RaceFans Round-up: Ferrari “definitely did a very good strategy” in Canada

In brief

Ferrari made “right call” on strategy

Sainz started Sunday’s race 11th, one place behind team mate Charles Leclerc, both on the medium tyre compound. The pair finished in the same order in fourth and fifth places after Ferrari opted not to pit during an early Safety Car period.

“We definitely did a very good strategy,” said Sainz. “Staying out with both cars was the right call.”

While most drivers made two pit stops Ferrari gained ground by sticking to a single stop for each of their cars. “The medium was very strong on our car this weekend since Friday and I could maximise the stint on the medium and I felt good on it,” said Sainz.

“We trusted the medium because of FP2 and we committed to it and felt like we’d go long, no problem. It was a nice tyre. The hard, like always in our car, the harder tyres are a bit trickier.”

Red Bull retrieve bird Verstappen hit

The unfortunate bird Max Verstappen struck on his way to victory in Canada was extracted from the front-right corner of his car by a mechanic after the race and pictured on social media.

Sargeant to get Williams update in Austria

After Alexander Albon’s run to seventh place in Williams’ upgraded FW45, the team plan to introduce the same upgrade on Logan Sargeant’s car at the next race, according to team principal James Vowles.

“The update that was on the car this weekend was enormous by standards in Formula 1 and it was the culmination of huge and significant teamwork back in Grove, of hundreds of people really pulling together and working together to deliver the update we have here in the timeframe that we had available to us.

“It’s paid off. Without that upgrade I’m confident that we wouldn’t have the points on the table today and that is really a testament to the dedication the team has to this year’s championship and our future championships.”

Penske struggling on smooth tracks – Newgarden

The new surface at Road America did not suit Penske said Josef Newgarden, who rose from fourth on the grid to finish second in Sunday’s race.

“I’m biased, I’m an old surface fan anywhere we go,” he admitted. “I don’t like new pavement at any track. But it is a different challenge than what you get on an old surface.

“I think as a team we’re not excelling on smooth surfaces, particularly something like this. It’s in our control to make it better. As a team, we’ve got to figure out a better formula for our cars with this type of track.

“This weekend just cemented that for us. We already felt that way at previous tracks. Running through this weekend, the test last week, we definitely confirmed that we have a weakness on these type of surfaces. We knew that going in.

“We knew it was going to be new. I love Road America. I still love it just as much as I loved it in the past.”

Links

Motor racing links of interest:

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell attends Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal (Three Down Nation)

‘The NFL commissioner has spent significant time with Formula One Group CEO Stefano Domenicali and sat in on the regular pre-race meeting with all team principals on Sunday morning. The head of North America’s most powerful sports league is looking to the fast-growing sporting phenomenon for tips on how to maintain his place on top.’

Matt Bishop monthly edition 4 (Omologato Watches)

‘The championship was cancelled. Since (‘Geki’) had been heading the points standings at the time of the tragedy, Geki, who had been just 29, was declared champion – posthumously – a la Jochen Rindt – who died at just 28 at Monza in 1970 and was declared posthumous Formula One world champion at season’s end’

Temporary bridges vital to Las Vegas Grand Prix transportation (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

‘The idea is when the track is hot, when there’s racing, that’ll be the bridge that allows emergency vehicles and other vehicles to cross over the track so that they can service the 23,000 rooms we have inside the track.’

Michelin to introduce new Hypercar, GTP tyre specs in 2025 (Sportscar 365)

‘We’re not going to try and beat the record of 3’14 (at Le Mans). But we don’t want to go and be slower than 3’30.’

Cinema specialist and racing passion: Getting to know the real Brad Benavides (F2)

“Favourite racing memory? ‘I’d have to say La Conca, 2018 with my dad. It was a shifter class race, WSK Super Master Series. I went with my dad to that race, we were coming from pretty good results in the races before that event and when I went to that event, in the beginning, it was going terrible. It’s a really nice place, you feel like you’re near Bari, that part of Italy. You think you’re at some resort, not some kind of track. At the beginning it was super, super tough, then we changed kart and then I went a second and a half quicker after changing the chassis. I was zero to hero, going through that with my dad was a huge confidence boost.'”

Stenshorne doubles up at the Hungaroring (Formula Regional by Alpine)

‘For sure, this is a really good weekend, we are really happy to bounce back like this after the Barcelona round. In the end was just a perfect weekend. We were a bit lucky yesterday, I would say, with the technical issue of Kimi (Antonelli), but today we had good start, and a good management of the race… it was a really good race.’

Perez’s confidence is shot and the sharks are starting to circle (Daily Telegraph)

‘One is tempted to wonder whether, by now, Bernie Ecclestone would have engineered a route for Lewis Hamilton to join Verstappen at Red Bull, purely for the box office viewing which would ensue.’

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