Rachel Stephens, Author at Motorsport

Russell calls for softer compounds after forgettable F1 Japanese GP

Rachel Stephens7 days ago7 days ago04 mins

George Russell’s race at the F1 Japanese GP was defined by tyre compounds and stagnant racing that left him stuck in a DRS train. Unable to close the gap to Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari ahead, Russell’s weekend was full of missed opportunities and Mercedes’ ongoing frustrations. In qualifying, a scrappy Q3 lap left him in P5 for the GP, sandwiched between Leclerc and his teammate Kimi…

Russell: McLaren F1 will be challenging to compete with despite Mercedes’ 2025 progress

Rachel Stephens1 week ago1 week ago07 mins

Making the podium at the opening races of the 2025 F1 season, George Russell is optimistic about Mercedes’ trajectory this year ahead of the F1 Japanese GP. Still, he admits that McLaren’s current form makes them the team to beat. It’s early days, but Russell has helped lift Mercedes to second in the Constructors’ Championship….

Komatsu on massive progress in communication at Haas after dream F1 Chinese GP

Rachel Stephens2 weeks ago2 weeks ago05 mins

Just after a week to forget for Haas in Melbourne, where they finished with no points, the team delivered a surprise in Shanghai with Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman scoring a double points finish at the F1 Chinese GP, and team boss Ayao Komatsu was beaming after it. Finishing P5 and P8, Haas have been…

F1 | Chinese GP | Race | Piastri leads Norris in McLaren 1-2, Russell makes podium

Rachel Stephens3 weeks ago3 weeks ago012 mins

Second F1 GP of the year, and the McLarens are looking capable of winning at the Chinese GP . Liam Lawson, due to start at the back of the grid, has taken the opportunity to make changes on the car, and will therefore start from the pitlane. After winning the Sprint, Hamilton is looking confident going into today’s…

Hülkenberg and Bortoleto on tough qualifying at F1 Chinese GP

Hülkenberg admits Q3 possible with perfect lap at F1 Chinese GP; Bortoleto left to rue traffic with the Ferraris

Rachel Stephens3 weeks ago3 weeks ago07 mins

At the Chinese GP, Sauber faced a challenging qualifying session, with Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto attempting to extract the most from their cars. Bortoleto’s traffic troubles In Q1, Bortoleto found himself caught in a web of traffic during his outlap, which ultimately compromised his flying qualifying lap. “I got a lot of traffic in the…

Ocon on P11 for F1 Chinese GP: Haas has “reacted super well” to Australia issues

Rachel Stephens3 weeks ago3 weeks ago09 mins

After a challenging and pretty brutal outing at the Australian GP, Haas F1 arrived in Shanghai for the Chinese GP with work still to be done as Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman looked to get in the fight with other cars. A rocky start to the season in Melbourne The Australian GP was a weekend to forget…

How 2024 São Paulo strategy error by Racing Bulls hurt Tsunoda at F1 Australian GP

Rachel Stephens3 weeks ago3 weeks ago07 mins

First race of the 2025 season and Yuki Tsunoda left the F1 Australian GP with a mix of pride and frustration. The RB driver delivered a fantastic performance for the team in qualifying. But he ultimately fell victim to the weather in Melbourne and a major gamble on strategy. Powerful pace shown in qualifying Tsunoda…

Gabriel Bortoleto’s F1 debut: “I prefer to push the car to the limit” following Australian GP crash

Bortoleto: “I prefer to crash” than drive like a “passenger” following F1 Australian GP shunt

Rachel Stephens4 weeks ago4 weeks ago08 mins

Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto experienced the highs and lows of F1 racing in a rain-soaked Australian GP. A wet and wild start to the season With rain causing the track to feel like a skating rink, multiple drivers, both rookies and seasoned drivers, fell victim to the treacherous conditions. Bortoleto, making his F1 debut with Sauber at…

Hamilton: F1 Australian GP was a "crash course" in Ferrari

Hamilton: Ferrari F1 debut at Australian GP a “crash course”

Rachel Stephens4 weeks ago4 weeks ago011 mins

The 2025 F1 season kicked off in Melbourne for the Australian GP, and for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, Australia was a baptism by fire. He finished in P10 following a gamble to stay on dry tyres by the Scuderia that backfired as the rain got worse. In his first race weekend with Ferrari, after a…

Exclusive: Xavier Marcos Padros on the leadership styles of Ferrari F1 team principals Binotto and Vasseur

Rachel Stephens1 month ago1 month ago08 mins

In the third part of an exclusive interview with Pit Debrief, Xavier Marcos Padros, current technical director of Cadillac’s LMDh sportscar program, discussed the different leadership styles of Ferrari F1 team principals Mattia Binotto and Fred Vasseur. Working at Ferrari F1 from 2018 to 2024, and as Charles Leclerc’s race engineer, Marcos Padros noted that…