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š Hola Checo, Au Revior Esteban
Perez Re-signs, Ocon Out, Canadian GP Preview
Matthew Bailey
June 07, 2024
PLP Season 2 Edition 23
Itās Race Weekend!
The City of Saints, The Paris of North America, Moosetropolisā¦ whatever you call Montreal thereās no denying itās a great city. And the Montrealites love their F1. The best thing about Montreal? They have my favorite beer in the entire world at a local brewpub. I even when back once to confirm it was still my favorite, and it WAS. Neat right? That was awhile ago though. I gotta go confirm again.
Some quick research shows the ticket prices are actually quite reasonable, relatively speaking of course. Might have to look into going next year. Or just blow off my responsibilities and catch a plane later today.
This weekendās schedule in EST:
FP1: Friday, June 7th @ 1:30pm
FP2: Friday, June 7th @ 5:00pm
FP3: Saturday, June 8th @ 12:30pm
Qualifying: Saturday, June 8th @ 4:00pm
Grand Prix: Sunday, June 9th @ 2:00pm
Quick Question !
Did Red Bull make the right call renewing Checo's contract for two years? |
Canada GP Preview
šø @formula1.com
Round 9 heads to the Great White North. Homeland of the mythical, white-bearded, imposing and jolly legend beloved by children all across the world. Papa Stroll of course. Weāre due for a good radio message from Lance and I think heāll deliver one at his home GP this weekend.
The circuit on Notre Dame Island in Montreal is fast and low downforce, with some quick starts and stops. Famous sections include the hairpin turn 10 and the iconic turn 14 āWall of Championsā, named after rendezvous with Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, and Michael Schumacher during the 1999 Canadian GP. Max described the track as āvery unique, has some old school kerbs and there are plenty opportunities for overtaking. It's even more important to have a good set up of the car and find a balance between the straight line speeds as well as good stability under the braking." The track has been resurfaced so degradation and tire grip will be on the lower end, and expect the track to evolve throughout the weekend.
The best part of this weekend is there is actual doubt as to who the winner will be. Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren all have a realistic shot at taking P1. With the weather forecast showing rain as a possibility over all three days, we could be in for a doozy.
Some people believe that rain would mean advantage Red Bull as speed would have to be reduced in the high kerb sections (and make no mistakeā¦ Red Bull will still be strong even if itās dry). If youāre a betting fella or lass, Max is currently -250 for the win, which is the least favorable odds Iāve ever seen him at. Charles and Lando sit at +500 and +650 respectively. Might have to make a little wager here.
Ocon is Movinā Onā¦ But Where?
After the fireworks two weeks ago in Monaco, Estebanās status for this weekendās race was up in the air. Well, he will be racing this weekend.. but now his status at Alpine is known to be kaput after 2024. The team announced on Monday that they have mutually agreed to part ways and will seek a replacement for 2025.
While it seemed likely that Ocon and even Gasly would be pursuing other opportunities at the end of this season, one wonders how much last weekendās events left the team thinking that theyād be better off by announcing this as soon as possible and assessing their options.
Ocon followed up on last weekās apology with a lengthy social post on some of the hate heād been getting for the move - defending his competitive nature and saying āThe misinformed statements and gross distortions that I have seen online in recent days about my ability to work with a team have been inaccurate, hurtful, and damaging.ā
Alpine reserve Jack Doohan is the most likely replacement (who will be driving FP1 this weekend), along with Mick Schumacher, Liam Lawson, and even Yuki on the short list. Ocon himself will likely have options as well, with Haas being the frontrunner for his services.
Red Bull Opts to Not Rock the Boat
A couple days after Alpine and Oconās breakup, Red Bull announced that Sergio Perez will stay with the team through the 2026 season. While rumors swirled around this seat with the likes of Albon, Sainz, and even Ricciardo supposedly in the mix - lately it had seemed that they would play it safe and keep their line up consistent - which was confirmed with this announcement.
Ultimately the team felt that Checo remained their best option, even as he has faltered slightly over the past couple races and fails to pose any threat to Max at all. But I think they like it that way. Have to think that with Ferrari and McLaren on the rise though - they must know that another easy Constructorās title is no guarantee. Though it does help that Checo merch sells like hot churros south of the border - bringing in more volume than Max gear by a good margin.
He clearly has a decent relationship with Max, and isnāt the type to get too hot headed and think he can dethrone the raining champ. Heās settled into his role as a clear #2 driver this year - if you remember back to 2023 there was early talk of him challenging Max before he went off the rails. Seems like he believed it himself along with everyone else before it came crashing down. And to be fair, there arenāt many on the grid right now that could challenge Max in equal machinery.
As for the implications of this move down the grid, a door has closed for Sainz who now looks to have a choice between Audi/Sauber and Williams.
Down the Grid
š„Max Verstappen [169]: On this weekendās prospects for the team off an uncharacteristically poor showing in Monaco: āWe have to wait and see, new surface [Circuit Gilles Villeneuve] as well, I think that always gives you some surprises. It's probably also not going to be our strongest weekend because of that, but probably a little bit better than here [Monaco].ā
š„ Charles Leclerc [138]: Feature from The Race: Is he ready to challenge Max for the title? Heās finished P4 or better in every race this year. My body is ready.
š„ Lando Norris [113]: Both he and Zak Brown plan to get tattoos to commemorate his maiden win.
4ļøā£ Carlos Sainz [113]: With Red Bull no longer an option and Merc seeming unlikely, heās likely got the choice between Sauber/Audi and Williams. Audi has had success in motorsport in the past, and the could lock up a longer term deal there. Williams seems like a good buy low right now. Theyāre honestly two decent options.. I think I would bet on Vowles at this point but itās a close call. Plus that Williams light blue on blue is a good look.
5ļøā£ Sergio Perez [107]: Christian Horner is confident heāll get his mojo back: āThe past few races have been tough, there is convergence on the grid, but we are confident in Checo and look forward to his return to proven form and performance, that we so often see.ā
6ļøā£ Oscar Piastri [71]: TP Stella says heās doing āvery, very wellā this year: āEspecially, I would say, after we got some information onboard in the early races, about managing tires.ā All that engineering and a lot comes down to how can you best control the rubber on the ground. Cāest la vie.
7ļøā£ George Russell [54]: Shared how he seeks help from a psychologist to balance the mental pressures of F1 and deal with āemotional hangovers.ā I tend to get emotional when hungover too.
8ļøā£ Lewis Hamilton [42]: Deferred the teamās latest upgrade package to teammate George when only one was available for Monaco. While teams donāt usually bring upgrades to Monaco due to its outlier status, the team was happy with the data collected.
9ļøā£ Fernando Alonso [33]: On the new regs making cars 30kg (66lbs) lighter: āAn impossible target.ā Maybe just require each driver to lose 66lbs instead? Yuki would have to go negative.
š Yuki Tsunoda [19]: While Red Bull remains a long shot, heās receiving interest from Alpine, Williams, and Haas. While heās āhappyā at RB, he will āthink aboutā other offers.
11. Lance Stroll [11]: Feature on everyoneās favorite Canadian driver ahead of his home GP. āBefore the race, Iā likeāÆFuture, Drake, Post Malone but again, it varies and sometimes I listen to different stuff.ā He WOULD be team Drake. Kendrick all the way. JK I know zero about this beef. Iām sure theyāre both nice fellows.
12. Oliver Bearman [6]: Had a slick move on teammate Antonelli in the F2 race in Monaco. Seems like weāll be seeing these two battle for years to come..
13. Nico Hulkenberg [6]: A big fan of the Canadian GP: āI love Montreal and itās probably my favorite track on the calendar. I love where it is on the little island, the drive into the circuit in the morning, and the atmosphere in Montreal. It gets me every year and I just really enjoy it here.ā
14. Daniel Ricciardo [5]: Will very likely remain with the team through 2025. Some have criticized this questioning why RB wouldnāt want to try a younger driver in their development pipeline. Word is that Horner is protecting him, knowing that he wonāt be up at Red Bull now that Checoās back.
15. Alex Albon [2]: On Monaco and the plan to improve the car going forward: "We do need to fix some parts and try to not be overweight because I think we could have performances like this a little bit more often."
16. Esteban Ocon [1]: From announcement post about leaving the team: āThe Enstone-Viry family has played a significant part in my life, dating back to my Lotus junior program days. I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to have achieved the things I did with this team, from my first podium to my first win in Formula 1. These achievements truly were dreams come true.ā
17. Kevin Magnussen [1]: Daily dose of cuteness with his daughter behind the wheel of his car. Cue jokes about his kid getting less penalties than him š
18. Pierre Gasly [1]: May follow in Oconās footsteps and leave by the end of this season. Heās been linked to Haas but has been in discussion with āseveral teams.ā
19. Zhou Guanyu [0]: Latest name swirling for the Alpine seat. F1 Nations Tom Clarkson: āZhou actually ticks a lot of boxes because he was part of the Alpine young driver programme and they want to prove, particularly after everything that happened with Oscar Piastri thereās actually a way through to the F1 team.ā Itās a good point. 2 years ago Alpine had Alonso, Ocon, and Piastriā¦ now they have none.
20. Valtteri Bottas [0]: Took a break from his F1 hobby to compete in his full time bike racing gig last weekend. He took second place in his age group at the 108 mile UNBOUND race in Kansas.
21. Logan Sargeant [0]: Feature on how the chances at saving his career are being stunted. In Monaco he had to use a 2023 spec rear wing and an older, heavier floor than teammate Albon - āI would be lying if I said it was ideal.ā
Constructorās Corner
š„Red Bull [276]: Helmet Marko believes the RB20 has an advantage at traditional circuits. "Our car has a concept where we have focused on aerodynamic efficiency and we can't lift it off the ground to better tackle the kerbs unless we lose a lot of downforce. I think we still have an advantage on traditional circuits, and if we are not in front in Barcelona, then we really will have a problem." Alright, remember this in two weeks when we head to Spain.
š„Ferrari [252]: Preparing a ā2.1 versionā for the SF-24 with their next upgrades, though nothing new will debut in Montreal after the Imola upgrades cost 25% of the development budget.
š„McLaren [184]: Weaknesses on the MCL38 that were seen early in the season (low speed corners for one) have been solved as the teamās development is progressing ahead of schedule. The hot scuttlebutt this week is that some pundits believe McLaren is actually fastest right now and will be the team to beat up north š®
4ļøā£ Mercedes [96]: Kimi Antonelliās private tests with the W13 will continue in Barcelona next week. Iāve seen enough - calling it now. Antonelli will drive for Merc next season. Possibly even Williams this season.
5ļøā£ Aston Martin [44]: Optimistic they can be competitive in Canada Qualifying if they can nail the set up - with their sights as high as 2nd or 3rd row. However they are still struggling with tire degradation problems, so race pace is expected to be a bit weaker.
6ļøā£ RB [24]: Yuki believes the team is now faster than Aston, and have progressed enough to fight and even overtake them in the standings. This will be a good midfield battle to keep an eye on.
7ļøā£ Haas [7]: The cultural shift in the new-look team has been supported by a more technical focus. TP Komatsu: "It's okay [to make mistakes], and just be open, transparent. That's the most important thing.ā Case and point - a communication issue led to the double DQ in Monaco - with design failing to tell the mechanics how to set up the new wings properly.
8ļøā£ Williams [2]: The team still needs to drop itās car weight to get down to the minimum, with their current size costing them an estimated .45s per lap. Bottom line: Lighter = Faster.
9ļøā£ Alpine [2]: TP Famin statement on Ocon: āWe would like to firstly thank Esteban for his commitment to the team for the past five years. During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which coming at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with a memorable race win.ā They should put Travis Kelce in the car.
š Kick Sauber [0]: Potential for upgrades theyāve brought recently could finally be unlocked in Canada. These include bringing their floor fences further inward for aero efficiency and a single pillar rear wing which is less aerodynamically disruptive, but harder to get the required wing stiffness.
Tech Talk
Check out this cool animation that shows just how strong the halo is - It can support 12,000 kg (26,455 lbs) - as much as a double decker bus weighs. Ok thatās insane. Safety first!
Pirelli is currently testing a new C6 compound that would be available for street races like Monaco. Pirelli boss Mario Isola: āWe have very promising compounds to reduce overheating for 2025. The idea is to also introduce a new C6 compound, a softer one, because in the calendar we have more and more street circuits and we need softer compounds." My new platform: Softer tires + require all three compounds to be used in the race.
Feature in Computer Weekly how RB is using AI to develop their car - with the focus being on speeding up the process of identifying a favorable upgrade to the car to making that upgrade a reality. Future use cases include using AI tools to try to glean hints about a competitors race strategy. Almost missed this one because I only subscribe to Computer Monthly. AI impact on F1 is pretty intriguing. Iām currently reading āThe Formulaā which goes through the history of F1 via stories focused on key moments and players in the sport. AI reminds me of the section where the authors cover the beast of a car Williams developed in the early 90ās, the FW15C (designed by Adrian Newey no less) that used computer assisted driver controls to dominate the competition. Those technological breakthroughs were quickly squashed through regulations - will we see the same for AI?
The 2026 technical regulations have been revealed. Here are some highlights:
No DRS: New manual override mode (āpush to passā with a short burst of battery power)
Active Aero: Moveable front and rear wings
Slightly smaller cars that are 30kg (66lbs) lighter
Power unit with 50/50 internal combustion and electric power with 100% sustainable fuel
Narrower front wing, no more beam wing
Reduced ground effect with partially flat floor
Hereās a rendering of the new look (keeping in mind the actual cars may look a bit different):
šø formula1.com
Off the Grid
Liberty Media are looking to model the NFL when negotiating the next Concorde Agreement by focusing on a āLeague Firstā mentality. CEO Greg Maffei: "The prior regime really did put a lot of time in having the teams compete against each other. In many cases, they enjoyed just getting an edge on each other, rather than thinking about how to grow the sport. We really want to grow the sport together. The teams have embraced that, and profited from that, because they've not only seen the growth in F1 revenues and their share of the profits in their own sponsorship, but we've also seen growth in the value of teams."
South Korean OEM Hyundai is stepping up itās interest in buying an F1 team, as the country hopes to host a GP of their own in Incheon in the near future.
Quick Question (my answer)
If I were them I would have gone one year, but I do like it from a likely increased competition from other teams standpoint.
Enjoy the race this weekend, which will award an āAI designedā trophy. So maybe something like this? š½
Wow is that one of those newfangled generative AI models? Nope, thatās an original baby. šø me with maybe some copyrighted images idk
What did you think of this week's edition? |
Questions? Comments? Did we get something wrong (never š)? Let us know ā¶ [email protected]