As the drivers round off their team commercial duties and sponsor activations for the season, fans were expecting a quiet transition into the winter break. However, thanks to the FIA and Mercedes, this has not been the case with an investigation into Toto and Susie Wolff stealing the headlines.
While the FIA investigation drama has given Mercedes plenty of food for thought away from the wind tunnel, the team’s focus this winter remains on producing a worthy successor to the W14. The Silver Arrows ended the season finale in Abu Dhabi with enough points to pip Ferrari to P2 in the Constructors’ Championship, but they still had fewer than half of Red Bull’s points.
Max Verstappen’s winter should be a far less nervy affair. The Dutchman won his third Drivers’ Championship title at a canter in 2023, winning 19 of the 22 Grands Prix on offer as he dominated his competition. Red Bull have been focusing on their 2024 challenger since the Singapore GP and are well-placed to maintain their advantage.
in 8 hours10:28 Harry Smith
Sainz wary of ‘privileged’ schedule complaints
Carlos Sainz has stated that he doesn’t like complaining about weekend schedules from the ‘privileged’ position of being a driver.
“I do consider the drivers, we are the privileged ones,” he told RacingNews365. “We get to travel business or first class or private.
“We get to go to the best hotels. We get to arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday rather than on Monday. We get to leave on Sunday night, rather than on Monday morning.
“I don’t like speaking from the privileged position that I think drivers are in. Yes, it’s true that we are under pressure more than ever, then we have a lot of media commitments.
“But I do feel like inside our teams, or within the 100 people that travel to the races in Ferrari, we are a bit of more in a privileged position. And I don’t like complaining because of that.”
in 6 hours09:24 Harry Smith
Vasseur: Japan upgrade gave Leclerc boost
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has explained that the team’s upgrade package from the Japanese Grand Prix was a turning point for Charles Leclerc.
Vasseur explained: “We had a small upgrade in Japan and I don’t know in terms of pure performance if it was something bigger, but I think in terms of comfort it was important and very beneficial for Charles.
“I think Charles was in a much better shape in the last part of the season, the last six or seven races. This was a positive dynamic.
“I think we did a step a bit later on the consistency and the fact that we improved the car a little bit. That way we were able to be more consistent or have to push less in the race.”
