Williams furious after FIA blunder knocks Albon out of Q2, Can mandatory pitstops solve F1's overtaking problem?, and other big updates

Williams furious after FIA blunder knocks Albon out of Q2

Alex Albon was wrongly eliminated from Q2 at the Bahrain Grand Prix after Nico Hulkenberg’s lap, which beat him by just 0.042 seconds, was later deleted for a track limits violation. The FIA’s delayed decision meant Albon was stuck in 15th on the grid, while Hulkenberg started 16th, despite the error. Williams team boss James Vowles openly criticized race control, saying Albon had the pace to reach Q3 but was hurt by both a poor out lap and traffic in the pit lane. Vowles asked for answers and said the delay could have changed more than just one position on the grid.

Click here to read the full article by Phillip van Osten (f1i.com)

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Can mandatory pitstops solve F1's overtaking problem?

This year’s Monaco Grand Prix requires two pitstops, and some people in F1 think this could help solve overtaking issues at other races. However, forcing extra pitstops could mess with strategy and lead to more mistakes. While the Qatar GP in 2023 showed that shorter stints could encourage flat-out racing, tire management, and degradation still play a significant role in limiting overtaking. The complexity of balancing tire performance, weather conditions, and race strategies suggests that a simple solution like mandated pitstops might not address the core problem.

Click here to read the full article by Stuart Codling & Filip Cleeren (motorsport.com)

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Bahrain GP puts teams in a strategy dilemma

F1 teams are planning different strategies for the Bahrain Grand Prix after a boring race in Japan. The Bahrain track has a rough surface and heavy braking, which leads to high tire wear, so a two-stop strategy is expected to be the fastest. Drivers could start on soft tires and switch to mediums or hards or try a one-stop strategy. Max Verstappen has two sets of hard tires and one set of mediums, while other drivers have more medium tires.

Click here to read the full article by Jake Nichol (racingnews365.com)

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Schumacher signs helmet for Stewart’s dementia charity

Michael Schumacher signed Jackie Stewart’s helmet, which Stewart will wear when he drives the 1973 Tyrrell 006 F1 car in Bahrain before Sunday’s Grand Prix. In 2013, Schumacher suffered severe brain injuries in a skiing accident and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared his injuries critical. He had surgeries to save his life, then went to a hospital in Switzerland before going home, where he still needs full-time care. With help from his wife Corinna, Schumacher signed his initials ‘MS’ on the helmet, which will be sold to raise money for Stewart’s Race Against Dementia charity.

Click here to read the full article by Michelle Foster (planetf1.com)

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Everything about the FIA leadership shakeup

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is under new pressure after Robert Reid, his deputy president for sport, stepped down on Thursday morning during the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix. Reid’s exit adds to a growing list of senior officials who have left the FIA over the past 18 months. It’s believed there was a fallout between Reid and Ben Sulayem. Here’s a look at everything behind this latest dramatic turn in the FIA story.