2024 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Horner's 'heart in mouth' after Perez's Monaco smash.
"It was a horrible-looking accident, and of course, your heart is in your mouth, and at that point, the immediate focus is on the safety of the driver," Horner told media including RacingNews365.
27 May 2024, 6:30AM
Jake Nichol & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has described how his "heart was in your mouth" after Sergio Perez's huge Monaco Grand Prix crash. On Lap 1, Perez was collected by Kevin Magnussen on the climb up Beau Rivage, being spat into the armco barrier, destroying the car.

Horner has now offered his thoughts on the incident, and praised the safety of the car in protecting Perez. "It was a horrible-looking accident, and of course, your heart is in your mouth, and at that point, the immediate focus is on the safety of the driver," Horner told media including RacingNews365.

"Thankfully, cars can be fixed and the structure of the halo and everything did its job. The most important thing was that Checo was able to walk away from a very nasty accident unscathed."

‘Horner's 'heart in mouth'’;

https://racingnews365.com/horners-he...s-monaco-smash


Sergio Perez can't believe what happened after scary Monaco GP crash
Sergio Perez crashed out on lap one of the Monaco Grand Prix after contact from Kevin Magnussen in an incident which also forced the other Haas of Kevin Magnussen to retire
19:18 Sun, 26 May 2024.
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

Sergio Perez said he was "shaken" after his hefty Monaco Grand Prix crash and expressed his surprise that the stewards chose not to investigate the incident. Race control noted the incident but it wasn't long before confirmation came that there would be no further investigation into the cause of the pile-up. And, speaking after the race, Perez could not quite believe that it had not at least been looked into.

He said: "It was a little bit shaky from me. It was quite a heavy impact. If you see my onboard at no point, you see Kevin's car not even close to me, alongside me, and you could see that the wall is just getting closer and closer and to keep it flat out. There was only one way out of it.”

"It was either contact with my car, with the barrier, there were just simply no room for both cars. And at some point he had to realise that, you know, I've been in that location and many times when you are the car behind, you just have to realise that it's time to back off, before things get closer to you.

"It was a little bit shaky from me……”;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...nberg-32897614


Sergio Perez wrecked in massive Monaco GP crash
Red Bull's Sergio Perez crashed heavily on lap one of the Monaco Grand Prix after making contact with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen.
May 27, 2024 — 6.48am
The Sydney Morning Herald

‘Crashed heavily on lap one’;

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/motorsp...27-p5jgte.html


Red Bull F1 Car Obliterated During Crash at Monaco GP, Perez Walks Away
The other RB driver, Sergio Perez, survives horrific crash while local boy Charles Leclerc tops podium.
PUBLISHED May 26, 2024 8:40 PM EDT
Beverly Braga
The Drive

Unlucky for Red Bull's Sergio Perez, his Sunday drive was over before reaching turn two. But lucky again, because he survived a crash that absolutely obliterated his car.

Race starts are exciting because anything can happen, and usually does. At Monaco, Perez and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen were battling for position upon exiting turn one. But given the already cramped quarters of the course, this is a race of millimeters for today's broad-shouldered F1 car. Something had to give.

Except neither Perez nor Magnussen laid off the throttle, so pop went the weasel. Hulkenberg tagged Perez's right rear, sending the two cars into the barriers at a reported speed of 160 mph. Behind them was Magnussen's teammate Nico Hulkenberg. With nowhere to go, Hulkenberg unwillingly joined the party.

‘Red Bull F1 Car Obliterated’;

https://www.thedrive.com/news/red-bu...rez-walks-away


Christian Horner after Monaco GP: 'We faced many challenges'
26 May 2024
Niels Hendrix
Verstappen.nl

Christian Horner, team principal and CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said after the Monaco Grand Prix: “I would say it was a difficult weekend and Monaco is always dictated by qualifying performance, so we faced many challenges going into today.”

“A big congratulations to Charles on his home win, but for us our car never performed at its best here and we need to understand the issues we had on the bumps and kerbs. We have a lot of data to analyse from this weekend and we’ll be looking at everything hard over the next couple of weeks before Canada.”

'We faced many challenges';

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5480/


Red Bull reveals enormous cost of Perez's Monaco accident
Helmut Marko has revealed the multi-million dollar cost of Sergio Perez's Monaco Grand Prix crash.
26 May 9:30PM
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

A lengthy red flag followed for barrier repairs, with Perez tearing into Magnussen's approach as the stewards declined to investigate the issue further, as Marko claimed a multi-million price-tag was awaiting Red Bull.

"This is costing us about two to three million and with the budget cap that is of course a big handicap,” he told Sky Germany.

"It was another crash that Magnussen was involved in. Thank God it ended well, but it was a critical situation. I was surprised, though, how quickly the stewards dealt with the matter. These are decisions you can hardly influence, but it was just dangerous."

‘Multi-million dollar cost’;

https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-r...onaco-accident


‘That was a pretty sketchy moment’ – Zhou had front row seat for Lap 1 crash
18:04 Sun, 26 May 2024.
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Zhou Guanyu was relieved to discover Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg were uninjured after their first lap crash – which the Sauber driver saw unfold in front of him. Zhou finished the race in P16.

‘Front row seat for Lap 1 crash’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/th...31069588960951


‘Not worth the risk’: Martin Brundle shares who he thinks was at fault for Sergio Perez crash at Monaco Grand Prix
Sun 26 May 2024 14:45
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

The Monaco Grand Prix had an eventful start when Red Bull driver Sergio Perez had a huge crash and Martin Brundle has shared his thoughts on the incident. Sergio Perez had a torrid qualifying session at the Monaco Grand Prix having failed to get out of Q1, but it wasn’t as bad as the end result for Haas.

Commenting on the massive accident after the first corner, Martin Brundle shared on Sky Sports F1 his thoughts on who was at fault. Reflecting on the incident, Brundle said: “[Sergio] Perez was almost stationary on the outside, he comes to the middle of the track.”

“It was front wheel against front axle aligned with the rear axle, whoever’s fault it was, single seaters only have one person in them by definition. I believe Kevin [Magnussen] should have got out of that and given that one up. It was just not worth the risk up there, you’re fighting over pretty much last place against a Red Bull with 78 laps to go, it’s just not worth the risk up there when you’re not anyway near alongside.”

‘Martin Brundle: “I believe Kevin [Magnussen] should have got out of that and given that one up”’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...co-grand-prix/

[Fortitude]

Piastri: It needed 'something pretty special' to beat Leclerc.
"To be honest, Charles has been mega all weekend and they've been quick from the very first lap, and I think it would have taken something pretty special in quali to out do him.” Oscar Piastri.
18:41 Sun, 26 May 2024.
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

Leclerc got a strong launch leaving Piastri fighting off a challenge from Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari. Contact between them left Sainz with a puncture and Piastri with light floor damage to the MCL38.

The race was red flagged after a major accident toward the back, giving Piastri a second shot at challenging Leclerc into turn 1, but once again the Ferrari was too strong and Piastri has to accept second place.

"The pace at the beginning was incredibly slow and I had one little half look before the tunnel, but I didn't have a small enough car to fit into a gap," Piastri said in parc ferme.

‘Piastri has to accept second place’;

https://f1i.com/news/509275-piastri-...t-leclerc.html


Piastri ‘tried my best to try and sneak past’ Leclerc in battle for Monaco win
19:05 Sun, 26 May 2024.
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Oscar Piastri scored his best result of the season with second place in Monaco, and admitted he didn’t quite have enough to pass eventual winner Charles Leclerc – especially after his McLaren picked up damage in a Lap 1 tangle with Carlos Sainz.

‘Best result of the season’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/pi...33931865905979


Piastri: ‘I didn’t have an answer’ as early damage costs him late on in the Monaco GP
Piastri admitted that the slow pace at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix helped him nurse the damage to his McLaren
May 27, 2024
Oliver Brindle
FormulaNerds

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri was “very happy with the podium” at the Monaco Grand Prix but suggested that early damage in the race cost him a chance at a first win in F1. Piastri got off the line well, but a brave Carlos Sainz appeared down the inside of the Australian. Both cars went into Turn 1 wheel to wheel, and contact was made, leaving the Ferrari driver with a puncture and the McLaren with a damaged floor.

However, there was a sense of relief for both drivers as a bigger crash behind between the two Haas’ and the Red Bull of Sergio Perez saw a red flag brought out. Piastri held on to second on the restart and maintained his runner-up spot to the finish due to the difficulties of overtaking around the principality.

Speaking to F1, Piastri said: “I mean, obviously very happy with the podium; it’s been a great weekend from start to finish, I feel like. It’s Nice to finally get a result on the board. I feel like the last few weeks we’ve been very, very strong, with no results to show. And today, to finish second is a great result for everybody involved, so very happy with that, I tried my best to try to sneak past – but just too difficult.”

‘I didn’t have an answer’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/pi...the-monaco-gp/


Damage from “very small” Sainz contact initially cost up to 0.5s per lap – McLaren
27th May 2024, 13:26
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

McLaren said the contact between Carlos Sainz Jnr and Oscar Piastri at the start of the race did enough damage to cost their driver half a second per lap. “The team told me how much downforce I was losing before we tried to fix it and it was a pretty big number,” he said. “I don’t know what we managed to get it down to but obviously the length of the red flag helped us out quite a lot there.”

Despite his team’s repair job, Piastri wasn’t able to maintain the pace of his closest rivals at the end of the race. “Being in Monaco, it’s probably the one track where having damage doesn’t hurt you as much,” he said. “It was a very, very small touch. But with these cars, especially with the floor being so sensitive to the downforce it generates, it can ruin your race very easily. So I was very happy we could try and fix it.”

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the team’s repair work halved the initial performance loss Piastri suffered from the original contact. “As soon as the collision happened we observed the 20 points [of downforce] down, which here in Monaco is about half a second. But then, thanks to the red flag, we were in condition to make some repairs to the floor. The side wing of the floor was broken so we repaired it, we didn’t fix it entirely and we changed the sidepod that was broken as well. So overall the deficit was about 10 points for the entire race, which is a couple of tenths, maybe two-tenths and a half.”

‘Team’s repair work halved the initial performance loss’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/05/27/...r-lap-mclaren/


Piastri relief after damage to 'sensitive part' in Monaco
Oscar Piastri has underlined multiple factors that minimised the effect of his floor damage at Monaco.
27 May 2024, 12:20PM
Samuel Coop
RacingNews365

Oscar Piastri has highlighted the minimising factors that allowed him to take second-place at the Monaco Grand Prix, despite damage to a "sensitive" part. The 23-year-old took damage to his floor at the start of the race before the red flag intervention for the incident between Sergio Perez and the two Haas'. This allowed McLaren to fix his floor as best it could during the 45 minute delay to proceedings in Monte Carlo.

With tyre management a concern, the leading quartet kept the slower-than-usual pace - something that prevented Piastri from accurately accessing the damage to his car. "It was okay," he replied when asked how the performance of his McLaren was after the incident with Sainz. "I think for the first half of the race, it was impossible to tell what the penalty of that was.”

"I think towards the end, probably a combination of trying to keep the pace of the race reasonably quick, plus the floor, [I] just struggled a little bit towards the end, but overall pretty happy with it. And yeah, the last 10 laps or so, I was pretty happy we were in Monaco."

‘Piastri relief’;

https://racingnews365.com/piastri-re...part-in-monaco


‘Oscar, we do see the impact of the damage’: Why Piastri’s third F1 podium is his most telling yet
May 27, 2024 — 1.22am
By Russell Bennett and Jon Pierik
WA Today

It was Piastri’s nerves of steel in his McLaren that emerged as one of the biggest talking points of the race. The notoriously unforgiving street circuit claimed its first victims after just the first corner on the first lap, and Piastri could so easily have joined Nico Hulkenberg, Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen on the sidelines.

While Sky Sports F1 analyst and former driver Martin Brundle was at times exasperated by the lack of overtaking in the race – at one stage saying: “The one DRS [overtaking] zone here is about as useful as a chocolate fireguard” – even he was captivated by the “go slow” strategy employed at stages by Ferrari.
It was done not only to preserve Leclerc’s tyres, but also to keep the other leaders of the field, including Piastri, Sainz, and Norris, bunched behind him, so they couldn’t afford the gamble of a secondary pitstop to change on to newer, quicker rubber.

“Oscar, we do see the impact of the damage,” the radio message, broadcast by Sky F1, said. “[But] it looks like the aero balance is sensible at least.” Following the race, a matter-of-fact Piastri was full of praise for Leclerc’s win, but admitted finishing second had left him wondering might have been had he not fallen 0.154 seconds short of Leclerc in qualifying to start in second spot.

‘Piastri’s third F1 podium’;

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/mot...26-p5jgsn.html

[Fortitude]

Sainz content despite 'impossible' Monaco challenge.
Carlos Sainz took the podium at the Monaco Grand Prix, with his race saved by a red flag moments after he sustained a puncture.
26 May 2024, 6:40PM
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

Sainz drove to third place at the chequered flag, putting major pressure on second-placed Oscar Piastri in the closing stages. “It was a tight one, obviously a very bad feeling there in lap one that very quickly turned into a very good feeling after getting reinstated in P3,” Sainz said. “From there on, the race pace was good as we expected.”

“It's just impossible to get past through the streets of Monaco. Once I was sure that Lando [Norris] behind didn’t have a gap to pit and attack me at the end, I focused on doing some fast laps. I went into the 1:14s, which was really quick at the time and I said ‘okay, maybe I have a chance I put in a bit of pressure on Oscar and maybe I can get him to do a mistake’.”

“I knew that passing him was impossible. We put him under pressure, I saw him lose the rear a couple of times but it was not enough to pass.” While Sainz was forced to settle for second place, team-mate Charles Leclerc won the race for the first time.

'Impossible Monaco challenge’;

https://racingnews365.com/sainz-cont...naco-challenge


Red flag ‘saved my day’ says Sainz after Lap 1 puncture
26 May 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz got a puncture on the opening lap after contact with Oscar Piastri, but the red flag for another accident meant he was able to change tyres and restart the race in P3 – which is where he finished.

‘Saved my day’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/re...33740512350056


Sainz tempted a few times by ‘all or nothing’ move on Piastri
27/05/2024 at 15:52
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Carlos Sainz says he was “tempted a few times” to unleash an attack on Oscar Piastri during the Monaco Grand Prix, but ultimately thought the better of risking an “all or nothing” move on the McLaren driver.

"I got tempted a few times, but after lap one and obviously knowing that Monaco is a bit of all-or-nothing, you know that when you go for a move, the most likely outcome is contact between the two cars and a potential DNF for the two cars," Sainz explained.

"And I felt like that was too much to lose for both Oscar and myself, and my team. So unfortunately, Monaco is like that. I did have my opportunities and my temptations, both in the first 15 laps and in the last 10 laps, but never really a clear chance to see how we could get out of the corner untouched. So, yeah, as I knew from Friday, my race pace was going to be good.”

‘All or nothing’;

https://f1i.com/news/509472-sainz-te...n-piastri.html


Sainz forced to resist temptation out of ‘all-or-nothing’ Monaco fear
Carlos Sainz avoided making a lunge on Oscar Piastri during the Monaco Grand Prix.
27 May 2024, 2:45PM
Nick Golding
RacingNews365

Carlos Sainz has conceded that he was tempted to make an "all-or-nothing' lunge on Oscar Piastri during the Monaco Grand Prix but opted against it. Sainz's lap one puncture was caused by a "slight cut" to his front left tyre, which saw him lock-up and come to a stop at Casino just prior to the red flag.

His contact with Piastri was so small it was almost not visible, although to the 29-year-old's relief, the only damage to his SF24 was the puncture. "No, even when you see the tyre, it was such a slight cut that the tyre got from the contact that there was no issues with the car, no damage," Sainz added.

"It was just the smallest of contacts. A bit unlucky to get the puncture in a way, but then lucky to get the position back. From there on, honestly, it was a new race and we had our opportunities, but never really a clear one."

‘Avoided making a lunge’;

https://racingnews365.com/sainz-forc...ng-monaco-fear


Why McLaren believe Sainz had luck on his side three times in Monaco
26th May 2024, 19:51
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Carlos Sainz Jnr had luck on his side when the race director’s decision moved him up from 16th to third on the grid for the restart. But McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes that was one of three times Sainz benefited from good fortune on his way to the podium.

Sainz was fortunate as only one driver, Zhou Guanyu, had not completed the first sector when the red flag was shown. Had he done so, Sainz would have had to restart the race from 16th. However Zhou was caught behind the three-car crash which triggered the red flag, and had to slow down significantly as a result. “Obviously, the whole point that’s saved Carlos today was that Zhou had not crossed the sector time at the time the race was suspended. Lucky Carlos!”

However Stella believes Sainz was also fortunate not to be penalised for damaging Piastri’s car, as he was in Miami. “He was also applied a lenient approach from the stewards because the collision in corner one obviously created significant damage to Oscar’s car,” said Stella. Sainz also avoided a penalty for impeding Alexander Albon in qualifying yesterday. Had he been penalised, McLaren’s Lando Norris would have started third instead of him. “I think these are summed up with yesterday’s impeding,” said Stella.

‘Luck on his side three times’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/05/26/...mes-in-monaco/


2024 Monaco Grand Prix: Listen in to the chat in the cool-down room from the Leclerc, Piastri and Sainz
16:46 Mon, 27 May 2024.
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Hear what Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz had to say to each other as they waited for the podium ceremony in the cool-down room after Leclerc’s first home victory in Monaco.

‘Chat in the cool-down room’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...37964475373548


Carlos Sainz told by 6-time F1 champions that he’s ‘not a candidate’ for 2025 seat
Mon 27 May 2024 14:00
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

There have been reports that the Dutchman wouldn’t be comfortable racing against someone as fast as Sainz as he wants to continue being the team’s clear number-one driver. That leaves Sainz in an awkward position and with a 50/50 choice to make relatively soon.

The report from Motorsport.com suggests that sources with ‘good knowledge of the situation’ believe that Red Bull still think Perez is the best driver to partner Verstappen going forward.

They go on to say that Yuki Tsunoda, despite his brilliant start to the year with RB, is still not being considered while Daniel Ricciardo hasn’t made the expected impact at Red Bull’s sister team.

‘Not a candidate’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/car...for-2025-seat/


Carlos Sainz has now received ‘satisfactory’ offer from 114-win Formula 1 team
Sat 25 May 2024 11:00
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Williams have now made acceptable offer to Carlos Sainz: According to The Race, interest from Williams has now reached an advanced stage. There has been an offer and a counteroffer behind the scenes, culminating in a ‘satisfactory’ proposal.

The Grove outfit has clearly demonstrated that it has the resources to sign one of F1’s A-listers. Sainz has won three Grands Prix, most recently in Australia in March, and taken 21 career podiums. Of course, it now remains to be seen whether he’s willing to sign the contract. But he’s evidently ‘open to the idea’, otherwise negotiations wouldn’t have progressed this far.

Ted Kravitz expressed surprise when he heard about the negotiations in the Monaco Grand Prix paddock. But he also feels that they’re a marker of Vowles’ ambition as he simultaneously pursues Adrian Newey ahead of the designer’s Red Bull exit. Crucially, Williams will be racing with a Mercedes power unit come 2026. And Sainz is aware of rumours that they have stolen a march on their competitors with their new-look engine.

‘Satisfactory offer’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/car...ormula-1-team/

[Fortitude]

‘It’s just unfair’: ‘Frustrated’ Lando Norris fumes McLaren rival got ‘very lucky’ in Monaco GP.
“Carlos was really lucky because he was last and it was his own fault,” Norris said, via quotes by Motorsport-Total.com. “The fact that he was allowed to move up again was, of course, annoying because it meant I had to go back to fourth place. But that’s the rules.”
Tue 28 May 2024 13:00
Kyle Archer
F1 Oversteer

McLaren star Lando Norris is frustrated after a rival Formula 1 driver gained an ‘unfair’ advantage during the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix after getting ‘very lucky’ last weekend. “I’m sure there have been moments in the past where I’ve benefited. If you look at it bluntly, it’s obviously frustrating and unfair because someone makes a mistake.”

“But because a certain number of cars, or whatever the rule is, don’t cross the line before the red flag comes out, he can undo his mistake and get a free pit stop. It’s just unfair.” Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen’s crash delayed Zhou Guanyu to Carlos Sainz’s relief

‘It’s just unfair’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/fru...-in-monaco-gp/


Norris on McLaren progress: ‘Every race we do we gain more confidence’
26 May 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Lando Norris was fourth in Monaco with team mate Oscar Piastri up in second – and Norris promised he and McLaren will “keep pushing” as they aim for more wins this yar.

‘We gain more confidence’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/no...32923027827666


Lando Norris 'ready to rival' Max Verstappen for F1 world title
19:36 Sat, 25 May 2024.
BY PHILIP DUNCAN, PA F1 CORRESPONDENT, MONTE CARLO
Somerset Live

Max Verstappen believes Lando Norris is ready to rival him for the world championship as the Red Bull driver cast doubt on his own chances at the Monaco Grand Prix. After his maiden victory in Miami, Norris chased Verstappen all the way to the chequered flag in Imola, finishing less than a second behind the Dutchman.

Norris, from Somerset, is 60 points off the title pace ahead of this weekend's race in the principality, but Verstappen said: "He (Norris) is really in the mix. He is quite a few points down but if they suddenly start winning, that can turn around quite quickly. But from our side we just have to focus on ourselves because that is the only thing in our control.”

"It has closed up which makes it very important to be at our very best, and 100 per cent. We need to be on it. Imola started off badly and we managed to turn it around but I wouldn't want to have a weekend like that again."

‘Lando Norris ready… …for F1 world title’;

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/sport...al-max-9307213


Lando Norris hails McLaren’s march of progress
26 May 2024
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Lando Norris has no hang ups about being beaten by Ferrari at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix as the McLaren star heaped praise on his team for what he described as “an amazing result” in Monte Carlo.

Whilst the win slipped away, McLaren’s Senna-style livery will still leave the track with a significant 30 points’ haul to extend their gap to Mercedes and close in on Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, with Norris perhaps reflecting on how far the team has come in the last year. “The red flag simplified things and made thing less action-packed than they normally are in Monaco,” Norris told Sky Sports F1 after the 2024 Monaco GP.

“It’s a good result for us as a team, not a lot to aim for during the race. You always think of what could have done and should you have done, but it’s impossible to answer it correctly. We did what we could, I think the pace was strong from the car today…so we’ll keep pushing. A fourth and a second for us is still an amazing result.”

‘McLaren’s march of progress’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...arch-progress/


How McLaren was ready to pit Norris – but Ferrari ruined its Monaco F1 plan
The tactical battle in Monaco over the top four Formula 1 cars' gap to George Russell was won by Ferrari as it denied McLaren's attempts to use it to pit.
May 28, 2024, 1:50 PM
Jake Boxall-Legge
Motorsport.com

McLaren had hoped to push Ferrari into extending its lead at the front of the 78-lap race, in a bid to build a sufficient buffer between the cars in the top four and Russell to allow McLaren to make a pitstop.

Having started on hard tyres, Russell switched to the medium compound during the early red flag, which forced him into managing his tyres to make it to the end. As the top four were all equipped with the harder tyres, the chasm between the two groups began to grow quickly.

McLaren wanted this to grow to a stable 20 seconds-plus gap to get the option of bringing Lando Norris in for a free stop without losing position, which Ferrari was aware of and thus tasked race winner Charles Leclerc with slowing down the tempo of the race to quell the growing gap.

‘Ferrari ruined its Monaco F1 plan’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...plan/10616861/


Lando Norris demands FIA fix F1 issue that is 'a bit silly' after Monaco Grand Prix
Lando Norris narrowly missed out on the podium spots at Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.
14:17, Tue, May 28, 2024
By Charlie Gordon
Daily and Sunday Express

Lando Norris has criticised the FIA for failing to deal with sticker problems at the Monaco Grand Prix. The McLaren star, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez were among the drivers inconvenienced by stickers coming off barriers during the race weekend.

Leclerc and Norris were both forced to pit during Saturday's first qualifying session after stickers came off the Armco barriers and latched onto their cars. Perez, meanwhile, claims to have lost two tenths by dodging a sticker during the lap which saw him suffer a surprise Q1 exit. Before Sunday's race, Norris lashed out at F1's governing body for failing to deal with the issue, despite the fact it was raised at the driver's briefing on Friday.

"I had to pit to get it off," he vented. "It just shouldn't happen in Formula One. It's a bit silly in my opinion, we said it would happen yesterday and they said they were going to fix it but obviously it wasn't fixed. It's a shame that you have to get lucky, I was lucky that I had enough time [to remove the sticker] otherwise it would have ruined my qualifying and my whole weekend.”

‘Lando Norris has criticised the FIA for failing to deal with sticker problems’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...aco-grand-prix

[Fortitude]

Russell brands Monaco GP ‘one of our best weekends’ after P5 finish.
George Russell felt he had a chance of a podium “or maybe even victory” given his starting strategy in Monaco, and though that all changed with the Lap 1 red flag, he was still pleased with his race as he finished in P5.
26 May 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

‘One of our best weekends’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/ru...32738543398286


Russell thought he had shot at Monaco GP win before red flag
26th May 2024, 19:30
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

“When we lined up on the grid the first time and we were on the hards and the four drives ahead were on the mediums, I was like, ‘this is perfect’,” Russell told the official F1 channel after the race.

“Then when Carlos had his puncture, I genuinely thought, ‘we’ve got a shot here’ – minimum for a podium, potentially even victory – being on that different strategy. We were just going to play a bit of a team game to try and boost our chances. But as soon as that red flag came out, everything went out the window.”

“Shot at Monaco GP win”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/05/26/...fore-red-flag/


George Russell may have finally got Mercedes 'bonus' following Lewis Hamilton revelation
George Russell being a team player in Imola may have seen him rewarded instead of Lewis Hamilton by Mercedes with a thank-you present for the Monaco Grand Prix
12:36 Mon, 27 May 2024.
By Dan Burnham Senior Sports Reporter
The Mirror

Lewis Hamilton has suggested his Mercedes team-mate George Russell is being prioritised for upgrades. Hamilton voiced his annoyance at not securing a better grid spot after showing promise in practice sessions.

"That's definitely frustrating and something I don't have an answer for. I'm not driving any different. The laps were great. Just lacking for some reason."

Hamilton fears he won't be able to out-qualify Russell for the remainder of the season, despite Mercedes boss Toto Wolff's insistence that they are not favouring one driver over the other.

‘Mercedes bonus';

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ilton-32901136


Lewis Hamilton and George Russell treated equally at Mercedes – Toto Wolff
Mon, 27 May 2024, 1:34 pm
philip duncan, pa f1 correspondent
Yahoo! Sport

Toto Wolff has insisted Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell is not receiving preferential treatment at Mercedes.

After Hamilton was out-qualified by Russell at the street venue, the 39-year-old, who is leaving the Silver Arrows at the end of the year to join Ferrari, said he does not envisage beating his fellow Briton over one lap for the remainder of the season. But responding to Hamilton’s cryptic comment, Mercedes team principal Wolff said: “Aren’t all drivers a bit sceptical at times?

“As a team we have always demonstrated – even in the most tense competitions between team-mates – that we are always trying to balance what is right and be transparent and fair. I can understand as a driver you want the best out of yourself and the team, and sometimes when it is going against you you can question that.”

‘Treated equally at Mercedes’;

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/lew...7Ze0wIa6iUnq4Y


Russell puzzled by "strange" Monaco GP decision
George Russell started and finished fifth in Monaco - but had dreams of a podium early on.
27 May 2024, 3:35PM
Jake Nichol & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

George Russell does not believe it was correct Carlos Sainz was able to regain his third place at the start of the Monaco Grand Prix. At Turn 1, Sainz made contact with Oscar Piastri's McLaren, with the Ferrari sustaining a front-left puncture as he peeled off at Casino Square, unable to take the corner. He got going again, but the race was red-flagged for the serious accident involving Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen.

During the delay, the FIA confirmed that for the standing restart, the Ferrari driver would be re-taking third on the grid - which is where he finished as team-mate Charles Leclerc won from Piastri. This is a decision Russell labelled as "strange". "I would say no, it's not correct," Russell explained when asked by RacingNews365 for his thoughts of Sainz regaining his position.

"I don't know what the ruling is, but that was a bit strange. Especially when Carlos had that puncture, I thought we had, at minimum, a chance to fight for the podium and maybe even more. I definitely felt like I had [Verstappen] covered and thought I was in for a good shot today when I saw everyone starting on mediums in front of me."

"Strange";

https://racingnews365.com/russell-pu...co-gp-decision


'So then I told Lewis, I’m not just fast, I’m George Russell fast’
13:34 Sun, 26 May 2024.
F1i.com

George Russell held court during the drivers’ parade ahead of this afternoon’s Monaco GP, and by the looks of it the Mercedes charger’s audience was captivated. Perhaps he was recounting his performance in qualifying on Saturday in which he outpaced his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton for the seventh time in eight races.

“And then I looked at Lewis and I told him, ‘I’m not just fast mate, I’m George Russell fast’!” Or perhaps the Briton was giving a TED Talk: ‘How to Master the Art of Speed and Look Good Doing It".

“I’m George Russell fast”;

https://f1i.com/images/509193-so-the...sell-fast.html


George Russell reveals Lewis Hamilton ‘coin toss’ snub after Mercedes Monaco upgrade comments
29 May 2024 6:00 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

George Russell has set the record straight on Mercedes’ upgrade drama at the Monaco Grand Prix, claiming Lewis Hamilton was “happy” to let him run an updated front wing after snubbing a coin toss.

He said: “There was one front wing this weekend and it was agreed on Tuesday that we’d do a coin toss and see who got it. Lewis said he’d tried it on the sim and was happy for me to use it this weekend, because it doesn’t go without risk.”

“If we made a mistake in qualifying and damaged it, obviously that’s one front wing that we won’t ever be able to use again and you’d have to start from the pit lane. I was happy to take that risk using it and I thought it was a belated birthday present he gave me, saying I could use it.”

‘Coin toss snub’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...monaco-upgrade


George Russell gives telling response as Lewis Hamilton relationship questioned
George Russell was quizzed about the status of his relationship with Lewis Hamilton after Mercedes were accused of favouring him over his soon-to-be departing team-mate
11:08 Tue, 28 May 2024.
By Dan Burnham Senior Sports Reporter
The Mirror

George Russell has hit back at suggestions of a fall out with Lewis Hamilton. When probed on whether his bond with Hamilton had soured, Russell was quick to shut down such talk with a succinct seven-word retort, as reported by GPblog: "No, not at all. The relationship's good," he responded.

Hamilton, meanwhile, seemed less than thrilled with how things are panning out following a lacklustre seventh-place finish in qualifying and the race, trailing two spots behind Russell in each.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff once again insisted that both Hamilton and Russell are receiving equal treatment, suggesting the former might be overthinking the situation. The team principal questioned: "Aren't all drivers a bit sceptical at times?”

‘Telling response’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...nship-32906545

[Fortitude]

'A weekend to forget' for Verstappen and Red Bull.
Max Verstappen said he and Red Bull had experienced a "weekend to forget" after he finished sixth and Sergio Perez crashed out of Sunday’s processional Monaco Grand Prix.
Sun, 26 May 2024, 7:33 pm
AFP
Yahoo! Sport

The series leader and three-time world champion said the team had found one positive by identifying the cause of their current problems after his worst result since the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix. In particular, he said their car struggled to cope with the bumpy nature of the track and a need to ride kerbs, which proved to be the strength of rivals Ferrari who won the race with local hero Charles Leclerc.

"It’s not going to be an easier weekend in Montreal either because of the kerbing and stuff," he said, looking forward to the Canadian Grand Prix where another Ferrari success could blow the championship open. "Our car is not good at that. They have resurfaced the track so that might bring some unexpected stuff -- you never know the grip levels.”

"This has been a really tricky and challenging weekend for us here. A lot of damage as well with Checo's (Perez) car and overall just a weekend to forget, but also a lot to learn from. The only positive I think that comes out of this weekend is that we understand our weaknesses and that’s what we really need to work on.”

'A weekend to forget';

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/wee...183323688.html


Verstappen ‘bored’ by Monaco procession that ‘wasn’t really racing’
20:12 Sun, 26 May 2024.
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Max Verstappen says he endured a boring Monaco Grand Prix, describing his afternoon as one that “wasn’t really about racing” due to the race's circumstances and tyre strategies.

“After the red flag our strategy was ruined as we had to put the medium on to the end as everyone had a free stop, and that meant that we had to save a lot,” Verstappen explained. “First I would like to try to, if there are possibilities, change a few things,” he said. “Because it’ll make the excitement even better.”

“Overall the weekend is really cool, just the Sunday is a little bit boring unfortunately, but the scenery is still great. If we can find a way to race a bit better, why not? That would be my preferred solution. Yes [to layout changes], because you cannot pass at the moment. If they ask for my opinion [on changes] I will try to see what is possible, but it also depends what roads you are going to take.”

‘Wasn’t really racing’;

https://f1i.com/news/509292-verstapp...ly-racing.html


Red Bull don't know cause of Monaco problem
MAY 27, 2024
GrandPrix.com

The recent performance trend in Formula 1 is revealing an exciting new truth for fans - Max Verstappen and Red Bull are no longer cruising to each world championship.

Indeed, although Red Bull has hit a snag with its 2024 car, Carlos Sainz insists it's just “common sense” that on “normal tracks” Verstappen will still win plenty of races this year. “Domination, like we were seeing, hopefully not, said the Spaniard. But favourites? Yes.”

‘Don't know cause of Monaco problem’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/red-b...o-problem.html


Max Verstappen finds ‘only positive’ for Red Bull after ‘boring’ Monaco GP
27 May 2024 4:00 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

However, having said after qualifying that his RB20 resembled a “go-kart” in how it handled through the kerbs, with its suspension not proving friendly over the harsh bumps of Monaco, the three-time World Champion said the team now believe they know what went wrong for them.
If they are able to find a solution, then he believes the car “really comes alive again” – with the RB20 having been the class of the field for much of the season so far. “Of course, after the red flag, our strategy was a bit ruined,” Verstappen explained to media including PlanetF1.com after the race.

“Because then we had to put the medium to the end, because everyone had a free stop, and that meant that we have to save a lot. You know, I just tried to follow George [Russell]. We were massively off the pace, I was trying to manage the tyre.”

‘RB20 resembled a go-kart’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...tive-monaco-gp


‘Unexpected problems’: Max Verstappen makes worrying Red Bull prediction ahead of Canadian Grand Prix
Tue 28 May 2024 18:30
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Max Verstappen and Red Bull uncharacteristically struggled at the Monaco Grand Prix. The RB20 seemed ill-at-ease on the streets of the principality throughout the weekend.
On Friday, Martin Brundle spotted Verstappen complaining about his Red Bull more than he had for ‘a while’ in the garage. He’d reported over the team radio that the car was a ‘knife-edge’.
The Dutchman had to settle for sixth in Saturday’s qualifying session after hitting the wall on his second run. And he wasn’t able to make any progress on race day either. Verstappen says there could be similar issues with the ride in Canada. “It won’t be our best weekend either because of the curbs and bumps,” he told Sky Germany. “There are certainly some tracks where there will be some unexpected problems.”

‘Unexpected problems’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/max...an-grand-prix/


Christian Horner response to Max Verstappen's "found out" claim speaks volumes
Max Verstappen suggested Red Bull have been 'found out' after their poor showing at the Monaco Grand Prix and Christian Horner expects things to get tight in the coming weeks
11:02 Mon, 27 May 2024.
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

Christian Horner insists no-one at Red Bull is panicking - but conceded that they are now under the cosh from their F1 rivals. Team boss Horner admitted the weakness of Red Bull's fearsome cars has been exposed and is anticipating more pressure from other teams in the coming weeks.

He said: "I think we saw it in Singapore last year as well. I think we've had another example of that. We know it's an area of the car we need to work on. We have some lessons to take out of this weekend and some issues that we need to address with the car.”

"Ferrari, McLaren, they're quick. It was always going to happen that there was going to be convergence. I think McLaren made a big step, Ferrari's step was very subtle. So let's see over the next two or three races. We're now getting into the meat of the championship so let's see. Montreal, Barcelona, Austria, Silverstone, let's see over the next few circuits how things pan out. It's a marathon, not a sprint. We expected this to be a tough weekend for us. Qualifying was difficult which then dictates where you are in the race."

‘No-one at Red Bull is panicking’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...-bull-32900435

[Fortitude]

‘Little less zen’: Lewis Hamilton left really upset by one Mercedes decision at the Monaco Grand Prix.
He was left frustrated during the Monaco Grand Prix as he came home in 7th place and was beaten by teammate George Russell once again.
Wed 29 May 2024 19:30
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Lewis Hamilton would have been hoping for so much more during his final Formula 1 season with Mercedes. Talking about Hamilton’s race in Monaco, Mejia said: “I asked him [Lewis Hamilton] on Saturday whether the front wing was making any difference and he said it did. So, I tend to think more that it was meant to be for George [Russell]. Maybe I’m wrong, but from what Lewis said that was the impression [I got].”

“And then in the race, we heard Lewis on the radio saying that, ‘I told you’, you could see that he was not a friend of starting on the hard tyres because if this happened, a red flag on the lap one, they were going to be forced to run a medium for the whole race basically, for 77 laps which is what George did in the end.”

“So, I think Lewis has been in a very zen mode. It’s been a joy to speak to Lewis this year because although he’s not getting any podiums or victories or pole positions, he’d been quite relaxed, looking at the bright side always. He’s been in that mood up until this weekend. To me, it’s clear that… he’s a little less zen this weekend.”

‘Little less zen’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/lew...co-grand-prix/


Lewis Hamilton explains “I told you guys” radio complaint in Monaco Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton clarifies his "I told you guys" complaint over team radio in Monaco.
26 May 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Lewis Hamilton has clarified his “I told you guys” radio complaint during the early stages of the Monaco Grand Prix. With the race under red flag conditions, this allowed their rivals to change tyres - onto the hards - meaning they could effectively go to the end of the race. Hamilton had this in mind, explaining the aforementioned radio message to select media including Crash.net in Monaco.

“Well, I think it was going to be long either way, whichever tyre you were on, but I wanted to start on the hard [sic],” he said. “I felt that something was going to happen at the beginning of the race and normally that would create an opportunity to switch over to the hards and go away to the end.”

“But I think at the end of the day everyone drove so slow that it didn’t make any difference.” Mercedes appeared to take a step forward in Monte Carlo as George Russell finished fifth, beating Max Verstappen.

“I told you guys”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/104943...aco-grand-prix


Hamilton: ‘Really positive to see the team bringing upgrades every weekend’
26 May 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Lewis Hamilton was tight-lipped about comments he made about his qualifying performances this year, after he came home seventh in Monaco.

‘Really positive’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/ha...32535652320345


Hamilton proclaims former team resurgence 'warms my heart'
While Mercedes has struggled for on-track form of late, Lewis Hamilton's former team McLaren has improved its results across the last year.
29 May 2024, 2:30PM
Fergal Walsh & Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Hamilton, who raced for McLaren from 2007 to 2012, praised his former squad for its form recovery. "I think he [Norris] is doing a great job," said the Mercedes driver. "Oscar [Piastri] is also doing a really great job as well.”

“He's just been unlucky in the last couple of races. So excited to see both of them, and how they both progress, but mostly also for McLaren, to see them back up there.
“It warms my heart because I was there for such a long time and they gave me my break. So it's cool. I hope we can get closer as well, I think they [McLaren] also have just shown that you can close the gap and you can catch up if the job's done right. It's inspired us all to get on it.”

'Warms my heart';

https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-p...warms-my-heart


Lewis Hamilton accused of ‘spinning’ George Russell head-to-head after Monaco upgrades
28 May 2024 10:30 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Falling 7-1 behind George Russell in qualifying and blaming that on his team-mate getting Mercedes’ new front wing in Monaco, Jamie Chadwick says Lewis Hamilton is “spinning” the narrative. Qualifying P7, 0.08s down on Russell who was P5, Hamilton said: “I anticipated it would be difficult to outqualify George because he has the upgraded component, but it’s just great to see that we are bringing upgrades.

“I already know automatically that I’m going to lose two-tenths going into qualifying. That’s definitely frustrating.” Going on to declare he does “not anticipate being ahead of George in qualifying particularly this year”, Hamilton was pressed on the claim with a “we’ll see” reply.” But rather than read too much into Hamilton’s comment, Williams development driver Chadwick believes Hamilton is “spinning it” to suit his narrative. “I think he knows what he’s doing,” Chadwick told Channel 4.

“He’s spinning it to make it sound like he’s maybe not got the upgrades this weekend which for me, I’m not sure about because a team like Mercedes, they generally always bring upgrades to both cars. It’s not like they need to split it between the two cars. So yeah, I think he should take his hat off to George. He’s 7-1 on someone like Lewis Hamilton, which is incredible. And I think Lewis is probably not happy about that, to be honest. And that’s where that comment has come from.”

‘Spinning the narrative’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...onaco-upgrades


One does not simply buy Lewis Hamilton's advanced polo from the Monaco Grand Prix
28 May 2024
By Adam Cheung
GQMagazine

No-one does F1 fashion quite like Sir Lewis Hamilton. Literally no-one. From disco-ready boiler suits to deconstructed blazer-coats, the man has proven, time and time again that he's as good at menswear as he is at racing. But on those rare days when he's not rocking Rick Owens or Mowalola, the national treasure goes down a more understated route (or at least understated by Lewis Hamilton standards).

At the eighth stage of the Formula 1 World Championship in Monaco, Hamilton was spotted with his entourage wearing a big, oversized polo shirt. But this wasn't just an off-the-rack polo shirt. This one was bespoke by Botter, a label by designers Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter that's all about sustainable materials, eco-friendly fabrics, and all that good, good stuff.

‘No-one does F1 fashion quite like Sir Lewis Hamilton. Literally no-one’;

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/articl...olo-shirt-2024


Hamilton suggests solution to 'spice up' Monaco GP
After many fans labelled the Monaco Grand Prix 'boring', Lewis Hamilton has voiced a potential solution to improve the spectacle.
27 May 2024, 9:00AM
Fergal Walsh & Aaron Deckers

When Hamilton was informed that fans were calling the race boring, the Mercedes driver told media including RacingNews365: “I can only imagine.”

“I mean ultimately, our tyres, they can do a whole race, too hard of [tyres] compounds here, we've got to find ways to spice it up. Maybe mandatory three stops or something to spice it up a bit more.”

‘Mandatory three stops’;

https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-s...e-up-monaco-gp


‘That is what he said’ – Toto Wolff’s thoughts on Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari after Drive to Survive reminder
28 May 2024 8:15 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

When season six of Drive to Survive was released back in February, Toto Wolff was seen on screens around the world saying he couldn’t imagine Lewis Hamilton in red.

Reminded of that in a recent interview with the Independent, Wolff said: “That is what he said to me. He said he was going to stay and then he decided to go. But people change their minds and circumstances change and you have to respect that. Today’s opinion might be different tomorrow and I have no hard feelings.”

“If Ferrari is able to give Lewis a competitive car, he can win a World Championship, there is no doubt about that,” he continued. “I will always have a personal relationship with Lewis and I will look back at the great times, professionally and personally. When Lewis moves to Ferrari he becomes a competitor but I will always wish him happy days.”

“People change their minds and circumstances change”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...rvive-reminder

[Fortitude]

Tsunoda on maiden Monaco top-ten: ‘We deserved these points’.
For the first time in his career in F1, Yuki Tsunoda cracked the top-ten barrier in Monaco, and it was a well-deserved achievement according to the RB charger.
28/05/2024 at 17:33
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

While the competitive spirit in him likely yearned to push harder, Tsunoda kept his emotions in check. He understood the bigger picture – securing points was crucial for him and the Visa Cash App RB team.

“[It’s] good that we scored points again," said he said after the race. “I think we deserved these points. It was kind of fine-tuning, a bit of balance between me and my strategy.”

“Obviously myself I wanted to push, but as a strategy we didn’t want to. [I] kind of tried to be calm as much as possible. In the end, the last couple of laps I enjoyed it and [it’s my] first points in Monaco, so definitely a happy day.”

‘We deserved these points’;

https://f1i.com/news/509539-tsunoda-...se-points.html


‘We deserved these points’ says Tsunoda after sealing first top-10 finish in Monaco
28 May 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Yuki Tsunoda was thrilled to score his very first points at Monaco on Sunday – a result he says shows his growing consistency as he looks to cement his future on the F1 grid.

After lining up in P8 at the start, Tsunoda managed his pace throughout the event to preserve his tyres and crossed the line in the same position. While the Japanese driver felt some frustration at not being able to push, he kept his cool and came away happy with his final result.

“It’s very important that we keep scoring points, and I think also the team allows me to bring the confidence straight away in FP1 and having a good pace already from maybe [practice] one. I think those kind of things will obviously help me to be confident and focused on what I have to do. I think just every race we are super consistent, that’s what we all want and we just keep pushing at what we’re doing.”

‘Shows his growing consistency’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...V0uvKf8XlKyxhy


RB set to retain current line-up for 2025
30/05/2024
NEWS STORY
Pitpass

RB team boss, Peter Bayer admits that the Faenza-based outfit is likely to retain Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda for 2025. "We're very happy with both of our drivers," he said. "And honestly, we're not wasting time with discussing ifs and whens. We have a very strong line-up. We have a great reserve driver. We have great talent coming through F2, F3. Currently, it's all about focusing on performance," he added. "And perhaps the focus is more on Aston Martin in front of us than on driver discussions."

Asked about Tsunoda, who has had his own problems in the past but has appeared to go from strength to strength ever since Ricciardo joined the team to replace Nyck de Vries, Bayer said: "I definitely believe he has made a big step forward. It's physical preparation," he added, "but it's also his mental readiness to perform and deliver.”

“One example I mentioned the other day: I think he simply understood that every time he would be swearing on the radio, that would cost him a tenth. So he's got himself under control. He's extremely professional in the work that he's putting into the feedback with the engineers," he continued. "And yes, he definitely made a big step up."

"We're very happy with both of our drivers”;

https://www.pitpass.com/77836/RB-set...ne-up-for-2025


‘Has a decent chance’: Three F1 teams are now considering making a move for Yuki Tsunoda in 2025
Wed 29 May 2024 12:00
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Visa Cash App RB driver Yuki Tsunoda may be sitting 10th in the Drivers’ Championship this season, but he’s comfortably been one of the most impressive drivers on the grid in 2024. Heading into his fourth season with the sister Red Bull team, Yuki Tsunoda is proving why he deserves his place in Formula 1.

Yuki Tsunoda is an unlikely star in Formula 1’s driver market: Discussing the Japanese driver’s future, Benson said: “The impression from the outside is that there is absolutely nothing [Yuki] Tsunoda can do to be considered for a seat at Red Bull – the bosses simply do not rate him highly enough. “This is why Tsunoda is looking outside Red Bull for job opportunities, even though he owes his seat in F1 to Honda, their engine partner.”

“Ironically, he cannot get a seat at Aston Martin, which will be Honda’s works team from 2026, because Fernando Alonso has just signed a new contract there and Lance Stroll is the son of the owner and is not going anywhere. So, Tsunoda is looking at places such as Williams, Haas and Alpine, and it seems he has a decent chance of landing one of those seats in this summer’s driver musical chairs.”

‘Three F1 teams are now considering making a move’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/thr...unoda-in-2025/


Tsunoda: qualifying session was harder than expected
26 May 2024, 10:00
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Yuki Tsunoda appeared to be extremely quick during the practice session, and he managed to carry that form over into the all-important qualifying session. The Japanese made the top 10 shootout yet again, and so slowly becoming a regular feature in Q3.

“Today was much harder than expected, but we picked up the pace quite a lot and managed to improve lap by lap in every session from Q1 to Q3. Q1 was a bit of a struggle considering the pace we had in free practice, but we managed to squeeze out every millisecond from the car.”

"It was super intense, one mistake is a big compromise here. I felt a little bit of pressure, but at the same time enjoyed it, I managed to keep my mind calm and extract the performance of the car. It’s going to be tricky tomorrow, it’s hard to overtake here so the start is very decisive and the main thing is to have a clean race.”

“Squeeze out every millisecond from the car”;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/24647


Verstappen is P6, Tsunoda is P8 in the Monaco GP Qualifying
20:58 Sat, 25 May 2024
Honda Racing

Round 8 of the season, Monaco Grand Prix took place at Circuit de Monaco. Max Verstappen of Oracle Red Bull Racing, supported by Honda as a Team Partner, was P6. Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team's Yuki Tsunoda was P8.

‘Tsunoda is P8’;

https://honda.racing/f1/post/f1-2024-rd08-qualifying

[Fortitude]

Alex Albon exclusive: I can fight for F1 world championship at Williams.
Albon picked the perfect time to make his maiden Q3 appearance of 2024 and the Monte Carlo resident held off Pierre Gasly to secure ninth place and fire Williams above Alpine in the constructors’ championship before the shortest of commutes home.
10:08 Thu, 30 May 2024.
Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport

“Today is like my 19th day in Monaco this year,” Albon said. “To stay home is actually a lovely luxury to have, it’s nice to be able to sleep in your own bed, make your own breakfast and just take it nice and slow so it’s good. “Especially between Imola and Monaco, it was already quite a short trip to Monaco itself so I’ve been here since Sunday evening and going to my normal gym, being able to train properly Monday-Wednesday has been nice.”

As effusive as Albon is about the impact of Vowles and his changes behind the scenes, there’s another more obvious carrot that Williams can offer in 2026: a Mercedes power unit. “For sure it is, I think Mercedes time and time again, when it comes to these regulation changes, they seem to be one step ahead of their rivals – not to say I don’t think other teams will do a good job.”

“But I think it’s at least a safe bet. When you look at maybe the other midfield teams who are bringing in a new PU I’m sure they’re going to put in a lot of money to hit the ground running. At the same time, I think I’m hoping that even in 2026 if we’re still in our building phase – obviously, I want to hit that year on top form, but if it’s not there quite yet we’ll still have a very strong power unit to go alongside us.”

“One step ahead of their rivals”;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/ale...ship-williams/


Albon hoping Williams can ‘hit our stride’ after breaking points duck in Monaco
26 May 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Alex Albon scored Williams first points of the year in Monaco, and is now hoping to carry that “positive momentum” forward into the next few races.

‘Hit our stride’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/al...31658540548243


Albon: first points a big moral boost for Williams
27 May 2024, 02:00
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Monaco allowed the team to display a more encouraging pace as the challenging street circuit punished the additional weight slightly less. Alex Albon did not hesitate to grab the opportunity on Saturday, qualifying in the top ten which he could convert into a ninth place finish to score his and the team's first points in 2024.

"Whilst you’d rather have a slightly more exciting race to win points at, I’m still happy. P9 for the team and our first points of the season which means a lot to us. You never want to be pointless, especially for the team's morality, so hopefully this will be a nice kickstart to the season.”

"It was a bit frustrating out there as you could see how much pace Yuki had but he was managing excessively, so it was a very slow and painful race; I was struggling to stay focused. We’ve added small amounts of performance to the car so it’s good to see these upgrades working and that we’re able to stay around a similar pace to our direct competitors," added Albon.

‘Big moral boost’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/24655


Monaco GP: Williams Racing kick start their season
May 27 2024
Williams Racing
WilliamsF1 Supporters

The results of the 2024 Monaco GP would see the Williams Racing Team come away with two points as a result of a 9th place finish from Alex Albon. This will see them move into 8th in the Constructors Championship.

The race itself would see a Red Flag after a lap one crash involving several cars. This would see the race restarted and Alex was able to change to the hard tyre, having started on the medium, and he would use this in his drive to the finish.

Alex Albon: "Whilst you’d rather have a slightly more exciting race to win points at, I’m still happy. P9 for the team and our first points of the season which means a lot to us. You never want to be pointless, especially for the team's moral, so hopefully this will be a nice kick start to the season.

‘Kick start their season’;

https://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s107/st206018.htm


Monaco points breakthrough sparks optimism for Albon
27/05/2024 at 12:26
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Relief and cautious optimism filled the air at Williams after Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix following Alex Albon’s run to P9 which marked driver and team’s first points of the year. “I feel it was maybe a bit of a boring one,” he admitted. “I wish I had a nicer race, more fun race to say how we scored our first points, but I’ll take that!”

“P9 is great for us, it puts us on the board, puts us in a positive momentum for the next few. Last year it took us a while to get some points and then we really started to hit our stride. I don’t know why we can’t do that again – we’ve chipped away at the car, brought some small upgrades to the car and it’s paying off so, yeah, happy.”

“I’ll take that!”;

https://f1i.com/news/509441-monaco-p...for-albon.html


Alex Albon: Two Crucial Points for Williams
May 28, 2024
Aaron Teasdale
World In Sport

Alex Albon’s weekend started on a positive note during Qualifying. Securing a good starting position is crucial in a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult. Albon managed to navigate through the tight corners and barriers of the Monaco circuit with skill, eventually qualifying in 9th position. This placed him in a prime spot to compete for points during the race. As Monaco is known for making overtaking extremely difficult, the ambition to score points ran high amongst the Williams team.

As the race entered its final stages, Albon was in a tight battle for the lower points positions with Yuki Tsunoda for 8th place. Able to stay within the DRS but as we mentioned, overtaking in Monaco is extremely difficult. But in the end, as much as Albon pushed the Visa Cash App RB driver, he crossed the finish line in 9th place, securing two valuable points for Williams Racing.

‘Two Crucial Points’;

https://worldinsport.com/alex-albon-...-for-williams/


Albon mocks ‘painful’ Monaco pace: ‘I could drive my Vespa around here’
Alexander Albon has poked fun at the Monaco Grand Prix after a slow, processional race with strategy broadly taken out of the equation.
28 May 2024, 2:05PM
Samuel Coop & Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

After the first lap red flag allowed runners to make their mandatory pit stop during the stoppage, the majority of the top 10 completed the remaining 76 laps on once set of tyres. That resulted in Albon being tucked up behind Yuki Tsunoda's RB for almost the entire race - with the Japanese driver dictating a very conservative pace for the pair.

"I was like 'man, I could get out and drive my Vespa around here'," the 28-year-old joked to media including RacingNews365. "That's how it is. I mean, it was so slow. It was so painful. It's actually hard to say focused when you're going that slowly, because you're just not even near anything - you're not near any limits.”

"He [Yuki Tsunoda] absolutely cleared off at the end of the race, and I was like 'you could have done this the whole time', but he decided not to do it." The Thai-British driver would felt that the approach employed by Tsunoda was more extreme than it needed to be, voicing his thoughts about a race that was needlessly slow in his view. "I think I've got everything, radiometry settings...," he replied when asked if he was now an expert on what the RB rear wing looked like. "It's annoying because he had pace. He had so much pace.”

“Drive my Vespa”;

https://racingnews365.com/albon-mock...pa-around-here


‘Bit excessive’: Alex Albon couldn’t get over how ‘ridiculous’ 80-point driver was during Monaco Grand Prix
Wed 29 May 2024 06:30
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

The Monaco Grand Prix is the only race that can be the most interesting and the most tedious event on the Formula 1 calendar at the same time. The race on Sunday lived up to that billing with the first lap full of chaos and bringing out the red flag and the following 77 laps filled with very little action.

Tsunoda was supposedly chasing down Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton for 7th place but by the time they took the chequered flag, it was hard to argue that he’d had a real go at doing so. Albon struggled to hide his frustration with Tsunoda after the race in Monaco as he simply couldn’t find a way past the RB driver. In the end, he dropped off the back of his car, presumably because he was sick of the sight of the V-CARB rear wing.

Alex Albon endured 78 laps of frustration on the streets of Monte Carlo: Talking about their battle, Mitchell-Malm said: “He didn’t endear himself to [Alex] Albon with the amount of pace management he was doing in the race. “Have you had a chance to hear what Albon had to say afterwards? “He thought it was a bit excessive, but not in like a particularly overly irate way because I don’t think Albon does that.”

‘Alex Albon couldn’t get over…’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/ale...co-grand-prix/