F1 Fast Five: Accel and HPS to buy 25% stake in €1.8B Aston Martin deal, Why RB's Monza upgrade missed the mark, and other big updates

Accel and HPS to buy 25% stake in €1.8B Aston Martin deal

Aston Martin hasn’t had a great year on the track in 2024, but they’re doing well in other areas. They’ve made a deal with Adrian Newey, built a new factory, and signed Fernando Alonso for the future, which has caught the attention of investors. Accel and HPS Investment Partners are reportedly buying a 20% to 25% stake in the team for €1.8 billion, valuing Aston Martin F1 at around €9 billion. The deal, which is expected to be finalized next week, will be the largest transaction co-owner Lawrence Stroll has received for shares of the team.

Click here to read the full article by Ludo van Denderen (gpblog.com)

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Why RB's Monza upgrade missed the mark

Formula 1 teams often take time to evaluate new upgrade packages, but RB's latest Monza upgrade was met with frustration, particularly from driver Yuki Tsunoda, who described the car as "ridiculous" and difficult to drive. The upgrade, which included new low-drag parts and changes to the underfloor, failed to perform as expected, following a pattern seen with their previous upgrade from the Spanish GP. RB's performance has been dropping, and Tsunoda's problems show that the new parts still have issues.

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

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Ferrari needs more testing to confirm high-speed bouncing fix

Ferrari is uncertain if its new floor upgrade has fully resolved its high-speed bouncing issues, despite a win at Monza. The upgrade improved performance at Monza but the real test will be on high-downforce circuits, which are not featured in the upcoming races. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc both indicated that the true effectiveness of the upgrade will only be evident at tracks like Austin, where high-speed and medium-speed corners are more common. Leclerc thinks Ferrari is still behind McLaren and Red Bull, and Sainz agrees that more tests are needed.

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

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Ferrari's memorable Italian GP weekend

Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix, bringing joy to Ferrari's fans, while Lando Norris kept closing in on Max Verstappen's lead in the drivers' standings. Ferrari had even more to celebrate with Carlos Sainz's birthday during the race weekend. With all the fan support, cake, and celebrations, Ferrari enjoyed a memorable weekend.

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Name two drivers in 90 seconds!

It's the grand finale of Grill the Grid and the final challenge. The drivers have 90 seconds to name two drivers for each question. The first challenge is to name two drivers who won their home Grand Prix. You might think of Hamilton and Verstappen, but Verstappen didn't include himself. Click here to watch the video.