It was quite the weekend in Japan as Max Verstappen won an eventful race at the home of former engine suppliers Honda to the surprise of many, after the commentary teams were unaware that full points would be awarded for the race.
There’s been plenty of reaction to the events on Sunday, so we’ll be taking a closer look at what happened and the other stories that you might’ve missed this week.
Rivals Ocon and Gasly United At Alpine Next Season
Hours before the start of the Japanese Grand Prix, Alpine and AlphaTauri confirmed that Pierre Gasly will join the French team, with the Red Bull sister team picking up Nyck de Vries to replace the Frenchman.
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Gasly replaces Fernando Alonso, who announced during the summer that he’s driving for Aston Martin next year. Alongside him will be a familiar foe from his childhood, Esteban Ocon, a rival who he has raced against since the days of youth karting.
It’s clear that the two haven’t always gotten along, however team boss Otmar Szafnauer has backed the pair to put the past behind them.
"They're about equally experienced; they're both fast, both ambitious. So I think they'll work well together."
Until then, Gasly will finish the year alongside Yuki Tsunoda at the Italian-based side.
Japanese GP Safety Car-Tractor Incident Leaves Gasly With Penalty
Following the incident involving Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari aquaplaning in Suzuka and ending up in retirement due to a collision with the wall, Gasly was recovering from having to pit early after a piece of advertising hoarding ended up blinding the Frenchman and breaking his front wing. During the following two laps he attempted to catch the safety car queue, but ended up speeding past a tractor that was on the circuit removing the Ferrari.
For those that don’t remember the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Jules Bianchi was comatose after crashing into a tractor that was removing a car from the circuit, passing away in hospital months later.
Understandably, many drivers were left fuming by the stewards removing the car from the track using the heavy machinery whilst they were still out driving. Gasly went on to do an explosive interview after the race, saying he was metres from death when he passed the tractor.
The FIA have reportedly launched an investigation as to why the tractor was on track but, in the meantime, have penalised Gasly for speeding, handing him a post-race 20-second penalty.
The drivers are awaiting an update from the FIA to guarantee their safety going into the US Grand Prix next weekend, with many unhappy with how the incident unfolded last weekend, especially after Sebastian Vettel told the race organisers earlier in the week to wait until a red flag when using the machinery.
Red Bull Confirmed To Have Exceeded Budget Cap
The ‘Costappen’ crisis that gripped F1 for the last week saw two teams not follow the rules regarding F1’s budget cap.
Red Bull were accused of exceeding the limit and until Monday it was unclear by how much, what they spent their money on and if any other teams were affected. It turns out it was a minor breach (less than £5 million), and reports from Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf say that it was between €1-2 million, with much of the cost being spent on covering staff absences and catering.
Alongside Red Bull, Aston Martin has been found to have caused a procedural error, meaning that they will likely receive a small fine themselves.
Punishment is yet to be handed out for both teams, however it looks unlikely that the result of last years’ title will be affected, nor will this year’s.
Alonso Reunites With Former Teammate At Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso will be linking up with former McLaren teammate Pedro de la Rosa at Aston Martin next season after the Mexican driver signed with the team in an ambassadorial role.
The partners-in-crime were part of the McLaren side where Alonso finished third and Lewis Hamilton won the World Championship. The pair would’ve won the Constructors' title together, however McLaren were denied the opportunity after ‘Spygate.’
De la Rosa’s role at the Silverstone-based team will be media, PR and development based for the young drivers in the development team, including the 2022 F2 champion Felipe Drugovich.
Tap below to find out more.
Jamie Chadwick Wins W Series, Sets Up Indy Lights Future
The W Series came to an unfortunate conclusion this week, with the remaining races of the season being cancelled so the remaining funds of this year being focused into next season.
This meant that Jamie Chadwick, the already two-time champion, won her third title in a row, this time under the Jenner Racing banner, the team owned by former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner. Chadwick has now won the W Series for three seperate teams too, and looks ready to make the step up to the next level.
Having taken part in Williams’ F1 testing, it looks like she’ll get another chance of open-wheel racing in the States, as Andretti Autosport is set to give her a seat in their Indy Lights campaign for next year.
Indy Lights acts as a feeder series to Indycar, producing drivers like Bryan and Colton Herta, Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon, who’ve all gone on to bigger and better things since racing in the series.
Any winner of the Indy Lights series is guaranteed a $1 million prize and at least three races in Indycar, including a spot in the Indianapolis 500.
