FIA set to anger Max Verstappen as Aston Martin confirm team name change
Max Verstappen wins third consecutive Formula One world championship
Max Verstappen will be relaxed ahead of the United States Grand Prix this weekend. For him, the pressure is off after he claimed the F1 World Championship with his second-place finish in the sprint race in Qatar.
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While both the Drivers’ Championship and Constructor Championship have already been wrapped up, behind Verstappen there is still plenty to play for. Most notably, his team-mate could be caught by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.
Red Bull are desperate to seal a one-two finish in the Drivers’ Championship for the first time in their history, although with Checo just 30 points clear of Hamilton and struggling at both of the past two rounds, this gap could come down in the final five rounds.Â
Elsewhere, Mercedes are locked into an intense battle with Ferrari for P2 in the Constructor Championship, while McLaren look set to surpass Aston Martin’s tally in the fight for P4. Further down the grid, Alfa Romeo and Haas are still separated by just four points.Â
With plenty still to look forward to, Express Sport will be keeping you posted with all of the latest F1 news below…
Don’t miss… Max Verstappen gives fresh Red Bull contract update with âbeautiful storyâ hopes[LATEST]
KEY EVENTS
Sainz backs Ferrari to fight back against Red Bull
Carlos Sainz has claimed that only Ferrari can pose a threat to Red Bull in 2024, ruling out the threat of McLaren and Mercedes.
âI am always optimistic before the season starts,â he explained. âI was also optimistic last year and we stumbled. You have to be.
âI think that if you look at the last two years, the only ones who have been able to stand up to Red Bull a little have been the Ferrari, in the first half of last year and now with the victory in Singapore and the podium in Monza.
âSince there are these new regulations Red Bull is unbeatable, but if there is someone who can win from time to time to Red Bull, itâs us. I think Iâm in the best place to try again next year but there are still six races left and we still have to focus on what we can improve to arrive prepared.â
Red Bull complete signing of German prodigy
Red Bull have added German prodigy Tim Tramnitz to their junior programme line-up for 2024 with the teenager set for a runout in Formula 3 next year.
Speaking about the opportunity, Tramnitz said: âBeing part of the Red Bull junior team opens up completely new opportunities for me.
“Recently we didn’t know whether we could even take the next step towards Formula 3. Now I’m really looking forward to the new challenge.”
Tramnitz is currently competing in the Formula Regional European Championship, battling the likes of Kimi Antonelli and Martinius Stenshorne at the top end of the standings.
Tsunoda hopes for Red Bull chance
Yuki Tsunoda has stated that he would like to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull in the future as he continues to impress AlphaTauri bosses.
âI would like to drive in the same car [as Verstappen],” the Japanese driver explained to Total Motorsport.
“Because I donât know, obviously itâs hard, heâs good. But same time, we never drive together and obviously the car is different. So itâs hard to say about the driving difference.”Â
“As driving and as a performance in dry conditions or in qualifying, I wouldnât say for now that we have [a] big difference. Of course, the consistency is definitely better.”
Verstappen backs McLaren drivers
Max Verstappen has labelled McLarenâs duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as the most consistent driver pairing on the rest of the grid.
“I do think that as a team they are probably the most consistent, compared to the others behind us,â he explained after the Qatar Grand Prix.
“I do think they have the best driver line-up out of all of them, so they are operating really well.
“It’s going to be interesting to the end of the year, but also I think the start of next year to see where everyone is at.”
Horner content with Ricciardo decision
Christian Horner is glad that Daniel Ricciardo didnât rush his recovery from a hand injury with the beloved Aussie set to return to the cockpit in Austin next weekend.Â
He explained: âI think we want to see him in full fitness. I think it was right to miss this race, particularly as it turned out with the conditions that we had.
âAustin [the next round], obviously it’s going to be difficult for him to jump straight back into a sprint race weekend but I’m sure he’ll be physically in good shape to take that on.â
Horner then touched on how the heat in Qatar could have affected a half-fit Ricciardo, stating: âAs it turned out, the conditions that we have here could have been very testing for him. To have had that extra 12 days in the run-up to Austin is the best preparation.â
Pato O’Ward stepping up Texas preparations
Pato OâWard is at the McLaren Technology Centre this week as he prepares for his return to a Grand Prix weekend in Texas.
The popular Mexican is driving for McLaren in FP1 at the United States Grand Prix as he steps up his test and reserve driver duties.
OâWard, who has become the leading man in McLarenâs IndyCar operation, will be a more regular face at F1 races heading into next season as he picks up some of the duties passed up by Alex Palou.
CONFIRMED: Belgian Grand Prix signs new deal
It is official – The Belgian Grand Prix will remain on the F1 calendar until 2025 with a new one-year contract extension signed and confirmed.
The legendary Spa-Francorchamps has been a constant presence on the F1 schedule for decades and will host at least two more Grands Prix moving forward.
With more and more countries registering their interest in hosting races and the current schedule already at breaking point in terms of the number of events, many have been fearing for Spaâs place on the schedule.Â
Those fears have been eased somewhat with this latest announcement from F1, although hardcore fans will still be hoping to see a long-term renewal.
Checo wants stable upgrades in 2024
Sergio Perez has partially blamed Red Bullâs upgrade programme for his struggles this season as he looks ahead to 2024.
“I think a more consistent base throughout the season and having a car that doesn’t change so much throughout the year,â he told Sky Sports when asked what will help him improve next season.
“That also contributes to being more consistent – I think that will be the key because that was what happened in the first few races. I think when we started developing the car, I felt that the car was drifting away from me.
“I had to keep finding the balance, making compromises here and there. We keep the further details internal to the team. It’s something we are all aware of and hopefully next year it can be a different story.”
Aston Martin confirm new title sponsor will arrive
For the first time since their rebrand from Racing Point, Cognizant will no longer be the title sponsor of Aston Martin next season.
While they will be staying on as partners, the Silverstone-based team will have a new title sponsor for 2024. Lawrence Stroll explained: âThrough the first phase of their partnership with us, theyâve achieved that â now, lots more people know who Cognizant are and what they do.
âThis was always planned as phase two of that relationship â after achieving global brand awareness, they are deepening their partnership with us, they are applying their digital transformation to our business â both on and off the racetrack â and we are now building a deeper, broader relationship with them. The new team name will be confirmed in early 2024.â
FIA could anger Verstappen
The FIA could anger Max Verstappen with his home race still at risk of facing calendar rotation following news of a contract renewal for the Belgian Grand Prix.
News broke in the European media on Thursday that the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps will be given a contract renewal, keeping it on the calendar until 2025 at least.
While its future looks set to be safe beyond then, a report from Laatste Nieuws claimed that beyond that deal, it will likely rotate with the Dutch Grand Prix.
Both Spa and Zandvoort are beloved venues among F1 fans with the latter providing one of the most entertaining races of the 2023 season in changeable conditions.
Good morning!
Good morning and welcome to Express Sport’s live F1 news coverage. We will be on hand throughout the day to keep you in the loop with all of the latest rumours, news stories and reactions ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
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