The FIA thorough relating to track restrictions, DRS areas, circuit modifications and guardians of Las Vegas GENERAL PRACTITIONER, as F1 drivers react to information of race supervisor and GPDA letter.
The track restrictions stays the white lines in the very first FIA Race Director’s note from Rui Marques– that is changing Niels Wittich in the function from this weekend break’s F1 Las Vegas GENERAL PRACTITIONER. In regards to the DRS areas, the very first discovery area is 10m after Turn 2, whose activation is 20m after Turn 4.
The 2nd activation area is 710m after Turn 12, while there is a tiny adjustment in the activation which goes to 870m– as opposed to 820m in 2023– prior to Turn 14. Moving on to the FIA guardians panel, it will certainly be headed by Nish Shetty, that will certainly obtain the assistance of Matthew Selley, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Dennis Dean.
The FIA additionally provided the modifications to circuit from 2023 to 2024, they are–
- Walls at Pit Entry on RHS straightened.
- 2 entrances in Pit Wall transferred.
- MP 9.9 relocated upstream.
- MP 12.9 relocated upstream.
- MP 13.1 relocated upstream.
- Vehicle opening up eliminated at MP 13.1.
- MP 13.2 relocated upstream.
- Vehicle opening up set up at leave Turn 15 on RHS.
- Grinding of the asphalt at the leave of Turn 12
The F1 drivers, however, had a hectic media day responding to concerning the FIA Race Director adjustment from Wittich to Marques, as mostly all of them were left shocked by the choice. They recognized the job done by the outward bound supervisor and discovered him to have actually done a good sufficient task.
There were some missteps yet it was general alright, which left them a little bit overwhelmed concerning the FIA’s choice. But they prolonged their assistance in inviting Marques, that is basically brand-new to every chauffeur on the grid. The F1 drivers additionally increased on the GPDA letter that was revealed.
They kept in mind of no reaction previously from the FIA, yet they are not as well quick-tempered concerning it in the meantime. Some of the drivers– particularly George Russell– described the demand of the letter and public press to obtain points done or make individuals familiar with their point of views in a clear means.
Race supervisor adjustment–
George Russell: “Yeah, we certainly weren’t mindful. It was a little bit of a shock, I believe, for everyone. And, you understand, it’s a heck of a great deal of stress currently onto the brand-new race supervisor. Just 3 races left. So I believe for us … Often as drivers, we most likely seem like we’re the last to learn this kind of details. And when it includes us type of straight, it would certainly behave to be maintained in the loophole and simply have an understanding of what choices are being made. So, yeah, time will certainly inform. I make certain the brand-new individual will certainly take care of the placement simply great, yet certainly not a very easy race for a brand-new race supervisor.
“I mean, I can only talk on behalf of myself here as opposed to any of the other drivers, but I think there’s no secret that some were not happy with what was going on in terms of the decisions that were being made, but at the end of the day, I think if you worked together with us, that we could have helped improve the matter. And I think sometimes just hiring and firing is not the solution. You kind of need to work together to improve the problem. So, let’s see what this new era is going to bring, but every time there is a change, you have to take one step back before you make the two steps forwards.”
Kevin Magnussen: “I think it’s… I don’t know if it’s a big concern as such. I think it’s a tough job and you know it’s something… It’s a job that requires experience and to be honest I don’t know how experienced the new guy is. I know he’s come from F2 and F3, so he must have some experience. Hopefully he’s going to be fine. I think we all, certainly I do, tend to compare to the Charlie Whiting days that certainly for us drivers, he was someone that we felt really connected to and always felt like we were being listened to, whereas now it sort of seems like it’s a lot of us against them almost and it should definitely be more of a cooperation and a closer connection between us and them because we can help each other a lot. So hopefully the new guy will sort of help go in that direction.”
Esteban Ocon: “Yeah, I mean, as George said before, I think it’s definitely not an easy race to start in, around here, you know, as a street circuit. But I think Rui, he came from Macau just now, so it’s probably a tougher circuit than here, definitely. And yeah, looking forward to meet him and have good chats at the drivers meeting with him and seeing how he works. I’m sure we are going to be talking a lot on how he does things, what ideas he has on, very important topics to us like track limits, kerbs, etc. Everybody has his way of doing things. And yeah, we need to obviously communicate well in terms of what we feel is very important going forward.”
Lando Norris: “Yeah Their task is difficult. I do not believe individuals understand exactly how hard it is. You understand, as drivers we constantly provide … I indicate, we provide every person a great deal of misuse, you understand, half the moment! So it’s most likely among the hardest sporting activities to authorities on the planet, I believe. I do not understand of every various other sport, yet I believe it’s a sport where there’s numerous points can take place. You desire policies, yet you additionally do not desire policies. And that makes it really hard. And you’re constantly going to have individuals that differ and individuals that concur. So I believe it’s simply a really hard placement to remain in. I do not understand what’s going on there. Obviously points are not running as efficiently as what we would certainly desire.
“But as such a big sport, like the majority and pretty much every other sports, you have permanent stewards, you have permanent people, you have a permanent team that run everything for consistency and many other reasons. That’s all I know. Yeah, that’s what we want as drivers. That’s what we request. But we also acknowledge it’s a very tough position to be in and to put yourself up for that role in the first place, I think, takes a bit of guts because you know you’re going to get crap from every side at some point, and you’ve got to accept that. You’ve got to be willing to accept that. I don’t think that’s easy for anyone to do. We’ll see, but I don’t know anything more, honestly.”
Valtteri Bottas: “Not so much, much more to add, actually. It’s a difficult job and for sure for the new person it will be a challenge. And especially with both titles still in play and everything. So I just hope things go smoothly. But yeah, we really don’t, as drivers, we don’t really have much background information why this happened, what was the decision to do this. So I guess we will get more details in the drivers’ meeting.”
Max Verstappen: “I read the news, I just continued with my day. Of course, it’s a bit weird with three races to do that. It doesn’t matter if you are positive or negative about certain things which I thought in Brazil, there was certainly room for improvement, for example. It is still a bit weird to having to deal with a different race director. If you want to change normally a race director, maybe you would do it after the season, and then you have a bit of time for the race director himself to get up to speed with things. You have pre-season testing, you get into your role a bit more. But lets see how it goes, I mean, they have decided and we have to deal with it. We don’t agree between the drivers as well, so doesn’t matter [with race director change].”
Charles Leclerc: “That came out a bit of nowhere. I found out on social media. I think we were all surprised. I think more than speaking about the decision, which we can all have our own opinion, I think the timing was a bit surprising and to do it so late in the season at such a crucial moment of the season. Could have probably been managed in a better way. But apart from that, it doesn’t change our relationship with the FIA, it is obviously a continuous process of trying to make that relationship and that discussion better in order to make our sport better. And yeah, there are things to improve for sure and we are trying to work with the FIA to make it better. But yeah, I was quite surprised with the timing.”
Carlos Sainz: “Obviously stunned, little bit odd with 3 races to coating in the year, to unexpectedly transform race supervisors. But as I do not understand what took place and I do not understand what’s goingon I can not provide a viewpoint, I can just adjust to what follows, simply say thanks to Niels for the effort over the last 3 years and want him all the most effective and welcome to the brand-new one. It is exceptionally vital that co-operation that partnership in between auto racing drivers and race supervisor. I indicate, a great deal of choices that the race supervisor takes are affected by the responses that we provide concerning the track, the problems, every little thing.
“Obviously, just kindly asking from here that the new one is to be open-minded, to listen to us, and to appreciate our feedback, because if we say things with the intention of changing the track something, or we say, communicate something on the radio, is because we truly believe that. So just asking for co-operation, collaboration, open relationship and everything should be smooth and wishing the best because it is tough job and he’s been given a very tough task which is to come into a championship with only three races left. The only effect in the changes is the race director but if he does a good job, should be transparent also, nothing more.”
Oscar Piastri: “I had no idea that anything was even being planned. I actually heard it from someone else, one of the other drivers, or an article somewhere. So it was definitely a bit of a bit of a surprise. On the whole, Niels was doing a reasonable job. There were some things that we wanted to improve. Some got better, some maybe didn’t, but I certainly don’t think it warranted an immediate sacking. I don’t know how it [the statement] was phrased, but it seems like a bit of a different picture than how it was phrased. I don’t know, we will see how’s the new race director is like. I have not had any experience with him before but yeah, it is definitely a surprise.”
Pierre Gasly: “I know what I have to do in the car, it doesn’t really change my approach to racing. There are clear rules on what you can do, what you can’t do, and whoever is there is there is going to apply to this rule. So it doesn’t really change.”
Lance Stroll: “I think everyone’s surprised about that. It doesn’t change my approach on the track – just maybe penalties and all that will be done in different ways now, hopefully for the better.”
Fernando Alonso: “I was surprised. I read the news, as you all did. I don’t have any other information about it apart from the press release. We’ll see tomorrow in the drivers’ briefing, the new race director. We’ll try to be supportive. We’ll try to help him as much as we can in anything that he may need. Hopefully we’ll have a long relationship with this new race director and get things better and better for the future. Nothing changes, I think if the FIA made that decision because they trust the new guy and they feel that he’s ready for the job, it is not an easy task, so that’s why as I said before, we have to be mindful of that, we have to be ready to help if he needs anything, we need to be clear in the drivers’ briefing that we are here as one and try to help, that’s the main thing and I am sure he’s ready because FIA will not take a decision if they don’t think he’s ready.”
Alexander Albon: “It was a surprise to myself. Niels had one of the hardest jobs in the paddock, and I thought he was doing a good job with it as well. I think he was balancing the whole the whole thing as best as he could. To comment on the change, it’s not really my position, but I felt like he was more than capable to do the last three races.”
Nico Hulkenberg: It certain is[strange timing to change the race director] I believe additionally he did a good and great task, he was rather directly with points. I do not understand the history, I do not understand the factor. I believe it is a shock for the majority of in the paddock which all I can state. Eventually, you constantly obtain made use of to a person, currently a person brand-new, it resembles quirking with a various group or designers, it will certainly require time to obtain made use of to each various other, obtain his handwriting a bit, yet undoubtedly, it does not truly impact us on track and what we do, yet he may have a various analysis exactly how to release a VSC or warning. Obviously, people are various, so I make certain there will certainly be minor distinctions.”
Lewis Hamilton: “I can’t speak for other drivers, I mean we are in the GPDA meeting, we probably are going to be talking about that except for the Niels thing, because consistency is something we are always asking for. At the moment it feels like everything is falling apart with all the people leaving left, right, and center, but sometimes you need to shake the tree to have some of the apples fall out!”
GPDA letter–
George Russell: “I indicate, speaking as a fellow chauffeur as opposed to kind of my function with the GPDA, I believe everyone pitied specific points that have actually occurred throughout this year that we desired to kind of stand unified. At completion of the day, we simply desire to be clear with the FIA and have this discussion that is occurring, and I believe the separation of Niels is additionally an archetype of not belonging of these discussions. And inevitably, we just we desire to deal with the FIA to make the most effective for the sport that all of us like. So, I believe it’s type of us currently placing the stress back on them to deal with us and deal with every person, consisting of F1 also, simply to increase this chance, which Formula 1 remains in presently, which is, you understand, a remarkable time to belong of. I believe inevitably for us, when we were learning through the FIA a number of years back, when it came to the Presidential political elections, they were speaking about openness, speaking about where the cash is going to be reinvested right into grassroots competing, which we’re done in favour for.
“And naturally, when it comes to a few of these huge penalties, there’s a variety of drivers on the grid that can easily manage these penalties. There’s perhaps some newbies on the grid that if they’re handed a $1 million penalty, you understand, they can not manage this. But if we understand where that’s being kind of reinvested and if it’s entering into grassroots or right into some training programs, after that we obtain it. As I claimed, I believe we simply desire the openness and understanding of what was assured initially. I indicate, I’m not as well certain to be straightforward. We identify everyone’s functioning as difficult as they can to do the most effective task feasible. There is undoubtedly a massive quantity of adjustment within the FIA rather on a regular basis, so it’s plainly not one of the most secure of locations. And perhaps that’s why it’s been a bit tough to obtain a few of the modifications that we have actually desired carried out. Of training course, every person has their very own side to their very own tale. But as I claimed, I believe if we really feel that we’re being paid attention to and a few of the modifications that we are experiencing, asking for, are carried out, since inevitably we’re just doing it for the advantage of the sport, after that perhaps our self-confidence will certainly enhance.
“But yeah, I think there’s a number of drivers who feel probably a bit fed up with the whole situation. And it only seems to be going in, to a degree, the wrong direction. It’s definitely not difficult to get a sit down, but I think getting things to change or getting promises upheld seems slightly more challenging. So, it’s maybe the FIA or the president didn’t recognise how seriously we all felt. So I think that’s why over the course of 20 races this year and also even last year we spoke about a number of topics, all of the drivers, we all feel pretty similar. We all know what we want from the sport and the direction it’s been heading and we probably feel that we want to do a small U-turn on a number of topics and just want to work together with the FIA on this. And that’s just what we’ve felt has not been happening at all, at least directly from the President. And no. Not at the moment [there’s no response], which I’m a little bit surprised about, to be fair. But maybe there’ll be something to come. Who knows?”
Max Verstappen: “You have to ask the FIA about that [response to GPDA letter]. I don’t know. From my side, it’s difficult to comment. At the moment, I don’t know. I don’t know what to expect. I think there is also a lot going on, right? So I don’t really want to make an issue of it. I think they also had a lot on their mind in the meantime.”
Charles Leclerc: “I think we are very confident that they are trying their best. I mean on the sporting side, it is just the continuous discussion of trying to make sport for better. I think there’s been some other decisions with this letter that we tackle because we thought it was important to be so in the way we speak about different situations. We should be free to say the way we want. And this subject that we wanted to speak of, but on the sporting side, I have no doubt that they are trying to do their best and very confident. They are trying to improve like we do and we are trying to help them improve and give them a slightly different perspective to what they see because we are obviously in the car.”
Oscar Piastri: “I think with things like that, we are not necessarily need to be told like that. I think when it comes to things like tracks and kerbs changes, or re-surfacing or things that are directly going to affect us on the track, in particular regarding safety, those are the kind of big things that we are kind of being vocal about, wanting more clarity and collaboration on. In terms of the race director, yes, some warning may have been good or reasoning but I don’t think it is end of the world that we found out through media. Obviously, we put out the letter and kind of addressed how big things we want to improve our collaboration with the FIA on, but I think with that matter, it is not a big concern.”
Fernando Alonso: “I believe it is great, it is regular like all the various other sporting activities where professional athletes or marketers or whoever, they have in some cases various point of views, you reveal those point of views. F1 is really moderating in every little thing, remaining in media, in some cases you have the set up and in some cases you have to utilize that, this is the minute. Nothing that is created in some cases, absolutely nothing that is released from our side or the FIA is a secret in between us, it is something that we speak face to face with them and we reveal our viewpoint also. I believe there is absolutely nothing truly extremely incorrect yet we desire to boost points.
“From our side and the FIA, what we expect from them is always to take care of our safety which they do, last example was Brazil as well, where all this red flag and these kind of things, we have to make sure that the circuits are well prepared, safe to run. We had last year in Las Vegas, the FP1 problem that the FIA is taking care to not repeat the same things. I think it is all good, we trust them, the trust of what we say and what we want and we try to move ahead together.”
Alexander Albon: “I think that’s more for you to say than us, you know that there’s a lot of politics going around our sport. We have our voice and we stated that in the letter, so that’s where we have our part of speech, we raise areas where we are not happy with. The things going on behind, regarding Niels and what not, is not really our concern. Not that I know of [if FIA has replied], I need to speak with George, he’s a bit of our headmaster in all of us, now nothing. We feel like, we just say and put it out there is when most action happens, so that’s it.”
Nico Hulkenberg: “Not certain to be straightforward, there was a great deal of conversation [in GPDA Whatsapp] recently since in some cases there is a lot that you can not catch-up with all right stuff. So, I am not exactly sure. Reply from the FIA? Not that I understand. I require to check, perhaps something took place that I am not mindful.
Lewis Hamilton: “If we don’t get a response, I’m sure we’ll chase them up. I know they’ve got a lot going on at the moment, but I think it’s just to show that more than ever, the drivers are united, which is perhaps not something you’ve always seen in the past. There are some things that need addressing, and FIA needs to be better at working and collaborating with us. We want the sport to continue to thrive and be better. We have zero to gain with the comments that we’re making in terms of things that can be better through the race weekends, and all we’re asking is to communicate with us more and include us.”
Here’s FIA Race Directors’ note completely: https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/decision-document/2024%20Las%20Vegas%20Grand%20Prix%20-%20Event%20notes%20.pdf
Here’s F1 rubbishing information on Stefano Domenicali
Here’s most current from F1 Commission + Liberty Media information
Here’s F1 2025 launch occasion information
Here’s information on Niels Wittich
Here’s even more on GPDA letter
Here’s web link to a F1 Discord network, participate in to connect
