F1 Fast Five: Suzuka secures 5-year extension to host Japanese GP, De Vries faces 50% payout in lawsuit loss, and other big updates

Suzuka secures 5-year extension to host Japanese GP

The Suzuka circuit in Japan has extended its Formula 1 contract until 2029, moving its round to April for scheduling and carbon emissions reduction. Originally set to expire after this year's round, Mobilityland, the race promoter owned by Honda, secured a new five-year contract with Formula One Management. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali thanked Honda MobilityLand for supporting efforts to make the sport more sustainable. Suzuka, known for its challenging track and strong fan attendance, has been part of F1 since 1987 and will continue hosting races in the coming years.

Click here to read the full article by Keith Collantine (racefans.net)

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De Vries faces 50% payout in lawsuit loss

Nyck de Vries lost a lawsuit against his former investors, Investrand, regarding his status as a substitute driver for Williams at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix. The court ruled in favor of Investrand, requiring de Vries to pay 50% of all F1 earnings after 2022, including his salary from AlphaTauri and personal sponsorship income. The disagreement arose from an agreement that mandated such payment if de Vries became an active F1 driver before the end of 2022, which the court deemed applicable in this case.

Click here to read the full article by Ewan Gale (racingnews365.com)

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Who are the potential replacements for Hamilton's seat at Mercedes?

The biggest Formula One news of 2024 is Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, ending his 11-year partnership with the team. As the most successful duo in F1 history, Mercedes faces the challenge of replacing the British legend, with several drivers in contention. Possible candidates include Carlos Sainz Jr., Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon, Lando Norris, and rookie Frederik Vesti, though each has their own set of considerations, such as contracts, experience, and team dynamics.

Click here to read the full article by Callum McAvoy (metro.co.uk)

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Newey teases RB20 debut

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Adrian Newey graces the airwaves once again on Talking Bull, the official Oracle Red Bull Racing podcast. The Chief Technical Officer lifts the curtain on the RB17, Red Bull's very first hypercar, and talks about the work he and Red Bull Advanced Technologies have put into it. There's also a sneak peek at the upcoming RB20, which is set to be revealed on February 15th.

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Can Lewis compete in a Ferrari?

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After Andretti's exclusion from Formula One, the initial chatter about it dissipated quickly in the media. The spotlight soon shifted to the much-talked-about prospect of Lewis Hamilton making a move to Ferrari. Everyone is talking about it, and that's the subject of discussion on ESPN's unlapped. How did Wolff react to the news, and what's next for Mercedes and Sainz?