😢😢FIA doesn't like negativity

Good morning. Now it is officially 5 days away from racing returning to our screens. Technically speaking, free practice returns on August 23rd in Zandvoort for the 2024 Dutch GP, but that still counts as cars on track making loud noises. That’s ultimately what we’re all after right?

The back half (little bit less than half) is shaping up to be a crazy bit of racing. McLaren and Mercedes on the rise, Red Bull struggling to stay out front, and mid pack shaping up to bring some fresh upgrades. So much to be excited about!

-Jake Williamson

🌎 FIA vs. Haters

"As part of our ongoing fight against online abuse, recent investigations have shown that there is a direct link between negative comments from drivers and team members and increased hate directed towards officials on social media.”

-FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem

The FIA has approved a language change in the International sporting code to give more teeth to the term “misconduct”. Obviously, all of you are so very excited to learn more about Formula 1 rules and how the FIA plans to add more to them. In fact, many have said that F1 doesn’t have near enough rules on the books and more should be added. This could pave the way for university courses needing to be taught so fans can better understand the intricacies of sporting code. More university course, means more jobs!

Seriously though, the FIA and F1 need to institute one rule to rule them all. For every new rule, the FIA must remove one. This would keep the sporting code clean and maintain great racing for the fans - probably. However, this new language change regarding negative comments makes a bit of sense.

We all love team radio and wish we could get more of it, but taking out your rage on stewards isn’t always justified in the moment. Drivers and team principals lash out at stewards before any real evidence is presented. It’s all in the moment!

For example:

“The stewards are a joke. I cannot believe it. They have been very bad this year, but this is a joke.” - Sergio Perez

In this case, Checo was penalized in 2023 for colliding with Lando Norris in Abu Dhabi. Checo felt hurt an betrayed, so he lashed out in the moment. This is what it means to be human. It is also human, however, to lash out online when someone you love is wronged. Checo gets wronged, so his loyal audience lashes out against a perceived attack on their “team”. This is simple human nature.

The FIA isn’t unique here. Many professional sporting organizations have rules against referee hate. You yell at a ref, you get a warning. Do it again, you are ejected. What the FIA is trying to do here is temper the rhetoric against stewards by allow penalties to be dealt to drivers or teams who abuse the hard working officials.

This is a rule we can all live by. ❤️❤️

🚀Headline Sprint

🔥Mercedes has a deeper issue with tyre temps: According to the trackside engineer at Mercedes, Andrew Shovlin, the WB15 gets some toasty rear tyres. This has caused struggles on particularly warm track surfaces. You see, hot tyres are sort of good. You’ve seen drivers weaving back and forth on parade laps to get heat in the tyres so they can have grip at the outset of the race. However, too much heat, you will degrade the tyre compound and start to lose grip. So, the current merc will do well at places like Silverstone but not so well in the dessert heat. Shovlin says this can’t be solved with aero changes, it requires a deeper dive and probably a redesign.

📱Audi called Nico Hulkenberg personally: German auto behemoth, Audi, will take over the Hinwill-based Stake Sauber team from 2026 but it currently owns the last place team and has been making some major changes to the team ahead of their official entrance. This has been the center of controversy and rumor lately, but it’s clear the company is doing whatever they can to rally the team going forward. Hulkenberg received a personal phone call from Audi CEO, Gernot Doellner, to check up on things as the team shakes up management. Apparently Nico was asked how important it is for him to be kept informed of ongoing changes. Nico didn’t seem to care either way, but this shows that Audi is fully behind this project!

🛞 Alpine’s Number 2 Doesn’t Matter

Flavio Briatore is an endless well of drama and intrigue. Ever since the controversial business man returned to F1 after resigning over his involvement in race fixing back in 2008, we have have all been a little uneasy with the mid pack decisions.

Briatore returned to F1 as an executive advisor at team Alpine to help usher in a new era for the team. This is a familiar sight lately as teams try to figure out what the hell to do for 2025 while planning for an era shift for 2026.

So far, things don’t seem to be going Alpine’s way. First off, former team principal, Bruna Famin, stepped down to oversee other projects behind the scenes. Originally, Famin was expected to head back to Renault sport at Viry-Chatillon to oversee the Renault engine and Alpine chassis projects. However, we know now that Alpine may be a customer team taking on a Ferrari or Mercedes power unit as Renault considers an exit as a power unit supplier.

Second, Briatore, took a run at signing the elusive Carlos Sainz for the 2025 seat next to Pierre Gasly (already confirmed for 2025). Carlos ended up signing with Williams marking another loss for the Alpine crew.

What’s next for Alpine?

Who knows at this point, but according to Briatore, naming a second driver isn’t a priority.

“At this moment, the driver is not… At the moment, you need to put the team together from the commercial side, the technical side, the management side. 

"The driver makes no difference now. The difference in 2026, 2027, 2028, this would be the difference for the driver."

-Flavio Briatore

This makes sense. No driver can squeeze more performance from an underperforming car/team. Trying to fix your problems with an expensive driver (cough cough - Aston Martin - cough) is like putting the best astronaut in a paper airplane and saying, “good luck on your way to the moon”.

Renault is expected to axe their engine supply for 2026. Alpine has a chassis to build for an engine that hasn’t been selected yet and their new celebrity investors are itching to get their money’s worth.

So, it looks like 2025 may eb a rough year for the French team.

🏎 Renault Causes a Power Unit Problem

This Renault story is the F1 news gift that keeps giving!

For good reason, this story is quite the shift for the formula 1 grid. Losing Renault as a power unit supplier causes some weird problems. First, let’s dive into a little known rule.

Believe it or not, there is a rule for how many power units a manufacturer may be called upon to supply by the FIA. There is a crazy complicated formula we can go over below, but suffice to say, if a team doesn’t have a power unit and can’t build one on its own, then one of the power unit manufacturers on the grid must supply one to them. Of course, money is exchanged for this service, so it isn’t charity.

This means that Alpine losing Renault as an engine supplier doesn’t mean they will be without an engine for 2026 onward. This engine rule will force a deal with another engine supplier to keep Alpine on the grid.

So what is a supplier doesn’t want to provide a Power Unit (PU)?

Simple, the company supplying the least amount of PUs is obligated to take on the team needing one. Furthermore, new PU entrants are exempt from the minimum supply rule so Audi gets an out. This means that Honda would be forced to provide a PU to Alpine if Renault exits and a deal isn’t struck with Merc or Ferrari. Weird right?

With all of that said, Alpine have been eyeballing Ferrari and Mercedes as their 2026 PU supplier.

Ferrari will be supplying Haas and Scuderia (obviously) and Mercedes will be supplying its own team, McLaren, and Williams.

So how many teams can a supplier support?

Well there is a formula for this:

T = (NTOT-A)/(B-C), where: 
T is rounded up to the next whole integer 
A = Total number of Competitors (including "works/factory" Competitors) having a supply agreement concluded for year N with a New PU Manufacturer.
B = Total number of manufacturers of homologated PUs for year N.
C = Total number of New PU Manufacturers for year N. -
NTOT = is set to 11 and is related to the "total number of entered Competitors" for year N, which is not known until November of year N-1. This number may be reviewed if the number of Competitors exceeds 12.

Don’t break your brain here. The current result is 2.66 which is three rounded up to the nearest whole number.

What does the number 3 mean?

Basically any manufacturer on the grid needs to be able to supply up to 3 PUs to teams on the grid if the FIA requires it.

Can Mercedes still supply Alpine then?

No. With Renault in the mix, this formula only allows a team to supply a maximum number of 3 F1 teams with power units. Mercedes is at their current limit and that doesn’t seem to be changing for 2026. However, if Renault does end their F1 engine program, the formula changes and allows a manufacturer to supply up to 4 teams.

To sum it up

1. Math is hard and the FIA needs to be shouted at for making everyone go through an equation like that.

2. Alpine will likely need an engine in 2026

3. If Renault exits, another manufacturer will be required to supply Alpine with a PU. Right now, it would be Honda if the rule is enforced.

4. Alpine could buy Ferrari PUs because Ferrari has the capacity to supply one more team.

5. If Alpine wants a Merc engine, Renault would need to leave officially. This opens up one additional engine slot for the German manufacturer.

💨 Hot Laps

• Ricciardo should “be honest” and quit F1, according to overly honest - maybe slightly rude - Dutch analyst Tom Coronel.

• Bottas looking on the bright side of life these days. A little vino, coffee, and endless cycling. Valterri is a new man!

• RB is keen to find out why its Barcelona upgrades didn’t pan out. Back to the drawing board.

• Some of the Williams team may already be dreading the process of having an ultra-competitive and serious driver in their seats next year. Now they have to work for a living!

🛞Marbles

Random links from the authors not always car related

✅22 maps and charts to blow your mind

✅4 places for “normal” people to visit in the US before the Summer ends.

✅Ever wonder where lottery money goes in the US by state? Sorry international readers…

✅Men know how sh*t razors can affect your glowing skin… here are some of the best options for you.

🤯Brain Food

Famous cars in famous movies. Can you name the car and the movie this image comes from?

📖Answer

This is the white Lamborghini Countach from The Wolf Of Wall Street. Leo decides to take a bunch of pills and try to drive his Countach… it didn’t end well.

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