The FIA has published the current Formula One penalty and racing guidelines, improving the transparency of stewarding decisions. While these documents have always existed, they were previously confidential. The guidelines outline how the stewards should judge certain incidents consistently and objectively. Several high-profile incidents in the past year have introduced changes to the guidelines. Most of the discussions have been around the guidelines related to overtaking. The current guidelines dictate that a driver overtaking on the inside of a corner should have their front axle at least alongside the mirror of the other car prior to and at the apex. When overtaking on the outside, the overtaking car must have its front axle ahead of the other car’s front axle at the apex. In both cases, the car must be driven in a controlled manner and must be able to make the corner within track limits. The latest copy of the Driving Standard Guidelines and Penalty Guidelines can be viewed on the FIA website.
Carlos Sainz Sr has officially dropped out of the race for FIA presidency. The 63-year-old successful rally driver had previously been considering running against the incumbent Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who is now running uncontested in the election set for the end of the year. In a statement announcing his decision, Sainz said “the present circumstances are not ideal to set the grounds for my candidacy” also indicating that running would have impacted his preparations for the Dakar Rally.
The Red Bull Ring signed a contract extension to host the Austrian Grand Prix until 2041, making it the second venue with a contract running into the 2040s. The circuit first appeared on the calendar in 1970 before being deemed unsafe by the FIA after 1987 and disappearing from the calendar. After being brought up-to-date, the venue returned to the schedule in 1997. It was dropped again from the calendar after 2003 and was sold to Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz shortly after. After Red Bull joined Formula One as a constructor, interest in the venue gained traction, leading to significant investments in upgrading the circuit so that it could return to the calendar in 2014. The relatively simple layout and high-speed nature often produce entertaining races.
Red Bull youngster Arvid Lindblad participated in his first test for the team since being granted a Superlicence exemption earlier this month. The test was held at Imola as part of the Testing of Previous Cars programme, which saw Lindblad and Ayumu Iwasa drive AlphaTauri’s AT04 from 2023. He knows the circuit well, finishing second in this year’s Formula 2 sprint race. Lindblad also participated in a filming day at the circuit in February. This most recent test helps to prepare Lindblad for his F1 practice debut later this season. The 17-year-old had to be approved by the FIA for a Superlicence age exemption, since he does not turn 18 until August.
The Aston Martin F1 team has launched a new driver academy programme, recruiting Mari Boya. Like the young driver programmes run by many other F1 teams, the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team Driver Academy aims to scout and support young talent on their path to Formula One. Boya, the team’s first recruit, is a Spanish racing driver currently competing in Formula 3 with Campos Racing. Winning the Spanish karting championship three times, he moved to Formula 4 in 2020 and then Formula Regional the following year. In 2023, MP Motorsport promoted him to Formula 3. He moved to Campos Racing in 2024, earning his first race victory in the series that same year. He currently sits in P6 in the Drivers’ Championship.
Former Ferrari F1 leader Luca di Montezemolo has joined McLaren Group Holdings’ board of directors. McLaren Group Holdings is the company which controls McLaren’s automotive business and owns a minor share of the motorsport arm of the business. After briefly serving as Ferrari’s F1 team principal in 1974 and 1975, Montezemolo served as president of Ferrari until 2014, during which time the team amassed a staggering eight World Constructors’ Championship titles. However, it’s believed that Montezemolo’s involvement with McLaren will be limited solely to its automotive business.
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli graduated from high school, skipping the F1 movie premiere in New York to complete his final exams. The 18-year-old has been splitting his attention between school and his debut season with Mercedes alongside George Russell.
Max Verstappen’s long-time race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase sat out the Austrian Grand Prix for the first time since Verstappen joined the Red Bull team. Lambiase has worked with Verstappen since the Dutchman joined the team and has recently taken on expanded roles as the team’s Head of Racing. While Lambiase was away for personal reasons, Simon Rennie filled in. Rennie has been with the team since 2013, working as Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo’s race engineer.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur was absent from the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, returning home unexpectedly. The team cited “personal reasons” in a statement announcing his absence. The team’s deputy team principal Jerome D’Ambrosio stepped in and temporarily took over Vasseur’s duties for the remainder of the weekend.
George Russell started the Austrian Grand Prix weekend off strong, setting the pace in the opening free practice session on Friday. There were some fresh faces in the session, with Alex Dunne and Dino Beganovic taking over seats at McLaren and Ferrari, respectively. Dunne impressed with a P4 finish on the timesheets, only 0.224s off the pace set by the leading Mercedes. Max Verstappen was the closest to Russell, setting a time 0.065s behind despite complaining about the Red Bull car earlier in the session.
McLaren jumped to the top of the leaderboard at the end of the second free practice session. Lando Norris, who had missed FP2, set the pace ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri. Lance Stroll rebounded from his absence in Canada, setting a time worthy of P4, behind Max Verstappen.
It was business as usual for the top three, with McLaren again finishing 1-2 in the final free practice session ahead of Max Verstappen. It was another orderly session as the teams worked to perfect their setups ahead of qualifying later in the afternoon.
Lando Norris remained on top in qualifying, earning pole position over Charles Leclerc. Q1 was slightly delayed due to a red flag in the Formula 2 Sprint Race. Q2 was halted briefly for a small grass fire on the circuit, similar to what was seen in Japan a few months ago. Gabriel Bortoleto had an impressive run in Q2, getting himself into Q3, a first for the rookie. He would earn P8 on the grid. Liam Lawson was another driver who showed his talent, qualifying for P6 ahead of former teammate Max Verstappen. Verstappen was inconvenienced by a yellow flag thrown when Pierre Gasly spun in the closing stages of Q3, forcing him to bail out of his final flying lap. This also hurt Oscar Piastri, who had to settle for P3 on the grid. But no one could beat Norris, who led every qualifying session and earned pole by 0.521s, the largest margin of the season.
McLaren earned another 1-2 finish this season, with Lando Norris converting his pole to a victory in Austria. The race start was delayed by an aborted start when Carlos Sainz became stuck on the grid. When the race finally started, Oscar Piastri made quick work of Charles Leclerc in the first corner to make it a 1-2 race. It wasn’t all bad news for Ferrari, as Lewis Hamilton promoted himself to P4 over George Russell on the opening lap. Red Bull had a bad day at their home track when Kimi Antonelli collided with Max Verstappen on the first lap, ending both their races. The two McLarens battled it out for the lead in the first stint. Norris pitted first, with Piastri opting to give himself slightly better tyres. It’s a gamble that didn’t pay off, as he failed to make any significant inroads on his teammate in the second stint. The third stint started with some drama for Piastri, being forced onto the grass by Franco Colapinto, who was battling with Yuki Tsunoda. Although the incident didn’t cost Piastri much time, there was still no hope for him to catch Norris, and he had to settle for P2. Click here to read our full race summary.
The teams will be in a hurry to gear up for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which is set to be held on July 6.
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.
