Scott Mitchell-Malm

Formula 1

Five reasons Williams beat Renault and Audi to Sainz deal

A customer team with an overweight F1 car and a patchy recent record managed to steal Carlos Sainz from under the noses of two major manufacturers. How come?

Formula 1

Young driver F1 race proposal revealed

The Race has learned that a proposal for a standalone Formula 1 sprint race contested exclusively by young drivers is being discussed

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Setback? Why Mercedes has dropped its upgraded F1 floor

Mercedes decided on Saturday at the Belgian GP that it would not run its new floor for the remainder of the F1 weekend. Is that a setback or pragmatism?

Formula 1

A single moment may have saved Perez's Red Bull F1 seat

It's just one qualifying session - but Sergio Perez's Belgian GP front row after a brush with a Q2 exit may well save his Red Bull seat

Formula 1

How tense Sargeant's Williams situation is really getting

Whether Logan Sargeant leaves at the end of 2024 or even earlier, his F1 career is circling the drain - just as it reaches a (relative) peak. When the performance and results aren't there, a clash of perspectives over why that's the case - as he and Williams are now experiencing - is inevitable

Formula 1

Everything now points to Renault selling its F1 team

Alpine and Renault insist their F1 team is not for sale. But all the steps being taken around it align with what you'd do if you were planning to sell sooner or later.

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What Audi's massive change means for F1's driver market

The change of senior management at Audi’s Formula 1 team could be significant for the driver market as new boss Mattia Binotto takes over negotiations that affect every other vacancy

Formula 1

The surprise lead contender to become Alpine's new F1 team boss

A former Red Bull junior is the leading candidate to replace Bruno Famin at the helm of Alpine's Formula 1 team

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Why Haas has given Ocon a multi-year F1 deal so early

Esteban Ocon will join Ollie Bearman in an all-new Haas Formula 1 driver line-up in 2025 after signing a multi-year deal with the team

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Can anyone sway Red Bull in last race before its Perez decision?

This weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix is the final race before the summer break, in which Red Bull intends to make a decision on its Formula 1 driver line-up for the rest of 2024. Can anyone sway its thinking?

Formula 1

Is Audi's surprise appointment the leader it needs?

Doubts about Mattia Binotto were raised before his Ferrari exit, and there've been more since considering how his replacement Fred Vasseur has fared. Binotto has a chance to improve his F1 reputation now's he's heading to Audi - but is he the right fit?

Formula 1

Drastic action shows Audi's F1 entry's already in trouble

Audi's major leadership changes show two things: that it's willing to be decisive, and that it felt its F1 project was drifting into trouble. But the course correction that's required is problematic given it's already spent two years shaping its team for the better

Formula 1

Renault set to drop works F1 engine, Alpine-Mercedes deal close

Renault looks increasingly likely to drop its works Formula 1 engine as its Alpine team focuses on closing a Mercedes customer deal

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Norris stress-tested McLaren's culture - and it only just survived

As Lando Norris wrestled with the instruction to let team-mate Oscar Piastri back by into the Hungarian GP lead, he'd have been aware of the consequences of defiance. McLaren came through that test in the end, but don't underestimate what was jeopardised

Formula 1

Biting criticism and tense race expose Verstappen, Red Bull cracks

Max Verstappen’s escalating radio exchanges and biting post-race criticism at the Hungarian Grand Prix expose the cracks emerging between himself and Red Bull as a seemingly straightforward 2024 Formula 1 title charge becomes unusually strained

Formula 1

Ricciardo could beat Lawson to Perez's Red Bull seat mid-season

Red Bull’s need to close out the 2024 Formula 1 constructors’ championship could mean Daniel Ricciardo gets an unexpected mid-season promotion to the senior team after all

Formula 1

What we've learned about Red Bull's F1 driver plans

How has Liam Lawson's test affected Red Bull's driver line-up decisions? What would Yuki Tsunoda make of being jumped by a driver with less experience? What's the latest talk on that clause in Sergio Perez's F1 contract? And is Daniel Ricciardo's future uncertain once again?

Formula 1

Next moves in F1's wild driver market after Magnussen and Haas split

The next moves in Formula 1’s wildly unpredictable driver market should be made before the summer break but the biggest unresolved elements could stretch into August, if not beyond

Formula 1

Why Haas has dropped Magnussen again

Kevin Magnussen has been part of most of Haas's Formula 1 history, but now it's dropping him for a second time to make way for most likely Esteban Ocon. Scott Mitchell-Malm gives his take on both what Magnussen's done for Haas and why he's out

Formula 1

Toyota's surprise potential Haas F1 alliance explained

Haas has just announced an extension of its technical partnership with engine supplier Ferrari - but it could also strike a new F1 alliance with Toyota. Scott Mitchell-Malm explains how that would work, who benefits and what might get the deal over the line

Formula 1

The eye-opening debut that upstaged F1 2025 hopefuls

There is a lot of home pressure and fervour for Williams junior Franco Colapinto to live up to. You wouldn't know it from the assured confidence of his F1 weekend debut

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The F1 superweapon that's no longer being wasted

Rival teams are privately marvelling at Nico Hulkenberg's performances - while Haas, so limited by its car last year, is finally seeing a genuine benefit

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Lawson's Red Bull test: How it compares to decisive Ricciardo run

Liam Lawson is preparing for a first test in Red Bull’s 2024 Formula 1 car on Thursday that has drawn comparisons to Daniel Ricciardo’s decisive run last year, amid the prospect of another mid-season driver swap

Formula 1

What major Ferrari F1 recruit means for Aston Martin

Enrico Cardile, a key pillar of Ferrari's technical team, has resigned ahead of a likely move to Aston Martin - a signing that would be highly significant for both F1 teams

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What we learned being at the biggest F1 film set in a year

The British GP became a live movie set once again as the makers of the new F1 film starring Brad Pitt undertook their most ambitious on-site activity in a year. Scott Mitchell-Malm has the latest on the project's progress

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What's really going on with possible Red Bull 2024 driver change

Liam Lawson's test of a 2024 Red Bull F1 car after the British GP leads into a crucial few weeks for the team to potentially decide to replace Sergio Perez mid-season

Formula 1

Perez's defiance clashes badly with Red Bull reality

Sergio Perez’s defiance in the wake of fresh speculation about his Red Bull future is admirable but does not match reality – at least at the moment – given another qualifying setback at the British Grand Prix

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Alpine-Mercedes timeline complicates Sainz's 2025 choice

Mercedes has ruled out a deal to supply Alpine with Formula 1 engines being completed this month, which can have an interesting impact on the 2025 driver market

Formula 1

Perez doubt and Mercedes' Sainz hint throw F1 2025 curveballs

An erratic 2025 F1 driver market hardly needed more curveballs, but that's exactly what it's got, as speculation over Sergio Perez's Red Bull future has intensified and Carlos Sainz has been reminded he still has a top option - at Mercedes - after all

Formula 1

Winners and losers from F1's first 2024 aero testing reset

The halfway point in the year marks the reset of the aerodynamic testing allowances for F1 teams. Here's who's gained windtunnel time and parts production, and who faces more restrictions over the rest of the 2024 season

Formula 1

'I don’t want to ruin that' - Verstappen's unusual Norris stance

Max Verstappen's prioritising of his friendship with Lando Norris after their Austrian Grand Prix collision might surprise the world champion's critics

Formula 1

What you need to know about Ferrari's biggest hope since Leclerc

Newly confirmed 2025 Haas Formula 1 driver Ollie Bearman is Ferrari's biggest hope of producing another star for its own team since Charles Leclerc

Formula 1

Who will Bearman's Haas team-mate be? (+ why it matters)

Haas securing Ollie Bearman for the 2025 F1 season isn't a surprise. The question of his team-mate is tougher

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Verstappen is 'not going to change' - so Norris rivalry will

Max Verstappen isn't going to change his behaviour in wheel-to-wheel combat. So if Lando Norris wants a different outcome than in Austria, he needs to refine and adapt to avoid being second-best every time

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Where wildcard rookies fit into Audi's F1 driver search

Audi's having a tougher time finding its first Formula 1 drivers than it would've expected. It might have to go leftfield for Nico Hulkenberg's team-mate

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Alpine's mini-revival boosted by senior F1 tech arrivals

Alpine’s on-track mini-revival in F1 should be further boosted by the arrival of more significant technical recruits that have now started at the team

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Why Verstappen seemed more annoyed with Red Bull than Norris

Max Verstappen spoke with real frustration after a seemingly comfortable Austrian GP victory descended into difficulty and a controversial clash with Lando Norris - but about his own Red Bull F1 team, rather than the rival he collided with

Formula 1

McLaren is right: Past lenience has emboldened Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris's first F1 controversy in the Austrian GP was inevitable, in no small part because Verstappen has not budged an inch from an uncompromising approach that takes him over the line sometimes

Formula 1

'We don't want another 2021' - McLaren boss slams Verstappen

McLaren and Lando Norris launched blistering attacks on Max Verstappen's Formula 1 racecraft following his clash with Norris as they battled for Austrian GP victory

Formula 1

Rejected protest denies McLaren Piastri penalty clarity

The McLaren Formula 1 team’s desire for clarity over Oscar Piastri’s penalty in Austrian Grand Prix qualifying will go unfulfilled after its protest was deemed inadmissible