Rachel Stephens, Author at Motorsport | Pit Debrief

Russell feeling “more confident and consistent” than Hamilton after securing P7 in F1 Australian GP qualifying

Rachel Stephens9 months ago9 months ago05 mins

George Russell secured a respectable seventh place in today’s qualifying session, setting up for a strong performance in Sunday’s race in Melbourne. In a post-qualifying interview, Russell reflected on his performance throughout the weekend thus far, acknowledging that the competition has been tight on track. Mercedes had looked very competitive in final practice. Both drivers…

Tsunoda happy with “good amount of improvements” in qualifying this year as he starts P8 for F1 Australian GP

Rachel Stephens9 months ago9 months ago05 mins

In today’s qualifying session for the Australian Grand Prix, Yuki Tsunoda showcased his skill, leaving seasoned drivers in his rear-view mirror. Tsunoda secured eighth position on the grid for tomorrow’s race, outqualifying teammate Daniel Ricciardo, as well as World Champions Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The Japanese driver has been on it since FP1 at…

Mercedes’s F1 set-up mistake in Melbourne made Hamilton “the least confident I’ve ever felt with this car” in FP2

Rachel Stephens9 months ago9 months ago05 mins

In what he described as “one of the worst sessions I’ve probably had for a long time,” Lewis Hamilton has voiced his concerns about the handling of the W15, following the first two practice sessions of the Australian Grand Prix. Mercedes made several changes to the car after the last race in Saudi Arabia, and the day…

Susie Wolff files criminal complaint against FIA after December statements

Rachel Stephens9 months ago9 months ago07 mins

Susie Wolff, Managing Director of the F1 Academy series, former racing driver and partner of Mercedes F1 team principal, Toto Wolff, has taken legal action against the FIA. Following a media frenzy, claims that F1 teams had complained to the FIA, and several suggestions of a potential breach of confidentiality between Wolff and her husband,…

Hamilton: Jos Verstappen’s involvement in Horner F1 controversy and his son’s team is “a very thin line to walk”

Rachel Stephens9 months ago9 months ago07 mins

Soon-to-be Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton has recently weighed in on the Red Bull Racing and Christian Horner situation, claiming that the speculation will be ‘affecting everybody’. Allegations by an employee against Horner of inappropriate behaviour prompted an investigation that lasted eight weeks, but the outcome Red Bull came to cleared Horner of any wrongdoing. However,…

Sauber F1 scrambles to solve continuous pit stop issues ahead of Australian GP; Bottas declares them a “wake-up call”

Rachel Stephens9 months ago9 months ago07 mins

Sauber F1 driver Zhou Guanyu found himself in pit lane mayhem at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. These issues echoed the problems at this season’s first race in Bahrain, where the team had a wheel nut nightmare with Valtteri Bottas’s car. Bottas experienced a pit stop horror story that reminded the watchers-on of Monaco 20221…

Audi accelerates F1 team entry with Sauber takeover and Andreas Seidl appointment

Rachel Stephens10 months ago10 months ago06 mins

With everything in the past months indicating that Audi will be making its entry into Formula 1 in 2026, they have officially confirmed plans to accelerate their takeover of the shareholding of Sauber Formula 1 team. Audi has confirmed its intention to fast track the takeover of the Sauber team, with plans to join by…

Verstappen leads Leclerc and Perez in Saudi Arabian F1 GP FP3; Bearman finishes 10th

Rachel Stephens10 months ago10 months ago08 mins

Despite finishing seventh in yesterday’s FP2 session, Carlos Sainz missed today’s FP3 and will also be absent at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as the he goes under the knife to remove his appendix following an appendicitis diagnosis. Formula 2 driver Oliver Bearman has taken Sainz’s place for the remainder of the race weekend, with…

Horner: “Others have looked to take advantage” of misconduct allegations concerning Red Bull F1

Rachel Stephens10 months ago10 months ago07 mins

Red Bull Racing’s team principal, Christian Horner, has taken centre stage in Formula 1 in recent weeks following allegations of misconduct. Horner has spoken publicly about the allegations ahead of this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and called for the coverage of the misconduct to stop, following the investigation: “The intrusion on my family has…

FIA President under investigation for alleged interference in rescinding Alonso’s penalty at 2023 F1 Saudi Arabian GP

Rachel Stephens10 months ago9 months ago09 mins

Amongst several revelations and controversies currently facing the sport, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), has found himself at the centre of another Formula 1 storm. Allegations are stemming from the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where a whistle-blower has come forward with the claim that Ben Sulayem attempted…