Tuesday’s F1 news saw a surprising U-turn from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on F1 hopefuls on Andretti and Martin Brundle sending a warning to Esteban Ocon after the Monaco Grand Prix.
Let’s dive straight in…
F1 news: FIA president on Andretti, Martin Brundle and more
Mohammed Ben Sulayem tells Andretti ‘go and buy another team’
Having previously been a proponent of expanding the Formula 1 grid, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem joined the calls of team principals and FOM in telling Andretti Cadillac to buy their way onto the grid through an existing team.
Ben Sulayem enabled the opening up of an Expressions of Interest process in 2023 to expand the grid, which Andretti passed, but their bid was rejected when it reached Formula One Management.
Explaining his new position to Reuters, he said: “I would advise them [Andretti] to go and buy another team, not to come as the 11th team.
“I feel that some teams need to be refreshed. What is better? To have 11 teams as a number or 10 and they are strong? I still believe we should have more teams but not any teams. The right teams.
“It’s not about the number, it’s about the quality.”
Read more: FIA president tells Andretti ‘go and buy another team’ in surprise F1 entry U-turn
Martin Brundle warns Esteban Ocon after Monaco crash
With “consequences” threatened following his collision with his team-mate in Monaco, Esteban Ocon is reportedly potentially on a tightrope and could even be benched by Alpine for the next race weekend in Canada.
While he has apologised both publicly and privately for his part in the accident, Martin Brundle worries about what happens to his mindset in combat at times.
“Ocon is a fine and fast racing driver, but history clearly demonstrates that he has an irrational red mist when it comes to racing, particularly against his team-mates,” he wrote in his post-race Sky Sports column.
“A driver represents hundreds of hard-working and professional people, and hundreds of millions of pounds of investment and sponsorship when driving for an F1 team. You simply can’t keep attacking your one team-mate with abandon.”
Read more: Martin Brundle’s warning to Esteban Ocon with Canada axe under ‘serious consideration’
In a race without overtakes, ‘thank God for Lance Stroll!’
We can say it with hindsight: the Monaco Grand Prix was not a classic.
With that, when asked about the lack of action and the potential for Monaco as it looks to keep its place on the calendar, Christian Horner explained that the two moves from Lance Stroll on soft tyres, with a lunge from Valtteri Bottas being the only other on-track overtake of the race, showed there was not much action out there.
“Monaco is such a great place to come racing but the cars are so big now that we just need to look at can we do something that introduces an overtaking area, or at least a potential of an overtake because the top 10 is exactly as it started on the grid and not a single overtake in the top 10,” he told media including PlanetF1.com.
“Thank God for Lance Stroll, the only guy that managed to overtake in the race.”
Read more: ‘Thank God for Lance Stroll!’ – Christian Horner’s view on Monaco Grand Prix concerns
Mick Schumacher on his F1 future following Alpine rumours
While he is Mercedes’ reserve driver, Mick Schumacher is currently representing Alpine in the World Endurance Championship, garnering praise from team principal Bruno Famin for the job he has done so far.
Schumacher said to Sky Germany when asked about a possible return to F1: “My goal and my dream is to drive in Formula 1. That has always been the case and always will be.
“That’s why we have to make sure that the dominoes now fall in my favour and that I hopefully end up with a seat.
“What I can do for that is simply give my best performance in the WEC and also in Formula 1 and continue to perform well for the team as reserve driver and continue to hold talks.”
Read more: Mick Schumacher addresses F1 return rumours after bitter Alpine Monaco GP clash
Go behind the scenes at the Monaco Grand Prix
Our man on the ground in Monaco over the weekend was Sam Cooper, and through the glitz and glamour you see on screen over the weekend, there is also another side to the Monaco Grand Prix as a working media member.
He wrote a travelogue from his weekend in Monte Carlo having juggled time in the paddock as well as keeping Lance Stroll waiting for the padel court.
(What is it with Formula 1 drivers and how much they love padel, anyway?)