Yeah feels like Lawson is being set up to fail… Max will always get the preferential treatment yet Lawson will be expected to be top 4 or top 5 to get points for the constructors championship while McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes are all closing the gap (or, of course, already passing red bull)
You have the new rules next year though don’t you? Will be interesting to see how each team manages to adapt. I see Lawson as being given the opportunity to shine, but it’s a massive thing to ask a kid to do, considering he only has a handful of drives under his belt. The pressure to perform well is going to be absolutely massive on a kid that age. It’s why they should have gone for a more experienced driver.
With Lawson getting the step up, can see Yuki’s contract not being renewed after next year
The other benefit is they’re probably paying Lawson a lot less, which means more money for development and then some for tactically breaking the cap again for the new-reg 2026 car.
Rwanda of all countries is being considered. If they were to get it, it would mean that the combined caps for all the teams would make up 10% of the country’s GDP…
F1 have been wanting an African race for a while. There was an attempt to bring back the South African GP at Kyalami but that stalled with the various dramas that country is facing.
South Africa is apparently applying as well. Going to be a street circuit through Cape Town. I mean if they’re going to take something out, they need to just let Monaco go. It’s been good while it lasted, but that’s 100% an obsolete track
Monaco will never go. It’s the jewel in the crown of the calendar. Of course it’s an absurd race. It was absurd 50 years ago. Its history keeps it in the calendar… but then you could have said that about Spa as well.
Just on Spa, F1 walks a fine line with the historic races – Silverstone, Spa, Monza and Suzuka. Spa and Monza don’t bring much money to the table but the outcry over completely dropping them keeps them there. Zandvoort and Hockenheim were dumped over the lack of money they bring and now Spa is partially dumped.
how does the money split work? I know each country pays an amount to F1 to host the race, but not sure how the rest is split (TV rights also owned by F1)
Contracts with each circuit hover between $25 million and $55 million. The European tracks tend to be at the bottom end (although Azerbaijan pays a shit tonne), and not surprisingly, the Middle Eastern tracks tend to be at the top end. TV contracts are seperate. The Las Vegas GP is owned lock, stock and barrel by F1 and has no contract.
Alpine have signed Franco Colapinto on a multi year deal to be their reserve driver.
Can’t see Jack Doohan lasting beyond the Saudi Arabian GP. Alpine will be wanting all the South American money that will come with Colapinto taking the drive from Miami.