In the round-up: Red Bull team principal Christian Horner gives his verdict on his current roster of junior drivers.
In letter
Horner hails Iwasa, wanted more from other F2 juniors
With one round of the Formula 2 season to go, Jehan Daruvala is the only Red Bull junior still in contention to finish runner-up in the championship. However it’s a driver further down the standings that has impressed Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner the most, and one above him who’s underdelivered.
Horner shared his thoughts about his junior drivers on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, starting when he was asked if the Red Bull Junior Team is in good shape right now.
“Yeah it is,” he replied. “We are continuing to invest in youth. We’ve got some great youngsters in the program, all the way from karting or stepping into Formula 4 for now, upwards. And I think it’s something that Red Bull have done so well, is giving these kids a chance, investing in young talent and giving opportunities that otherwise they wouldn’t have had.
“There’s a few guys [to look out for]. I mean, Isaac Hadjar in Formula 3 this year has had a great debut season. I think [Ayumu] Iwasa in F2 has been a standout driver for me. So they’re just two of the guys on the programme. Liam Lawson’s had a tough year, but he’s another talent. Dennis Hauger has been a bit underwhelming in F2 after such a dominant year in F3, but again how much of that is him? How much of it is his equipment?”
Iwasa is currently ninth in the F2 points, and has a race win and a pole position from his rookie season, while Lawson sits seventh with three wins and Hauger is 11th with two victories. Ahead of all three is Daruvala, who is fifth in the standings and has tested a McLaren F1 car this year.
Agren returns to W Series
Ayla Agren has been announced as the replacement for the injured Tereza Babickova for the next W Series race in Singapore.
Babickova was diagnosed with a spinal injury following a spin at the Red Bull Ring in her first Formula Regional European Championship race earlier this month, and it ruled the single-seater rookie out of a private Formula 3 test and this weekend’s W Series action.
Agren, the 2014 F1600 Championship Series champion and a former USF2000 racer, contested all but one of last year’s W Series races as a major qualifying crash at Spa-Francorchamps left her hospitalized and meant she had to miss the race. She went on to finish 17th in the championship with two points finishes, and for 2022 was moved into a reserve driver role.
Danish prodigy to make long-awaited F4 debut
Stromsted impressed many in Danish F4 last year Noah Stromsted, the Danish wonderkid who won nine races in Formula 4 last year at the age of 14, will make a highly anticipated first appearance in Spanish F4 this weekend.
Campos Racing has signed Stromsted for the last two rounds of the season. He was unable to compete in the first four rounds as he was yet to reach the minimum competing age of 15. Since his remarkable rookie Danish F4 season, where he also had to miss races as he waited to turn 14, he has tested extensively with Campos and also with R-ace GP in Italy.
Current FIA rules means Stromsted will not be eligible to score points towards an F1 superlicence this year due to competing in F4 aged 14.
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Left
Motor racing links of interest:
More green initiatives at Singapore Grand Prix to reduce carbon footprint of F1 race (The Straits Times)
‘When the Singapore Grand Prix returns to the Marina Bay circuit, the pit building will be fully powered by carbon-neutral sources of energy. The grandstands, most of the hospitality suites, as well as the food and beverage and activity areas in Zone 1 on the circuit will be powered by clean energy through the purchase of renewable energy certificates.’
On site: This is how Audi is preparing for F1 entry in 2026 (Motorsport Magazin – German)
Audi’s F1 project is being built in Neuburg an der Donau, not far from the headquarters in Ingolstadt.
Two qualifying sessions per weekend? (Auto Motor und Sport – German)
‘Sprint races, grid penalties, crossing the finish line under the safety car, VSC phases and DRS trains: there are still many weaknesses in F1 that damage the show. Those responsible want to work to ensure that fans get the maximum value for their money.’
Budzinski, Ferguson, Schrage to carry Team USA Scholarship colors (Team USA)
‘The Team USA Scholarship is proud to confirm that three young American drivers will represent their nation in the prestigious Formula Ford Festival and Walter Hayes Trophy events in England this fall with Ammonite Motorsport following a two-day shootout.’
Why Novalak has had to change his driving style to make progress in F2 (Formula Scout)
‘Novalak’s team-mate Felipe Drugovich has scored 201 more points and been crowned champion, and his F3 rivals have won several F2 races already. A lack of qualifying form has held back Novalak so far.’
Zane Maloney joins Radical Caribbean Cup in T&T (Radical Caribbean Cup)
‘Zane Maloney, who finished second in the FIA Formula 3 Championship which ended at Monza in Italy two weeks ago, will race at the Frankie Boodram Wallerfield International Raceway in Trinidad & Tobago for the first time next month.’
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Jacques Villeneuve scored the final victory of his F1 career on this day in 1997
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