The fact Tsunoda is more than a match for him says a lot . He’s a real character , but looking back things he did don’t seem normal now , To me anyway . Drinking bubbly out of your sweaty Shoe . Asking another Driver at a press conference if he has Pubes yet . Farting at a drivers press conference . Don’t get me wrong , at the time I was laughing like lots of others . I’m not laughing anymore .
I liked Danny but he isn't performing and it looks like it is going to be goodbye very soon. A real shame but we don't always achieve our aims.
It’s under explored element of F1 as to what exactly the causes of an F1 driver’s performance are. RedBull obviously see something in Daniel, that we all think has long since disappeared, as they’ve shown him unusual loyalty, especially given Lawson is waiting in the wings. There was obviously the element that recapturing his RedBull form would have made him the perfect replacement for Sergio, if needed, and that last year it made sense to see if that was a possibility - I don’t see what they gain from keeping him in the car now.
last of the late breakers and a nice lad too. but in the end if you are not a s quick as you were and get out quali'd or whatever and don't make any progress then your time is up. be it when grooved tyres came in or whatever else regs changed.soem people just don't enjoy it as much alonso proves you can hate it and come back though.
I’m pleased Alonso is staying , but that’s one door closed for Sainz . Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin driver signs new deal until end of 2026 Published 16 minutes ago comments Comments Share please log in to view this image IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS Image caption, Fernando Alonso signed for Aston Martin in 2023 and has secured eight podium finishes so far for the team By Andrew Benson BBC F1 correspondent Fernando Alonso has signed to stay with Aston Martin in Formula 1 for at least the next two seasons. Alonso, 42, who was out of contract at the end of this season, has a new deal that will extend until at least the end of 2026, Aston Martin said. It means Alonso will be driving in F1 at least until he is 45, and possibly beyond. He said retirement "never went to my mind", adding: "I felt I love driving too much to stop at the moment." Staying at Aston Martin was a "natural decision", once Alonso had made up his mind that he was prepared to make the life sacrifices that would be required by staying in F1. Team principal Mike Krack says the two-time world champion "is hungry for success, driving better than ever, is fitter than ever". "He is completely dedicated to making Aston Martin a competitive force," Krack said. "Securing Fernando's long-term future with Aston Martin is fantastic news. We have built a strong working relationship over the last 18 months and we share the same determination to see this project succeed. "We have been in constant dialogue over the last few months and Fernando has been true to his word: when he decided he wanted to continue racing, he talked to us first. Fernando has shown he believes in us, and we believe in him." The decision takes Alonso out of the equation for potential seats at Red Bull and Mercedes next season. Alonso said he had talked to other teams, but added: "I felt the most wanted in Aston Martin. The other conversations were just light and maybe more time was needed, whereas in Aston there was a clear desire to work together and it was the same I had." Alonso joined Aston Martin at the start of the 2023 season and the pairing became one of the star attractions of last year. Aston Martin made a remarkable leap to the front, and not only was Alonso able to return to the podium for the first time since 2013, but he also scored podiums in six of the first eight races. He was widely regarded as one of the outstanding performers of the 2023 season, with a series of impressive drives before the team slipped from competitiveness. Had the team made the right choice of tyres in a late-race rain shower, he would have beaten world champion Max Verstappen's Red Bull to victory in Monaco. The driver market is in flux this season following Lewis Hamilton's move from Mercedes to Ferrari for 2025 and amid unrest at Red Bull, because of the controversy over allegations about team principal Christian Horner's behaviour towards a female employee. Horner has denied any wrongdoing. Alonso was of interest to both teams, so choosing to stay at Aston Martin is a big vote of confidence in the team as they seek to move towards the front of the grid. It also buries claims that Honda's role with Aston could be a problem for Alonso, who upset the Japanese manufacturer with some public complaints about their engine when they were working together at McLaren from 2015-17.
A bit more news is that In a significant change to the schedule for next season it has been confirmed that Australia will return to its traditional season-opening spot, with the race set to kick off the 2025 season on 16th March 2025.
where will preseason test be held? the only justification for Bahrain ****fest was moving testing and covid. are thry going to Europe or have they sold the test to some other middle East destination?
Fabulous news that Aus opens the season- agree with you it now brings testing into question. Is Barcelona the same balanced aero test as it was now it’s lost the chicane at the end? Was always a good test of slow speed wasn’t it in sector 3.
I think it's better to test at a non race track as then they can't use the data for the race. I think the next race in China will be quite interesting as the only data they have is 5 years old. Plus it's been resurfaced and it's a sprint weekend so only 1 practice session!
Do you mean Barcelona is off the schedule for next year ? I don’t think it is according to 2025 F1 calendar Date Country Venue March 14-16 Australia Melbourne March 21-23 China Shanghai April 4-6 Japan Suzuka April 11-13 Bahrain Sakhir April 18-20 Saudi Arabia Jeddah May 2-4 USA Miami May 16-18 Italy Imola May 23-25 Monaco Monaco May 30 – June 1 Spain Barcelona June 13-15 Canada Montreal June 27-29 Austria Spielberg July 4-6 United Kingdom Silverstone July 25-27 Belgium Spa August 1-3 Hungary Budapest August 29-31 Netherlands Zandvoort September 5-7 Italy Monza September 19-21 Azerbaijan Baku October 3-5 Singapore Singapore October 17-19 USA Austin October 24-26 Mexico Mexico City November 7-9 Brazil Sao Paulo November 20-22 USA Las Vegas November 28-30 Qatar Lusail December 5-7 Abu Dhabi Yas Marina Speaking about the calendar announcement, Formula 1 CEO and President Stefano Domenicali said: “2025 will be a special year as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the FIA Formula One World Championship, and it’s that legacy and experience that allows us to deliver such a strong calendar. “Once again, we’ll visit 24 incredible venues around the world, delivering top class racing, hospitality, and entertainment, which will be enjoyed by millions of fans worldwide. READ MORE: The beginner’s guide to the F1 calendar “We’re grateful to the FIA, our promoters, host city partners, and all the related ASNs for their commitment and support in delivering this schedule and securing what promises to be another fantastic year for Formula 1. “I would also like to pay tribute to our F1 teams and drivers, the heroes of our sport, and our fans around the world for continuing to follow Formula 1 with such incredible enthusiasm.” please log in to view this image FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: “The 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar, approved by the World Motor Sport Council, is a further illustration of our collective mission of meeting sustainability objectives through the regionalisation of events. “While our focus is on the overall stability of Formula 1, we also have a shared duty to the environment and to the health and well-being of travelling staff. READ MORE: How the Australian Grand Prix is boosting reuse and recycling as F1 embraces the circular economy “Formula One Management, under the direction of Stefano Domenicali, have produced a calendar which strikes a good blend of traditional circuits and modern venues. “We thank the host ASNs, the local organisers and the many thousands of FIA volunteers for their tireless efforts in making Formula 1 a truly global, mass audience spectacle as we prepare to celebrate the sport’s 75th year.”
Oh yes I knew that , 2026 I think . I thought I saw somewhere that they were going to alternate between the two ? Probably totally wrong there
This’ll be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t particularly think having Australia as the opener is a good thing and I’m interested to know what the positives are perceived to be other than (recent) tradition? From the sport’s perspective it moves the season opener into the small hours for the “core” fanbase, it’s an exhausting long way if you’re working in the sport and travelling to it and nowadays the race is generally pretty dull because the track doesn’t suit the cars. It is a good “event”, with more “soul” than Bahrain- is that it?
More generally on the calendar, R5/6 are going to be a bit of a struggle to get through back to back and hopefully the championship gets wrapped up by R22 or goes right to the wire, because the last two events are similarly unexciting in general. Basically 10 month season again, which definitely still hasn’t sunk in as normal yet, if you’re following/involved with testing it’s basically only January as “home time”.
I must agree with you on your first post as the vast distances that they have to fly really are excessive. With the season opener back in Australia, the teams will then travel north to China and the Shanghai circuit just one week after the opening GP. The location of pre-season testing has yet to be revealed but if it is in Bahrain, that is more air miles for the drivers to endure at the start of the year.
they really should not answer cannot claim to be environmentally responsible when they add more and more races and not only that but require the show to hop continents and back e.g the pitful miami event.
I feel more for the team members, who are flying chartered or commercial than the drivers who are flying on private jets quite often. I did some work within F1 a few years back, that meant I needed to be at most races, the schedule when you’re flying commercial is pretty tough across the whole year. Having done jobs where I’ve traveled to another country in Europe every week, I found the time zone shifts and the sheer amount of time spent travelling much harder to deal with.
You have my complete sympathy for all the time you`ve spent passing through airports,hours and hours sitting in airoplanes just willing the map on the back of the seat infront to move on a bit faster and it makes it no better in business or first class,it`s still as far to your destination. I hate jet lag too,so tired in the middle of the day when all you want to do is find a bed and sleep.
As much as I really like Formula 1 it seems too much of a good thing, is not so good.You don’t appreciate it as much and don`t look forward to the next race the same as it used to be. What do you think the maximum total of races a season should be? I thought about 15 to 18 using traditional tracks,so,as you say,that pitiful miami event (circus) would be gone straight away.
