F1 News
Nico Rosberg sends warning to George Russell about Lewis Hamilton
2016 Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg has warned George Russell not to “get too comfortable” with beating team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who Rosberg is expecting to “come back with a bang” after overcoming his current mental battles.
Hamilton is certainly not a happy driver so far this season, with the 38-year-old having continued to complain at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that he’s unable to “get comfortable” in the W14.
The seven-time world champion has started 2023 with consecutive fifth place finishes; however, he was beaten relatively easily by Russell at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Russell finished ahead of Hamilton despite the 103-time race winner having the better tyres, something that didn’t go unnoticed.
READ: Developer of viral app admits they could face Formula 1 lawsuit
After the race, Hamilton admitted that he would’ve performed better if he’d opted for Russell’s set-up, after going in the wrong direction.
“I think if I had the set-up George had,” Hamilton said, “I would have been in a better position.”
Rosberg identified after the race that his former team-mate possessed a “I got beat by my team-mate face”, with the Stevenage-born driver having been visibly disappointed.
“That was just the ‘I got beat by my team-mate’ face. That’s pretty simple,” Rosberg told Sky Sports F1.
Russell certainly performed much better in Saudi Arabia than he did in Bahrain, with the 25-year-old having hailed his performance in Jeddah as “probably one of my strongest weekends in F1″.
Rosberg isn’t surprised to see Russell perform so well, given that the German views him a sa “future World Champion”; however, the ex-Mercedes driver isn’t discounting the fact that Hamilton is “the best o all time”.
“George is the future World Champion,” Rosberg added. “This is a difficult one for Lewis to stay in front.
“We saw it last year, what an awesome season George did and George is continuing on that form once again.
“It’s going to be a big, big challenge, but let’s not forget Lewis is the best of all time so if there’s going to be someone who can beat George then it will be Lewis.”
Rosberg is fully expecting Hamilton to bounce back from his current lack of “flow” like he always does, with that being a reason why Russell can’t afford to take his foot off the gas.
Toto #Wolff reveals new signing will ‘take over’ some of James Vowles’ responsibilities https://t.co/cS3NQunyXr
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 20, 2023READ: Eddie Jordan demands rule change after Esteban Ocon nightmare
“No, absolutely,” Rosberg said.
“It’s a little bit of a weakness that Lewis has that sometimes he’ll mentally go into this down a little bit and lose a little bit of flow.
“But,” he added, “he comes back with a bang every single time so dear George don’t get too comfortable.”
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Ted Kravitz agrees with Lewis Hamilton after 2023 Saudi Arabian GP
Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz has agreed with comments made by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where the Mercedes driver admitted that’s “never seen a car” as fast as Red Bull’s RB19.
Red Bull’s straight-line speed was jaw-dropping at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with Max Verstappen’s car having looked more like a rocket ship upon opening his DRS.
The Dutchman breezed through the field from 15th to second in just 25 laps, with the reigning world champion having made it look embarrassingly easy.
Red Bull’s speed difference compared to Mercedes’ was the most astonishing, with Verstappen having comfortably remained ahead of George Russell despite the Briton having had his DRS wide open.
READ: Mercedes in need of immediate turnaround amid Aston Martin pressure
Red Bull’s RB19 is “so fast” in fact, that Hamilton believes the Austrians are quicker this season than Mercedes were throughout the entirety of their dominance in the turbo-hybrid era.
“I have definitely never seen a car so fast,” Hamilton said after finishing fifth.
“When we were fast, we were not that fast. It is the fastest car I have seen, especially compared to the rest.”
Kravitz completely agrees with Hamilton’s comment regarding Red Bull’s straight-line speed, with the reporter having revealed that there is plenty of “technical intrigue” amongst the paddock, with the RB19 at times being almost 20 mph faster in a straight-line than their rivals.
“A, it is, Lewis Hamilton is right, and B, what he is referring to is the ease at which Max Verstappen was able to pass him on the straight the moment he opened his DRS,” Kravitz told Sky Sports F1.
“What Lewis is saying is he had never seen someone gain quite so much speed by opening the DRS.
“He doesn’t understand how this is possible. There is lots of technical intrigue on F1, lots of people will be looking at the Red Bull and saying how are they able to gain nearly 20 miles an hour advantage on that straight than anyone else?”
George Russell makes Fernando #Alonso penalty claim in #FIA plea https://t.co/YjZiaAaok2
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 22, 2023READ: Charles Leclerc reacts to Lewis Hamilton rumours
The reporter went on to question how exactly Red Bull have unlocked so much speed, with him expecting it to be discussed in more detail next weekend at the Australian Grand Prix.
“Are they doing something with that rear wing that not only stalls out the rear wing but stalls out the floor and other aerodynamics around the car?” questioned Kravitz.
“So, that will be I am sure the latest round of technical intrigue in F1 when we get to the next round in Australia.”
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Sergio Perez accuses Max Verstappen of making them both risk retirement
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez has criticised Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen for having “pushed more than necessary”, with both drivers having risked retirement as a result.
Pérez drove brilliantly from pole at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Sunday, with the Mexican having quickly regained the lead after being overtaken by Fernando Alonso on the opening lap.
Once back in the lead, the Mexican controlled the race beautifully; however, he was left unhappy in the closing stages of the second round of the 2023 F1 season.
Pérez had Verstappen behind him for the entirety of the second half of the race, after the Dutchman cruised from 15th to second in the opening 25 laps of the race.
READ: Fans gobsmacked by Max Verstappen’s overtake on George Russell
Interestingly, both Pérez and Verstappen continued to push ridiculously hard, despite a comfortable 1-2 having been assured thanks to their pace advantage.
Red Bull attempted to control the duo but there was seemingly no way of slowing them down, with Verstappen having wanted to take the lead.
The Dutchman continued to push right to the end of the race, with the reigning world champion having set the fastest lap on the final lap of the race.
Pérez isn’t a fan of how the duo “both pushed” at the end of the race and the unnecessary stress it put on the car, something which will likely be discussed amongst the team ahead of next weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
“I’m here to fight,” Pérez told Sky Deutschland, when asked if he can win the title this season.
“That’s the only reason why I’m here.
“It was close in Bahrain and it was the same here. There are small margins between us.”
“We both pushed more than was necessary,” admitted Checo.
“The car would have been put under less stress.”
Verstappen snatching the fastest lap from Pérez on the final lap resulted in an awkward conversation between the duo in the cooldown room after the race, with Pérez having been unhappy to have been told by the team to set times slower than the Dutchman’s.
Porsche rule out 2026 #F1 entry following Red Bull disagreement https://t.co/X142oDsgAN
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 22, 2023READ: George Russell claims Mercedes are holding back some performance
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko discussed Verstappen’s fastest lap attempt after the race and admitted that he “was uncontrollable”, but that both drivers were allowed to give it a go.
“Typical Max on the last lap with the fastest race lap,” Marko told Austrian broadcaster ORF. “That was uncontrollable. That’s just Max.
“Both were constantly asking who had the fastest lap and Max waited until the last lap so Perez couldn’t counter. It means the lead in the world championship for him. We are very satisfied with the race.”
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Lewis Hamilton won’t quit Mercedes despite George Russell threat
Former F1 driver Christian Danner has played down suggestions that Lewis Hamilton could retire sooner than expected amid problems with his team’s performance and a strong challenge from his teammate.
After his struggles continued into the second race of the season, Hamilton told Sky Sports F1 on Saturday: “I just don’t feel the car underneath me, I just don’t feel connected to this car and I can’t get it. I don’t really know what I am going to do about that.”
As well as the concerns around car performance, there has been some talk that, if he finished behind George Russell for a second consecutive season, Hamilton might become disenchanted with the sport.
Danner, who raced in F1 between 1985-1989, has stated that, despite this, Hamilton is unlikely to quit at the end of this season, in part due to the inspirational performance on display from Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
READ: Fans gobsmacked by Max Verstappen’s overtake on George Russell
“I still don’t think Lewis will lose interest in Formula 1. One reason is that we are now seeing the magnificent driving of Fernando Alonso, and he is three years older than Lewis,” Danner said.
“There’s no doubt that an uncompetitive car can take the edge off a racing driver, but I don’t think Lewis is a driver who gives up easily.
“Even if he’s faced with pretty rough winds in the form of George Russell,” Danner continued.
“But I think Hamilton is someone who gets stuck into adversity with even more fierce determination than usual.”
Fernando Alonso felt sorry for #Mercedes’ sponsors and George Russell https://t.co/6RvizM3d3I
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 22, 2023READ: George Russell claims Mercedes are holding back some performance
Amid the speculation over Hamilton’s future, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has said that he believes he will sign a new contract at Mercedes this year.
“I don’t think that Lewis will leave Mercedes. He’s at the stage of a career where we trust each other, we have formed the great bond among each other and we have no reason to doubt each other, even though this is a difficult spell.”
Ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Hamilton expressed similar views, stating that: “I still have 100 percent belief in this team, it is my family and I’ve been here a long time, so I don’t plan on going anywhere else.”
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Lewis Hamilton reveals what he wants from Mercedes so he can ‘attack’
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has given an idea into where Mercedes’ W14 is currently lacking, after claiming fifth at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Hamilton was clearly unhappy with how things went at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with the 38-year-old having found himself behind team-mate George Russell in virtually every session.
The Briton was even unable to overtake Russell in the second half of Sunday’s race, despite having been on a softer compound of tyre.
Overall, it wasn’t a weekend to remember for Hamilton, who continues to have no “confidence” in the W14.
READ: Lewis Hamilton mocked after 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Following the race, Hamilton explained what the team need to do in order for him to become “more confident”, with the veteran having identified the W14’s lack of downforce as the biggest concern.
“We’re a long way down on downforce,” Hamilton said after finishing fifth for the second consecutive race.
“So we’ve got to pick up the rear end downforce, particularly. The more rear we gain, the more stable the rear becomes – the more confident I’ll be able to attack.
“But I think in general, just this car…
“Even if we do change that, there’s a specific thing with something on the car that I have never had before. It’s a position I’ve not had in previous years’ cars.
“For me, it’s the thing that is making me uncomfortable. I’ve just got to work hard to make sure it is changed. It’s on a knife edge when you’re above about 95 percent. But when you’re in a race stint, it’s much more controllable and predictable.
“I still don’t have the confidence in the race, but I’m doing the best I can with it.”
Whilst Mercedes still had some performance-based issues in Jeddah, the Germans did find themselves higher up the pecking order than they were in Bahrain.
The Silver Arrows were comfortably quicker than Ferrari on Sunday, something which Hamilton admitted was both “definitely strange” but also a “positive for us”.
“It is definitely strange to see the Ferrari are behind us,” Hamilton admitted. “It’s positive for us.
Fernando Alonso felt sorry for #Mercedes’ sponsors and George Russell https://t.co/6RvizM3d3I
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 22, 2023READ: Porsche rule out 2026 F1 entry following Red Bull disagreement
“It’s a different surface here, and we don’t really understand why on this surface our car works one way, and it’s different in another.
“But there are lots of positives to take from this weekend. It will be up and down throughout the first three races.
“Hopefully we can get some upgrades ASAP and try to close that gap to the Aston Martins.”
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Ferrari boss reacts to Charles Leclerc raging at his engineer over key blunder
Charles Leclerc had been leading Lewis Hamilton at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix before Lance Stroll’s exit from the race on lap 18 sparked a safety car.
Miscommunication from the Monegasque’s race strategist, Xavier Marcos Padros, cost him his place when he was informed too late to “push from Safety Car Line One” after the Mercedes driver went into the pits.
“’Xavi, you need to tell me that before,” Leclerc fumed on the radio, with the Ferrari strategist replying simply “Copy.”
“No, but come on,” Leclerc continued.
READ: Porsche rule out 2026 F1 entry following Red Bull disagreement
“Being behind like this is really s***. I don’t know what to do,” Leclerc would later tell his team over the radio before finishing seventh behind his teammate and both Mercedes drivers.
The mistake was a blow to new team principal Frederic Vasseur, who was brought in to take Ferrari back to winning ways after flawed strategy calls and reliability issues cost the team a title shot in 2022.
Speaking to RacingNews365.com, Vasseur has accepted that the situation in Saudi Arabia was “not a good call,” admitting it was a “mistake from our side.”
“I don’t want to say it’s details. It was a miscommunication and we will have to speak, to fix it. It’s not the main issue at all over the weekend,” he continued.
Porsche rule out 2026 #F1 entry following Red Bull disagreement https://t.co/X142oDsgAN
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 22, 2023READ: Charles Leclerc reacts to Lewis Hamilton rumours
With Red Bull having secured a one-two finish in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the team leads Aston Martin in the 2023 Constructors’ Championship standings by 49 points.
Ferrari is down in fourth place behind Mercedes, in part due to Leclerc’s retirement in Bahrain following a suspected power unit issue.
The 2023 Drivers’ Standings make even more painful reading for Leclerc, as he finds himself in eighth place with only six points, far behind championship leader Max Verstappen’s 44 points.
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George Russell drops big claim about Red Bull as he rues ‘wrong’ Mercedes calls
Following a disappointing start to the season for the Silver Arrows, George Russell has accepted that Mercedes have to “be realistic” about their ability to compete against Red Bull in the 2023 title race.
With Red Bull having shown their dominance over the rest of the grid in the opening two races of the season, Russell told Sky Sports F1 that “you’ve got to give credit to what Red Bull have done.”
“The gap they have to the rest of the field, I think is bigger than we’ve seen probably since Mercedes in 2014,” he said.
“You know, it’s a serious, serious gap, and I guess everybody needs to keep working harder to understand how to close that gap.”
READ: George Russell makes Fernando Alonso penalty claim in FIA plea
Since the 2022 season brought about the biggest regulations changes in Formula 1’s history, Mercedes have struggled to make their car competitive.
The failure to adequately adapt to the new technical rules saw Mercedes lose the Constructors’ Championship after an eight-year grip on the title.
“We know we didn’t make the right decisions over the winter and I think we can regain some of that performance quicker than you would do ordinarily, so everything’s not all lost,” Russell added.
“We’re still going to be fighting as hard as we can. We want to win races this year.
“We want to be in the championship hunt, but we’ve equally got to be realistic, focus on ourselves and just get the fundamentals right for the long term.”
Russell’s concerns about the direction Mercedes have taken come after Lewis Hamilton claimed that the team ignored him while developing their 2023 contender.
In the wake of the season opener in Bahrain, Hamilton stated that “Last year, there were things I told them. I said the issues that are with the car.
Nico Rosberg delivers blunt Toto Wolff assessment amid Mercedes woes https://t.co/iphyDA7pD4
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 22, 2023READ: Nico Rosberg delivers blunt Toto Wolff assessment amid Mercedes woes
“It’s about owning up and saying, ‘Yeah, you know what? We didn’t listen to you. It’s not where it needs to be and we’ve got to work,” the seven-time world champion added.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has accepted that the team will have to scrap their zero-sidepod concept if they are to be fighting at the front of the pack.
“I think it needs to be much more radical in the steps than hope for a three tenths upgrade,” he said.
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Nico Rosberg delivers blunt Toto Wolff assessment amid Mercedes woes
2016 Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg remains adamant that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is still the “best team manager” at the pinnacle of motorsport, despite the Germans’ miserable time so far in the new era of the sport.
Mercedes’ dominant years feel incredibly long ago, with the side having sat in the shadows since the conclusion of the 2021 season.
The new aerodynamic era hasn’t been kind to Mercedes, with Wolff having accepted a lot of the responsibility for the team’s difficulties.
With just one win in the last 24 races, the Silver Arrows are certainly not the unbeatable force they were from 2014-2021, with the side continuing to chase a return to the front.
READ: Charles Leclerc reacts to Lewis Hamilton rumours
It somewhat appears, though, that the more they try the further behind they fall, with Mercedes having found themselves further behind Red Bull in 2023 than they were last season.
Whilst porpoising is no longer an issue, a lack of downforce has resulted in the W14 being slow in a straight-line, something which was evident at the recent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Being around third or fourth in the pecking order is clearly taking its toll on Wolff, who has been incredibly honest to the media when explaining what’s going wrong at the Brackley-based team.
His honesty has resulted in some backlash, though, with former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan having been furious at comments made by Wolff after Bahrain, where he appeared to blame the design team at Mercedes.
Rosberg recognises that the current situation at Mercedes is “incredibly difficult” but that ultimately, Wolff “is responsible”.
“It’s incredibly difficult, it’s an incredibly difficult situation for everyone,” Rosberg said.
“Because they’re so used to success and they’ve written the greatest success story ever written in sport, with eight world championship titles in a row.
“And yes, Toto is ultimately the one who is responsible and still is.
“For me, he is the best team manager and team boss here in Formula 1.”
Drastic changes are coming to the W14 in the next few races, with Wolff having revealed during the Saudi Arabian GP that the concept of their car is going to be overhauled, with many expecting the revolutionary ‘zero-sidepods’ to be scrapped.
George Russell makes Fernando #Alonso penalty claim in #FIA plea https://t.co/YjZiaAaok2
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 22, 2023READ: Fans gobsmacked by Max Verstappen’s overtake on George Russell
The hope amongst Mercedes is that the changes will elevate them back to the front; however, Rosberg has warned that the situation is an “incredibly difficult” one to “turnaround”.
“The competence is simple, I’ve experienced that myself and this success in recent years is proof of that,” added the former Mercedes driver.
“But every success comes to an end at some point, that’s always been the case and now it’s just an incredibly difficult challenge to make this turnaround again.”
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Breaking: Jenson Button’s ex-wife arrested on MDMA possession charge
According to reports, ex-F1 driver Jenson Button’s ex-wife Jessica Michibata has been arrested in Tokyo, Japan, after a parcel containing MDMA was delivered to her and a friend’s hotel room.
The 2009 Formula 1 world champion and the Japanese model got married in December 2014 and tied the knot in a Hawaiian ceremony, after several years of dating on-and-off.
They eventually filed for divorce and split a year later, which was labelled by a spokesperson for the racing driver as “amicable”.
“Jenson and Jessica have decided to go their separate ways and it is very amicable,” a spokesperson for the former McLaren driver wrote at the time.
READ: Charles Leclerc reacts to Lewis Hamilton rumours
“There is no one else involved.”
The duo actually never lived together during their marriage, with Button having been based in Monaco, whilst Michibata remained in Japan with her mother.
Michibata currently lives in the United States with her daughter but had recently been in the Japanese capital.
Following the birth of her daughter in 2017, she wrote on social media: “Words cannot describe how happy I feel and how much love I have for this beautiful soul…Welcome to the world Joy Thank you for choosing me as your mother, I will love you forever and ever and ever.”
According to sources, as per The Mirror, a bag containing the drug MDMA was discovered by a customs officer after it had arrived from overseas, with it having been ordered to Michibata’s hotel.
Officers from Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police are believed to have then raided the hotel, before arresting the model and another individual.
Concerningly, Michibata’s modelling agency have been “unable to contact” the model directly, something they revealed in a recent statement following her arrest.
Michibata’s modelling agency Revive made a statement following her arrest: “We would like to apologize to all concerned and fans for causing great concern due to the news of Jessica Michibata, who belongs to our company.
George Russell makes Fernando #Alonso penalty claim in #FIA plea https://t.co/YjZiaAaok2
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 22, 2023READ: Fans gobsmacked by Max Verstappen’s overtake on George Russell
“Currently, our company is unable to contact Michibata directly, and we are collecting information to confirm the facts.
“As the investigative agency is currently investigating, we will refrain from providing further details.”
The 38-year-old denies the allegations made against her, according to local media reports.
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George Russell claims Mercedes are holding back some performance
Mercedes’ George Russell was incredibly optimistic after Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with the British driver having revealed afterwards that the W14 “was feeling good”, something neither Russell or Lewis Hamilton said at the season-opener in Bahrain.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was a disaster for Mercedes, with the Brackley-based team having struggled for pace both during qualifying and the race.
Many expected them to perform at a similarly low standard at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit; however, Russell remarkably put his car third on the grid for the second race of the season.
Russell looked strong throughout the weekend in Jeddah, with the former Williams driver having been capable of going a few tenths faster than Hamilton, as proven in qualifying.
READ: Frederic Vasseur hits out at Ferrari rumours
Hamilton qualified in seventh on Saturday and was almost four-tenths behind his team-mate, with the seven-time world champion having been unhappy all weekend.
Russell demonstrated solid pace once again during the race, where he kept his team-mate behind despite being on a harder compound than the 38-year-old.
Mercedes remarkably had a car that was capable of challenging Aston Martin, with the duo having easily been the second and third fastest team in Saudi Arabia.
The Germans were comfortably ahead of Ferrari on race pace and actually looked very consistent, something which left Russell satisfied after maximising “the potential of the car”.
Finishing fourth in Jeddah has left the 25-year-old feeling optimistic going into the rest of the season, with the Briton having revealed that Mercedes have “more performance in the locker”.
“Above all we just truly maximised the potential of the car,” Russell explained after the race.
Ex-#F1 champion claims Alpine will ‘suffer a big loss’ from Fernando #Alonso https://t.co/GN5VD0tnwq
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 21, 2023READ: Sergio Perez demands Red Bull explanation after Max Verstappen incident
“We had a really strong qualifying which was really enjoyable. I’d really pleased to come home in P4 on the road because I felt like that was the maximum that was possible.
“I was having fun up there, the car was feeling good. We know we’ve got some more performance in the locker, in some races to come.”
Mercedes reportedly have several large upgrades to come in the next few races, with many being under the impression that the side’s ‘zero-sidepod’ concept is going to be scrapped.
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George Russell makes Fernando Alonso penalty claim in FIA plea
At the 2023 season opener in Bahrain, Esteban Ocon received a plethora of penalties, with the Frenchman first being penalised for being slightly out of his grid slot at the start of the race.
The Alpine driver was then further penalised for not serving the full five-second penalty during his pit stop as well as speeding in the pit lane, rounding off a disastrous first race of the season.
In Saudi Arabia it was Fernando Alonso’s turn to be punished for starting out of his grid slot, with the Spaniard being given a five-second penalty for being slightly too far to the left-hand side.
Alonso went on to finish in P3 and after all of the podium celebrations, it was announced that he had been given a five-second penalty for failing to correctly serve his penalty during the race.
READ: Felipe Massa makes massive Max Verstappen claim that will alarm Lewis Hamilton
It was deemed that the rear jack was touching the car while the penalty was being served and therefore Alonso was replaced on the podium by George Russell.
The celebrations for the Mercedes driver were short-lived however, as it was later announced that the original order had been reinstated and that Alonso was back on the podium.
Even though this decision meant that Russell missed out on his first podium of the season, the Brit has defended Alonso and claimed that the FIA should not be so harsh on the drivers.
“I understand why these rules are there, we’ve got to stick within the guidelines, a little bit of common sense needs to be shown,” he said via Motorsport.com.
“Ultimately I think he was a bit to the left, was that right? He gained nothing from this, perhaps a five-second [penalty] is too much.
Sebastian #Vettel becomes lead investor in performance drink brand https://t.co/aGi0ryaCOK
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 20, 2023READ: David Croft: ‘Absolutely not an insult to anyone who’s designed that Mercedes’
“But then in regards to his pit stop again, I don’t know what happened and why he received a further penalty exactly, but a 10-second penalty is too extreme in that case again.”
Alonso’s extra penalty temporarily saw him demoted down to P4 but with the matter now resolved, the Spaniard finally has his 100th podium in Formula 1.
Two podiums in two races for Aston Martin means that their dream start to the season continues, with the sky being the limit for Alonso and his team.
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Charles Leclerc reacts to Lewis Hamilton rumours
The 2023 season has not started off as planned for either Mercedes or Ferrari, with neither team managing to stand on the podium at the season opener in Bahrain.
Mercedes were expected to return to title challenging ways this season after a difficult start to F1’s new era last year, but this has unfortunately not been the case.
Despite Lewis Hamilton’s claims that he told his team exactly what the car needed last season, the Silver Arrows have stuck with their zero sidepod concept this year.
Having finished in P5 and P7 in Bahrain, team principal Toto Wolff has already admitted that Mercedes have made a mistake with the W14’s concept, making it highly unlikely that Lewis Hamilton will be challenging for a record breaking eighth world title this year.
READ: ‘With wrinkles and dry skin’: Ralf Schumacher fires shot at Guenther Steiner
As for Ferrari, last season’s title charge was halted by a number of strategic errors and reliability issues, with a change in management seemingly the answer.
The Scuderia replaced former team principal Mattia Binotto with Fred Vasseur ahead of the 2023 season with the aim of eradicating these issues but this decision is yet to pay off.
Charles Leclerc was forced to retire from the Bahrain Grand Prix with and engine issue, leaving him fuming with his team for their failure to fix their reliability problems.
With both Hamilton and Leclerc unhappy with their teams, rumours have begun to emerge that suggest that the pair could swap teams next season.
Hamilton has openly admitted that he is a Ferrari fan and Leclerc is yet to extend his contract with the team, making this swap a real possibility.
The Monegasque driver has now squashed these rumours, claiming that he will stay with Ferrari for the foreseeable future.
“It’s the first time I’ve heard al these voices from outside since I’ve been at Ferrari. Maybe someone wants to destabilise us,” he suggested when speaking to Sky Italia.
“I’m in red and I think it’s quite obvious how much I love Ferrari and how much I want to win at Ferrari.
#Ferrari announce replacement for head of vehicle concepts https://t.co/4XK8arDZ2V
— Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) March 19, 2023READ: Christian Horner demands Sergio Perez be on his ‘A-game’ not just with Max Verstappen
“There’s not much more to say. For me it’s pretty clear.”
Following his retirement from the Bahrain GP, Leclerc has been forced to take an engine penalty ahead of the next race in Jeddah.
Dropping ten places from his P2 qualifying position, the 25-year-old will need to produce a stunning performance if he wants to have any chance of victory.
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Red Bull’s F1 rivals sense “duty" to fight back than moan about dominance
But the prospect of the title battle being over so early has prompted some to fear that a one-sided campaign could be a turn off for fans.
Red Bull’s rivals do not see any grounds for ...Keep reading