Prime Tire Newsletter
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Welcome back to Prime Tire, where we’re wondering when Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will finally let their dogs meet. This is an ongoing travesty and must be rectified.
It’s British Grand Prix weekend! And we have lots to talk about. I’m Patrick, and Luke Smith will be along shortly from Silverstone Circuit. Let’s dive in.
The Bearman arrives
The move many around the sport expected finally happened this week: Oliver “Ollie” Bearman will drive for Haas in F1 in 2025 and beyond after signing a multi year deal.
Bearman will fill one of two open seats at Haas, with Nico Hülkenberg moving to Sauber next season. That leaves six teams with one unfilled seat each and seven current drivers without a confirmed contract.
Great to have you back behind the wheel Ollie! 🙌
He'll be driving next in FP1 at the #HungarianGP! (Oh and a lot more in 2025 😉)#HaasF1 #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/ivGMInsR1E
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) July 5, 2024
As for Bearman, the move will excite more than just Haas, as Luke wrote this week:
“It’s the inevitable next step for a driver whose performances and, importantly, attitude have made him someone not only Haas but also Ferrari see as an exciting part of their F1 futures.
Ferrari first saw the qualities that made Bearman stand out when he was 16, signing him to its prestigious academy… Unlike Red Bull’s ‘broad net’ approach, Ferrari prefers to focus on only a handful of drivers at any one time in its academy and sets high expectations as a result.”
So, even though Bearman is joining a backmarker, the pressure will be on him to deliver. After all, Lewis Hamilton won’t drive for Ferrari forever.
The wait for Sainz continues at Silverstone
F1’s driver market remains firmly on hold as Sainz weighs up his next move, but the feeling at Silverstone is that this is starting to drag on longer than necessary.
Sainz has been clear in his desire to take his time over a decision about where he lands following his exit from Ferrari, not wishing to make a call during the triple-header. Sainz has offers on the table from Alpine, Sauber, and Williams and knows what all three teams can provide for the future.
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“I’ve decided not to talk any more about my future until I take a decision,” Sainz said on Thursday. There’s also the fourth option: a late swoop from Mercedes. Toto Wolff, after previously ruling Sainz out, was more coy when I put it to him today, carefully choosing his words to say the market was a “dynamic, interesting thing.”
One place where things are moving is Haas. After confirming Bearman in a 2025 seat earlier this week, team boss Ayao Komatsu said it would not go for another rookie but “somebody who’s got decent F1 experience.” Esteban Ocon would fit that bill pretty well and is who I understand is leading the race for that seat right now.
James Vowles said Williams had backup plans in place should it miss out on Sainz. Valtteri Bottas is an obvious option, given he is out of contract at Sauber, and there’d be a degree of romanticism to the Finn going back to the team where he started in F1 back in 2013. The dominoes are waiting to fall, but it will still rely on Sainz to set them off — and then to see what other twists, in a ‘silly season’ that has been sillier than anything before, could come along.
Readers loved the Austrian GP
For the first time this season, not one of you said the previous weekend’s race was “Bad” or “Awful.” Not one! I guess you all like wheel-to-wheel racing and surprise winners. My favorite response was from the reader who just wrote: “DRAAAAAAMMMMMAAAAAAA.”
Here
It was amazing!
“DRAAAAAAMMMMMAAAAAAA”
“Nice to see someone with the equipment (mechanical and mental) to take the fight to Max.”
“We need more races like this.”
“Max as a villain is great theatre and adds some spice to what was a pretty bland 2023. More, please!”
“Tyre strategy was very nuanced (i.e., used vs. new) and lots of RACING!”
It was good!
“The very front of the pack was eventually very exciting! The rest of it was very ho-hum! Still, good race.”
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“Incredible and dramatic ending that elevated an otherwise good but not great race.”
“Action, controversy, gravel, passing, surprises… what more can we ask for?”
It was meh!
“Aside from the close racing for a few minutes between Lando and Max, it was mostly a procession. Good for Haas, though.”
Readers did not love Verstappen’s driving
Boy, did you all think Verstappen was too aggressive defending Lando Norris at the Austrian GP.
There were so many thoughtful responses here (thank you!) that I don’t have the space for them all, but here’s a sampling.
“Verstappen clearly moved left to block Norris. Pulling another dangerous move a minute later and then showing no remorse is not an impressive look for someone who has been down this road before. It used to be excused as youthful over-aggression (Pat note: We wrote about this today.) – but that doesn’t play for someone who’s been in F1 for as long as Max has.”
“I love almost all motorsports, but this isn’t NASCAR. Rubbing, blocking, bumping, and retaliation are not racing in F1. Throughout the race, Verstappen had been deviating from his committed line when Norris tried to make a move. F1 and the FIA must review their officiating if they hadn’t seen that before this incident.”
“He hasn’t officially crossed any lines, but he might have crossed a line with fans because Lando is relatively beloved by the casuals and diehards alike.”
“The incident in the turn was properly adjudicated. But not punishing him for running Lando off is inexcusable.”
“This Norris fan says Lando and his team need to grow up. It’s racing. Norris was being very, very aggressive, and a dicey outcome was inevitable. (Pat note: We wrote about this, too!) I’m really looking forward to the end of DRS, which was a root cause of the inevitability.”
“Simple answer: That’s racing.”
If it’s just racing, then the natural next question is…
How do you race against Verstappen?
Luke set about answering that question today. “There’s times where I think he goes a little bit too far,” Norris said. Judging from your responses to the poll on Tuesday, most of our readership agrees that Austria provided a good example of that. And yet, we have Red Bull team principal Christian Horner out here saying, “He’s not going to change.”
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If that’s the case, the solution is to learn how to safely race and beat one of F1’s most aggressive on-track presences. You know, like learning how to squeeze past a grumpy rhino safely. Or like this dog trying to get past the mean cat blocking the stairs.
“When you’re fighting for a win, are you going to fight harder than 15th place? Honestly, yes,” Ricciardo said. “It’s just how it is. It’s to be expected.”
So what can (and should) drivers expect when they try to pass Verstappen, perhaps the greatest F1 driver of his generation? We took a stab at finding out.
GO DEEPER
How do F1 drivers race against Max Verstappen? 'It's tough and on the limit’
Brad Pitt’s F1 movie is called …
… “F1.”
No, really.
Finally, official.
Brad Pitt stars in F1, coming to cinemas Summer 2025.
Sneak Peek this Sunday at the Formula 1 British Grand Prix.#F1 #F1Movie pic.twitter.com/vH83qj72Qm
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 5, 2024
The Lewis Hamilton-produced film from Apple, F1 and Warner Bros. is coming out on June 25, 2025. And it’s called “F1.” You can read our full story on the title here, including our behind-the-scenes story on the film from last year. Pitt will play Sonny Hayes, an F1 driver who comes out of retirement to mentor a rookie played by Damson Idris. There’s even a poster!
I can’t get over the fact they just called it “F1.” I guess this is in line with Brad Pitt’s previous films. You know, “Baseball,” “Space,” “Old Baby” and “Long Title.”
Outside the Points
We’ll end by hawking two essential reads ahead of the British GP this weekend:
First, our live blog coverage. Duh. Bookmark it!
Second, Madeline Coleman’s breakdown of Silverstone, one of those legendary F1 tracks we’ve all got on our bucket lists.
GO DEEPER
Silverstone track breakdown: The track that makes F1 drivers feel like fighter jet pilots
Top photo: BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images
