F1 Fast Five: Ocon eyes Le Mans debut with Alpine hypercar, Mercedes foresees tighter 2024 lead battle, and other big updates

Ocon eyes Le Mans debut with Alpine hypercar

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon expressed interest in participating in the Le Mans 24 Hours race following the unveiling of their A424 Hypercar. While Ocon emphasized his focus on Formula 1, he suggested that seeing an F1 driver compete in Le Mans during the F1 season could pave the way for more to follow suit. Although no current F1 drivers will be participating in Le Mans this year, former drivers like Antonio Giovinazzi, Mick Schumacher, and Nyck de Vries are involved. 

Click here to read the full article by Rory Mitchell (racingnews.com)

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Mercedes foresees tighter 2024 lead battle

Mercedes technical director James Allison expresses a hopeful anticipation for a more competitive season in Formula 1, driven by the upper limit of lap time dictated by the ground-effect regulations. These regulations aim to balance downforce production with issues like bouncing and porpoising, setting a clearer performance boundary compared to previous rules. Despite Red Bull's dominance, the grid has shown a trend of compression, suggesting potential for closer competition. However, uncertainties remain regarding Red Bull's development potential and the overall impact of the regulations until the cars hit the track in 2024.

Click here to read the full article by Edd Straw (the-race.com)

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Perez feels confident with Red Bull's RB20

Sergio Perez reflects on challenges with the RB19 in 2023, focusing on improving performance with Red Bull's new RB20 for 2024. Perez aims for better understanding and consistency to maximize opportunities throughout the upcoming season, particularly emphasizing improvements in low-speed performance.

Click here to read the full article by Ben Vinel & Matt Kew (motorsport.com)

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Why RB20 looks like Mercedes

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Following the RB19's impressive performance in winning 21 out of 22 races in 2023, Formula 1 fans were curious about what Adrian Newey and the Red Bull design team had in store for 2024. With the release of the RB20, Red Bull clarified that their shift towards Mercedes-style solutions in the new Formula 1 car was simply about pursuing better performance.

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Drive to survive behind the scenes

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Ever wondered how Drive to Survive is filmed? With Season 6 of the Netflix F1 series premiering on February 23, let's explore what happened during the 2023 F1 season and take a peek at some behind-the-scenes moments from the 2024 F1 Drive to Survive. Join Kym Illman as he gives us an insider's look at what goes on behind the cameras and how it all comes together.