-2/


Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Ferrari wants to show their potential
March 6, 2024
Erika Di Guido
Last Word On Sports

After Bahrain, Ferrari expects to perform better at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. Fred Vasseur: “I expect to still be among the best”. Last week, after the race in Sakhir, Vasseur spoke about the second Grand Prix of the season: “In Jeddah we are expected from a completely different test bench. We want to check how the SF-24 will be on a track that is so different”.

He then added: “Charles and Carlos have always been at ease between the barriers of Jeddah Corniche. I expect to still be among the best”. The TP was ready to point out how close the other teams are, but he still aims to gain “important results with both drivers, both in qualifying and the race”.

At the press conference before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc commented about his issue on the last GP and said that he doesn’t think it will happen in Jeddah too. About this Grand Prix, he said: “We are optimistic, in the first race we couldn’t express our true potential, and we hope we can get closer to Max compared to Bahrain”.

‘Ferrari wants to show their potential’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsp...eir-potential/


2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Weekend Warm-Up
06 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Laura Winter and guests Julien Simon-Chautemps and Ariana Bravo take a look at the latest news and forecasts ahead of the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.

‘Weekend Warm-Up’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...783645673.html


First pictures from the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend
6th March 2024, 17:26
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Pictures from the build-up to the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

‘First pictures’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/06/...-prix-weekend/


“No evidence” Hamilton’s seat was broken in Bahrain – Mercedes
7th March 2024, 0:01
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

Hamilton was heard complaining his seat was “broken” during the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend but Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, says there was “no evidence” of anything wrong with his seat after inspection. “We obviously got the car back, checked the seat straight away, and the seat was fine,” Shovlin said in a video published by the team.

“The seats are obviously designed to be able to be lifted out because in the event of an accident, the driver comes out in his seat. And ultimately, the thing that holds the seat in the car is the driver who’s strapped into his seat belts.”

“The only thing we can think is that if Lewis was ever so slightly loose, he moved a bit and maybe the seat came up, had a little bit of motion and dropped down again, because looking at it afterwards, there’s no evidence that anything’s broken, that it was in the wrong position.”

“No evidence”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/03/07/...nd-up-07-03-7/


F1 Live: Saudi Arabia GP Free Practice 1 - Watchalong - Live Timings + Commentary
Scheduled for Mar 7, 2024
Racing Statistics

F1 Live: Saudi Arabia GP Free Practice 1 - Watchalong - Live Timings + Commentary F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary for the 2024 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBSLC30K1zA

[Fortitude]

Saudi Arabian GP: Verstappen leads tight field in opening practice.
Max Verstappen took charge from the outset in Saudi Arabia, the Red Bull driver leading Thursday’s opening practice at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit from Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and teammate Sergio Perez.
07/03/2024 at 14:47
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

The Dutchman’s edge equated to just 0.186s while 0.371s separated the top five runners. Behind the leading trio, George Russell provided Mercedes with a decent start in fourth place while Charles Leclerc led Ferrari’s early efforts, the Monegasque followed in sixth place by teammate Carlos Sainz

With ten minutes left on the clock, Alonso opted to show his hand, the Spaniard carrying his Aston up to P2, 0.186s behind Verstappen. The session thus concluded with positions unchanged among the top five, with Verstappen leading Alonso, Perez, Russell and Leclerc, with Sainz, Norris, Hamilton , Stroll and Albon closing out the top ten.

Once again it was a tight field with just 0.371s separating the top five, and like n Bahrain it was a relatively slow start for Ferrari. So one would expect the Scuderia to creep up the order later today under the floodlights.

‘Verstappen leads tight field in opening practice’;

https://f1i.com/news/501831-saudi-ar...-practice.html


Saudi Arabian GP: Free Practice 1 Results
8 March 2024
by Speedcafe.com

Full results from Free Practice 1 from the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff

1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 23 1:29.659

2 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 24 1:29.845 0.186

3 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 22 1:29.868 0.209

4 63 George Russell Mercedes 22 1:29.939 0.280

5 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 23 1:30.030 0.371

6 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 23 1:30.164 0.505

7 4 Lando Norris McLaren 25 1:30.231 0.572

8 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 20 1:30.236 0.577

9 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 17 1:30.580 0.921

10 23 Alex Albon Williams 25 1:30.747 1.088

‘Full results from Free Practice 1’;

https://speedcafe.com/saudi-arabian-...ice-1-results/


Saudi Arabian GP: Worry for Red Bull rivals as Max Verstappen tops first ’24 practice in FP1
07 Mar 2024 2:35 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Max Verstappen and Red Bull shrugged off their practice woes from Bahrain to get their set-up spot-on in Saudi Arabia as the reigning World Champion set the pace ahead of his team-mate Sergio Perez. But while F1 fans could note another P1 for Verstappen, fourth-placed George Russell was only 0.28s down.

Slapping on soft tyres for the second half of the session, Lando Norris laid down a 1:30.4 but that was pipped by Verstappen’s 1:30-flat. And then came Russell, pipping Verstappen by 0.003s, prompting a smile from his team boss Toto Wolff. The reigning World Champion upped his pace to a 1:29.6 to pull three-tenths clear of Russell.

At a time when Ferrari’s debris woes were in full force, Charles Leclerc picked up a bag but still went third. Fernando Alonso then jumped up into second place. As the drivers switched to race run, Verstappen’s 1:29.6 stood as the time to beat ahead of Alonso, Perez, Russell, and Leclerc in a traffic-jammed final 15 minutes.

‘Worry for Red Bull rivals’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/saudi-...024-fp1-report


Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: F1 Free Practice 1 results
F1 has landed in Saudi Arabia for round two of the F1 season as the drivers are set to face the winding streets of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit
March 7, 2024
Oliver Brindle
FormulaNerds

Formula 1 returned to Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the fourth time ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The first practice session saw Verstappen top the timesheets as Alonso and Perez followed to claim second and third, respectively.

Verstappen is aiming for his 100th podium: The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is well known for its high-speed corners and length being only 800 metres shorter than Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps; this results in drivers racing close to the limit, with Each of the last three races in Jeddah having featured a safety car.

Max Verstappen will be looking to continue his fast start to the season and his form around the streets of Jeddah. The Dutchman has appeared on the podium at every Saudi Arabian GP. However, if the Red Bull driver and current championship leader can make it onto the podium, it will be his 100th F1 career podium.

‘F1 Free Practice 1 results’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/sa...ice-1-results/


2024 F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 results
Check out the full results from the first Free Practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
7 March 3:31PM
RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen has ended the opening practice session of this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the top of the timesheets, courtesy of setting a 1:29.659s. The second round of the 2024 season got underway on Thursday afternoon at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit with 60 minutes of running ahead of the important second practice session in the evening.

Behind Verstappen was Fernando Alonso, who was just under two-tenths of a second slower than the Dutchman. Last year's Saudi Arabian GP winner Sergio Perez set the third quickest time. Completing the top five was George Russell and Charles Leclerc, whilst seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton was down in eighth.

‘Free Practice 1 results’;

https://racingnews365.com/2024-f1-sa...tice-2-results


‘I am sure’: Alain Prost now makes pole position prediction for Saudi Arabia Grand Prix
Thu 7 March 2024 06:00
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Former F1 world champion Alain Prost has now shared his prediction for who he thinks will start from pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The first race of the season was a walk in the park for Max Verstappen as he completed another Grand Slam. Speaking to Racing News 365, Prost is struggling to look past the 26-year-old to start from the front in Jeddah on Saturday.

Prost thinks Red Bull are set to dominate F1 again: Speaking about the Dutchman matching his record in Bahrain, he said: “It was great that Verstappen took pole position and I am sure that now number 34 will soon follow.

“Probably already at the next Grand Prix [he will get his 34th pole]. “I think Red Bull is going to dominate this year. The rest might get a little closer, but in the end, Red Bull will still be too strong. Ferrari will also not be strong enough to win the world title.”

‘I am sure’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ala...ia-grand-prix/