Scott Mitchell-Malm

Formula 1

Norris had to stop Red Bull F1 switch rumours he 'enjoyed'

Quashing rumours of a shock Red Bull switch is one of the motives behind Lando Norris's new long-term commitment to McLaren's Formula 1 team

Formula 1

Norris commits to long-term McLaren F1 contract

Lando Norris has signed a new multi-year contract with McLaren for an undisclosed duration that the F1 team says keeps him committed for the "long-term"

Formula 1

Japanese city eyes F1 street race - is Suzuka under threat?

The universally-beloved Suzuka circuit's longer-term F1 future may be complicated by designs for a race in one of Japan's biggest cities

Formula 1

The risks and rationale of Leclerc’s new Ferrari F1 deal

Charles Leclerc has signed a new multi-year deal with Ferrari. Scott Mitchell-Malm explains the likely rationale behind Leclerc's big decision and the risks behind it

Formula 1

Red Bull rebrands second F1 team Visa Cash App RB for 2024

Red Bull has taken the first concrete step in rebranding its second Formula 1 team by changing AlphaTauri to Visa Cash App RB for 2024

Formula 1

New Madrid F1 race from 2026 - but what happens to Barcelona?

F1 will have a new race in Spain from 2026 after finally confirming a long-expected grand prix in Madrid initially running to 2035 - but what does it mean for existing Spanish GP venue Barcelona?

Formula 1

Haas reveals plan for new F1 car's track debut

Haas will shake down its 2024 Formula 1 car just under two weeks before testing begins as it prepares for the first season in its history without Guenther Steiner in charge

Formula 1

Six takeaways from McLaren's early F1 2024 launch

McLaren’s 2024 Formula 1 livery may be pretty familiar, but there were enough hints at its surprise early season launch that its new car won't be

Formula 1

Where F1's under-fire regulator stands after key exits

The FIA, Formula 1’s beleaguered regulator, had a chastening end to 2023 and has started 2024 in the same vein with the news of key personnel departing the organisation

Formula 1

Andretti/GM is the logical answer to confused Haas existence

Guenther Steiner's exit from Haas points to that team not living up to the franchise model F1 wants. In an ideal world, Andretti seems to be the logical answer

Formula 1

The disagreement behind Steiner's shock Haas split

Guenther Steiner's shock exit from the F1 team he essentially created is due to a disagreement with team owner Gene Haas over what the organisation was capable of in its current form

Formula 1

The F1 driver who needs saving from a Ricciardo McLaren situation

An experienced driver's place on the Formula 1 grid is at risk if he can't escape a Daniel Ricciardo-McLaren style struggle, as Scott Mitchell-Malm explains

Formula 1

Quit rumour quashed - but is Audi doing enough for its F1 team?

Audi's new CEO has made it clear its F1 project is safe from any U-turns. The question now is what Audi needs to do to maximise it

Formula 1

Leclerc's absurd F1 ratio is criminally undeserved

Charles Leclerc is no stranger to pole positions, but his win-rate from the front leaves little to be desired. We analyse each race where he was on pole to establish how much is Leclerc's fault and how much is out of his control

Formula 1

Ricciardo reborn - what fearing his F1 career was over changed

Daniel Ricciardo heads into 2024 re-established on the F1 grid with the firm target of ousting Sergio Perez from his Red Bull seat. Quite the turnaround for a driver who 12 months ago wasn't sure if his Formula 1 career was over

Formula 1

Regression or right path? Judging Ferrari's latest F1 reboot

By basic measures, Ferrari has regressed once again in Formula 1. But Scott Mitchell-Malm feels Fred Vasseur has put the team on a more positive trajectory after his first year in charge

Formula 1

This trackside revelation left 2023's biggest mark of all

As The Race reflects on the 2023 motorsport season, we’ve asked our writers to recount their standout motorsport memories or feelings from the past 12 months. To conclude those highlights, Scott Mitchell-Malm heads back to F1 testing and the realisation that a hint of potential was the real deal

IndyCar

IndyCar legend and ex-F1 team boss de Ferran dies aged 56

Indianapolis 500 winner, two-time CART champion and McLaren Formula 1 advisor Gil de Ferran has died aged 56

Formula 1

What Aston Martin's bold 'no negatives' claim really means

“Maximum positive, I don’t see any negatives,” is how Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack rates the team's 2023 season. Does that stack up to scrutiny given how Aston ended the season? Scott Mitchell-Malm investigates

Formula 1

Aston Martin's part-sale isn't what it looks like for Stroll

Speculation over Lawrence Stroll's future as an F1 team owner was followed by outside investment into Aston Martin - but the team insists this actually reinforces his commitment

Formula 1

What drives Verstappen's F1 fire will also spark his exit

Max Verstappen can satisfy a generic love for driving anywhere, and, in his mind, the scales will not be tipped in Formula 1 for much longer if things go too far down a certain path - as he explains to Scott Mitchell-Malm in an end-of-season interview

Formula 1

FIA's welcome intervention on an out-of-control F1 trend

F1's right of review system has been barraged by increasingly frequent - and usually unsuccessful - bids as of late. The FIA has clearly recognised the process needed changing

Formula 1

McLaren could have easily lost Norris this year

McLaren knows that Lando Norris is a prime target for its Formula 1 rivals. And without a crucial transformation, McLaren would have handed its prize asset to them on a silver platter

Formula 1

‘RB’ – Cryptic placeholder for AlphaTauri F1 rebrand explained

Red Bull’s planned rebrand of the AlphaTauri F1 team has initially been concealed in the 2024 F1 entry list, although the cryptic “RB” chassis name indirectly hints at its true 2024 identity

Formula 1

Sauber reveals F1 rebrand for pre-Audi seasons

Sauber has revealed part of its identity for the next two Formula 1 seasons as it waits to morph into the Audi works team

Formula 1

How F1's aero development ban for 2026 cars will work

Rule changes to ensure a ban on F1 teams developing the main areas of their 2026 cars until the start of 2025 have now been ratified. Here's what that covers, what's still allowed, and how it will be policed

Formula 1

A baffling and quite sad F1 move is finally over

Renault's sad misuse of Davide Brivio in F1 is over - he's being allowed to leave Alpine to "pursue other career opportunities", most likely back in MotoGP where he was such a favourite. Brivio made you want the gamble to work, but his hiring felt like one that had not been thought through

Formula 1

What cost Alfa Romeo its chance of staying in F1

Barring an unexpected twist, faux Formula 1 manufacturer Alfa Romeo will drop off the grid. It might be arguing it got all it needed out of F1, but it did want to stick around for 2024 - and probably could have done so too

Formula 1

F1 ‘spray guard’ fix faces lengthy delay - or abandonment

The FIA is weighing up whether to delay implementing spray guards on Formula 1 cars until new regulations arrive for 2026, or abandon the project entirely

Formula 1

Hamilton condemns FIA for questioning Susie Wolff's integrity

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has criticised the FIA for questioning the integrity of Susie Wolff by drawing public attention to unfounded allegations "without questioning [or] any evidence"

Formula 1

Mercedes in 'active legal exchange' as FIA fallout escalates

Toto Wolff and his Mercedes Formula 1 team are in "active legal exchange" with the FIA amid the fallout from a controversial inquiry by the governing body, while Susie Wolff wants to uncover who "instigated this campaign"

Formula 1

Why Red Bull's two F1 teams are under more scrutiny from rivals

AlphaTauri's incredible resurgence, to the point where it produced the best car in low-speed corners in F1 come the end of 2023, has raised suspicions about how exactly Red Bull's second team is managing its expanding technical partnership with the mothership

Formula 1

FIA's swift, unsatisfactory end to controversial Wolff/F1 saga

The FIA's 'look into' allegations that confidential information was passed to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff from F1 Academy head Susie Wolff has already ended, with no investigation ongoing

Formula 1

What next in FIA/Wolff case and the wider F1 implications

The Formula 1 off-season has begun with a surprise early controversy, with the FIA looking into allegations about the conduct of Toto and Susie Wolff that have been emphatically rejected. What happens next, and what's at stake?

Formula 1

Mercedes and F1 slam allegations and shock FIA investigation

Formula 1, Mercedes and Susie Wolff have issued stinging statements in response to the FIA revealing its compliance department will look into a team principal and a member of Formula One Management

Formula 1

Part-reversed grids possible for F1 sprints, 2024 venues named

Partially-reversed grids are on the table for F1's sprint format in 2024, as the series has named the six tracks that will host sprints

Formula 1

Device blocked by F1 'paranoia' in past now set for introduction

An idea that Formula 1 teams previously rejected because of paranoia is being pushed through as part of a plan to help protect drivers in extreme conditions.

Formula 1

Two very different reactions to a 2023 F1 flop

Haas's 2023 Formula 1 campaign was, for want of a more comprehensive term, a flop. Its two drivers' reactions to that - perhaps impacted by their own circumstances and relationships with the team - were incredibly different

Formula 1

A 'small' upgrade had a massive impact on Leclerc's F1 season

Charles Leclerc's 2023 Formula 1 season was effectively split into two parts either side of a "small" Ferrari upgrade that had a massive impact. His turnaround once that was introduced was resounding

Formula 1

F1's stuck with the loopholes that are spoiling racing

Dirty air is an age-old problem in F1, and the phenomenon got worse than expected in 2023. That's because some loopholes weren't close quickly enough - and it looks likely the situation won't improve again before new rules come in for 2026