In the round-up: Max Verstappen’s team manager from his first season in Formula 1 believes his father’s experience as team mate to Michael Schumacher shaped the future world champion’s upbringing.
In brief
Watson sees Schumacher’s influence on Verstappens
Graham Watson, who was the team manager at Toro Rosso in 2015 when Verstappen made his grand prix debut, offered some insight into how his father’s F1 career may have influenced him. Jos Verstappen made his F1 debut 21 years earlier at Benetton alongside Michael Schumacher, as a substitute for the injured JJ Lehto, and was usually well off the pace of the team leader.
“I think that Jos felt that Michael Schumacher had better material and was favoured,” Watson told Dutch magazine Formule 1. “I had the impression that Jos had difficulties accepting that, because he also was a very gifted driver.”
Watson believes Benetton team principal Flavio Briatore gave Schumacher preferential treatment, and the elder Verstappen decided his son needed to learn the value of being his team’s top priority.
“Flavio had a strong bond with Michael, both sporting-wise and personal. That’s why I think Jos imprinted on Max very early on, that the first thing that you have to do is destroy his team mates. And we have seen that in recent years.
“It has to be your team, you have to be the man around whom it revolves. I’m convinced that you now also see this with Max: first beat your team mate, then win the title.
“To this day, I don’t think that Jos got a fair treatment at Benetton. And that has partly ensured that Max understands that aspect of the sport very well: he does not need better equipment, he wants the same equipment, Talent will do the rest.”
Madrid GP rumours intensify
Plans to move the Spanish Grand Prix to a street circuit in the capital Madrid could be announced next week, multiple Spanish publications indicated yesterday. Rumours a circuit based on the roads around the Ifema facility, which hosted the inaugural F1 Exhibition last year, have circulated for months.
If the new deal does go ahead it would spell the end for the Circuit de Catalunya on the F1 calendar. It held its first race in 1991 and its current contract expires in 2026.
Pin becomes Mercedes junior
Mercedes has hired 20-year-old French sportscar race Doriane Pin to join its young driver academy. Pin will carry the team’s colours in F1 Academy driving for Prema.
Last year Pin raced in the World Endurance Championship and IMSA series, and finished runner-up to champion Jack Beeton in the Formula 4 South East Asia championship. She lies 10th in the F4 United Arab Emirates championship after last weekend’s season-opening triple-header.
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‘When you talk to us about concept, we’re hearing, ‘What, you think our wind-tunnel weighting system wasn’t right?’ And we’ve changed that, or our way of meshing in CFD was wrong and we’ve changed the concept of that.’
Ocon el primero en la lista de Audi F1 (The God Flores – Spanish)
“Esteban Ocon is tipped to be a target for Audi’s new F1 team, which will arrive in 2026.”
Alex Waters: the tale of the racer who gave half his funding to charity (Motorsport Magazine)
‘He was then selected for a Red Bull Junior Team trial in Formula Renault cars at Estoril – I had previously taken him to see Christian Horner and Helmut Marko to help him state his case – where, despite having zero experience of the cars, which many of his rivals had been racing extensively all year, and although he had never driven even a single lap of the circuit, he ended up quicker than many of them, including his Oulton Park assailant, Checo Perez.’
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‘Box to Box Films, the production company behind Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive To Survive, has secured a multi-million dollar investment.’
De Alba to drive for Andretti Cape in rookie Indy Nxt season (IndyCar)
“De Alba, 24, from Mexico, enters the official IndyCar development series through a two-year agreement, making his 2024 series debut with Andretti Cape and then transitioning to Andretti Indy Nxt for the 2025 season.”
Rain restricts running in Indy Nxt pre-season testing at Sebring (Formula Scout)
‘HMD meanwhile had extra cars out for Nolan Allaer and former Alpine junior Caio Collet.’
Di Resta replaces Albuquerque in number 23 United line-up (Sportscar365)
‘Paul di Resta has been confirmed in United Autosports’ line-up for the European Le Mans Series, with the Peugeot Sport FIA World Endurance Championship driver set to take part in three different sports car racing series this year.’
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