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Welcome back to Prime Tire, where we’re wondering if we hallucinated James Hinchcliffe doing dance routines with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders last weekend at the U.S. Grand Prix. *checks earpiece* Nope, I’m hearing that was real.
UNCUT USGP F1 INTRO ft. James Hinchcliffe and the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders 😭 pic.twitter.com/DcWi2fcSqL
— sim (@sim3744) October 23, 2024
Anyway, Formula One imported Austin’s Big Talking Point to Mexico City this week. I’m Patrick. Let’s get to it.
Let’s talk about racing rules
Lando Norris’ time penalty at the U.S. Grand Prix for leaving the track and gaining an advantage did three things: It cost him a podium, it cost him ground in the title race with Max Verstappen and it led to this week’s F1 Controversy™️.
To refresh, here’s our write-up on McLaren’s momentum-killer penalty, when Norris was given a five-second penalty for passing Verstappen outside track limits with five laps left. Let’s hear from each side:
- 🚨 The stewards said Norris “was not level with Car 1 at the apex. Therefore, under the Driving Standards Guidelines, Car 4 had lost the ‘right’ to the corner.” So when he overtook outside the circuit, he earned a penalty.
- 😡 McLaren has argued that, per the rules, Verstappen was supposed to give Norris a car’s width in the corner and was pushed off track, so the penalty was unfair.
- ☝️ Verstappen pointed out, “At the end of the day, you cannot overtake outside of the white line. That’s a very clear rule, and I’ve been done by it myself.”
As you might expect, F1 drivers had a lot to say about this yesterday in Mexico. Read Madeline Coleman’s extensive write-up on F1 racing rules today for their reactions.
The most convincing point, to me, is that Verstappen’s racecraft is just off-the-charts good: He knew that as long as he gained the lead at the apex, he was in the clear. So he just straight-up sent it:
Former F1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Jenson Button had the best read of the situation when talking to Red Bull boss Christian Horner:
💬 “… Max was in front. But is that because he let off the brake at the apex, so he ran them both off track? It seems that your driver is very good at understanding the regulations,* and that it’s more of the problem that we just need to have a better regulation of what is okay and what isn’t.”
Yesterday, McLaren submitted a “right of review” to try to get the penalty overturned. If Norris is awarded third place, his points gap to Verstappen will shrink from 57 to 51. The ruling will come down this evening — check back here to find out more.
*For what it’s worth, Verstappen admitted as much yesterday, saying he just tries to “implement the rules and play with them.” Cheeky!
Much ado about stewards
Mercedes’ George Russell is one of the heads of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, the union for F1 drivers. He’s been very strong about the role of F1’s stewards, and what he’d like to see changed. Here’s Russell yesterday:
💬 “… the only way you can have consistency is if you have the same stewards at every single race weekend. And at the moment, they are very experienced, but they are here as almost volunteers. It is not a professionally paid job, and if you look at football as an example, even though there is still controversy, a referee, they are professionals and that is their full-time job. That is where they make their income. As the sport we are at the moment, that’s probably the direction we should be heading.”
The steward debate is back, baby. Read more here.
Viva Mexico, Viva Alonso
Nobody has started more grands prix than Fernando Alonso. It’s not even close. And at 43, the drivers who know him best say his racing heart still burns. The Athletic’s Luke Smith spoke to Alonso’s former teammates and competitors to get a sense of F1’s ageless wonder.
Here’s a few of my favorite quotes from the piece:
- 🤖 “He doesn’t need a lap to get used to anything, he just goes out there, and it happens automatically.” — Stoffel Vandoorne
- 🛞 “He just wants to drive and race all the time.” — Esteban Ocon
- 🦸♂️ “(People have) asked me a lot of questions like, is he this superhuman? I think maybe partly yes.” — Mike Krack
It’s a great piece that tracks Alonso’s evolution and growth as a driver and a better teammate. Give it a read this weekend.
Some other notes ahead of the weekend’s Mexico City race:
- Charles Leclerc showed up to the paddock dressed as a mariachi band guy. So, there’s that.
Charles Leclerc arrived to the Mexico City Grand Prix in style 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/uDVHgHXejl
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) October 24, 2024
- Lots of new names running practice in FP1 today: Pato O’Ward for McLaren, Robert Shwartzman for Sauber, Felipe Drugovich for Aston Martin and Kimi Antonelli for Mercedes.
- Fun fact about Antonelli: I thought I walked by Antonelli in the paddock in Austin, but it was just a child.
- FP2 will be a little different — it’ll be 90 minutes so teams can test Pirelli’s softest range of compounds.
Here’s the schedule, and remember to follow our live coverage!
Friday (hey, that’s today)
- FP1: 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. BST
- FP2: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
Saturday
- FP3: 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT / 6:30 p.m. BST
- Qualifying: 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. BST
Sunday
- Mexico City Grand Prix: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
Outside the Points
Oh hey, it’s a mailbag featuring your favorite two F1 writers answering burning questions about their fun weekend in Austin.
Oh hey, Valtteri Bottas was asked if he’s working on a return to Mercedes in some capacity for 2025. Doesn’t sound like anything’s imminent, but that he’s down the road on a backup plan if Sauber goes for someone else.
Finally, that’s it. That’s the end of the newsletter. 👋
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(Photo: Mark Thompson / Getty Images)
