Rachel Stephens, Author at Motorsport

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 Stephens7 hours ago7 hours 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 Stephens7 hours ago7 hours 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 Stephens2 days ago2 days 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 Stephens6 days ago6 days 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 Stephens6 days ago5 days 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 Stephens3 weeks ago3 weeks 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…

Alexander Albon (THA) Atlassian Williams Racing FW47. 28.02.2025. Formula 1 Testing, Sakhir, Bahrain, Day Three.

F1 Testing | Sainz and Albon “positive” despite “complicated” Bahrain pre-season testing

Rachel Stephens3 weeks ago3 weeks ago04 mins

With pre-season testing complete, the 2025 F1 season is just around the corner, and for Williams’ drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, there is a glimpse of promise within the team. Unexpected weather in Bahrain With unexpected and unpredictable weather in Bahrain throughout the 3 days, Sainz described testing as “complicated”, noting that the changing weather conditions…

F1 Testing | Lawson believes Red Bull is in a “positive place” after Day 2 of Bahrain pre-season testing

Rachel Stephens3 weeks ago3 weeks ago04 mins

Day 2 of F1 pre-season testing in Bahrain was anything but smooth sailing for Red Bull’s Liam Lawson. Lawson faced a mix of rare rain showers and technical issues throughout the day. Despite the session having several interruptions, he left believing that the team is in a “positive place” ahead of the season opener in…

Xavier Marcos Padros with Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc, and he discusses how he expects the Monegasque to fare against Lewis Hamilton.

Exclusive: Xavier Marcos Padros “curious” to see how Hamilton fares against “high level” Leclerc at Ferrari F1

Rachel Stephens4 weeks ago4 weeks ago07 mins

In the second part of an exclusive interview with Pit Debrief, Xavier Marcos Padros, current technical director of Cadillac’s LMDh sportscar program, discussed his journey to, with, and from Ferrari, alongside the future of the team, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in red. The journey to Ferrari and Tifosi culture Despite getting his first…

James Vowles suggests Franco Colapinto could still get Alpine F1 opportunity in 2025

Vowles suggests Colapinto could still get Alpine F1 opportunity in 2025

Rachel Stephens1 month ago1 month ago04 mins

Williams’ team principal James Vowles believes that Franco Colapinto’s move to Alpine F1 as a reserve driver is the right step for the young Argentine’s future in formula racing. Despite Colapinto’s stint with Williams in 2024, Vowles believes that Alpine offers the best path back to the grid for the 21-year-old. Vowles has recently reiterated his…