Luke-John Buckle, Author at Motorsport | Pit Debrief

Max Verstappen lifting the trophy on the podium at Imola

Horner lauds Verstappen’s F1 Imola GP “masterclass”, praises Buemi for Red Bull improvement following bad Friday

Luke-John Buckle7 months ago04 mins

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has credited their simulator driver Sebastien Buemi for the Austrian team’s gain in performance during the race weekend at Imola. The reigning champions suffered a difficult Friday, particularly at Acque Minerali, as Max Verstappen ran wide into the gravel. The team recovered to take pole position for the Imola…

Carlos Sainz's Ferrari on the grid at Imola

Vasseur: “We will have to speed up the development” as Ferrari and McLaren closes Red Bull’s F1 advantage

Luke-John Buckle7 months ago7 months ago03 mins

The Italian team brought an upgrade to their home race at Imola but narrowly trailed in Red Bull and McLaren’s wake in qualifying as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz qualified P4 and P5 respectively. The single-lap pace at the sharp end of the field was incredibly competitive, with just two-tenths separating the top four cars….

Carlos Sainz driving his Ferrari at Imola

Sainz baffled by lack of speed on fresh softs in F1 Imola GP qualifying: “You put the new soft on, and I find barely any lap time”

Luke-John Buckle7 months ago7 months ago04 mins

Carlos Sainz is puzzled by his lack of raw speed on the soft tyre after qualifying in fifth place for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. The Spaniard will start Sunday’s race behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Both cars will be moved up one place to third and fourth after Oscar Piastri’s three-place grid drop….

Russell pleased with Mercedes improvement at F1 Imola GP: “The car is feeling probably the best it’s felt all season”

Luke-John Buckle7 months ago04 mins

George Russell is feeling confident after qualifying in sixth place at Imola for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The British driver’s best lap time was just 0.001s of a second slower than Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in Q3, a sign of progress for the Brackley-based team. The Mercedes driver feels the newly upgraded W15 is the quickest…

Lewis Hamilton driving his Mercedes at Imola

Allison plays down impact of major Mercedes F1 aero reshuffle following departure of Chief Aerodynamicist

Luke-John Buckle7 months ago03 mins

Mercedes Formula 1 is beginning a reshuffle of its aerodynamics department, as its chief aerodynamicist, Gioacchino Vino, is on the verge of leaving the team. Vino is departing after six years at Brackley and worked his way up from being a principal aerodynamicist. It’s believed he was removed rather than him deciding to go. Ferrari’s…

Tim Cindric among staff suspended by Team Penske after IndyCar push-to-pass saga

Luke-John Buckle8 months ago8 months ago04 mins

Four senior members of the Team Penske IndyCar team have been suspended by the esteemed team boss Roger Penske. This includes team president Tim Cindric and managing director Ron Ruzewski. All four members have been suspended for the next two IndyCar rounds including the Indy 500. Penske said: “I recognise the magnitude of what occurred and…

“Left rear floor” damage after bollard strike hampered Verstappen in F1 Miami GP — Horner

Luke-John Buckle8 months ago8 months ago04 mins

Max Verstappen floundered in the closing stages of Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix and was left powerless to attack eventual race winner Lando Norris. Red Bull has revealed that the Dutchman’s alarming drop in pace was caused by floor damage sustained during the race. The reigning world champion clattered into a bollard at Turn 15 after…

Former Red Bull F1 drivers discuss “very inspiring” Adrian Newey as he departs next year

Luke-John Buckle8 months ago8 months ago05 mins

Adrian Newey will leave Red Bull in early 2025 after a hugely successful stint at the team after joining in 2006, winning 13 F1 titles. The Briton has been integral to the Austrian outfit’s success, leading Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen to a combined seven championships. Multiple former Red Bull drivers praised the 65-year-old including…

Linus Lundqvist on the podium with his trophy at Barber Motorsports Park

Lundqvist says he was “a fairly small part” in charge to first IndyCar podium finish at Barber, credits CGR for strategy

Luke-John Buckle8 months ago8 months ago07 mins

Linus Lundqvist is eagerly anticipating the month of May, which culminates with the Indy 500, after taking his maiden IndyCar podium at Barber Motorsports Park. The Swede drove to third place after picking his way through the field from 19th on the grid for Chip Ganassi Racing. Lundqvist is looking forward to his first Indy…

Krack unimpressed with stewards inconsistency during F1 Chinese GP weekend

Luke-John Buckle8 months ago8 months ago05 mins

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has labelled Lance Stroll’s “very harsh” at the F1 Chinese Grand Prix. The Canadian made big contact with Daniel Ricciardo at the Turn 14 hairpin as the Safety Car period ended and the race restarted. Stroll was given a 10-second time penalty as a seething Ricciardo retired, and his…