JEDDAH: It is fair to say that Alpine have not had the best of starts to the Formula 1 season.
An underwhelming opening weekend in Bahrain for Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon was followed, days later by sweeping changes at management level, with three new appointments as technical directors: Joe Burnell (engineering), David Wheater (aerodynamics), and Ciaron Pilbeam (performance).
Before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Gasly told Arab News that he expected another “tough” race, with the car having had no upgrades since Bahrain. He subsequently retired from the race, while Ocon improved from 18th on the grid to finish 13th.
But there was far better news for Alpine elsewhere last weekend, with Abbi Pulling having a win and a P2 finish at inaugural, all-female F1 Academy races in Saudi, and Kush Maini finishing second in the Formula 2 category.
Pulling was delighted with her first experience by the Red Sea.
“We did a three-day test two weeks ago, but before that I’d never driven the track, only on a simulator. We were actually pretty well prepared coming into the first race. But what a track — the circuit of the year for me; I don’t know if anything would top it.”
Pulling finished second in the first race on Friday, and said the narrow streets of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit suited her style of driving “to a T”.
“The close walls, fine lines,” the 20-year-old told Arab News. “It’s unforgiving, that’s the word that I like to use. It’s like what I grew up with in the UK. The UK tracks are normally very tight and unforgiving. And I think it plays into my favor here, the speed and everything. I just absolutely love it.”
Another factor for Pulling to contend with was the heat.
“The races have been tough, it’s been at the hottest point in the day at around three o’clock,” she said. “As a Brit, we’re not used to the heat, so I’ve been in P2 for both of them, starting from P2 and finishing in P2.”
Pulling crossed the finish line second in race two, but was later awarded victory after Doriane Pin, the French winner of race one, received a penalty.
“In race two, we had a really good fight and I was putting on a lot of pressure. So that was a very big positive for me and the team. Just looking forward to Miami and continuing that fight.”
Following round two in Miami, F1 Academy will move on to Barcelona (June 20-23), Zandvoort (Aug. 22-24), Singapore (Sept. 19-21), and Doha (Nov. 28-30) before finishing at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Dec. 5-7).
“I really want to keep this momentum forward,” said Pulling.”The biggest thing about winning championships is consistency and keeping your head, and I think that will be really important this year. Nothing’s changed, I need to make sure that I don’t get ahead of myself, don’t get too big for my boots, and just keep clicking along like I have with the team.”
Pulling also praised the three Arab drivers who are part of F1 Academy: Saudi Arabia’s Reema Juffali, and the Emirati sisters Amna and Hamda Al-Qubaisi.
“Reema is a proper local, she grew up in Jeddah, so it’s great to have a local driver,” she said. “And the Qubaisis are obviously pretty local as well. So, it’s amazing for them to have a home race, I’m very jealous because I’d love to be racing at Silverstone. It’s great, the level is high, they are all very competitive, especially Hamda and Amna, who have come from the back of last year having a successful season.”
The British driver reaffirmed what it means to have F1 Academy provide an opportunity for a new generation of female drivers.
“It’s incredible to be a part of it,” said Pulling. “All of us are pioneering the way with Susie (Wolff), we’re creating a platform for females to be seen and show their talents off, which is so special to be a part of. I never really had that when I was younger, had something to watch where there were lots of females, and I was very lucky that I was exposed to motorsport through my family and my dad. So, it’s nice to be that person for someone to get them into motorsport and inspire them to push and try something different and go against the grain.”
Alpine’s F2 driver, Kush Maini from India, is similarly charting his own path, and having started ninth on the grid, fought back to grab second place and a podium finish.
“Good race. I think (on Friday) we struggled, so we changed the car a lot (for Saturday), and I’m glad everything worked out because we seem to be back on the pace,” he said.
“We pulled out a big gap and the safety car troubled us slightly, but I think Enzo (Fittipladi) was too quick for us. I’m happy we finished second, we got some good points in the championship, but I’m also happy that we made a big step in the car.”
It was Maini’s second year racing at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, and like Pulling, he found the layout to his liking.
“Obviously, I’m with a new team this year, but this track is amazing,” he said. “It’s amazing from a driver’s point of view, and I always enjoy myself when I come here.
“I’d like to think every track suits me, but it was a great pleasure to drive around.”
The 23-year-old said that joining Alpine has seen his life-long ambitions realized.
“It’s my first time being associated with an F1 team,” Maini said. “And to do it with Alpine has always been a dream of mine. Just me coming here after every session and speaking to some of the bosses and just being involved in everything improves my experience so much. And it’s really an honor and an amazing opportunity for myself.”
Maini believes having races in this part of the world will increase the chances of local drivers emerging to compete at the highest level of motorsports.
“Coming from a country like India, where racing isn’t as big as, let’s say, Europe, for me every step toward more views or people getting more into it, is amazing. It’s great to see it growing every year and in countries like India and Saudi and places where it was not a normal sport, five, six years ago.”
Miani is optimistic about the rest of the F2 season, with a view to making the ultimate step up eventually.
“I think it’s positive,” he said. “It’s very early, but every weekend we’ll be pushing to do our best and the goal is to fight for the championship so that’s the main target.”
“Of course, (Formula 1) is my goal,” he added. “It’s always been my goal.”
If Maini needs any inspiration, he could look to Jack Doohan, Alpine’s reserve and test driver, and a third-place finisher in F2 last season.
“It’s been really special to be honest. I joined Alpine Academy in 2022 and then went into a sort of makeshift role as reserve driver at the end of that year, into an official role from 2023,” the 21-year-old Australian said.
“So, technically, my third year in the team and second as reserve drive, and it’s been really cool, I feel very much part of the furniture, part of the team, and creating those connections with all the engineers and the mechanics and a good bunch of people. It’s very important to me and will prove crucial when I become a full-time driver.”
Doohan has driven on Jeddah Corniche Circuit three times since its launch in 2021.
“It’s one of my favorite tracks on the circuit,” he said. “It’s a super special place for me, especially under the lights.”
Doohan’s third-place finish in F2 last year was delivered against the odds, something that could even inspire Alpine’s senior drivers this year.
“It was a difficult start to the year, we had mechanical issues with the car that were able to find five rounds in, and so unfortunately, I didn’t really score any points up until then,” he said. “But to come back after that and still finish third, from that moment in time to the end of the event, we scored the most amount of points in the championship by about 30.
“We really did a good job to come back and, you can say, dominate that part of the season, but unfortunately, losing five rounds at the start of the year just meant we were a little bit too far back,” Doohan added.
“So, all in all, in what was in our control, we won the most races, scored the most points onwards from that test. When we had it together, we really did very well. Finishing my last Formula 2 race with a pole and a win, I’m looking forward to my next step.”
F1 Academy, F2 drivers hit positive notes for Alpine during tough Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
https://arab.news/jjwq5
F1 Academy, F2 drivers hit positive notes for Alpine during tough Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
- Senior drivers may have had underwhelming starts to the season, but Abbi Pulling and Kush Maini had an encouraging weekend in Jeddah
- Pulling was delighted with her first experience by the Red Sea
Oscar Piastri wins at Miami for 3rd straight F1 victory, 4th win of season for championship leader
- McLaren has won Miami the last two years, with Norris on top last season for his first career F1 victory
- Piastri is the first McLaren driver to win three consecutive F1 races in 28 years
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida: The first time Oscar Piastri arrived at the Miami Grand Prix as a Formula 1 driver he was in the slowest car in the field and only narrowly avoided finishing last.
Fast-forward two years and Piastri and McLaren Racing have come full circle.
Piastri maintained his advantage in the F1 championship fight by winning at Miami on Sunday for his fourth win through six races this season. Piastri has won three consecutive F1 races for McLaren Racing, where he and teammate Lando Norris are trying to dethrone four-time defending champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull.
McLaren has won Miami the last two years, with Norris on top last season for his first career F1 victory.
“It’s just incredible, the hard work that’s gone in,” Piastri said of McLaren. “I remember two years ago here in Miami, we were genuinely the slowest team. I think we got lapped twice and to now have won the Grand Prix by over 35 seconds to third is an unbelievable result of the hard work of every single person.”
Piastri is the first McLaren driver to win three consecutive F1 races in 28 years; Mika Hakkinen did it with a win in the 1997 season finale and then victories in the first two races of 1998.
He widened his lead over Norris in the driver standings to 16 points, while Verstappen trails Piastri by 32 points.
Norris’ win at Miami last season snapped Verstappen’s two-year winning streak at the course surrounding Hard Rock Stadium. Norris also won the sprint race on Saturday — Piastri dominated but a late safety car cost him the victory — but Verstappen won the pole in qualifying.
Verstappen, who announced the birth of his first child Friday morning, has been determined to disprove the myth that fatherhood would make him a more conservative driver. It was evident as he darted away at the start and then aggressively held off Norris’ challenge for the lead.
The Red Bull and McLaren were side-by-side and Norris was trying to edge ahead of the Dutchman, but he ran off track and lost four spots. Norris said Verstappen forced him off track and there was nothing he could do but try to avoid running into a wall — but F1 took no action against Verstappen.
“What can I say? If I don’t go for it, people complain. If I go for it, people complain,” Norris said. “You can’t win. But it really just how it is with Max — it’s crash or their pass.”
Verstappen was unapologetic after fading to fourth and insisted he raced within the rules.
“I mean, I had nothing to lose, so I also wanted to have a bit of fun out there,” Verstappen said, adding McLaren’s strong start to the season is “not frustrating at all.”
“We are here to win and today we were miles off that, so it doesn’t really matter,” Verstappen said.
Norris recovered from the early incident and picked his way back toward the front, but not before Piastri took control away from Verstappen on the 14th of 57 laps. McLaren has decided it will allow Piastri and Norris to race each other cleanly without team orders, and Norris was cleared to challenge his Australian teammate for the victory.
In the waning laps, Norris was able to close the gap but could never catch Piastri and settled for second in a 1-2 finish for McLaren. The two held a nearly 40-second advantage over George Russell of Mercedes, who finished third.
Alex Albon of Williams was fifth, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes was sixth and Charles Leclerc was seventh after Ferrari ordered Lewis Hamilton to give his teammate the position in the closing laps. Hamilton was eighth.
Carlos Sainz Jr. was ninth for Williams and Yuki Tsunoda was 10th for Red Bull.
Doohan in doubt
Jack Doohan ran into another car on the opening lap and then crashed on the second lap — a showing that won’t quiet chatter the rookie is on the verge of being replaced at Alpine by Franco Colapinto.
There have been media reports in Argentina that Colapinto will replace Doohan at F1’s next race, later this month in Italy. It was dismissed at the start of the Miami weekend by Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes, who indicated “as it is today” the Australian would still be in the seat at Imola.
“I think it was a sponsor from Argentina off-camera giving his view on Franco, when he’s going to be in the car. I’m sure there’s a lot of people in Argentina who’d like him in the car this Sunday,” Oakes said about the speculation. “We’ve been pretty open as a team that that’s just noise. Jack needs to continue doing a good job. But it’s natural that there’s always speculation there.
“As it is today, Jack is our driver along with Pierre (Gasly),” he continued. “We’ve been pretty clear on that. We always evaluate, but today that is the case.”
Doohan, who didn’t complete two laps Sunday and finished last, has yet to score a point this season through six races. His best finish was 13th at the Chinese Grand Prix.
Buemi ends 6-year drought with Monaco masterclass as Rowland extends championship lead
- Swiss driver secures third Monaco win, first since 2019, 78 races ago
- Oliver Rowland, Nick Cassidy complete the top 3
MONTE CARLO: Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi claimed a long-awaited and dramatic victory at the second Monaco E-Prix of the weekend on Sunday, ending a six-year winless streak and securing his third career triumph in the principality.
Starting from eighth on a soaked Monte Carlo grid, the Swiss driver, Formula E’s Season 2 champion, delivered a measured, tactical drive through the field to take the checkered flag.
The win marks his first since New York City in 2019, a span of 78 races, and lifts Envision off the bottom of the overall team standings.
“I thought I would never win again at some points, so you know you need a bit of luck, you need the right timing, you need the right car, a good team, and today everything just came together, so I’m so happy,” he said.
“I’m actually speechless because you know it’s been a long time. It was obviously quite tricky at the beginning with the fight with Antonio (Felix da Costa) and Max (Guenther), but in the end the timing of the Attack Mode was good, I was able to make a gap and I was safe when Oli (Rowland) took his second one.
“I was able to read where the track was drying up, especially in turns three and four, there was lots of lap time to be gained, but you needed the confidence and today I had it. I thought that my number of wins would never change but it did today, so I’m very proud,” he added.
Behind him, Nissan’s Rowland delivered another strong performance to finish second and extend his lead at the top of the FIA Formula E Drivers’ World Championship.
The Brit’s aggressive attempt to overtake Jean-Eric Vergne at the chicane on lap 21 ultimately altered the race’s complexion.
Rowland was later required to cede the position after being deemed to have forced the DS Penske driver off track — a moment that allowed Buemi and Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries to capitalize.
Rowland smartly reclaimed momentum by returning the position to Vergne while simultaneously activating his final mandatory 50kW Attack Mode. This allowed him to surge back past both Vergne and de Vries for second place by lap 24, finishing just over four seconds behind the winner.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Nick Cassidy completed the podium with a storming drive from 14th to third, his first top-three result of the season, managing energy expertly to gain ground in the closing stages.
In fourth, da Costa was the highest-placed Porsche, followed by de Vries in fifth and a frustrated Vergne in sixth after leading much of the race before the pivotal lap 21 incident.
The result sees Rowland head to Nissan’s home race in Tokyo on 115 points, with da Costa trailing on 67.
Porsche holds a narrow lead in the team standings on 133 points to Nissan’s 126, but Nissan tops the FIA Manufacturers’ Championship with 191 points to Porsche’s 163.
The action returns in two weeks for a Tokyo doubleheader in Odaiba on May 17 and 18.
Ben Sulayem committed to to transforming FIA into ‘modern, accessible and connected organization’
- Leading figures in racing assemble in Marrakech as FIA president continues mission to double motorsport participation
DUBAI: The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the global governing body for motorsport and the federation for mobility organizations worldwide, is set for a busy agenda of high-level discussions at its annual FIA Region I Spring Meeting starting in Marrakech on Tuesday.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem will be in attendance at the three-day assembly of mobility and motorsport leaders from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to discuss key initiatives in road safety, sustainable mobility, regional sporting growth, and innovation in transport.
Speaking ahead of the conference, which is hosted by Mobilite Club Maroc, Ben Sulayem said: “As a global federation it is not often that we are able to unite our community in one place, so moments like this are particularly special.
“The next few days will provide an invaluable opportunity for engagement and participation, along with key votes to decide on the leadership of our community.”
The Region I Spring Meeting will coincide with a series of sessions designed to equip member clubs with new strategies and insights into evolving mobility and sporting trends. The event will be an opportunity to share knowledge and best practice across topics such as service delivery, sustainable responsibility, and consumer-focused innovation.
Ben Sulayem said: “Our members are fundamental to the success of the FIA, and I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made together during my first term in office and the successes we have achieved. We continue to strengthen the link between sport and mobility, expanding our reach and impact on the global stage.
“I am committed to the transformation of the FIA into a modern, accessible, and connected organization. Globally we are continuing our mission to double motorsport participation through grassroot initiatives and accessibility programs such as Affordable Cross Car and the Global Karting Plan, while ensuring ongoing empowerment of all regions across our mobility capabilities.”
The FIA Member Club structure forms the backbone of the federation’s governance and operations, with each full member club holding voting rights across the FIA’s elections and regulatory decisions. Clubs are grouped into two primary categories, with some serving in both roles.
Mobility clubs provide mobility services and represent the interest of road users, with a focus on road safety, travel and tourism, consumer rights, and sustainable mobility.
National sporting authorities govern and develop motorsport at a national level, are responsible for sporting events, issuing licenses, and engagement across regulations.
Within the FIA there are four mobility regions and six sport zones. FIA Region I is comprised of 101 mobility member clubs from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, representing over 41 million members.
Mahindra Racing secures season-best result in Monaco E-Prix as Rowland takes first place
- The team had arrived in Monaco on the back of nine consecutive points finishes
MONACO: Mahindra Racing recorded its strongest result of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season to date with a second-place finish in the opening Monaco E-Prix on Saturday.
Nyck de Vries secured a runner-up finish in the Principality behind eventual winner Oliver Roland of Nissan, while team-mate Edoardo Mortara crossed the line in fourth, moving Mahindra up to third in both the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ standings.
Jake Dennis scored the third and final podium sport for Andretti.
The team had arrived in Monaco on the back of nine consecutive points finishes and a perfect Duels qualification record so far in Season 11 with its M11Electro car.
That consistency continued in qualifying, where de Vries advanced to the Semi-Finals and secured fourth on the grid. Mortara qualified ninth, giving Mahindra two cars in the top 10.
De Vries made a strong start, moving into third at the first corner before managing his race through two full-course yellow periods, a mandatory PIT BOOST stop – which requires a 34-second stationary recharge – and two Attack Mode activations. He moved into second in the closing stages and held position to the flag despite late pressure from behind.
“I’m very happy to be on the podium today, especially in front of my family and friends here in Monaco,” said de Vries. “The car was excellent, and we executed a very strong race strategically, so the whole team deserve a lot of credit for the work that we’ve done.
“Tomorrow is another day, and another race, but we’ll enjoy this result, and it’s great to have some confirmation of the progress we’re continuing to make, and a reward for the work we’ve done so far. We know the next steps will be harder, but this is encouraging.”
Mortara also moved forward through the race despite running with minor front wing damage following contact from another car. He climbed from ninth on the grid to fifth by managing his energy and using the PIT BOOST period to gain track position. He passed Nico Mueller on the final lap to take fourth.
“It’s a strong result for the team, and I was very happy to come through the field and score some good points today,” said Mortara. “Even with some minor damage, we were able to make progress and fight towards the front, which is very encouraging and another sign we are on the right path with our development of this new package.
“It’s a great start to the weekend, and hopefully we can have another positive result tomorrow.”
Team Principal and CEO Frederic Bertrand praised the team’s performance and execution, particularly under the new PIT BOOST format that was introduced this season.
“These are the days we’ve been working towards as a team, and it’s important to enjoy them whilst also being hungry for more,” said Bertrand.
“Today was a great example of what we have been building. We’ve extended our run of qualifying for the Duels and scoring points in every race this season, and I was particularly pleased to see not only how Nyck was able to fight at the front, but how Edo moved through the pack despite some small damage.
“PIT BOOST races are still a bit of an unknown for the whole paddock, but our engineers and mechanics executed a great strategy, and we were able to use it to our advantage again, as we did in Jeddah.
“Overall, a very pleasing result. It’s always nice to end the day with a trophy, but our focus remains to keep up this level of performance consistently and keep being ambitious and aim for even higher.”
Mahindra will return to action on Sunday for the second Monaco E-Prix of the weekend.
Motor racing-Norris wins wet Miami sprint to trim Piastri’s lead by a point
- “My luck in Miami seems pretty good at the minute, really happy,” grinned Norris
- Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was handed a 10 second penalty for an unsafe release
MIAMI: Lando Norris lucked in to win a rain-hit and crash-strewn Miami Grand Prix sprint race in a McLaren one-two on Saturday that trimmed teammate Oscar Piastri’s Formula One lead to nine points.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, winner of the season’s first sprint in China, had a smile on his face again after finishing third with the safety car leading the closing laps before peeling off at the end.
“My luck in Miami seems pretty good at the minute, really happy,” grinned Norris, who won last year’s main grand prix for his first F1 victory.
The Briton got lucky with the safety car just at the right moment as he pitted for slick tires, with Piastri having already stopped, and came back out still in the lead he had inherited.
“I probably would’ve preferred if this had happened tomorrow, rather than today, but I’ll take it. Good job by the team,” he said.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was handed a 10 second penalty for an unsafe release that led to a pitlane collision with Mercedes’ pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli as the Italian was coming in and the champion pulling out.
That dropped four-times champion Verstappen to last of those who took the chequered flag.
Antonelli finished 10th — the 18-year-old left with nothing more than the record for youngest ever F1 polesitter in any format after only 14 laps of actual racing from an original 19.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed on his way from the pits to the starting grid, with heavy spray making conditions treacherous, and did not start.
The safety car led the field around before the start procedure was suspended, with drivers struggling to see, and all 19 cars returned to the pit lane before an eventual standing start on a drying track.
Carlos Sainz crashed his Williams and Fernando Alonso was pitched into the wall after contact with Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls, triggering the decisive safety car to the finish.
“I did pretty much everything right. A bit disappointed to come away with second but that’s how it goes sometimes. Racing is a pretty cruel business,” said Piastri, who will be chasing a third grand prix win in a row on Sunday.
“Hopefully that means I get a bit of luck this afternoon in qualifying and tomorrow.”
Hamilton was one of the first to change from inters to slicks, reaping the benefit as he carved back up through the field.
“It’s been a tough year so far but...I never thought it was going to rain in Miami. It’s the first time we’ve been on track in the wet here and what a race it provided us,” said the seven-times world champion.
Alex Albon finished fourth, but under investigation for a safety car infringement, with Mercedes’ George Russell fifth and Lance Stroll sixth for Aston Martin.
Lawson was seventh and Haas rookie Ollie Bearman took the final point.
