↩️ Madrid GP's F1 U-Turn

Hey there, championship chaser! 👋

It’s been close to two weeks since the last F1 race of the 2023 season. We’re getting the championship blues, what about you?

Luckily there’s some great news to keep us going through the winter. Let’s get going.

🏁 Madrid GP Speed Bump: Some unexpected turns have emerged on the road to the Madrid Grand Prix. We delve into the details of these developments and what they might mean for the future of this highly anticipated race.

🌟 2026's Exciting Changes: The horizon of Formula 1 is shimmering with promise as we approach 2026. We're here to give you a sneak peek into the electrifying changes that are set to redefine the sport.

🔧 AlphaTauri's 2024 Power-Up: AlphaTauri is not just stepping on the gas; they're turbocharging their way into 2024! With a little help from their friends at Red Bull, they're gearing up for an incredible season.

🇪🇸 Madrid GP Dreams Hit Speed Bump

The FIA has cast doubt on the imminent arrival of a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Madrid, pointing out that essential preliminary steps have not yet been taken. Despite the buzz and political intrigue, the Spanish capital’s F1 aspirations are still far from the finish line.

Between the Lines

• Madrid’s ambition to host an F1 Grand Prix is still in the conceptual phase, with key processes not initiated.

• IFEMA’s involvement and last year’s F1 Exhibition fuelled speculation, but FIA approval is pending.

• FIA Senate President Carmelo Sanz de Barros stresses the importance of following the official protocol.

• Political dynamics between Madrid and Barcelona may be influencing the public narrative around the event.

Go Deeper

Over twelve months ago, Madrid signaled its intentions to bring the high-octane world of F1 racing to its streets. The city, with the backing of IFEMA, laid the groundwork for a street circuit that could potentially dazzle fans and tourists alike. Last summer, whispers grew louder as IFEMA hinted at progress in line with F1’s event promotion guidelines. - Read more

🏎️ Exciting F1 Changes Coming in 2026

The F1 world is already buzzing with plans for the 2026 season. We're just in the second year of the current rules, but things are moving fast!

🔍 2026 Car Design Details:

• Size Reduction: Cars will be shorter and narrower

• Weight Loss: Aiming to cut down 40-50 kilos

• Less Downforce: This means lighter components and better handling

• New Look: They'll still resemble today's F1 cars but with noticeable tweaks

🏎️ Aerodynamics and Racing:

• Improved Racing Dynamics: Tweaks in aerodynamics to enhance close racing

• Ground Effect Continues: Still using ground effect aerodynamics but with improvements.

• Focus on Skill: Less downforce and drag, maintaining fast lap times

🌬️ DRS and Aero Changes:

• Moveable Aero: Possible introduction to help reduce drag

• DRS Evolution: FIA is exploring new forms for overtaking opportunities and balancing skill and technology

⚡ Power Unit Changes:

• Sustainable Fuel: Moving towards fully sustainable fuel

• Turbo-Hybrid Tweaks: Revamping the current setup for better performance

• Goodbye MGU-H: Removing MGU-H from the equation

• Audi & Honda: Welcoming new and returning players to the F1 engine scene.

🛠️ Addressing Potential Issues:

• Battery Power Concerns: FIA is confident in managing energy efficiently

• Top Speed Maintenance: Ensuring cars retain high-speed capabilities

• Cornering Focus: Emphasis on hard cornering without losing power

Read more

🔼 AlphaTauri's Big Leap Forward

AlphaTauri is stepping up their game big time. They're getting some major upgrades from Red Bull, specifically some key parts of the RB19. This means we will see a whole new level of performance from them, marking a fresh chapter in their F1 journey.

What We're Hearing

• There's a buzz that they might even change their name to "Racing Bulls" next season.

• They're bringing in some crucial elements from Red Bull's RB19, which is a huge deal for their journey to the top.

• AlphaTauri is getting a major boost with Red Bull's RB19's pull-rod front suspension. This is a big shift in their technical approach and could really shake things up.

• There are also some changes in the management as Laurent Mekies is stepping in as Team Principal.

Go Deeper

AlphaTauri really found their groove at the end of 2023. Remember how they struggled to crack the top 10 at the start of the season? Well, they turned that around with some big upgrades to the AT04. After the United States Grand Prix, we usually saw one of their drivers finishing in the points.

The 2024 season is going to be a game-changer for them. They're bringing in a car heavily influenced by Red Bull's RB19, especially in aerodynamics and front suspension. But they're not just copying Red Bull – they're mixing in ideas from McLaren, Aston Martin, and Williams too.

Despite some concerns, the FIA hasn't found any evidence of Red Bull and AlphaTauri working too closely on designs. They're still keeping an eye on things, though, to make sure there's no unfair data sharing between top teams and their sister or satellite teams. - Read more

🏎️ The Infamous Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: 2 Years Later

Yesterday marked two years since the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, a race that still stirs up heated debates among F1 enthusiasts. It's often called F1's most controversial race ever. Let's dive into why this race is still so talked about.

💥 The Build-Up to Controversy

• Unique Season: The 2021 season was impacted by COVID-19, leading to similar car designs from 2020.

• Title Clash: Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were in a tight race for the world title, with equal points before Abu Dhabi.

🚦 The Race 

• Tense Start: Hamilton leads initially, but Verstappen closely follows.

• Strategic Moves: The race sees several lead changes and strategic pit stops.

🚨 The Controversial Decision

• Crash Impact: Nicholas Latifi's crash brings out the Safety Car.

• Unusual Restart: Only some lapped cars can pass, leading to a quick restart.

• Verstappen's Win: Verstappen, with fresher tires, overtakes Hamilton and wins the race and the championship.

🏁 Aftermath and Impact

• Mercedes' Reaction: Mercedes protests the race decisions, but their appeals are dismissed.

• Management Changes: Michael Masi leaves his role, leading to new race control leadership.

• Verstappen's Success: Verstappen's career skyrockets in the following years.

• Hamilton's Challenges: Hamilton faces his worst season in 2022.

• Threats: Nicholas Latifi faced terrible backlash online, including threats, for his crash.

Read more

🆕 Update on the Last 10 F1 Team Bosses

Let's catch up on where the last 10 F1 team bosses are now, shall we?

1. Otmar Szafnauer left Alpine in July 2023. Right now, he's on a 12-month break but might make a comeback. Bruno Famin's taken over for now.

2. Mattia Binotto waved goodbye to Ferrari in December 2022. He's been hanging around the F1 tracks, maybe planning his next move?

3. Andreas Seidl said bye to McLaren in December 2022. He's now the CEO at Sauber.

4. Jost Capito left Williams in December 2022. He's keeping a low profile but hinted he's up for some advisory roles.

5. Cyril Abiteboul parted ways with Renault in December 2021. He's now leading Hyundai Motorsport.

6. Frank and Claire Williams exited Williams in September 2020. Sir Frank sadly passed away later, and Claire became a brand ambassador.

7. Maurizio Arrivabene left Ferrari in January 2019. He switched gears to football, joining Juventus' board, but left amid a scandal in 2022.

8. Vijay Mallya stepped down from Force India in August 2018. He's had a tough time with legal issues and even faced jail time.

9. Éric Boullier bid farewell to McLaren in July 2018. He's now managing the French Grand Prix - quite a switch!

10. Monisha Kaltenborn left Sauber in June 2017. She tried founding her racing team and is now the CEO of an e-motorsport company.

Read more

Let's talk about something that stirred up quite a bit of controversy – double diffusers. They were a big deal for a while in F1 racing until they got the red flag. Let's explore what they were, their impact, and why they were eventually shown the exit door.

What's a Diffuser on an F1 Car?

A diffuser is like a magic trick for F1 cars. It's at the back of the car and helps air flow out smoothly, pushing the car down hard onto the track. Think of it like an upside-down wing that keeps the car glued to the track, creating a lot of downforce without slowing the car down. The bigger the diffuser, the more air it can handle and the stronger the downforce.

How Did Double Diffuser Work?

The double diffuser was like a regular diffuser but with a clever twist. It had an extra level that helped control the air even better. This was important because, in F1, you need just the right balance of downforce at the front and back of the car. If you get it wrong, the car either doesn't turn well or slides around too much.

The 2009 rules tried to limit diffuser size, but the wording left a loophole that teams used to create the double diffuser, which was bigger and better at controlling the airflow.

Not everyone was a fan, though. Some teams thought double diffusers were the best thing since sliced bread, while others cried foul play. There was this huge debate about whether they should even be allowed.

The 2009 Season: The Turning Point

The main idea behind the new rules was to cut down on how much downforce the cars could make. This meant less turbulent air behind the cars, making it easier for them to follow each other closely and spice up the races.

These changes also ramped up the safety of drivers with a bunch of new safety features.

At the same time, the world was dealing with a big economic crisis, which hit the Formula 1 teams hard. Honda, for instance, got the worst of it and had to pull out of the competition because they just didn't have enough money. But then, something interesting happened – Brawn GP was formed for just £1 by Ross Brawn, saving the Brackley-based team from going under.

Brawn GP didn't have a lot of cash, making them the underdog team that year. But that didn't stop them from keeping their team together and building a car that won the championship.

Back in 2008, engineers were already trying to figure out how to make their cars faster for the next season, especially since they had to work with fewer aerodynamic parts. They had to focus on every little detail to keep the downforce high.

A young Japanese aerodynamicist at Honda spotted a loophole in the diffuser's size while reading the new rules in his language. The rules had this specific clause that talked about how you should view the car's bodywork from underneath and how everything should line up.

He realized that you could legally add extra openings on some vertical car parts. This loophole let engineers create an extra diffuser that started further forward on the car, increasing its size and, in turn, the downforce it created. This means more grip and stability, especially in corners.

The team at Honda, which later became Brawn GP, did something really smart. They designed the diffuser in a way that kept the airflow smooth and uninterrupted. This design pumped up the downforce, making their car super fast and stable.

But here's the twist: Brawn GP wasn't the only team that kicked off the 2009 season with a double diffuser. A bunch of Honda engineers had moved to other teams, like Toyota and Williams, and they brought the double diffuser idea with them. So, these three teams were the first to hit the track with it.

What made Brawn GP stand out, though, was how their diffuser worked with the rest of the car's aerodynamics. Right from the first race in Australia, it was clear that the Brawn GP car was the one to beat. This led to some legal drama from the other big teams, but they didn't win that battle. The double diffuser was declared totally legal.

Of course, other teams started to catch up and added the double diffuser to their cars, but it took them a while.

Driving for Brawn GP, Jenson Button took advantage of this early on. He snagged six wins in the first seven races! But as the season went on, Brawn GP's tight budget meant they couldn't develop their car as much, and other teams started to close the gap.

Despite this, Jenson Button clinched the driver's title, and Brawn GP came out on top as the best team that year.

Why Did Formula 1 Ban Double Diffusers?

It all boils down to these clever devices making the cars too fast, almost like the speed levels we saw back in 2008. The whole idea behind the changes to the rules in 2009 was to slow the cars down a bit, make the racing tighter, and hopefully, more exciting.

In 2009, teams really invested a lot in these double diffusers, so F1 let them stick around for the 2010 season. But the goal was still to reduce how much downforce cars could generate and to cut down on the turbulent air that comes off the back of the cars. This turbulence, also known as the wake, made it hard for cars to follow each other closely on the track, which wasn't great for overtaking.

Basically, the double diffuser was a big reason why the 2009 aerodynamic changes didn't really do what they were supposed to. So, for the 2011 season, F1 tightened up the rules about diffusers to ensure the double diffuser was a no-go.

🍯🦡Daniel Ricciardo reveals the surprising story behind his 'Honey Badger' nickname after 10 years. - Read more

🤝 FIA teams up with a new partner to fight online abuse. - Read more

🗣️ Zak Brown gets candid about McLaren's tough split with Daniel Ricciardo. - Read more

⚫ Mercedes clears up Hamilton trophy rumors. - Read more

👋 Davide Brivio bids farewell to Alpine Racing following a three-year journey. - Read more

🎥 Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso honor Michael Schumacher in a new documentary celebrating the F1 legend. - Read more

👪 Wolff hits back at FIA for 'attacking his family' after investigation. - Read more

🥊 Jos Verstappen wants more rivals after a dominating 2023 season. - Read more