Push it to the (Track) Limit

Push it to the (Track) Limit

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For now, let’s get into the latest F1 news and results of this week, brought to you by the F1 Summary!

Race News

• The Austrian GP ended in dramatic fashion last Sunday. After having dished out several penalties due to cars being over the track limits in the last corners of the track, many believed that the race was over at the checkered flag. This however turned out to be far from the truth. After having had to review an astonishing 1200 potential track limit offences, it took the stewards several hours before the final classification was released. This saw drivers such as Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton lose out greatly. Esteban Ocon was noted for no less than five separate violations after the race, setting a new (perhaps not so wanted) record for most violations within an F1 race. In the end, world champion Max Verstappen won the race, ahead of Charles Leclerc and teammate Sergio Perez, who recovered from starting only 15th. See the total final classification of the race here, and the total F1 standings here.

• May voices have now been raised to change the rules regarding track limits at the Red Bull Ring. Allegedly, the FIA had recommended that gravel traps should be installed in the last corner of the track, effectively killing the issue of track limits (as cars going wide would be automatically punished by the gravel). This was however not done, as the track is also used for motorcycle racing, which requires the asphalt runoff areas. Many drivers have also expressed their frustration during the weekend and have called for action. It is safe to say that after this years debacle, the pressure will most certainly be on for next year to come up with some sort of a solution to the problem.

Driver news

• Lewis Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes has been a hot topic in the past weeks. He is currently on his last season on his existing contract, and the rumors on his future have been coming in hot from all sides of the paddock. For a while, it was rumored that rival team Ferrari had been making an offer to snag the Briton away from the Brackley based Silver Arrows, and after that, it seemed as if Lewis himself has been halting the discussions by asking for a remarkable 10-year, £200m ambasador deal. However, it seems as although a final contract may still be a few weeks away, that the team principal Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton have settled on all the big questions and are set to agree within short.

• Nyck de Vries has been struggling to find the pace in his maiden F1 season. After managing to score points in his debut race last year, in a race where he was driving as a reserve driver for Williams, he has failed to repeat the same feat this year. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has criticized the Dutchman and claimed that he needs to improve. However, both his teammate Yuki Tsunoda and world champion Max Verstappen have come to his support. Nyck de Vries himself has stated that he is keen to prove the doubters wrong. Scoring points, or even showing a bit more consistent presence in the midfield before the summer break would probably relieve some of the pressure, but that is no easy task. Either way, there is no doubt that there will once again be many eyes on Nyck de Vries in the upcoming race in Silverstone this Sunday.

• Mick Schumacher was spotted wearing the orange McLaren race suit this week. The former Haas driver has been the reserve driver for the Mercedes team this year and as a result of the ongoing driver arrangement between Mercedes and McLaren he could also be called in to race for McLaren, if one of their regular drivers were to miss out on a race. The German has now been part of a test in a two year old McLaren car and has reportedly gained valuable experience on how the team works, in case he would ever need to jump in on a race.

• Daniel Ricciardo is another former F1 driver who, to the dismay of many fans, was left without a contract this year. After two lackluster years at McLaren, the team and the driver went separate ways and he has been one of the reserve drivers at his old team Red Bull this year instead. Coming up in Silverstone will be the first time where he gets to test the Red Bull car, as part of a Pirelli tire test, and many are keen to see if he will be as fast as he used to be in the Red Bull. The Australian driver has expressed an interest in ending his career racing for Red Bull again, and speculations have been swirling that he might replace the Mexican driver Sergio Perez, who has been battling with a streak of less than great performances lately. It seems however, as if the more likely option for Daniel Ricciardo would be a race seat at sister team Alpha Tauri next year, as Red Bull team principal Christian Horner expressed that any speculation on Perez’s replacement is “wide off the mark.” 

Team news

• McLaren has been struggling with the performance of their car in the beginning of the season. After having scored only 17 points up until the Austrian GP last weekend, an upgraded package mounted on Lando Norris’s car resulted in a burst of performance. The Briton qualified fourth, with only one Red Bull and the Ferraris in front of him. In the race, he managed to end fourth as well, snagging a handsome 12 more points for the team. Following up on it’s promising development of the car, McLaren is now doing everything they can to get the rest of the upgrades ready. Apparently, the upgrades that were installed on Lando Norris’s car constituted 50% of the total upgrade package and the team is now hoping to be able to install another 25% in the upcoming race in Silverstone and the final 25% in the race after that, the Hungarian GP. Second driver Oskar Piastri was left driving the old package in Austria, but is hoping to have the upgraded car available in Silverstone later this week. Eyes will no doubt be on the papayas, as we are all keen to see if they will be able to truly challenge the faster cars such as Aston, Ferrari and Mercedes on a more consistent basis.

• Ferrari was the other team that showed noticeable progress of the car in Austria. A new wing and floor design has reportedly helped increase performance massively, which saw them clear of both the Mercedes and Aston Martins in the race. Furthermore, Charles Leclerc was very close to beat Max Verstappen to pole position in the qualifying. The scuderia will still be quite a bit behind the pace of Red Bull, (which Max Verstappen was also quick to point out after his win), but it is a big step in the right direction form them nevertheless.

Next Race

Coming up on the calendar is the British Grand Prix in Silverstone on July 9. The race starts at 16:00 CET (full schedule here) and will feature Lewis Hamilton chasing a staggering 9th win at the circuit, in an upgraded Mercedes car as well as Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu’s return to the scene of his dramatic crash last year, also in an upgraded Alfa Romeo. McLaren will feature a special, chrome livery as part of their 60th anniversary. With this much happening in the world of F1 right now, we are surely in for a real treat. Buckle up and get ready for another exciting F1 weekend!

Picture of the week

The opinions are divided regarding the special McLaren (google) chrome livery coming out in Silverstone. The livery is of course done in cooperation with their sponsor, google chrome. What do you think, cool retro look, or just cheap advertising? 

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The F1 Summary