F1: Random musings on a Sunday during Summer Break

While the F1 teams are on their summer break when all the factories have a mandated 2-week shutdown, there is still plenty for us to talk about.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Alpine needs a lead driver…..

…..like Hamilton or Max Verstappen, says Cyril Abiteboul.

When asked to comment on Alpine’s current driver lineup, Cyril noted: “When you close your eyes and think of Mercedes, you think of Lewis Hamilton, even though Nico Rosberg did extraordinary things.”

“When you think of Red Bull, you think of the first cycle around Sebastian Vettel…then, in the second, around Max Verstappen.”

“You need a driver who acts as a team leader because this power of incarnation is fundamental.”

“In a while, there will be an almost level playing field. What will make the difference is ambition and determination.”

Teams eyeing Palou

Both AlphaTauri and Williams are said to be interested in IndyCar driver Alex Palou.

McLaren needs to agree to release him to race for another team because of his reserve driver deal.

Palou is known to have been on Red Bull’s radar, as the team is still unsure what to do with its AlphaTauri driver line-up beyond this season.

And still Andretti waits…….

Michael Andretti told AutoRacing1.com Saturday there is still nothing to report with regard to his F1 team application. However, both he and Arrow McLaren IndyCar team owner Zak Brown were fairly jovial talking privately on the pit wall Saturday at the Nashville IndyCar race.

We suspect Andretti knows exactly what is coming down from the FIA – an approval – followed by the gnashing of teeth from the nine other F1 team owners who prefer to keep F1 a closed-door boys club.

However, the latest rumor coming out of the Belgian GP paddock says that Andretti-Cadillac may be buying into, or maybe, the entire Alpine F1 team.

Of course, this would please the Closed-Door-Boys-Club to no end, as that would keep F1 at ten teams.

If this rumor turns out to be true, this would be the best thing that could happen to Michael Andretti and his F1 efforts.  Starting a team from scratch would mean zero wins for a very long time.

Horner likes his Verstappen

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner on his driver Max Verstappen:

“Max… Max is unique.”

“There is no other Formula 1 driver like Max. What he is achieving at the moment… He is an athlete at the peak of his abilities.”

“Max is an extremely focused young man and incredibly driven, dedicated — his hunger and desire to win just keeps coming.

“If he doesn’t get pole position, he’s already disappointed, he goes into it more motivated than ever (on Sunday).

“Hats off to what he, and the team, are doing now for all the fantastic results.”

Is Verstappen bored when winning so much?

“It went better in the first half of the season than we expected. So yes, I can really enjoy that. I’m enjoying the moment, I’m having a good time. But it doesn’t go by itself.”

“Winning doesn’t make it boring. I’m here to win. I want to be here, I want to win here, be at the front.

“That makes it much more fun to travel to a race weekend. When you know you can’t win, if you don’t have a chance, then it’s the other way around.

“That’s boring to me!”

And Marko likes his Verstappen even more….

Helmut Marko believes that no other driver could beat Max Verstappen in the same car.

“There is no other driver who could stay on the same level as Max..

“Maybe Alonso and Hamilton would be closer than they are now.

“But, nobody can beat Max at the moment.”

David Croft calls out crying Hamilton fans

Sky F1 commentator David Croft says he “can’t help” people who think Formula 1 is currently boring because their pet driver isn’t winning anymore and Max Verstappen is eating their lunch.

Speaking alongside ex-F1 racer Karun Chandhok on the Sky F1 podcast, Croft said:

“It is so so easy to run with the herd here and say ‘oh it’s boring because Max keeps winning’.

“Why not marvel at the record? At the excellence? At the consistency and to be that good for so long.”

“All I would say is if you think the sight of cars going at 200 miles an hour plus, or doing 170 miles an hour through Maggotts and Becketts,

“or showing the most supreme engineering challenge, in the hands of some of the most talented human beings ever to grab hold of a steering wheel,

“where we’re at tracks where you’re millimeters away from ruining your afternoon for 70-odd laps in a race, if you think that’s boring, I can’t help you.

“I really can’t.”

David Croft & Martin Brundle about Max Verstappen during the 2015 Chinese Grand Prix

“that Verstappen boy will be in a world championship winning team before he is 20 […] he’s showing all the hallmarks of a Senna, of a Schumacher”

“he’s just not showing a lack of experience” pic.twitter.com/5dYusN5XTH

— julia ✿ (@seeinglando) August 4, 2023

Spa was exciting…..

Despite all the Lewis Hamilton fans about Max Verstappen schooling their pet driver week in and week out for two years running, the Belgian GP at Spa actually had the most overtakes of any race this year.

It was also the race with the fewest laps (44) due to the very long track layout.

Over 1.6 overtakes per lap, on average.

After starting 6th, when Verstappen passed Hamilton for third place during the Belgian GP the sore loser Hamilton fanboys were immediately on social media badmouthing the series and Verstappen – they are a cancer on the sport.

First time in 38 years…..

Did you know… that the Las Vegas GP will be the first F1 race to be held on a Saturday in 38 years!

The Las Vegas GP will be huge for Las Vegas

Adam Stern of SBJ reports that MGM Resorts Intl says that it has more than 70% of its ticket inventory for the Las Vegas GP F1 race is sold/committed, and that it’s shaping up to be a record event for the company.

Meanwhile, at Ferrari…..

The rumor mill is working full-time saying that Charles Leclerc has already re-signed with Ferrari while Carlos Sainz Jr. has already signed a pre-contract with Audi to join the Sauber team in 2025.

Meanwhile, at Mercedes……

Lewis Hamilton still has not re-signed with Mercedes. While both sides say it’s just a matter of crossing all the tees and dotting all the eye’s on the contract, it all seems a bit suspicious.