Williams opted to replace Logan Sargeant with Franco Colapinto for the rest of the season. Sargeant, who has been with the team since 2023, was believed to be on thin ice before the summer break, with many fans predicting he would be dropped from the team when the season resumed. The American has struggled to earn results, failing to score a point this season and ranking 20th in the World Drivers’ Championship only ahead of Valtteri Bottas at Sauber. A heavy crash during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix added to the young driver’s total damage cost, potentially worsening his relationship with the team. Williams was reportedly considering options from Mercedes and Red Bull with Mick Schumacher and Liam Lawson, respectively. However, they opted to hire Franco Colapinto from the Williams Driver Academy. The 21-year-old Argentine was competing in his first full season of Formula 2, having won a race earlier this year.
Mercedes has signed rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli to replace the outgoing Lewis Hamilton for 2025. This announcement has been expected, with the rookie having completed multiple tests with the team throughout the year. He joined the Mercedes junior programme in 2019 amidst his successful karting career. After some success in Formula 4 and other junior series, he jumped straight to Formula 2 this year where he scored two victories thus far. He will partner with George Russell for the 2025 season, where Mercedes hopes to return to previous form.
One hundred Renault employees showed up to the Italian Grand Prix to protest plans to replace the Renault engine with a customer engine at Alpine. With a dip in performance at least partly attributable to the Renault power unit, Alpine management has been considering dumping its engine programme in favour of a customer engine, likely provided by Mercedes. Staff from Renault’s engine base in Viry insist that the 2026 power unit is an improvement and would like to see the team continue to use it. Despite Renault insisting that everyone can be pivoted to non-F1 projects without any job loss, the staff feels that Viry has “no purpose” without Formula One. The deadline for a decision from management looms and it has yet to be confirmed which way the team will go.
Haas’ financial dispute with former title sponsor Uralkali came to an end this week as the team completed a refund payment required by a court judgment. Uralkali, a Russian chemical company, took Haas to court over the termination of a title sponsorship deal for 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. Although the court ruled that Haas was allowed to terminate the deal, they were required to return part of the sponsorship money that had already been paid, believed to total $9m. Things escalated when Haas failed to meet the payment deadline, leading Dutch police to seize Haas’ assets until payment was made. When the Dutch Grand Prix concluded, Haas had made the payment and was awaiting confirmation. They were allowed to move their equipment to the Italian Grand Prix without any significant delay.
Ferrari and sponsor Santander will part ways at the end of the year as both parties opt not to renew their agreement. Santander, a Spanish banking company, has sponsored Ferrari in Formula One and Le Mans since 2022, having previously sponsored them between 2010 and 2017. The company is the largest single sponsor on Ferrari’s books, paying an estimated $60m annually. It is likely no coincidence that this announcement comes as Carlos Sainz prepares to move to Williams for 2025. While Santander has not confirmed their next sponsorship opportunity, it is believed that the brand may follow the Spaniard to his new home at Williams.
F1 management is exploring the possibility of running a rookie-only sprint race after the Abu Dhabi tyre test at the end of the season. Members of the F1 Commission have been considering opportunities to give rookie drivers more seat time in an era with such limited testing mileage available. The sporting directors will evaluate the proposal before the next F1 Commission meeting to see how feasible the idea would be and what regulation changes would be required.
Although the safety car is usually the vehicle in charge of controlling the field when a driver has a shunt, it was the safety car that had a crash on Thursday ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. Before the start of the race weekend, safety car driver Bernd Maylander routinely completes multiple fast laps at the circuit in the Aston Martin Vantage F1 Edition car. During one of these laps, the safety car lost control under braking at the Parabolica corner, skidding through the gravel and crashing into the barriers. Both the driver and passenger were uninjured and the incident did not impact the race weekend, as there is a spare safety car. The medical car, which was also participating in fast laps at the time of the incident, was able to continue without problem.
Action on the Monza circuit kicked off with Max Verstappen on top at the end of the first free practice session on Friday. It was a busy start to the session as teams rushed to get to grips with the newly resurfaced circuit. Unfortunately, it was a short session of Kimi Antonelli, who crashed at the Parabolica ten minutes into the session. The 18-year-old Italian was behind the wheel of George Russell’s Mercedes. When the session resumed, Valtteri Bottas was at the top of the timing charts briefly. He eventually settled down to a top-five position as the times improved throughout the session. Both Ferrari drivers were in the top five, running new upgrades for the weekend.
Lewis Hamilton was on top by the end of the second free practice session, but the top five were only separated by less than 0.2s. Sergio Perez had the gearbox of his Red Bull changed between sessions as a precaution. As teams began their qualifying simulations, Lando Norris was briefly quickest before being outpaced by Hamilton. The session was split in half by a red flag after Kevin Magnussen crashed into the barriers at the second Lesmo. Both Ferrari and McLaren cars were capable of making it in the top five. George Russell finished in P6 after a delayed start while the team hurriedly repaired his damaged car.
Lewis Hamilton again led the way in the final free practice session that turned out to be a Mercedes 1-2. It was a session free of red flags after a few incidents in Friday’s sessions. The field was again very close, with under 0.2s separating the top five, which consisted of Charles Leclerc and both McLarens. Ferrari appeared to be strong at the circuit, while Red Bull appeared to struggle heading into qualifying. Kevin Magnussen’s Haas came to a halt on the circuit after the session finished, leading the team to replace the gearbox before qualifying.
Qualifying provided a front-row lockout for McLaren, with Lando Norris claiming pole position. Further back, Red Bull struggled to claim their positions on the fourth row of the grid. While Q1 was relatively orderly, Q2 again showcased how close the competition is, with Fernando Alonso missing out on Q3 by just 0.01s to Nico Hulkenberg. In Q3, a snap of oversteer ruined Max Verstappen’s first qualifying run. George Russell was able to secure P3 on the starting grid as both Ferrari cars finished in the top five, showing they could be in contention come Sunday.
Although Ferrari is often laughed at for bizarre strategy calls, it was the pit strategy that helped Charles Leclerc secure victory in the race on Sunday. George Russell had a tough start in the race, missing the first chicane after being blocked by Oscar Piastri in the first corner. Piastri went on to take the lead from teammate Lando Norris with a brave move in the second chicane, which also cost Norris a position to Charles Leclerc. While many of the top teams decided on the less traditional two-stop strategy, Ferrari gambled on the one-stop strategy. Piastri appeared to have the pace near the end of the race to challenge, but some smooth driving from Leclerc and defensive work by Carlos Sainz forced McLaren to settle for P2 and P3. Interestingly, the McLaren pit wall opted not to switch positions later in the race, reducing Norris’ championship points gained from Max Verstappen’s lacklustre race in P6. Click here to read a full summary of the Italian Grand Prix.
Kevin Magnussen will become the first driver to receive a race ban under Formula One’s penalty points system after a minor clash with Pierre Gasly during the Italian Grand Prix. Having accrued 10 penalty points in the first five races of the season, the Dane has long had the threat of a race ban looming over his head. The current regulations necessitate a race ban when a driver reaches 12 points in 12 months. During the Italian Grand Prix, Magnussen attempted a lunge on Gasly at turn four but locked up the front tyres and made slight contact with the Alpine car. While the incident appeared minor, the stewards believed it warranted a 10-second penalty and two penalty points, putting him over the limit. Magnussen criticized the penalty, pointing out that Daniel Ricciardo was only given a five-second penalty for forcing teammate Nico Hulkenberg off the circuit early in the race, ultimately ruining the German’s race. Even Gasly slammed the penalty, calling it “unfair” and stating he would happily support Magnussen in getting the penalty reversed. It is unclear whether Haas intends to appeal the penalty.
As one double-header finishes another will soon begin. Next up on the calendar is the fast street circuit in Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 15.
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
