Ferrari caused quite a stir in Formula 1 after announcing that Lewis Hamilton is going to be their newest driver next year. The seven-time world champion is going to join Charles Leclerc in the paddock, leaving Carlos Sainz Jr. the odd man out.
But finally, after months of speculation, Sainz has found his new home for next year. According to the Formula 1 2024 updates, the Spaniard will drive for Williams after signing a multi-year deal.
Elsewhere, Audi rejigged its front office by recruiting Mattia Binotto to become their new Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer, given his previous working experience with Ferrari.
And while we’re at it, let us also discuss the aftermath of the Belgian Grand Prix, which had different parties feeling happy or sad, depending on who you’re asking.
Here are the latest happenings in Formula 1, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Sainz makes Williams more competitive
When it was announced that Carlos Sainz Jr. would lose his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton next year, the 2024 Formula 1 season was basically a “prove it” year for the Spaniard, as he was trying to make a case why he should get a seat for next season.
14 races later, and Sainz has earned it, as he only finished below P6 once so far this season. The only such instance was in the Canadian Grand Prix, when his SF-24 conked out after separate incidents with Alex Albon and Valtteri Bottas.
Sainz was also responsible for breaking Max Verstappen’s winning streak earlier this season, as he won the Australian Grand Prix days after undergoing an appendectomy, which may have helped in making the car lighter.
Sainz picking Williams over other opportunities at Audi and Alpine means that Logan Sargeant will be removed from the squad. The 29-year-old will join Alex Albon, one of the brightest young drivers in Formula 1 today, in Wantage.
Adding a proven driver in his prime is another masterstroke for Williams, who has steadily improved in the past few months under team principal James Vowles.
Williams have finished 10th and last in the constructors’ standings in four of the past five seasons prior to Vowles’ arrival, and they’re coming off their best season since 2017 last year, when they finished P7.
Binotto returns to the paddock after two-year hiatus
Audi may have missed out on Sainz, but at least they got their men in Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley. As mentioned, Audi recruited Binotto for their Formula 1 project, while Wheatley was poached from Red Bull to become their next team principal.
Before joining Audi, Binotto was Ferrari’s team principal from 2019 to 2022, while Wheatley has worked at Red Bull for 18 years and has overseen six constructors’ and seven drivers’ world championships.
While their backroom situation has already been sorted out, the next objective for the Sauber-managed group is to pick their drivers to continue their ambitious project.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have represented the Hinwil outfit since 2022, but their futures with the team are unknown beyond this season, especially after it was recently announced that Nico Hulkenburg will take one of the two available seats.
And according to reports, Audi are also looking at youngsters Gabriel Bortoleto, Robert Shwartzman, and Mick Schumacher as potential candidates to join “The Hulk.”
With that said, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, who have yet to score a point this year, have 10 races left to fight for their jobs.
Mercedes dealt with mixed emotions after the Belgian Grand Prix
George Russell was brimming with confidence after finishing in front of the pack in Spa, but his happiness quickly turned into frowns when he was officially stripped of what could’ve been the third win of his Formula 1 career.
The 26-year-old was eventually disqualified when his W15 was found to be 1.5 kg underweight after the race. In turn, his Silver Arrows teammate Lewis Hamilton was promoted to race winner, as the seven-time world champion originally finished second behind Russell.
Despite the mixed emotions, Mercedes go into the summer break with all the momentum since they have won three of the last four Grands Prix, including two of the last three for Lewis Hamilton. With 10 races to go, the Silver Arrows will look to make a run for a podium spot in the constructors’ championship, but the Formula 1 2024 odds reckon they have a long shot of getting there since Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull are all ahead of them by at least 79 points.
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