Red Bull sister team to change name after marketing complications, Will Brazil be the turning point for Mercedes' upgrades?, and other updates

Red Bull sister team to change name after marketing complications

The Red Bull sister team is changing its name again. The team was called Toro Rosso for 14 years before switching to AlphaTauri in 2020 to promote its fashion brand and then changing to VCARB this season. The new name is meant to give the team a clearer identity and respond to fan criticism of the previous name. 

Click here to read the full article by Aaron Deckers & Ian Parkes (racingnews365.com)

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Will Brazil be the turning point for Mercedes' upgrades?

Mercedes still has problems with their performance and can't keep up with Ferrari and McLaren. They are 146 points behind third-place Red Bull but have a good lead over fifth-place Aston Martin, which gives them a chance to finish fourth in the Constructors' Championship. They plan to bring upgrades for the Brazilian Grand Prix, but budget limits from George Russell's recent crashes have restricted their ability to add new parts. As they head to São Paulo, they need to see if they can perform well at a track where they have had success in the past.

Click here to read the full article at lastwordonsports.com

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Drivers call for gravel traps to improve racing

Amid the controversy over Formula 1's driving standards guidelines, many drivers are calling for a redesign of tracks to include more gravel traps. This issue gained traction after the U.S. Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen and Lando Norris's battle exposed flaws in the current system. Lewis Hamilton pointed out that modern run-off areas allow drivers to exceed limits without consequence, which contributes to aggressive racing behaviors. Drivers like Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen believe adding gravel traps or grass would make racing safer and discourage reckless driving.

Click here to read the full article by Jonathan Noble (motorsport.com)

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Is Kimi Antonelli ready for F1?

It's the Akkodis Race Debrief, and Jodie joins Mercedes trackside engineer Andrew Shovlin to discuss the Mexican GP. Shovlin also answered questions about whether the team was able to gather useful data comparing the old spec George drove with Hamilton's new spec, how he assessed Kimi's progress from the FP1 session, and if George will have the repaired upgrade in time for Brazil, among others.

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Verstappen hits back at Damon Hill's criticism

Damon Hill said Max Verstappen's move in Mexico "was just daft and Dick Dastardly stuff." Dick Dastardly was a character from the 1960s animated TV series Wacky Races and several other cartoons and films who tried to win by using underhanded tactics. However, Verstappen didn't take it well and hit back at Damon, saying, "I'm a three-time champion; I know what I'm doing." But does he?