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While much was made of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes finale and Carlos Sainz’s last race for Ferrari, four likely permanent Formula 1 farewells also took place at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – and sadly for those involved, none of them went particularly to plan.There was very little fanfare, outside of their respective teams, for Franco Colapinto, Kevin Magnussen or the Sauber pair of Valtteri …Keep reading

The 2024 Formula 1 constructors’ championship battle was one of the best in recent history, with McLaren beating Ferrari to the top spot in Abu Dhabi.McLaren entered the weekend on top with 640 points, leaving it 21 points ahead of its Italian rival, while the previous weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix saw reigning champion Red Bull eliminated from contention.The finale came down to the wire, with …Keep reading

Lewis Hamilton said hearing race engineer Pete Bonnington gee him up with their famous “hammertime” catchphrase one last time was a poignant moment as he departs Mercedes for Ferrari.Hamilton and his long-time engineer Bonnington, or Bono for short, forged a formidable partnership at Mercedes that led to six drivers’ titles and helped the Brackley-based squad win eight constructors’ crowns on the …Keep reading

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says joy at Lewis Hamilton’s charge to fourth in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was tempered by annoyance that he should have been in the victory fight.Hamilton was taking part in his final race weekend for the Mercedes team after a 12-year stint that had netted six drivers’ titles and 84 victories.But hopes of a successful send-off, after some promising pace in practice …Keep reading

Super Formula has released the entry list for this week’s post-season test at Suzuka, headlined by 2025 Formula 1 drivers Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.It was revealed last Friday that Bearman and Antonelli would be part of the traditional rookie test at the Japanese Grand Prix venue on December 11-13, although it was not confirmed on which days they would be running and for which …Keep reading

Porsche has announced that it will have an expanded presence in the DTM in 2025, with Allied Racing joining incumbent Manthey.The German squad, which has past experience of competing in GT Masters and GT World Challenge Europe, will field a pair of Porsche 911 GT3 Rs in the DTM for Ricardo Feller and 21-year-old Bastian Buus.The announcement coincides with the news that Feller will join …Keep reading

Red Bull may confess to ‘hate’ being beaten in Formula 1 this year, but there are two notable upsides that compensate a little for seeing McLaren and Ferrari finish ahead of it.The first is a $2.7 million saving that the squad will have on its entry fee compared to what it forked out last year.But perhaps more importantly, there is also a boost to its wind tunnel running which could be hugely …Keep reading

Red Bull says it will agree with Sergio Perez “the right and appropriate way forward” during discussions set for today to decide his Formula 1 future.But while a meeting that will involve the team’s shareholders is expected to define the line-up of both of Red Bull’s F1 squads for 2025, it is thought likely that an announcement about its final decision may not come for a few days.And that …Keep reading

Valtteri Bottas has given a damning assessment of his three-year stint with Sauber following his rough finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.After a collision with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen ended his race at the Yas Marina Circuit prematurely, 35-year-old Bottas simply said his move to Sauber in 2022 “was a mistake,” before adding, “But we can’t predict the future.” Speaking after the Abu …Keep reading

An often painful 2024 Formula 1 season has come to a remarkable end for Alpine. With Pierre Gasly’s seventh placed finish in the season finale in Abu Dhabi securing the team six points, the French team clinched sixth place in the constructors’ championship, ahead of Haas F1 Team, RB, Williams, and Sauber.Speaking to reporters after the race, Gasly said he was “extremely happy,” admitting …Keep reading