AUDI'S 2026 POINTS

 

FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS STANDINGS

 

SPECULATION MOUNTS OVER ADRIAN NEWEY'S ASTON MARTIN ROLE

F1 team has reportedly approached Audi's Jonathan Wheatley about taking over as team principal.

Getty Images 

• Newey likely to scale back role soon but replacement not confirmed

• Audi’s Wheatley is currently the most likely hire, according to ESPN

• Newey will switch focus to technical matters amid difficult start to season for Aston Martin

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey remains at the helm of the Formula One team but speculation is mounting around the future of his role.

Autosport reported on Thursday that the 67-year-old was set to scale back his role, with current Audi boss Jonathan Wheatley named as his replacement.

However, a team spokesperson described the reports to BlackBook Motorsport as “rumour and speculation”.

The spokesperson added: “Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team remains fully committed to Adrian Newey as managing technical partner and team principal.”

Since then, ESPN has reported that Newey will step down from his role to focus on technical matters within the team. The report added that no deal has been agreed yet, but Wheatley is currently the most likely hire.

BBC Sport has also reported that Aston Martin has approached Wheatley about the role.

An Aston Martin spokesperson told ESPN and BBC Sport that the organisation “would not be engaging in media speculation about its senior leadership” and that Newey “continues to lead the team as team principal and managing technical partner”.

Newey officially joined the team, which is owned by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, on 1st March 2025 as managing technical partner before the surprise announcement that he would become team principal for the start of the 2026 season.

Known for being quiet and reserved, many felt the demands of team leadership were not suited to Newey’s technical prowess. Various reports indicate that Newey is assisting the search for his successor.

Newey and Wheatley know each other well from their time together at Red Bull Racing. The duo formed part of a hugely successful outfit that won six constructors’ championships between 2010 and 2023.

Wheatley has been team principal of Audi since the start of the 2025 season – when they raced under the Sauber name – and oversaw a dramatic shift from clear backmarkers the year prior to his arrival to a more competitive midfield team.

Aston Martin have suffered a terrible start to the 2026 season due to severe deficiencies with their Honda engine and will hope to benefit from Wheatley’s powers of recovery should he be appointed. However, prising him out of his current deal will be far from easy and could include a period of gardening leave.

If a deal is ultimately agreed, Newey may have to continue as team principal for some time as Audi would not want to bolster a direct rival at the start of a new phase of regulations.

According to ESPN, the plan was always for Newey’s role as team boss to be temporary, while the publication has also reported that any new hire would report to him in the new structure.

Other candidates approached for the role reportedly include Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and former McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl.

If Newey is ultimately replaced this season, his successor will be Aston Martin’s fifth team principal in the past six seasons.

- CIAN BRITTLE

AUDI F1 CAR LAUNCH

 

PRESENTING THE AUDI REVOLUT F1 TEAM

The Audi Revolut F1 Team has unveiled its official name, logo, and announced that its global launch will take place in Berlin on January 20.

This milestone marks a significant step for Audi toward joining the world championship in 2026, the team name and logo uniting Audi F1 and global fintech Revolut, following the confirmation of their title partnership in July 2025.

The partnership with Revolut is a strategic cornerstone of the team's identity. As a global fintech, Revolut shares the ambition for innovation, performance, and connecting with a diverse, international audience.

The collaboration goes beyond traditional sponsorship, creating a powerful alliance aimed at challenging conventions and shaping new forms of fan engagement through activations, race access and exclusive app-based benefits for Revolut users. The alliance also extends to key areas of the Audi Revolut F1 Team's operations: integrating Revolut Business into its financial operations and Revolut Pay into its online store for a seamless checkout experience.

For the first time, the Audi Revolut F1 Team will present its full identity at the Berlin launch on January 20. Designed to be an immersive experience, the event will showcase the core pillars of the brand: clarity, technical intelligence, and emotion. To ensure the team's entry resonates beyond the paddock, the exclusive launch will be followed by a public opening on January 21, allowing fans to be part of the inaugural moment.

A centrepiece of the Berlin launch is the official unveiling of the car's full 2026 race livery, following the reveal of the Audi R26 Concept in November. With less than 50 days to go before the first race, the team will show how the visual identity will shape its debut season and translate Audi's design principles into a striking presence on the grid.

As part of the formation of the Audi team, Sauber Motorsport AG will be renamed Audi Motorsport AG. The team's Technology Centre in Bicester, UK will also be renamed Audi Motorsport Technology Centre UK. The company honours its past by keeping the name of Sauber Holding AG and Sauber Technologies AG.

"Unveiling the Audi Revolut F1 Team name and logo marks another major milestone on our journey into the pinnacle of motorsport," said Gernot Döllner, CEO of AUDI AG and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sauber Motorsport AG. "Both give our ambition a clear identity, reflecting a strong vision and innovative spirit. We now look ahead to Berlin in January, where we will officially present this exciting new chapter for the Audi brand to the world."

"This announcement gives a name and a face to the incredible work being done by the team," added Mattia Binotto. "The team is taking shape, driven by a culture of precision and relentless ambition. The Berlin launch will be the first moment we stand together as a collective and invite our global fan base to join us ahead of our debut in 2026."

"Today, our project takes on its official identity," said Jonathan Wheatley. "The Audi Revolut F1 Team name is a symbol of the combined strength of our teams in Germany, UK and Switzerland, together with our partners. It provides a banner under which we all unite as we build towards 2026. This is a crucial milestone that energizes the entire project and makes our long-term ambition tangible for everyone involved."

"Revolut and Audi are uniting in Formula 1 with a global ambition to challenge the status quo and a shared obsession with engineering excellence," added Nikolay Storonsky, CEO and Co-Founder of Revolut. "The Audi Revolut F1 Team name and logo are the first symbols of this powerful alliance that will accelerate Revolut's global growth."

- Pitpass.com

AUDI UNVEILS 2026 CONCEPT CAR

 

INTER MIAMI'S LIONEL MESSI WINS 2025 MLS GOLDEN BOOT PRESENTED BY AUDI

Inter Miami CF superstar Lionel Messi has won the 2025 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi, netting 29 goals to become the league's top scorer during his second full season with the Herons.

Messi added 19 assists as he beat out LAFC's Denis Bouanga (24 goals) and Nashville SC's Sam Surridge (24 goals). He is Miami's first-ever Golden Boot winner and the first Argentine to take home the award since Valentín "Taty" Castellanos did so with New York City FC in 2021.

The iconic No. 10 tallied 3g/1a during Saturday's 5-2 Decision Day victory at Nashville, giving him 48 goal contributions this year – narrowly shy of Carlos Vela's MLS-record 49 for LAFC in 2019.

Now, Messi looks poised to become the league's first-ever back-to-back Landon Donovan MLS MVP winner, following a historic 2024 campaign that helped Miami claim that year's Supporters' Shield in record-breaking fashion.

Messi and Miami are the Eastern Conference No. 3 seed in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, where they'll face No. 6 Nashville in a Round One Best-of-3 Series. This year's MLS Cup champion will be crowned on Dec. 6.

Messi, the most decorated soccer player of all time, now adds the MLS Golden Boot to his unmatched resumé. He's the latest in an exclusive list of players who have clinched the honor since the league's inaugural season in 1996.

From 1996-2004, the MLS Golden Boot was awarded under a points-based system that gave two points for a goal and one for an assist, before switching to outright goals. Check out the full list of winners below.

MLS Golden Boot winners 2005-2025 (outright goals)

2025: Lionel Messi, Miami - 29 goals

2024: Christian Benteke, D.C. - 23 goals

2023: Denis Bouanga, LAFC - 20 goals

2022: Hany Mukhtar, Nashville - 23 goals

2021: Taty Castellanos, NYCFC - 19 goals

2020: Diego Rossi, LAFC - 14 goals

2019: Carlos Vela, LAFC - 34 goals

2018: Josef Martínez, Atlanta - 31 goals

2017: Nemanja Nikolić, Chicago - 24 goals

2016: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York - 24 goals

2015: Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto - 22 goals

2014: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York - 27 goals

2013: Camilo Sanvezzo, Vancouver - 22 goals

2012: Chris Wondolowski, San Jose - 27 goals

2011: Dwayne De Rosario, D.C. - 16 goals

2010: Chris Wondolowski, San Jose - 18 goals

2009: Jeff Cunningham, Dallas - 17 goals

2008: Landon Donovan, LA - 20 goals

2007: Luciano Emilio, D.C. - 20 goals

2006: Jeff Cunningham, Salt Lake - 16 goals

2005: Taylor Twellman, New England - 17 goals

MLS Golden Boot winners 1996-2004 (points-based system)

2004: Amado Guevara, Pat Noonan; MetroStars, New England - 30 points

2003: Preki, Kansas City - 41 points

2002: Taylor Twellman, New England - 52 points

2001: Alex Pineda Chacón, Miami - 47 points

2000: Mamadou Diallo, Tampa Bay - 56 points

1999: Jason Kreis, Dallas- 51 points

1998: Stern John, Columbus - 57 points

1997: Preki, Kansas City - 41 points

1996: Roy Lassiter, Tampa Bay- 58 points

- MLSsoccer staff

MOST VALUABLE AUTO BRANDS

 

2026 ENGINE SUPPLIERS FOR FORMULA 1 TEAMS

 

GERMAN MACHINES | CARS

Germany is home to some of the world's most recognizable car brands. 

Volkswagen is headquartered in Wolfsburg, while Mercedes-Benz is based in Stuttgart. 

BMW manages its operations from Munich, and Audi is based in Ingolstadt.

Porsche, known for its sports cars, is also based in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. 

Opel, another traditional brand, is headquartered in Rüsselsheim. 

These cities are not only centers of the automotive industry but also significantly shape the German economy. 🇩🇪🚗 

#MadeInGermany #Automotive"

SEBASTIAN VETTEL TO JOIN AUDI F1 TEAM

CARLOS SAINZ ON MATTIA BINOTTO

 

AUDI ANNOUNCE FORMER FERRARI CHIEF BINOTTO AS NEW F1 BOSS AS SEIDI DEPARTS

 Audi have announced former Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto is returning to Grand Prix racing as the new leader of their Formula 1 project.

Earlier this year German car maker Audi took full ownership of the Sauber team, which will be run under the Audi banner from 2026, with an all-new power unit currently being developed in-house in Germany.

Binotto, 54, will assume leadership of the operation on August 1, as Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer based at the Sauber factory in Hinwil, Switzerland, and will report directly to the board of directors.

As part of the restructure, former McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl – who joined Sauber in January 2023 and was CEO of the Audi team – is leaving, along with Audi executive Oliver Hoffmann, who was overseeing the project.

Binotto was Chief Technical Officer at Ferrari until being promoted to Team Principal in 2019. He left Maranello in 2022 after three years in the job, and having been with the Scuderia since the mid-1990s.

As part of the restructure, Andreas Seidl is leaving the project

“I am delighted that we have been able to recruit Mattia Binotto for our ambitious Formula 1 project,“ said Audi CEO Gernot Dollner.

“With his extensive experience of more than 25 years in Formula 1, he will undoubtedly be able to make a decisive contribution for Audi.“

Explaining the restructure, Dollner added: “Our aim is to bring the entire Formula 1 project up to F1 speed by means of clear management structures, defined responsibilities, reduced interfaces, and efficient decision-making processes. For this purpose, the team must be able to act independently and quickly.

“I would like to thank Oliver and Andreas for their important work in establishing our entry into Formula 1 and their commitment in preparing it,“ he said.

Kick Sauber will be rebranded as the Audi works team from the 2026 season

The first driver confirmed to be part of Audi’s new F1 project is Nico Hulkenberg, who will make the switch to Kick Sauber from Haas at the end of the season in what the German described as an “interesting” and “very exciting” move.

“It’s really a white piece of paper [for the 2026 regulation changes], and on one side I think that’s good,” said Hulkenberg, whose team mate for 2025 and beyond has yet to be confirmed by the operation.

“It’s not a new team but it’s going to be labelled a new team because probably all the know-how and advantage that current teams have, it’s wiped away a little bit, and it’s more a level playing field, [or] starting playing field for everyone.

“I think that offers a good opportunity to be competitive straight away, but expectations are always to be successful as quickly as possible.”

Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas and Chinese racer Zhou Guanyu have represented the Hinwil team since 2022, but the futures of both drivers are unknown beyond the end of the current campaign.

- F1.com

AUDI VS. LANCIA | THE BATTLE FOR 1983

AUDI'S SAINZ WINS DAKAR RALLY FOR A FOURTH TIME AT 61

Reuters 

 Spaniard Carlos Sainz, 61-year-old father of the namesake Ferrari Formula One driver, won the Dakar Rally for the fourth time in Saudi Arabia on Friday with Audi taking a first title in the car category.

American Honda rider Ricky Brabec won the motorcycling category for the second time in the 46th edition of the gruelling two-week race.

Sainz finished the 12th and final stage in Yanbu, on the Red Sea coast, with a lead of one hour 20 minutes and 25 seconds over Belgian Guillaume de Mevius for Overdrive Toyota with France's Sebastien Loeb third.

F1 2024'S MOST UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTIONS

Every new Formula 1 season brings with it a host of unanswered questions that remain that way until the first laps of pre-season testing at the very earliest.

But some questions are more uncomfortable than others, ones that will be playing on the minds of F1 personnel as the field gears up for the longest season ever.

We've picked out eight particularly awkward questions that the 2024 F1 season could present:

 WHAT IF MERCEDES' LATEST CONCEPT FAILS AGAIN?

Gary Anderson

It's been two long seasons since the dominant team from 2014 to 2020 last really showed what it is capable of. While 2021 was a bit of a mixed season and Mercedes did win the constructors' championship, it was the year Red Bull proved it was a serious challenger. The regulation changes to ground effect cars for 2022 then allowed Red Bull to stamp its authority on F1 while Mercedes floundered.

Designing a car to a set of regulations is a simple engineering challenge, but you should never make promises until you are sure you know that you have got your priorities correct. Over these last two seasons, I haven’t really seen that at Mercedes.

You need to give the drivers what they require and what gives them the confidence to drive as they want to.

"It's not about the ‘concept’, it’s about how the aero map develops as the car goes through its transient conditions. After that, it’s the visual concept that initiates the airflow structure that achieves that aero stability.

There will be a lot of pressure on James Allison and his design team for the start of the new season. If its new car doesn’t get a thumbs up from Lewis Hamilton when it comes out of the start gates, then we could very easily see a management implosion.

The no-blame culture is all well and good until you need someone to blame.

WILL F1'S POPULARITY SUFFER IF RED BULL'S DOMINATION CONTINUES?

Valentin Khorounzhiy

 

Being invested in F1 sometimes means having to begrudgingly accept - or, for some it seems, wear it as a badge of honour that proves F1 is special and meritocratic - that a season is just bad.

Last year's F1 offering had good races, entertaining battles and an all-time great operating at a sky-high level. In terms of storylines, though - to follow and get excited about over a bigger-picture sample of the season - it was utterly bereft, and the storylines that did exist well and truly ran out of even the last drops of fuel by the time the chequered flag flew on round #437 in Abu Dhabi.

The evidence it's meaningfully hurt F1, though, remains inconclusive.

Ratings figures are fickle and varied, and always barraged by outside factors, while claims of reduced appetite on social media were staunchly disputed by F1. And, well, it's not like the F1 audience is a stranger to a really processional year or two.

Is that resilience to boredom still true, though, in a world where F1 has grown as much as it did as of late, and attracted as much new blood as it did both in terms of audience and partners?

There's a very real chance that we will see this exact hypothesis tested in 2024. After all, Max Verstappen and Red Bull have a strong claim to being the most dominant combination in any truly mainstream sport in 2023, and the rules aren't really changing for '24.

The mood in F1 is 'it's probably Max this year and next year, too', and obviously fair play to him - but it's also quite a staggering situation.

Take the in-season (!) betting odds across the board on whatever the current favourite is becoming the champion to some of the most-watched leagues in the world, your Premier Leagues, your NBAs, your NFLs, and compare them to the insane odds Verstappen is getting now, without a single kilometre completed by any of the 2024 cars, and you'll feel it.

 "It's not really that normal in modern sports to have such a strong expectation of who the champion is probably going to be.

If the competitive picture this suggests does hold true, then over 24 races this year the long-standing F1 hypothesis that people still tune in even when there's no real intrigue will be tested like never before.

CAN MCLAREN BE A FRONTRUNNER FOR A WHOLE SEASON?

Scott Mitchell-Malm

The expectation on McLaren going into 2024 is immense. Internally there are extremely high hopes after the progress made in 2023 and externally, McLaren seems to have established itself as the team with the best chance of challenging Red Bull.

A poll on our YouTube channel about which team will be Red Bull’s closest competitor this year received 164,000 votes – and McLaren won it, with a 41% share. Mercedes came close at 34%, with Ferrari at 21% and Aston Martin at 4%.

So, what happens if those expectations are disappointed? And what will Lando Norris do if this is just an even more extreme version of the false dawn from a couple of years ago?

The Andrea Stella era of McLaren made such good work with its existing resources through 2023, more than recovering from the setback of the previous 12 months, that adding a new windtunnel and simulator into the mix and the arrival of big hires from Red Bull (Rob Marshall) and David Sanchez (Ferrari) means bigger and better things are expected.

A title fight isn’t demanded but another step absolutely is. And the only way to improve on a spate of second place finishes in the second half of 2023 is to win in 2024.

Stella’s McLaren seems to have pretty broad shoulders. The weight of expectation will test that in 2024 – and potentially determine whether Norris sticks around, or if a rival team is given a great opportunity to swoop for him instead.

WHAT IF FERRARI'S PROGRESS STALLS AGAIN?

Josh Suttill

 

Contrary to Mercedes, Ferrari has shown it's far from reluctant to make changes if the results aren't coming and that's an axe that routinely hangs above the heads of its senior staff.

On paper, Ferrari took a step backwards in 2023 under Fred Vasseur versus 2022 with fewer poles, podiums, wins and points as well as dropping a place in the constructors' championship.

In reality, there were real signs of progress and the team appears to be on the right trajectory with the positive changes Vasseur has made already visible.

Whether that continues into 2024 is another question however as Ferrari has been here so many times before.

A fresh team principal is brought in, it has its star driver exactly where it wants it, and there are some promising signs and plenty of potential but then it all goes so badly wrong and it returns to square one.

 However the genuine development progress through 2023 should give it plenty of hope of at least avoiding that fate in 2024. There are some key technical hires that Vasseur has made or is making who won't have an impact on 2024, but there will be a strong hope that his internal reforms and culture change will bear more fruit this year.

If it doesn't expect an all-too-familiar Ferrari cycle to continue.

DOES AN ASTON MARTIN STRUGGLE SEND ALONSO INTO RETIREMENT?

Scott Mitchell-Malm

 

Fernando Alonso fought for, and scored, regular podiums in F1 last year for the first time in a decade. And he admitted at the end of the season that it was a boost to his enjoyment and motivation.

It was something that (as he suspected) would have eluded him had he stayed with Alpine, the Renault works team. But it slipped away as 2023 progressed as well. If that happens again, what will Alonso do?

"There is optimism within the Aston Martin ranks that key lessons learned last year will feed into another step forward in 2024 and prevent the kind of in-season regression that dropped Alonso from Red Bull’s main irritator in the first third of the season to being a lower points scorer for most of the rest of the campaign.

That needs to be avoided to keep Alonso happy and to keep the team on the trajectory Alonso naturally demands. After all, it’s not his own ability that he says will drive him to the exit door, but other factors - namely his enjoyment, and whether F1 feels worth it.

One other factor Alonso has cited is the schedule demands of modern F1. And a brutally long 2024 season, with 24 races and six sprints, will be the biggest test yet of anyone’s resolve.

Alonso may have proven himself immune to the usual deterioration with age, but even he is not immune to the demands of the most bloated F1 calendar yet.

And if Aston Martin slips back, this could be the year he wonders whether it’s really worth it.

SHOULD STAKE'S FORM WORRY AUDI?

Josh Suttill

 

At times what was then Alfa Romeo and is now becoming Stake had the slowest car in 2023. That's not ideal for a team that's going to become Audi's official works entry from 2026.

It's disappointing too considering the team started F1's new era at the head of the midfield, even giving Valtteri Bottas a brief period of beating his former employer Mercedes in early 2022.

Since then it's shown no sign of returning to the top of the midfield and has instead been fighting to stay off the bottom of the constructors' championship with a measly 16 points earned last year.

There was a worrying lack of development progress throughout 2023 - particularly when compared to 'class C' rival AlphaTauri, which did make tangible strides - and if that continues into 2024 then Audi might start to worry.

Behind the scenes investment and its gradual takeover of the team are the most important factors but if Stake continues to struggle on track then Audi's going to have a lot of work to do in 2026.

The problem's not just the pace of the car but the operational issues that littered the team's 2023. Too many times it was an Alfa Romeo losing track time on a Friday or getting locked into the wrong ride height settings and suffering all weekend.

"There's a lot of work to be done before the Audi name goes above the garage but increasingly less time to do so.

Audi pulling the plug would be the worst-case scenario - and remains highly unlikely - but another poor season at the back of the grid will trouble Audi's plan to be "very competitive" within three years.

WILL SOME MIDFIELD F1 CAREERS BE ENDED?

Josh Suttill

 

For the first time in F1 history, the exact same driver line-up that finished one season will start the next.

That surely won't continue in 2025 with Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner already predicting next year could have "three or four new guys" stepping up.

"That's going to put plenty of pressure on a number of drivers in the final year of their contract - not least Steiner's two drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.

Magnussen in particular will be feeling the heat having had a highly-challenging 2023 in which Hulkenberg usurped him as Haas's spearhead driver.

Ferrari junior Ollie Bearman impressed the team during his two FP1 outings last year and Steiner's young driver prediction could be interpreted as a target for Bearman in his second F2 season and a hurry-up for Magnussen.

Hulkenberg may have other options even if he doesn't continue with Haas, having already expressed interest in Audi's works team, and the current Stake F1 team that will transform into Audi in 2026 also has two drivers with an uncertain future beyond 2024.

Bottas's return to F1's midfield started so strongly but headline results have been hard to come by since his and the team's early 2022 flourish.

He remains the team leader but 2024 will prove critical in deciding whether the 34-year-old still wants to continue in what will likely remain an uncompetitive car, and whether he's the right experienced driver to steer Audi's F1 debut.

His team-mate Zhou Guanyu faced some pressure to retain his seat for 2024 and without a significant improvement this year he'll face a tough time justifying earning a fourth season in F1, with a host of junior drivers sniffing around his seat, not least Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire.

You could probably include Lance Stroll in this group too even if the decision to end his F1 career after 2024 likely rests with him, barring a surprise Aston Martin intervention.

Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are both out of contract at the end of 2024. While you'd suspect both would find a berth elsewhere on the grid, Ocon's own temporary exit at the end of 2018 proved that even a solid midfield driver can face the F1 scrapheap if the silly season cards don't fall their way.

IS SARGEANT ALREADY DOOMED TO LOSE HIS WILLIAMS DRIVE?

Jack Benyon

 

You probably sit firmly on one side of a fence with Logan Sargeant. You might argue he’s not done enough with an F1 seat he didn’t deserve in the first place, or you could argue he’s driving a knife-edge Williams that it took Alex Albon time to adapt to, so Sargeant deserves some slack and has shown improvements.

In a second season in a car with relatively similar characteristics Albon was able to deliver phenomenal results, and you get the feeling a lot of that form came from having a season at Williams behind him already. Sargeant didn't have that luxury.

 The big issue for Sargeant is that he hasn’t matched any of Albon’s peaks when it really matters, and chomping at the bit this year are two massive, some might even say prodigious, talents on the Formula 2 grid.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli has created more buzz at Prema than many of its star-studded graduates in the short time he’s been on the single-seater ladder, while Bearman has gone one step further with a pair of very impressive Haas FP1 outings in Mexico and Abu Dhabi respectively.

One will probably win the title and the other will finish second, but whichever way around they finish, they're both tantalising F1 prospects for 2025.

Anyone else who steps up and performs well against them in F2 2024 will increase their own stock massively, too.

"Let’s state this how it is. If Sargeant was in the 2024 Formula 2 rookie class, he wouldn’t be graduating to Formula 1 the following year. The relative weakness of his Formula 2 rivals in 2022 and the fact he finished fourth in the championship plus his lack of a seat-buying budget mean he’d be at a huge disadvantage now.

The firepower of Antonelli and Bearman coming through combined with Sargeant’s underwhelming 2023 make it impossible for me to believe he keeps that seat in 2025.

A far better season against Albon, or perhaps even Albon leaving Williams for an opportunity elsewhere, would be the only way a chance opens up for Sargeant to stay in F1 beyond 2024.

There’s just been very little evidence he can pull off what he needs to, so far. - Jack Benyon

 - Valentin Khorounzhiy

 

 

MICHÈLE MOUTON | RALLY LEGEND

 

RACE FOR GLORY | OFFICIAL TRAILER

 

RACE FOR GLORY | AUDI VS. LANCIA | RALLY TO WIN

 

WLOLFF SAYS WOULD-BE NEW F1 TEAMS SHOULD BUY AN EXISTING ONE

Reuters 

Formula One has 11 teams at Silverstone this weekend, one of them the creation of Brad Pitt and Hollywood moviemakers, but in reality the existing 10 remain resistant to expanding their numbers.

Several would-be newcomers are seeking to become an 11th or 12th team but that would bring with it a dilution of revenues for the rest.

Most of the 10 also believe the $200 million fee to be shared out among them as compensation is set too low given recent valuations.