Pioggia e Crisi di Sargeant il Venerdì

11:16 am
Racing Bulls: New underfloor works

Even the Racing Bulls are happy. Race director Alan Permane reports: “Ayumu used the standard underfloor in FP1, while the new one was installed in Yuki’s car. This allowed us to make a comparison and a very precise evaluation.”

His conclusion: “We are satisfied with the new underfloor, it meets our expectations exactly, and we will use it in both cars for the remainder of the weekend.”

Yuki Tsunoda himself explains: “It was a positive first day for us.” However, he also clarifies: “The improved underfloor is designed for slow corners, while we have more medium to fast corners here, so we don’t expect too much.”

Nevertheless, he is satisfied after P9 and Junior Ayumu Iwasa also reports that there were “no problems” during his outing. The only loser in this situation is actually Daniel Ricciardo.

Because the Australian could hardly drive today, after he had to give up his car in FP1 and it was wet in FP2 …

11:01 am
Sauber: Updates working as expected

The Swiss team is not unhappy after P14 and P18 today. Valtteri Bottas speaks of a “positive day” and explains: “The upgrades we brought for this race have worked as we expected.”

Therefore, the placement plays a subordinate role, as Sauber has not yet used the soft tires. Teammate Guanyu Zhou also expresses confidence: “Compared to previous races, our performance seems to be even better here.”

“The team here and in Hinwil have done great work. Our new package seems to be working as expected, and I think we should aim for the top 10 for the rest of the weekend,” says the Chinese driver.

If this is achieved in the race, Sauber would finally score their first championship points of the year.

10:46 am
Haas: Rain has cost valuable time

Kevin Magnussen finished second to last in FP1 and is not satisfied at all. He reports: “I don’t think we started the day well with the balance. We had a lot of understeer and tried to correct it in FP1.”

But it didn’t work out as hoped. “We probably needed a bigger set-up change, so we changed the rear wing and a few other things. I would have liked to try that in FP2,” says Magnussen.

But because it was raining there, he could not test the changes. Nico Hulkenberg finished 13th and explains that it “didn’t feel too bad.” However, they still have a deficit in Sector 1, as expected.

Ayao Komatsu explains: “I would say we are in a similar situation to Australia. If we get the balance of the car and the tuning right, I think our race could be more competitive than our qualifying.”

“Nevertheless, our focus in tomorrow’s qualifying is to get both cars into Q2,” says the team boss.

10:35 am
Would a comeback be a good idea?

History shows: a comeback can work in Formula 1, but it can also completely fail. More on this in our photo gallery of Formula 1 champions who made a comeback!

Photo gallery: Formula 1 champions who made a comeback

Niki Lauda’s first retirement is a bombshell. In 1979, the two-time world champion quits in the middle of the race weekend in Canada. “Why should I drive in circles like an idiot with the others?” he told Brabham team manager Bernie Ecclestone.
Photo gallery

10:26 am
Wolff: Vettel must first decide

Toto Wolff is apparently not entirely sure if Sebastian Vettel really wants to come back. In an interview with ORF, he says: “Sebastian must, I believe, first make up his mind whether he even wants to come back.”

“We will definitely talk, but we do that anyway,” he emphasizes, but also admits in the same context that he also has an eye on world champion Max Verstappen.

“Even if there is only a small chance, we will still try to have an active discussion. But at the moment, I don’t see any reason why he should change teams,” says Wolff.

Because Verstappen is “in the best car” at Red Bull, according to Wolff, “and as a driver, that will always be your priority.” But there are “also a few other drivers who are good alternatives,” according to the Austrian.

And earlier in the press conference, he already said that Mercedes wants to take its time with the decision.

10:14 am
Marko believes: Vettel wants a Formula 1 comeback

An intriguing statement from Helmut Marko. When asked if he could imagine Sebastian Vettel making a comeback in Formula 1, he responds in a conversation with oe24: “He wants to.”

However, he is not sure if the German would return at the highest level. “He had a long break now,” he says and explains that it is also “a question of motivation.”

Nevertheless, there could be “interesting scenarios” that could arise in 2025 at Mercedes. Because in addition to Vettel, Junior Kimi Antonelli is also seen as having a chance for the vacant seat.

For Marko, however, it is clear: “No one has the level of Max Verstappen.”

10:00 am
Mercedes: FT1 the best session of the year

George Russell did not even go on the track in FP2, but he says about the first practice session: “We definitely performed better than we expected. That was a pleasant surprise. The car felt really good in the dry.”

“Lewis and I were very satisfied with the balance,” he reports and explains that the W15 has always performed better so far, “when it was a bit colder.” Now the goal is to make the car more consistent in all conditions.

Teammate Lewis Hamilton confirms: “[FP1] was a really good session for us. It was the best session we have had this year. The car has never felt this good this year.”

He also says that it has been “really positive” in Suzuka so far. We’ll have to wait and see if that continues tomorrow.

09:43 am
Sargeant admits: It was a “stupid mistake”

The American driver himself admits after his crash: “That was a stupid mistake that I shouldn’t have made – especially not in FP1.” However, he also clarifies that he was not pushing too hard.

His confidence was not shattered after Melbourne, he emphasizes, and explains: “If anything, I went into this race with a fresher feeling after a week off and was more ready than ever.”

So it is all the more frustrating that he made this mistake in FP1 – which he is most annoyed about it.