LANCE STROLL MAKES F1 HISTORY 😲

 

WHAT NEXT FOR ASTON MARTIN, ALONSO AND HONDA

Aston Martin has, as Fernando Alonso pointed out, found three seconds over two Formula 1 race weekends.

Alonso himself scored points for only the second time in 2026 in the Netherlands as he took the team's best finish of the season.

Plus, Honda says its new engine that arrived at Zandvoort hit its key target. Sounds promising, right?

Not entirely. Lance Stroll still says the car is a lottery to drive, and both drivers, plus team principal Adrian Newey, named the exact same problem with the engine after the race that is now a priority to fix.

The Race has spoken exclusively to Honda's F1 chief engineer Shintaro Orihara to hear the inside story of what has been done with its new engine, what's still not working, and why taking the next step could turn out to be incredibly difficult.

How good is Honda's spec 2 engine?

From Honda's perspective, there were reasons to be encouraged by the evidence of the Dutch Grand Prix as Alonso took a best result of the season in ninth.

The revised power unit didn't have any reliability problems over the weekend and Orihara was happy that "everything was working as expected" with the cooling and lubrication elements of the revised engine.

In terms of extra power, Honda was not revealing much - although it is likely to be somewhere in the range of 10-30bhp so far.

"We achieved our internal target from the dyno and then we have confirmed the same improvement trackside," said Orihara.

However, he accepted Honda is "still far away" from F1's top manufacturers and that there is one big fix that's still needed.

It’s something the drivers, Newey and even Honda itself are aligned on.

As Orihara said: "We know that there is room to improve our driveability and this remains paramount for us looking ahead to the next races."

What exactly is Honda's driveability headache?

Driveability is a pretty generic term, but The Race has learned about the specifics behind what is happening at Honda and why the drivers need more.

In simple terms, when F1 figures talk about driveability it is about the engine responding in line with what the driver requires.

The most common assumption is that this revolves around making sure that the engine delivers power in a predictable way when a driver gets on the accelerator. But it's not just that.

Driveability also counts for corner entry, too, because engine braking is a critical element of performance, so manufacturers have to carefully manage how things operate off-throttle.

Ever since F1 became a hybrid formula - first with KERS and most recently with the turbo hybrid engines - driveability has also included how the engine braking works in conjunction with the MGU-K and energy harvesting.

The new challenge is that, when the driver lifts off the throttle or brakes, the engine switches from powering the rear wheels to acting as a generator (via the MGU-K) to feed the battery.

It's a complicated process because there needs to be an incredible amount of synchronicity between the engine feeding the MGU-K, being able to have the perfect amount of engine braking through the right combustion, plus how this interacts with the brake-by-wire adjusting how much is required of the rear brake discs.

Plus you need to add on top of this the impact of downshifts from the gearbox.

To further increase the challenge, when the battery has reached 100% capacity, or has hit a charge limit for a particular corner that the team does not want to go over, then the engine has to instantly stop harvesting - which removes a big deceleration force.

This transition phase, as the engine returns to normal engine braking behaviour, needs to be carefully managed.

As Orihara revealed: "If the driver lifts off the throttle, there is engine braking, but then the MGU-K is harvesting 350kW so the operation point is almost double.

"Then the MGU-K power is decreasing, and engine torque is also decreasing, but the driver demand is 0N. To achieve 0N it is very complicated.

"It is communication between the engine, combustion, and MGU-K control. That is one of the areas we need to improve, how we organise this combination."

If any of these driveability elements are out of kilter, then it can result in the kind of issues that Alonso and Stroll have repeatedly experienced.

The engine braking may be too harsh and that creates instability, the battery may not harvest enough, the engine could push the car into understeer, or the seamless shift gearbox may reject a downshift as it does not have the synchronisation to engage a lower gear.

The difficulties of mastering all these driveability challenges have also escalated hugely with the 2026 regulations.

This is down to two factors. The first is that the increase of the battery influence to almost 50% of the power available has meant that it is even more critical to ensure that the harvesting phase is done as well as possible.

Plus, the loss of the MGU-H - which generated energy from the turbo - has robbed manufacturers of a very valuable tool that assisted with harvesting.

This is because electrical energy could previously be sent from the two MGUs - therefore bypassing the battery totally.

Achieving good driveability requires the right software configuration, plus the right combustion characteristics for the engine not to deliver power while the driver is not on the throttle.

This is something that Honda has struggled with during 2026, not only under braking but also under acceleration. As Orihara said: "Sometimes our combustion is not stable."

The change of power unit rules for this year, as well as Honda working with new fuel and lubricant suppliers, Aramco and Valvoline, means it has not been achieving all that it wants in this area.

So there are clear gains Honda can find from improving combustion on both acceleration and deceleration.

Bringing all this together, until Honda's driveability is sorted then neither it nor Aston Martin will know what the true potential of its engine is because only then will the full power be unleashed.

That is why Alonso said it was hard to judge just how much better the spec 2 engine was.

How Honda is fixing the problems

A fix for the driveability issues requires Honda improving its calibration and introducing revamped software to ensure that the internal combustion engine is doing exactly what the drivers want.

Following the first day of track running at Zandvoort, Honda used the data to work on improvements at its Sakura R&D base overnight.

A new calibration was introduced for qualifying on Saturday, and this did produce a step forward. But more is needed.

Orihara admitted this was "still not enough for the drivers" but it has at least confirmed progress is happening, and further work will be done to make gains for the Italian GP.

There will be no miracle solution that solves all of the driveability headaches instantly, but it will be a case of Honda working hard on the dynos during this fortnight between Zandvoort and Monza.

It then has to continue chipping away at its understanding as it faces tracks with different corners, different energy and engine braking demands, and different surfaces.

Alonso felt there are "a couple of tenths" to come if Honda optimises the package which, based on when things went right at Zandvoort, will push Aston Martin right into regular points contention - as his ninth-place finish in the Netherlands, though well-executed, still owed plenty to an opportunistic one-stop strategy.

However, it is fair to say the overall performance of the Aston Martin-Honda upgrades has thrown up some encouraging results.

Having started the year 3.1% off the benchmark pace in Q1, Aston Martin slumped to more than 4% adrift at Barcelona, the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone, as rivals developed their cars.

It finally closed the deficit in Hungary, reaching Q2 with its upgraded chassis, but it was never closer to the front than at Zandvoort last weekend when the new Honda engine arrived.

Even with Aston Martin messing up its execution in qualifying when Alonso got stuck behind Esteban Ocon on his outlap, his Q1 time was just 1.4% adrift of the benchmark.

Highlighting that Q1 pacesetter, McLaren's Oscar Piastri, was only 1.3 seconds ahead, and referencing the many times Aston Martin had been more than four seconds off, Alonso said: "We improved three seconds in two races. This is amazing."

If Honda's progress does bear fruit (although there still may be struggles at power-sensitive tracks such as Monza) this will almost certainly be enough to convince Alonso to stay as he weighs up his future.

Right now, we still don't know if he actually wants to stay in this team, or in F1, in 2027.

Alonso was seen deep in conversation with team principal Newey in the Aston Martin motorhome on Sunday night after the Dutch GP, and will likely be holding talks with owner Lawrence Stroll in this gap to discuss his future.

There is a lot riding on Honda making gains - both the team's results this year and what Alonso does next.

- JON NOBLE

VERSTAPPEN, ANTONELLI AND MULTIPLE DRIVERS CLEARED BY FIA INVESTIGATION

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

The FIA have cleared 11 drivers of infringements during sprint qualifying at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Half the grid was noted for failing to follow the maximum delta time of 1:28.0.

Verstappen one of 11 drivers cleared by FIA

They were: Esteban Ocon, Arvid Lindblad, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Gabriel Bortoleto, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Pierre Gasly and Valtteri Bottas.

The investigation took place after the session, with all of the drivers cleared.

The FIA said in a statement: "The Stewards thoroughly reviewed Marshalling/Positioning data, timing data, on-board cameras and CCTV cameras.

"All drivers concerned stayed at or above speeds necessary to stay below 1:28.0 around the vast majority of the circuit.

"However, in all cases the Stewards determined that the drivers took appropriate actions to not impede other drivers, and in all cases, they slowed down significantly to allow other drivers to pass while giving those drivers a clear track.

"The Stewards therefore determine that all drivers concerned did not drive 'unnecessarily slowly', and that they were above the maximum time because they took appropriate steps, and we therefore take no further action.

"Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Chapter 5 of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable time limits.

"Decisions of the Stewards are taken independently of the FIA and are based solely on the relevant regulations, guidelines and evidence presented."

Russell, who was under investigation, took pole position for the sprint race, which will take place tomorrow at 12:00 PM CEST.

The investigation was Verstappen's second of the session after he was cleared for a potential impeding incident with long-time rival Lewis Hamilton.

The FIA stewards noted the potential infringement in SQ1 when Verstappen and Hamilton came close together at Turn 3.

Eventually, the stewards announced that no further action would be taken.

The full results from sprint qualifying are as follows, with the drivers who were under investigation in bold.

- Connor Andrews

TWO MORE DRIVERS HIT WITH SPA GRID PENALTIES

Isack Hadjar and Lance Stroll have joined Lando Norris in receiving grid penalties for Sunday’s Belgian grand prix after taking new power unit components at Spa-Francorchamps.

Isack Hadjar will join Lando Norris and Lance Stroll with grid penalties for the Belgian Grand Prix. Image: XPB Images

Hadjar has been handed the most severe punishment after Red Bull fitted his car with a fifth internal combustion engine, turbocharger and exhaust system of the season.

Each component exceeds the Frenchman’s permitted allocation, resulting in penalties totalling 30 grid places and requiring him to start from the rear of the field regardless of where he qualifies on Saturday.

Hadjar acknowledged before the changes were confirmed that extending his run of five consecutive top-six finishes would be difficult this weekend.

“This weekend, I think another top-six finish is going to be difficult given where I’m starting from, but we’ll give it a go,” Hadjar told Canal+.

“The main focus will be on race pace. It won’t be as much about qualifying performance, because we already know what to expect.

“We’ll probably start 22nd on the grid, but Spa is a track where you can overtake. A lot can happen, and we know we’ve got decent race pace. So I’m expecting to have some fun on Sunday.”

Hadjar’s hopes of recovering through the field will depend heavily on Red Bull’s race pace as he attempts to continue his recent run of form.

His teammate Max Verstappen has also received a new engine, turbocharger and exhaust this weekend but remains within his permitted allocation and will avoid a penalty.

Stroll will meanwhile drop 10 places from wherever he qualifies after Aston Martin installed a new MGU-K on his car.

The Canadian’s penalty may have less of an impact than those facing Hadjar and Norris, with Aston Martin expecting Spa to be one of its most difficult events of the season.

Norris’ 10-place penalty was confirmed on Thursday after McLaren introduced a fourth power electronics unit on the reigning world champion’s car.

The 26-year-old had already exhausted his permitted allocation following several failures during the opening nine rounds, making a penalty effectively unavoidable.

Spa is traditionally regarded as one of the better circuits at which to serve an engine penalty due to its long straights and greater number of overtaking opportunities compared with many other venues.

- Ben Waterworth

STROLL SET FOR GT WORLD CHALLENGE DEBUT AT PAUL RICARD

As a sudden forced hiatus puts a halt on Formula 1 this month due to the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, Lance Stroll isn’t interested in a quiet month at home.

Instead of swapping his racing suit for loungewear, the Aston Martin charger is trading his open-wheel cockpit for something with a roof and a lot more bodywork.

Next week, Stroll will make a surprise debut in the GT World Challenge Europe season-opener at the Circuit Paul Ricard.

Swapping his usual F1 machinery for the muscular Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO, the Canadian is joining the Comtoyou Racing squad. It’s a move that keeps his reflexes sharp while the rest of the F1 world waits for the sport’s reprise in Miami next month.

Stroll won’t be flying solo in the No. 18 entry. He’s set to share the drive with a diverse crew, including former Marussia F1 pilot Roberto Merhi and fellow Spanish racer Mari Boya.

A tacked-up field at Paul Ricard

While the outing will mark Stroll’s first foray into the specific world of GT racing, he’s no stranger to the endurance grind.

With two Daytona 24 Hours starts already to his name – including a notable fifth-place finish back in 2016 – the transition to GT3 should be more of a "refresher" than a "reset."

©Comtoyou Racing

The grid at Paul Ricard is shaping up to be a star-studded affair. Stroll will find himself sharing the tarmac with MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi, who returns to the series full-time with BMW.

Even Max Verstappen’s presence will be felt, as his Team Verstappen Racing outfit is also scheduled to compete, even if the Dutchman himself is sitting this one out.

For Stroll, this will be a cameo that will hopefully remind the paddock that when given something different than a high-frequency vibrating F1 machine, he can still surprise.

- Michael Delaney

ASTON MARTIN SAYS ITS F1 CAR RISKS GIVING DRIVERS 'NERVE DAMADE'

Aston Martin has predicted it is unlikely to finish Formula 1’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix without its drivers risking suffering permanent nerve damage

Headlines from ABC News LiveCatch up on the developing stories making headlines.
The Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Aston Martin has predicted it is unlikely to finish Formula 1's season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday without its drivers risking suffering permanent nerve damage.

Adrian Newey, the F1 car design great who’s heading into his first race as Aston Martin’s team principal, said Thursday the team's Honda power unit causes vibrations which could damage the hands of drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Neither will likely be able to tolerate even half of the 58-lap race distance, Newey added.

Aston Martin had a poor preseason, often slower even than new team Cadillac and it logged the fewest laps of all 11 teams.

“That vibration (transmitted from Honda’s power unit) into the chassis is causing a few reliability problems,” said Newey.

“Mirrors falling off the air, tail lights falling off, that sort of thing, which we are having to address. But, the much more significant problem with that is that that vibration is transmitted ultimately into the driver’s fingers.

“So Fernando is of the feeling that he can’t do more than 25 laps consecutively before he will risk permanent nerve damage into his hands. Lance is of the opinion that he can’t do more than 15 laps before that threshold.

“We are going to have to be very heavily restricted on how many laps we do in the race until we get on top of the source of the vibration — and to improve the vibration at source.”

Despite the long list of issues, Newey says the AMR26 car has tremendous potential as F1 starts a new era of regulations.

He argued the chassis is F1’s fifth-best behind the expected top-teams Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull and that, following an aggressive development program, has the potential to run at the front at some point in 2026.

Alonso, though, is keeping the faith until Friday practice in Melbourne, where he believes fixes on the car might provide a sunnier outlook.

“For us, it’s just vibrating everything,” the two-time F1 champion said.

“But it’s not only for us. The car is struggling a little bit, so that’s why we have some issues, some reliability problems that made our days slightly short

“Since (pre-season testing in) Bahrain, there were a couple of tests done and some of the solutions are implemented on the car now, so (I’m) curious to see what (happens) tomorrow (and) if we can improve.”

Its disappointing performance has been variously attributed to a compressed design time due to late arrival; Honda’s need to rebuild its research and development capabilities after leaving Red Bull, the challenge of producing a new in-house gearbox, and the team running a so-far unproven fuels partner in Aramco.

But it’s the side effects that will likely sideline its cars early in Sunday’s race at Albert Park.

- STEWART BELL, Associated Press

FROM KIDS TO FORMULA 1 KINGS 🤴

BORTOLETO HANDED FIVE-PLACE GRID PENALTY FOR HIS COLLISION WITH STROLL

Following his ambitious move at the start at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Kick Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto has been handed a five-place grid penalty for next weekend's Qatar round.

Kick Sauber Bortoleto looked overly optimistic at the start, braking much later than his rivals as he approached the first coner. Braking late, he locked up and seemed to collide with the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll who sent the Alpine of Pierre Gasly into a spin.

While the Brazilian limped round for two laps, the damage on his car was too great and he pulled into the pits to retire for the second straight race.

The stewards investigated the matter and elected to hand out a five-place grid penalty to Bortoleto who will serve it at next weekend's Qatar Grand Prix.

„The Stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data and video evidence. The driver of Car 5 braked extremely late and as a result collided with Car 18.

„Even though this was a Lap 1 Turn 1 incident, mitigating circumstances do not exist and hence the standard 10 second penalty would have applied however as Car 5 retired, the penalty is converted into a grid penalty for the next Race in which the driver participates, in accordance with our guidelines," read the FIA's statement.

Reflecting on his unfortunate mistake at the start of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Bortoleto admitted that he "misjudged the braking point by a few metres."

“First of all, I would like to apologise to Lance [Stroll]. It was my fault – I had a strong launch and went for a move on the inside of the Williams, but by the time I committed, I misjudged the braking point by a few meters and it was already too late to slow the car down properly.

"I went in a bit long, had no angle to make the corner, and ended up hitting him. It’s a shame, because the weekend seemed promising until qualifying, and then the mistake on lap one ruined both our races.

"I just need to put everything together now for the remaining two races of the season – clean laps, clean weekends – because not finishing these last two races meant losing track experience I should have been gaining. I’ll learn from this, reset, and make sure to come back to the performance levels I've shown before as we come to Doha next week.”

- Balazs Szabo

SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX 2025 | LONGEST STINT

 

MIAMI GRAND PRIX SPRINT WINNERS

 

F1's RICHEST DRIVER WORTH £350M - MORE THAN VERSTAPPEN'S, LECLERC AND NORRIS COMBINED

As the world gears up for the 2025 F1 season, the Express reveals the richest driver on the 2025 grid, who is worth more than Verstappen, Leclerc and Norris combined.

the Express reveals the richest driver on the 2025 grid, who is worth £350 million. (Image: Getty)

As the engines roar back to life for the 2025 Formula 1 season in Australia this weekend, all eyes fall on the lucky drivers who have secured one of 20 coveted seats. F1 is one of the richest sports in the world, generating some £1.9 billion annually and attracting substantial investment.

The lead-up to the new season has seen a huge number of drivers move teams and join for the first time. As a result, they have been negotiating contracts that are more than most of us will make in a lifetime. But who on the 2025 grid is the richest?

2025 will see the debut of an impressive six new drivers, including Ollie Bearman and Kimi Antonelli (Image: Getty

2025 will see the debut of an impressive six new drivers, and, as a result, their net worths are largely unknown. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, son of sportscar racer Marco Antonelli, made his F4 debut in 2022 aged just 15 and quickly climbed the ranks. His success led Mercedes to promote him straight to F2, skipping F3. The 18-year-old has now taken Lewis Hamilton’s seat and is reportedly set to earn a salary of £1.6 million in his maiden season.

Gabriel Bortoleto is also making his debut with Kick Sauber, having won F2 last year. His net worth is currently unknown but he has already secured a three-year endorsement deal with KitKat. His salary is also reportedly £1.6 million this year. French-Algerian driver Isack Hadjar will drive for Racing Bulls this season, having secured four wins and eight podiums in F2 in 2024. He is reportedly set to earn between £386k and £772k in his rookie season.

Liam Lawson will replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull this year, having replaced Daniel Riccardo at VCARB last year. The most recent estimates say he is now worth around £1.2 million. British driver Oliver Bearman made his F1 debut in Saudi Arabia last year. He also raced twice for Haas twice, taking over from Kevin Magnussen, before securing a full-time seat with Haas for 2025. The 19-year-old’s estimated net worth stands at around £1 million, having already secured partnership deals with Deus X and Eurospares, according to loveMONEY.

Australian driver Jack Doohan has been Alpine’s reserve driver for the last two seasons but has been promoted to a full-time seat this year. Son of five-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion Mick Doohan, he began kart racing at age nine in a go-kart given to him by Michael Schumacher. Today, his net worth is between £772k and £1.6 million.

Alexander Albon and George Russell both made their F1 debuts in 2019. (Image: Getty)

Thai-British racer Alexander Albon made his F1 debut in 2019 and has raced for Red Bull and now Williams. Albon’s net worth is estimated to stand at around £2.3 million and has a brand ambassadorship with Thailand's Monsoon Valley Vineyard. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri made his F1 debut in 2023 after achieving victories in F3 and F2. The 23-year-old was the seventh highest-paid driver in 2024 after earning £17 million in salary and bonuses, not including tax and agent fees. Most recent estimates place his net worth at £3.1 million.

Yuki Tsunoda has been racing for Red Bull’s AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) since 2021, progressing from F4 to F1 in just four years. His estimated net worth stands at around £3.9 million. Nico Hulkenberg has raced for many teams since joining in 2010 and will be racing for Kick Sauber this year. Thanks to his work with brands including Rolex, he is now worth around £7.7 million.

British driver George Russell made his F1 debut in 2019 with Williams and now with Mercedes. In 2024, he was the sixth highest-paid driver, earning £17.8 million in salary and bonus pre-tax and agent fees. He is currently worth around £12.4 million and has secured partnerships with brands including Tommy Hilfiger. French driver Esteban Ocon made his debut in 2016, and this year, he will race for Haas alongside Bearman. The most recent estimates place Ocon's net worth at £16.2 million.

Driver championship runner-up Lando Norris has driven for McLaren since his debut in 2019 and was the third highest-paid driver last year, earning an eyewatering £27 million before taxes and agent fees. The 25-year-old is now worth around £23.3 million, owning his own gaming and lifestyle brand, Quadrant.

Pierre Gasly will race for Alpine again in 2025, having joined the sport in 2017. He was the 10th highest-paid driver of 2024 (£9.3 million) and is now worth around £25.5 million. Monaco-born Charles Leclerc was promoted to a coveted Ferrari seat during his rookie season with Sauber in 2018 and was the fifth highest-paid driver last year at £20.9 million. His net worth is estimated at £38.7 million.

Lewis Hamilton has taken Carlos Sainz's seat at Ferrari for 2025. (Image: Getty)

Lance Stroll made his F1 debut in 2017 with Williams and now races for Aston Martin. The team is owned by his father, billionaire businessman, Lawrence Stroll, and Stroll is now said to be worth some £38.7 million. Spanish driver Carlos Sainz has raced in F1 since 2015, having joined the likes of McLaren, Ferrari and now Williams. Son of legendary rally driver Carlos Sainz Sr, he is net worth is also estimated at £38.7 million.

Readers may be surprised to find the current champion Max Verstappen as only the third richest driver on the 2025 grid, despite his successes. Joining Toro Rosso at just 17, he was the youngest driver to ever compete in F1 at the time. Unsurprisingly, he was the highest-paid driver in F1 in 2024, earning a staggering £58 million in salary and bonuses pre-tax. He is now said to be worth an incredible £168 million thanks to impressive endorsements with brands including Heineken and Oracle.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has raced in F1 on and off since 2001 and joined Aston Martin in 2023. The Spanish driver’s total net worth is estimated at £200 million, making him the second-richest driver in the sport, having earned £21.3 million last year, pre-tax and agent fees.

At 40-years-old, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton is said to be worth up to £350 million—£100 million more than Verstappen, Leclerc, and Norris combined. Having made a shock switch to Ferrari for this year, his new contract means he will be earning an eyewatering £77.3 million per year.

- EMILY WRIGHT

SECOND YOUNGEST ALL-TIME F1 POINT SCORER | KIMI QNTONELLI

 

MOST PENALIZED DRIVERS SUNCE 2014 | TOP TEN

 

MOST RACES WITHOUT A FASTEST LAP | FORMULA 1

 

FERRARI TECHNICAL DIRECTOR ENRICO CARDILE HANDS IN RESIGNATION

Enrico Cardile joined Ferarri in 2005 as head of the Termica Department. Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

 Ferrari Formula One chassis technical director Enrico Cardile has handed in his notice and is relinquishing his role with immediate effect, the Italian team said on Monday.

Team principal Fred Vasseur will oversee the chassis area as an interim measure.

Cardile has spent almost two decades at Ferrari, who are second in the championship after winning two of 12 races so far but in danger of being overhauled by resurgent McLaren.

Media reports in Italy have linked Cardile to rivals Aston Martin, whose double world champion Fernando Alonso was previously at Ferrari.

Loic Serra is due to join Ferrari from Mercedes in October as head of chassis performance engineering and would have reported to Cardile.

The sport's most successful and glamorous team are also attempting to recruit star designer Adrian Newey, who has announced his departure from Red Bull without saying where he might go.

Aston Martin have also made Newey an offer, according to F1 media and British outlets.

Canadian driver Lance Stroll, son of Aston Martin team owner Lawrence, said recently that Newey was "someone that everyone would love to have in their team colours."

Ferrari have seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the winner of his home British Grand Prix last Sunday, joining from Mercedes next season.

- Reuters 

ASTON MARTIN CONFIRMS STROLL FOR 2025 AND BEYOND

Reuters 

 Canadian Lance Stroll will race on in Formula One with Aston Martin in 2025 and beyond after a contract extension, the team owned by his father Lawrence said on Thursday.

Silverstone-based Aston Martin have already confirmed Spain's double world champion Fernando Alonso, now 42, for the next two seasons and Stroll's extension will surprise only those who have questioned his motivation to carry on.

Alonso has consistently out-performed the 25-year-old and this season has scored 41 points to his team mate's 17 from 10 races.

"I’m super happy to have committed to staying with the team for 2025 and beyond," Stroll said in a statement at the Austrian Grand Prix.

"It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come in the last five years; we’ve grown so much as a team and there’s still so much more to look forward to."

- Reuters 

FERNANDO ALONSO FASTEST IN WASHOUT CANADA GP FRIDAY PRACTICE

 

Fernando Alonso set the pace in the afternoon of Friday's washout practice session.

Aston Martin's double world champion Fernando Alonso set the fastest lap in a wet and wild practice at the Canada Grand Prix on Friday with both sessions run under a severe weather watch at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Alonso, 15th in the rain-hit first practice, took advantage of early dry conditions in the second with the Spaniard clocking a time of 1:15.810 seconds around the island circuit almost a half second ahead of Mercedes George Russell.

"It was difficult to take many learnings into the rest of the weekend as each lap the conditions were changing," said Russell. "First it was spitting, then it was drying, then it was raining again.

"The car was feeling good overall, but we will only learn about our position relative to others tomorrow."

Canadian Lance Stroll, who grew up in Montreal and whose father owns the team, brightened up a dreary day for the home crowd posting the third best effort ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, winner two weeks ago in Monaco.

Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen, who was dominant in Montreal a year ago leading every lap from pole, did not get his bid for a Canada hat-trick of wins off to a smooth start.

- Unlapped: Listen to ESPN's F1 podcast

After clocking the fifth best effort in the first session the Dutchman could manage only four laps in the second before pulling into the pits saying on the radio that he smelled smoke coming from the car.

He said: "Yeah unfortunately [in] FP2 not many laps for me, there was a suspected electrical issue so they told me to box, and they're investigating now. I haven't been back in the garage yet, but I'm sure soon we'll figure out what it is."

It was a promising start to the weekend for Ferrari with Leclerc third best in the morning session behind teammate Carlos Sainz, who was 13th best later in the afternoon.

Two teams that don't routinely feature at the top of the time sheets made surprise appearances with RB's Daniel Ricciardo fifth ahead of Haas's Kevin Magnussen.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh fastest for Mercedes.

McLaren's Lando Norris, who topped the first session, finished at the very bottom of the second.

Both sessions were run under changeable threatening conditions.

About an hour before first practice a ferocious storm rumbled across Ile-Notre Dame drenching the island circuit and pelting spectators with hailstones as they were evacuated from the stands delaying the start of the session by 20 minutes.

The afternoon practice got underway in dry conditions but with ominous dark clouds, drivers lined up early to get out on the track to try and get in some laps on the slicks before the rain arrived.

- Reuters 

RICCARDO: NO APOLOGY FROM STROLL FOR CHINESE GP CRASH

 MIAMI - Daniel Ricciardo said Lance Stroll did not reach out to apologise for their collision behind the safety car at the Chinese Grand Prix two weeks ago.

Stroll drove into the back of Ricciardo's car as the pack slowed ahead of a restart in Shanghai.

Ricciardo said Stroll had "made his blood boil" in the immediate aftermath of the incident when he found out the Canadian had suggested he was at fault.

In the two weeks since, Ricciardo said there has been no attempt from Stroll to reach out.

When asked if he would seek Stroll out to talk about the incident, Ricciardo said: "I would say no, because I feel it's not going to go anywhere. "If he texted just saying, 'Yeah, you know, my bad', whatever... I can accept an apology, I'm not that much of an asshole. But the fact that there's not even that...

"He clearly doesn't think he did anything wrong. So I guess there's not much to say.

"Obviously, if we sit next to each other in the drivers' briefing and he wants to chat, I'm not going to ignore him or anything."

Meanwhile, Stroll refused to engage journalists when asked about the situation in a news conference on Thursday ahead of the weekend's Miami Grand Prix.

He said: "Those talks are not for this room. It's for behind closed doors," and did not comment further on the matter.

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX: FERNANDO ALONSO HANDED PENALTY FOR GEORGE RUSSELL CRASH

Reuters: Mark Peterson

 Fernando Alonso has been relegated to eighth in the Australian Grand Prix, after a 20-second penalty was handed to him post race.

The Spaniard crossed the line sixth at Albert Park on Sunday, but was sent to the stewards for an incident late in the race involving George Russell.

The race finished under a virtual safety car after Russell went into the barriers at turn 6, while chasing Alonso on the penultimate lap.

 The stewards investigated the incident, in which there was no contact between the cars, to see whether Alonso had slowed down earlier than usual, which resulted in Russell needing to change his driving.

Immediately after the race, Russell told media that he was much closer to Alonso going into the corner than he expected to be.

"I was half a second behind Fernando on the entry of the corner and then suddenly, before the apex, I was right on his gearbox and lost the car," he said.

The stewards decided that Alonso had changed his driving heading into turn 6 on the penultimate lap, which was described as "extraordinary" in a lengthy judgement.

"Telemetry shows that Alonso lifted slightly more than 100m earlier than he ever had going into that corner during the race," the panel said, reported F1.com.

"He also braked very slightly at a point that he did not usually brake (although the amount of brake was so slight that it was not the main reason for his car slowing) and he downshifted at a point he never usually downshifted. He then upshifted again, and accelerated to the corner before lifting again to make the corner.

"Alonso explained that while his plan was to slow earlier, he got it slightly wrong and had to take extra steps to get back up to speed. Nonetheless, this manoeuvre created a considerable and unusual closing speed between the cars.

"In considering the matter the stewards focused solely on the wording of the regulation which states: 'At no time may a car be driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers or any other person'.

"Specifically, in this case, the stewards have not considered the consequences of the crash. Further, the stewards considered that they do not have sufficient information to determine whether Alonso's manoeuvre was intended to cause Russell problems, or whether as he stated to the stewards that he simply was trying to get a better exit.

"Should Alonso have the right to try a different approach to the corner? Yes. Should Alonso be responsible for dirty air, that ultimately caused the incident? No.

George Russell crashed out on the penultimate lap of the race.(Getty Images: Joe Portlock/Formula 1)

"However, did he choose to do something, with whatever intent, that was extraordinary, i.e. lifting, braking, downshifting and all the other elements of the manoeuvre over 100m earlier than previously, and much greater than was needed to simply slow earlier for the corner? Yes, by his own account of the incident he did.

"In the opinion of the stewards by doing these things, he drove in a manner that was at very least 'potentially dangerous' given the very high speed nature of that point of the track.

The 20-second time penalty demoted Alonso from sixth to eighth.

His Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll was promoted to sixth, while RB driver Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to seventh.

- Michael Doyle

TOP FIVE MOST POSITIONS GAINED | FORMULA 1