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Category: Formula 1
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Austrian GP: Sainz tops FP2 in Ferrari 1-2 as Hamilton has chassis change
Ferrari pair of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc led the way in FP2 of F1 Austrian GP, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third.
It was a clean and smooth FP2 session in F1 Austrian GP where the Ferrari pair led the way as Carlos Sainz was fastest with a 1m08.610s lap from Leclerc (1m08.660s) who was just 0.050s behind ahead of the sprint race later on, with the Monegasque having minor moment. The two cars are carrying an original version of the team’s which was first seen at the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours on 9 July 1932.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (1m08.778s) was third as teammate Sergio Perez (1m09.179s) was sixth behind the Alpine pair of Fernando Alonso (1m08.832s) and Esteban Ocon (1m08.848s). The two drivers did a limited running having joined later and ended early in the session.
The Mercedes pair too joined a bit late with George Russell (1m09.240s) missing less time than teammate Lewis Hamilton (1m09.350s), where the former was seventh and latter ninth. Both had gearbox change from the pool, while the latter had a chassis change.
Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas (1m09.251s) was eighth with McLaren’s Lando Norris (1m09.519s) rounding the Top 10 from Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. His teammate Sebastian Vettel slotted in 13th behind AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly.
The German lost a piece after going over the kerb at Turn 10 as the replays showed. Williams’ Alexander Albon was 15th from Haas’ Mick Schumacher, as McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo was 17th from other Haas of Kevin Magnussen, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda and Williams’ Nicholas Latifi.
Among the runners to have set the fastest lap on the medium tyres, it were the Red Bull, Alpine, McLaren and Williams pair while Tsunoda was the only other one on the yellow-coloured compound where the rest did it on the soft tyres.
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Austrian GP: Verstappen secures sprint race pole as Mercedes pair crash
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took a close F1 Austrian GP pole for Saturday’s sprint race from Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Q1:
The first part in F1 Austrian GP qualifying at Red Bull Ring got interesting from the get go as lap deletions hampered multiple drivers including Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, but both managed to get into Q2 by the end.
It was Ferrari on top with Charles Leclerc (1m05.419s) leading Sainz, while Verstappen was third. The fight to get into Q2 was on with McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo being knocked out by just the 0.024s margin after his 1m06.613s lap.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll (1m06.847s) was 17th from Sebastian Vettel but the German lost his final lap to end up last with a 1m07.083s lap behind Alfa Romeo’a Zhou Guanyu (1m06.901s) and Williams’ Nicholas Latifi (1m07.033s).
Q2:
The second part in F1 Austrian GP qualifying had Mercedes show some pace with Lewis Hamilton setting a 1m05.475s lap to be fast initially by 0.030s from Red Bull’s Verstappen, as the other Mercedes car of George Russell slotted in third.
The Dutchman’s teammate Sergio Perez was in a spot of bother to initially find himself outside of the Top 10 due to track limits. The second run saw Leclerc take the top spot with a 1m05.287s lap to be faster than Verstappen and Hamilton.
The bottom zone saw AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly not make the cut in 11th with a 1m06.160s lap which was only 0.009 from 10th. Williams’ Alexander Albon (1m06.230s) who made it in Q2 was 12th from Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas (1m06.319s), who will start from back.
AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda (1m06.851s) was 14th but the Japanese driver was hugely disappointed with himself after making a mistake at Turn 1 on his final lap. McLaren’s Lando Norris (1m25.847s) was 15th after troubles with his brakes as he was back on the old ICE.
Q3:
Just at the start of the final part in F1 Austrian GP qualifying, the FIA noted of an investigation for Perez for track limits at Turn 8 where replays showed him going outside the white line of the circuit which denotes the edge of the track.
It was Red Bull’s Verstappen leading the with a 1m05.092s lap provisionally as Ferrari’s Leclerc was only 0.091s behind with Sainz in third. Before the second run could get going, the session was red-flagged after a rare crash from Mercedes’ Hamilton.
He lost the rear into the left-hander and went onto the gravel and into the barrier at Turn 7 when he was running to set a lap time with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso and Haas’ Mick Schumacher still to set a lap time as well in the session.
The teams took it slow upon re-start with Alonso first to improve to seventh and actually set a lap time. But before anyone else could do anything, there was another red flag after Russell crashed at Turn 10 after losing control and going into the barrier.
Russell was then put under investigation for entering the track without permission as he made his way into the pitlane from the crash site. With about two and a half minutes remaining, Leclerc went fastest but Verstappen bettered to 1m04.984s lap.
The Dutchman took F1 Austrian GP pole by 0.029s to start the Saturday’s sprint race on pole from Leclerc (1m05.013s), with Sainz (1m05.066s) only 0.082s behind from Verstappen. It was a good finish for Perez (1m05.404s) to be in fourth but he is under investigation.
Russell (1m05.431s) retained fifth despite the crash as Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (1m05.726s) was sixth from the Haas pair of Kevin Magnussen (1m05.879s) and Mick Schumacher (1m06.011s) who pipped Alonso (1m06.103s), with Hamilton (1m13.151s) 10th.
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Austrian GP: Verstappen tops FP1 as red flag hampers running
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen set the pace in FP1 of F1 British GP from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell.
Despite there being no incidents, the FP1 session in F1 Austrian GP saw two red flag period at Red Bull Ring, where the first one was to clear Lando Norris’ McLaren at the pit exit after the team hustled him to stop as soon due to overheating problem.
The Brit has a new ICE taken for this weekend which is his third, with him also taking his third TC, MGU-K and MGU-H. There was another red flag when rubber from the circuit started to pull off after the cars ran over it, with the rescue team having to remove it.
As noted, there were no major issues apart from gravel moment for Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen doing so on the cement run-off. Traffic was huge with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen being hurt the most.
Despite that, Verstappen led FP1 in F1 Austrian GP with a 1m06.302s lap ahead of qualifying. He led Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (1m06.557s), with Mercedes’ George Russell (1m06.702s) in third as Perez (1m06.839s) jumped to fourth after a late lap pushing Lewis Hamilton (1m06.909s) to fifth.
In terms of PU elements, Leclerc took his second ES. His teammate Carlos Sainz (1m07.039s) was seventh behind Magnussen (1m07.965s), with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso (1m07.100s) seventh – having not run on the soft tyre.
Haas’ Mick Schumacher (1m07.246s) and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda (1m07.296s) rounded out the Top 10, with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in 11th from Alpine’s Esteban Ocon who also set his time on the medium tyre. Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel slotted in 13th.
Alfa Romeo’s Bottas was 14th on the medium tyres as he is expected to start from the back of the grid due to his fourth ICE, fourth TC, fourth MGU-H, fourth MGU-K and third CE. Williams’ Alexander Albon was 15th with the updates still on his car.
AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly was only 16th from McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo who set his best time on the medium tyre but his session was hampered by rear wing issue. Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu was 18th – with a second CE – from Williams’ Nicholas Latifi and Norris.
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British GP: Sainz secures first win in thrilling end after early red flag
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz scores first F1 win in British GP from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in a thrilling race.
It was dry weather to start the F1 British GP at Silverstone which was red-flagged after a major incident involving multiple cars. At the front, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took the lead on the soft compound from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz who was on the mediums.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton jumped Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for third, with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso jumping Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and McLaren’s Lando Norris to be fifth. The Mexican had anti-stall which affected his start and he dropped a position.
Williams’ Nicholas Latifi – also on the soft tyres – was eighth from Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo in the Top 10. There were little replays of the start after information came through of Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu went upside down.
Guanyu was confirmed to be fine during the extraction with the car seemingly stuck in the barriers. After he was sent to the medical center, F1 showed replays which showed how the incident took place where AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly touched wheels with Russell.
The Brit moved slightly to the left and touched wheels with Gasly which resulted in Russell swerving to make contact with Guanyu who flipped over from Turn 1 onto the gravel as his car jumped over the barrier onto the catch fence before coming to a halt.
It took some time to get Guanyu out and also the car out. While this was happening, a slow start from AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda allowed Alpine’s Esteban Ocon to jump him. At the same time, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll rammed onto Williams’ Alexander Albon.
The Thai racer went onto the wall and then hit both Tsunoda and Ocon in the process. The cars of the latter two made it into the pitlane as mechanics were able to fix it. For Russell and Albon, despite the car being brought back, there was little chance of a start.
While all this was happening, the news came through of certain number of protesters jumping over the fence at around Turn 7 to make it onto the track. The police warned of such action ahead of the weekend but fortunately the red flag came for the crash.
Post red flag:
Despite the order changing in that brief running, the FIA decided to re-start the F1 British GP as per the original order with Sainz leading Verstappen, Leclerc, Perez, Hamilton, Norris, Alonso, Latifi, Gasly and Bottas in the Top 10.
It was a strong re-start from Sainz while on the same tyre as Verstappen. The Spaniard just did not allow the Dutchman to pass which brought Perez and Leclerc into the action. The two touched into the left-hander, which slightly damaged the Mexican’s car.
Leclerc then had a small contact with Verstappen which the stewards noted but stated no further action. Perez was fourth from Norris with Hamilton behind him in fifth, Gasly up to seventh from Alonso, Tsunoda and Ocon in the Top 10 points position.
Replays showed the close fight between Leclerc and Perez along with Leclerc and Verstappen, which did hurt Hamilton when Norris got through. The McLaren driver eventually lost fifth to the Mercedes driver which became fourth.
Perez was forced to pit to change the damaged front wing as Norris was fifth from Alonso who cleared Gasly. Tsunoda was eighth from Ocon with Latifi in the Top 10. Before the race started to settle, a wide moment from Sainz allowed Verstappen to lead F1 British GP.
And no sooner, Leclerc started to hustle Sainz for second. But it didn’t matter as a seemingly slow puncture forced Verstappen to stop. Despite pitting, the Dutchman still complained of a problem which the team stated that it was not critical.
It was a performance drop on the rear which he may have done by running over the kerb. He dropped to sixth as Hamilton was up to third. He set his charge against Sainz and Leclerc, who were not blazing the track due to damage to the Monegasque.
Norris steadied himself in fourth from Alonso and Verstappen, with Ocon in seventh from Latifi, Bottas and Ricciardo in the Top 10. Amid all this chaos, there was an odd moment between the two AlphaTauri drivers going into Turn 1.
Tsunoda in the inside tried a move but both he and Gasly slid onto the run-off in the same manner to drop outside of the Top 10. The Japanese was handed 5s time penalty for forcing another driver off the track as it ruined both their races.
With Sainz and Leclerc pitting around the pit stop time, Hamilton took the lead of F1 British GP with the Brit in the mix of the race win. He extended his stint, with Norris in fourth from Alonso, Perez and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel in the Top 7.
Verstappen who pitted for the hard compound lost to Vettel and was struggling for grip as Ocon passed Latifi for ninth. The Canadian had Haas pair of Mick Schumacher & Kevin Magnussen on his tail in the fight for the final point in the Top 10.
It was a bad day for Alfa Romeo where Bottas was forced to retire, while Gasly’s damage saw him retire from the F1 British GP too. Ferrari, meanwhile, allowed its drivers to fight but not for long as Leclerc eventually was allowed to pass Sainz for track position.
After Hamilton pitted, Leclerc led F1 British GP from Sainz, with the Brit in third. Perez was fourth after his early stop as Norris was fifth from Alonso and Vettel. Behind him, Verstappen had to fend off from Ocon, who caught him up well.
In fact, Ocon passed Verstappen for eighth as Schumacher started his chase after he cleared Latifi. The Dutchman fought back but the Frenchman had troubles to come to a halt which brought out the full safety car and whole lot of soft tyres.
Leclerc missed the cue to remain on the hard tyres, with Sainz and Hamilton behind him on the soft tyres. Perez got a free stop to be fourth as Alonso was fifth after a late stop Norris which dropped him to sixth as Vettel stayed seventh after a free stop.
Magnussen was up to eighth from Verstappen and Schumacher in the Top 10. The re-start almost worked well for Leclerc against Sainz but not for long as the Spaniard eventually passed his teammate to lead F1 British GP as Perez passed Hamilton for third.
The Brit was slow off the final corner which allowed him to pass Hamilton. With Sainz far into the distance, Leclerc had Perez and Hamilton on his tail in the. It was feisty battle among them where Hamilton got both of them in the final corner to second.
While Perez and Leclerc tussled, Hamilton made the most but not for long as Perez came back on him at Turn 1 to move to second with Leclerc passing the Brit too. The Mexican stretched out of this leaving Leclerc and Hamilton to fight for third.
The two tussled for couple of laps and went back and forth but Hamilton finally made the move to third as Leclerc then had to fend off from Alonso and Norris. Behind them, Verstappen had to fight Schumacher with a floor damage.
Vettel was ninth from Magnussen in the Top 10. At the front, Sainz got through to score his first-ever F1 win in British GP after a tough 2022 with Perez in second from Hamilton. Leclerc was fourth as he fended off both Alonso and Norris.
Behind them, Verstappen fought until the final corner against Schumacher for eighth to register his first points in F1 as Vettel and Magnussen rounded out the Top 10. Finishing outside of points was Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in 11th.
He made a late pass on Williams’ Latifi who beat McLaren’s Ricciardo where the Australian suffered from DRS issue, while AlphaTauri’s Tsunoda was 14th. DNF: Ocon, Gasly, Bottas, Russell, Zhou, Albon.
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British GP: Sainz takes pole from Verstappen in damp conditions
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took F1 British GP pole in damp conditions with Charles Leclerc third behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Q1:
The rain returned for the first part of F1 British GP qualifying at Silverstone with everyone choosing the intermediate tyres. Everyone ventured out to set a lap time barring the two Alpine pair, who only made it out later in the session.
There were some slippery moments from drivers but with the rain stopping, a dry line started to appear albeit the drivers still on the intermediate tyres. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen led the way with a 1m39.129s lap from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Mercedes’ George Russell ended up third as the bottom end saw Williams’ Nicholas Latifi make it in Q2 by 0.080s over teammate Alexander Albon despite not having the updates. The Thai was knocked out in 16th after his 1m42.089s lap.
The Haas and Aston Martin pair did not have a good time with Kevin Magnussen (1m42.159s) leading Sebastian Vettel (1m42.666s), Mick Schumacher (1m42.708s) and Lance Stroll (1m43.430s) in 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th, as all four were knocked out in Q1.
Q2:
The second part of F1 British GP saw more rain and much heavier than the first part. The disrupted the drivers as the session progressed which limited improvements for the all the drivers and sadly that hampered chances of making it in Q3.
Interestingly, Latifi made the cut in the Top 10 as Red Bull’s Verstappen led the way with a 1m40.655s lap from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Leclerc. The weather conditions set the results early on with AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly (1m43.702s) out in 11th.
Teammate Yuki Tsunoda (1m44.311s) was 13th behind Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas (1m44.232s), with McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo (1m44.355s) in 14th and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (1m45.190s) 15th.
Q3:
The third part in F1 British GP got interesting with more rain in the horizon. The teams ventured out straight up to set a banker lap. In trying to do so, Red Bull’s Verstappen had a 360 while he also had a moment on his second lap where he ran over the kerb.
But he made up for it on the third attempt by going fastest with a 1m42.966s lap. There was a moment for Latifi which resulted in a yellow flag but it didn’t disrupt as much. The final moments saw mistake from Leclerc which left him out of chance.
Even Verstappen did not improve as expected, whereas Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz came out of nowhere to set a 1m40.983s lap and secure F1 British GP in damp conditions. The Dutchman (1m41.055s) was only 0.072s off with Leclerc (1m1.298s) in third.
A late improvement from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez (1m41.616s) saw him end up in fourth with Mercedes’ Hamilton (1m41.995s) in fifth with McLaren’s Norris (1m42.084s) sixth from Alpine’s Fernando Alonso (1m42.116s).
The other Mercedes of George Russell (1m42.161s) was only eighth. It was a career best qualifying result in ninth for Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu (1m42.719s), while Williams’ Latifi (2m03.095s) couldn’t get a lap time in to round out the Top 10.
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British GP: Verstappen leads Perez in FP3 as Red Bull bounces back
Red Bull ended up 1-2 with Max Verstappen ending up on top in FP3 of F1 British GP from Sergio Perez as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third.
It was cloudy but dry weather at Silverstone in FP3 of F1 British GP as Red Bull bounced back from Friday to Saturday where Verstappen was fastest with a 1m27.901s lap from Perez, as Ferrari’s Leclerc ended up third.
His teammate Carlos Sainz was sixth facing same problem as he did on Friday in high-speed section which allowed the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to slot into fourth and fifth in a better show from them.
Russell noted about no bouncing at one point which was a plus for Mercedes. McLaren’s Lando Norris was seventh from Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, Haas’ Mick Schumacher and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso in the Top 10.
It was a good lap from both Bottas and Schumacher, who were outside the Top 10 on Friday. The Alpine pair got stuck around the Top 10 with Alonso making it in and Esteban Ocon just outside in 11th from Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel.
Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu was 13th with Williams’ Alexnader Albon continuing his good work in 14th with the updates. For AlphaTauri, it was another difficult session where Pierre Gasly was only 15th and teammate Yuki Tsunoda in 17th.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was 16th who dropped off a bit after a better show on Friday. It wasn’t a good lap from McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo to be 18th with Williams’ Nicholas Latifi in 19th and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen 20th, who couldn’t get a good lap in.
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British GP: Sainz tops a dry FP2 session from Hamilton, Norris
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was fastest in dry FP2 of F1 British GP from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and McLaren’s Lando Norris.
With dry weather conditions, the FP2 session became an important one at Silverstone in F1 British GP where the teams had to combine short and long runs with lots of cars using flo-viz paint to understand its cars better around a demanding circuit.
Ferrari’s Sainz ended up on top with a 1m28.942s lap in a relatively sedate session which saw some porpoising for certain drivers. He led Mercedes’ Hamilton (1m29.105s) and McLaren’s Norris (1m29.118s), who had a problem in a pit stop.
There was a jack failure where his car was dropped on ground rather heavily. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (1m29.149s) was fourth from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (1m29.404s), with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso (1m29.695s) slotting in sixth from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez (1m29753s).
Mercedes’ George Russell (1m29.799s) was eighth from McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo (1m29.902s) and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll (1m29.942s) in the Top 10. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas was just outing in 11th from Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, whose session ended early due to cracked sidepod.
Williams’ Alexander Albon did well in 13th with his car having the major upgrades which the team brought for the weekend. Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu slotted in 14th from Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, whose team noted a floor trouble.
AlphaTauri pair reported of lack of grip with Yuki Tsunoda only 16th and Pierre Gasly 18th with Haas pair also having a sedate session where Kevin Magnussen was 17th and Mick Schumacher 19th, as Williams’ Nicholas Latifi was 20th.
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British GP: Bottas fastest in FP1 amid rain disruption and red flag
Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas was fastest in FP1 of F1 British GP from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz amid rain disruption.
The rain shower at Silverstone disrupted the FP1 session in F1 British GP as it limited the running for the whole field where several chose not to set a lap time. By midway, they waited for the weather to change, but it started drizzling again to set them back.
By the end of the session, though, there were some laps on the slick tyres on a drying track. Among the slick runners, Alfa Romeo’s Bottas set the pace with a 1m42.249s on intermediate tyres as Mercedes’ Hamilton (1m42.781s) was second on slick compound.
Ferrari’s Sainz (1m42.967s) was third from teammate Charles Leclerc (1m43.801s), while Haas’ Mick Schumacher (1m43.895s) slotted in fifth with teammate Kevin Magnussen (1m48.161s) seventh behind Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu (1m46.171s).
The session ended under red flag after an off for Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll as he was beached on the gravel, but his time was good enough to be eighth with teammate Sebastian Vettel (1m59.168s) 10th behind AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda (1m59.168s).
Outside the Top 10, no one set a lap time but the order saw Mercedes’ George Russell in 11th from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon & Fernando Alonso, Williams’ Alexander Albon, McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, McLaren’s Lando Norris, Williams’ Nicholas Latifi and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Aside the on-track running running, the Northamptonshire police, Event Commander Chief Inspector Tom Thompson, issued a statement where he requested the protesters planning to disrupt the F1 British GP not to invade the track on safety grounds.
“We have received credible intelligence that a group of protestors are planning to disrupt the event and possibly invade the track on race day,” he said. “First of all, I want to appeal directly to this group of people and strongly urge you to not put yourselves, the drivers, as well as the many marshals, volunteers and members of the public, at risk.
“Going onto a live racetrack is extremely dangerous – if you go ahead with this reckless plan you are jeopardising lives. Protesting is of course everyone’s human right in this country and we are more than happy to speak with you to help you facilitate a peaceful protest at the circuit, we just please ask that you do not create a situation that puts lives in danger.”
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Daruvala speaks positive about his first-ever F1 test with McLaren
Jehan Daruvala was pleased with his first-ever F1 test at Silverstone with McLaren as he is now eligible for superlicense points.
Red Bull junior Daruvala completed his first-ever F1 test at Silverstone circuit on Tuesday and Wednesday with McLaren where he drove the MCL35M – the team’s 2021 car. The Indian driver completed 130 laps across the two days of running.
It was a trouble-free run for the Indian. Physically it was hard but manageable from his end, as Daruvala completed a mix of high-fuel and low-fuel run on different compounds. “I really enjoyed my first time driving a Formula One car,” he said, with the car featuring a plain McLaren livery with the sticker of Mumbai Falcons.
“I felt immediately at home and while it was physically more demanding than anything I have driven in the past, I didn’t have any issues with my fitness. As a result, we were able to work through the run plan well and complete everything we had mapped out. We did a mixture of high-fuel long runs and as well as shorter, low-fuel runs on different tyre compounds.
“That gave me a good understanding of how teams operate on an F1 weekend. Overall, I’m very pleased with how the two days went, how I coped and the mileage we were able complete. I felt I was able to push closer to the limit with every lap and I can’t wait to drive one of these cars again,” summed up Daruvala.
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McLaren Formula 1 Test for Jehan Daruvala at Silverstone
Mumbai, 20 June 2022: Mumbai Falcons is proud to announce that Indian racer Jehan Daruvala will take part in a test with world championship-winning team McLaren this week in their 2021 Formula 1 car. Jehan will drive the MCL35M car at the Silverstone circuit in England.
“For a dream that has been over 13 years in the making, this is a huge milestone. Jehan, as with all recent F1 recruits, will be testing a previous year’s car as part of the process of getting to Formula 1. He will test last year’s McLaren to begin with, at the Silverstone circuit. Jehan will however continue to remain part of the Red Bull Academy,” said an excited Rayomond Banajee, who is credited with spotting and nurturing Jehan in his early days leading to the karting lad’s selection to the Kingfisher one-in-a-billion dream that kick-started the Mumbai talent’s road to to the top.
The test will give Jehan, who is currently third in the Formula 2 standings, his first taste of driving a Formula 1 car. It marks an important step in his aim to become only the third Indian to race in Formula 1.
Jehan continues to remain a part of the Red Bull Junior Team which he became part of in 2020.
Mumbai Falcons, who are the driving force behind making the motorsport ecosystem in the country more accessible to young Indians and are also supporting Jehan in Formula 2. “Jehan has been the leading figure in Indian motorsport for the past 10 years and is just one step away from every Indian’s dream of having a competitive Indian driver in Formula 1. Our mission at Mumbai Falcons is to showcase the best of Indian motorsport talent to the world. We are proud supporters of Jehan’s 2022 Formula 2 title bid and are just as excited about the testing opportunity being given to him by McLaren. This is a huge moment for Indian motorsport fans and of course for Jehan himself as working with a prestigious team like McLaren will help him take the next step in his development towards becoming only the 3rd Indian to compete in Formula 1,” said a Mumbai Falcons representative through a Press Release.
Jehan said, “I’m incredibly grateful to be getting this opportunity. Testing in Formula 1 is extremely limited and opportunities like these are not easy to come by, especially with a championship-winning team like McLaren. It will be my first experience in a Formula 1 car, which I’m sure will be special. The support that I have received from the Red Bull Junior Team, my family and sponsors like Mumbai Falcons, coupled with this opportunity that McLaren have given me will enable me to prepare myself better to achieve my childhood dream of competing in Formula 1.”
