🇮🇹 Italian GP: Strategy or Speed?

Hey there, F1 fanatic! 👋

Guess who's back with some more scorching updates? Yep, it's me, and if you think the heat's only on the asphalt, boy, do I have some news for you.

📝 Contract Countdown: Driver seatings for 2024 are looking scarce—only four spots left! Everyone else is locked and loaded with extended contracts. The race for a seat is almost as intense as the one on the track!

🌟 F2 Steals the Show: Don't look now, but F2 is muscling into the limelight with their brand-new car reveal. If you're not watching F2, it's time to start; future F1 stars are strutting their stuff there!

👻 The Verstappen Conundrum: Max is revving up for a 10th straight victory, but could a curse rain on his parade? We're not superstitious, but we're a little stitious. Will Max break the spell or the record?

As the tracks heat up and the drivers gear up, remember to keep your passion in the fast lane. See you at the checkered flag!

🤔Who's going low-drag for speed?

Let's break down what's going on with the F1 teams and their wing choices for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, which is the fastest track on the F1 calendar.

To go fast on Monza's long straights, most teams are using skinny wings to reduce air resistance. The less drag you have, the quicker you go.

Here's a quick rundown of how different teams are setting up:

🔴 Ferrari is running low-drag wings to get maximum speed.

🟠🔵 McLaren and Alpine are going for something between low and medium-low drag.

🔵 Red Bull is leaning towards medium-low drag, but they're also testing a slightly "heavier" wing, meaning one with more downforce.

The underdogs have their own strategies:

🔵🔴⚫ Williams, Alfa Romeo, and Haas are going with low-drag setups. However, Haas is using a design that's not fully optimized; it's basically a trimmed-down version of a heavier wing.

🟢 Aston Martin is in the medium-low category.

🧪 McLaren, Red Bull, and Haas are also testing a special version of their wings.

They're "trimming" the top layer of the wing to reduce drag, which is cheaper than designing a new wing but not quite as efficient.

A couple of special cases:

🔵 AlphaTauri is going for a wing design similar to what Williams, which is on the lower end of the drag spectrum.

⚫ Mercedes’ wing is designed so that when DRS is activated, most of the downforce comes from the moveable top layer, making it particularly effective.

📝Hamilton commits to Mercedes, Russell follows

Lewis Hamilton is sticking with Mercedes for at least two more years! He's been with the team since 2013 and has won six of his seven F1 titles with them.

He tied Michael Schumacher's record of seven championships but faced some challenges recently, especially since Mercedes has been lagging behind Red Bull.

There were rumors that Hamilton might move to Ferrari, but Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff seemed confident that they'd keep Hamilton on board, even though the negotiations took some time.

Hamilton couldn't be more excited about the new deal.

And guess what? George Russell is also staying with Mercedes through at least 2025. - Read more

🏎️ F2 reveals game-changing 2024 car

Formula 2 has just unveiled its fresh new car for the 2024 season in Monza.

If you don't know, Formula 2 is basically the last stop for drivers before they jump into Formula 1. I’ll tell you more if you keep scrolling.

This new F2 car isn't just for show. It's pretty much identical in design for all teams, and it's taking cues from the latest F1 cars to make overtaking easier. Under the hood? A 3.4-liter turbocharged Mecachrome engine. Plus, it’s geared up with the latest safety features and is even prepped for a switch to sustainable fuels come 2025.

🔎Differences from the previous model:

🟢 ”F1-Style” front and rear endplates

🟡 Simpler sidepods and floor design.

🟣 The DRS plane is closer to the design 'Super Formula' cars

And here's something cool: the new car has F1-style power steering, which makes it more accessible for a wider range of drivers, including women, who may have found the lack of power steering in older models a bit challenging.

Bruno Michel, the big boss of F2, says this new car is powerful, safe, and promises tons of great racing action. - Read more

🪽FIA cracks down on flexi-wings

Big news: the FIA is ending the use of flexible wings. They think some teams are bending the rules—literally. This comes after they've been closely watching how wings flex during the first half of this season.

Why does it matter?

The FIA has now officially laid down what it considers to be shady design techniques when it comes to flexible car parts. Essentially, they believe teams are using design tricks to improve aerodynamics, something that goes against the official F1 Technical Regulations.

In short, the rule says that all car parts affecting aerodynamics should be "rock solid." They shouldn't move or flex in any way that's not obvious during the regular tests.

The FIA has spelled out four key things that they won't allow anymore:

👉Wings that move up and down or side-to-side relative to the car body.

👉Wings that can rotate on their fittings.

👉Using flexible materials or thin laminates that let the wings bend or twist.

👉'Soft' edges on the wings designed to avoid cracking.

Only some minor exceptions will be made, mainly around the car's floor assembly and front wing flaps.

New Testing Protocols

In the past, the FIA usually just amped up their garage load tests to catch rule-breakers. But now they've realized that teams are getting too clever. So, they're changing their approach.

Starting soon, teams have to send in detailed drawings showing how their front and rear wings are attached. This will help the FIA understand if any team is taking aerodynamic shortcuts. - Read more

🟢 Stroll stays with the team in 2024

Aston Martin F1 Team's principal, Mike Krack, wants to set the record straight: Lance Stroll isn't going anywhere. He's confirmed to race for the team in 2024.

Lance Stroll has had a rough season compared to his teammate Fernando Alonso, but it's not all on him. Team decisions, like keeping him on the wrong tires during a rainy Dutch Grand Prix, haven't helped.

Krack also pointed out that the gap between Alonso and Stroll isn't as big as their point totals suggest.

Rumors are swirling that Stroll is reconsidering his future in F1, but he's laughed off any suggestions of switching to tennis.

And while Aston Martin CEO Martin Whitmarsh has been exploring other top drivers, that's standard practice for planning ahead to 2025 and beyond. It might also help having your dad as the ultimate team boss. - Read more

🔴 Leclerc dismisses exit, aims for title

Charles Leclerc really wants to stick with Ferrari, even though they haven't yet talked about renewing his contract. Contrary to rumors that he signed a huge new deal, he says there's been no movement on that front. Both sides plan to chat after this season about keeping him on past 2024.

Things haven't been great for Ferrari lately—they didn't perform well at the Dutch Grand Prix, and teammate Carlos Sainz feels they've slipped in the rankings.

There's been some talk about Leclerc maybe considering other teams like Mercedes and Aston Martin, but both of those options seem off the table now.

None of that seems to bother Leclerc, though. He's pretty clear that he wants his future to be with Ferrari.

You're likely familiar with Formula 1, the glitzy, high-speed world of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. But have you taken a pit stop to consider Formula 2, or F2? If you haven't, you're missing out on a hotbed of talent and exciting races that often serve as a prelude to F1 stardom.

A quick look at history

Let's shift into reverse for a bit. Formula 2 dates back to 1948 but was formally recognized by the FIA in 1950.

While it’s undergone several transformations and name changes—think Formula 3000 and GP2—F2 as we know it today was rebranded in 2017.

It’s generally seen as the final stepping stone to Formula 1, a place where young drivers prove they've got what it takes to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport.

F2 Weekend Explained

Friday: First, there's a 45-minute practice session. Later, there's a 30-minute qualifying round. Whoever clocks the fastest lap in that session grabs the pole position for Sunday's race.

Saturday: It's a sprint race. The starting lineup is the same as the qualifying round, but the top 10 drivers are flipped. The race goes on until it crosses the 120km mark ( in Monaco, 100km).

Drivers can earn points down to 8th place, following a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring system. If you finish in the top 10 and have the fastest lap, you get an extra point.

Sunday: It’s the feature race. It lasts until it exceeds 170km—140km in Monaco and 160km in Budapest. Every driver has to make at least one pit stop and switch between two different types of tires.

Pitting before the 6th lap or during a virtual safety car doesn't count unless you were already in the pits when the virtual safety car was called.

Lastly, F2 tried a three-race weekend in 2021, but fans didn't like it. It messed up the calendar, so they went back to the old format in 2022. Before this change, the feature race used to be on Saturday, and its results would determine the grid for the sprint race.

What Sets F2 Apart from F1?

💰 Cost

F2 is way less expensive, making it accessible for teams with smaller budgets. We're talking tens of millions versus hundreds of millions in F1.

In 2023, Formula 1 teams have a cost cap of about $135 million, covering most expenses except for things like top salaries and marketing. This budget primarily comes from prize money, investments, and sponsors, and teams like Red Bull and Mercedes are self-sufficient.

On the other hand, F2 operates on much smaller budgets, often requiring drivers to bring their own funding; an F2 car costs around €500k, and team budgets for drivers can range from €2m to €3m or more.

🏎️🏎️ Identical Cars

In F1, teams design their own chassis based on FIA regulations, including various safety features like roll hoops and anti-intrusion panels.

F2 cars are standardized, using the Dallara F2 2018 model, but also incorporate F1-standard safety measures and specific parts from designated suppliers.

Speed-wise, F1 cars can go above 220 mph, while F2 cars can reach up to 208 mph with certain conditions.

F2 uses identical machinery to level the playing field and put the focus squarely on driver talent.

⭐Young Talent

F2 is often where tomorrow’s F1 stars make a name for themselves. Drivers like Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Lando Norris have all graduated from F2.

Even though F2 is often seen as a stepping stone to F1, it's not a must-do. In 2021, almost half of the F1 drivers—10 out of 21—never raced in F2. And it's not just the older guys; big names like Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, and Esteban Ocon skipped F2 altogether.

But on the flip side, six drivers on the grid were F2 champs: Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Nico Hülkenberg, Oscar Piastri, and Pierre Gasly.

📅 Race Format

The two-race weekend in F2 offers a different tactical challenge, making it appealing for both drivers and fans.

🗝️ Access

Believe it or not, it's easier for fans to get close to the action in F2. With a less corporate atmosphere, you can often meet drivers and get autographs, making for a more intimate fan experience.

RELATED: The new rear wing on Formula 2's 2024 car, unveiled at Monza, is grabbing a lot of attention. It might even give us a hint about where F1's DRS system could be headed in the future. - Read more

🏆 Extreme E and the FIA are teaming up to launch an exciting new hydrogen-powered World Championship.- Read more

🔧Max Verstappen brushed off the idea that he's faster than his Red Bull teammates just because the car is tailored to his driving style. - Read more

👀David Coulthard is stepping in for Daniel Ricciardo at the iconic Red Bull race. - Read more

📝Sergio Perez may have a Red Bull contract for 2024, but Helmut Marko warns that doesn't necessarily secure his job. - Read more

😠Max Verstappen is calling BS on Toto Wolff's claim that his lead over Sergio Perez is "odd," reigniting the debate over whether Red Bull plays favorites. - Read more

💪Valtteri Bottas is backing his teammate Zhou Guanyu, as rumors swirl about Zhou's future in F1. - Read more

🔴Ferrari clears up confusion over F1 technical director - Read more

🌳Kevin Magnussen has a new idea for cutting down on tire use during race weekends. He thinks it could help Formula One reach its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030. - Read more

🇮🇹 Scheduled 1-3 September

Autodromo Nazionale Monza

TLDR;

1️⃣ Circuit length: 5.793km
2️⃣ Number of laps: 53
3️⃣ Lap record: 1:21.046 Rubens Barrichello (2004)
4️⃣ Corners & DRS: 11 corners with 2 DRS zones

Tire Choices and Rules for the Italian Grand Prix

Tires: The SOFTEST range of Pirelli's tires will be used: C3 - Hard ⚪️, C4 - Medium 🟡, and C5 - Soft 🔴

↗️Tires one step softer than 2022

Rules: The Alternative Tyre Allocation limits drivers to 11 sets of tires for the weekend.

Qualifying: Drivers must use different compounds in each qualifying session unless it's wet.

⬇️Low drag is crucial!

Bad luck at Monza?

Max Verstappen is on a winning streak, with 9 race victories in a row. But to make it 10, he has to break the so-called "Monza curse"”

Recently, the winners at Monza haven't had much luck the following season. Take the last three winners, for example.

• Charles Leclerc won in 2019 but crashed the next year.

• Pierre Gasly, the 2020 winner, had a disastrous Sprint weekend in 2021.

• Daniel Ricciardo, won for McLaren in 2021 but had to stop near the end of the race last season.