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  • 🚨 Zeroes & Heroes at the Belgian GP

🚨 Zeroes & Heroes at the Belgian GP

Get all the insights, charts & news after the Belgian GP and get ready for the F1 summer break.

Hey there, pit stop pal! 👋

The first half of the 2023 championship has come to an end, with Max Verstappen reigning supreme, but for how much longer?

As for the rest of the pack, they're locked in a fierce and tight battle to claim the title of the best of the rest.

But even if we’re speeding into the summer break, we’ll still be waiting for some news about new contract signings, extensions and all the off-track drama. Remember, it’s still Silly Season.

In Belgium, even before the action began, Alpine shook things up by announcing the dismissal of some key figures: Laurent Rossi, Otmar Szafnauer, Alan Permane, and Par Fry. Talk about drama within the team!

Likewise, you won't believe the action on the track! Rain played havoc during Friday's qualifying and Saturday's sprint race.

The Grand Prix turned into a wild roller coaster ride, with close battles and some totally unexpected results.

In today’s email:

  1. Speedy Race Review: Detailed info, charts, and analysis on the latest happenings at the Belgian GP.

  2. In-depth Education: Red Bull’s Journey in F1 & their Young Driver Program.

  3. Fast Lane News: Revving up for a quick and friendly roundup of all the Formula 1 buzz!

    The Dutch GP: Here’s what to expect one month from now.

    Lights out, and away we go!

f1 race reviewSpeedy Race Review

📊 Global race pace after the Belgian GP

  • Spa favors aero efficiency (downforce / drag): Leclerc and Hamilton were competitive (skinnier wing), Norris wasn't (“barn-door” wing).

  • Once the rain hit (laps 17-26) those running a larger wing (Norris, Russel), gained pace, though!

  • Updates reduced Aston's drag ➡️ Pace improved here.

💨 Super Sprint Race!

Saturday's sprint race was heavily affected by rain, leading to a half-hour delay, 5 formation laps and a flying start, which left only 11 laps of actual racing action.

Verstappen briefly slipped down to second behind Piastri, but the Dutchman quickly snatched back the lead from the Australian, while Gasly held onto a solid third place.

These three were the ones who took the podium places, which is a great result for both Piastri and Gasly.

Meanwhile, Hamilton and Perez were battling it out like there was no tomorrow.

Considering each team's quicker driver:

🔵 RB 1st
🟠 McL 2nd (+0.69s/lap)
🟢 Mercedes 3rd (+0.90s/lap)
🔴 Ferrari 4th (+1.04s/lap)
🔵 Alpine 5th (+1.06s/lap) (Very solid!)

The traffic impacted some driver's pace significantly (e.g. NOR) - Read More (ES)

🥇 Verstappen's Dominance: Where's the Limit?

Max Verstappen has achieved a staggering eight consecutive wins and holds a massive 125-point lead over his teammate Sergio Perez in the championship.

The Dutchman once again nailed a flawless weekend, showing his superiority over everyone else. He was simply unbeatable!

He showcased his brilliance during qualifying, outpacing second-place Leclerc by a remarkable 8 tenths of a second.

The Dutch driver started sixth due to a 5-place penalty for changing the gearbox, but it wasn't an obstacle for him to claim the victory.

On lap 17, he already caught up with Pérez to take the lead, winning the race by over 22 seconds. His dominance is scary as we don't know how far it will go - Read More

He was even in a cheeky mood and honestly this is the only reason I listen to his radios. The dynamic between him and GP is worthy of a stand-up comedy show.

To add to the drama, the team once again managed to break his trophy!

💬 Will Buxton sums up pretty well the entire dominance & records situation

The thing with stats and records in F1 is there’s always nuance and counterpoints. So the Red Bull record 12 wins in a row might or might not be a record depending on how you look at it and history. 🧵

📈 Team improvements over the 2023 season

Each Team's Gap to Red Bull in Race Pace over the 2023 Season so far, Expressed as a moving average.

⬆️ Williams with some impressive Development
⏫ McLaren gaining about 7-9 tenths to Red Bull!
🔽 Aston with work to do

💃 Performance Dance Continues: Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and Aston in the Mix

At Spa, Ferrari totally bounced back and became the second fastest team, just behind Red Bull.

Leclerc was absolutely killing it, showing incredible pace and securing a well-deserved third place in the race.

It looks like the improvements they made to the SF-23 really paid off!

The car's performance was way better compared to Silverstone and Hungaroring, and Leclerc was cruising comfortably in third place.

We're not happy with the first part of the season, but I think this last race has us smiling a little bit more.

Charles Leclerc

🟢 On the other hand, Alonso, who had a rough time with an Aston Martin that lacked pace in previous races, made a strong comeback in Spa, finishing fifth with a pace reminiscent of the early season.

🟠 McLaren, the surprise package in recent races, took a different approach at Spa by going for higher downforce, which worked well in wet conditions but didn't suit them in the race due to their lower top speed.

Despite this, Norris skillfully handled his soft tires, completing 27 laps and securing a commendable seventh-place finish, the best possible position for him.

Lando's pace when the rain was falling was absolutely ridiculous.

Lap 20: 3.988s quicker than VER
Lap 21: 1.146s quicker than VER
Lap 22: 1.600s quicker than VER
Lap 23: 0.327s quicker than VER

 

🎢 Heroes & Zeroes: Piastri, Tsunoda, Sainz and Ricciardo

Piastri and Sainz had a little bump at the first corner of Sunday's race, and it ended up with both of them retiring.

They were both at fault for the incident - Sainz was being quite aggressive, and Piastri was being a bit too optimistic.

But hey, despite that, Piastri keeps showing us he's got some serious potential!

He outqualified Norris in both qualifying and the sprint race, coming in a fantastic second.

I bet it won't be long before Piastri grabs his first podium finish in Formula 1.

And let's not forget the other star of the weekend - Yuki Tsunoda! He finished tenth and scored points for the third time this season.

He celebrated it like a champ, even comparing himself to the Aston Martin.

I knew we would have problems with the rain, but even so it didn't go too badly. I was able to qualify in eleventh position and get the most out of the car in the race.

So I'm happy, because especially in the last few races I suffered quite a bit.

The start was very good and also the first stint we were fast. I think we were able to match the pace of the Aston Martin.

And I think that first stint was the key to score points because Alpine was still much faster than us.

Yuki Tsunoda

He totally rocked it, even outperforming his new teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who could only manage sixteenth place.

But you know what? Despite that tough result, the Australian stays positive and optimistic.

He's confident that after the summer break, he'll be able to show everyone his real skills and shine on the track. - Red More.

🤬 Prost: “Alpine was run by an inept, incompetent, and arrogant”

Alain Prost has not held back in expressing his criticism of the former CEO of Alpine, Laurent Rossi. He accuses Rossi of obstructing the progress of the French team:

“He was Alpine's boss for 18 months and thought he understood everything from the start, but that couldn't be further from the truth. His management stopped the momentum the team had built since 2016, achieving these podiums and that victory."

After the departure of some key figures, the team is now facing a significant restructuring.

It remains to be seen how they will navigate through these changes and move forward. - Read More (ES)

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f1 race review Red Bull's Journey in F1 Journey & their Young Driver Program

In a mere fifteen years, Red Bull, the energy drink brand, has transformed from an unknown player in F1 to forging one of the most victorious teams ever. But how did they achieve it?

Let's delve into their intriguing history and explore their renowned young driver program.

Red Bull's Journey in F1

The energy drink brand Red Bull has long been renowned for employing highly innovative marketing strategies, closely associated with numerous extreme sports like skiing and skateboarding.

In Formula 1, their journey began back in 1989 with the signing of Gerhard Berger as their first racing driver.

By 1995, they had become the primary sponsor of the Sauber team. Then, in 2004, Dietrich Mateschitz took things to the next level by purchasing the Jaguar team and rebranding it as Red Bull, marking its debut in the 2005 season.

Mateschitz made a smart move when he brought on his friend Helmut Marko as an advisor and Christian Horner as the team manager.

Then, just a year later, they took things up a notch by purchasing the Minardi team. And that's when they had a brilliant idea - they founded Toro Rosso in 2006, a second team specifically dedicated to nurturing young drivers.

Their grand plan was to invest heaps of cash in the sport and create a massive driver academy across various lower categories.

The idea was simple yet genius: these budding talents would get their shot in F1 with Toro Rosso, the "B team," and if they excelled, they'd move up to the "A team," Red Bull.

Red Bull wasted no time in tasting success, and interestingly enough, their first victory came through Toro Rosso in 2008.

But that didn't stop Red Bull from making strides too. In 2009, they secured their first wins and podiums while Toro Rosso solidified its position in the middle of the pack.

Then, from 2010 onwards, Red Bull experienced its first golden era in Formula 1, all thanks to the incredible talent of Sebastian Vettel, their star driver.

He went on to claim a remarkable 4 consecutive drivers' championships in a row along with 4 constructors' championships for the team.

Vettel's performance was simply mind-blowing, breaking numerous Formula 1 records for being one of the most exceptional drivers in the sport's history.

Behind the enchantment, there stood the esteemed engineer, Adrian Newey, who had already tasted immense success in the 1990s with Williams and McLaren.

But then, in 2014, the hybrid era hit, and Mercedes took the F1 world by storm, leaving Red Bull and Ferrari lurking in the shadows for quite some time.

Yet, it was Red Bull that eventually shattered the Silver Arrows' dominance when Max Verstappen claimed the title of world champion in 2021.

The performance of Mercedes and Red Bull was very similar that season, with Verstappen beating Hamilton after an epic end to the season.

This kicked off Red Bull's second golden era in F1, with Verstappen dominating the 2022 season and clinching a second title.

Now, looking at the current state of affairs, it seems like 2023 is all set to become the third title for him and the team, given their absolute dominance.

It's quite astounding to think that in a mere 18 years, Red Bull has amassed an impressive tally of 6 drivers' championships and 5 constructors' championships, making them one of the most successful teams in the illustrious history of Formula 1.

There are many factors behind the team's success, and one of the most discussed has been its young driver program.

How Does the Red Bull Young Driver Program Work?

Red Bull was, together with Renault, the pioneer of young driver academies in Formula 1.

Today, training programs are indispensable in Formula 1, with all teams investing millions of euros in discovering the next super talent at an early age.

At Red Bull, as at all other teams, they have scouts at the highest levels of the European karting classes.

The most promising drivers are closely supervised and monitored, and if they impress, teams try to "capture" them as early as possible.

When a junior driver is offered a contract, they are often invited to the Formula 1 team's factory for signing - a dream come true for the young driver, instantly adding sentimental value. From that moment on, the real training begins.

Red Bull trains its drivers to make them as competitive as can be, guiding them through the various categories leading up to Formula 1.

The energy drink brand foots the bill for the sky-high costs of competing in these competitions, and the young talents kick off their journey under the prestigious Red Bull name in the lower categories.

Inside the academy, the pressure is cranked up to the max, with only a handful of seats and a sea of talented drivers, so it's all about delivering results to keep moving forward.

In this thrilling pursuit, the successful drivers climb through the ranks, from various regional championships to F3 and F2, until they finally hit the pinnacle of racing - Formula 1.

But let's be real, only the cream of the crop, a tiny fraction, get to claim that honor. It's a fierce race to the top! This is where Red Bull's uniqueness shines.

While other teams like Ferrari or Mercedes usually have their young drivers debut in teams from the lower end of the grid like Williams or Alfa Romeo, Red Bull does things differently by giving their drivers a debut in their own second team, AlphaTauri (formerly Toro Rosso).

The brand's goal is for these young talents to gain solid F1 experience with AlphaTauri for a few seasons.

If they prove their worth, they get the coveted promotion to Red Bull, where they'll be in the fierce battle for wins and championships.

With this approach, both AlphaTauri drivers have to strive for that sought-after promotion, while Red Bull's drivers need to keep their game tight, lest they get replaced.

It's a high-stakes racing game of musical chairs!

Kvyat, Ricciardo, Sainz and Verstappen

Has Red Bull's young driver program been a success or a failure?

Over the past few years there has been a lot of talk about Red Bull's young driver program, widely criticized for its harshness on drivers, but has it been a success or a failure?

Since its inception, Red Bull's young driver program has seen dozens of drivers come and go, with varying levels of success.

Sadly, for some, the rapid promotion proved to be a double-edged sword, causing their careers to hit roadblocks or suffer setbacks.

Remember the likes of Jaime Alguersuari, Daniil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly, and Alex Albon?

Every now and then, the team faced a dilemma, like in 2021 when they signed Sergio Pérez, driver of another team on the grid, indicating a shortage of young talent ready for the big leagues.

However, labelling the program a failure would be far from the truth.

Red Bull's young driver program is like a gold mine for talent, and that's precisely why it needs to be fiercely competitive - only the absolute best make it to the grand stage of F1.

Over the course of fifteen years, they've nurtured and honed remarkable talent, giving birth to two multiple world champions: Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

Not only that, an impressive 7 out of the 20 drivers on the current grid either drive for or have been trained under Red Bull - that's a remarkably high percentage!

Even beyond Formula 1, many of their former drivers continue to shine in other prestigious competitions like Formula E and many Endurance Championships.

Undoubtedly, Red Bull's program stands out as the most successful of all to date.

And if there’s anything either professional or personal that we can all learn from it is that the long term game combined with a vision for success always pays off.

f1 race reviewFast Lane News

😫 'It was painful' – Norris describes McLaren's straight-line speed struggles after surprise P7 finish in Belgium. - Read More

🔥 Why the Alpine F1 Team is such a hot mess. - Read More

📻 Horner addresses any concern of a Red Bull feud after spicy radio messages. - Read More

🛞 Why Aston and McLaren are testing F1 Pirellis they may never race. - Read More

💥 F1 risks “catastrophe” if engine move ends up in BOP, warns Wolff. - Read More

🧐 Lewis Hamilton delivers intriguing upgrade prediction after summer break. - Read More

🙊 Helmut Marko reveals only two drivers who could challenge Max Verstappen. - Read More

🎯 Carlos Sainz fires sly jibe at Oscar Piastri. - Read More

f1 race review The Dutch GP 2023

🇳🇱 Scheduled 25-27 August

Circuit Zandvoort, Netherlands

1️⃣ Circuit length: 4.259 km
2️⃣ Number of laps: 72
3️⃣ Lap record: 1:11.097 Lewis Hamilton (2021)
4️⃣ Corners & DRS: 14 corners with 2 DRS zones

f1 race review MEME OF THE DAY