Latest news with #Imola
Daily Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
F1 2025: ‘Impossible' overtaking problem and ‘gimmick' that can't fix it
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. There's no way around it, Formula One has an overtaking problem. Monaco's place on the F1 calendar once again came under question last weekend, with a mandatory second pit stop failing to shake-up the race. Monaco is the jewel in F1's crown but it's difficult to escape the reality that the race on Sunday is a dull procession decided by Saturday's qualifying session — the most important of the year. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. 'At a place like Monaco it's just you might as well have the race Saturday in qualifying and then park up for Sunday because it's impossible to pass,' Supercars legend Mark Skaife told But it's not just Monaco where F1 is confronted with its biggest dilemma. Max Verstappen's gutsy lunge past Oscar Piastri on the first lap at Imola was impressive for its bravery, but also necessary given the rest of the race became more about tyre management than overtaking opportunities. F1 has a big overtaking problem. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Overtaking is nearly impossible in the current cars, which are 2 metres wide. Under F1's new regulations for 2026, F1 cars will be 100mm narrower as part of an effort to make the cars smaller and more agile. 'The cars are so big now, that's the issue,' Skaife said. 'If you look through the history of Formula One, the cars were comparatively really small. 'Through the modern era of car changes, the hybrid era and through the physicality of the cars, an unintended consequence has been the cars have become so large. 'It was even apparent at Imola. It's a traditional racecourse with grass verges and all that stuff. You could tell straight away at Imola without the extreme nature of Monaco that the cars being so big is a real issue for the overtaking. 'Obviously that then puts the emphasis on qualifying being paramount to success.' Michael Schumacher's old Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello agrees, telling PokerStrategy: 'With Piastri and Norris, it's an open competition between the two and Piastri has the upper hand. 'Whoever gets on pole of the race has a 51 per cent chance of winning with their car. They spend most of their time practising race starts, because it's so important to get in front.' F1 is a business, but quality of racing is paramount F1 has never been more popular and is a commercial behemoth right now, valued at $US 17 billion ($26 billion). This week F1 unveiled another major sponsor in Pepsi, complete with an unexpected Daniel Ricciardo sighting. But Skaife believes the quality of racing is not as good as it could be, highlighting the choice of circuits on the F1 calendar as a major dilemma. 'As rule makers, one of the intentions should be that the quality of your racing is tantamount to the success of the game,' the five-time Supercars champion said. 'So you've got all the personalities, you've got all the car brands, you've got Cadillac/General Motors coming, you've got Audi coming next year. 'The sport is in great shape. But one of the things that I'm sure the powers-that-be would be considering is what do the cars look like in five years' time and what do you need to change? 'Because you can't change the infrastructure. You can't just go and fix Monaco tomorrow. It is impossible to overtake on Monaco's street circuit. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / POOL / AFP) 'And you can't fix a lot of the traditional circuits. I know there's been a lot of controversy about this in recent times, but I'm a real fan of the really hardcore proper car racing tracks. 'Places like Spa. There's a lot of conjecture about whether Spa will end up being knocked on the head. 'And places like Suzuka, there's so many really cool racetracks. 'Verstappen and the drivers were talking about Imola being a really cool little racetrack and it is. 'So you've always got this complex nature of who's prepared to pay, what market are you in?Where do you go? 'Miami now has a long-term contract. There's always been a difficulty for Formula One to get into the US market and clearly they're pushing hard with that. 'So when you then think about it from a business perspective, you are still a car racing business and the car racing is the pinnacle of world motorsport. 'There will be a lot of discussion around what the cars look like in the future and how do you make the racing as good as it can be, especially from an overtaking perspective.' The McLaren driver that dominates qualifying will likely win the F1 championship. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) The F1 calendar is in a state of flux for next year, with several European circuits including Imola in Italy and Spa in Belgium set to be ditched from the schedule as part of a rotating policy. Piastri has said it would be a shame for the iconic tracks to disappear from the calendar. 'It's a great circuit,' Piastri said of Imola earlier this month. 'I've only raced here once before, but it's definitely towards the top end of my favourites. 'OK, maybe it's not the best track to race on — not the best for overtaking — but in terms of the ultimate experience of driving an F1 car, this is at the top of the list. We need to be mindful of that. 'Having two races in the same country, with how many bids we have from around the world, maybe doesn't make that much sense anymore. And when you have Monza as your second race in Italy, it's pretty hard not to go to Monza. There'd be some riots if we didn't! 'So for me, we just need to be careful to preserve the history. Zandvoort is going, Spa is going to be on rotation, which I'm not the happiest about. 'We just need to be careful not to lose these historical tracks.' The iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa, Belgium could soon be gone from the F1 calendar. (Photo by Remko de Waal / ANP / AFP) F1 'gimmick' isn't the answer The Drag Reduction System, where the rear wing opens to boost straight-line speed, was introduced into F1 in 2011 in a bid to improve overtaking. But in recent years there have gradually been less memorable overtakes like Ricciardo's trademark dive-bombs or Lewis Hamilton's double overtake at Silverstone in 2022. 'I mean really DRS is a gimmick for overtaking,' Skaife said. 'You've got this system, this aero system, to assist with overtaking if you've actually got cars that can follow each other closely. 'That's was what the mandate of the current regulations were you know everyone was saying 'oh you'll be able to follow more closely'. There are growing calls to make F1 cars smaller. (Photo by) 'But it's essential to have a policy around how much aero the cars have got and how close can you drive behind the car in front. 'Firstly it's about how much downforce you have when you're in the dirty air behind another car. 'That's the core value of being able to overtake another car and have aero efficiency that's good enough in the dirty air to be able to get a run out of a corner, slipstream the car in front, and be able to pass. 'But the other part of it is that the lead car, the car that's in front, has to have enough drag. 'It pays a penalty for leading. So the car behind has less drag, that's the reality of the car in front having to push the air. 'And if you've got less lift to drag ratio, so you actually want more drag on the cars, that would then have an effect of being able to pass on a straight line.' Watch every practice and qualifying session of the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, including the race on Sunday at 11pm AEST on Kayo Sports. Originally published as 'It's impossible': F1's massive problem exposed and 'gimmick' that can't fix it
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
‘It's impossible': F1's massive problem exposed and ‘gimmick' that can't fix it
There's no way around it, Formula One has an overtaking problem. Monaco's place on the F1 calendar once again came under question last weekend, with a mandatory second pit stop failing to shake-up the race. Monaco is the jewel in F1's crown but it's difficult to escape the reality that the race on Sunday is a dull procession decided by Saturday's qualifying session — the most important of the year. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. 'At a place like Monaco it's just you might as well have the race Saturday in qualifying and then park up for Sunday because it's impossible to pass,' Supercars legend Mark Skaife told But it's not just Monaco where F1 is confronted with its biggest dilemma. Max Verstappen's gutsy lunge past Oscar Piastri on the first lap at Imola was impressive for its bravery, but also necessary given the rest of the race became more about tyre management than overtaking opportunities. Overtaking is nearly impossible in the current cars, which are 2 metres wide. Under F1's new regulations for 2026, F1 cars will be 100mm narrower as part of an effort to make the cars smaller and more agile. 'The cars are so big now, that's the issue,' Skaife said. 'If you look through the history of Formula One, the cars were comparatively really small. 'Through the modern era of car changes, the hybrid era and through the physicality of the cars, an unintended consequence has been the cars have become so large. 'It was even apparent at Imola. It's a traditional racecourse with grass verges and all that stuff. You could tell straight away at Imola without the extreme nature of Monaco that the cars being so big is a real issue for the overtaking. 'Obviously that then puts the emphasis on qualifying being paramount to success.' Michael Schumacher's old Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello agrees, telling PokerStrategy: 'With Piastri and Norris, it's an open competition between the two and Piastri has the upper hand. 'Whoever gets on pole of the race has a 51 per cent chance of winning with their car. They spend most of their time practising race starts, because it's so important to get in front.' F1 is a business, but quality of racing is paramount F1 has never been more popular and is a commercial behemoth right now, valued at $US 17 billion ($26 billion). This week F1 unveiled another major sponsor in Pepsi, complete with an unexpected Daniel Ricciardo sighting. But Skaife believes the quality of racing is not as good as it could be, highlighting the choice of circuits on the F1 calendar as a major dilemma. 'As rule makers, one of the intentions should be that the quality of your racing is tantamount to the success of the game,' the five-time Supercars champion said. 'So you've got all the personalities, you've got all the car brands, you've got Cadillac/General Motors coming, you've got Audi coming next year. 'The sport is in great shape. But one of the things that I'm sure the powers-that-be would be considering is what do the cars look like in five years' time and what do you need to change? 'Because you can't change the infrastructure. You can't just go and fix Monaco tomorrow. 'And you can't fix a lot of the traditional circuits. I know there's been a lot of controversy about this in recent times, but I'm a real fan of the really hardcore proper car racing tracks. 'Places like Spa. There's a lot of conjecture about whether Spa will end up being knocked on the head. 'And places like Suzuka, there's so many really cool racetracks. 'Verstappen and the drivers were talking about, you might be a really cool little racetrack and it is. So you've always got this complex nature of who's prepared to pay, what market are you in? 'Where do you go? Miami now has a long-term contract. There's always been a difficulty for Formula One to get into the US market and clearly they're pushing hard with that. 'So when you then think about it from a business perspective, you are still a car racing business and the car racing is the pinnacle of world motorsport. 'There will be a lot of discussion around what the cars look like in the future and how do you make the racing as good as it can be, especially from an overtaking perspective.' The F1 calendar is in a state of flux for next year, with several European circuits including Imola in Italy and Spa in Belgium set to be ditched from the schedule as part of a rotating policy. Piastri has said it would be a shame for the iconic tracks to disappear from the calendar. 'It's a great circuit,' Piastri said of Imola earlier this month. 'I've only raced here once before, but it's definitely towards the top end of my favourites. 'OK, maybe it's not the best track to race on — not the best for overtaking — but in terms of the ultimate experience of driving an F1 car, this is at the top of the list. We need to be mindful of that. 'Having two races in the same country, with how many bids we have from around the world, maybe doesn't make that much sense anymore. And when you have Monza as your second race in Italy, it's pretty hard not to go to Monza. There'd be some riots if we didn't! 'So for me, we just need to be careful to preserve the history. Zandvoort is going, Spa is going to be on rotation, which I'm not the happiest about. 'We just need to be careful not to lose these historical tracks.' F1 'gimmick' isn't the answer The Drag Reduction System, where the rear wing opens to boost straight-line speed, was introduced into F1 in 2011 in a bid to improve overtaking. But in recent years there have gradually been less memorable overtakes like Ricciardo's trademark dive-bombs or Lewis Hamilton's double overtake at Silverstone in 2022. 'I mean really DRS is a gimmick for overtaking,' Skaife said. 'You've got this system, this aero system, to assist with overtaking if you've actually got cars that can follow each other closely. 'That's was what the mandate of the current regulations were you know everyone was saying 'oh you'll be able to follow more closely'. 'But it's essential to have a policy around how much aero the cars have got and how close can you drive behind the car in front. 'Firstly it's about how much downforce you have when you're in the dirty air behind another car. 'That's the core value of being able to overtake another car and have aero efficiency that's good enough in the dirty air to be able to get a run out of a corner, slipstream the car in front, and be able to pass. 'But the other part of it is that the lead car, the car that's in front, has to have enough drag. 'It pays a penalty for leading. So the car behind has less drag, that's the reality of the car in front having to push the air. 'And if you've got less lift to drag ratio, so you actually want more drag on the cars, that would then have an effect of being able to pass on a straight line.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
From yachts to pit stops: Monaco GP in pictures
The Monaco Grand Prix, arguably the most anticipated race on the Formula 1 calendar, provided the usual mix of glamour, celebrities and spectacular sights. Here are a selection of some of the best images from the grand prix weekend. Norris' win 'incredible' but pole 'more emotional' Drivers give mixed reviews to Monaco two-stop rule How to follow Spanish Grand Prix on the BBC Get to know maybe the coolest, calmest F1 driver in history F1's goodbye to Imola? Images from classic track over the years Incredible images from 75 years of F1
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Lewis Hamilton sent ‘flying' after hitting huge bump as Ferrari involved in scary Monaco Grand Prix incidents
LEWIS HAMILTON was seen on a flying lap, literally, as he went airborne after driving over a kerb at the Monaco Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion enjoyed his best race result of the season in Imola after an impressive drive through the field. 5 5 5 However, the challenge of Monaco 's narrow street track posed some very different issues for the Scuderia as they endured a horror FP1. As the 40-year-old zoomed into the iconic "piscine" section of the track, he was forced to take evasive action as traffic ahead of him almost caused catastrophe. The Brit was forced to steer to the left to avoid a massive collision. This saw him drive straight over the kerb of the chicane, which then sent him flying into the air. Hamilton then miraculously managed to avoid his car crashing into the barriers but not before his car scraped along the floor. Reacting on the team radio, he said: "Ah f*** mate, so much traffic. "I have to box mate, I've just gone completely over the kerb mate." Hamilton ended the session in P9, clocking a fastest lap time of 1:12.690 from 30 laps of the circuit. Team-mate Charles Leclerc topped the session in his home race with a time of 1:11.964. But that was not before he suffered a nightmare start that saw him go off track. Soon after he was involved in a red flag incident as he lost the left half of his front wing after a collision with Lance Stroll. The Aston Martin driver had let one driver go heading into the famous hairpin turn, before veering right on to the racing line where Leclerc was racing along. The move saw Leclerc crash into the back of Stroll, who said he did not hear his team's radio call that the Monegasque was coming down. Stroll was handed a one place grid penalty for the incident by the FIA, who additionally slapped his super licence with a penalty point. Ahead of the weekend, Hamilton had said he was "buzzing" to race around Monaco in a Ferrari. He said: "It's a much different track… Ferrari have generally gone well here [in the past] but as you know, Qualifying is everything and we've struggled so far this year, so we'll see. "I've never driven this car at this track, so that will be new for me, it's a new characteristic to what I've experienced in the past. "But it's exciting to drive for the first time a Ferrari around these streets of Monte Carlo." Hamilton is currently P6 in the World Drivers Championship standings, nine points behind team-mate Leclerc. McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are one and two in the rankings with Red Bull's Max Verstappen close behind. 5 5
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Monaco Grand Prix: 5 things to watch out for
Is Red Bull's progress real after the Imola win? After Max Verstappen's surprise victory at Imola, the biggest question for the rest of this triple-header is whether Red Bull's improvements were track-specific – or if the team is now in a position to challenge McLaren on a regular basis. Linked to that: was Red Bull surprisingly quick in Italy, or was McLaren surprisingly slow on Sunday? Advertisement The papaya team insists it wasn't affected by the two technical directives issued by the FIA ahead of the Emilia-Romagna GP, and Verstappen remained cautious too. After the race, the Dutchman pointed to a pattern: Red Bull has been competitive on tracks with many high-speed corners (Suzuka, Jeddah, and Imola), but has struggled more on circuits where low-speed performance is crucial (Bahrain and Miami). Monaco is the ultimate low-speed track on the F1 calendar, so Red Bull anticipates a tough weekend in the principality. That's even more the case given that kerb-riding and handling over bumps haven't been Red Bull's strong points in recent years, to put it mildly. It likely means the Monaco Grand Prix will be a weekend of damage limitation – although rain in qualifying could change things for Verstappen. After that, Barcelona will be the real test on a more representative track, with tyre degradation and the FIA's clampdown on flexi-wings as key factors. – Ronald Vording Norris needs a strong qualifying Lando Norris is clearly struggling this year, no question about that. And, as always, he's the first to admit it. He's underdelivering on the promise he showed ahead of the season - and clearly needs to do better. Yet, heading into Monaco, he's just 11 points behind his team-mate, championship leader Oscar Piastri. Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images Advertisement There have been a couple of unnecessary mistakes this year – the Q3 crash in Jeddah being the main one – but it's mostly his one-lap pace that's let him down. "Last year, this was my biggest... in my whole career, qualifying has been my biggest strength by a long way. This year, it's just not coming my way," he said in Imola. He added: "I think we understand some reasons why." The quicker Norris can turn that understanding into solutions, the easier things will become. In Imola, he got away with P4 in qualifying – thanks in part to some luck with the timing of the safety car – and finished second, arguably the best possible result for McLaren. But relying on safety car timing isn't a strategy for a championship contender. Norris must start qualifying better. Advertisement – Oleg Karpov Tsunoda under pressure Yuki Tsunoda urgently needs to start performing like a Red Bull driver. Five grands prix have passed since the Japanese driver left Racing Bulls, and he has yet to deliver a standout performance for the Milton Keynes-based squad. He didn't help his cause by crashing in Q1 during qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – an error he called 'stupid'. While Tsunoda recovered well from a pitlane start to finish tenth on Sunday in Imola, and he continues to enjoy Helmut Marko's support – likely because there's no one else ready to take his place – that won't last forever. Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Red Bull Content Pool Red Bull Content Pool Advertisement Qualifying has been his biggest weakness since moving to the RB21, with an average deficit of 0.864s to Max Verstappen and just two top-10 starts. His races have been slightly better, but his best result remains ninth in Bahrain. The good news: Monaco is a chance for redemption. Tsunoda has improved in qualifying every year since his first outing in the principality, achieved eighth in both qualifying and the race last year, and scored his first Monaco points. If he can build on that, it will be a step forward. – Federico Faturos Can Ferrari sort qualifying? In Imola, a favourable race scenario masked Ferrari's qualifying weakness. But will that work in Monaco? Probably not. This weekend brings a new tyre regulation, adding another variable – yet one truth remains: only those who qualify well on Saturday have a real shot on Sunday. Advertisement For Ferrari, this means: if they don't solve their qualifying issues, it will show in the results – unlike in Imola – and at one of the most prestigious races of the year. And then, team principal Frédéric Vasseur may no longer be able to deny that the team is under real pressure. Should the planned updates for Barcelona also fall short, Ferrari could find itself in not just a technical, but a full-blown sporting crisis – just as Lewis Hamilton suggested when he said the rest of the season could be 'painful' for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari Peter Fox / Getty Images Peter Fox / Getty Images The next few weeks will show whether Hamilton was right or if Ferrari can turn things around. But in its current state, the legendary team simply cannot afford a Monaco failure – and hoping for a lucky race isn't in line with its self-image. Advertisement – Stefan Ehlen Will two-stop rule work? Last year's Monaco Grand Prix wasn't exciting, to say the least – which prompted a response from F1 leadership. This year, Monaco will host the first-ever championship race with two mandatory tyre changes. Since overtaking is nearly impossible in the principality, it's seen as one of the only ways to spice up Sunday. How it plays out remains to be seen. Will teams explore different strategies? Will it reduce the importance of qualifying? Will it make the show better? Right now, there are more questions than answers. – Oleg Karpov To read more articles visit our website.
