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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" > <channel> <title>Adam Cooper F1</title> <atom:link href="https://adamcooperf1.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com</link> <description>Just another WordPress.com weblog</description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:47:19 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://wordpress.com/</generator> <cloud domain='adamcooperf1.com' port='80' path='/?rsscloud=notify' registerProcedure='' protocol='http-post' /> <image> <url>https://s0.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.png</url> <title>Adam Cooper F1</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com</link> </image> <atom:link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="https://adamcooperf1.com/osd.xml" title="Adam Cooper F1" /> <atom:link rel='hub' href='https://adamcooperf1.com/?pushpress=hub'/> <item> <title>Alonso blames Qatar power issues on “confused” Aston Martin AMR24</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/alonso-blames-qatar-power-issues-on-confused-aston-martin-amr24/</link> <comments>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/alonso-blames-qatar-power-issues-on-confused-aston-martin-amr24/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[adamcooperf1]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:47:19 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Alonso]]></category> <category><![CDATA[F1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ferrari]]></category> <category><![CDATA[formula-1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Max Verstappen]]></category> <category><![CDATA[McLaren]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://adamcooperf1.com/?p=16596</guid> <description><![CDATA[Fernando Alonso has blamed the power issues he faced in the Qatar GP on his Aston Martin AMR24 being “confused.” Despite complaining about a lack of speed at points the Spaniard drove a strong race and took advantage of problems … <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/alonso-blames-qatar-power-issues-on-confused-aston-martin-amr24/">Continue reading →</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg"><img width="1024" height="683" data-attachment-id="16598" data-permalink="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/alonso-blames-qatar-power-issues-on-confused-aston-martin-amr24/alo-qat/" data-orig-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg" data-orig-size="2048,1366" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="ALO QAT" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg?w=500" src="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-16598" srcset="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg 2048w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg?w=150 150w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Alonso didn’t have a straightforward race but he still earned P7</figcaption></figure> Fernando Alonso has blamed the power issues he faced in the Qatar GP on his Aston Martin AMR24 being “confused.” Despite complaining about a lack of speed at points the Spaniard drove a strong race and took advantage of problems for others to secure seventh place. It was the first score for the Silverstone team after a four-race drought since Alonso earned eighth in Singapore. “We had some issues,” he said. “It’s not the first race that we are lacking top speed in the first half of the race or after the safety car. “I think the car is confused, still thinking that we are behind the safety car. So we don’t deploy the energy properly out of the last corner when there’s a green flag. “And that obviously is very costly if you don’t deploy the energy when you have all the cars around you. And yeah, we lost, I think, two or three places at the first restart, and that was very worrying for the final outcome of the race. “But yeah, we compensated at the end with some safety cars and better luck. So we still investigate it. I think we know what the issue is. We just need to find the solution.” Alonso stressed that overall it had been a positive race, despite the problems. “A very good Sunday for us,” he noted. “A lot of points, six points for the team, P7. It is better than we anticipated. Obviously we capitalised on some of the action in front of us, some DNFs, some penalties. So we were ready there to take the opportunity and happy. “It wasn’t expected. But yesterday, the car felt good in qualifying, it was a good surprise. And today in the race, we were relatively fast, together with Alpine and Haas. “As I said a little bit lucky at the end, with the safety car, penalty for Norris, and DNF of Checo. You have to be there. Sometimes when we are P14, P15, even if there is something happening in front of you, you don’t take the opportunities. So we were in the right place at the right time today.” He added: “Since Singapore, we were not scoring any points. So today we had this opportunity, and we took it. So yeah, happy for the team. Now one race left, it will be nice to finish on a positive note in Abu Dhabi.” Alonso is skipping the post-season test as he continues to address back issues. “It’s not secret that I’ve been struggling physically for four races,” he said. “It seems that I’m now out of the darkness. “I feel good today. I felt good in Las Vegas that I wanted to race immediately after Vegas. But I think I need to stop, and take care of myself a little bit.” ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/alonso-blames-qatar-power-issues-on-confused-aston-martin-amr24/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6c86c891f6c820e2a27012ff279471f0107ca30e89d1b77c7b650048946ed6e9?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">adamcooperf1</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/alo-qat.jpg?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Hamilton heading into Abu Dhabi Mercedes finale with “low hopes”</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/hamilton-heading-into-abu-dhabi-mercedes-finale-with-low-hopes/</link> <comments>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/hamilton-heading-into-abu-dhabi-mercedes-finale-with-low-hopes/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[adamcooperf1]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 03 Dec 2024 09:55:17 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[F1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ferrari]]></category> <category><![CDATA[formula-1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Max Verstappen]]></category> <category><![CDATA[McLaren]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://adamcooperf1.com/?p=16591</guid> <description><![CDATA[Lewis Hamilton admits that he doesn’t anticipate a competitive package for his final outing for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi – and he’s indicated that goes into the race weekend with “low hopes.” Hamilton had a frustrating time in Qatar, citing … <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/hamilton-heading-into-abu-dhabi-mercedes-finale-with-low-hopes/">Continue reading →</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg"><img width="1024" height="683" data-attachment-id="16593" data-permalink="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/hamilton-heading-into-abu-dhabi-mercedes-finale-with-low-hopes/ham-qat-2/" data-orig-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg" data-orig-size="2048,1366" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="HAM QAT 2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg?w=500" src="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-16593" srcset="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg 2048w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg?w=150 150w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Hamilton had a frustrating time in Qatar last weekend</figcaption></figure> Lewis Hamilton admits that he doesn’t anticipate a competitive package for his final outing for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi – and he’s indicated that goes into the race weekend with “low hopes.” Hamilton had a frustrating time in Qatar, citing his personal lack of speed after both the sprint and main qualifying sessions. In Sunday’s Grand Prix he picked up a penalty for a false start, had a puncture, and then earned another penalty for pitlane speeding. At one stage he suggested that he wanted to retire the car, but in the end he stayed out, finishing out of the points in 12th place. “It could have been worse, but I finished, and it’s over,” he said when asked by this writer about his difficult race. “Ultimately that was me at the start, and then the puncture was really unfortunate. And the pit lane, that was me as well. You do your best, but I’ll get back up tomorrow and give it another shot.” He also struggled with a lack of front end, with his engineer Peter Bonnington referencing an “under balance” early in the race. “The under balance is literally just because we didn’t get the wing setting right,” said Hamilton. “This happened many times, just basically not having enough front wing in the car, and the car just wouldn’t turn. “So understeering massively for a long period of time. And I think that honestly, for me, felt like that’s what led to the tyre failing. “But maybe it was debris. I didn’t see any debris, to be honest, but not ideal. It happened just as I got to the pit entrance.” Hamilton made it clear that he doesn’t expect what it likely to be an emotional farewell to Mercedes in Abu Dhabi to see a step forward. “I don’t think we’re going to end up on a high,” he said. “I think it’ll end. And I think what’s important is how we turn up. We’ll give it our best shot. And I don’t anticipate a particularly much better weekend than we’ve had in the past weekends. “But naturally, I’ll try, but go in with low hopes and come out with a better result, then it doesn’t really make a big difference either way. I think these last races don’t have an impact on everything we’ve done together.” Asked if Qatar was a season low point he added: “There’s been loads of them to be honest, so it’s been a roller coaster ride of emotions. “But I’m just grateful I’m still standing, and I’m still okay. I’ve had great races in my life, and I’ve had bad races in my life. Not too many bad ones.” ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/hamilton-heading-into-abu-dhabi-mercedes-finale-with-low-hopes/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6c86c891f6c820e2a27012ff279471f0107ca30e89d1b77c7b650048946ed6e9?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">adamcooperf1</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ham-qat-2.jpg?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Sainz: Ferrari has “nothing to lose” in F1 title fight with McLaren</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/sainz-ferrari-has-nothing-to-lose-in-f1-title-fight-with-mclaren/</link> <comments>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/sainz-ferrari-has-nothing-to-lose-in-f1-title-fight-with-mclaren/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[adamcooperf1]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 03 Dec 2024 09:17:59 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[F1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ferrari]]></category> <category><![CDATA[formula-1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Max Verstappen]]></category> <category><![CDATA[McLaren]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://adamcooperf1.com/?p=16586</guid> <description><![CDATA[Carlos Sainz agrees that Ferrari has “nothing to lose” heading into the Formula 1 constructors’ title showdown with McLaren in Abu Dhabi. After last weekend’s race in Qatar the team is now only 21 points behind its British rival, with … <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/sainz-ferrari-has-nothing-to-lose-in-f1-title-fight-with-mclaren/">Continue reading →</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg"><img width="1024" height="625" data-attachment-id="16588" data-permalink="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/sainz-ferrari-has-nothing-to-lose-in-f1-title-fight-with-mclaren/sai-qat-2/" data-orig-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg" data-orig-size="3153,1927" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="SAI QAT 2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg?w=500" src="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-16588" srcset="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg?w=2045 2045w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg?w=150 150w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">After losing out to McLaren in the Qatar sprint Ferrari close the gap in the main race</figcaption></figure> Carlos Sainz agrees that Ferrari has “nothing to lose” heading into the Formula 1 constructors’ title showdown with McLaren in Abu Dhabi. After last weekend’s race in Qatar the team is now only 21 points behind its British rival, with up to 44 to be won with a one-two finish and a fastest lap. Sainz feared last weekend that it would be “mission impossible” if Ferrari didn’t eat into McLaren’s advantage on race day in Qatar. However a second place for Charles Leclerc and sixth for Sainz himself kept the fight open. “I think it’s still going to be tough,” said the Spaniard when asked by this writer about the team’s prospects. “Twenty-one points requires a perfect weekend from Ferrari and a bad weekend from McLaren. “But we’ve seen worse things in racing, so we’re going to give it our best shot. I think if we nail a good weekend, we could still make it happen.” Asked if Ferrari had nothing to lose he said: “Exactly. That’s why we’re going to give it our absolute best, nothing to lose. We’re going to throw everything in to make sure we give ourselves the best chance.” Sainz had a messy Qatar GP that saw him forced to complete a full lap with a punctured front tyre, but thanks to attrition elsewhere he managed to climb back to sixth by the flag. “I think we couldn’t have got it worse,” he said. “We had a puncture pretty much coming out of the last corner, or around the last sector. It meant I needed to do a full lap on a punctured tyre, losing a lot of race time. Then we had a slow pit stop during that slow puncture. “And then as soon as I came out of the pits, they put the safety car, so everyone can take the stop. And I’ve lost all that time with the puncture and the pit stop under racing conditions. And then a safety car comes out exactly while I’m exiting the pit. So it couldn’t have been any worse. “At the same time, I started P6 I finished P6 with everything that happened, and I had to race, probably with some damage in the car for the rest of the race. “A bit of a nightmare day, and bringing home a P6 maybe it’s not as terrible as it now feels, but at least the other car could get maximum points available for Charles. It’s damage limitation, with everything that happened.” Sainz believes that several factors contributed to the puncture, which happened just after Valtteri Bottas ran over Ale Albon’s lost mirror. “I think it was a bit of a perfect storm,” he said. “I think everyone was running very low on the front left tyre in terms of tread. I think no one had much tread left. This exposes, obviously the tyre and the carcass to a puncture, and then the sharp kerbs, the gravel on the track, the debris, it could have been any of them, the cause of the puncture, we will never know. “I just know that I caught the worst of it because I had to do a full lap with a puncture, plus a slow pit stop, plus the damage, plus the safety car when I came out of the pits. “We managed to bring the fight into the next race. At the same time, on my side of the garage, we would have finished P4, P3 depending on the race scenario, so we lost points that might be crucial for the end of the championship. “But at the same time if they tell you you’re going to start the race P6, you’re going to have a puncture, then they’re going to put a safety car when you have finished the puncture, and you’re still going to finish P6, you maybe don’t even believe it!” ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/03/sainz-ferrari-has-nothing-to-lose-in-f1-title-fight-with-mclaren/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6c86c891f6c820e2a27012ff279471f0107ca30e89d1b77c7b650048946ed6e9?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">adamcooperf1</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sai-qat-2.jpg?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Lawson and Tsunoda left fighting for Red Bull seat as Perez faces exit</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/lawson-and-tsunoda-left-fighting-for-red-bull-seat-as-perez-faces-exit/</link> <comments>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/lawson-and-tsunoda-left-fighting-for-red-bull-seat-as-perez-faces-exit/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[adamcooperf1]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 02 Dec 2024 16:15:14 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[F1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ferrari]]></category> <category><![CDATA[formula-1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Max Verstappen]]></category> <category><![CDATA[McLaren]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://adamcooperf1.com/?p=16581</guid> <description><![CDATA[Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda effectively have one race in which to stake their respective claims to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing in 2025. Should his departure be confirmed sources indicate that Lawson is set to get the … <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/lawson-and-tsunoda-left-fighting-for-red-bull-seat-as-perez-faces-exit/">Continue reading →</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" data-attachment-id="16583" data-permalink="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/lawson-and-tsunoda-left-fighting-for-red-bull-seat-as-perez-faces-exit/f1-grand-prix-of-qatar-2/" data-orig-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg" data-orig-size="3840,2560" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - DECEMBER 01: Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on December 01, 2024 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Mark Thompson\/Getty Images) \/\/ Getty Images \/ Red Bull Content Pool \/\/ SI202412010403 \/\/ Usage for editorial use only \/\/","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"Getty Images \/ Red Bull Content Pool","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"F1 Grand Prix of Qatar","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="F1 Grand Prix of Qatar" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="LUSAIL CITY, QATAR – DECEMBER 01: Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing prepares to drive in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on December 01, 2024 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202412010403 // Usage for editorial use only // " data-medium-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg?w=500" src="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-16583" srcset="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg?w=2046 2046w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg?w=150 150w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Perez looks to be facing his final race with RBR in Abu Dhabi</figcaption></figure> Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda effectively have one race in which to stake their respective claims to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing in 2025. Should his departure be confirmed sources indicate that Lawson is set to get the job, but the final decision won’t be made until after the Abu Dhabi race. Christian Horner has given the clearest signal yet that the team has reached the end of the road with the Mexican, and that he won’t be retained next season. His Qatar weekend included a sluggish reaction to the pitlane traffic light going green at the start of Saturday’s sprint, and he was passed by Franco Colapinto. Perez said he was trying to ensure clean air as the race was a test session, but the team was unaware of his plan. In Sunday’s main race he spun just before the safety car restart, and suffered a clutch failure as he tried to get going. Perez is understood to have a contract with no performance clauses on the team’s side, and thus ending it early is set to be an expensive exercise for Red Bull. “Checo has had a very tough year, and obviously the points tables are what they are,” he said after the race. “We’re very much focused on really supporting him to the to the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi, and then obviously it’s not an enjoyable situation for Checo being in this position, with speculation every week. “He’s old enough and wise enough to know what the what the situation is, and let’s see where we are after Abu Dhabi.” Asked by this writer about the traffic light issue he said: “I mean, we sent him to the end of the pit lane seven minutes ahead of Colapinto for a reason. “But look, Checo has contributed a huge amount to this team in the four years that he’s been here. You know the world championship that Max achieved in ‘21, the constructors his World Championships in ‘22 and ’23, and obviously this year has been particularly hard. “He’s won five Grands Prix for us, and he’s had some outstanding performances in races like Singapore, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, to name but a few. Everybody holds Checo in the highest of regard and respect. “But obviously, the situation that we’re in is as painful for him as it is for the team.” He added: “I’m going to let Checo come to his own conclusions. Nobody’s forcing him one way or another. It’s not a nice situation for him to obviously be in.” “We got one more race this year, so we’ll throw everything at it. And hopefully he can have a strong race to end the season in Abu Dhabi.” Red Bull’s problem is with whom to replace him having declined to take Carlos Sainz when he was free in the first half of the year and Perez has not yet been re-signed. Liam Lawson’s was given the VCARB seat in place of Daniel Ricciardo to give him a chance to prove he was ready for promotion, but then the Franco Colapinto’s arrival on the scene made the Williams driver a candidate. That would have involved a hefty buyout of his contract – said to be as much as $20m – which would potentially be compensated by sponsorship from Argentina. However after his crashes in Brazil and Las Vegas interest in him has faded. Horner has indicated that the team is now focussing on its own talent pool. Lawson has done a solid job, but arguably not quite enough to prove that he is a clear first choice over Yuki Tsunoda, who will test for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi net week. Tsunoda is regarding in the RBR camp as not being consistent enough to take on the challenge of being Verstappen’s team mate, despite his obvious speed. Isack Hadjar, who has a chance to win the F2 title in Abu Dhabi, remains the logical candidate for any vacant VCARB seat. ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/lawson-and-tsunoda-left-fighting-for-red-bull-seat-as-perez-faces-exit/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6c86c891f6c820e2a27012ff279471f0107ca30e89d1b77c7b650048946ed6e9?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">adamcooperf1</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010403.jpg?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>How Russell was “expecting a crash” with Verstappen at Qatar start</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/how-russell-was-expecting-a-crash-with-verstappen-at-qatar-start/</link> <comments>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/how-russell-was-expecting-a-crash-with-verstappen-at-qatar-start/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[adamcooperf1]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 02 Dec 2024 15:00:07 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[F1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ferrari]]></category> <category><![CDATA[formula-1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Max Verstappen]]></category> <category><![CDATA[McLaren]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://adamcooperf1.com/?p=16576</guid> <description><![CDATA[George Russell admits he was “expecting a crash” with Max Verstappen at the start of the Qatar GP given how motivated the Dutchman was after losing pole to a grid penalty. In the end Russell didn’t have a good start, … <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/how-russell-was-expecting-a-crash-with-verstappen-at-qatar-start/">Continue reading →</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" data-attachment-id="16578" data-permalink="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/how-russell-was-expecting-a-crash-with-verstappen-at-qatar-start/rus-qat-2/" data-orig-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg" data-orig-size="2048,1366" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="RUS QAT 2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg?w=500" src="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-16578" srcset="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg 2048w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg?w=150 150w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Russell said in the end P4 was flattering after a bad day</figcaption></figure> George Russell admits he was “expecting a crash” with Max Verstappen at the start of the Qatar GP given how motivated the Dutchman was after losing pole to a grid penalty. In the end Russell didn’t have a good start, and Verstappen was able to get past the Mercedes driver and claim the lead, with Lando Norris also following him through. Russell then had a slow first pit stop, and he subsequently picked up a penalty for failing to maintain his distance behind the safety car. However he still managed to salvage fourth place on a day when many others also had issues. Russell admitted that he was confused by a “strange” change in form over the course of the weekend. “I think P4 is probably a flattering result considering how the race went,” he said when asked by this writer about the result. “Funny how this sport changes. Everything was great on Friday, Saturday was a great day, and then we had no pace today. “At best, we were two or three tenths behind Max and Lando. The start was bad, had a slow pit stop, a penalty, I don’t even know what for, to be honest. So, yeah, it’s strange.” Russell knew that Verstappen would be on a mission at the start after being so frustrated by his one-place penalty for driving excessively slowly. “Yeah, to be honest, I was expecting a crash, but ultimately we made it easy for him, because both Lewis and I made terrible starts,” he said. “So it was a pretty simple overtake for him, which was a bit frustrating for us. But it’s strange how when things are working and the car is quick, everything seems just to work so well, and when the car is off the pace a bit, everything just seems to go wrong. And today was a great example of that.” He added: “We know Max is a fighter and is aggressive. I expect no difference. I really wanted to go out there and fight with him today, like we could have done in the sprint. “But yesterday in the sprint, he was probably two or three-tenths behind us. Today, we were two or three tenths behind him. “And it just goes to show what a night can do in this sport. It’s always on a knife’s edge. It’s a shame we didn’t have the pace when it mattered.” ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/how-russell-was-expecting-a-crash-with-verstappen-at-qatar-start/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6c86c891f6c820e2a27012ff279471f0107ca30e89d1b77c7b650048946ed6e9?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">adamcooperf1</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/rus-qat-2.jpg?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Verstappen “loses respect” for Russell after penalty debate</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/verstappen-loses-respect-for-russell-after-penalty-debate/</link> <comments>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/verstappen-loses-respect-for-russell-after-penalty-debate/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[adamcooperf1]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 02 Dec 2024 09:47:03 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[F1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ferrari]]></category> <category><![CDATA[formula-1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Max Verstappen]]></category> <category><![CDATA[McLaren]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://adamcooperf1.com/?p=16570</guid> <description><![CDATA[Max Verstappen says he has lost respect for George Russell after the Mercedes driver successfully argued for his rival to get a grid penalty in Qatar. Russell came across a slow-moving Verstappen late in Q3, and highlighted his frustrations on … <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/verstappen-loses-respect-for-russell-after-penalty-debate/">Continue reading →</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" data-attachment-id="16572" data-permalink="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/verstappen-loses-respect-for-russell-after-penalty-debate/f1-grand-prix-of-qatar/" data-orig-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg" data-orig-size="3808,2539" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - DECEMBER 01: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on December 01, 2024 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Joe Portlock\/Getty Images) \/\/ Getty Images \/ Red Bull Content Pool \/\/ SI202412010418 \/\/ Usage for editorial use only \/\/","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"Getty Images \/ Red Bull Content Pool","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"F1 Grand Prix of Qatar","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="F1 Grand Prix of Qatar" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="LUSAIL CITY, QATAR – DECEMBER 01: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on December 01, 2024 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202412010418 // Usage for editorial use only // " data-medium-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg?w=500" src="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-16572" srcset="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg?w=2046 2046w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg?w=150 150w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">He won in Qatar but Verstappen was still unhappy about his grid penalty</figcaption></figure> Max Verstappen says he has lost respect for George Russell after the Mercedes driver successfully argued for his rival to get a grid penalty in Qatar. Russell came across a slow-moving Verstappen late in Q3, and highlighted his frustrations on the radio. He continued on that theme at the subsequent hearing, where Verstappen was found guilty of driving excessively slowly and docked one place, which handed pole to Russell. “I couldn’t believe that I got it,” the Dutchman said of the penalty. “But in a way, I was also like, yeah, I’m not surprised anymore in the world that I live in. So, you’re not happy with it. “But at one point or another, you have to just turn the page. But it wasn’t very enjoyable to see that happen, because I think that’s the first time that in a slow lap someone has been penalised. “While actually, I just tried to be nice. So maybe I shouldn’t be nice. But the thing is that well, being nice, because at the end of the season, everything is more or less decided, for me especially, I didn’t want to screw anyone over to prepare their lap. “And by doing that, being nice, basically you get a penalty. And that’s what I tried to explain as well. But I just felt like I was talking to a brick wall. So there’s not much that was possible for whatever reason.” He added: “I think I really spoke about valid reasons of what happened and it was clear cut that around me there were different scenarios going on as well, with people having colder tyres and stuff so they had to push anyway, and I didn’t want to then cause a scene into a last corner. and then no one had a lap. So very, very surprising.” Verstappen made his thoughts about Russell clear. “I was quite surprised when sitting there in the stewards’ room, what was all going on. Honestly, very disappointing because I think we’re all here, we respect each other a lot. “And of course, I’ve been in that meeting room many times in my life, in my career with people that I’ve raced, and I’ve never seen someone trying to screw someone over that hard. And that for me… I lost all respect.” Verstappen got his revenge by passing Russell at the start and going on to win the race in dominant fashion, having been chased by Lando Norris until the McLaren driver landed a penalty/. “It’s never straightforward,” he said. “I think in the first stint as well, with Lando being there, honestly, I think the gap has been between 1.6 and 1.9 seconds, the whole stint, and you can’t afford to make a mistake. “And he didn’t, I didn’t, and we were just pushing flat out at one point. And it was honestly really enjoyable to drive because, of course, most of the races that we do, the tyres deg and you have to manage a lot. It felt like here you could push a bit harder and the track as well, the layout, I enjoy a lot. “The grip is very good on the track. So yeah, that was a great stint. The second stint was a bit more stop-start with the safety cars involved and then of course the temperature as well in the tyres was very tricky, because my middle restart wasn’t particularly great. “I tried something else, but the tyres basically were too cold, so I just kept on sliding and having no traction. So that was not ideal. “Besides that, the pace was good. A dry race like this for us has been a long time, so I’m very happy with the improvements that we made compared to the start of the weekend.” Verstappen was pleased to see the RB20 return to winning form in normal conditions. “The last few races in the dry, we haven’t been particularly strong on managing the tyres,” he said. “And that’s why I was a little bit careful after qualifying. But yeah, it’s been nice. I mean, it’s still not where I would like it to be in terms of the behaviour of the car compared to, let’s say, last year. “But at least now we are back in a fight to win races. So if we can just learn from this year’s car, take the positives, of course, from also last year and try to build a better car, I’m sure that we can be again very competitive next year.” ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/verstappen-loses-respect-for-russell-after-penalty-debate/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6c86c891f6c820e2a27012ff279471f0107ca30e89d1b77c7b650048946ed6e9?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">adamcooperf1</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/si202412010418.jpg?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Alpine confirms Ocon’s departure as Doohan makes early F1 debut</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/alpine-confirms-ocons-departure-as-doohan-makes-early-f1-debut/</link> <comments>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/alpine-confirms-ocons-departure-as-doohan-makes-early-f1-debut/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[adamcooperf1]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 02 Dec 2024 09:11:46 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://adamcooperf1.com/?p=16551</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Alpine F1 team has confirmed that Esteban Ocon drove his last race for the Enstone team in Qatar and will be replaced by Jack Doohan at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi GP. The team says that “the change allows Esteban … <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/alpine-confirms-ocons-departure-as-doohan-makes-early-f1-debut/">Continue reading →</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="600" data-attachment-id="16555" data-permalink="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/alpine-confirms-ocons-departure-as-doohan-makes-early-f1-debut/gduww00xgaappi5/" data-orig-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg" data-orig-size="1330,780" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="GduWw00XgAAPpi5" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg?w=500" src="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-16555" srcset="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg?w=150 150w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg?w=768 768w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg 1330w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ocon knew before the start in Qatar that it would be his final outing</figcaption></figure> The Alpine F1 team has confirmed that Esteban Ocon drove his last race for the Enstone team in Qatar and will be replaced by Jack Doohan at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi GP. The team says that “the change allows Esteban to be released to Haas to drive in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi.” Doohan will race with number 61 and will also do the Abu Dhabi test. In a short statement is said that “the team would like to thank Esteban for his time at the team and he will remain part of the team’s history achieving the first win for Alpine in Formula 1. We wish Esteban the best for the future.” There was no quote from Ocon himself in the statement. However after the race, and just before rumours of his departure first emerged, he alluded to what was coming. “I would like to thank the team for their hard work over this race and their hard work over the whole year,” he said when asked about this writer about his race. “You know, when it’s going well, it’s good to stick together. But when it’s not going so well the engineers and the mechanics, they stick together, and that’s the most important thing.” He added: “It’s important to look ahead and prepare what we can for the future.” It’s understood that the plan for Ocon to be dropped and replaced by Doohan only came to fruition on race day in Qatar, at the behest of Flavio Briatore. Haas boss Ayao Komatsu had previously said that Ocon had already been granted a release to do the Haas test some time ago (see <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/10/31/ocon-and-hulkenberg-confirmed-for-new-team-debuts-at-abu-dhabi-tyre-test/.)">https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/10/31/ocon-and-hulkenberg-confirmed-for-new-team-debuts-at-abu-dhabi-tyre-test/</a>. Sadly Ocon’s final outing ended when he was involved in a sandwich between Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto at Turn 1 after he made a good initial getaway. “I was wrong place, wrong time,” he said. “I think racing incident, unfortunately, I think we were all on the outside. Started to get quite narrow. We already outside of the track when the hard collision occurred. Unfortunately, it’s an incident, a short race for us, not something that we wanted.” He added: “I already passed Franco, I was on the left side of Nico. He was on the hard. So it was always going to be something like this.” ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/alpine-confirms-ocons-departure-as-doohan-makes-early-f1-debut/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6c86c891f6c820e2a27012ff279471f0107ca30e89d1b77c7b650048946ed6e9?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">adamcooperf1</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/gduww00xgaappi5.jpg?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Leclerc: Qatar GP podium a surprise for “lucky” Ferrari</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/leclerc-qatar-gp-podium-a-surprise-for-lucky-ferrari/</link> <comments>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/leclerc-qatar-gp-podium-a-surprise-for-lucky-ferrari/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[adamcooperf1]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 02 Dec 2024 07:22:43 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[F1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ferrari]]></category> <category><![CDATA[formula-1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Max Verstappen]]></category> <category><![CDATA[McLaren]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://adamcooperf1.com/?p=16542</guid> <description><![CDATA[Charles Leclerc admits that his second place finish in the Qatar GP came as a surprise and that his Ferrari team was “lucky” to get such a result at a track where McLaren had superior pace. Leclerc was running fourth … <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/leclerc-qatar-gp-podium-a-surprise-for-lucky-ferrari/">Continue reading →</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="737" data-attachment-id="16544" data-permalink="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/leclerc-qatar-gp-podium-a-surprise-for-lucky-ferrari/lec-qat-pod/" data-orig-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg" data-orig-size="3200,2304" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="LEC QAT POD" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg?w=500" src="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-16544" srcset="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg?w=2048 2048w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg?w=150 150w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Leclerc didn’t anticipate a top 3 result in Qatar</figcaption></figure> Charles Leclerc admits that his second place finish in the Qatar GP came as a surprise and that his Ferrari team was “lucky” to get such a result at a track where McLaren had superior pace. Leclerc was running fourth when he jumped Oscar Piastri around the safety car pit sequence, and later he moved up a place when Lando Norris had to take a stop and go penalty. Team mate Carlos Sainz finished sixth after being hampered by a puncture, but the result kept the team firmly in contention for the constructors’ title. Leclerc admitted that the team had exceeded its own expectations. “Yes, we did, because to be honest, we knew that it would be very difficult pace-wise,” he said. “We expected McLaren to be very strong in terms of race pace. We maybe did not expect Max to be that strong, but he was super strong today. “However, finishing second after such a weekend, where the track characteristics are very far off from the optimal of the track characteristics we need for our car, is a surprise. “We got a little bit lucky, obviously, on my side. A bit unlucky with Carlos and his puncture. But as a team, it’s been a positive weekend. “So yes, we exceeded our expectations because coming into the weekend, I kind of expected to lose a bit of points compared to McLaren here. However, we recovered some, so that’s good.” Leclerc indicated that the team got the maximum out of the package it had. “I felt like we optimised yesterday and today,” he said. “We knew that it wasn’t going to be our strongest weekend, but we decided to just focus on ourselves, and try to do what was the best possible result for us. “And I think we achieved that very well. We should be happy. Then we of course need to look at what we can do in the future to be faster on those kind of tracks. But yeah, this weekend we did work very well as a team.” The only negative was that he lost the used of his drinks bottle before the start. “I did not drink, but I honestly, I don’t think it was that much of an issue for this race. Last year it would have been a really, really big issue. “I think I wouldn’t have finished the race without my drink, but this year it was actually pretty, pretty chill. “So yeah, in terms of dehydration, it wasn’t bad, but it was quite physical in the corners just because we had no saving to do today. “There was basically no saving. It was just flat out pushing from the first lap to the last lap, which is quite enjoyable as a driver. I don’t think any of us drivers had our heads straight in the fast corners at the end of the race. It was very physical.” Leclerc remains positive about the team’s prospects at the Abu Dhabi finale.   “To be honest, I haven’t even seen the numbers yet. So we’ve got to wait and see. But I feel like on paper, it should be a bit more positive than Qatar was. “Again, today we’ve been quite lucky, but without what happened to Lando, we would have been very, very far off. And without the Safety Car, we would have been very far off. In terms of race pace, we weren’t fast. “Abu Dhabi should be better for us. We’ll wait and see. But it’s not too many points between us. So we’ve just got to focus on ourselves and try to maximise everything. And hopefully we’ll bring back the title to Maranello.” ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/leclerc-qatar-gp-podium-a-surprise-for-lucky-ferrari/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6c86c891f6c820e2a27012ff279471f0107ca30e89d1b77c7b650048946ed6e9?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">adamcooperf1</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/lec-qat-pod.jpg?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Norris on Qatar GP yellow flag penalty: “I’m not an idiot…”</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/norris-on-qatar-gp-yellow-flag-penalty-im-not-an-idiot/</link> <comments>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/norris-on-qatar-gp-yellow-flag-penalty-im-not-an-idiot/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[adamcooperf1]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 02 Dec 2024 06:26:04 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[F1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ferrari]]></category> <category><![CDATA[formula-1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Max Verstappen]]></category> <category><![CDATA[McLaren]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://adamcooperf1.com/?p=16537</guid> <description><![CDATA[Lando Norris has apologised to his McLaren Formula 1  team for his costly penalty in the Qatar GP – while also insisting that he’s “not an idiot” and was unaware of the double yellow flag situation. Norris was caught out … <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/norris-on-qatar-gp-yellow-flag-penalty-im-not-an-idiot/">Continue reading →</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" data-attachment-id="16539" data-permalink="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/norris-on-qatar-gp-yellow-flag-penalty-im-not-an-idiot/nor-qat/" data-orig-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg" data-orig-size="2080,1387" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="NOR QAT" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg?w=500" src="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-16539" srcset="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg?w=2046 2046w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg?w=150 150w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Norris picked up a costly penalty in Qatar</figcaption></figure> Lando Norris has apologised to his McLaren Formula 1  team for his costly penalty in the Qatar GP – while also insisting that he’s “not an idiot” and was unaware of the double yellow flag situation. Norris was caught out when a mirror fell off Alex Albon’s Williams and lay on the track at the approach to the first corner. Initially the yellows flashed on and off, but they were showing when leader Max Verstappen and Norris passed through. The Red Bull driver slowed, and having seen that his rival had closed the gap he immediately reported him over the radio. After an FIA investigation Norris subsequently received a 10 second stop-and-go penalty, which initially dropped him out of the points. He recovered to 10th place while also picking up the fastest lap bonus. “Disappointed of course,” he said when asked by this writer for his thoughts on the penalty. “I’ve let the team down. The team gave me a great car today, easily the quickest out there, and I fucked it up. “I don’t know what I did wrong. I’m not an idiot, if there’s yellow flag, I know I need to slow down. That’s rule number one you learn in go-karts. “But for some reason, I didn’t do that today, because I’ve not seen it, or I’ve missed it or something. “So I have to take it on the chin. They think I’ve done something wrong. I must have done something wrong, and I can only apologise for the rest of the year to the team.” Asked if he thought the penalty was too hard Norris acknowledged that it was standard for a double waved yellows offence. “No, it’s fair,” he said. “If I did what they said I did wrong, then good on them for giving the correct penalty.” When I informed him that Verstappen had reported the offence he said: “Good on him, that’s what everyone does, I would do the same. Happy for him…” Norris did at least retrieve two points that could prove crucial in the battle between McLaren and Ferrari come the final race. “I didn’t give up until the end, and we were quick,” he said. “I did the best I could. But disappointed to have only got two points with the quickest car out there today. He added: “The team gave me the best car out there today, and I’m very happy and thankful for them. I got a good start. I got past George. I thought George would be our biggest competitor today, and that wasn’t the case. Max was, and he did an incredible job.” Norris suggested that Abu Dhabi won’t be as good for McLaren as Qatar. “We go in the same as every weekend,” he said. “Wanting to win, wanting to be the best, wanting to be the fastest, and I just need to not be an idiot and do what I did today, clearly. “I don’t think [the car] will be as good as today. So it’s a massive opportunity lost, and I’ve disappointed the whole team. The only thing I care about is my team.” ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/02/norris-on-qatar-gp-yellow-flag-penalty-im-not-an-idiot/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6c86c891f6c820e2a27012ff279471f0107ca30e89d1b77c7b650048946ed6e9?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">adamcooperf1</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/nor-qat.jpg?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> <item> <title>Ocon/Doohan Alpine swap for Abu Dhabi set to be confirmed on Monday</title> <link>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/01/ocon-doohan-alpine-swap-for-abu-dhabi-gp-set-to-be-confirmed-on-monday/</link> <comments>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/01/ocon-doohan-alpine-swap-for-abu-dhabi-gp-set-to-be-confirmed-on-monday/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[adamcooperf1]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 01 Dec 2024 21:40:12 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[alpine]]></category> <category><![CDATA[F1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ferrari]]></category> <category><![CDATA[formula-1]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Max Verstappen]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://adamcooperf1.com/?p=16531</guid> <description><![CDATA[Esteban Ocon is set to hand his Alpine Formula 1 seat to 2025 race driver Jack Doohan for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi – with the arrangement understood to be confirmed as early as Monday, once … <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/01/ocon-doohan-alpine-swap-for-abu-dhabi-gp-set-to-be-confirmed-on-monday/">Continue reading →</a>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" data-attachment-id="16533" data-permalink="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/01/ocon-doohan-alpine-swap-for-abu-dhabi-gp-set-to-be-confirmed-on-monday/img_2541/" data-orig-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg" data-orig-size="3000,2000" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"TINNEKE GEENEN","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="IMG_2541" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg?w=500" src="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-16533" srcset="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg?w=1024 1024w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg?w=2046 2046w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg?w=150 150w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg?w=768 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ocon is set to miss the final race of 2024. Picture: @tinnekephotography</figcaption></figure> Esteban Ocon is set to hand his Alpine Formula 1 seat to 2025 race driver Jack Doohan for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi – with the arrangement understood to be confirmed as early as Monday, once it has been formally agreed by all parties. In essence the swap is part of a deal that will allow Ocon to be released by the team to take part in the Pirelli test with his future employer Haas on the Tuesday after the race. Alpine originally agreed for Ocon to be released to do the test in September, and Haas boss Ayao Komatsu confirmed the following month to this writer that the Frenchman would be driving (see <a href="https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/10/31/ocon-and-hulkenberg-confirmed-for-new-team-debuts-at-abu-dhabi-tyre-test/">https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/10/31/ocon-and-hulkenberg-confirmed-for-new-team-debuts-at-abu-dhabi-tyre-test/</a>.) It’s understood that the idea of Ocon stepping out to make room for Doohan to drive in Abu Dhabi came up on as recently as Sunday in Qatar during discussions with team executive advisor Flavio Briatore. The Frenchman is a contracted Mercedes driver who has in effect been on loan to Alpine. “I think there’s a contractual relationship that that Esteban and we have with Alpine on driver services, and that contract expires at the end of the year,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “That’s the basis. And then if you agree that for the benefit of the future there’s a better solution that allows Esteban to get ready earlier and better for Haas, and if that depends on driving or not in Abu Dhabi, I think this is something which is we discussed today. And we’re going to talk about it tomorrow.” Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes insisted on Sunday night that the deal has not yet been signed off. “Basically, I think there’s been a discussion,” he said. “I don’t think there’s been a definitive answer, but it has been talked about. “It’s obviously slightly complex, because as much as he is ours, he’s obviously contractually a Mercedes driver as well, and he’d like to be released early as well.” Asked about the motivation for the arrangement Oakes said: “I think it comes from all sides, really. I guess you could say it’s good to get Jack in early. I think you could say from Esteban’s side, it’s good to move on early. “I think it suits everybody. So I think the discussion was quite natural, really. From both sides it suits each other.” He added: “I think there’s still some conversations to go through tonight, and maybe tomorrow morning, but I think it all seems moving in a direction that might be a good solution for everybody. “I think really is probably that it just seems to suit everybody. And let’s have a discussion on it. Doesn’t mean it needs to be confirmed either way. I think Toto and Flavio have a really good relationship. I’m sure they’ll do what’s right for each other.” Aside from his superb second place in Brazil Ocon has had a difficult 2024 season. Shortly after his clash with team mate Pierre Gasly in Monaco it was announced that he was leaving to join Haas. In recent races he has often been frustrated by his struggles to get as much out of the car as Gasly, although that was disguised in the wet Interlagos race. “I think you could say that has a part to play,” said Oakes of the recent situation. “But I think really the bigger part is sort of a natural evolution of he’s moving on. Does it suit both of us to do that just a bit earlier for the last round or not? “And from the other side you could look at it it’s advantageous to get Jack in the team, working with everybody – and get those butterflies gone now, rather than next year in Australia.” ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://adamcooperf1.com/2024/12/01/ocon-doohan-alpine-swap-for-abu-dhabi-gp-set-to-be-confirmed-on-monday/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> <media:content url="https://0.gravatar.com/avatar/6c86c891f6c820e2a27012ff279471f0107ca30e89d1b77c7b650048946ed6e9?s=96&d=identicon&r=G" medium="image"> <media:title type="html">adamcooperf1</media:title> </media:content> <media:content url="https://adamcooperf1.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img_2541.jpg?w=1024" medium="image" /> </item> </channel> </rss>