In the round-up: Max Verstappen thanked his departing team mate Sergio Perez after Red Bull confirmed he will not see out the final two years of his contract.
In brief
Verstappen thanks Perez
Perez joined Verstappen at Red Bull in 2021 and became his longest-serving team mate over the four years they spent together. He played a vital role in helping Verstappen clinch his first championship in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure driving alongside you,” said Verstappen in a post on social media. “We’ve had some amazing moments together that I’ll always remember. Thank you, Checo!”
F2 and F3 on Madrid F1 support bill
Formula 2 and Formula 3 will support Formula 1’s races at the new Madrid IFEMA circuit from 2026 to 2035, the two series have announced.
Pourchaire and Maloney leave Sauber
Zane Maloney will leave Sauber’s driver academy one year after joining it from Red Bull’s, the team has confirmed. He now races in Formula E.
Theo Pourchaire, 2023 Formula 2 champion, has also left the scheme, and is now a test driver for Peugeot’s WEC programme.
Pin stays with Mercedes
Doriane Pin will return for another season in F1 Academy next year with Mercedes’ backing. She will drive for Prema, and also race for their team in the Formula Regional European Championship.
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Links
Inside Ecclestone’s glorious grand prix and F1 car collection (Motorsport Magazine)
‘The sale announcement follows a year on from Ecclestone’s guilty plea to tax fraud, which left him with a bill of £652m payable to HM Revenue & Customs. That might be an achievable sum to recoup.’
Red Bull principal Christian Horner says honorary award from king Charles is ‘very humbling’ (AP)
‘Horner was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the king’s traditional New Year’s List for his services to motorsport. He received the award at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.’
Aston Martin ‘does not underestimate’ Hypercar challenge (WEC)
‘We are reaching a critical juncture in the development of the Aston Martin Valkyrie, and to this point, the car has passed all of the objectives and benchmarks we have set for it.’
‘There are a range of options on the table that could bring down the overall weight (of the next IndyCar chassis), but a new and heavier energy recovery system is coming, so it won’t be easy to take a bunch of weight away from the thing.’
How does DRS work? (Mercedes via YouTube)
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On this day in motorsport
- Born on this day in 1923: Onofre Marimon, who took two podium finishes in the fifties but was killed in a crash at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 1954
