The £540m track that never hosted a race, How Aston Martin dropped to the back of the grid in a year, and other big updates

The £540m track that never hosted a race

Modern F1 race tracks are exciting venues that follow strict FIA rules and draw huge crowds every year. But some tracks end up abandoned, becoming empty reminders of the past. One example is the Hanoi Circuit, built for the Vietnam Grand Prix. The race was canceled due to COVID-19 and political issues. Efforts to revive the Grand Prix were halted after the city mayor, Nguyen Duc Chung, who spearheaded the project, was imprisoned on corruption charges. Although the track remains unused, fans can explore it virtually in the F1 2020 video game.

Click here to read the full article by Harry Smith (express.co.uk)

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How Aston Martin dropped to the back of the grid in a year

Aston Martin’s performance in 2024 has drastically fallen since its strong start in 2023, now having the slowest car on the grid. The team’s decline is due to ineffective upgrades, development issues, and a failure to adapt to changing conditions. Despite a strong foundation in 2023, Aston Martin’s technical team has struggled with achieving desired improvements in both medium and high-speed performance. The team is hoping that changes in its technical leadership and a focus on 2025 will help correct these issues, but they must avoid repeating past mistakes.

Click here to read the full article by Scott Mitchell-Malm (the-race.com)

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Sulayem's handling of F1 faces key criticism

Mohammed Ben Sulayem's time as FIA president has been criticized, with Guenther Steiner saying he gets too involved in the sport. Steiner said Ben Sulayem is a good person but should focus on leading the organization and letting others handle day-to-day work. Controversial actions, like banning jewelry and punishing drivers for swearing, upset drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Steiner suggested these problems could be avoided by talking things out instead of making strict rules.

Click here to read the full article by James Dielhenn (crash.net)

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Engel wins dramatic FIA GT World Cup

Maro Engel won his second FIA GT World Cup after a chaotic race on the wet Guia Circuit, after taking advantage of a crash between Antonio Fuoco and Raffaele Marciello near the end. The race started with four laps under the safety car before the action began, with Marciello leading and Fuoco and Engel close behind. Fuoco passed Marciello but later collided with him, causing both to lose their chances and giving Engel the lead. Engel finished over 11 seconds ahead despite a 5-second penalty, with Augusto Farfus in second and Sheldon van der Linde in third.

Click here to read the full article at fia.com

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Maffei rules out selling F1 after departure

Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media, said there are no plans to sell Formula 1 when he leaves at the end of the year. Since buying F1 for $4.4 billion in 2017, the sport has grown a lot, with more fans and bigger sponsorship deals. Maffei mentioned that shows like Drive to Survive helped make F1 more popular and set an example for other sports. Even though there were rumors about a $20 billion takeover, Maffei said F1 has a strong future and won’t be sold.

Click here to read the full article by Henry Valantine (planetf1.com)