Latifi: Azerbaijan GP grid offence punishment didn’t fit crime

The Canadian received the penalty because a mechanic was still on the grid and made contact with the car after the 15 second signal before the formation lap.
The mechanic concerned, who was looking at his watch, initially walked away from the car after helping to push it forward.
However, he then turned around and briefly pushed on Latifi’s front left wheel to move the car back again …Keep reading

Leclerc: Not easy handling “third disappointment in a row” in Baku

Leclerc took pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and was leading the race after an early pitstop under the virtual safety car, before a power unit issue caused him to slow on-track.
Leclerc limped back to the pits and retired from the race, marking his second retirement in the last three races after a turbo and MGU-H failure sidelined him in Spain, again while leading.
The drivers’ …Keep reading

F1 drivers back penalties for triggering flags in qualifying

The issue became a talking point in Azerbaijan last weekend after Fernando Alonso went down an escape road towards the end of Q1, bringing out a yellow flag and spoiling the laps of anyone behind who might have had a chance of beating him.
Alex Albon, who was immediately behind the Alpine driver, made it clear that he thought Alonso had gone off track in a deliberate effort to frustrate his …Keep reading

Why Alpine’s low-drag F1 updates should pay off in the short term

This is because of a run of tracks with medium/low downforce characteristics, so the updates are expected to pay out over the course of the next few races.
The most substantial change comes around the car’s midriff, as the team has redesigned the forward section of the sidepod. This will not only have an impact on cooling, given the now squarer inlet shape, it also has several aerodynamic …Keep reading

McLaren: Team orders in Azerbaijan GP down to Alpine pressure

After a disappointing qualifying session Norris and Ricciardo started in 11th and 12th on different tyre strategies, trying to cover for various scenarios in a bid to move up the order.
But a lack of top speed due to McLaren’s draggy car meant neither driver managed to move up, with Fernando Alonso’s slippery Alpine proving impossible to pass.
In the opening stint Ricciardo informed the team …Keep reading