They say that in Formula One its 80% the car and 20% the driver, which others say is ridiculous, yet this season Red Bull have proven the driver remains an integral part of there success the team achieves. With Max Verstappen winning the drivers championship and amassing a whopping 437 points to his team mates paltry 152, he certainly made the difference in the RB20 as Sergio Perez now faces the end of his F1 career.

Today, Carlos Sainz stepped into his Williams dressed in white overalls and completed the most laps and delivered the quickest time of all in the morning session of the Pirelli tyre test in Abu Dhabi.

Carlos was already familiar with the FW46 following a private filming day yesterday where he completed the required install laps and found the feel of his new car. He along with others were out bang on 9am to make the most of testing laps which in modern F1 couldn’t be more highly prized.

 

 

 

Sainz tops timesheets in Abu Dhabi

The ex-Ferrari man topped the timesheets with a 1m24.435 and completed 60 laps ahead of his ex-team mate Charles Leclerc (72 laps) and race winer at the weekend Lando Norris (78 laps) and he will now hand over this afternoon to Oscar Piastri.

Jack Doohan continued his preparation for 2025 with another day inside the Alpine car and he was fourth quickest ahead of Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti.

Indycar favourite Pato O’ward was inside the top ten alongside Ferrari development driver Antonio Fuoco, Williams junior Luke Browning and Alpine’s latest reserve driver signing Paul Aron. Other regulars from the 2024 season were driving their new team’s cars and after being ditched for the last Grand Prix of the year, Esteban Ocon made his debut in the Haas F1 car racking up some 46 laps.

The Frenchman replacers Nico Hulkenberg with the American owned outfit with the German moving to Sauber ahead of the 2026 big Audi rebrand. Nico completed 63 untroubled laps.

Flavio turns the tables on Doohan

 

 

 

Tsunoda gets Honda assistance

Seemingly bowing to pressure from Honda, Yuki Tsunoda had his first test in a Red Bull car despite having been with the sister team for four complete seasons. Tsunoda has tipped the balance to replace Perez in his favour over the past six Grand Prix, where he has out qualified Liam Lawson who replaced Daniel Ricciardo 6-0 and outscored him 8-4 in points collected.

Tsunoda, who presumably will leave the Red Bull family when Honda begins to supply Aston Martin with power units in 2026, was not the favourite to step up to the Red Bull team when Lawson returned after filling in for Ricciardo last year, yet the New Zealand born driver has not looked a match for Yuki who of course has vastly more F1 experience.

There were no notable crisis in the session for any of the teams bar an inexplicable spin for Lando Norris in his McLaren on the exit of turn 14.

Along with Piastri, Arthur Leclerc will again step into the SF-24 replacing Fuoco. Kimi Antoneli who withdrew from the F2 events at the weekend due to illness is expected to take his place behind the wheel of the Mercedes in what will be a fascinating session to watch how the young Italian copes stepping into a top F1 team.

F1 champ predicts Leclerc will beat Hamilton. “Just like George”

 

 

 

Bottas admits Sauber was a mistake

Conspicuous by their absence were axed Kevin Magnussen and Valtteri Bottas, long standing stalwarts of the F1 grid. Boyttas revealed during his farewell weekend that he’d made a mistake going to Sauber when he was ditched by Mercedes.

“I’m relieved that this section of my career is over, and now I’m really looking ahead and going to work hard to make the best plan of how to be back on the grid,” said the Finn after failing to finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

“It was a mistake, but you can’t predict the future. Everything started off so well in the first year but since then, it’s been downhill, but you can’t predict the future.

“That’s how it is, and I just want to make sure that the next move I make is going to be a good one, and hopefully there are better times to come.”

Williams lands big Ferrari sponsor

 

 

 

Magnussen to BMW LMDh programme

When he was replaced by George Russell he explained there was an opportunity to rejoin Williams. “There was Williams, there was Williams at that point,” he simply said.

It is now confirmed Kevin Magnussen will join the BMW factory team of drivers in sports car racing for 2025. He was knocked out of the Haas lineup when the team decided to sign Esteban Ocon and Ferrari junior Oliver Bearman.

The Dane appeared to have few options as the season came to an end with many of the top drives in Indycar and LMDh already taken. On the confirmation he had been signed for the German racing marque Magnussen had this to say. “I am happy and proud to represent such an iconic motorsport brand as BMW in some of the world’s most legendary races.”

Bottas last race may harm Mercedes in new role

 

 

 

Perez begins the long goodbye

“After 10 years in Formula 1, I am embarking on a new and exciting chapter, and I look forward to taking on the challenge in the most innovative and advanced sports cars in the history of endurance racing,” concluded Magnussen. His only Grand prix podium came in Australia in 2014, where he was second in a McLaren on debut.

Zhou Gunayu is the other driver from the class of ’24 who will be leaving his seat at Sauber and despite rumours he will become a test driver for Ferrari, nothing has been confirmed to date.

Finally the future for Sergio Perez will be decided this week, with almost no one in the paddock believing his assertions he will be driving for Red bull come 2025.

Marko warns Verstappen: “Be careful”

 

 

 

D-Day at Red Bull: Perez departure official

A new era begins for Red Bull Racing – The curtain has fallen on the 2024 Formula One season and with it Sergio Pérez’s tenure as a Red Bull Racing driver. According to reports, the Mexican will be officially informed of his dismissal on Monday, with his replacement expected to be announced shortly after.

This development will come as no surprise to those who follow the sport, as Pérez’s performance this season has consistently fallen short of expectations for a top team like Red Bull. Sergio Pérez’s 90-race stint with Red Bull Racing has officially come to an end. Despite having a contract for next season, his underwhelming performance has left Red Bull’s management with no choice but to sever ties prematurely…. READ MORE