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On Sunday, July 28, 2024, at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the Belgian Grand Prix will take place, marking the fourteenth race of the Formula 1 World Championship. For this Grand Prix, Pirelli, the sole tire supplier, offers the choice between C2, C3, and C4 compounds, while the FIA confirms the two traditional Drag Reduction System (DRS) zones in use since the 2013 edition of the race when the world's motorsport governing body decided to increase the number of DRS zones at Spa-Francorchamps to two, from the single zone used from 2011, the year the device was introduced to the category, until the following season, to promote overtaking. Drivers can activate the rear wing DRS on the long straight between Turn 4 and Turn 5, with the detection point set before the second corner, and on the main straight of the pit lane, the new additional section introduced later, with the detection point set before Turn 18. Compared to the previous edition, the activation point for the DRS zone on the long straight between Turn 4 and Turn 5 has been moved further down. Previously set 230 meters after Turn 4, it is now positioned 305 meters after the same turn. Compared to the 2023 edition, the circuit has undergone some modifications. A new asphalt layer has been laid from the exit of Turn 17 to the entrance of Turn 2, from the exit of Turn 4 to the entrance of Turn 8, from the entrance of Turn 14 to the exit of Turn 15, and throughout the fast lane in the pit lane. A new access has been installed between Turn 1 and Turn 2 on the left side. Drainage has been improved between Turn 2 and Turn 3 on the left side in the run-off area, and at Turn 9. A new combined curb has been installed on the left side at Turn 9. A new opening has been added at Turn 16 on the right side. The guard rails have been replaced with concrete walls and standard-compliant fences in front of the MP4C marshal post for a length of 100 meters, in front of MP5 for 120 meters, in front of MP7B for 100 meters, in front of MP13 for 100 meters, in front of MP14 for 210 meters, and in front of MP15 for 450 meters. A new concrete wall has been installed at the entrance of Turn 12 on the right side.
The white line at Turns 1, 7, 14, and 15 on the left side has been moved further left to reduce the distance between it and the end of the curb, and the one at Turns 9 and 13 on the right side has been moved further right, for the same reason. At the third meeting of the F1 Commission this year, held two days after the previous Hungarian Grand Prix, on Monday, July 23, 2024, it was unanimously decided that the points zone would not be extended beyond the tenth classified driver. In the interest of the drivers' well-being, it was decided to increase the minimum weight of the driver and seat from 80 to 82 kg in 2025, and consequently, the minimum weight of the cars has been increased from 798 to 800 kg, without fuel. The decision was made to avoid penalizing taller drivers, while those under the set weight will need to reach 82 kg by adding ballast. Costs related to maternity and paternity leave, sickness, and team entertainment will be excluded from the budget cap. The 2026 pre-season tests will be spread over nine days, divided into three events of three days each. The strategic goal of the 2026 regulations, which is to achieve fast and close racing that continues to engage fans, was reiterated. On October 17, 2024, during the world council meeting, an update on the 2026 sporting and technical regulations will be presented. Additionally, on October 2, 2024, an extraordinary meeting of the F1 Commission will be held to discuss issues related to the 2026 World Championship. On the eve of the Belgian Grand Prix, Audi announces a major internal management overhaul as it prepares to enter Formula 1 in 2026. Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann are both removed from the project, while the former Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari, Mattia Binotto, is appointed as the new head, taking charge from August 1, 2024. Preparations for entering the highest class of motorsports are going full speed ahead at Audi. As part of the complete takeover of all shares in Sauber Holding AG and the associated realignment of the control structure, the management of the future Audi factory team is now being renewed. On August 1, the former F1 team head Mattia Binotto is joining the Audi F1 project and will take on its leadership in Hinwil. Says Gernot Döllner, CEO of AUDI AG:
"I am delighted that we have been able to recruit Mattia Binotto for our ambitious Formula 1 project. With his extensive experience of more than 25 years in Formula 1, he will undoubtedly be able to make a decisive contribution for Audi".
Following his university degree in mechanical engineering at EPFL in Switzerland, the Italian immediately joined the F1 test team of Ferrari in 1995. He subsequently had various positions, from chief engineer to manager of the engine department and technical director.
In 2019 he was additionally appointed as team head of Scuderia Ferrari. In future, Mattia Binotto will be Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer (COO and CTO) in the leadership team of Sauber Motorsport AG, with responsibility and accountability for the operative management and sporting success of the racing team. Mattia Binotto will report to the Board of Directors of Sauber Motorsport AG. The decision for Mattia Binotto is part of the realignment of the control structure for the future Audi factory team. This realignment ensures the autonomy and independence of the Audi F1 project. In this context, Audi is reorganizing the management team for its F1 activities. Says Gernot Döllner, who will take the position of chairman of the Board of Directors of Sauber Motorsport AG in future:
"Our aim is to bring the entire Formula 1 project up to F1 speed by means of clear management structures, defined responsibilities, reduced interfaces, and efficient decision-making processes. For this purpose, the team must be able to act independently and quickly".
Oliver Hoffmann, previously Chairman of the Boards of Directors of all Sauber companies, and Andreas Seidl, previously CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG and Sauber Technologies AG, are leaving the project as part of the realignment. Gernot Döllner:
"I would like to thank Oliver and Andreas for their important work in establishing our entry into Formula 1 and their commitment in preparing it".
A leadership change that perplexes industry insiders, except Nico Hulkenberg. The German driver does not hide his surprise at what happened but does not seem worried.
"Seidl and Hoffmann? They are the two people with whom I had concluded the deal. That's that. Obviously, it was an unexpected change. On the day of the announcement, I was informed of the group's decision by Gernot Döllner (Audi CEO) in person. It’s a decision by the group that wants to change for the future. I think that in big projects like this, there are obviously certain people in management who are pillars, but projects are never reliant on just one or two people. In F1, everyone is replaceable".
Nico Hulkenberg also talks about his relationship with Mattia Binotto:
"I obviously know Mattia, but I have never worked with him. But that will change in a few months. I have already spoken to him. Worried? No, I'm not. It was obviously a bit of a shock, but now it's back to work. I look forward to participating in the project and creating a success story with Audi. The fact that two people who were by my side are no longer here is perhaps a bit sad, but I am more interested in the project, joining F1 with Audi, and making it a success story".
On Friday, July 26, 2024, Alpine also announced the separation with Team Principal Bruno Famin at the end of August. He confirmed the rumors that had emerged in recent days and officially announced his departure from the project, at least as far as Formula 1 is concerned:
"Briatore? I have no issues with him. At the end of August, I will leave the position of Team Principal to focus on activities in Viry-Châtillon".
The next Team Principal who could replace him, identified by Flavio Briatore, is Oliver Oakes. Before announcing his departure, Bruno Famin also talked about the delicate issue regarding the Power Units, confirming the team's intention to become a customer of a different supplier from Renault starting from the 2026 season.
"Power Unit? We have presented a project to transform the brand. It involves reallocating resources from the development of the F1 PU to the development of new technologies for the brand. The team would purchase the engines instead of making them in-house. The purchase of the PU would start in 2026. Nothing is decided yet though; in France, there are very strict social procedures to follow. We cannot announce anything officially until we have done so. The project to develop the Alpine brand is very clear. The point for the Renault Group is how to best use the resources we have. Timing for engine purchases? We need to finish the social procedures. It could take two weeks or two months. According to the presented project, every single employee will continue to have a job".
No Formula 1 team is experiencing internal chaos comparable to that faced by the French team in recent months. The plan, spearheaded by the team's new consultant Flavio Briatore, was supposed to become operational as early as 2025, but it understandably triggered a furious reaction from the workforce at the Viry-Châtillon factory. The change of power units should happen more calmly starting from the 2026 season, taking advantage of the change in technical regulations. But to contest this decision, and more generally all the behavior of the Alpine and Renault management in recent years, a former employee of the team speaks out: Pierre Chauty, who worked from June 2020 to October 2022 as the team’s Legal Manager. In a scathing post on LinkedIn, Chauty addresses Renault CEO Luca De Meo and former Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, using the words spoken by Alain Prost at the time of his departure from the team:
"I am deeply discouraged and irritated by Alpine's recent decision to abandon Renault F1 engines in favor of Mercedes. As a former employee, this outcome particularly affects me. This situation is the direct result of Luca de Meo’s disastrous leadership as CEO of the Renault Group. De Meo’s inability to recognize and correct the mistakes made by Laurent Rossi for over two and a half years is unforgivable. De Meo's lack of acknowledgment of his own failures and poor judgment in appointing Rossi have significantly harmed Alpine and the entire Renault Group. Additionally, De Meo didn’t even have the courage to announce the end of F1 engine production himself, reflecting his cowardice and evasion of responsibility. Speaking of cowardice, Laurent Rossi’s tenure as CEO of Alpine is another example of poor leadership and a total lack of humanity. He fired numerous employees for purely political reasons, targeting those he deemed too close to the previous management, without even having the decency to speak to them in person, leaving the dirty work to Human Resources (and, of course, with no consideration for the relevant departments). Rossi’s disregard for internal compliance policies and his poor ethical standards have further aggravated the situation. His decisions led to a significant loss of talent and experience, putting the brand and the F1 team in the current predicament. Alain Prost publicly denounced Rossi for his incompetence and arrogance, emphasizing how his leadership hindered the team’s progress. Alain’s criticisms resonate with many of us who witnessed the internal turmoil firsthand. I appreciate his efforts to bring these issues to light, as he was the only person with enough legitimacy and notoriety to get the right attention (not to mention the legal freedom to do so…). In my last months working at Alpine, I raised numerous ethical concerns and questioned the direction we were heading. I even considered going to the media, but at the time, no one seemed to care. Looking back, I regret not taking more decisive action, which could have brought more attention to the mismanagement and perhaps avoided some of these missteps, though I am cynical enough to believe that no one would have really cared, and the only positive effect would have been on my ego. Apart from personal considerations, Alpine's partnership with Mercedes could bring technical benefits, but the human consequences are disastrous. The loss of skilled and experienced personnel is a setback from which Alpine and potentially the Renault Group will not recover, and the impact on the over 500 employees of Viry-Châtillon, including many contractors who will be laid off almost immediately without any safety net, is heartbreaking".
The five-year stint with Alpine does not end in the best way for Esteban Ocon, as the French driver's contract was not renewed due to internal tensions with his teammate, Pierre Gasly.
Because of this, Ocon started looking for a team willing to sign him, and on Friday, July 26, 2024, he announced that he had accepted an offer from Haas:
"We had three or four meetings to discuss many things. But I was convinced from the first moment. Of all the options I had on the table, this was by far the most interesting".
The role of the Team Principal of the American team, Ayao Komatsu, seems to have been decisive:
"Since he took over the project, I became interested. He is a concrete man, with great experience in motorsport and F1. He knows how to manage a team and a group of engineers. Also, I have already worked with him when I first entered F1 (at the time of the Lotus Academy). Haas is a team of 300 people that is achieving better results than others with double or triple the staff. And the project is ambitious, although it will take time".
For Esteban Ocon, being able to formalize his future is undoubtedly very important. The French driver can thus regain his peace of mind:
"In Formula 1, no driver is 100% sure of their future. Personally, I am very happy with my choice, to be able to continue with a great project and to move on from this crazy year".
Talking about Alpine, Ocon says:
"I would have liked to do more. Many things were forgotten and not taken seriously. We were not listened to, it happened to Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo, and also to me".
He concludes by talking about the possibility of moving to Williams Racing starting in August 2024:
"It's no secret, it was part of the discussions in 2025, and I was curious to see if I would adapt to the car. But leaving the team this way is no longer an option; I want to end on a positive note. And next year, I will be with Haas, where they listen to me, I feel loved and wanted".
At the end of the previous Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren Racing celebrated a one-two finish (first and second place), a result that had not happened since 2021. However, few talked about it, as Lando Norris - during the Grand Prix - hesitated excessively to let Oscar Piastri pass after taking the first place thanks to the team’s strategy. After the podium ceremony, Norris congratulated Piastri, but naturally, tensions were high. Four days later, the British driver expressed regret for his race management, admitting he should have let the Australian driver pass immediately and then fought for the first place on the track.
"Yes, it could have been handled slightly differently both from the team's perspective and my own, absolutely. I'm not proud of having overshadowed Oscar's moment, his first win in Formula 1, and the team's moment: we had a one-two and almost no one talked about it. We discussed it, both sides could have done things a bit better and a bit differently, but we've learned from it and hopefully, it will be better next time. Now I would let Oscar pass right away. It’s so stupid that I didn’t do it, because then we would have been free to race, and I would have tried to overtake him. Now it seems so simple, but it wasn’t something that crossed my mind at that moment. I could have done it, but I had a good pace and things were going well at that moment, but I knew I should have let him pass".
So he concludes:
"It was a bit stupid on my part not to let him go: it was very clear on our part, I knew I had to do it, but I waited too long and it became a much bigger problem than necessary. If I had let him go earlier, I would still have had the chance to try to win the race".
Lando Norris also talks about the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen might face a penalty for fitting the fifth Power Unit of the season:
"Do I think I'm favored along with Oscar? As a team, I have no idea. We were last weekend, yes, I think we can safely say that for the first time we were the best team regarding Hungary. But otherwise, I couldn't say".
From his first podium in Formula 1 in the Sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix in 2023 to his first victory in the circus: a year has passed since these two standout results achieved by Oscar Piastri, with McLaren consistently growing to become the most anticipated team ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, where they arrive following a one-two finish in Hungary with the young Australian driver atop the podium and teammate Lando Norris in second place. The atmosphere seems apparently calm within the British team's box, as reiterated by the Australian driver:
"We are both on the same terms, so it’s all good. I believe there is still a lot of respect between us. We know it's good for both of us, so we’re still fine. I wasn’t surprised that Lando wanted to maintain the race lead because he's a driver who has won a Formula 1 race. It’s natural to want to do that and give yourself all the opportunities. Maybe it went on a bit longer than I expected, but I think we’ll discuss it as a team to ensure more opportunities to race each other with things done a bit differently. As a team, we discuss many things, but you can't plan every single scenario. In this case, there were nuances that put us in an unprecedented position before the race. We always have to remember that strategic decisions, like the timing of the second pit stop, are made considering the team's ambitions. As I said, if we were racing each other and didn't have anyone else behind to worry about, the pit stop order would have been completely different, I’m sure".
How to make up 76 points to Max Verstappen in eleven races? Lando Norris is asking himself this question, especially after losing 7 points in Hungary by letting Oscar Piastri pass. A decision imposed by the team, for which the Brit takes all the blame, but which was not shared by all experts. According to the latter, Norris cannot afford to lose points, while McLaren should choose to sacrifice Piastri to give the best opportunities to the British driver. But Lando Norris disagrees. The British driver believes the team was right to impose him to move back to second place in Hungary:
"I still have to earn the lead driver position. I still have to drive faster than everyone else. I don’t think anything changes now. I don’t understand why suddenly a driver has to be disadvantaged, we’ve never done that as a team. We’re only halfway through the season and there’s still a long way to go. Maybe we can do it later, but it’s a decision yet to be made. I shouldn’t have driven the race, Oscar took me off the line and controlled it well. That’s how it went. If Oscar was leading the whole race, there was no reason to suddenly ask him to let me pass. I don’t know at what point we’ll make a choice, if I’m 10 or 15 points behind (the first position, ed.). It’s not up to me to decide. But when Oscar led the entire race and controlled it well, he deserved to win and he did".
Norris only criticizes the team for what he believes was a lack of clarity:
"I think the uncertainty from all parties created a much bigger problem than it was. But we still have a lot of trust and confidence in each other. I think that’s the foundation on which our team is built, and now we have another race. I don’t think I can blame the team, but more clarity would have been very helpful to me".
In Hungary, Oscar Piastri achieved his first win in Formula 1, but the way he managed to do it was not a gift, according to him, from his teammate:
"I’m not sure I can say he gave me the win, maybe he returned it to me. I know it wasn’t an easy position for him. We all want to win, so maybe it took a few more laps than I thought, but it happened anyway. I think it’s extremely easy, in the heat of the moment, while leading a race, to think selfishly, and I would have thought selfishly too. We race for McLaren knowing that certain decisions are made with the team in mind and that we race for the team".
An episode that prepares Oscar Piastri for different situations in the upcoming Grand Prix, where the Australian driver might give up his position, if not the win, to Lando Norris:
"I know it’s a possibility, of course I want to try to get as high as possible, but in the end, I repeat, I race for McLaren, and they have the final say. I’ll try to recover as many points as possible. Sure, we’re still at the beginning of the season, and I’m far behind in the drivers’ standings, but I’m not out of it yet, and it doesn’t take many races to find yourself in the same position as Lando. So, let’s see how things evolve. If they need me to play the team game and try to help Lando, of course, I will. But I think the most important thing is to try to score more points than all the teams and win the Constructors' World Championship. I believe that’s definitely the biggest opportunity we have, and we’ll see if there are more".
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is also clearly at the center of attention. The Dutch driver is asked to respond to the many topics that emerged during the Hungarian Grand Prix, which saw him decidedly nervous towards his team. What stands out is the decision and determination of the Dutch driver.
"From my side, I think it was pretty clear that I considered the strategy wrong. And naturally, I am very determined to seek perfection, like the other team members. Now every single race is very difficult; last year, we came close to perfection, but when things don't go as they should, I think it’s normal to share your frustration. And that’s what I did. We learned from it and moved on. Looking back at the weekend, some things we could have done differently, maybe at the setup level. And some others we still need to explore. I’m not saying the updates didn’t work, but maybe we weren’t able to extract everything that was there".
Talking about the team radios, the Dutch driver says:
"Anyone who doesn’t like my way of speaking, don’t listen to me. I am driven to success, and I think I’ve already demonstrated that. I always want to optimize things. Some may argue that I should behave differently on the radio, but that’s their opinion. At that moment, I wanted to point out that second place would have been a bit different; it goes like that. With the team, we are very open and very critical of each other, as a team. And this has always worked very well, and I don’t expect it to change. Being critical is very important. In today’s world, it seems that many people can’t tolerate criticism like they used to. And I don’t want to do the same. In other sports, people say things, but they don’t have a microphone attached to their mouths. For public broadcast, we can discuss it".
And he adds:
"But I don’t care, I say what I want. I hope that with the latest performances, everyone has woken up. We are always looking for improvements. As I said before, we try to optimize the car. I hope we can improve the situation we are in at the moment. If McLaren keeps winning, they would certainly be a threat. But we need to focus on ourselves; most of the time, we got the strategies right in recent years, even in critical races with rain. It happens to have a bad day, but learning from these situations is the most important thing".
In Budapest, Max Verstappen stayed up late at night playing with his teammates from the RedLine team on the iRacing platform. The Dutch driver left the simulator at 3:00 a.m., that is, on the night between Saturday and Sunday corresponding to the Hungarian Grand Prix, a race that saw him quite nervous both on and off the track. His nighttime activity also ended up in the midst of the controversy, so much so that Red Bull Racing’s external consultant, Helmut Marko, had to assure the media that he had reached an agreement with his driver: Verstappen would no longer run stints during the night hours. However, it seems it didn’t quite go that way.
"Yes, I was on the simulator until 3:00 a.m.. It’s not a new thing, and for me, it’s very important in my life. Now there are no other races coming up, so there’s no need to worry about this. There are always things to invent to have topics of discussion when you don’t win a race. But in Imola, I won both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, so it’s not new to me. I’ve been doing it since 2015. I’ve won three World Championships; I think I know pretty well what I can and cannot do. I’m always very strict with myself about what can and cannot be done. So, with all the experience I have in Formula 1, I think I know well what I can do. We talked about it, and I told the team they don’t need to worry. There is no ban, there are simply no other races scheduled. Certainly, I don’t tell others what to do in their free time, and the same goes for me".
In Hungary, moreover, Max Verstappen was involved in an incident with Lewis Hamilton. However, it seems that the two drivers have not had a chance to clear things up. In fact, the Dutch Red Bull Racing driver, greeting his rival in the mixed zone at the end of the race, had said to him:
"Let's talk later".
But did the meeting between the two drivers actually happen?
"In reality, we haven't talked".
Admits Lewis Hamilton.
"We went to the stewards and that's it. I don't know if we will. Maybe we'll talk later, but there might be more to say. We haven't had the time to do it. I was really very surprised that the stewards thought I could have done more to avoid the incident. I believe I was already very relaxed about the situation and had told myself it was just a racing incident and we had to move on. But one car had control and the other didn't at that moment. If you watch the replay, I'm very, very far from the apex of the corner at the end of the maneuver. I left a lot of space on the right side. So I was very, very surprised".
The Mercedes team is working hard to bring new technical updates. Even in Belgium, the Anglo-German team is bringing a novelty regarding the floor. It is admitted by the British driver himself, who says:
"This weekend we have an update, I can't wait to see what feelings I have on the track and take another step in the right direction. And it's interesting to see what awaits us in the next eleven races. I believe it is a very surreal moment. I never thought that, coming into Formula 1, I would reach these numbers. But as I said in the last race, when I see pictures from the past, I think of all those who have been part of this journey. I think that, moving forward, I will still feel great. I don't feel old, I still feel very young, full of energy, and excited. And I really enjoy working with the team in the right direction".
George Russell also confirms the presence of developments on the W15. The British driver believes that Mercedes can fight for victory in presumably cooler conditions more suitable to the car's characteristics compared to what happened in Hungary:
"I believe Budapest confirmed what we already knew before the weekend, that our performance is better in cooler conditions compared to warmer ones. Regarding Spa, I think rain is expected. As Lewis said, we have made some updates, which is really exciting, to see if we can take a step forward after what we did in Canada a few races ago. We want to challenge McLaren and Red Bull. I think that's what Formula 1 is about: we want to be in the fight, and it would be fantastic to be back there this weekend".
Now that Mattia Binotto has returned to Formula 1, heading up Audi’s project, many believe Carlos Sainz Jr. wants to move to Sauber in 2025 despite the current lack of competitiveness of their car. Certainly, Binotto’s arrival makes this destination more attractive, but Carlos Sainz Jr.’s priorities are Red Bull Racing and Mercedes:
"Could Audi become an opportunity for me again? Not really; I think my future is still being discussed and analyzed very carefully. There are changes within various teams that I’m considering for next year as well. These changes can certainly impact the driver market. I’m taking my time to make this decision, precisely to analyze all these changes without giving too many hints. Mattia has the experience necessary to build a team into a top team. He has been at Ferrari, he has that experience, and I think he can bring it to Audi. I’m sure he’s a great asset for them and I’m convinced that’s why they hired him, and of course, I wish him the best".
Turning to Scuderia Ferrari, the issue of porpoising has been evident for several races now, slowing down both of the Maranello team’s drivers. Repeating the success from five years ago seems an impossible mission for Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver knows this and admits that the win will likely be contested by Max Verstappen and the two McLaren drivers.
"It’s very hard to predict where we’ll be. I think at Spa the bouncing issue will probably be more pronounced, and if that’s the case, we might struggle a bit more. Otherwise, I believe we could have a rather strong weekend. But based on what we know, we think it might be a bit more difficult for us. At the moment, we’re not in a position to fight for wins. So, we need to focus solely on ourselves. McLaren has made a big step forward and is consistently beating us, so I don’t think that should be our goal for this weekend. However, we’ll be fighting with Mercedes, and especially at this point in the season, it’s about losing as few points as possible to the leaders, who are currently McLaren and Red Bull, and then capitalizing once we have the new parts on our car. I hope they arrive soon, so we can close the gap to these two teams and achieve a bit more consistency, which we’ve been lacking in recent races. I’m confident that the new parts we bring, though I won’t say when, will give us the performance we need".
While Ferrari’s Team Principal, Frédéric Vasseur, had suggested that the team would bring the floor used in Hungary to Belgium as well, Charles Leclerc seems to add that the decision will be made after the first free practices.
"We have a plan. I won’t go into details, but we definitely have several scenarios in mind. And, based on the limitations or lack thereof we encounter tomorrow, we’ll make the right decisions based on what we know. But I’m quite confident that we won’t need to change what we’ve started".
Finally, the Monegasque driver reflects on the first half of the season:
"I think it can be divided into two parts. The first part, in my opinion, was very positive, especially regarding the maximization of our car and our potential. Then there was a second part where we struggled more and didn’t fully exploit the potential of our car, especially after we arrived in Barcelona with the new parts. This pushed us to experiment a bit more for this second part, and in doing so, we lost points".
The Red Bull Racing team will use the fifth internal combustion engine (ICE) on Max Verstappen's car. This will result in a ten-position grid penalty for the race. Although not officially confirmed, Max Verstappen's statements made in the paddock on Thursday leave little doubt.
"It’s likely, yes. Of course, I knew it would happen, so it’s not a surprise to me. Obviously, on a street circuit, it’s not pleasant to take a penalty, so it’s very likely it will be here".
The Dutch driver, however, is considering the prospects of a possible comeback:
"If we look at the last two races, we haven’t been particularly fast. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that with a 10-position penalty we’ll have a chance to win. But races can turn around at any moment. We need to have an open mindset and try to get the best out of this situation. But at the moment, I don’t know how competitive we can be. There will be new asphalt in some places, and there are many unknowns, like the weather".
On Friday, July 26, 2024, the first free practice session is dominated by Max Verstappen, who will face a ten-position grid penalty due to the replacement of his fifth internal combustion engine unit. The Dutch driver is over 0.5 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri. The Red Bull Racing team focuses on a setup that favors cornering speed, while McLaren adopts an aerodynamic configuration that provides greater top speed on the straights. Alexander Albon finishes in third place, ahead of the two Mercedes drivers. Lewis Hamilton, in seventh place, suffers from severe porpoising, which forces him to interrupt his race simulation. Esteban Ocon does not set any timed laps due to a hydraulic issue. In the afternoon, at the end of FP2, Lando Norris leads Oscar Piastri by 0.2 seconds; the Australian driver also makes a small driving error. Max Verstappen, who had dominated the first session, is in third place, just 0.002 seconds behind Oscar Piastri's time. In this session, Red Bull Racing adjusts the aerodynamic setup, seeking greater top speed. Behind the top three, the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers are positioned ahead of George Russell. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Pérez appear to be struggling more. In theory, the timing couldn’t be better for McLaren Racing, especially with Max Verstappen facing a ten-position grid penalty. However, at the end of FP2, Lando Norris appears far from serene. The British driver looks grim and dissatisfied, despite having set the fastest time at the end of the first day of practice:
"For now, we’re doing well, but we’re all closely matched [in terms of times]. Red Bull seems very close at the moment. It’s tricky here, and I didn’t feel completely comfortable with the car today. There’s still work to be done for tomorrow to make me feel better. There are aspects to improve. I hope to find even more pace for tomorrow".
In the first two free practice sessions at Spa-Francorchamps, Lewis Hamilton complained about how bouncy his car was. Additionally, the Mercedes cars seem to be struggling both in qualifying pace and race pace. This Friday undoubtedly represents a step backward for the Anglo-German team, to the point that Lewis Hamilton (fifth in FP1 and tenth in FP2) is hoping for rain on both Saturday and Sunday.
"It’s been a rather tough day, I really don’t know what to say. The feeling in recent races has been great, but today was completely different. We worked on it: the first session didn’t go very well, but then in the second session we made some changes and started strong, but when I switched to the soft tires, I couldn’t improve, and there were some balance issues. The afternoon went better, but it was the same for everyone else. Being 1.2 seconds behind isn’t great. As for the weather? If it’s drier, we’re not in the best place right now, but we can definitely make changes overnight. I think if it rains, the competition will be a bit more open; hopefully, we can do a better job. I think the car should perform better in wet conditions than in dry ones".
The nervousness expressed by Max Verstappen during the recent Hungarian Grand Prix has created a tense atmosphere within the Red Bull Racing garage. To ease the tension, Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner seeks to facilitate a clarifying meeting between Max Verstappen and his track engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, and it seemed that harmony had returned between the two during FP1. At the end of the first day of practice, the English manager says:
"We’re simply using different components between Max and Checo, for the engine cover and the surrounding parts. The rest is the same. We’ve thought of a setup for these high-speed tracks, like Spa and Monza. Then we’ll return to the same setup as before in Zandvoort and Singapore, adjusting according to the circuit".
Regarding Max Verstappen’s recent nervousness, he adds:
"Firstly, FP1 was good, and that’s positive. Remember that in Hungary, Max had a high level of emotions from the first lap when he was pushed off in Turn 1. He’s very determined and thrives on these emotions, this passion. Things went wrong for him, and there was also that overtaking attempt. Our strategy was very much focused on overtakes, but they turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. Unfortunately, F1 drivers race with microphones on, and everything gets broadcasted. He is driven by these emotions when he drives, and that makes him the special driver he is. After the race, we discussed with his engineer and reviewed everything privately. There are always lessons to be learned".
Regarding the penalty:
"It won’t be easy to recover because the other cars are closer, and the races are more competitive. There aren’t the gaps that there were last year or a couple of seasons ago. Strategically, we decided to serve the penalties here because it would have been much harder at Zandvoort or Monza. It should be dry on Sunday, but recovering will be very difficult".
Finally, speaking about Sergio Perez’s future, Red Bull Racing’s Team Principal admits:
"Checo’s future is in his own hands. He needs to have a good weekend because we need his points for the Constructors’ Championship, and McLaren has caught up a lot in recent races. We need him to return to the level he showed in the first four or five races. For the next 11 races, we need to defend the Constructors’ title, so we need both drivers to score points, making experience crucial. Incidents and the budget cap add pressure. The team is working incredibly hard to bring new parts, and when there are incidents, it adds further pressure both on development and the budget cap. The team has done a great job to remedy this, and this is a critical phase for the championship; the next 4-5 races will be crucial".
Regarding Max Verstappen and his passion for the simulator, the English manager says:
"We’ve talked behind the scenes. Everyone is different, and you can’t compare Max to others. He knows exactly what we’re asking of him and what’s required from him to deliver the results we expect. We rely on his judgment. For me, the issue is very simple. There won’t be any more virtual races until the end of the year, so that’s fine".
At the end of the first day of free practice, Max Verstappen doesn’t seem too pleased with some changes that worsened his feeling during FP2. The Dutch driver is third in the standings, behind the two McLaren Racing drivers, and will face a ten-position grid penalty for replacing the ICE in his Power Unit. While Christian Horner is optimistic:
"We had a good Friday; the short runs were very good, and the long runs were okay. We tried a different setup to gather as much data as possible, and we succeeded. We’re there; Norris seemed to use a more aggressive engine mode, so we’ll use Piastri as a reference".
On the other hand, Red Bull Racing’s external advisor, Helmut Marko, appears more pessimistic:
"It will be very difficult; at the moment, we don’t seem to be in contention for the win, but we’ll see if the changes work. We’re the only ones who can compete with McLaren".
For his part, Max Verstappen explains:
"We tried different things. In the first and third sectors, we reach maximum speed, but then the middle sector is very long and requires cornering speed. Consequently, it’s very difficult to find the right balance. We have the data and will analyze it. I think we started quite positively today. The second session perhaps wasn’t as good as we wanted, so there are some things to review, especially with all the changes we made".
Few words are spoken about the rest of the weekend. For Verstappen, a strong qualifying performance will be crucial to minimize the grid drop and facilitate a comeback to contend for victory or a podium finish:
"We need to start a few positions back due to the engine penalty, so we still need to optimize some things".
And then there’s Perez. Another negative topic within the Red Bull Racing team is obviously Sergio Perez, who is called to make a strong statement to avoid being sidelined during the summer break. However, the Mexican driver finished FP2 in ninth place:
"In the middle sector, he loses too much time compared to Max and still needs to improve. Here, we need him to stay closer to Max and score a reasonable number of points".
The opening day of the Belgian Grand Prix concluded with a fourth and fifth place for Scuderia Ferrari after FP2. Charles Leclerc posted a faster lap time than his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr., but the Monegasque driver seemed to struggle more with race pace simulations, where the Spanish driver proved to be one of the fastest and most consistent. For this reason, in his analysis, Charles Leclerc doesn’t seem satisfied:
"A difficult day to understand, running with various setups and tires, with all the teams on their own run plans. We don’t yet have a clear picture, and with the expectation of rain tomorrow and dry conditions on Sunday, we will work to find the best compromise to extract the maximum on both days. It’s our last race before the holidays, so we will give it everything to finish it on a high".
Carlos Sainz Jr. finished the second practice session with the fifth-best time, but compared to his teammate, he gave a significantly better impression in the race pace simulation. The Spanish driver from Scuderia Ferrari was among the most consistent and admits he focused particularly on this aspect today.
"This year the track is really different from previous years due to the new asphalt. We had to adapt the car to these new grip conditions and its new bumps, but overall there is much more grip".
This condition, however, can have a significant impact on tire wear:
"We need to keep an eye on tire degradation, and race simulation was an important part of our program today. Tomorrow we will try to focus on maximizing the package we have and qualifying as high as possible".
Meanwhile, Frédéric Vasseur seems determined to emphasize his confidence in his team. There are many, perhaps too many, market rumors surrounding Scuderia Ferrari, which risk destabilizing a team of which the French manager is very proud of the work done over the past twelve months:
"If we compare the first twelve races of 2024 with those of 2023, in terms of victories, we are 2-0, in terms of podiums, 9-1, and we are at 60% more points than a year ago. I have full confidence in this group and I was a bit disturbed to read in the press that we might hire 20 people. This sends a very negative message to the people working in the company. Because you can imagine that someone with a position in the team reads in the newspapers that they might be replaced tomorrow: it’s not a great motivation. It’s certainly not the team’s goal. We are talking about the team’s image, and the people we have on track and in the factory are pushing very hard, and reading that they might be replaced is not correct and harms team spirit".
Regarding the names of Adrian Newey and Enrico Cardile, Frédéric Vasseur expresses a concept dear to him, that of the group:
"We are over 1000 people, and talking about one or two individuals, whether someone might come or go, doesn’t dramatically change the organization. I don’t feel much pressure. A different kind of pressure comes from the outside, from the media. Honestly, I don’t read newspapers, I don’t have Instagram, I don’t have Twitter, and I don’t watch TV. I’m quite isolated, while the people in the team are more exposed and reading these things doesn’t send a message of calm. If you want to do a good job, you need to feel the full confidence of the company".
Finally, Ferrari’s team principal, Frédéric Vasseur, analyzes the work done during the free practices:
"We are losing too much time on the straights. Everyone has experimented a lot and followed their own individual program; the results from free practice are difficult to interpret. Bouncing might reappear when lap times drop or as the wind increases. Just 2 or 3 km/h is enough to restart the oscillations".
The Belgian Grand Prix did not start under the best conditions for Mercedes. The Anglo-German team seems to be struggling after the introduction of the new floor. This modification has reignited the nightmare of porpoising to the extent that Lewis Hamilton does not even try to hide his disappointment, hoping for rain even during qualifying.
"Today wasn't our best day as the car wasn't feeling particularly strong. FP1 wasn't great and we worked on some changes for FP2. That initially improved the balance and it felt good, but once we put the Soft tyre on we struggled more. It was definitely an improvement overall, but others took a step forward to too. We've got some time to find overnight, and we will be aiming to do so. There could be some wet weather tomorrow so that good change things up. If it does rain, it will likely open things up a little bit and we can hopefully take advantage of that. Let's see what Saturday brings".
The day did not fully convince his teammate George Russell either, who finished fourth in FP1 and sixth in the subsequent session, but with performances still superior to Hamilton's and the hope for improvements in the upcoming sessions not yet gone:
"This year, the new asphalt has made the track even faster, but we have some work to do overnight to find a bit of time per lap. The McLarens and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull seemed to be a step ahead of us today. We need to analyze the data and work on the simulator in Brackley to hope for improvements and catch up with them. I’m sure we can do it".
The British driver therefore believes in progress ahead of qualifying, with potential rain providing an additional chance for Mercedes:
"Tomorrow will definitely be a very different day if we can improve. The forecast also predicts rain for tomorrow, and that will be an additional factor. Often we’ve had good Fridays and others have caught up with us on Saturday, so we hope to be the ones to do it this weekend".
On Saturday, July 27, 2024, the third free practice session is characterized by heavy rain. As a result, the Red Bull Racing team quickly sends their drivers out on track, with Max Verstappen setting a time that no other driver can match. Oscar Piastri, who finishes second in FP3, is nearly 1.5 seconds behind, and Pierre Gasly sets the third-best time. The rain intensifies, and Lance Stroll has an accident at Eau Rouge: after losing control, his car spins and crashes into the barriers. The session is interrupted, and the recovery vehicle takes several minutes to retrieve the car. Subsequently, due to the heavy rain, no drivers go back out on track. Some drivers use full wet tires only to prepare for the start. The heavy morning precipitation ends before the start of qualifying, but the track remains wet. However, rain is again forecasted at the start of qualifying, so drivers go out immediately to try to set a time with intermediate wet tires. Lando Norris sets a time of 1'58"894, a benchmark that is soon improved by Nico Hülkenberg, who sets a 1'58"787. Oscar Piastri goes even better with a 1'57"411, while Fernando Alonso places himself in second. Pierre Gasly sets the second-best time, while Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon is fourth. Sergio Pérez moves up to second before Max Verstappen lowers the benchmark to 1'56"003. The two Scuderia Ferrari drivers are in third position with Charles Leclerc and in ninth with Carlos Sainz Jr..
The two Mercedes drivers are also quick: Lewis Hamilton is third, while George Russell is fifth. Shortly after, Pierre Gasly moves back up to second. Meanwhile, Lando Norris, who had dropped dangerously down the order, climbs back up to fourth. Esteban Ocon also rises to fifth before Lewis Hamilton reclaims fourth place, with his teammate George Russell right behind him. Although rain has been repeatedly forecasted, it has yet to dampen the track, but drivers continue to circulate, hoping to find the best conditions to set a valid time. Yuki Tsunoda moves up to fifth, Sergio Pérez is second, while Daniel Ricciardo climbs to fourth. Shortly after, Charles Leclerc also moves up to second, while Oscar Piastri improves on Max Verstappen's benchmark and both Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz Jr. return to the top ten. Soon after, Max Verstappen returns to the track to regain the top spot with a time of 1'54"938. Lewis Hamilton is now third but is overtaken again by Pierre Gasly, while Esteban Ocon is fifth; Fernando Alonso is right behind him. Lando Norris is again at risk of elimination and is forced to put on a new set of tires. Shortly after, Sergio Pérez returns to fourth and Piastri to third, but once again Max Verstappen improves his time by nearly a second. George Russell then climbs to third, behind Charles Leclerc, while Oscar Piastri beats Max Verstappen's time before the Alpine drivers return to qualifying contention. With only a few seconds left in Q1, Nico Hülkenberg is in eleventh, Fernando Alonso seventh, and Valtteri Bottas eighth. This situation would lead to the elimination of Sergio Pérez, but he manages to set the fourth-best time. Daniel Ricciardo also completes one final attempt, moving up to eighth, as both Alex Albon and Lando Norris improve their times. The drivers who do not advance to Q2 are Nico Hülkenberg, Kevin Magnussen, Yuki Tsunoda, Logan Sargeant, and Guanyu Zhou. At the start of Q2, rain is expected to hit the track at any moment. The precipitation is confirmed by Max Verstappen via radio. The first reference time is set by Alexander Albon, who leads Esteban Ocon by 0.061s, while George Russell trails behind. Pierre Gasly is fourth, also behind Fernando Alonso. Lando Norris then takes on the task of improving the limit set by Alex Albon, with a time of 1'54"459. Lewis Hamilton sets the fifth fastest time before Daniel Ricciardo moves up to fourth.
Shortly after, Sergio Pérez takes fourth place. Soon after, Oscar Piastri posts the third fastest time before Max Verstappen manages to set a time of 1’53”857, moving into first position. Charles Leclerc, in the elimination zone, puts on a new set of tires, as does Lewis Hamilton. As time goes on, the situation becomes more complex as Sergio Pérez announces that the rain has intensified. Max Verstappen improves again, setting a time of 1'53"837, while George Russell moves up to fourth place. Lewis Hamilton is fifth, while Charles Leclerc sets the third fastest time, followed in the standings by Carlos Sainz Jr. Oscar Piastri, who made a small driving error, is still second. Subsequently, Daniel Ricciardo moves up to sixth position, and shortly after, Sergio Pérez sets the fourth fastest time. Now the two Mercedes drivers are at risk of elimination: however, George Russell sets the second fastest time and Lewis Hamilton the first. Towards the end of Q2, Fernando Alonso moves up to fifth place, while Alex Albon, in ninth, eliminates Pierre Gasly. Charles Leclerc returns to fifth place before being overtaken by Carlos Sainz Jr., who moves up to fourth. Sergio Pérez, on his last attempt, makes it into the top qualifiers. Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Daniel Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas, and Lance Stroll do not advance to Q3. In the third and final phase of qualifying, Lewis Hamilton sets a time of 1'54"011, while George Russell is 0.2s slower. Shortly after, Oscar Piastri stops just 0.016s behind Lewis Hamilton, despite being faster in the first two sectors. Lando Norris sets the fourth fastest time and manages to precede Fernando Alonso, who is fifth. Charles Leclerc records the sixth fastest time before Sergio Pérez sets the fastest time with a lap of 1’53"765. Soon after, the Mexican driver's time is widely beaten by Max Verstappen, who sets a time of 1’53”159, while Lewis Hamilton continues to lap but remains 0.007s behind Sergio Pérez. Lando Norris moves ahead of Oscar Piastri, climbing to fourth place. The two Red Bull Racing drivers, meanwhile, stop in the pits to put on a new set of tires. Carlos Sainz Jr. makes some driving errors in his second attempt but improves his time, remaining in seventh place. Charles Leclerc makes a significant improvement and moves to second place. The rain affects the final minutes of the session, so no driver makes further progress. Charles Leclerc claims his 25th career pole position, his second of the season after the one achieved at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Despite being the fastest overall, Max Verstappen's ten-place grid penalty drops him to 11th. Next to Charles Leclerc on the front row will be a revived Sergio Pérez, who qualifies third and, starting second, might even think about fighting for victory. The second row is occupied by Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, while Oscar Piastri and George Russell take the third row. Pole position with a significant margin and 11th on the grid: Max Verstappen completed his qualifying mission with a high-downforce setup that made the difference under the light rain that characterized Q1, Q2, and Q3 at Spa. The Dutch driver will move up from the middle of the pack, so he doesn’t believe he has much chance of replicating the comebacks of 2022 and 2023.
"It was a good qualifying; fortunately, the weather held up. Everything worked well, and the tires we used allowed us to set good times. In Q3, we didn’t know if the track would dry out, so we kept a set of intermediates, and fortunately, we got through the previous sessions without problems. I tried to make clean laps in the wet. It should be warmer tomorrow with no rain, so degradation will be an important factor. I’ll be starting from the back, but I did the best I could today. We don’t know how fast we’ll be tomorrow, but I hope we can make a comeback. Turn 1? Sometimes there’s chaos. We’ll try to make a good start and stay out of trouble. Winning? We’re not making it easy for ourselves. Tomorrow, in the dry, it will be tough; we’ll try to do our best. Hopefully, we can fight with Ferrari and Mercedes and maybe, with a bit of luck, also the McLarens".
Charles Leclerc is eager to achieve significant results. The Monegasque driver, after his triumph in Monaco, has not returned to the podium, due to difficulties with a Ferrari that has lost its way with the updates introduced since the Spanish Grand Prix. The floor correction made in Hungary has evidently improved the performance of the car, as the Monegasque driver achieved his 25th career pole position among the curves of Spa-Francorchamps.
"I don’t think I’ve ever lost my magic touch. In recent qualifying sessions, there were reasons why we went from one extreme to the other, from one session to the next, and of course, I suffer because I don’t know where the limit of the car is. Obviously, there was none of that today since conditions were the same for everyone. In Q3, I had a good lap and I’m happy, but I didn’t expect to be in second place: it went better than we expected so far, so I’m pleased".
What can this qualifying result lead to? It’s hard to say, as the Monegasque driver was never brilliant in the race pace simulations during free practice, even in direct comparison with Carlos Sainz Jr., while the McLaren drivers and Max Verstappen may recover. However, he wants to secure his seventh career win and will give his all from the first pass on the Kemmel Straight:
"McLaren seems to be on another planet this weekend, more so than in recent races; Red Bull is always strong, and then there’s us with Mercedes. But if we do everything perfectly, the first goal is to maintain the lead on the first lap, then manage the tires and try to win. Tomorrow, I’ll go with the mentality of winning, but that said, yesterday was a bit difficult, and we think we’ll struggle in the race: a podium would be a good result, but I’ll go with the mentality of winning and see how it ends. The race simulations we did weren’t great, but it’s also true that yesterday it was hard to understand the results because the plan was very different for everyone".
The biggest surprise undoubtedly comes from Sergio Pérez's performance. The Mexican Red Bull Racing driver, who seemed to be on the verge of being sidelined, instead solidified his position with an excellent qualifying session, earning him the third-fastest overall time, behind the unbeatable Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Max Verstappen's grid penalty obviously benefits Sergio Pérez, who will start from the front row and will have a chance to fight for a possible victory.
"I haven’t forgotten how to drive. Since Hungary, we’ve been making steps in the right direction. Hopefully, we can finish with a good result tomorrow. There are many drivers who recently haven’t maximized their potential, but the attention on me is greater. I think I was fast in both Q1 and Q2, but the issue was the order of going out on track. Am I more satisfied with the car this weekend? Not at the beginning. We tried different things. The balance at medium-to-high speeds was positive, it’s going in the right direction. I think the break comes at a good time for Red Bull; we have a lot to analyze. Even before updates, we need to understand how to get the balance in the right window".
Just when Sergio Pérez’s fate seemed sealed, the Mexican driver has emerged from the crisis. Sure, the race will be another matter, but for now, Red Bull Racing's external advisor, Helmut Marko, admits:
"It was really impressive; he was present in every session. I hope he can continue like this. For now, he’s ahead of the two McLarens, and if he can repeat this performance in the race, it would be really great. We’re happy with this grid because McLaren surprisingly wasn’t as strong in the rain. Now we can aim for the podium; I believe we have the top speed to overtake in the race".
While Max Verstappen will have to take a ten-place grid penalty due to the use of a fifth ICE on his car, he certainly hasn’t changed his approach to the weekend after the controversies following the Hungarian Grand Prix. There is no ban on using the simulator for practice and no excuses to the team: Max Verstappen, in wet qualifying, outpaced the nearest competitor, Charles Leclerc, by 0.6s on a track as challenging as Spa-Francorchamps.
"It will be important to be fast in the race. Qualifying went well, and we had good balance. McLaren was very strong in the dry and ahead of us, so staying close to them will be difficult. We will need some luck".
The World Champion also made some pointed remarks towards his critics:
"I felt good in the wet, and that gives me confidence. Last week, I drove a lot in the rain in the simulator, so virtual racing isn’t that wrong after all! Even though many complain about it, they can all go fucking".
To conclude, Max Verstappen talks about his relationship with his track engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase:
"Everyone exaggerates even about these things; for us, it’s quite easy to resolve. It’s not a problem. There are always disagreements in any relationship or with employees. I have no intention of changing; it’s important to have talked and clarified what we think and to review the season".
With the penalty for using the fifth ICE unit, Max Verstappen’s great pole position in Belgium has been nullified. Regarding this, Red Bull Racing Team Principal and CEO, Christian Horner, explains the decision, saying:
"We brought our engine here because we would have had to do it in the next three or four races anyway. In any case, overtaking is possible here, as we’ve seen in the past. Of course, a lot depends on qualifying. The choice of a new engine will give us a bit more comfort after the summer break. I believe making a comeback this year will be more complex. There are no big differences in race pace, so winning will be very difficult. We’re aiming more for the podium than for the win".
While Red Bull Racing has had to contend with a decidedly frustrated Max Verstappen, who finished the Hungarian Grand Prix in fifth place, McLaren has seen much discussion about whether Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri should have ended the race in first place. In this regard, Christian Horner suggests he would have given the win to Lando Norris:
"Lando is the more experienced driver and, I suppose, their number one driver. Typically, the first stop goes to the driver in front, and they could have easily made Oscar stop. But they gave Lando a two-lap undercut, so they obviously wanted him ahead of Oscar. Once a driver is in front, it’s hard to tell him to let his teammate through. If this championship is lost by 7 points, every point will have been crucial. Every team races differently, but Lando is the closest challenger, and at some point, everything needs to converge".
Certainly, the exchange of barbs between Red Bull Racing’s Team Principal and CEO, Christian Horner, and McLaren Racing’s Team Principal, Andrea Stella, continues. The two heads of the most competitive teams this season do not miss an opportunity to needle each other. This time, Christian Horner started by commenting on the team order that favored Oscar Piastri over Lando Norris at the Hungarian Grand Prix, suggesting that the 7 points lost by the English driver could be decisive in the long run in the chase against Max Verstappen. Andrea Stella responds to the British manager by highlighting the great hidden work and internal culture that the Woking team is advancing, including Lando Norris’s gesture in Hungary:
"Sometimes when a tree falls, even though it makes a lot of noise, what’s really important is thinking about the forest that grows and is silent. Lando, after the race during the return lap, in the video message for the team and all the media, and also in the direct conversation with Oscar and the team at the track, has always honored Oscar’s victory. He recognized that it was a victory earned on the track, and that’s what we like to see. Within McLaren, we say that the important thing is to keep building. And sometimes, the fallen tree gives us a lot of information to help the forest grow. This is my starting point, which I share with you quite openly and which reflects the culture we have at McLaren".
The Belgian Grand Prix was supposed to be Lando Norris's big chance to revive his title challenge and close the gap to Max Verstappen, who is facing a grid penalty this weekend for changing the internal combustion engine (ICE) on his car. However, the rain-affected qualifying did not help the English driver from McLaren. Lando Norris only managed the fifth-fastest time in Q3, which turned into a second-row starting position thanks to the grid penalty of his friend-rival.
"Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much more in the rain. We’re close to Ferrari and Mercedes; we’re all within two-tenths or so. Maybe I didn’t nail the perfect lap. But when Red Bull has a six-tenths advantage, it’s clear that their car was much faster and had much more grip, as seen with Pérez’s third place, and gave much more confidence. We were lacking something, but we hope things will turn around tomorrow. If the track is dry tomorrow, I’m optimistic, but if it’s wet, I’m not so sure. The goal is still to win.” Otherwise, it could be yet another missed opportunity".
While Charles Leclerc is celebrating, Carlos Sainz Jr. cannot do the same. The Spanish driver, who outpaced his teammate in both Q1 and Q2, fails to complete a perfect lap at the crucial moment and qualifies only in seventh place.
"I struggled with the last set; I don’t know why. I was going pretty strong throughout qualifying, but with the last set of new tires, I had less grip compared to the used ones, so I need to check if I didn’t prepare the out lap well. I lost a lot of grip on the last attempt, which bothers me because I was strong throughout the session. There’s something about this new asphalt that affects the front tires; it destroys them. We clearly saw there is much more graining compared to previous years, and we need to manage that in the race. We’ll see how teams adapt to this phenomenon".
For the third consecutive year, Max Verstappen will be penalized on the starting grid for the Belgian Grand Prix, and the pole position goes to Charles Leclerc, who delivered a magical lap at the end of Q3 with a new set of intermediate tires. Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur comments:
"Tomorrow there is definitely an opportunity to win, but it’s a bit early to say. Qualifying is sometimes very important; I’d say it’s a good result for the team and for Charles at Spa, but the race is tomorrow, and there will be plenty of overtaking opportunities, so we need to focus on tomorrow, and today’s results don’t mean anything yet. Charles doesn’t need extra confidence; I’m a bit surprised that anyone would think he wasn’t motivated enough. He is extremely motivated. Obviously, pole position is a great boost and a reward for him, even though we know points are earned on Sunday, not Saturday. But that has nothing to do with Charles's motivation. Friday went quite well with tire management, and we made conservative choices for tomorrow with two sets of hard tires saved, which is positive. In yesterday's race simulation, the pace was good, and we can be optimistic. We know McLaren was very strong yesterday, as was Max, and there will be many overtaking opportunities. This means we need to focus on ourselves to do our race, and in the end, we’ll see how it goes. However, it was a good start to the weekend. I don’t want to make predictions about what could happen in Turn 1 or Turn 5; we need to do our best, start well, and focus on our car and tires to get the most out of what we have. But I don’t want to focus on or think about others. We already have enough work to do".
The rain gave the Mercedes drivers a chance against more favored competitors, and Lewis Hamilton almost fully capitalized on the opportunity by placing his car ahead of both McLarens, as well as George Russell’s. The Anglo-German team decided not to use the new floor for now due to the bouncing issues detected on Friday, and in the race, they will try to extend their streak of consecutive podiums, which currently stands at five races. We’ll see if Lewis Hamilton can achieve that:
"Overall, qualifying was a good session for us. We tried to predict the weather as best we could, which is a real challenge around here. In hindsight, we would have chosen to run a little later on our new set of Intermediates in Q3, but the conditions and incoming rain are so hard to forecast. Our pace was still decent on tyres that we had completed multiple push laps on, so we can be pleased with our efforts today. Tomorrow's race will be a challenge. We've likely got a few quicker cars starting behind us in Verstappen and the McLarens. I will be getting my head down though, trying to hold position to them and see if I can keep up with the guys ahead of me. I will be giving it everything, and hopefully, the changes we've made overnight will help us find more pace in the dry than we had on Friday".
As for George Russell:
"Predicting the ever-changing weather made qualifying a real challenge today. You had to make sure you had the new Intermediate tyre on your car at the right time, and that was difficult to do. We were maybe slightly too early putting it on in Q3, but it is easy to say that with the benefit of hindsight. Starting P6 for tomorrow is therefore a fair result. There will be a lot of unknowns going into tomorrow. The forecast is currently dry, and we will be hoping to move forward from P6. The McLarens looked fast on Friday and may be slightly quicker than us, but let's wait and see. Tyre degradation will also play a big factor. It was some of the highest levels we have seen so far this year in FP1 and FP2. Today's rain may also have an impact on the surface, so we will have to be adaptable".
On Sunday, July 28, 2024, at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc maintains the lead, while Lewis Hamilton passes Sergio Pérez. Lando Norris goes wide at the first corner and is overtaken by Oscar Piastri, George Russell, and Carlos Sainz Jr. Charles Leclerc loses the lead to Lewis Hamilton by the third lap after being overtaken on the Kemmel straight.
On lap 11, George Russell and Max Verstappen pit to change tires, both switching to Hard tires. Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Pérez, and Oscar Piastri stop during the following lap; only the Mexican driver from Red Bull Racing opts for Medium tires. After Charles Leclerc also pits, Carlos Sainz Jr. takes the lead of the race, followed by Lando Norris. The McLaren driver pits on lap 16 but returns to the track behind Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz Jr. continues his first stint until lap 21, rejoining in eighth place after his stop. On the same lap, George Russell passes Sergio Pérez, who is called in for a second stop. At this stage of the race, Lewis Hamilton leads the group with a 2-second advantage over Leclerc, 4.6 seconds over Oscar Piastri, 9 seconds over George Russell, and 11 seconds over Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc pits on lap 26, and Lewis Hamilton follows the next lap. After his stop, the Monegasque driver from Scuderia Ferrari returns to the track ahead of the British Mercedes driver, but Hamilton manages to reclaim the position. Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr. stop on lap 29. The Dutch driver returns with Medium tires, while the Spanish driver uses Hard tires. After Lando Norris' stop on lap 30, only George Russell remains on track without changing tires a second time, leading the race and trying to reach the finish without additional pit stops. Behind him is Lewis Hamilton, almost 6 seconds behind, then Leclerc at 9 seconds, Oscar Piastri at 12.6 seconds, followed by Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Sergio Pérez. On lap 36, Oscar Piastri passes Charles Leclerc, and three laps later, Sergio Pérez loses position to Carlos Sainz Jr. In the final laps, Lewis Hamilton closes in on George Russell, making some tentative attacks but unable to overtake his teammate. The battle between the two allows Oscar Piastri to close in, though he does not join the fight for victory. George Russell wins the Belgian Grand Prix, securing his third career victory. This victory at the Belgian Grand Prix will forever remain the triumph of intuition for George Russell and Mercedes. An unexpected success that led the Anglo-German team to their first double win after two years of waiting. The gamble of not making a second pit stop and staying on track with Hard tires paid off, giving George Russell what is perhaps his most beautiful career victory so far:
"Fantastic. An exceptional result. We couldn't foresee this victory during this morning's meeting with the team. We've made many changes since Friday, and the car was doing well. The tires were excellent. I kept asking to make a stop, and the whole team did a great job. We controlled the race, Lewis was brilliant. In different circumstances, he would have certainly won. Genius behind the strategy? This solution wasn't planned before the race, but it was a team effort. The strategists were fantastic. We rolled the dice, but the car was there, and this was a great result. Winning more races? I would love to have a Grand Prix next week already. But the break is well deserved for everyone. This was a team effort; I was looking at the lap times of the other drivers with new tires, and they weren't gaining much on me, so suddenly I said: let's do only one stop. I felt very good, and the track was getting faster. I'm very proud of the team; this result wouldn't have been possible without the updates we brought recently. I'm really surprised; I didn't expect it at all. The competitors were very close: Lewis, Charles, Oscar, Max were right behind. It was incredible that we were all within 10 seconds".
Groups of cars with DRS available also helped George Russell, preventing those who were faster but further back in the group, like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, from making a comeback.
"It was extremely difficult to overtake, but I'm experiencing so many emotions, I'm really proud of the team. Let's say there were many uncertainties before this race. Now we have more time to analyze all the data".
After returning to victory at Silverstone and conceding only to McLaren in Hungary, Lewis Hamilton savored for a long time the 105th win of his unparalleled career. At Spa-Francorchamps, the British driver immediately overtook Sergio Perez and then took the lead after passing Charles Leclerc on the Kemmel, managing the race perfectly. What tricked Lewis Hamilton was the charm of the unpredictable, that wild card played by teammate George Russell to beat everyone from the back: the single stop that everyone - looking at the data - had ruled out.
Even the British driver considered stopping only once, but this would have been too risky for someone who had everything to lose: in the end, he opted for caution and covered every undercut attempt (even the too early ones), a choice that earned him a second place he would have signed for on Friday but now sends him into the summer break with a bit of disappointment.
"I was surprised by how the race ended. I had thought of making only one stop, but the team told me to do two. I'm disappointed with how it ended, but it is what it is. I won't lose sleep over it; I'm happy that as a team, we achieved a very positive result. A one-two finish is a fantastic result, and we can't deny it; we take it into the summer break hoping to come back even stronger at Zandvoort. Congratulations to George and the team. Friday was disastrous for us. We made some changes, but we didn't know how things would go because of yesterday's rain. The car was fantastic today. We had a great one-two finish and solid work in the pit stops and strategy. Thanks to the guys at the factory. I tried to get close to George, but he did an extraordinary job, going long with the tires. In every stint, I had tires left, but the team told me to come in... unfortunately, it went this way. It's one of those days. Thinking about the championship? No. But we can continue like this; we have to keep pushing".
After winning in Hungary, Oscar Piastri almost managed the feat again in Belgium. But the time available was not enough to attempt an overtake on the two Mercedes drivers:
"I thought I could catch the Mercedes, but today having a clear track ahead made a huge difference. At one point, I had a period of clear track during the middle stint and recovered a lot of speed, which also put me in a better position to change tires. But as George showed, one had to insist. We still managed the race well; I'm happy. Unfortunately, it's the second time this year I've had a long pit stop; I'll try not to do it next time, I almost hit the mechanic. We lacked a bit of speed. I took a couple of laps to pass Leclerc and overheated the tires to do so. But clearly, the pace George set was the right thing. We couldn't catch him, and clearly, neither could Lewis. Next races? I have positive feelings; these have been good weeks for us and the team. We all want to rest a bit; these have been very fun weeks".
For the third time in the last four races, Oscar Piastri has made it to the podium. And if McLaren had not penalized him with a somewhat questionable strategy at Silverstone, the Australian driver would have finished four consecutive races on the podium in Formula 1. Piastri, however, believes that what mainly affected his Grand Prix was the dirty air he encountered in the first part of the race:
"It briefly crossed my mind to make only one stop, but I thought it was very risky, especially having to stay out for so long. Based on the data I saw on Friday, I wasn’t completely convinced, but clearly, it was possible. Credit to George and Mercedes for taking that risk, which paid off, but I think even with two stops, I could have done better. At the pit stop, there was a mistake on my part, I braked too late and made it too difficult, but I don’t think that detail affected the final result. There is certainly something to improve, but I'm not too worried about it. I made a mistake in Q3, and having so much dirty air made a difference. Without that, it would have been a bit easier, but these things happen, and I will try to improve next time. I still think it was a very positive weekend".
However, after the race, the car of the British Mercedes driver, George Russell, following checks by the FIA, is found to weigh 798 kg, the minimum required weight according to Article 4.1 of the technical regulations. Subsequently, fuel is drained from the car, leaving 2.8 liters. This fuel is not completely removed according to the procedure outlined by the manufacturer as required by Article 6.5.2 of the technical regulations. The car is then reweighed, resulting in 796.5 kg, 1.5 kg below the minimum required weight. For this reason, the British driver is summoned by the stewards. After being heard by the stewards, George Russell is disqualified from the final classification of the Belgian Grand Prix as the car does not comply with the minimum weight.
The drivers who finished behind him move up one position in the standings. Therefore, Lewis Hamilton, who finished second, becomes the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton wins Grand Prix number 105 in his career, as well as the second race in the season after his success in the British Grand Prix. By 6:10 p.m., the Mercedes team had already been summoned by the stewards, and Team Principal and CEO Toto Wolff was immediately pessimistic about the possibility of saving the double podium.
"After the race, car number 63 was weighed, and its weight was 798.0 kg, which is the minimum weight required by Article 4.1 of the Technical Regulations. Then, the fuel was drained from the car, and 2.8 liters of fuel were removed. The car was not completely emptied according to the draining procedure presented by the team in the compliance documents, as Article 6.5.2 of the Technical Regulations was respected. The car was weighed again on both the FIA’s internal and external scales, and the weight was 796.5 kg. The calibration of the external and internal scales was confirmed and witnessed by the competitor. The team representatives confirmed that the measurement was correct and that all procedures were carried out correctly. The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was an honest mistake".
The FIA will conduct measurements with and without tires between Lewis Hamilton’s and George Russell’s Mercedes to verify if the tires played a significant role in this irregular data. Finally, it will confirm that both floor wear and lack of tire rubber contributed to the weight deficit. Additionally, it is a tradition at Spa not to complete the entire lap of the circuit, a factor that affected the final weight of the car, as drivers are accustomed to collecting the marbles left on the track during the race to add approximately 0.4 kg to the car’s weight. Therefore, the Team Principal and CEO of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, can only acknowledge the decision made by the race stewards:
"I was hoping to talk about the victory, about having two cars that controlled the race. But it was reported by the stewards that there is a weight discrepancy with the car," commented the Viennese manager. Wolff was also asked if the decision to make only one stop, thereby wearing out all four tires much more than expected, could have had a significant impact on the total weight of the car: "I cannot comment. Clearly, it was not planned to make only one stop, but we wait and see. We have to accept whatever the stewards' decision will be. We made, or might have made, a mistake. If there was a regulation infringement, we have to accept it. We have to learn from this as a team, even though there are many positive things today, obviously for George. He is an important driver, it is challenging to win in these races, even if this one might have been taken away from him".
A masterpiece by the driver ruined by a blatant team error. George Russell sees a victory snatched from his hands, won on track with a strategic gamble that tricked everyone at Spa and even Mercedes was skeptical about: the British driver managed to handle 34 laps on hard tires, resisting attacks from teammate Lewis Hamilton. An extraordinary race, which will not be reflected in the record books, as his W15 was underweight by 1.5 kg. Mercedes, therefore, apologized to its driver through its Team Principal Toto Wolff.
"We have to take our disqualification on the chin. We have clearly made a mistake and need to ensure we learn from it. We will go away, evaluate what happened, and understand what went wrong. To lose a 1-2 is frustrating, and we can only apologize to George, who drove such a strong race. Lewis is, of course, promoted to P1; he was the fastest guy on the two-stop and is a deserving winner. Despite the disqualification, there are many positives we can take from this weekend. We had a car that was the benchmark in today's race across two different strategies. Only a few months ago, that would have been inconceivable. We head into the summer break having won three of the past four races. We will look to come back after the shutdown rejuvenated and with the aim of maintaining our positive trajectory".
George Russell, on the other hand, expressed his regret through the social network X. The British driver wrote:
"It’s heartbreaking. We were found to be underweight by 1.5 kg and have been disqualified from the race. Today on track we gave it our all, and I'm proud to have crossed the finish line first. There will be other days like this".
While Lewis Hamilton has only to take note of the stewards' decisions, and celebrate in the post-race victory number 105 in his career:
"It is of course disappointing for the team to lose the 1-2 but there are lots of positives to take away from today. The car was feeling good, and we had much better pace than we expected. There were several cars that seemed similar in terms of performance but once we had got ahead, we were able to maintain that position. We committed to the two-stop strategy and covered those directly behind us. George was able to make the one-stop work and, although I got close to him in the final few laps, I was unable to get past in the dirty air. I feel for George, and you don't want to win a race through a disqualification, but we have been back in the fight for victories in the past few races. It is incredibly competitive now, so we will need to work hard to battle for wins more consistently. Nevertheless, we can go into the summer break with momentum and positivity".
Before the start of the Belgian Grand Prix, the math was clear: for Lando Norris to win the World Championship, he needed to gain an average of 7 points per race over Max Verstappen. The Belgian Grand Prix seemed like the perfect opportunity to start this comeback, with Verstappen penalized and Norris in fourth with a McLaren widely regarded as the car to beat. However, the Dutch driver crossed the finish line in fifth place, while the British driver could only manage sixth. The result: another 2 points lost in the chase for the reigning World Champion. Lando Norris's race changed at Turn 1, where the British driver went wide on the outside, leaving space and ultimately ending up on the gravel beyond the curb. A lapse in concentration caused him to drop from fourth to seventh on the first lap. The English driver's hopes of victory effectively ended at that moment.
"Honestly, I misjudged it; I didn’t want to be eliminated at Turn 1, so I left some space. I just misjudged the exit".
Despite having a very competitive car, the race was characterized by extreme difficulty in overtaking. This left Lando Norris stuck at the back of a dense group of cars:
"The race was difficult for overtaking. It felt like we were fast. The car was fast. It doesn't feel like we made the most of what we could have done".
Reflecting on his season at the time of the summer break, Lando Norris expressed his disappointment with what is turning into a season of missed opportunities and regrets:
"I think I need to reset. In the last three or four races, I’ve lost a lot of points due to stupid things, mistakes, and bad starts. This time it was Turn 1. I don't know why. It's a stupid thing. It wasn’t even difficult. It was just Turn 1: I was trying to stay out of trouble, to make sure there was space and that I wouldn’t get hit. And then I went off track. It’s stupid stuff".
Two points gained over Lando Norris in the standings and a 78-point lead despite four consecutive races without a win and finishing off the podium in three of the last four Grands Prix. These numbers are enough to certify that for Max Verstappen, the fifth place obtained in the Belgian Grand Prix represents a good result, especially considering the penalty that forced him to start from 11th on the grid.
"Today, I definitely limited the damage; I knew it would be like this, and that it would be very difficult to overtake. Especially when you're so close to the others in the first stint, it becomes hard to do anything. Normally, when you start from 11th, you aim to limit the damage. This was a good result considering the championship. I would have liked to do better, but you have to be realistic because when you start 11th, it becomes very tough, and in the circumstances we are in now, fighting for the win was impossible. I don’t know if it will be possible to regain our superiority in the upcoming races, especially since we still have a lot of things to analyze".
Despite starting from pole position due to Max Verstappen's penalty, Scuderia Ferrari knew it would be difficult to convert their strong Saturday result into a victory. Charles Leclerc fought hard during the race, managing to maintain the lead after the start but eventually had to concede to Lewis Hamilton's overtaking attempt on the third lap. The Monegasque driver eventually finished in fourth place, being overtaken by George Russell's strategy and a great move by Oscar Piastri on lap 36 at the outside of Les Combes corner. However, there are few regrets for Leclerc, who felt he had done the best he could with the car. Leclerc was later promoted to third place due to George Russell's disqualification.
"What happened is very simple: we were not fast enough. It felt like we were the fourth-best car today. We expected McLaren and Red Bull to be strong, but Mercedes was faster than anticipated. In a normal race on a dry track, it’s very difficult to keep them behind. We did a good job holding off Max and Lando, but fourth place (interview given before Russell's disqualification) was the best we could hope for today. We thought we were on par with Mercedes, but they had an advantage. For this reason, I don't consider the result positive - it went worse than expected. I thought McLaren had a huge pace advantage, but it was less evident today. Unfortunately, we are the fourth-best team. The top three keep changing, but we are there, at best on par with Mercedes. The strategy? We did well to align with the others; I understand the team's perspective. You can do whatever you want in terms of tactics, but you will always lose positions because we are not fast enough. The bouncing? At the end of the race, there was a bit more because we were pushing at high speed, and obviously, there were more issues. I am very disappointed with this result".
Charles Leclerc started from pole position today in Belgium but was overtaken on track by Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri, as well as by the winner George Russell, who played the single-stop wildcard before being disqualified. Scuderia Ferrari was the third-best team in terms of points collected, behind Mercedes and McLaren, with Red Bull Racing 64 points ahead - a gap not insurmountable, provided Ferrari can match McLaren's performance. Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur said at the end of the race:
"I don't know if this was the best possible result, but overall in terms of performance, it was a good race. We were all very surprised by the very low degradation of the hard tires and the very high degradation of the medium tires. I think George executed a perfect strategy, but in the end, we all finished close within 10 seconds. Having four teams within 10 seconds is something magical for the championship. Everyone had huge degradation with the mediums, except for the first laps because we were all managing, but when we had to push with the medium set, like Perez in the second stint, after 4-5 laps, it was back to the pits. The hard compound had zero degradation, but the single stop was too far for us as a possibility. I would have preferred the 1-2 to be ours rather than finishing fourth, but in terms of performance, we found a good pace. Now it's a matter of a couple of tenths, and we have to put everything together for the next race. The bouncing didn't have a big impact this time; it's more a matter of how you push or manage the stint".
Carlos Sainz Jr. finished the Belgian Grand Prix in sixth position, benefiting from George Russell's disqualification. The English Mercedes driver opted for a one-stop strategy, a possibility also considered by Sainz Jr., although starting the race on hard tires made it difficult to take the soft tires to the checkered flag in the second stint.
The team decided to call Carlos Sainz Jr. to the pits earlier than expected, putting hard tires back on his car, and the Spanish driver finished ahead of Sergio Perez, who had started from the front row alongside Charles Leclerc.
"It was a tough race. We decided to start with a different strategy from everyone around us. The start and the first stint were very good, but unfortunately, we didn’t have enough pace to capitalize on them. It has been a challenging first half of the season for many reasons, but I’m sure that after the summer break, we will come back stronger".
Sergio Perez's performance at the Belgian Grand Prix was disappointing, especially considering he started from the front row alongside Charles Leclerc. Despite the strong starting position, Perez could only manage to finish in a lackluster eighth place, the lowest among the drivers from the four top teams. Throughout the race, Perez gradually slipped back, being overtaken by Lewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, and even his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen. Even though he was later promoted to seventh place due to George Russell's disqualification, it did little to change the overall assessment of his performance. This race was seen as a missed opportunity, especially in light of recent news about a crucial meeting at Red Bull Racing scheduled for Monday, July 29, 2024, where the future of the Mexican driver was to be discussed. Helmut Marko, an external advisor to Red Bull Racing, was particularly critical of Perez’s performance at the Belgian Grand Prix:
"Sergio had the opportunity to achieve a good result starting from second place, but unfortunately, that was not the case. He completely collapsed, especially in the last stint. What seemed positive in qualifying did not materialize in the race. Naturally, this is not what we expected".
These blunt comments do not bode well for Perez's future with the team, especially as McLaren continues to close the gap in the Constructors' Championship. To add to the tension, there was a noteworthy meeting in the paddock after the race between Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Racing Bulls, Christian Horner, Team Principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing, and Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian driver is rumored to be the frontrunner to replace Perez, with Liam Lawson potentially moving to Racing Bulls as part of the reshuffle. This situation underscores the mounting pressure on Perez, whose recent performances have fallen short of expectations, raising questions about his place in Red Bull Racing as the season progresses. However, on Monday, July 29, 2024, in Milton Keynes, the leadership of Red Bull Racing decided to confirm the presence of Sergio Perez driving the car at least until the end of the season. Christian Horner explained to the media:
"Checo remains a Red Bull driver despite recent speculations, and we look forward to seeing him on tracks where he has excelled in the past, after the summer break".
As a result, rumors continue to circulate about possible interference from Liberty Media in view of the Mexican Grand Prix in October. It’s no secret that the Mexican driver has a huge fan following, so his absence from his home circuit could have compromised the revenue of one of the organizations that pays Liberty Media the most to be included in the Formula 1 calendar, a whopping 40 million dollars a year. However, it’s clear that Helmut Marko, while denying it, tries to dismiss this idea:
"Sergio Perez will stay on even after the summer break because circuits are coming up where he did well last year, and we are counting on stability. He doesn’t need to become faster, but more consistent. And given the alternatives, he is still the best solution. The rumors of Liberty Media wanting him to race in Mexico are false. Of course, they care about seeing him in his home race, but our choices are not based on Liberty’s wishes".
With the confirmation of Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing and Daniel Ricciardo at Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson remains excluded:
"We will announce what will happen with Liam in September. The Imola test had been planned for a long time. Some teams want him on loan, but he is not available".
Also on Monday, July 29, 2024, Williams Racing announces that Carlos Sainz Jr. will complete the team's driver line-up for the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship season and beyond. With a decade of Formula 1 competition under his belt, Sainz Jr. will join Williams from Scuderia Ferrari on a two-year agreement with options to extend. In his Formula 1 career to date, the 29-year-old Spaniard has achieved three race victories, 23 podiums, over 1.100 career points and is currently sitting fifth in this season's Drivers' Championship. After becoming the only non-Red Bull Racing driver to achieve a race victory in 2023, Sainz most recently took victory at this year's Australian Grand Prix, just ten days after surgery for appendicitis, and has scored four further podiums so far this season. Carlos Sainz Jr. will race alongside Alex Albon for Williams Racing for 2025 and into the new Formula 1 regulations era as the formidable pairing look to spearhead the team's mission to return to the front of the grid. He will continue to race using number 55. Williams Racing would also like to thank Logan Sargeant for his hard work and dedication over the past two years. As a graduate of the Williams Driver Academy, Logan became the first US driver to score a point for 30 years when he finished 10th in Austin last year, and has played a fundamental role in developing the team. Williams will give Logan every support as he looks to continue his racing career for 2025 and into the future. The Spanish driver, winner of a Grand Prix in each of the last three seasons, emphasizes how-despite taking so long to decide his future-he is fully convinced of his choice:
"I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Williams Racing from 2025 onwards. It is no secret that this year's driver market has been exceptionally complex for various reasons and that it has taken me some time to announce my decision. However, I am fully confident that Williams is the right place for me to continue my F1 journey and I am extremely proud of joining such a historic and successful team, where many of my childhood heroes drove in the past and made their mark on our sport. The ultimate goal of bringing Williams back to where it belongs, at the front of the grid, is a challenge that I embrace with excitement and positivity. I am convinced that this team has all the right ingredients to make history again and starting on January 1 I will give my absolute best to drive Williams forward alongside every single member of the team. I want to thank James Vowles and the entire Board of Williams for their trust and determination. Their solid leadership and convictions have played an important role in my decision-making. I truly believe that the core of every successful team lies amongst their people and their culture. Williams is synonymous with heritage and pure racing, the foundations of the project that lies ahead of us are very strong and I am really looking forward to being part of it starting next year".
James Vowles, Team Principal Williams Racing, concludes:
"Carlos joining Williams is a strong statement of intent from both parties. Carlos has demonstrated time and again that he is one of the most talented drivers on the grid, with race-winning pedigree, and this underlines the upwards trajectory we are on. Carlos brings not just experience and performance, but also a fierce drive to extract every millisecond out of the team and car; the fit is perfect. In Alex and Carlos we will have one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid and with huge experience to guide us into the new regulations in 2026. Their belief in this organisation's mission demonstrates the magnitude of the work going on behind the scenes. People should be in no doubt about our ambition and momentum as we continue our journey back to competitiveness - we are here, we are serious and with Dorilton's backing we are investing in what it takes to return to the front of the grid. I also want to thank Logan for everything he has done for the team and know he will continue to fight hard for us in the races ahead".
Thus concludes the fourteenth round of the 2024 World Championship. Lewis Hamilton wins the 105th Grand Prix of his career and heads into the summer break with another satisfying victory. Mercedes, taking advantage of the newly resurfaced track and low graining, manages to secure their third win of the season - an incredible result considering that at the start of the year, both drivers struggled to make it into Q3. Lando Norris misses yet another opportunity to close the gap on Max Verstappen, and many are beginning to think that it might be Oscar Piastri who challenges the Dutch Red Bull Racing driver for the World Championship title. At the very least, McLaren enters the break knowing they are fully in the fight for the Constructors' World Championship, a goal that seemed unthinkable at the beginning of the year. The F1 Circus takes a three-week break: on Sunday, August 25, 2024, the first of the final ten races will kick off, the Dutch Grand Prix, which will determine the two new World Champions. Max Verstappen is close to retaining his title, but as for the Constructors' World Championship, everything is still wide open.