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Clark Rodgers
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Updates and an educated, fun and unique perspective into the world of Formula One and other motor sport disciplines.

  1. 17H AGO

    F1Weekly Podcast # 1147

    ON TODAYS PROGRAM… FIA APROVE MORE REG CHANGES FOR 2027 SO… IS FERRARI STUCK IN A LOOP OF MEDIOCRITY?  HONDA MAKING SOME PROGRESS IN RELIABILITY WOULD VERSTAPPEN BE TOO MUCH FOR MOTORSPORTS IF HE LEAVES F1 AND… FERNANDO SAYS PATIENCE IS MY STRENGTH WITH HINTS OF NO RETIREMENT ANY TIME SOON!! THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: ROBIN FRINJS WHO JUST WON THE WEC RACE AT SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS! AND, HANNES VAN ASSELDONK! BONUS: DAVID COULTHARD AND LONG TIME F1W LISTENER... CHRISTOPHER DEHARDE. ISACK HADJAR THRILLS CROWD AT GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE HISTORIQUE HOMECOMING  Isack Hadjar roared the 2011 championship-winning RB7 past a sea of French fans as he returned to home soil for the first time as an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver at Circuit Paul Ricard.   In front of an adoring home crowd, Isack paraded around the iconic track allowing him to soak up the electric atmosphere, before taking part in the ‘Fast and Famous’ demo run alongside legends of the sport.  Joined by CEO and Team Principal Laurent Mekies, Isack was cheered on by a passionate sell-out crowd of 25,000 fans, as he completed demonstration laps around Le Castellet for the first time since claiming victory there in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2021.   Headlining the 2026 Grand Prix de France Historique, Isack took to the 5.8km Grand Prix course, returning RB7 to the historic Formula One layout, waving to his fans as their roar from the grandstands rivalled the deafening thunder of the car’s V8 engine.   Isack later joined fellow French F1 driver Esteban Ocon in the ‘Fast and Famous’ segment, which placed cars from several decades of F1 history against one another in a celebration of legacy. Earning the biggest cheer of the afternoon, Isack raced Ocon down the Mistral Straight.   Sharing the track with four-time World Champion Alain Prost, Isack followed in the slipstream of one of his childhood heroes around Circuit Paul Ricard while also driving alongside Jean Alesi, Philippe Alliot and René Arnoux, amongst some of the most celebrated names to race under the French flag.   Capping off a memorable afternoon under the Le Castellet sunshine, Isack was given the honour by waving Le Tricolore to signal the start of the ‘Historic F1 race’, featuring an extraordinary collection of World Championship-winning drivers and decades of iconic F1 machinery.   Isack Hadjar, Oracle Red Bull Racing driver, said: "Being here was the perfect day. It was my home Grand Prix here in France and it was my chance to feel the support from so many fans today. I had a lot of fun, both on track and in the paddock. The roar of RB7's V8 is iconic and it felt so light around this circuit which made for a lovely drive. The atmosphere was unreal, you can get so close to the fans and enjoy special moments with them. Coming here brought back a lot of memories from winning races in F4 and to drive around Paul Ricard in an F1 car was a full circle moment." Laurent Mekies, CEO and Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing, said: "Today has been an incredible event, it's the first time Oracle Red Bull Racing have shown up in this way for the Grand Prix de France Historique and it felt like a really special occasion. Isack's popularity here has been through the roof, you feel an extraordinary sense of passion from the French fans for their motorsport and Isack. He had a great afternoon having a good go on track against cars from so many different eras of our sport. Our heritage team and Showrun programme is so unique to Red Bull, it’s our way of bringing Formula One to those that haven't been able to experience a Grand Prix atmosphere before and today they got that." Kucharczyk Breaks Through for First INDY NXT Win at IMS INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, May 9, 2026) – Tymek Kucharczyk was Mr. Consistency for the first five races of the INDY NXT by Firestone season. But now he’s a winner. Series rookie Kucharczyk, the first Polish driver to compete in the INDYCAR development series, earned his first career victory by holding off Max Taylor to win Race 2 of the Indianapolis Grand Prix doubleheader Saturday on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. SEE: Race Results “What a special day,” Kucharczyk said. “To do it here, coming back to November in my first test in an INDY NXT car, now a winner here at Indy, it’s spectacular. I’m so grateful to my sponsors, to my team. It was a tough race. It was really, really hard to hold Max behind me. He was pushing me for the whole race.” Kucharczyk was the only driver to record a top-five finish in the first five races this season, but his best was third place, three times. He finished fourth in Race 1 of this doubleheader in mixed conditions Friday. But Kucharczyk climbed from fifth to the lead after the first two turns on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit, leading all 30 laps in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car. He took the checkered flag .6273 of a second ahead of Taylor in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen machine of Andretti Global after a taut, race-long duel in the caution-free race. Enzo Fittipaldi, who won Race 1 Friday, prevailed in an exciting three-way fight over the last 10 laps of the race for the final podium spot in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports machine. Lochie Hughes placed fourth in the No. 26 Andretti Global car, with Alessandro de Tullio rounding out the top five in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing entry. Series leader Nikita Johnson placed sixth in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car. Kucharczyk climbed to second in the standings with his win, 11 points behind Johnson. There were two main flashpoints in the race, which took place under sunny skies in a contrast to the wet conditions at the finish Friday. The first came at the green flag. Taylor started from pole and went side by side with Josh Pierson’s No. 29 Starchive Andretti entry of Andretti Global, with both cars going wide. Kucharczyk snuck through the opening for the lead, with Taylor clinging to second. Kucharczyk maintained a gap of six- to seven-tenths of a second for the next 16 laps before the second main incident of the race. Kucharczyk locked his right front wheel braking for Turn 1 on Lap 17, creating a large flat spot on his Firestone Firehawk tire. “Other than the lockup that I made midway through the race, it was a pretty flawless execution,” Kucharczyk said. “I don’t think we had probably the fastest car on the grid today, but the first lap helped me massively. Max was pushing really hard, so I had to save the Push to Pass at the end, as well. It’s all good. I made it happen, so super, super grateful.” Taylor pulled to within .4807 of a second on Lap 23, and it appeared the flat spot on his tire may have started to sap speed from Kucharczyk. But the Pole managed his tires and saved enough Push to Pass engine boost to increase the gap to .7830 of a second on Lap 25. He maintained a steady gap to the checkered flag. “That was everything,” Taylor said of his effort. “I thought we were going to catch him. I messed up on the start, I think. So, something to look over. But still good points, decent points this weekend, and a lot to take away and a lot to improve on if we want to win this championship.” Taylor is third in the standings, three points behind Kucharczyk and 14 behind Johnson. The next INDY NXT by Firestone race is the Detroit Grand Prix on Sunday, May 31 on the streets of Detroit. Lundgaard Breaks Long Drought To Win Sonsio Grand Prix INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, May 9, 2026) – Christian Lundgaard prevailed in a race filled with thrills, incidents and enough pit wall decisions to prematurely age strategists to win the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory in nearly three years. Lundgaard drove his No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to his second career victory by 4.6713 seconds over the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet of David Malukas. Lundgaard’s first career win came at the Honda Indy Toronto on July 16, 2023, while driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. This victory ended a 47-race winless drought for the Danish driver, and he became the third McLaren driver to win in the INDYCAR SERIES, joining Johnny Rutherford and Pato O’Ward. SEE: Race Results “Very happy,” Lundgaard said. “I really didn’t expect this today. I hoped for it. This was a long wait for this win, especially around this place. You know how fast I’ve always been around here, and it’s just been time after time after time disappointments. Now we’re here. Let’s go! “We did it. Let’s go. Good start to May.” Graham Rahal was the final podium finisher today, third in the No. 15 Fifth Third Bank Honda to tie his season-best result. Josef Newgarden placed fourth in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet to put two Penske cars in the top four. NTT P1 Award winner Alex Palou, who led every session he was on track this weekend entering the 85-lap race, rounded out the top five in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Lundgaard, who started fourth, took the lead for good with a scintillating pass of Malukas on Lap 68. The two drivers raced side by side through Turns 3 and 4 before Lundgaard slipped through a small opening in the Turns 5 and 6 chicane leading to the backstretch of the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit. Then Lundgaard, who last pitted for the final time one lap earlier than Malukas on Lap 65, pulled away over the closing laps. Malukas led a race-high 27 laps, four more than Lundgaard, as he fell just short of earning his first career victory. “We were very strong in those middle stints, and then toward the end, we maybe made the wrong decision on wing (adjustments) there,” Malukas said. “We were just falling apart. I was doing everything I can just to survive, and Rahal was coming from behind. “But either way, that is a fantastic result. We went into this weekend

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  2. MAY 4

    F1Weekly Podcast # 1146

    ON TODAYS PROGRAM… THE TEENAGER WINS ANOTHER GRAND PRIX! MAX DOES A 360 AFTER LOOSING THE REAR IN TURN ONE! THE FORMULA IS GETTING MORE EXCITING FOR SURE! GEORGE NOW 20 POINTS BEHIND…AND A WATCHED POT NEVER BOILS!!!…CONCER NING THE RAIN ALEX ZANARDI GONE AT 59…WE WILL MISS YOU AND YOUR WILL TO FIGHT! THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: GIACOMO AGOSTINI AND ALEXANDER ROSSI FROM MONZA BY THE HOST OF F1W IN 2010   ALEX ZANARDI October 23, 1966 - May 1, 2026 At WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, legends aren't just made; they are carved into the corners themselves. Thirty years ago, at the infamous Corkscrew, Alex Zanardi delivered one of the boldest moves motorsport has ever seen.  Chasing Bryan Herta in the closing laps, Zanardi saw an opportunity where none should exist. As they crested the hill, nearly blind to what lay beyond, Zanardi committed...diving down the inside into the Corkscrew, a line few would even consider, let alone attempt.  It was instinct, precision, and fearless intent, all in a single breathtaking moment. Side by side through the drop, gravity pulling them into chaos, Zanardi merged ahead, completing a pass that defied logic and redefined what was possible on the track. Decades later, that move still echoes through Laguna Seca, a reminder that greatness isn't just about speed, but about daring to do what no one else will. Alex Zanardi’s impact reaches far beyond the racetrack. He inspired generations of drivers, fans, and communities around the world, and his legacy will continue to do so for years to come.  Grazie Alex. Charles Leclerc’s day at the Miami International Autodrome has taken a turn for the worse after the stewards gave him a post-race time penalty. Leclerc was called up by the officiating panel for three separate potential offences, triggered when the Ferrari man suffered a last-lap spin and tapped the wall. After that, Leclerc was noted for driving his damaged car in an unsafe condition, leaving the track multiple times and gaining an advantage, and clashing with Mercedes rival George Russell at the final hairpin. Following their investigations, the stewards opted to hand Leclerc a drive-through penalty, which – given that this was handed out after the Grand Prix – has been converted into 20 seconds being added onto his race time, dropping him down the order to eighth place. This penalty was given for leaving the track “on several occasions without a justifiable reason”, a document released following the stewards’ hearing confirmed. After hearing from Leclerc and a team representative – as well as the data, video and radio evidence – the findings from the stewards read: “Car 16 spun on the last lap at Turn 3 and hit the wall but continued on track. “The driver informed us that the car appeared fine save that the car would not negotiate the righthand corners properly. “Given this problem, he was forced to cut chicanes on the way to the chequered flag. We determined that the fact that he had to cut the chicanes (i.e. to leave the track) meant that he gained a lasting advantage by leaving the track in that manner. “The fact that he had a mechanical issue of some sort did not amount to a justifiable reason. We accordingly impose a Drive Through penalty on Car 16, given the number of times the car left the track and gained an advantage. “We also considered whether there was an additional breach in continuing to drive a car with an obvious and discernible mechanical issue. We determined that there was no evidence of there being an obvious of discernible mechanical issue. We therefore took no further action in relation to that potential infringement.” In a separate investigation for Leclerc’s contact with Russell into Turn 17, the stewards deemed that no further action was necessary, stating in a document from that hearing: “Both drivers considered the contact to be minor racing incidents and we agreed. Verstappen fights back from first lap spin to take fifth in Miami Oracle Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen fought back from a spin on the opening lap with a determined drive into fifth place at a chaotic Miami Grand Prix that saw Visa Cash App Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad finish in 14th as both Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson crashed out of the action early. After qualifying in an impressive second place on Saturday behind eventual Grand Prix winner and Drivers' Standings leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, Verstappen made a strong start, but was squeezed on to the kerb just two turns into the 57-lap race and spun, dropping him to ninth. From there, the four-time Formula 1 world champion staged an impressive fight back through the field. The Safety Car was deployed on Lap 5 when team-mate Isack Hadjar crashed out of the Grand Prix and Verstappen took the opportunity to pit for hard tyres, rejoining the race in 16th place. Verstapppen scythed through the field on the first street circuit of the season, all the way back inside the top three. However, the huge stint driven on hard tyres began to take their toll in the closing laps and despite fighting with everything he had, the Dutch driver dropped to fifth place the chequered flag. Later on the same lap that Hadjar crashed out in the second RB22, Visa Cash App RB's Liam Lawson was also forced to retire after making contact with Pierre Gasly's Alpine. His rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad drover another solid Grand Prix however, gaining vital street circuit experience in an F1 car on his way to 14th place. Quotes Oracle Red Bull Racing MAX VERSTAPPEN – 5th “It was a very eventful race. Unfortunately, on lap one I lost the rear and spun in the second corner, which was a shame. I recovered it well, but then we had to manage and minimise the time loss. After that we opted to do an early stop. It's easy to say after the race, but the hard tyre wasn’t really working for us, as we didn’t have particularly good grip and struggled a bit at the end. I tried my best to hang in there, but it wasn't meant to be. However, for sure we picked up a bit of performance, which is really promising. Overall, it was a positive weekend for us and good to be back in the mix. The car is a work in progress and we keep on pushing and keep trying to improve, so we are heading in the right direction." ISACK HADJAR – DNF “It's a tough one to take. We had a good start from the pitlane and I felt awesome the first few laps. We had very good pace early on and then the mistake came. I didn't see it coming and everything went so fast. I was just too eager and ended up finding the limit of the track. I need to look back at what happened to understand where I went wrong. The team made a big step forward and the pace was much stronger today than we've had in the opening rounds, so I'm frustrated that I couldn't score what I felt were easy points. I'm already itching to get back into the car in Canada and maximise what we now have." LAURENT MEIKES – CEO & Team Principal "Our car is very different today to what it was five weeks ago in Japan, when we were 1.2 seconds off pole. It’s clear we still have a lot of work to do, but looking at our race pace today and our quali pace yesterday, I think we are on the right track. We brought upgrades, like almost everyone else, but on top of that we have been able to resolve some of the issues we had up until now and we found some lap time there too.   "I have no problem repeating myself when I say we have a fantastic team of people back in Milton Keynes and here at the race track. In my opinion its the best talent in the paddock and they must take the credit for this uptick in performance. It’s been a strong united effort at 360 degrees, chassis side and PU side. "We also take home some very important learnings from this weekend on what to improve next and we are well aware that much more is needed in order to compete again for the top spot. Max reminded us of how incredible he is when he can push with the car, sticking the RB22 on the front row yesterday and fighting for each millimetre of track today, coming through the entire field and surviving a 50ish lap long stint on the hard. Isack did not have a clean weekend and we did not help him with the back of the grid start due to our mistake yesterday. His initial pace in the race was strong and I have every confidence we will regroup back in MK and come back stronger for a smoother weekend in Montreal."

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  3. APR 27

    F1Weekly Podcast # 1145

    ON TODAYS PROGRAM… MIAMI IS THE REAL 2026 SEASON OPENER!! TURKEY GP RETURNS FOR 2027! JEAN ALESI CRASHES HIS 1969 312 FERRARI AT THE MONACO HISTORIQUES! TOTO KEEPING HIS CARDS CLOSE TO HIS CHEST! BYD ARE TALKING WITH DOMINICALI!!…..AND…. FERNANDO’S VICTORY OVER THE RED BARRON WAS 20 YEARS AGO! AND… THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: JEROME D’AMBROSIO AND LANDO NORRIS AT DONINGTON 2015!! On 24 April 2005, the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola became one of the defining races of Fernando Alonso’s first championship season. He won for Renault, but the result is remembered above all for the final laps, when Michael Schumacher brought the Ferrari close enough to make every corner matter. Alonso had started second. Schumacher had started 13th on the grid after a difficult qualifying session, yet as his pace came alive, it transformed the afternoon. Kimi Räikkönen had led early for McLaren before retiring with a driveshaft problem, and Alonso inherited a race that soon became a test of control as much as speed. In the closing phase, Schumacher was the faster driver. He had the Ferrari underneath him, the experience of seven world titles behind him, and a circuit where passing was difficult. Alonso had track position, a Renault R25 to protect, and no margin for error. For lap after lap, he placed the car exactly where it needed to be. Alonso crossed the line just 0.215 seconds ahead of Schumacher. After the later BAR-Honda disqualifications, Alexander Wurz was classified third for McLaren Mercedes. Imola 2005 remains a clean piece of Formula 1 memory: pressure, restraint, and two drivers at different points of their stories meeting at the edge of a changing era. Machismo! We spoke with former World Drivers' Champion Nigel Mansell after the regulation refinements were announced and he shared his views. Here's a summary of what he said: It's fabulous that everyone's talking and this is a massive change "I think the fabulous thing is that everyone's talking. It's been a massive change in regulations, both with the car and the engine. I think there's going to be improvements with the harvesting of power. Hopefully, they won't be slowing down too much into some of the corners now.” "I think it is so vitally important for the drivers to be able to drive the cars to the maximum, as opposed to having a computer telling them when they can brake or can't brake. Fernando Alonso made us all laugh by saying that his chef could drive the car better than he could at the moment.” "We have to get back to normality. Formula One is the grand stallion of all racing worldwide and we mustn't lose sight of that. And as technology gathers pace, they can do these other tweaks to do 50/50 later but they just need to give more power to the cars at the moment to go racing.” I'd like to see more power to the elbows of the drivers "In engineering terms, if it's not broken, you don't try to fix it. People don't understand that there's major changes which have been in place for some time. It takes a lot of time for all the teams and manufacturers to put it all together.”   "So the complexity of the rules is enormous and if you don't get it right, along with the combination of the power units, harvesting of electrical power, and so on and so forth. It's a minefield.”   "Drivers can fall foul of so many regulations and yet it's the computers doing it all. I'd just like to see more power to the elbow of the drivers, as opposed to computers doing it.”   "Going back to the 70s and 80s, 90+ percent of the engines were Cosworth DFV. Everyone had the same engines pretty much and we had fantastic racing. You knew the cars, the drivers, the tyres, the mechanics and the engineers made a huge difference.”   "Yes we're in the computer age but racing should be as stable as it can be, for everyone to be able to catch up to compete. Everyone's mooting it would be great to have the V10s back for the noise. If you're a purist, the answer is yes. Everybody makes their own V10 and it'll sound fantastic because it's the pinnacle of motorsport.” Challenge for F1 is to balance technological advancement and "racing" "I have tremendous sympathy, and support the drivers one hundred percent with what they're saying. They need to be listened to. They've got a job to do and they do a fantastic job, all of them.”   "It's all well and good, coming up with new ideas and regulations. All I'd say to the powers that be is that they've done a fantastic job but they have to work and they have to be able to be implemented safely and properly.”   "When they've tweaked it enough that it works, it's fantastic. But until it does work properly for everybody, we need to keep tweaking it, I think urgently now so that we get the show on the road.”   "As long as it doesn't carry on for much longer they'll be fine. They're all doing a great job. What the manufacturers have done, the FIA, the governing body and Liberty Media themselves.”   "They mustn't lose sight of the fact that the cars need to race properly. It has some growing pains but it has been the most difficult start of any year because they've had three races and then this month or so off. And now we've got Miami so I think everyone's excited about that at the end of next week as we can get racing again.” Mercedes still have the advantage despite regulation refinements "If you're Mercedes you must be incredibly frustrated because you could have gotten a big lead in the championship.”   "The people who are struggling, they'd go 'oh, thank you!'. They get a bit more time to sort things out and get ready for the next race.”   "It's on both ends of the spectrum. Some people are going to feel very comfortable with it and some will feel frustrated. It's racing anyway. There's always something going on.”   "I don't think so (Mercedes and Toto Wolff being disappointed) because we haven't had a proper race yet, if you're a purist. Mercedes have done such a fantastic job, they'll have an advantage all through the year. Their engine is better than anybody else's.”   "We're talking purely here about harvesting power and drivers being able to race the cars on the track and at every corner as much as they can. So it's a different thing altogether".   "I still think Mercedes will have an advantage all through the year but it's a big development. It's a big development with the cars, with the engines. A month is a very long time and we could see a lot of changes in Miami. Once we get racing properly, everything can stay stable again. It's just that everybody is not racing properly at the moment".   These regulation refinements make Miami GP the first pivotal race of the season   "I hope everything settles down and we have a great race in Miami.”   "I think Miami, because the focus is on it, could be one of the pivotal races this year with all the new tweaks. I think Miami's got hype because obviously without going into the negativity of what's happening in the war, with this month off, everybody's hungry to go racing again. So Miami's going to be under the microscope, and I think it's going to be a fantastic race down there.”   "Well, I'll let you know firsthand I'm gonna be there this year for one of the days, so I'm gonna go and have a look. This is my first time in Miami. I haven't been there but Miami is a great spectacle. I think every year when any race returns, there's improvements.”   "I'm very optimistic that Miami will be a much better presentation.” Stovebolt Special Returns to Pebble Beach Decades after Historic Run in Last Road Race   PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA (April 22, 2026) — At the drop of the green flag, in what was to be the very last road race at Pebble Beach although no one knew that then, two-time past winner Bill Pollack jumped into the lead in a much-modified car that would come to be known as the “Stovebolt Special”—a 1950 HWM fitted with experimental disc brakes and the very first Chevy V8 to be used in road racing. The date was April 22, 1956. For a brief time, the car led the Ferraris of Phil Hill, Carroll Shelby, and Ernie McAfee as well as every other car in the race. It was powered to win—and might have done so but for the many tight corners of the tree-lined course, which the just-completed special struggled to navigate since its handling was not yet dialed in. Ultimately it finished sixth overall—a fine achievement in a field comprising the top sports racing cars and drivers of the day.  Although the Stovebolt Special now resides in England with renowned auto journalist and current owner Simon Taylor, it will return to Pebble Beach this August for the 75th celebration of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, an event that began in tandem with the Pebble Beach Road Races in 1950.  The HWM had already lived a long and storied life when it raced at Pebble Beach. In original form, as a works race car bearing a four-cylinder two-liter Alta engine, it served as the steed for Stirling Moss in his first paid competition. He raced the car for HWM throughout much of the 1950 season, recording several fine results including a third-place finish behind the Alfas of Giuseppe Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio in the Bari Grand Prix. With Johnny Claes at the wheel, the HWM won the Grand Prix des Frontieres. It was also driven by Rudi Fischer and Raymond Sommer.  A few years later, the car was sold to 20th Century Fox to be used in the film “The Racers,” starring Kirk Douglas—and was crashed in accord with the script.  It was Tom Carstens who bought the wreck and resurrected it for Pebble Beach, not simply rebuilding it, but doing all that he could to improve the chassis, transmission, and body. The new Chevy V8 engine was bored and stroked to just under five liters by Bobby Meeks at Vic Edelbrock’s shop and then was fitted in the car by Eddie Kuzma, who managed that task by repositioning the firewall and fabr

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  4. APR 20

    F1Weekly Podcast # 1144

    ON TODAYS PROGRAM… DOMINICALI NOW LISTENING TO MAX! RED BULL LOOSING TALENT FASTER THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK! WILL MIAMI BRING MORE GRID CHANGES… TALK OF NEW ENGINE PROPOSALS COULD TAKE US BACK TO V8’S FAIRLY QUICKLY! AND… FERNANDO SAYS…I AM A PATIENT MAN!! TOYOTA BEATS FERRARI AT THE 6 HOURS OF IMOLA! Race car driver Juha Miettinen (66) has passed away following the severe crash on the Nordschleife. The race understandably  did not continue.  Deepest condolences to his family and friends.THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: JEAN ERIC VERGNE, ESTEBAN GUTIERREZ... F1 Academy Champion Doriane Pin Breaks New Ground with Maiden F1 Test Doriane Pin has taken the latest, and one of the most significant, steps in her career by completing her maiden F1 test yesterday (Friday April 17) at Silverstone. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Development Driver drove the world-championship winning W12 from the 2021 season and impressed with her pace, feedback, and technical understanding. The 22-year-old completed 76 laps of the 2.639 km Silverstone National Circuit for a total of 200 km of running on the day. Driving an F1 car for the first time today was unreal. “Driving an F1 car for the first time today was unreal. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity and to be surrounded by this incredible team. It was a unique opportunity and I made sure to enjoy my day to the fullest, along with doing the best job I could. Whilst being a female driver doesn’t define me, it was great to show what we can do. It was an extremely emotional day and I’m also thankful I was able to share this experience with my family. “The W12 is obviously really different from the other cars I’ve been able to drive. Everything is different, bigger and more powerful. I am glad I was able to build confidence lap after lap and show what I was capable of.” Her preparation and professionalism has impressed the whole team and she should be really proud of what she has achieved. In preparation for the test, the affectionally named ‘Pocket Rocket’ spent extensive time in the team’s simulator, integrating closely with engineers and refining her understanding of the necessary procedures to drive the W12. Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director, commented: “It's been great to have Doriane complete a day of testing with the W12 today. It marks another major step on what is proving to be a very exciting and promising career and also makes her the first ever female driver of a Mercedes F1 car. “Her preparation and professionalism has impressed the whole team and she should be really proud of what she has achieved. Whatever series you come from, it is always a massive step when getting into an F1 car but she looked at home from the very first laps and was able to enjoy driving the car on the limit.” Today, it is even more unique as Doriane is the first ever woman to drive a Mercedes F1 car. Gwen Lagrue, Driver Development Advisor, said: “It is always really special for a young driver to drive an F1 car for the very first time. Today, it is even more unique as Doriane is the first ever woman to drive a Mercedes F1 car. “We are very proud to show to the next generation of female drivers that driving an F1 car is achievable. I am sure we will see a woman driving in F1 in the coming years and as a team, we would be incredibly proud if we were to achieve that goal with someone in our team. Doriane can certainly act as an inspiration for those following in her wheel tracks as she continues her career and role as Development Driver with our team.” Doriane becomes the latest female talent to get behind-the-wheel of a modern F1 car, highlighting the value of series such as F1 Academy, in which Doriane became last year’s champion. The test also underlines the team’s continued commitment to nurturing talent and opening pathways, while showcasing the progress being made in creating meaningful opportunities for women at the highest level of motorsport. Doriane’s assured performance on such a significant stage further highlights the impact of the team’s long-term investment in her growth. She will now continue in her Development Driver duties, which include simulator development, additional activities at the factory and trackside, attendance at several Grands Prix and her support and mentorship to the team’s 2026 F1 Academy driver, Payton Westcott. Quick Pit Work, Pace Help Palou Run Away to Win at Long Beach! LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sunday, April 19, 2026) – Alex Palou got the break he needed and fast work from his Chip Ganassi Racing pit crew, and then he ran away with a victory Sunday in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Palou earned his third victory in five races this season, the 22nd victory of his career and his first win at prestigious Long Beach in the No. 10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, beating the No. 60 SiriusXM/Acura Honda of NTT P1 Award winner Felix Rosenqvist to the finish by 3.9663 seconds. Palou also took the series lead by 17 points over Kyle Kirkwood as he aims for his fifth series championship and series record-tying fourth in a row. “It’s huge,” Palou said. “Super proud of everybody’s job but especially this crew. Incredible to finally win here at Long Beach.” Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon rounded out the podium with his best result of the season in the No. 9 PNC Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, as CGR produced two of the top three finishers. Kirkwood finished fourth in the No. 27 JM Bullion / Gold.com Honda of Andretti Global, with Pato O’Ward placing fifth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Pole sitter Rosenqvist controlled the race from the green flag. He led the first 31 laps, with Palou climbing from his third starting spot to second by passing O’Ward on Lap 2. Rosenqvist and Palou pitted for the first time in tandem at the end of Lap 31, with the MSR crew helping Rosenqvist win the race out of the pits after both drivers started their second fuel stint with their mandatory second set of Firestone alternate tires. Rosenqvist had built a three-second lead over Palou, who admitted he struggled a bit on the softer Firestone alternate tire. But Palou got the break he needed on Lap 57 when a large piece of debris was spotted on track, triggering the only caution period of the 90-lap race. The entire field pitted on Lap 59, led by Rosenqvist and Palou as a showdown loomed between the MSR and CGR crews. Rosenqvist and Palou each took four primary Firestone tires and fuel on their last stop, but Palou escaped his pit box ahead of Rosenqvist to take the lead for the first time. CGR serviced Palou’s car in 7.3 seconds on the final stop, while MSR needed 8.4 seconds for Rosenqvist’s stop. Palou rocketed away from the field on the restart on Lap 61. It was checkout time, as he never trailed from that point. “The OpenAI car was super, super fast, but it was that yellow, that pit stop with all the pressure that these boys were able to do it and execute it perfectly,” Palou said. “From there, it was just managing the tires. We didn’t know how the primaries were going to be.” The primary tire suited Palou just fine. The Spaniard expanded his lead to 2.4 seconds on Lap 68, with the gap mushrooming to 5.5 seconds with 12 laps remaining. Palou played it safe during the final two trips around the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit, but Rosenqvist never got close. Still, the Swede, who led a race-high 51 laps, earned his first podium finish since placing second in June 2025 at Road America. “A little bit of a bittersweet race,” Rosenqvist said. “I lost a little bit on the stop. Alex is obviously going to be 10 out of 10 almost every stop, so I don’t think it was necessarily that our one was slow, but they probably had a great one, as well. That’s how it goes. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to celebrate this one. P2, plus the points and podium – that’s where I want to be.”

    1h 6m

  5. APR 13

    F1Weekly Podcast # 1143

    ON TODAYS PROGRAM… WITH GIANPIERO LAMBIASES LEAVING RED BULL THE MAX ERA IN F1 COMING TO AN END… WHEN FERRARI PLAY CATCH UP…WELL WE’VE SEEN THAT COMEDY OF ERRORS BEFORE MERCEDES WILL NEVER SHOW ALL THEIR CARDS AND… FERNANDO KNOWS THE FAT LADY IS ABOUT TO SING! THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: ZACK BROWN before he joined McLaren and BOB BONDURANT… AND YES….OUR BONUS IS HIRO MATSUSHITA OF FORMULA 1 AND CHAMP CAR FAME! Bob Bondurant was one of America’s most influential racing figures — a driver who succeeded on the world’s greatest circuits, competed for legendary teams including Shelby American, Ferrari, and Eagle, and ultimately shaped generations of racers through education. Rising from the fiercely competitive Southern California road racing scene of the 1950s, Bondurant achieved significant success on both sides of the Atlantic and became a pivotal ambassador for American road racing. His enduring legacy lives on through the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, which trained hundreds of thousands of drivers — from future professionals to Hollywood royalty. Career, Bondurant was born in Evanston, Illinois, but his competitive instincts emerged early and loudly. As a teenager, he raced Indian motorcycles on dirt ovals, learning car control the hard way. By 1956, he shifted his focus to sports cars, initially racing a Morgan, and soon made his mark by winning the West Coast “B” Production Championship in a Chevrolet Corvette, claiming an extraordinary 18 victories in 20 races. His growing reputation caught the attention of Santa Barbara Chevrolet dealer Shelly Washburn, who hired Bondurant in 1961 to drive his #614 1959 Corvette. Over the next several seasons, Bondurant became a dominant force on the West Coast. His on-track rivalry with David McDonald produced some of the era’s most memorable Corvette battles. At the 1962 L.A. Times Grand Prix, Bondurant debuted Washburn’s new 1963 Corvette Z06 Stingray, and between 1961 and 1963, he won an astonishing 30 of 32 races in Washburn’s Corvettes. Shelby, Europe, and international success In 1963, Bondurant joined Carroll Shelby’s Ford Cobra team, immediately delivering results. He won his first race for Shelby at Continental Divide Raceway in Colorado, followed by an overall GT victory at the L.A. Times Grand Prix at Riverside later that year. The following season propelled him onto the global stage. After finishing second in GT at Sebring, Bondurant spent 1964 racing in Europe, campaigning Shelby’s new 289 FIA Cobras at iconic events including the Targa Florio, Spa-Francorchamps, and the Nürburgring. His most celebrated triumph came at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he and Dan Gurney won the GT class in the revolutionary Cobra Daytona Coupé. Bondurant reached the peak of his international racing career in 1965, when he played a key role in Shelby American and Ford winning the FIA Manufacturers’ World Championship. He won seven of ten races, defeating the class-dominant Ferrari 250 GTOs across Europe. That same year, Bondurant expanded his résumé further, driving a works Ferrari Formula One car at the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, followed by a start in a Lotus 33 for Reg Parnell at the Mexican Grand Prix. Formula One, film, and defining moments In 1966, Bondurant’s expertise took him beyond the racetrack. He served as technical consultant for John Frankenheimer’s film Grand Prix and personally trained lead actor James Garner to drive Formula cars for the movie’s racing scenes. That same year, Bondurant was involved in one of the most consequential moments in motorsport safety history. Alongside Graham Hill, he helped extract Jackie Stewart from his fuel-soaked wreck during the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix — an incident that directly inspired Stewart’s later campaign for improved safety standards. Bondurant also competed in five Formula One Grands Prix with Team Chamaco Collect, driving BRMs and achieving an impressive fourth-place finish at Monaco. He rounded out his Formula One involvement in North America with two races driving an Eagle for Dan Gurney’s Anglo American Racers. The crash that changed everything In 1967, Bondurant competed in the Can-Am series and returned to Le Mans in a Corvette L88 Coupé, leading the GT class until a wrist pin failure ended his race in the early morning hours. Later that year, disaster struck at Watkins Glen. While driving a McLaren, a steering arm failed at approximately 150 mph approaching the Loop-Chute section (today’s Turn 5). The car flipped eight times, leaving Bondurant with severe injuries to his ribs, legs, feet, and most critically, his back. Doctors warned he might never walk again. Bondurant refused to accept that verdict. Through determination and relentless rehabilitation, he recovered — and in the process, envisioned a new chapter. LAMBIASE TO LEAVE ORACLE RED BULL RACING IN 2028   Oracle Red Bull Racing confirms that GianPiero Lambiase will leave the Team in 2028, when his current contract expires. “GP” is a valued member of the Team, which he joined in 2015.  Until his planned departure, “GP" continues in his roles as Head of Racing and as Race Engineer to Max Verstappen.  The Team and he are fully committed to add more success to our strong track record together.   Miami and Montreal to host FIA Formula 2 Championship Rounds in 2026 FIA Formula 2 announce that Miami and Montreal will host Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2026 calendar, alongside Formula 1 – the first time the Championship will race in North America. The opportunity for Miami and Montreal to join the F2 calendar has come about following the news that the Sakhir and Jeddah Rounds will not take place in April. The FIA Formula 2 championship will go to Miami, USA, on May 1-3 for what will be the second Round of the 2026 season, followed by Montreal, Canada on May 22-24, as Round 3, before returning to Europe, starting with Monte-Carlo, Monaco, on June 04-07. Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1, said: “While it has not been possible to go ahead with the two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia this month, and we look forward to being back with our passionate fans there as soon as possible, it is great news for our fans, the drivers and the teams that Formula 2 will be racing in Miami and Montreal. Bruno and the whole F2 family have done a great job, working closely with us, the FIA, and the Miami and Montreal promoters, to ensure we limit the gap in racing for the championship this season and I want to thank them for making this possible. It is going to be fantastic to restart the racing in a few weeks’ time and to have F2 alongside Formula 1 as we return to the US for the first time this season.” Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President, said: “Following the necessary changes to the calendar at the start of the season, the addition of these new rounds ensures the FIA Formula 2 Championship remains strong and balanced, and able to deliver for our teams, drivers and fans. Bringing the championship to North America via Miami and Montreal for the first time marks an important step in its continued global growth, strengthening the pathway alongside Formula One and connecting with new audiences. I thank all those who worked tirelessly to make these rounds possible. “Our thoughts remain with all those affected by the ongoing events in the Middle East and we continue to hope for a swift return to stability. We look forward to racing in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia very soon.” Bruno Michel, FIA Formula 2 CEO, said: “We always love to race in Sakhir and Jeddah, and we wish them well and look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow. We are now going to Miami and Montreal for the second and third rounds of the 2026 season, respectively. I would like to thank Stefano Domenicali and Formula 1 for their support in making this possible, and also the FIA, the promoters of the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix, and of course my team, who have worked hard to put in place two new Rounds in such a short amount of time. It was not an easy thing to do, but bringing F2 to North America for the first time is really fantastic. It’s something we have been wanting to do for a long time, and it enables us to ensure we’re back racing as quickly as possible. It will be a great new challenge for our teams and our drivers, who have all welcomed the news with enthusiasm. I am certain that the quality of racing will bring a lot of excitement to the fans and to everyone attending both Grands Prix.” Revised 2026 FIA Formula 2 Championship Calendar Date                       Venue 06-08 March                  Melbourne, Australia 01-03 May  Miami, USA* 22-24 May     Montreal, Canada* 04-07 June   Monte-Carlo, Monaco 12-14 June  Barcelona, Spain 26-28 June  Spielberg, Austria 03-05 July  Silverstone, Great Britain 17-19 July  Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium 24-26 July  Budapest, Hungary 04-06 September   Monza, Italy 11-13 September  Madrid, Spain** 24-26 September  Baku, Azerbaijan 27-29 November  Lusail, Qatar 04-06 December  Yas Island, UAE ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO FORMULA ONE™ TEAM EXPANDS DRIVER ACADEMY LINE-UP, WELCOMING AVA LAWRENCE & ROLAND NAGY AMRTC, UK, 9 April 2026: The Aston Martin Aramco Formula One™ Team is pleased to announce the expansion of its Driver Academy, welcoming DPK Racing karters Ava Lawrence and Roland Nagy to the programme. The team’s latest signings reflect its ongoing commitment to identifying, supporting, and developing the next generation of motorsport talent. The team’s Driver Academy offers a clear pathway to the highest levels of racing, supporting drivers both on and off the track. It helps them develop, learn and grow, while providing the opportunities needed to succeed. The programme focuses on building long-term partnerships and actively scouting t

    1 hr

  6. APR 6

    F1Weekly Podcast # 1142

    ON TODAYS PROGRAM…   CARLOS SAINZ SAYS IT’S NOT F1 NORRIS SAYS THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WE KNOW WHAT MAX SAYS… THE ROOKIES ON THE OTHER HAND DON’T KNOW ANY BETTER! IS KIMI FASTER THAN GEORGE? AND… FERNANDO’S NEW BABY’S NAME…LEONARD ALONSO JIMINEZ…MACHISMO! THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: JOHNNY CECCOTTO JR. AND RIO HARYANTO FORMER F1 DRIVER NEXT WEEK…WE HAVE ZACK BROWN before he joined McLaren and BOB BONNDURANT… Johnny Amadeus Cecotto, aka Johnny Cecotto Jr., was born in Augsburg, Germany, in 1989 and has lived in the Principality for a long time. He is a former racing driver, entrepreneur, aviator, and dad who is happily married to Cristina Boeri de Cecotto. They have two children, a son and a daughter, who are the light of their lives. His mother is Monaco resident jewellery designer Martina Wagner, and his father, Johnny Alberto Cecotto Persello, known as Johnny Cecotto, is a Venezuelan former professional Grand Prix motorcycle and auto racer.   Johnny Cecotto Jr.’s racing career was filled with numerous highlights. He became the youngest driver to win an international Formula 3 race at just 16-years-old, a record that still stands today. He also won the Monaco Formula 2 Grand Prix in 2012, a race that is considered one of the most prestigious in the world. Johnny served as the third driver for Toro Rosso and Force India in Formula 1, a testament to his skill and talent. He also held the record for the most race starts in GP2 history, including several victories, pole positions, and podiums.  Eventually, Johnny left racing to dedicate fully to his booming entrepreneurial career as the founder of Stars Monte-Carlo, a luxury car dealership in the Principality, where he continues his passion for wheels by selling luxurious and super-sport cars. With Stars Formula, a motorsport management company, Stars Capital, an investment firm, and Stars Real State, he has been expanding his portfolio in various fields since 2012, with no end in sight. This was after successfully building his IT company, which had clients like Vodafone and the Nolan Group.   Rio Haryanto, born 22 January 1993 in Surakarta, Central Java, holds a unique place in motorsport history as Indonesia’s first and only Formula One driver, and the first Muslim driver to start a Grand Prix. Though his F1 career was brief, just 12 Grands Prix in 2016, Haryanto’s journey from Southeast Asian karting circuits to the global Formula One stage was anything but ordinary. Haryanto’s career began in karting where he quickly made a name for himself, winning multiple regional championships. He moved to single-seaters in 2008 and took his first major international title in 2009, claiming the Formula BMW Pacific Championship with Meritus. He then climbed the European junior ladder, including spells in GP3 and GP2, developing under the Manor Motorsport umbrella, which would later form his link to F1. His early success in GP3 even earned him a test with Virgin Racing (later Marussia/Manor) at the 2010 Abu Dhabi young driver test. After years on the brink, Haryanto was confirmed as a full-time driver for Manor Racing in 2016, alongside Pascal Wehrlein, the reigning DTM champion and Mercedes protégé. It was a historic moment for Indonesia and a major milestone for Southeast Asian motorsport. Driving car number 88, Haryanto made his debut at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix, but an early incident with Romain Grosjean in practice earned him a grid penalty and set the tone for a challenging campaign. In the race, he retired on lap 18 with a drivetrain issue. Despite often finding himself at the back of the field, Haryanto showed flashes of racecraft and resilience. His best finish came in Monaco, where he brought the car home in 15th, albeit four laps down—but it was still classified! He also beat teammate Wehrlein in China and Spain, though Wehrlein would eventually grab Manor’s only point of the season in Austria, highlighting the gulf in car performance and opportunity. While Haryanto had talent, his F1 seat was primarily backed by Indonesian government sponsorship—funds that, partway through the season, were frozen by Parliament due to procedural concerns. Without the financial backing to continue, Manor demoted him to reserve driver after the 2016 German Grand Prix, replacing him with Esteban Ocon. In a twist of fate, both of Haryanto’s successors—Ocon and Wehrlein—would go on to race for established teams. Manor, however, collapsed at the end of the 2016 season, closing the chapter on Haryanto’s F1 story.

    1h 2m

  7. MAR 30

    F1Weekly Podcast # 1141

    ON TODAYS PROGRAM… KIMI WINS AGAIN WITH A LITTLE SAFETY CAR KARMA! GEORGE GETS HIS CAGE RATTLED BY ANTONELLI MCLAREN QUICKLY CATCHING UP WITH MERCEDES. RED BULL CLEARLY A MID PACK TEAM. DID THE NEW RULES CONTRIBUTE TO OLIE’S BIG CRASH? AND…FERNANDO HELD BACK GP2 ENGINE aaahhh! THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: CHRISTIAN KLEIN. 2026 Japanese Grand Prix - Sunday Kimi Antonelli It feels great to get my second win! I made a bad start from pole and was kicking myself that we lost so many positions. When we were in free air on the Medium tyre though, I was able to improve my pace quite a lot. We were fortunate with the timing of the Safety Car and that put us in the lead; it made my life a lot easier! Who knows what would have happened without that, but I felt like we had the speed today to challenge for the win without it. This is the best way to head into this mini break in the season. I am going to enjoy the moment but use the time well to work on where I can improve. As a team, and despite winning the first three races, we know we need to keep raising our game too. We had a real battle today and we know that it’s not going to be easy to keep up this run of form. We’re looking forward to using the time ahead of Miami well and hopefully putting ourselves in a strong position once the season resumes. George Russell We’ve had a lot of bad luck this weekend and that is unfortunate as we were definitely in the fight for the win today. After a difficult start, we’d managed to get ourselves back to P2 but stopped just one lap before the safety car was deployed. That changed the complexion of the race and unfortunately, after taking the restart in P3, we lost two more positions as a result firstly of hitting the harvesting limit and then an unexpected superclip. It was pretty frustrating but that’s the way racing goes sometimes. It’s clear from this weekend that our competitors are beginning to optimise their cars much more now. We have enjoyed a great start to the season, but our rivals are hot on our heels as we saw today. The upcoming gap in the calendar will also give everyone a chance to develop further so we know that, once we’re back on track in Miami, we are in for a proper fight. Toto Wolff, CEO & Team Principal We had an exciting race today with plenty of overtaking which hasn’t always been the case here at Suzuka. It’s a new way of racing where you have to think strategically in order to both pass and then make sure it sticks. It’s a great challenge for both the drivers and the teams and it makes the race very unpredictable. Sometimes you need the luck to go your way in racing and that was the case with Kimi today. He lost positions at the start but was able to get them back with a fortunately timed safety car. Whilst that was helpful to him, his pace in the second half of the race showed what he was capable of. George was on the flip side of that equation and lost out having pitted just one lap before the safety car came out. He then lost more positions, firstly on the restart as he hit the harvesting limit and was low on deployment and then secondly with an unexpected superclip. He fought hard to get back to P4, but he’s certainly had more than his share of bad luck this weekend. Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director Well done to Kimi on his second win. He had really strong pace and, whilst he benefited from the safety car to put him into the lead, he was able to comfortably control the race once he was in that position. Kimi's fortune was George's misfortune. Had we stopped George a lap later, he would have retained the lead for the restart. As it happened, he dropped to P3 and lost a further place to Lewis when he hit the harvesting limit too early in the lap and had insufficient battery for the restart. He then had another frustrating issue where a bug in the software code, triggered by a button press and a gear shift at the same time, caused the power unit to go into superclip and charge the battery which allowed Charles to pass. He battled back to P4 but it was a frustrating afternoon for George. Clearly there is a lot that we need to work on and understand in the next few weeks. We’ve made a great start to the season, but our competitors are closing in. Happily, we have several areas of improvement and we will make the maximum use of the gap in the calendar to develop in the places where we are not strong enough. Palou Dominates To Win in Another Barber Beatdown BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sunday, March 29, 2026) – Alex Palou appears to be running wild again after another dominant victory at Barber Motorsports Park. Four-time and defending NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou earned his second victory in four races this season in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, starting from the pole and winning the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst by 13.2775 seconds over the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Christian Lundgaard. Palou led 79 of the 90 laps on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile road course. SEE: Race Results “Incredible day,” Palou said. “I told you qualifying was one of the best car balances I’ve ever driven. Today in the race, it was pretty good in the beginning, really good at the end, but we suffered a little bit on the used blacks (Firestone Firehawk primary tires) that we had to use. “Another win here. Love this place, love the fans. What a great day.” Graham Rahal placed third in the No. 15 First Third Bank Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, his first podium finish since August 2023 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. “I felt like this was coming,” Rahal said. “We’re pretty pleased with this. Feels good.” David Malukas continued his consistent start to his Team Penske tenure by finishing fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Malukas has placed sixth or better in three of his four starts with the fabled team this season. Series leader Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the top five finishers – all from different teams – in the No. 27 JM Bullion/Gold.com Honda of Andretti Global. There’s something about this rolling, picturesque circuit and recent dominance by Palou, who earned his third career Barber win. He won last year in 16.005 seconds. The first of his 21 career victories also came here in 2021, but by a scant .4016 of a second. One more ominous fact about Palou’s victory for the other 24 drivers in the field: He has gone on to win the Astor Challenge Cup as series champion in the same season as both of his prior Barber victories. Palou stayed in second in the 2026 series standings with this victory but trimmed the gap to leader Kirkwood from 26 to two points as he tries to win a fourth consecutive title. While the margin of victory was the biggest in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race since Palou’s crushing victory last April at Barber, the final gap might be a bit misleading. Palou led by 7.2 seconds on Lap 52 while running on a used pair of Firestone Firehawk primary tires, but Lundgaard started to chip away at that gap, gaining nearly a half-second on some laps on the quicker but less durable alternate tire. The gap was trimmed to three seconds when Palou made his final pit stop at the end of Lap 65, taking another set of used primary tires for the run to the finish. Lundgaard inherited the lead during Palou’s last stop and stayed on track for another four laps, trying to gain more time on Palou and perhaps land within striking distance of Palou after Lundgaard’s last stop. Lundgaard entered the pits at the end of Lap 69 for his final service. But calamity struck, as the right-rear wheel change was slow. That produced a 17.8-second stop, about nine seconds slower than normal. Lundgaard returned to the track in third, behind Rahal. Game over. Palou was home free. “I think so,” Lundgaard said when asked if he could have caught Palou. “We know the pace that we had and just how we were catching him. It’s unfortunate. The guys have done an amazing job, and I don’t think that’s (mistake) ever really happened. One in almost 100 starts, I think it’s OK.” Palou led Rahal by 10.8 seconds after that pit drama and cruised to the finish in the caution-free race. But Lundgaard and Rahal engaged in a spirited joust for second over the closing laps, with Lundgaard finally diving under Rahal in Turn 5 for second with three laps to go. That was the last of 11 on-track passes during the race for Lundgaard, including seven for position in the top 10 – both race highs. “At the end of the day, I wanted to go out there and repass Graham,” Lundgaard said. “Just to make up for that (pit mistake) and put a statement to, ‘We got it.’” Rahal then held off a charging Malukas to keep the precious podium spot for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 19.

    1 hr

  8. MAR 23

    F1Weekly Podcast # 1140

    ON TODAYS PROGRAM…   MAX ON POLE TAKES VICTORY AT THE NURBURGRING AND IS DISQUALIFIED! HOURS LATER. THE WORLD KNOWS MERCEDES IS HOLDING BACK POWER! ASTON MARTIN’S WORKING ENVIRONMENT BECOMING UNCOMFORTABLE AS ADRIAN NEWEY IS REMOVED AS TEAM PRINCIPAL LEAVING ROOM FOR JONATHAN WHEATLEY TO TAKE OVER AND…THE MOST OBVIOUS QUESTION IS …WHEN WILL ANTONELLI REPLACE LEWIS AT FERRARI? THIS WEEK’S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE: KAZUKI NAKAJIMA,  ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO FORMULA ONE™ TEAM STATEMENT FROM LAWRENCE STROLL. “With the current speculation surrounding Adrian Newey’s role in our team, I want to take this opportunity to set the record straight. “As Executive Chairman and Controlling Shareholder, I would like to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my partner and an important shareholder. He is AMR’s Managing Technical Partner, and he and I have a true partnership built on a shared vision of success for the company. “We do things differently here, and while we don't currently adopt the traditional Team Principal role that you see elsewhere - it is by design. “As the most successful engineer ​in the history of the sport, Adrian's primary focus is on the strategic and technical leadership where he excels. He is supported by a highly skilled Senior Leadership Team to deliver on all aspects of the business, both at the Campus and trackside. “We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumour and speculation.” New management structure for the Audi F1 Project. Jonathan Wheatley is leaving Audi Revolut F1 Team effective immediately for personal reasons Mattia Binotto assumes responsibilities as Team Principal in addition to his role as Head of Audi F1 Project   Audi CEO Gernot Döllner: “We will continue to pursue the path we have chosen with determination”   Audi has made an adjustment to the management structure of its Formula 1 project. In addition to his existing duties as Head of Audi F1 Project, Mattia Binotto will also assume the responsibilities of Team Principal. Jonathan Wheatley is leaving the Audi Revolut F1 Team with immediate effect for personal reasons. Wheatley had been part of the Audi F1 Project since April 2025. Together with Binotto, he built up the racing team at the Hinwil facility in Switzerland, which immediately scored points on its Formula 1 debut in early March. With this transition, Mattia Binotto will now assume additionally the responsibilities of Team Principal, taking leadership at the race track of Audi Revolut F1 Team. “We are grateful to Jonathan Wheatley for his contribution to the project during the crucial entry phase and wish him all the best for the future,” says Gernot Döllner, CEO of AUDI AG and Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi Motorsport AG. “Mattia Binotto and the team will continue to pursue the path we have chosen with determination. Our focus remains unchanged: we are concentrating all our efforts on building a team competing at the highest level that will challenge for world championships in Formula 1 by 2030. We will continuously develop our organizational structures to achieve our shared goal in a sustainable manner.”   Penske Entertainment Statement on Passing of Jim Michaelian   INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, March 21, 2026) – A statement from Roger Penske about the passing March 21 of Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian: “Everyone at Penske Entertainment and within the INDYCAR community is deeply saddened by the passing of Jim Michaelian. Jim was a leader of a small, passionate group who believed in the concept of bringing elite open-wheel competition to Long Beach in the 1970s, worked tirelessly to make it happen despite steep odds and then helped nurture the Grand Prix of Long Beach into becoming America’s premier street race. His vision and energy surrounding this great event remained boundless for 50 years, as no task was too small for Jim even while he served in numerous leadership roles. Penske Entertainment is committed to honoring Jim’s legacy of putting fans and competitors first as we continue to build on the strong foundation he and his staff created for a half-century in Long Beach. Our deepest sympathies are with his wife, Mary, and their sons, Bob and Mike.”

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