Daniel Ricciardo’s future, Alpine’s current and extra storylines for F1 Australian GP

The 2024 Formula 1 season may probably reshape the game. With over half the grid driving on expiring contracts, the driving force switch market may really shake up the sector over the following few months. We have already seen one seismic transfer — the upcoming change to Ferrari from Mercedes from seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton — and extra could possibly be on the way in which.

As such, the competitors for seats on the 2025 grid expects to be tight. And one driver who would possibly really feel they’re lagging in that struggle proper now?

Daniel Ricciardo.

Following a stunning mid-season return to the grid a 12 months in the past, a transfer that was possible a trigger for celebration at Netflix places of work, Ricciardo has seen his 2024 marketing campaign roll off to a gradual begin. After topping the timing sheets within the first observe session forward of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Ricciardo has turned in a pair of lackluster performances. He completed P13 in Bahrain, one spot forward of teammate Yuki Tsunoda as a result of a late-stage set of staff orders to let Ricciardo go that was the topic of a lot dialogue within the days following the race.

Then in Saudi Arabia it was a P16, ending behind Tsunoda on one other points-less afternoon for Visa Cash App RB F1 Team. In the closing laps of that race Ricciardo even spun, though he was capable of get well and end the race.

At each races Tsunoda additionally certified forward of Ricciardo, with Ricciardo posting a P14 in back-to-back weeks whereas Tsunoda is the one VCARB driver to see Q3 this season.

The early-season struggles have led Dr. Helmut Marko, a Red Bull advisor and one of many sport’s most quotable figures, to marvel about Ricciardo’s future. “Ricciardo has to show something quickly. There is work to be done,” stated Marko to Motorsport following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Following that race Ricciardo admitted his mistake, however famous that he was staying upbeat.

“It was a tough race and overall, a tough weekend, which is very frustrating. During the Safety Car time, when almost everyone pitted, we had a slow pit stop and a few laps from the end, I made a mistake and hit too much kerb in Turn 1, which caused a spin. I’m staying optimistic though, as I know we have some positive signs and we just need to polish our package up,” stated Ricciardo within the staff’s post-race report.

Now he will get an opportunity to go house, and to the location of his first-ever factors end.

“We have a week off now, and there will be a big push from everyone to get it right and make sure we have a good package for the next race,” stated Ricciardo after Jeddah. “I know the team wants it as badly as I do. I’m excited to go back racing in Melbourne, so let’s get ready for it.”

Just how good of a homecoming will or not it’s?

Ricciardo’s homecoming is simply one of many main storylines heading into this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

When will the turnaround come at Alpine?

The difficult begin to the 2024 F1 season at Alpine exhibits no indicators of letting up.

Coming out of pre-season testing the staff knew they confronted an uphill climb, given the problems with the A524, and that led to a whole reorganization of their technical staff.

However, that has not instantly translated to outcomes at Alpine. In the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix each Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly began — and completed — behind the sector. That was a sample the staff repeated in Saudi Arabia. Ocon and Gasly began in P17 and P18, respectively, and whereas Ocon managed to climb as much as P13, Gasly’s race was over virtually earlier than it started, as he suffered a gearbox failure on the formation lap and was out of the race shortly after the beginning.

It was a second-straight race with out factors for the staff, and a step again from a season in the past. Last 12 months at Jeddah each drivers completed within the factors, with Ocon in P8 and Gasly proper behind him in P9.

The outcomes present a step again from a 12 months in the past, as does the info. Looking at Ocon’s quickest laps from each the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and this 12 months’s installment, highlights among the points for Alpine. Take this comparability of these two laps, courtesy of F1-Tempo:

The undeniable fact that final 12 months’s quickest lap was faster than this 12 months’s might be worrying sufficient for Alpine. But diving into the info somewhat extra exhibits much more worrisome indicators. The 2024 lap got here with a DRS increase, proper in the beginning of the lap. The 2024 lap is in pink, whereas the 2023 lap is in blue:

That little increase allowed Ocon in 2024 to succeed in a high pace of 320 km/h throughout that stretch, a lot sooner than the 299 km/h recorded throughout that very same portion of the lap a 12 months in the past, which you’ll be able to see within the upper-left portion of this chart:

Even with that vital DRS increase this season, the 2023 automobile was nonetheless faster.

Following the race Ocon made it clear: They are simply not fast sufficient.

“Realistically, that’s all we could achieve in the race today. For us, we took it as another opportunity to learn more about the car. There was some chaos at the start, so we did well to stay clean and capitalise on some positions,” stated Ocon within the staff’s post-race media report. “There were some moments of close wheel to wheel racing, which was good at times. We are just not quick enough to score points and that’s where we are at this moment in time.”

Team Principal Bruno Famin famous their “difficult” begin.

“We said it was going to be a tough start to the season and it has been a very difficult first few weeks with the test and two Grands Prix. Even if we have upgrades coming, we need to understand our lack of performance,” added Famin. “And, today, we have to investigate the gearbox problem, which cost Pierre valuable track time. There is only one thing we can do and that is to continue working hard all together to improve the current situation that we are in.”

Now the staff returns to the location of maybe their lowest second of the 2023 season, which noticed Ocon and Gasly come collectively after a late-stage restart and knock one another out of the factors. They could also be hoping for a redemption story within the Australian Grand Prix this 12 months, however can the present model of the A524 write that story?

Progress first, outcomes second for Logan Sargeant?

Another one of many drivers engaged on an expiring contract this season is Logan Sargeant at Williams. The lone American driver on the grid a season in the past was handed a brand new one-year deal for the 2024 marketing campaign, which was a shocking transfer to some after a rookie season noticed Sargeant notch only a single level on the 12 months.

Sargeant has but to open his account this 12 months, ending in P20 on the Bahrain Grand Prix as he managed {an electrical} difficulty on his FW46. In Saudi Arabia he put in a slightly-better end result, coming throughout the road in 14th.

While the factors are usually not there but, Williams Team Principal James Vowles maintains his affected person strategy with Sargeant, pointing to “progress” because the purpose greater than anything.

“It’s important to him to get good results,” Vowles stated in Saudi Arabia. “The only thing I would say is it’s not the early on bit. What we have to see from him is progress as we continue on. ‘Early on’ implies that there’s a risk if he’s not performing after three races that something will happen, and that’s simply not the case.”

The Williams boss stays centered on the large image concept of “progress,” quite than merely the outcomes.

“In the case of Logan, he knows that he finished last year starting to build on what he had as an experience base, and he’s coming back here not as a rookie now, but someone that has years of experience behind him,” Vowles added.

“He’s got to build on that without mistakes, without error, and continually move forward.”

Ultimately, outcomes will matter. But the thought at Williams appears to be that if the method is stable and progress is current, the outcomes will naturally observe.

When that occurs, nonetheless, stays to be seen.

What will Ferrari’s lineup be this weekend?

Talk a couple of story of two weeks for Carlos Sainz Jr.

The Ferrari driver — who is about to get replaced by Hamilton subsequent season — put in a masterful efficiency in Bahrain, securing a P3 end to open his season with a podium.

The following week he was within the hospital, present process an appendectomy for appendicitis.

His sickness opened the door for a stellar debut for Ollie Bearman, who narrowly missed out on Q3 after only one hour of observe however completed within the factors within the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, holding off Hamilton and Lando Norris within the closing laps for a surprising P7. Bearman was again behind the wheel of a Ferrari final week, collaborating in a previously-scheduled testing session within the F1-75, the staff’s 2022 challenger:

Can Sainz make it again in time for Australia, or will the 18-year-old Bearman get one other shot at F1 glory?

An early take a look at for F1 assist within the United States?

The growth of F1 into the United States has been a heavily-debated matter the previous few years.

But are their indicators that development could have plateaued, and even begun to subside?

Ratings for the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix within the United States have been down this season, in comparison with a 12 months in the past:

There could possibly be just a few harmless explanations for this. A 12 months in the past the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix aired on ESPN — not ESPN2 — and likewise aired on a Sunday, against Saturday morning this season. In addition, many viewers are turning to F1’s streaming service, F1TV, due to the completely different digital camera angles, choices corresponding to in-board cameras for all 20 drivers, and extra to get their Formula 1 repair.

However, there’s a concern that Max Verstappen’s continued dominance — he has led a Red Bull sweep together with teammate Sergio Pérez in each races this season — has seen extra informal followers being to tune out. Verstappen’s dominance is simply one of many many tales on the grid this 12 months, and viewers of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on F1TV two weeks in the past could have seen how that broadcast virtually handled Verstappen as an afterthought, specializing in the battles all through the remainder of the sector.

But for extra informal followers, dominance could also be boring, significantly when there are different choices out there together with within the motorsports world.

Complicating issues much more is the schedule over the following few weeks. With each the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix operating on Saturday evening native time, these races began at pretty affordable occasions for American viewers.

With the grid heading to Australia, Japan, and China over the following three races, American viewers will face both loads of sleepless nights/mornings, or be pressured to atone for replays. The Australian Grand Prix will get underway at midnight on the East Coast, whereas the Japanese GP begins at 1:00 a.m. Eastern, and the Chinese Grand Prix at 3:00 a.m. Eastern.

Thankfully, these three races are adopted by the Miami Grand Prix.

Whether the vast majority of the American viewers follows the grid to South Beach can be value revisiting.

What can we anticipate from Mercedes?

Coming out of pre-season testing there have been hopes that after two seasons that noticed Mercedes and their drivers preventing aerodynamic points, that the staff had solved these issues with the W15.

However, by two races the outcomes haven’t lived as much as the expectations. The Silver Arrows at the moment sit fourth within the Constructors’ standings, two factors behind McLaren for P3, and already 61 factors south of Red Bull.

There have been some promising indicators for the staff in Saudi Arabia, specifically their pace on the longer straights. Lewis Hamilton was capable of hold Oscar Piastri behind him for an prolonged interval early within the race, due to the straight-line pace the staff was capable of generate with their low downforce configuration.

“We were actually one of the fastest cars, if not the fastest car, in a straight line,” stated Andrew Shovlin, the staff’s Trackside Engineering Director, in a video launched by the staff following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

However, the high-speed corners of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit posed a considerable problem. Shovlin recognized three areas of weak spot on the W15 concerning high-speed corners: Balance, bouncing, and an absence of grip.

“One of them was the balance wasn’t great,” stated Shovlin. “So these very quick corners [where] the partitions aren’t significantly far-off [are] those the place the driving force needs loads of confidence and very often we have been snapping to oversteer in the event that they actually leaned on the [tires]. You can simply think about how unsettling that’s for the for the drivers. That was a think about qualifying and the race.

“In qualifying we were also suffering a bit with the bouncing. That was less of a problem in the race: There’s more fuel in the car, you’re going a bit slower and that seemed to calm it down and it wasn’t such an issue.”

When Shovlin turned to the third difficulty, he famous how this could possibly be an element within the Australian Grand Prix, given the same configuration to Jeddah.

“Then the big one is we don’t really have enough grip there. So that’s one of the things that we are working hard on this week because Melbourne has a similar nature of corners,” added Shovlin. “We’re doing a lot of work to try and understand why did we not seem to have the grip of some of our close competitors.”

By his estimates Hamilton and George Russell have been shedding “around three or fourth tenths” of a second per lap to their rivals by these high-speed corners in Saudi Arabia. Will Mercedes be capable of reduce that down within the Australian Grand Prix?