We’ve brought together all the latest news from the exciting world of Formula 1. From race results and driver standings to team developments and behind-the-scenes stories, we have everything you need to keep up to date with the latest developments in the sport. Immerse yourself in the fast-paced events and key moments of the current Formula 1 season.
Alonso aims to bounce back in Monaco after 19th place at ‘difficult’ Imola weekend
Fernando Alonso has set himself the goal of having a ‘perfect Saturday’ next time out in Monaco after a difficult Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
Alonso’s troubles began when he crashed his Aston Martin during Saturday’s practice session, raising questions about whether the car would be repaired in time for qualifying.
After crashing into the gravel in the first segment of qualifying, Alonso attempted to improve his time in the last minute of the session but remained in 20th and last place before moving up to 19th when Logan Sargent’s time was deducted.
The two-time world champion started Sunday’s race from the pits, with his Aston Martin undergoing some late set-up changes, and the race ended up becoming an extended test session for the team.
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Reflecting on what the team learnt about the AMR24 during the race – a weekend where they brought the upgrades – Alonso explained: ‘We need to wait and look at all the data we collected today and ask the team what they saw, how the cars are different.’
‘It will be the same in Monaco, so we need to make that perfect Saturday, which will obviously make it easier on Sunday.’
Albon explains the wheel nut problem and penalty that ruined his Imola race
Alex Albon has explained the wheel nut problem that saw his race end early in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, when the Williams driver was forced to make a second pit stop and also received a penalty
Reflecting on when he realised his race was effectively over, Albon later explained: ‘I was hoping for a safety car and then a NASCAR-style car! But it didn’t really work out, it all led to us being two laps behind after the penalty, so it wasn’t ideal in the end.
‘Everything was more or less in the pit lane, but as soon as I got up to speed and braked into Turn 1, I felt too much vibration. The wheel nut… it wasn’t fully screwed on, although there was only a little bit of play, so it was safe enough to come back, but not safe enough to race,’ said Albon.
Aston Martin updates make the car difficult to drive
The British team is still disappointing with its results.
Following the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, which ended with the victory of Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, Aston Martin earned only two points: Lance Stroll finished ninth, while Fernando Alonso was last.
According to the British team principal Mike Crack, the upgrades that were brought to Imola probably went far from being beneficial.
‘It’s difficult to do well in Imola when you start from where we started. We came away with two points, which I think is a pretty good result. It shows that the car is still capable of a lot,’ Krack was quoted as saying by Motorsport.
‘But we also saw that the car is difficult to drive. We had some bad moments over the weekend. Yesterday’s incident really affected us the most, because from then on we were really in a difficult position.’
‘We wanted to find out more, so we decided to start from the pit lane, making changes to the car to see if we could do something better. We wanted to achieve more from what we had done.’
After seven racing rounds, Aston Martin has earned 44 points, which allows the team to take fifth place in the Constructors’ Cup.
Alonso: For me, it was the most boring race in history
Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso criticised the race in Imola.
‘It was clear from the start that the race would go like this. Of course, you hope that there will be a safety car, a red flag or something else that can change the race. But, as always, if you start last, you have the most boring race in history.
We need to wait, look at all the data we have collected and ask the teams what they see as the difference between the two cars. We have chosen two different settings for this race. Let’s see if we find the right direction for the next few weekends,’ said Alonso.
Hamilton: Mercedes has taken a small step forward
The Mercedes driver praised the team’s performance in Imola.
‘Overall, my race was good. I had one unpleasant moment that cost me about five seconds, but my race pace was strong overall – I’m happy with how it went. I made a good start and it was important that I got ahead of Tsunoda. After that, I could continue the first part of the race, which allowed me to implement the strategy with one pit stop.
This weekend we made a small step forward, we added some speed. Unfortunately, it was a little bit masked by the step forward made by the others – McLaren and Ferrari. We will continue to attack to bring new updates that can increase the speed. Until then, we’ll make sure we get as many points as we can,’ Hamilton promised.
Wolff: We specifically asked Russell to skip Hamilton
The head of Mercedes Toto Wolff explained the situation.
‘His lap times were getting worse and worse, and our prediction was that he wouldn’t last to the end, and we didn’t want to give up the position to Perez. We would have been three or four laps short.
Lewis would probably have passed him anyway. The bottom line is that we were fighting for sixth and seventh place and wanted to get past Red Bull. It was a safe decision,’ said Wolff.
Prime Minister of Thailand held talks on holding the Grand Prix in the country
The chances of seeing a new track in the near future are increasing.
Thai Prime Minister Settha Thavisin personally held talks with the FIA about holding the Grand Prix, Autosport writes.
The official attended the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and held talks with the FIA leadership and Stefano Domenicali.
The Thai authorities support the organisation of the country’s first ever Grand Prix, which is likely to take place in 2027 or 2028.
‘In line with the Thai government’s intention to attract F1 racing to Thailand in the near future, I visited the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Autodromo and held talks with FOM leaders,’ Thaksin said on social media.
Sains hopes to solve Imola’s problems
Carlos Sainz was disappointed with his performance at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, so the Spaniard is keen to investigate the issues ahead of Monaco
The Ferrari driver managed to keep Piastri behind at the start of the race, but Oscar regained the position after the Scuderia pit stop.
As a result, Sainz crossed the line in a lonely fifth place, eight seconds behind McLaren’s Piastri and just under 13 seconds ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile, teammate Charles Leclerc took third place and climbed to the Ferrari podium at Imola for the first time since 2006.
‘I think for my part, I just struggled all weekend to be honest,’ Sainz recalled after the race. ‘After qualifying, we found a few issues with the car that probably held us back a little bit today, and it wasn’t a very strong weekend at home before the tifosi.’
‘Now we need to see how we can resolve them and take a step forward in Monaco. At the same time, when you look at Charles, I think if we had started up front… The race pace is not bad at all, we just need to find something in qualifying.’
Asked if the issues identified with his car were a concern at all – as Ferrari has made significant upgrades – Sainz explained: ‘No, they are not related to the updates. It’s just something we need to investigate thoroughly and I’m pretty sure we’ll find a solution.’
Russell: I won’t be offended by Hamilton’s loss of position at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
George Russell didn’t seem too concerned after losing a position to Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix following a pit stop
It was a mostly quiet day for the Silver Arrows at Imola. When the race started, Russell held on to his sixth place starting position, while Hamilton gained ground, moving up from eighth to seventh.
The two drivers then spent most of the Grand Prix in these positions before Russell was unexpectedly called into the pits in the closing laps to fit a set of semi-soft tyres. Although this dropped him to a position behind Hamilton, it allowed the 26-year-old to earn an extra point for setting the fastest lap of the race.
Asked to explain the decision later, Russell replied: ‘I’m not really sure. The reason is I need to talk to the team, but I think we were a little bit concerned about the tires.’
‘In the end, as a team, we have one extra point. Obviously, I lost a position to Lewis, but that’s not something I’m going to be lamenting tonight. It was a bit of a lonely race for us.’
Although Mercedes was unable to match Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, as well as the McLaren and Ferrari cars ahead, Russell believes the team has taken a step forward despite the additional work still required.
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