Carlos Sainz says Ferrari’s upturn in form is “bittersweet” for him, because he feels the squad is gearing up to be firmly in the world title hunt next year when he’s no longer there.

Ferrari has overcome a car development setback in the middle part of the 2024 season to regain competitiveness in recent races, especially on circuits with relatively few high-speed corners.

Charles Leclerc won Monza’s Italian Grand Prix in September and was fighting for victory in Baku, while a botched qualifying session prevented both he and Sainz from competing up front in Singapore. But the pair struck back by taking a 1-2 victory last week in Austin, led by Leclerc, which is bringing Ferrari back in championship contention.

Ferrari’s resurgence is the culmination of a long process, with the team unable to sustain its development rate after a strong start to the 2022 season. In 2023 Fred Vasseur came in as a team boss to drive the squad forward in every department as he aimed to improve its culture and weed out operational mistakes, which is paying dividends this year with much improve race pace.

Sainz has been there for most of the build-up, joining Maranello from McLaren for 2021, but he will be departing for Williams next year after Vasseur snapped up Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes at the start of the year.

So, while the Spaniard was buoyed by Ferrari’s upturn in performance as he took his sixth pole of his career with the team, he admitted his Mexico pole was tinged with sadness as he won’t be able to complete his journey with the resurgent Scuderia in 2025.

Pole man Carlos Sainz, Scuderia Ferrari, in the post Qualifying Press Conference

Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images

“It’s very sweet, given how good the car is, how well I’m driving recently, obviously optimistic going into the last five races,” he said after beating 2024’s title protagonists Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, as well as Leclerc, in qualifying.

“At the same time, it’s bittersweet because it gives me a feeling Ferrari might be in the fight for the world championship next year and I will not be there to use it.

“I feel like I’ve been quite a big part of this team during the last four years trying to prepare the team to fight for that championship next year. And the fact that I’m driving well, being fast with the car and I’m leaving in five races is definitely leaves me a bit… I don’t know how to say it, but not with a very good feeling.

“But it is what it is. I’m going to try and win more races, stand on the podium for as long as I can during these five races and enjoy that. And then we will think about next year.”

Ferrari may yet win the constructors’ title this year, bringing the gap with McLaren down to 48 points, and following just eight points behind Red Bull.

Sainz felt Ferrari’s high-speed cornering weakness compared to McLaren, which is still the dominant car in fast corners, will come to bite Ferrari in Qatar, but he expects other circuits to be stronger for the Scuderia.

“We are still lacking in high speed corners, especially in qualifying mode, which makes me feel like Qatar will still be a difficult race for us,” the 30-year-old explained.

“But at all the other circuits hopefully we’ll be in the mix, which means you give yourself a chance at winning at almost every track except for Qatar that I think is not a Ferrari track at all.”

Liam Lawson believes that RB was a shoo-in for the final stage of Mexican Grand Prix qualifying, had team-mate Yuki Tsunoda not crashed at the close of Q2 in Formula 1 qualifying.

Lawson and Tsunoda were sat on the cusp of progressing into the top-10 shootout, and the Japanese driver had looked particularly competitive throughout all three practice sessions – placing third in both Friday outings and seventh in FP3.

Tsunoda then overcooked it on the brakes at Turn 12 during his final lap of Q2; although his crash into the barrier entering the Foro Sol stadium was somewhat sedate, it nonetheless brought out the red flag.

This froze the Q2 order with both RBs just outside it, having both been on better laps and were attempting to surpass the benchmark 1m17.048s set by Pierre Gasly in 10th.

“It’s a shame obviously. We had a fast car all weekend,” Lawson said. “Obviously, Yuki’s been extremely strong in practice. We’ve been building up and I think we were right there in quali.

“I think the team’s worked extremely hard and given us a really fast car this weekend. So they deserve to have two cars, if not one, in Q3.

“I was considerably up. So honestly, even just with a normal sector two and three, it should have been enough. But yeah, that’s how it is sometimes.

“Unfortunately that’s the risk sometimes when you run towards the back [of the pack] and if there is a flag that’s what happens. We did all the right things, we built up and by quali we were honestly on the limit. I feel confident we would have been able to go through.”

Liam Lawson, RB F1 Team VCARB 01

Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images

Lawson nonetheless praised the trail that had been cleared by Tsunoda over the weekend with set-up, stating that his side of the garage had been using his data to help the Kiwi get his head around the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

He added that RB was going to have to dig deep to beat Haas in the race, given that the two teams are separated by just two points in their battle for sixth in the constructors’ championship.

“It’s been perfect; it’s good to have a fast team-mate and be able to use his data and that’s what we’ve been doing all weekend honestly.

“It’s been useful, I think obviously having extra time this weekend has helped for sure. So yeah, just a shame we didn’t get to finish the lap.

“I feel for [the team] because they’ve worked really hard and this is a weekend where you don’t often have two cars that are very quick and capable of Q3.

“Haas have now completely capitalised on that and put both their cars in Q3 and because of what’s happened we’re now both out.

“We’re close to the points obviously we see where they’ve qualified. But we’re close and the long run looks good, so hopefully we can move forward.”

Ai Ogura has been crowned 2024 Moto2 World Champion with two rounds in hand after finishing second to Aron Canet at the Chang International Circuit, while David Alonso’s record-breaking Moto3 campaign continued with a 12th win of the season.

Coming into the Thai event with his first ‘match point’ shot at a maiden grand prix world title, though closest rival Canet did his bit by clinching a third victory of the season, Ogura held his nerve to secure the top three finish he needed to make title success a foregone conclusion.

Ogura – who will graduate to MotoGP next season with Trackhouse Aprilia – had run as low as seventh in the early stages after contact on the opening lap before picking his way through to finish behind Canet. 

With that result, Ogura becomes the first Japanese rider to secure an intermediate class title since Hiroshi Aoyama was crowned 250GP champion in 2009, while MT Helmets-MSI celebrated the title in its maiden season of Moto2 competition.

Moreover, after 12 years of Kalex dominance, it is a first Moto2 title to be won with the Speed Up-engineered Boscoscuro chassis.

Though his hopes of an elusive Moto2 title ended, a second win in four rounds for Canet sees the Fantic Racing rider tighten his grip on the runners-up spot. 

The Italian was in control from lap one to take victory by 2.5s from Ogura as American Racing’s Marcos Ramirez notched up the second podium of his Moto2 career.

In a race curtailed by a red flag with three laps remaining, home hero Somkiat Chantra came on strong in the latter stages to secure fourth place with rookie Diogo Moreira rounding out the top five.

Moto2 Thailand GP – Race results:

Alonso sets new record with Thailand Moto3 win

David Alonso, CFMOTO Aspar Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

In Moto3, David Alonso broke Valentino Rossi’s 27-year record for victories over a single-season in the entry-level category as he claimed the 12th win of a dominant title-winning campaign.

The Colombian picked his way to the front of a closely-matched lead group of five riders to hold on for victory in the shortened 12-lap encounter, heading off Luca Lunetta in second and Collin Veijer in third.

His fifth win of the season, Alonso had the honour of breaking Rossi’s erstwhile record of 11 wins across the 125/Moto3 class, achieved with his 1997 125GP title, having already established a fresh benchmark for the category as part of the current Moto3 era.

He wouldn’t have it easy amid damp conditions but after rising to the fore decisively with four laps remaining, the CFMoto Aspar Team rider benefitted from squabbles behind to remain out of reach to the flag.

In second, SIC58’s Lunetta came through for a career-best finish in second place ahead of Husqvarna IntactGP man Veijer, the duo capitalising on a wayward Ivan Ortola running deep into the final corner to rule himself out of the podium fight. 

Still, he fared better than Taiyo Furusato, who finished by sliding across the finish line separated from his Honda Team Asia machine after being felled in contact with Veijer on the exit of the final corner. Despite the unconventional conclusion, he was reinstated to fifth behind Ortola.

Further back, after Leopard Honda riders Adrian Fernandez and Angel Piqueras crashed out on the final lap, David Munoz and Joel Kelso came through for sixth and seventh, while Scott Ogden collected a season’s best eighth place finish on the MLav Racing Honda.

Moto3 Thailand GP – Race results:

1	D. Alonso CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team	80		CF MOTO	12			160.0		25
2	L. Lunetta SIC58 Squadra Corse	58		Honda	12		0.353	159.9		20
3	C. Veijer Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP	95		Husqvarna	12		0.169	159.9		16
4	I. Ortola MT Helmets – MSI Advertisement	48		KTM	12		0.414	159.9		13
5	T. Furusato Honda Team Asia	72		Honda	12		0.747	159.8		11
6	D. Munoz BOE Motorsports	64		KTM	12		0.809	159.7		10
7	J. Kelso BOE Motorsports	66		KTM	12		0.314	159.6		9
8	S. Ogden FleetSafe Honda – MLav Racing	19		Honda	12		2.216	159.3		8
9	S. Nepa LEVELUP – MTA	82		KTM	12		2.619	159.0		7
10	T. Suzuki Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP	24		Husqvarna	12		0.667	158.9		6
11	R. Yamanaka MT Helmets – MSI	6		KTM	12		0.732	158.8		5
12	D. Holgado Red Bull GASGAS Tech3	96		GASGAS	12		2.600	158.5		4
13	R. Rossi CIP	54		KTM	12		0.057	158.5		3
14	F. Farioli SIC58 Squadra Corse	7		Honda	12		3.292	158.1		2
15	J. Roulstone Red Bull GASGAS Tech3	12		GASGAS	12		2.101	157.8		1
16	J. Antonio Red Bull KTM Factory Racing	99		KTM	12			157.8
17	T. Buasri Honda Team Asia	5		Honda	12		0.681	157.7
18	X. Zurutuza Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Advertisement	85		KTM	12		1.813	157.5
19	N. Fabio LEVELUP – MTA	10		KTM	12			157.5
20	D. Almansa Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team	22		Honda	12		0.053	157.5
21	M. Bertelle Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team	18		Honda	12		0.423	157.5
22	A. Fernandez Leopard Racing	31		Honda	12		23.939	154.5
23	N. Dettwiler CIP	55		KTM	12		0.066	154.5
dnf	Á. Piqueras Leopard Racing	36		Honda	10		2 Laps	159.5	Accident
dnf	J. Esteban CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team Advertisement	78		CF MOTO	9		1 Lap	158.3	Accident
dnf	E. O’Shea FleetSafe Honda – MLav Racing	8		Honda	9		1’46.572	142.0	Retirement

A server crash for Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli meant it was unable to provide its usual data for timing screens and broadcast graphics during 2024 Mexican Grand Prix qualifying.

The issue first became apparent when the McLaren drivers who, like their Ferrari rivals, were sent out on medium tyres at Q1’s commencement.

But F1’s broadcast graphics continued to show them as running soft tyres at this stage, while later issues arose with data that is supposed to state if a driver is running new or used tyres.

This is particularly pertinent for qualifying given the drivers regularly try and get through different stages of the session using older tyres so they can enjoy the best grip from new ones for their critical later runs.

When asked what had happened at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez by Autosport/Motorsport.com, Pirelli motorsport Mario Isola said: “There was a crash of the system. Basically, the system was not working.

“We didn’t receive the data from the tablet [used to log the tyres each driver is on when leaving the garage], so we didn’t have the data on our server and it was impossible to communicate that to F1.

“We are investigating the reason why we had this issue because it never happened in many years. It’s strange.

Mario Isola, Racing Manager, Pirelli Motorsport, talks to the press

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

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“Our system that obviously works with Wi-Fi  and other systems that are provided by other companies.

“We need to understand where the issue came from to avoid that it happens [in the Mexican GP on Sunday] and other occasions.

“To be honest, it was strange because it never happened before. We will investigate.”

Pirelli is predicting Sunday’s race to be a one-stop affair, with most drivers stating on the mediums and then finishing the contest on the hards.

But it has not ruled out some drivers trying a contra-strategy of starting on the hards and running as long as possible in the hope of a late safety car.

If this happens, the soft tyre could be an option to get to the end as it will provide extra grip at the restart and does not degrade as badly as when the cars are running full tanks at the start of the race.

Rally Japan will host a round of the World Rally Championship until at least 2028 after signing a new agreement with WRC Promoter.

The new three-year agreement is set to begin from 2026 and ensures the asphalt rally will continue to be based out of Toyota City, which has hosted the event since 2022. 

The announcement was made at this weekend’s Hyundai N and Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival at Everland Speedway, Yong-in, South Korea.

Japan made its WRC debut in 2004 as a gravel rally held in the Tokachi region before moving to Hokkaido in 2008 and 2010. 

The nation was due to return to the WRC after a 10-year hiatus in 2020, utilising asphalt roads around Toyota City and Nagoya. However, that event and the following in 2021 were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The challenging asphalt roads around Nagoya have hosted the WRC’s final round since 2022 with next month’s edition set to decide both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles. It has proved to be a favourite among the teams and fans.  

Rally Japan will however relinquish its season finale status next year which will be taken by the new Rally Saudi Arabia round that signed a 10-year-deal agreement with WRC that begins in 2025.

Dani Sordo, Candido Carrera, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1, Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 after the crash

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

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“I am thrilled that the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) has decided to continue to hold a Japan round for the 2026-2028 seasons,” said Toyota City mayor Ota.

“Rally Japan has been highly acclaimed both in Japan and overseas for its backdrop of iconic Japanese scenery that includes beautiful mountains, lakes and Shinto shrine gates.

“We hope to use this acclaim to foster a strong rally culture and expand the fan base at home and abroad. We look forward to delivering excitement and thrills to fans through intense competition between the world’s top drivers.”

WRC Promoter managing director Jona Siebel added: “Toyota City has been incredibly welcoming to the WRC since we returned to Japan. The centralised service park results in an amazing fan experience in the heart of the city.

“We have an excellent partner in Toyota City that shares our values in sustainability and clearly sees the benefit that we bring to the city by extending our agreement there.”

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