FERRARI ANNOUNCE ‘HISTORIC’ NEW DEAL AS FERNANDO ALONSO LIFTS LID ON ASTON MARTIN DYNAMIC – F1 NEWS ROUND-UP

Wednesday’s F1 news has landed, with a lot to get through as the grid welcomes a new team name (sort of) through a new title sponsor deal for Ferrari.

Alongside that, there is plenty more besides to get into from the day, so without further ado, let’s dive straight in.

Welcome to the F1 grid, Scuderia Ferrari HP

Yes, having confirmed they will revive two shades of blue for a part of a one-off livery for the Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari confirmed a “historic” multi-year title partnership with HP, which will also see the US tech giants become a part of the team’s name moving forward.

The sponsorship will be officially unveiled ahead of the Miami weekend along with the one-off livery, which harks back to the team’s arrival in the United States market 70 years ago.

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said: “Our founder passed on to us his continuous will to progress. From this stems our drive to innovate on the road and on the track, as well as our commitment to a sustainable future, from carbon neutrality to the education of the younger generation.

“In HP we have found the same values, which make it an ideal partner. We look forward to starting our collaboration and facing new opportunities and challenges together.”

Fernando Alonso on Aston Martin dynamic with Lance Stroll

With Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack having acknowledged in China that the “whole project” has been centred around Lance Stroll in a way, Fernando Alonso has spoken about the way the two drivers work together for the benefit of the team.

“Lance and myself, we are trying to help the team as much as we can,” he said. “I think we have two different driving styles in some conditions, we have two different feelings with the car.

“I think Lance is a lot more sensitive to things than what I am, which is very important for the team. I think the analysis that Lance can reach and can feed back to the team is crucial to us and to improve the car.

“So, we arrive at the same conclusions, maybe in a different way, and I think those two different styles are just a good thing for Aston.”

Update on Carlos Sainz’s future from his manager

Carlos Sainz’s manager, Carlos Oñoro, has said he and Sainz are “still playing the game” when it comes to deciding over his future, with multiple teams still in discussions over his services next season.

“A few,” he told the F1 Nation podcast when asked how many ‘balls have you got in the air at the minute’.

“Let’s say, it’s an interesting period of time at the moment.

“The driver market has been all over the place lately and I think we will see some movements in the upcoming weeks but for the moment, the juggling continues.”

Stefano Domenicali bites back at drivers’ calendar complaints

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali had a withering reply for drivers who complained about the demands of the ever-growing calendar, with the 24-race schedule having been repeated for 2025.

“I speak with them. If you want to drive, you can drive every day. If you don’t want to drive in Formula 1, it’s not compulsory,” Domenicali told Sky Sports F1.

“It’s a matter of respect of the fans. They want to see them racing and it’s something that we have, once again, the responsibility of all our fans, our partners, our promoters, our sponsors, our broadcasters, everyone.

“It’s the magic of the sport we live in is because we need heroes that need to enjoy what they’re doing. And I’m sure that they are enjoying [it].”

Pundit believes ‘half of the field does not belong in F1’

Former Bridgestone engineer Kees van der Grint has not been complimentary about Lance Stroll and Zhou Guanyu’s F1 presence, though does not think a significant portion of the grid are up to scratch as it stands.

“I have often said, I don’t understand why he is still running,” he said of Stroll.

“There must be flow. It cannot of course be the case that the Formula 2 champion does not enter Formula 1.”

As for Zhou, he said: “We don’t really know yet how good he is, but he is also there because of commercial interests. I can name a few more, but we have to accept this, because that’s how it is.”

2024-04-24T21:22:58Z dg43tfdfdgfd