Rachel Stephens, Author at Motorsport | Pit Debrief

“Let’s see over the next few circuits how things how things pan out” — Horner staying calm in F1 title battle following disappointing Monaco GP

Rachel Stephens6 months ago06 mins

Despite the team’s dominance within the past few Formula 1 seasons, Red Bull Racing has faced some surprising problems thus far in 2024, particularly when it comes to handling the bumps and kerbs on certain circuits. Despite the team continuing to lead in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, the most recent grand prix’s have…

Stella: Ferrari “did a good job of always keeping Lando in the pit window of one of the Mercedes” during F1 Monaco GP

Rachel Stephens6 months ago07 mins

On the streets of Monte Carlo, McLaren displayed another impressive team performance, with Oscar Piastri landing in P2, and Lando Norris narrowly missing the podium in P4, just over a second behind the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz. With Charles Leclerc securing pole position for the race, Piastri was hot on his heels in P2, just…

Andretti Cadillac signs F1 veteran Pat Symonds as they ramp up plans to try and join the championship

Rachel Stephens6 months ago6 months ago05 mins

Andretti Cadillac has announced the signing of Pat Symonds, former Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of Formula 1, as they intensify their efforts to join the F1 grid. Symonds is joining as an Executive Engineering Consultant for the American team, bringing decades of experience with him. No stranger to championship success, Symonds played a crucial role…

Piastri says last couple of events “probably two of my better weekends in F1” as he finishes a solid P4 in Imola GP

Rachel Stephens6 months ago6 months ago07 mins

From the outset of the Imola GP weekend, Oscar Piastri’s performance has been nothing short of impressive. His strong qualifying, alongside him gettinf McLaren’s newest upgrade package in full, helped him to claim a very competitive position on the starting grid, but a grid penalty meant Piastri ultimately started from the third row in P5….

“Something that we need to investigate carefully” — Sainz says he was suffering from aero and deployment issues during F1 Imola GP

Rachel Stephens6 months ago6 months ago06 mins

Carlos Sainz’s weekend at Imola began with challenges at Saturday’s qualifying session, and despite his best efforts, he struggled to find pace throughout the entirety of the weekend and found himself grappling with issues that hindered his performance. Citing gremlins with his SF-24, he expressed frustration over the unexpected setbacks on home soil. He finished two…

Hülkenberg on getting a tow from Verstappen in F1 Imola GP Qualifying: “You need the support of colleagues”

Rachel Stephens6 months ago06 mins

At the qualifying session for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Haas F1 driver Nico Hülkenberg landed an impressive 10th position, all whilst aiding in Max Verstappen’s pole-winning lap. In Q1, Hülkenberg’s initial run was far from perfect, but as the session progressed, he moved from the back of the pack to the top, leading him to…

Ricciardo “really struggling with the high speed changes of direction” as he makes Q3 at F1 Imola GP

Rachel Stephens6 months ago04 mins

Daniel Ricciardo breathed a sigh of relief after he secured ninth place in the qualifying session for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. His spot in Q3 is a major success for the midfield RB F1 team, particularly when considering the difficulties Ricciardo has been facing with the car this year in Grand Prix qualifying sessions,…

Magnussen: F1 penalty points can be avoided by FIA telling drivers “to give back positions” as he nears race ban

Rachel Stephens6 months ago6 months ago07 mins

Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 driver, has been displaying an aggressive racing style and exceeding track limits in the first few races of the 2024 season, threatening to tip him over the edge of penalties. Magnussen’s recent run-ins with the FIA have sparked debates among fans on the rules set out by the FIA, and the…

“Maybe you need to spend a weekend at home with your family” — Stella calls for race bans following Magnussen’s antics during F1 Sprint

Rachel Stephens7 months ago05 mins

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has strongly criticised the manoeuvres from Kevin Magnussen during the Miami GP Sprint. Stella minced no words in condemning Magnussen’s defensive driving tactics throughout the 19-lap race. Lewis Hamilton was struggling on the straights, finding it difficult to overtake the Haas throughout. Eventually, the drivers brushed tyres during their battle,…

Norris “never felt as good” in F1 Miami GP qualifying following hugely promising Friday pace

Rachel Stephens7 months ago7 months ago05 mins

Occupying the third row for the Miami GP, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri came fifth and sixth respectively in the Miami qualifying session. Norris has the benefit of the car’s full upgrade package this weekend and is understandably fine-tuning the car whilst coming to terms with the MCL38’s new set-up. Norris shared his thoughts…