Welcome to Thursday’s edition of the RaceFans round-up.
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Bearman: ‘There’s nothing that I wouldn’t have done to get to F1’ (The Guardian)
'I lost all of my friends pretty much in the UK. It’s an unfortunate aspect of life but if that was the thing that got me to F1 I would give it up in a heartbeat every single time.'
Lindblad: Meet the Red Bull junior who told Norris he would be in F1 in five years (Sky)
'I came into it at a time when (Lewis Hamilton) was successful and he was British, he was also a man of colour and I thought there was some sort of cool link as well because his rookie season in F1 was 2007 and I was born in 2007. I always just felt some affiliation towards him.'
'This guy's mega' - how Norris developed into world title contender (BBC)
Brown: 'Fernando Alonso, one of the best racing drivers in the world, Lando was his match. Cold tyres, middle of the night Daytona, if you asked Richard Dean, who ran them, who was better, he wouldn't know.'
Brundle interview: F1 icon opens up on his most viral grid walk moments (Daily Mail)
'I won a lot of races as a driver and was on the F1 podium. I was World Sportscar Champion, winner at Le Mans, beat Ayrton Senna a lot of times in F3 - I was a reasonably handy racing driver and I’m a reasonably handy commentator but all I’m going to be remembered for is getting ignored on the grid by the Megan Thee Stallion and other people I’d never heard of until that moment.'
Andy Cowell on early-season expectations, an ultra-competitive F1 field and Adrian Newey's first days (Aston Martin)
'Ultimately, (Newey's) an engineer helping engineer our race cars. He's just rolled his sleeves up and got straight into the job. He's asking questions, he's offering opinions and he's bringing a fresh perspective.'
Melbourne track notes:
No changes to DRS zones from last year
Pit lane exit line restored to 2018 configuration
New negative kerb at turn six exit
Changes to barrier at turn six (where Russell crashed last year)
#F1
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— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet.bsky.social) 12 March 2025 at 14:23
Sauber's new team principal Jonathan Wheatley will begin work for them at the start of next month and make his first appearance in the role at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Like COO Mattia Binotto, he will report to Sauber board chairman Gernot Döllner, who is also Audi's chairman.
#F1
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— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet.bsky.social) 12 March 2025 at 10:11
Ahead of the start of the new season this weekend, Formula 1 has confirmed CEO Stefano Domenicali has extended his contract to remain in the role until at least 2029.
#F1
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— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet.bsky.social) 12 March 2025 at 19:24
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floodo1 (@floodo1)
13th March 2025, 0:32
With Domenicali extended, will we see 26+ race calendar?
Jere (@jerejj)
13th March 2025, 7:01
No & nothing to do with him (per se) anyway.
Alesici
13th March 2025, 8:10
It has everything to do with him.
MichaelN
13th March 2025, 8:52
He is just a spokesman for Liberty. Note that many of the people there are still the same as when they themselves took center stage and drew flak for being outsiders. Domenicali is just an F1-friendly face on the American corporation and agenda. His statements are often barely legible combinations of buzzwords. He has no real influence.
El Pollo Loco
13th March 2025, 0:47
RE: COTD – If they’re trying to generate some exciting racing in a short format. Just have the drivers all compete in spec cars. F2 cars would do the trick. It’d be spectacular.
baasbas
13th March 2025, 12:42
@El Pollo Loco:
Or a sportscar of some sort.. A coupe.. A BMW maybe even..
I’d watch that
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
13th March 2025, 2:17
Re: Lindblad I guess I understand the British POC similarities, but there have been Indian drivers in F1 before his time. And Indian Brits have much more social and economic capital than Caribbean/African Brits. So I don’t think it’s not really similar in terms of their respective struggles.
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
13th March 2025, 2:17
*don’t think it’s really similar
Red Andy (@red-andy)
13th March 2025, 6:20
I can’t see them ever doing a sprint race around Monaco, for example. I think we might get up to half the weekends having a sprint race, but not more than that.
S Arkazam
13th March 2025, 6:22
Who needs childhood friends when you can get genuine new ones: models, pop-stars, and rich kids.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
13th March 2025, 6:49
Ron Dennis would approve of the “new negative kerb” – does that just mean there isn’t a kerb there?
Mal Ross (@malross)
13th March 2025, 8:48
Yeah, what is that about? Negative camber? Surely can’t be that, as that sounds like a recipe for a trip through the gravel to meet BarryR. 🤔
MichaelN
13th March 2025, 8:54
Or a ditch? It’s an odd phrasing in any case.
SteveP
13th March 2025, 9:15
My first mental picture was a difficult to see, shallow dip in the tarmac that would destabilise cars without warning.
Then rename the corner as Alonso Curve ;)
Maybe not…
Jere (@jerejj)
13th March 2025, 7:01
I wouldn’t mind if the total sprint amount were doubled, i.e., increased to 12, or even all rounds, for that matter.
If anything, I’m surprised the doubling hasn’t already happened since it’s been mentioned before.
Regarding the track notes: I’m happy that Rui Marques was okay to let all the activation zone starting points remain unchanged, even the one on the longest full-throttle section, but unfortunately, this doesn’t automatically mean he’d be okay to keep everything unchanged, if not even bring forward some, for this last season of DRS system’s existence.
The pit exit line matter is only about paint material if I’ve interpreted correctly.
I’m happy the negative curb, gravel immediately beside that curbing, & barrier re-positioning are the only alterations done in reaction to Albon’s (even more so the 2023 one) & Russell’s offs.
Ironically, I’d been wondering occasionally for how long Domenicali would have the motivation to keep such a high-profile role, so apparently big enough motivation to continue throughout the remaining 2020s decade, not that many equally, let alone better individuals might even be available to be the series boss for the time being anyway.
I’ve probably pointed this out before, but while I’ve always felt he’s been decent in his current position, I still liked him more as TP.
Bob C
13th March 2025, 9:03
The Bearman article was a really interesting read.
It is hard not to be impressed by the all-in attitude, when the positive outcome is now known.
What gave me a little pause though is the thought of those who approach their development in motorsport in the same way, making similar sacrifices, but who do not get the hoped-for pay-off.
Biggsy
13th March 2025, 11:34
Can’t really agree with Zak Brown there.
I just don’t see Alonso putting up such an unconvincing title challenge, like Lando did last year.
From all we’ve seen from him, I gotta think he would have at least make it much closer, if not win it. Alonso has been able to make a title challenge out of much lesser cars than last year’s McLaren.
Craig
13th March 2025, 12:08
I really want to see an end to the sprint format as it’s not added anything of worth to F1. It’s had more then enough time to ‘prove’ itself and it’s failed to do so.
CryptidBadger (@ninjabadger)
13th March 2025, 13:17
Not to answer my own comment, but… (the joys of sleeping on it)
There is more to just expanding sprint races. With many considerations to be dealt with.
Tracks:
Hosting fees, dealing with external logisitics and organising. It is worthwhile for them.
Teams and drivers:
Increased costs (wear, damages) would require increase to budget cap, and component part limits.
Pushing drivers more, in an already expanded calender.
Marketing:
Broadcast rights, who shows it where, for how much.
Advertisers, naming rights, revenues.
Personally I can’t say I would miss sprint races it they were scrapped.
But if they were made an established part of race weekends, I would like it if they were free-to-air. Be it streamed or broadcast (helps that it would require a smaller time-slot). It would help F1 engage more new or casual fans.
Roy Beedrill
13th March 2025, 15:22
Brundle’s ego condition gets worse year by year.