Tsunoda gets long-awaited chance to test for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi

In brief

Tsunoda to test Red Bull in Abu Dhabi

Asked if he believed Tsunoda, who has never tested a current-generation Red Bull F1 car, deserved an opportunity to, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner revealed Tsunoda will get that chance after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

“Yuki is a member of the junior team,” Horner said. “It’s something that we have discussed with Honda.

“We gave Yuki a run up the hill at Goodwood earlier the year, that was unexpected, and he was the first driver to drive a current Formula 1 car in an open-faced helmet and goggles. So he will test the car again at the test following the conclusion of the season.

“It’s something that’s been agreed for quite some time and it will again be good to give him a run and get the opportunity to work with Red Bull Racing engineers and see how he performs in a Red Bull Racing car.”

Friday was “useless” – Verstappen

After failing to set a timed lap in the second practice session on Friday due to a power unit problem, Max Verstappen said he achieved almost nothing of use from the first day of the weekend in Mexico.

“From the engine side, we are checking,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what it is. But from my side a pretty much useless day. I did like four or five laps, so there’s not much to read into at the moment.

“I never really had a good run, only four or five laps in total and that’s even with some long run laps in it. So a day to forget.”

O’Ward happy to “feel useful” in Friday run

McLaren IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward says he felt “very useful” after completing a trouble-free run for the team in Lando Norris’s car in first practice.

O’Ward completed 21 laps – the most of any Friday stand-in driver – over the one-hour session, setting the 13th-fastest time.

“It was super-special,” he told the official F1 channel. “I was really looking forward to coming through the stadium section and seeing all the Mexican flags.

“It was a pretty hectic FP1, I would say. Pretty chaotic. So I was glad that we were able to get through our run plan. I was able to get the information that the team needed. So I feel very useful this weekend.”

Links

Colapinto exposes how F2 is failing young stars (Motor Sport )

'So it can be you get a new driver and/or a new engineer who just haven’t got their head around what the car needs, in terms of driving or race engineering. It’s just part of the learning process, it’s how these guys learn their respective craft. But that process used to be massively accelerated compared to now. Now if you have a problem, you might easily go a season without properly uncovering it. Limited testing, limited tyre sets, tyres which have one good fast qualifying lap in them; it’s setting up a lot of guys for failure.'

The French engineer chasing Ferrari’s first championship since 2008 (Financial Times)

'Whether or not Ferrari beats McLaren and Red Bull to the title this season, Vasseur must move swiftly to his next great challenge: integrating Hamilton into the team and preparing Ferrari for F1’s 2026 regulatory overhaul. The sport’s new rules means teams must start from scratch with all-new vehicles and the real test for Vasseur will be whether he can oversee the creation of a winning car in a new era.'

McLaren Senna anniversary event series detailed (EA Sports)

'Kicking off the second half of season three, for the first time ever, take on a Challenge Career series as a driver Icon. Jump into the 2024 McLaren as Senna himself, and take on the modern-day F1 grid at some of the circuits where Aryton had his very finest moments as a driver, including Suzuka, Monaco, Silverstone, Hungaroring, Spa and, of course, Interlagos.'

Next generation of female racing stars stand against online abuse (FIA)

'A recent global study found that 58% of girls and young women have experienced some form of online harassment underscoring the importance of these workshops. The sessions, organised in collaboration with the European Sport Business School in Valencia, facilitated discussions about their current digital presence, provided them with an understanding of the challenges posed by online abuse and equipped them with practical tools to protect themselves online.'

The anatomy of Norris on pole in F1 – and the eight times it’s gone wrong (Independent)

'One day after sealing his maiden pole position in Sochi, the Brit started at the front of the grid and reacted quickly off the line, holding off Carlos Sainz in the initial stage. However, at turn two, Norris covered the inside line too early and Ferrari’s Sainz swept around the outside to take the lead – sound familiar?'

We always endeavour to credit original sources. Got a tip for a link relating to single-seater motorsport? Please send it to us via the contact form.

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

Social media

Notable posts from X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and more:

Positive news on @GeorgeRussell63. He has been released from the medical centre and is back with the Team 🙏

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) October 25, 2024

A solid effort from the team to try to get Alex’s car out on track for FP2. Everyone worked tirelessly between sessions, but due to the damage sustained, he was unable to make it out on track.

Good progress was made by Franco on his first outing at the Autódromo Hermanos… pic.twitter.com/J521YYrCKw

— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) October 25, 2024

That one was all Albon. He is feeling the pressure from Colapinto over the last few races

— Gary Anderson (@GaryAndersonF1) October 25, 2024

With practice day in Mexico complete… here's what Robert had to say about his FP1 session 💚#MexicoGP 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/VVvJLRJqlJ

— Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber (@stakef1team_ks) October 26, 2024

Only @LandoNorris will get McLaren's new floor this weekend:https://t.co/luNn646IAQ#F1 #MexicanGP #RaceFans

— Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) October 25, 2024

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

• Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory

Comment of the day

The peculiar news that Robert Shwartzman has been handed a five-place grid penalty for overtaking under yellow flags despite not having a grand prix debut on the horizon draws this from Dusty:

I thought the FIA was using AI only for track limit checks only, but clearly this penalty has been AI-generated. The future is now.
Dusty

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Luigismen, Xivizmath, Jayfreeseknight and Greg Kingston!

On this day in motorsport

• Five years ago today Charles Leclerc inherited pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix after Max Verstappen was penalised for speeding under yellow flags