Piastri on McLaren rejecting his request to swap places with Norris at Silverstone
9 days agoOscar Piastri has acknowledged he never truly expected McLaren to grant his request to swap positions with Lando Norris during the British Grand Prix, after losing out due to a time penalty. Speaking after the race, Piastri made clear he asked the question more in hope than expectation.
Piastri said: “I thought I would ask the question... I knew what the answer was going to be before I asked. I just wanted a small glimmer of hope that maybe I could get it back. But no, I knew it wasn’t going to happen.”
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Jolyon Palmer on Laurent Mekies’ urgent task to secure Max Verstappen contract
Jolyon Palmer has urged new Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies to prioritise securing Max Verstappen’s future with the team, stressing the immediate importance of addressing contract uncertainty amid ongoing rumours of a potential move to Mercedes.
Palmer said: "There are really big things he needs to address immediately, and the driver line-up is obviously one of them. Max Verstappen's contract, and all the rumours, fall at the same time as Christian is ousted from the team. So I think that's one thing that Laurent, with the hierarchy of Red Bull, needs to try and knuckle down. Can they keep their star driver? Because Max, at the moment, seems to be the glue that's just holding this whole team together. Right now, if you take out Max from Red Bull, they've lost all the old management."
Simon Lazenby on Jock Clear pushing Ferrari to heed Lewis Hamilton’s upgrade feedback
Sky F1 presenter Simon Lazenby highlighted the importance of Ferrari listening to Lewis Hamilton’s input as the team introduces crucial upgrades to its SF-25. Lazenby pointed to the role of senior performance engineer Jock Clear, who previously worked with Hamilton at Mercedes, in ensuring Hamilton’s feedback is acted upon. “If there’s anyone definitely shouting from the rooftops [saying], ‘Listen to what Lewis has to say’, it’s him, because apparently his [Hamilton’s] feedback is second to none,” Lazenby said. “There’s a reason he’s won seven World Championships. His feedback is amazing.”
Karun Chandhok on how 'Team Verstappen' influence contributed to Christian Horner’s downfall
Karun Chandhok has suggested that the influence of Max Verstappen and his close circle within Red Bull has contributed directly to Christian Horner's downfall as team principal, arguing that the team's structure has become overly centred on Verstappen.
Chandhok said: "I was thinking about it, and in some of what's happened, if you look at it in recent years, it's become a one-car team, right?... We've talked about how, since Daniel Ricciardo has left, the way the car design has gone, the way the team has been structured, it's fairly much all the eggs in the Max Verstappen camp, and in that basket. Ultimately, that's kind of created his downfall, because it's put a disproportionate amount of power into 'Team Verstappen'... Christian's got to carry the can for that, because he's the man in charge... I think there's a strong element that he's put a lot of power and faith into 'Team Verstappen'. And I wonder if that's ultimately come back to bite him a bit."
