Sauber has signed former Ferrari Formula 1 head of race strategy and sporting director Ignacio Rueda as part of its latest management changes.

The Spaniard will take over the sporting director role from long-time Sauber head Beat Zehnder, who has been moved into a new position of director of signature programs and operation in 2025.

Zehnder, an ever-present part of Sauber since it joined the F1 grid, will be part of “a supervising function to assure the best possible transition as the team grows into its new structures”, according to a team statement, as the Swiss squad prepares to transform into its Audi guise in 2026.

Rueda, who worked under new Sauber boss Mattia Binotto at Ferrari, held the same role at the Scuderia between 2021-23 before leaving the team. The Spaniard rose through the ranks at both Jordan and Renault/Lotus before joining Ferrari.

Meanwhile, Giampaolo Dall’Ara returns to Sauber having left the team in early 2016, and has been appointed in a newly created role of head of racing engineering. The Italian will oversee the race engineering department at both its Hinwil base and trackside underneath Binotto, in order to “optimise alignment on all car performance-related topics”.

Giampaolo Dall’Ara, head of track engineering, Sauber F1 Team

Dall’Ara joined Sauber in 2000 and became head of engineering at the Swiss squad between 2009-2015, before leaving to work in the DTM and run his own consultancy firm since 2016.

The latest hirings follow a management overhaul at Sauber in the summer, with former Ferrari boss Binotto installed as chief operating and chief technical officer, while both CEO Andreas Seidl and chairman Oliver Hoffmann left the team.

Jonathan Wheatley will also join as new Sauber team principal midway through the 2025 season, having been poached from Red Bull in the summer.

Sauber has also hired Stefan Strahnz from Mercedes for the new position of programme director.

“These leadership changes infuse the team with renewed confidence as they strengthen the organisation as it prepares for future challenges and opportunities, with a bright future as a factory team ahead,” the Sauber statement concluded.

Sauber is currently enduring a nightmare 2024 F1 season, sitting at the bottom of the world constructors’ championship, having failed to score a single point so far this campaign.

The Swiss squad is yet to announce who will drive alongside Nico Hulkenberg from 2025, having missed out on primary target Carlos Sainz who has opted to join Williams instead.

Formula E’s pre-season test is currently under threat due to heavy flooding in the Valencia region which has destroyed access roads into the Ricardo Tormo Circuit.

Four days of testing for the all-electric championship are due to take place between 4-7 November, which is scheduled to be the only official running for all 11 teams prior to the season getting underway in Sao Paulo on 7 December.

Torrential weather has hit the Valencia region in the last 24 hours, with a month’s worth of rain falling in the space of eight hours which has killed at least 51 people, according to the BBC.

The flash floods have caused huge devastation, which has included completely wiping out the main roads in and out of the local circuit.

Formula E organisers confirmed that the circuit itself has not been damaged but that it is inaccessible by vehicle with alternative options currently being investigated – further updates are set to be provided.

A statement from a Formula E spokesperson read: “Our thoughts go out to those affected by the extreme weather conditions in Spain.

Maximilian Gunther, Maserati Racing, Maserati Tipo Folgore

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“We are working closely with the local authorities and representatives of the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia ahead of the scheduled FIA Formula E official test next week.

“Due to damage to the main access road caused by a burst river bank nearby, the circuit is currently inaccessible by vehicle.

“Four members of Formula E staff stayed at the circuit last night as a precaution, but are safe and able to transfer to and from the circuit by foot.

“Track conditions show no signs of damage, and we continue to assess garages and freight. Alternative access routes in and out of the circuit are currently being investigated.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide further updates in due course.”

The Ricardo Tormo Circuit is also due to host the conclusion of the 2024 MotoGP season the following week on 15-17 November, with organisers yet to make any public announcement about whether the finale will go ahead.

Most recently, the 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled by Formula 1 organisers after flooding in the area.

As Lando Norris knuckles down for what is becoming an increasingly intense title fight with Max Verstappen, he is going to have to accept he cannot bring a knife to a gunfight.

Verstappen has left both Norris and Formula 1 in no doubt that he is willing to go to the limit – and even beyond it – when it comes to ensuring he does not let a fourth world title slip through his grasp.

His clinical defensive tactics – making sure he eases off the brakes to get to that apex first – have become more obvious after the spotlight on F1’s Driving Standards Guidelines that erupted in the wake of Austin.

But it was perhaps his aggressive move at Turn 8 in Mexico, where he launched a divebomb that forced Norris to take avoiding action to prevent a collision – that exposed his true mindset.

His obsession with beating Norris seems to come above everything else, because in both Austin (Turn 1) and Mexico (Turn 8), his focus on ensuring that he kept the McLaren in check left an open door for Ferrari to grab results that have helped it leapfrog Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.

As Charles Leclerc cheekily said last weekend, after gaining both times from Norris/Verstappen incidents: “I welcome Max being as aggressive as possible to Lando, because it helps me.”

Verstappen received two 10s penalties for his clashes with Norris in Mexico

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

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Verstappen is clear that he is having to drive in this Norris-obsessed way because the pace of the Red Bull car has fallen away – so he cannot hold on simply by being out-and-out faster.

He admitted as much after Mexico: “The problem is that we are too slow, and that’s why I’m being put in those kind of positions.”

Verstappen certainly seemed unmoved by the furore surrounding his antics against Norris. He even suggested to Sky that the only thing he would do differently in repeat circumstances in the future would be to take a drink during his 20-second pit stop.

The attitude of doing whatever it takes to win the title, in a car that he knows is probably not good enough to win races right now, puts Norris in an edgy place – because the Briton recognises the risks for him in being exposed to a rival who is not afraid to squeeze him out. And it is in plotting the best approach to dealing with this situation that does not come easy.

In Mexico, Norris took the stance of staying out of trouble – knowing that he was much better off staying out of harm’s way to fight another day than holding his ground and risking an accident that would effectively kill off his title hopes.

Norris was controversially given a five-second penalty for overtaking Verstappen off-track in Austin

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

That has certainly left him open to accusations that it gives Verstappen the psychological upper hand, because Norris has to always play a subservient role and be the one who avoids collisions happening.

But this is the reality of every championship fight in its closing stages; that the points leader always has the upper hand in being the one who has the luxury of being able to take more risks, and not have a massive downside if both cars go out.

Would Michael Schumacher have driven in exactly the same way in Adelaide 1994 or Jerez 1997 if he had gone into those season finales behind in the points? What about Ayrton Senna at Suzuka in 1990? Unlikely.

Norris knows that he cannot escape the reality that he is the hunter, not the hunted.

As he said about Verstappen on race night in Mexico: “He’s in a very powerful position in the championship. He’s a long way ahead. He has nothing to lose.

“People can say it’s the other way around, like he’s got everything to lose and it’s all for me. But it’s not the case.

Verstappen leads Norris in the championship by 47 points with four weekends remaining

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“I’m focused on myself. I’m doing my own job, which was a good job today. And I’m happy with all of this and I’m happy with my whole weekend.

“But it’s not my job to control him. He knows how to drive. And I’m sure he knows that today [race day in Mexico] was probably a bit over the limit.”

It is clear that Norris can’t get his elbows out and risk a shunt, but there are two aces he has up his sleeves after Mexico as this fascinating title battle enters its final chapter.

The first is that the new floor McLaren has introduced worked and, in pace terms, the MCL38 still has what it takes to win races.

Even though it was Carlos Sainz who triumphed in Mexico City, had Norris not lost all that time behind Verstappen early on then things could have been very different.

It means that Norris and McLaren know that if they execute race weekends in a perfect manner then the fight takes care of itself – because they should not need to risk getting in a wheel-to-wheel battle with Verstappen. It should put them ahead.

This pace factor was something that McLaren itself told Norris to focus on as he found himself stuck behind Verstappen early on in Mexico.

Team principal Andrea Stella said: “The message we gave to Lando was ‘we have pace, if we can pass him, let’s do it’, because we knew at some stage that we could compete with Ferrari and we were losing time behind Max.

“But obviously, we didn’t need to say…Lando knew very well this overtaking needed to happen in a safe way because for us, we are competing on both fronts – the drivers’ championship and the constructors’ championship.”

There is another source of encouragement for Norris too, in that now he at least has some evidence that the FIA will step in and punish any behaviour that goes too far.

Had we left Mexico with Verstappen getting away with either or both of the clashes with Norris, then there would be tremendous uncertainty about how he should approach the racing from now – and deciding in his head what was and was not allowed in battle.

McLaren leads the constructors’ standings by 29 points ahead of Ferrari

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Now, with precedent set, there is instead some faith that the regulators will ensure that the playbook is fair.

As Stella added: “Our conversation and our internal reviews have always been very clear – ‘Lando, we like, we approve, we confirm the way you go racing. It is not for you to go there and find justice yourself.

“’You go racing in a fair, sporting way like you do, and then there needs to be a third party, stewarding, which will say whether some manoeuvres are correct or not. Don’t be desperate, you do not have to prove anything, you go racing fair and square.’

“I think it is good to race hard, but it cannot be resolved on track by the two drivers. It needs the third party, it needs the authority, so we are completely happy with the way Lando has gone racing before.

“And any time I have read these type of headlines [about the Norris/Verstappen fight], I always needed to have a conversation with Lando to reassure him: ‘Don’t worry, it will be alright’.”

Additional reporting by Erwin Jaeggi and Alex Kalinauckas

Calling all F1 fans with impeccable sartorial taste. Mercedes is hiring a driver clothing executive to manage George Russell and Kimi Antonelli’s off-track attire. The new role, as Motorsport.com understands, was born out of necessity amid the team’s growing roster of brand partners and the number of ensembles worn by the drivers at appearances throughout each race weekend. 

The qualified executive will manage the pair’s personal, fitness, formal, lifestyle and travel wardrobe, along with their highly-photographed paddock walk-in looks. They will also manage the drivers’ outfits at marketing appearances away from the track, from clothing and footwear to accessories. Notably, they will oversee all IWC Schaffhausen inventory, making sure the luxury watches are “used at all marketing engagements.”

According to the job posting, the successful candidate will liaise with Mercedes’ new clothing partner, Adidas, to deliver “looks for collateral shoots, marketing appearances, trackside walk-in looks and activations.” They will also step into a fashion police role should Russell or Antonelli attempt to rock a Nike hoodie or a Cartier watch, as their responsibilities include ensuring the pair refrain from wearing any “competitor brand logos.” 

While the incoming rookie and the two-time Grand Prix winner still have the freedom to collaborate with their own stylists, the new executive will work in-house at Mercedes to ensure the driver-appointed outfitters are aligned with the team’s brand partners. 

It comes amid a spate of changes set to take effect next year, as the team prepares for a future without Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari-bound World Champion redefined the relationship between fashion and Formula 1 throughout his lengthy tenure at Mercedes. He will depart alongside long-time sponsor Tommy Hilfiger and clothing partner, Puma, who outfitted the team for 12 years. The two brands will be replaced by Adidas in a deal reportedly worth tens of millions per season. 

The high altitude of Mexico’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Autodromo has always been an outlier, with the thin air impacting downforce choices as well as the need for extra cooling for the power unit, electronics and brakes.

In this respect, regardless of the high top speeds being encountered, the cars are traditionally set up in their maximum downforce configuration.

Teams normally utilise similar front and rear wing settings and designs to those usually reserved for low-speed circuits, such as Monaco, Hungary and Singapore.

However, that trend was bucked this year, as many of the frontrunners fitted their cars with lower downforce rear wing packages to boost efficiency and straightline speed.

Some teams split packages across cars, with Red Bull, for example, having a different setup across garages. Max Verstappen utilised the lower downforce arrangement, while Sergio Perez used the high downforce set-up.

Beyond the wing choices, teams were also forced to use their maximum cooling configurations, with several having to bring new bodywork that was opened up significantly when compared with other venues.

Five of the 10 teams had update packages at their disposal in Mexico, with all of those featuring some kind of additional cooling support.

The rest of the grid simply re-used the maximum cooling level bodywork that had been used elsewhere this season, rather than support a package that might only make a one-off outing.

The five that did opt for bespoke packages were, Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Williams and RB – all of which had either new, more expansive cooling louvre configurations and/or enlarged rear cooling outlets at the rear of their engine covers.

For both McLaren and Ferrari, the cooling louvres on the side of their engine covers were examples of their pre-existing solutions being taken to extremes, with much larger gills now embossed in the bodywork.

Ferrari SF-24 cooling detail, Mexican GP

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The SF-24’s solution was not only more expansive in terms of the rear cooling gills, which stretched down over the engine cover’s shoulder section into the sidepod’s upper surface.

The team also decided to mount an additional louvred panel in the forward section of the sidepod’s upper surface too.

Changes were made to this panel during the weekend, with more cooling gills used during FP1/2 (inset), whereas the capacity was actually reduced for qualifying and the race.

Ferrari SF-24 cooling

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Comparing this to the arrangement used in Monaco, Hungary and Singapore, (left inset, above) we can see how much more of the bodywork has been opened up to improve heat rejection.

This results in the rear cooling outlet remaining the same size, rather than having to be expanded, which might, in turn, have more of an aerodynamic impact at the rear end of the car.

It was a similar story for McLaren, as it too opted for a revised cooling louvre panel, which now stretches down over the engine cover’s shoulder section and reaches across the upper surface of the sidepod (Hungarian and Singapore Grand Prix arrangements inset, below, for comparison).

Meanwhile, of the frontrunners, Red Bull took the opposite approach with its cooling configuration.

The RB20 featured an enlarged rear cooling outlet to help deal with the additional demands posed by the altitude, whilst two louvred panels on either side of the engine cover supplemented this further forward too.