Colapinto’s Monza drive “validated” choice
In the round-up: James Vowles says Franco Colapinto “validated” Williams decision to pick him over other drivers
In brief
Colapinto’s Monza drive “validated” choice
Williams team principal James Vowles believes Franco Colapinto’s solid performance in his grand prix debut last weekend in Monza proved the team were right to pick their junior driver over a more experienced alternative.
“Clearly the decision making is ‘do we use drivers that definitely had more experience than Franco does, that will come with their own positives, or do we invest in an academy that we’re putting not hundreds of thousands, but millions [of pounds] into because we believe in the future of the Academy and of Williams?’,” said Vowles in a video posted by Williams.
“The answer became very simply: let’s invest in Franco, let’s invest in the future of those that are giving us everything, that are coming up to the factory to make sure they’re helping us develop these cars. And within that simulation environment, they’re in a strong performance position. Let’s keep investing in that direction.
“I think the reward is what you saw in Monza. You can trust future generations of drivers. You can invest in them and get rewards on the back end of it. Franco is just at the beginning of that journey. He’s got a lot more room to grow into. He’s got a lot more performance to come. I think we’ve been validated by that decision.”
Leclerc eager to race Le Mans
Charles Leclerc says he hopes to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours in the future.
“I’m really interested in doing Le Mans one day,” Leclerc said. “The Indianapolis [500] is not something that I’ve been particularly looking at – however, maybe one day.
“But Le Mans is definitely one of those races that I would like to compete in one day. I don’t know when, but hopefully soon.”
Camara overcomes jump start penalty to win
Ferrari junior driver Rafael Camara shrugged off a five second penalty for a jump start to still claim victory in the first Formula Regional European Championship race of the weekend in Monza.
Pole winner Camara held the lead at the start as fellow current Ferrari junior driver Tuuka Taponen and former Ferrari junior James Wharton moved up into second and third, respectively. Camara was then hit with a five second penalty for jumping the start, putting his win in jeopardy, but he sprinted away after a Safety Car restart to win by 8.2 seconds from Taponen, to hold onto his sixth win of the season even with his penalty applied.
Taponen and Wharton completed the podium. The win extends Camara’s lead in the series standings to 57 points.
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Newey commits to £30m-a-year Aston Martin deal (BBC)
‘An Aston Martin source told BBC Sport that Newey has made a long-term commitment to the team, said to be a five-year contract worth up to a possible £30m a year, including bonuses and add-ons. The deal will be announced at a news conference organised by Aston Martin at their F1 base at Silverstone on Tuesday.’
Binotto on instilling the ‘Audi mindset’ and how long it will take his new team to win (Formula 1)
”After Ferrari, I think I would accept only a real challenge. Honestly, Audi was the only team I hoped to join, because of the challenge, because of the ambition, because it’s for Audi the very first time in F1. I’m lucky they call me. It had been very sudden. In a couple of days, we decided. It was simple. The opportunity was to be empowered for the entire project, full power – and that was what I was looking for. I’m so grateful and thankful for the offer – but as well very conscious how much there is to do.”
Aston Martin F1 team value soars as investors rev up stakes (Sky)
‘Sky News can exclusively reveal that HPS Investment Partners, a US-based firm which manages roughly $115bn (£87.6bn) in assets, and Accel, one of the giants of the Silicon Valley venture capital sector, are on the verge of investing hundreds of millions of pounds into the team’s holding company. Sources close to the sport said an investment by Accel and HPS was expected to value Aston Martin F1 at between £1.5bn and £2bn.’
Bruno Michel’s Debrief: A season of broken records and a look to the future (Formula 3)
‘For the first time in F3 history, the newly crowned Champion takes the title without a single win. People can choose to focus on this odd fact, but what I see is a driver who has achieved a season without a single DNF – something no previous F3 Champion has ever done, having failed to score points only twice in twenty races.’
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