Pierre Gasly’s podium at the Monaco Grand Prix was reinstated as Alpine successfully appealed the result. Gasly had crossed the finish line in P3, but was demoted to P7 after being handed two five-second penalties for speeding in the pit lane. Alpine filed an appeal against the penalties, successfully providing evidence that Gasly had not exceeded the 60km/h limit. Rather than measuring the speed at all times, F1 uses the average speed at timing loops to determine if a driver is speeding. Formula One Management, which is responsible for timekeeping, admitted that an error in the distance measurement caused some speeds to be incorrectly reported. Gasly was not the only driver to be penalized for speeding in the pit lane, but he was the only driver who hadn’t served the penalty during the race, hence making him the only driver eligible to appeal.
Red Bull and McLaren have reportedly notified the FIA of their intention to appeal the reinstatement of Pierre Gasly’s penalty. In an FIA hearing, Red Bull sporting director Stephen Knowles argued that the timing was consistent throughout the weekend and that other teams adjusted for the incorrect speed calculation, while McLaren’s sporting director Will Courtenay made a similar argument. Both teams were impacted by the incident, with Oscar Piastri having lost a position due to a speeding penalty and Red Bull losing out on a podium for Isack Hadjar. The notice of intent does not necessarily mean either team will actually appeal. This simply gives the teams a four-day window to file an appeal.
F1 has agreed to power unit changes for 2027 and 2028, aiming to bring engines in line with a new 60/40 hybrid model. This season, the regulations introduced a 50/50 split between electrical and combustion power. The current engines have been heavily criticized by fans and even drivers. In response, the plan is to shift more towards combustion power gradually over the next two years. This will primarily be done by increasing the fuel flow and reducing the maximum electric motor power. Waiting until 2028 will give power unit manufacturers more time to prepare for the changes. But these rules are not yet set in stone. They still need to be approved by the World Motor Sport Council, which will meet on June 23.
A team has requested a review of the ADUO results, resulting in a delay in their publication. The Additional Upgrade and Development Opportunities programme is designed to prevent power unit manufacturers from falling behind, with the basic premise being that poorer performing power units should be permitted to spend more resources developing. It is understood that Red Bull Ford Powertrains was selected as the highest performing benchmark. The Mercedes power unit was only 2-4% behind, granting them one additional upgrade this season and next season, while all other manufacturers were more than 4% behind, granting them two additional upgrades per season. The FIA vowed to publish the ADUO results within two weeks after the Canadian Grand Prix, but has yet to do so, as a team has requested additional review. It is understood to be Red Bull. The FIA will now verify the integrity of the results by ensuring that the data was collected and analyzed correctly. This process is expected to take between 1-2 weeks.
Pirelli has extended its deal to be Formula One’s tyre supplier until the end of 2028. This is part of a one-year option built into the Italian tyre manufacturer’s most recent three-year contract, signed in 2023. Back then, Pirelli won out against competitor Bridgestone for the role. Pirelli has been Formula One’s sole tyre supplier since it replaced Bridgestone in 2011, and also supplies tyres to the Formula 2 and Formula 3 feeder series, alongside F1 Academy. Its history in Formula One dates all the way back to the very first British Grand Prix in 1950, which was won by Juan Manuel Fangio in an Alfa Romeo fitted with Pirelli tyres.
George Russell set the pace in the opening free practice session of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix weekend. He outpaced Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, and Max Verstappen. It was a session filled with fresh faces, as seven rookie drivers participated. Leonardo Fornaroli was the fastest of the bunch in the McLaren during his first-ever free practice outing, followed closely by Paul Aron in the Audi. It was a difficult day for Williams, who suffered from mechanical woes. Carlos Sainz was stranded in the pit lane as the session got going, forcing mechanics to wheel him back to the garage. He was able to get going again fairly quickly, but Luke Browning was trapped in the garage for the entire session with an electrical fault.
Lando Norris beat out George Russell and Oscar Piastri for the quickest time in a very close second free practice session. The Brit was just 0.009s faster than Russell and 0.057s quicker than teammate Piastri. A brief virtual safety car was deployed after Liam Lawson’s car came to a stop at the exit of the pit lane. He was not the only driver to suffer technical gremlins, with Valtteri Bottas missing out on a huge part of the session due to a power unit issue.
George Russell returned to the top of the table at the end of the final free practice session, but it was another tight battle at the top. Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris were all within 0.032s of each other, although they were 0.214s behind the lead Mercedes. There was a significant pace difference between Norris and Lewis Hamilton in P5. It was a slow start to the session, with only a few teams performing on-track tests in the opening half. Norris was the first to get the ball rolling with a competitive time, although Mercedes soon soared to the top. Kimi Antonelli could only set a time worthy of P7 after encountering traffic on his flying laps. Valtteri Bottas brought out the session’s only red flag, running into the gravel at turn ten after suffering a brake failure.
It was George Russell on top again at the end of three qualifying sessions. Lewis Hamilton was quickest in Q1, while Fernando Alonso was slowest. This marks the first time Alonso has been out-qualified by Lance Stroll in 42 races, albeit both Aston Martin cars were more than a second off the pace set by their closest contenders. Q2 was led by Russell, who outpaced Charles Leclerc. McLaren struggled for pace in both cars, suffering from some grip and braking issues, although both managed to make it to Q3. Q3 started dramatically, as Leclerc crashed through the gravel and into the barriers at turn four, suffering a snap of oversteer while running the wide line. There was a rush of activity when the session resumed. Russell climbed to the top, starting alongside Hamilton. Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris secured the second row of the grid while Max Verstappen led an all-Red Bull third row.
Lewis Hamilton stormed to victory on Sunday, earning his first grand prix victory with Ferrari. The first stint of the race was orderly as drivers worked to manage their tyres for the two-stop race. Ferrari opted to put Hamilton on a three-stop strategy in the second pit stop, while Mercedes attempted to carry out a two-stop. It didn’t help that the teammates were battling for position for much of the first stint, allowing Hamilton to make massive gains on the fresher tyres. After making their second stops, both Mercedes drivers rejoined behind Hamilton, although the Brit still had one more stop to go. This was made under the virtual safety car, which was deployed for Fernando Alonso, who suffered a mechanical failure. Hamilton was in the lead when racing resumed, leaving the two Mercedes drivers to fight over P2. Antonelli briefly held the position before his car expired, prompting a second VSC. This left Lando Norris to claim the bottom step of the podium. Click here to read a full summary of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Next on the calendar is the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, which will be held on the weekend of June 28.
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.
