Sunday Debrief: This week in Formula One

Nelson Piquet fined for racist and homophobic comments

On Friday 24th March, the Brazilian court rules fine of £780,000 for former 3-time world champion Nelson Piquet in moral damages for racist and homophobic comments made about Lewis Hamilton.

The Brazilian used racially offensive terms when referring to the 7-time world champion in an interview back in 2021. Piquet was discussing the crash back at the 2021 British Grand Prix with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, in the video that resurfaced in 2022.

Piquet later apologised for his “ill thought out” comments about Hamilton. Hamilton responded to these comments by calling for action to change “archaic mindsets”.

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Judge Pedro Matos de Arruda said the amount of compensation was decided on “so that, as a society, we can someday be free from the pernicious acts that are racism and homophobia”.

Horner rules out Hamilton move to Red Bull

Red Bull’s team principle, Christian Horner “can’t see” Hamilton moving to Red Bull in the near future.

Hamilton is out of a contract at the end of this season, while he has claimed he will stay with the silver arrows, team boss Toto Wolff has admitted that the 7-time world champion could leave if they cannot deliver a title winning car.

The Mercedes W14 is looking far off the pace of Red Bull’s RB19, with Hamilton openly frustrated and criticising the lack of improvements from last season with this season challenger.

The current reigning world champion Max Verstappen is contracted to stay at Red Bull until 2028, while Sergio Perez is out of a contract at the end of 2024. Though there are currently speculations for a change in the line-up after the pair grown more frictious.

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Horner told Sky News, “What Lewis has achieved in Formula One is second to none, but we’re very happy with the drivers that we have”.

Porsche will not join F1 in 2026

It has been made clear this week that Porsche will not be joining the formula 1 grid in 2026, after talks with numerous teams fell.

The Volkswagen group was set to enter F1 in 2026, alongside its sister company Audi as part of the new engine regulations. While Audi have settled for producing their own engines and joining F1 through Sauber, Porsche’s talks with Red Bull and McLaren fell through as it is reported that Porsche wanted to buy a significant stake.

Porsche’s focus now shifts to their existing motorsport projects, which consists of entering Formula E and a return to Le Mans 24hrs as part of the 962, Hypercar project.

F1 ready to discuss revised cost cap rules

F1 chiefs are reportedly ready to discuss with teams the potential changes to the cost cap rules, to help the smaller teams to catch up.

With the cost cap rules introduced in 2021, they have helped prevent the bigger teams extend their advantage, but it has also failed to help the smaller teams make the gains they wish to make.

One issue that has gained attention over recent months, is the fact that the teams are strictly limited on capital expenditure, meaning there is not much freedom to improve infrastructures back at the factories. Teams are able to build new factories, with the exemption in the creation of new wind tunnels for aero testing, however any other investments to improve equipment at the headquarters are included in the limit that teams must stay below.

The FIA are open to changes for relaxing the rules around capital expenditures and are set to bring this up with the teams. For the new rules to be enforced before 2024, six teams would need to support the changes.

Williams team principal McLaren’s new technical executive team James Vowels, has stated that it was essential for the future of F1 that small teams were given the ability to improve their facilities if they gave fallen behind.

McLaren’s new technical executive team

McLaren CEO Zak Brown is ready to make changes after the troubling start to the season. Lando Norris having finished in Bahrain in P17 and P15 in Saudi Arabia, after previously never finishing below P15, his teammate Oscar Piastri, finishing behind his teammate in both races.

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The team are set to “move away from a single executive technical director role”, with the appointment of three new leaders, who will report to team boss Andrea Stella.

Technical director and former engineer James Key has left with immediate effect, leading to Peter Profromou replacing him as one of the new three directors. Profromou being a veteran for McLaren after joining McLaren in the nineties up till 2006, and re-joining in 2014 after leaving Red Bull. Neil Houldey, another existing employee who will step up to become the director for engineering and design.

Ferrari’s David Sanchez will also rejoin the team as Director for car concept and performance. However, he will not be able to join the team until January 1st next year, due to gardening leave.