Red Bull Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez has acknowledged he has had a “terrible season” and is desperate to gift his Mexican home fans a big result this weekend.

Perez started the season in strong enough shape to earn a new two-year deal at Red Bull, but like last year his form tailed off dramatically from May onwards. Red Bull was forced to reconsider its options over the summer as it saw its constructors’ championship lead slip away, with just one reliable podium finisher in Max Verstappen to count on, but kept the faith in the Mexican for the time being.

Perez was more much affected than Verstappen by some of the handling issues introduced to the 2024 RB20 car, and hasn’t been on the podium since April.

But Red Bull has managed to find a much more benign car balance over the past few races, allowing Verstappen to take a sprint race win last week in Austin. Ahead of his home race in Mexico City, Perez is desperate to use Red Bull’s improved car to build some momentum as he hopes to replicate the scene of 2021 when his infant son joined him on the podium.

“I know I’ve had a terrible season,” he said. “It started really well, but it’s been really, really difficult. If I had a strong result, it can definitely change my season massively in terms of personal feeling, so I’m really up for it.

“Having my son up there with me on the podium watching me, I think that moment will stay with me forever. It’s something that I hope he remembers forever. Those moments, I think it’s the ones that really matter to me. And I hope I can repeat that one this weekend.”

Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

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Perez suggested his car was down on specification and performance in Austin compared to Verstappen’s, and said Red Bull would need both cars to be on point if it is to have any chance to beat McLaren in the standings, even if a lot of the squad’s constructors’ championship headaches stem from having just Verstappen race up front for months.

“I think the numbers and facts will remain internal with the engineers, we know what the delta [difference] was,” the 34-year-old said. “Having Ferrari there doesn’t change anything. I think we want to win the constructors’ title, finishing second or third in the end makes no difference.

“So, we really want to win it. For that, we need to have both cars with the best possible performance and best possible package as well.”

Perez faces a new threat to his 2025 seat in the shape of the emerging Liam Lawson, who made a huge impression on Red Bull’s management on his first race weekend back in Austin. Replacing Daniel Ricciardo at RB for the final six races of 2024, the 22-year-old New Zealander climbed from 19th to ninth at the US Grand Prix, overcoming a grid penalty to score valuable points.

“I think this is Formula 1. Sometimes the results are not coming, and you just have to make sure you keep your head down, you focus on the stuff that you can control and the rest is something that you cannot get bothered with,” Perez insisted, dismissing enduring speculation over his future.

“I feel that I’m in the same boat as the team. We found a big issue in Monza, and after Monza we’re heading the right direction.”

Alex Albon will ‘lean towards’ using Franco Colapinto‘s set-up at the Mexico City Grand Prix as he looks for a more harmonious balance with his upgraded Williams Formula 1 car.

Williams introduced a comprehensive series of upgrades for the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, which Albon used to good effect at the Monza and Baku races, where he scored points in both.

The Anglo-Thai driver has been more closely matched since Colapinto was promoted to the line-up in place of Logan Sargeant, and Albon suggested that his own side of the garage had perhaps struggled to get its head around the new upgrade package in comparison to Colapinto’s engineers.

Albon will move towards Colapinto’s set-up for this weekend to determine if it alleviates his issues, particularly in lower-speed corners.

“We definitely have a different car balance with the new upgrades that we brought onto the car. We’re still yet to really fully understand them. 

“We can see it in the data, we can see where we’re just trying to get to grips with what’s going on. 

“This will be the first weekend where I’m just kind of leaning a little bit more towards what the other side of the garage has been doing and just trying to see if that will help fix some of the issues that I’ve been having. 

Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

“I think actually around Mexico it’s going to be really important for us to try to get right because, on paper, the areas I’ve been struggling with are very corner-specific, and they’re corners that Mexico has a lot of, these kind of low-speed corners.”

Asked if the brake locking issue he had struggled with was a new issue with the upgrades, Albon explained that it had “become more apparent. So that’s kind of close to the area I’ve been working on.”

He added that it was “nice” to have a stronger team-mate in the second car to help fill in any performance shortfalls, and offered a reference point for set-ups for the team to compare.

Albon noted that Colapinto’s ability to score in Austin with 10th place “elevates everyone”, and felt the challenge provided by the Argentine was not a new experience.

“It’s nice. We’ve had the simulator working over the weekend – just trying to, over the last few days, have a look at the differences. 

“But it elevates me, it elevates everyone in the team. When I have a bad weekend, we’re still scoring points, so that’s very positive.

“No [it’s not a new experience], I think if you go back a few more years, you can [see I’ve had pressure]. At Williams, sure, but it’s how it’s always been. It’s how you race. It’s how you race since you’re nine years old. So, it’s alright.”

In the fan zone at the Circuit of the Americas, next to a jar of earplugs and a few feet from an industrial sized jug of free sunscreen, sat a 3-inch thick book with heavy blank white pages. Fans were shuffling from the midday heat into the tent where the book sat, writing notes in Sharpie to Daniel Ricciardo, the man whose absence hung over the race weekend like a loved one lost.

“You were my first F1 favorite driver,” read one note in the book. “R.I.R. (Rest in Retirement),” another. “Come to COTA to see you & you weren’t here…so sad.”

It wasn’t hard to see all the signs that Ricciardo was meant to be at the U.S. Grand Prix. Literally, Ricciardo’s illustrated, Stetson-wearing face stood out front-and-center on a printed fabric mural of F1 drivers (all wearing cowboy gear) covering a fence at Turn 15. Saturday, in downtown Austin, Ricciardo’s clothing brand Enchanté launched a pop up store with a new capsule collection, conspicuously minus the man himself. Ricciardo facetimed a few lucky fans who’d lined up early for the opening, but otherwise the shop stayed a shop for the weekend. And that was him on the COTA website’s schedule of weekend events, wearing a University of Texas jersey and smiling next to a note about the driver’s parade happening from 12 to 12:30 on Sunday (just before the Globe of Death).

There had even been a rumor that Ricciardo was meant to receive the keys to the city — though when reached for comment, the mayor’s office responded that this was “news” to them.

And then there were the books. Twelve in total — thick black hardcovers sandwiching 600 pages of pristine paper, strewn throughout the fan areas surrounding the track. Signs touting “Letters to Cowboy Ric from Austin”, also featuring another illustrated Ricciardo-as-cowpoke, stood outside the tents. By Sunday morning three had been completely filled, with notes from fans claiming to be from Argentina, Israel, the UK, and beyond.

One of 12 books fans used to write messages to Daniel Ricciardo

The books themselves had been the slightly off-handed idea of Bobby Epstein, chairman of COTA.

“We did it for the fans, but we did it for him, is really why we did it,” Epstein explained. “I feel like he’s made so many contributions to our event and to the spirit of sport that we didn’t want to see him walk away and not know that he was appreciated and loved and beloved. And if he’s not gonna have a farewell tour, then we’re gonna give him at least some fond memories that he can look at any time he wants.”

Epstein was seeing one of the signed books for the first time Sunday morning, wondering what exactly he’d find inside. Flipping through, he excitedly asked, to whoever was in the room, for some bookmarks. A stack of Barbie-pink Post-Its was put in his hand, and he immediately started sticking them to pages. For what purpose, he wasn’t yet sure.

There were sketches of shoeys and full-page love letters, a few messages from haters and cute scrawl from children still confusing their lowercase Bs and Ds.

Ingrid, from Austin but attending her first F1 race ever, had Ricciardo on her mind. “Honestly, the way he left Singapore — the way he was kind of shoved out of Singapore, I should say — was really depressing,” she told Motorsport. “I was kind of hoping he’d be here in Austin.”

Writing in the book, she said, was a way connecting with him, even if it was a one-way street.

“I just wanted to be able to prove that I got the chance to write in the book that maybe he chose to flip through on a random day. Because this sport just brings me so much joy, and I wanted him to know that. Granted, he’s never gonna know me — but he’ll get to know my name in the book that I signed.”

Signs outside tents at the U.S. GP inviting fans to write messages to Ricciardo

Anamarie had driven from Dallas. She was wearing a Ferrari jacket, but talked about how Ricciardo sparked her Formula 1 fandom.

“I wrote him ‘thank you’ for getting me into the sport,” said said. “Without him, I wouldn’t be here today with my sisters at our first grand prix.”

Maureen and Valerie, two fans who’d just finished signing one of the books, had flown from the British Virgin Islands to attend the U.S. GP.

“I came from the Virgin Islands, so it wasn’t easy to come here. And he is not even here!” said Maureen, Valerie’s travel partner.

“Danny Ric, I saw a video of him on Instagram and that’s how I started following Formula 1,” said Valerie. “He is so charismatic and so good.“

Of course, you can only mourn for so long.

“However, I’m a little bit salty, because I’m a Lando fan, too. And he stole that point from Lando, fastest lap, in Singapore,” said Valerie.

Afterward, she asked if this reporter could share her Instagram handle with Norris.

“I’m single,” she explained.

The Flatrock Motorsports Park, which features a 30-degree banked bend and could host IndyCar or MotoGP races in the future, officially opened on Thursday.

The Tennessee venue has been constructed to the FIA’s Grade 2 standard, which means it is homologated to run any racing series outside of F1.

It has grabbed attention ever since construction work first began in 2022 with its layout making the most of the undulations of the land it is built on.

This includes dramatic rises and falls on the straights, corners with blind brows, as well as an iconic 30-degree banked turn that will push cars and drivers to the limit.

The official opening for the 3.5-mile, 23-turn Club circuit for members took place on Thursday, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the starting grid, and the first laps was completed by its development and founding partner Rusty Bittle.

Construction is continuing at the venue for a kart track, and future phases will include a 2.7-mile FIM and Grade 2 Grand Prix track – as well as hotel, restaurant, campgrounds and an amphitheatre for concerts and events.

Speaking after the opening, Bittle said: “We are beyond thrilled to open the ‘Club’ track to our members today.

“After months of hard work and dedication, it’s amazing to see them on track, enjoying what we’ve built.

“Flatrock is destined to become one of the top motorsport destinations, and this is just the beginning. I can’t wait to see where we go from here as we continue to develop and expand the facility.”

Bob Pockrass

FOX NASCAR Insider

NASCAR Cup Series drivers have dabbled in the podcast space.

Denny Hamlin has his “Actions Detrimental” podcast. Corey LaJoie has his “Stacking Pennies” podcast. Ryan Blaney used to do a podcast called “Glass Case of Emotion.”

We asked the Cup playoff drivers (except for Hamlin and Blaney since they have/had podcasts), If you had a podcast, what would you name it?

Some had ideas:

Christopher Bell: “The Bell’s Tolls.”

Alex Bowman: Somebody had a podcast a couple of years ago that I loved the name of, I think it was called “The Unprofessionals” — that’s very fitting.

Chase Briscoe: “Risky Brisckie’s Business.”

Harrison Burton: I’d call it “Burning Rubber With Burton” or something like that. I don’t know.

Brad Keselowski: If I had a podcast, it would be called “Let’s Talk About Six.” 

Tyler Reddick: I don’t know. “Don’t Know What To Expect Next.” I’m not really sure.

Daniel Suarez: “Daniel’s Amigos.”

Martin Truex Jr.: It’d be something around “Hunting and Fishing With Me.” I don’t know.

Others did not have an answer beyond they don’t expect to have a podcast or couldn’t think of one on the spot:

William Byron: I don’t think I would have a racing-related podcast. I don’t know. I would maybe defer.

Austin Cindric: I probably will never have a podcast, so I’ve got nothing for you.

Chase Elliott: I don’t have a podcast, so I don’t have to worry about it.

Ty Gibbs: I don’t know if I would. What’s Denny’s called again? (Actions Detrimental). Yeah, I don’t even know. I don’t know that I’m good with that podcast stuff.

Kyle Larson: I don’t know. I came up with the name “Actions Detrimental” [for Hamlin], but I don’t think I would have my own NASCAR-style podcast.

Joey Logano: I’ve never thought about it. I don’t know. I want to come up with something witty real quick here but I don’t have nothing that comes to the top of my head. I don’t have anything at the top of my mind.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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Aston Martin’s new Formula 1 CEO Andy Cowell says he is following a “work experience” package in aerodynamics as he steps out of his usual domain of F1 power units.

Cowell was appointed by Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll as the successor to Martin Whitmarsh as Group CEO, overseeing the British brand’s F1 and automotive activities.

The British engineer previously spearheaded Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, becoming the driving force behind the Brixworth plant’s successful hybrid power units that dominated F1 at their introduction in 2014.

Cowell left Mercedes and F1 in 2020, but was lured back into the series by Stroll, relishing the prospect of being able to step outside of his comfort zone by overseeing the entire F1 team rather than returning to an engine-related role.

As part of getting up to speed at Aston Martin, Cowell says the Silverstone-based team’s engineers put together an aerodynamics crash course to better understand what the aero department needs from the rest of the organisation.

“To be on the team side rather than on the power unit side brings me back to something that I loved, and I enjoyed for decades with a different challenge,” Cowell explained. “It’s a different set of technical challenges.

“One of the first people I spoke to in my early days at the factory was [technical director] Dan Fallows and I said to Dan: ‘I know that aerodynamicists want lots of power from the engine, no heat rejection, no aero blockage, I know all that, but what else does an aerodynamicist want?’ And so he put together a work experience package for me.

“I spent time with all the principal aerodynamicists, I watched some runs at the wind tunnel, spent time with the aero performance group that were measuring the pressure tappings at Singapore and then working out how that ties in with aero data and CFD.

“So, I guess I’m now wearing a bobble hat called an aerodynamicist but it’s a work experience compared with a bobble hat of a power unit person. I think it’s good to do something different.”

Martin Whitmarsh, Group CEO, Aston Martin Performance Technologies, Dan Fallows, Technical Director, Aston Martin F1 Team, Andy Cowell, Group CEO, Aston Martin F1 Team, Mike Krack, Team Principal, Aston Martin F1 Team, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Team, Adrian Newey, Lawrence Stroll, Owner, Aston Martin F1 Team, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin F1 Team, Tom McCullough, Performance Director, Aston Martin F1 Team, and Andy Stevenson, Sporting Director, Aston Martin F1 Team

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Cowell will manage a star-studded line-up of engineers at the group’s F1 team, with former Red Bull man Fallows soon joined by Ferrari’s technical director Enrico Cardile and legendary designer Adrian Newey, who joins from Red Bull in March 2025. When asked how he will manage that high-profile array of engineering talent, Cowell said the team’s situation is not too different from Mercedes’ dominant run that started in 2014.

“I remember Mercedes Grand Prix pulling together a gaggle of impressive technical directors and it working out okay on that run into 2014,” Cowell said. “We’re quite a young organisation, operating with that level of facility and resources. There are lots of things to do, whether it’s setting up our own wind tunnel and all the facilities that are required to do that, whether it’s making a gearbox to go on the back of the Honda power unit for 2026, simulation tools, getting those to be class leading.

“And if you’ve got senior leaders that can each take one of those big challenges and focus on it, then we’ll get to the front quicker.

“What I want to do is make the organisational changes that I think will help all of us going forward, so that there’s not only office space and a desk and a chair and a drawing board ready, but there’s also a structure that’s got their name in it. So my ambition is that [Cardile’s and Newey’s] very first day in the factory is a working day, not a reflecting and making change day. I see that as my role as the CEO.”