Charles Leclerc revealed that in the qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix, his teammate Lewis Hamilton will have priority in choosing the order of leaving the track.
In most Formula 1 teams, drivers alternate the order of their final attempts from race to race to ensure fairness. In the case of Ferrari at Monza, it will be Hamilton's turn to choose the order of departure, which could potentially give him a significant advantage over Leclerc due to the characteristics of the Italian track.
On the long straights of Monza, slipstreaming provides a decent speed boost, and considering the features of the 2026 power units, the effect of slipstreaming will become even more pronounced.
Charles Leclerc: "As for slipstreaming, we have been following roughly the same principle for many years – at one race, Lewis gets the right to choose the order of leaving the track first, and at the next, that opportunity goes to me. This weekend, Lewis will be the one to choose, and I think he will take the opportunity to get a slipstream.
However, I don’t think we will put one of us at a disadvantage in qualifying for this reason. But if we can help each other and leave for a lap at an optimal distance from each other, we will definitely do that. I will try to get a slipstream from someone else to be in the best position."
In most Formula 1 teams, drivers alternate the order of their final attempts from race to race to ensure fairness. In the case of Ferrari at Monza, it will be Hamilton's turn to choose the order of departure, which could potentially give him a significant advantage over Leclerc due to the characteristics of the Italian track.
On the long straights of Monza, slipstreaming provides a decent speed boost, and considering the features of the 2026 power units, the effect of slipstreaming will become even more pronounced.
Charles Leclerc: "As for slipstreaming, we have been following roughly the same principle for many years – at one race, Lewis gets the right to choose the order of leaving the track first, and at the next, that opportunity goes to me. This weekend, Lewis will be the one to choose, and I think he will take the opportunity to get a slipstream.
However, I don’t think we will put one of us at a disadvantage in qualifying for this reason. But if we can help each other and leave for a lap at an optimal distance from each other, we will definitely do that. I will try to get a slipstream from someone else to be in the best position."
Much of this weekend will be dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Michael Schumacher's first victory behind the wheel of a Ferrari in Monza. We wrote about how Ferrari prepared a special livery for the cars and the suits of their drivers, and the organizers planned many events, many of which will be shared with Ferrari. In particular, during the weekend, former Scuderia drivers will take the wheel of Michael Schumacher's Ferrari F2002 in demonstration laps – Rubens Barrichello will drive a few laps on Saturday before qualifying, and Sebastian Vettel will do so on Sunday before the Grand Prix.
The insufficiently effective operation of the recovery systems this year has become a weak point for the Ferrari SF-26. It is not surprising that the team decided to part ways with the engineer responsible for this area.
A few days before the Italian Grand Prix, changes occurred in the technical headquarters of Scuderia. The head of the ERS department, Thierry Barito, left the team, and his responsibilities will temporarily be taken over by the chief engine engineer, Enrico Gualtieri.
French engineer Thierry Barito had been with Ferrari since October 2000, holding various positions related to both Formula 1 and the company's road cars. In 2017, he became responsible for the recovery and turbocharging systems, taking on a key role in the development of hybrid powertrains.
A few days before the Italian Grand Prix, changes occurred in the technical headquarters of Scuderia. The head of the ERS department, Thierry Barito, left the team, and his responsibilities will temporarily be taken over by the chief engine engineer, Enrico Gualtieri.
French engineer Thierry Barito had been with Ferrari since October 2000, holding various positions related to both Formula 1 and the company's road cars. In 2017, he became responsible for the recovery and turbocharging systems, taking on a key role in the development of hybrid powertrains.
As part of the Formula 1 partnership with Disney, the 20th anniversary of the animated film "Cars" will be celebrated during the weekend in Monza. On this occasion, the Mercedes safety car will change its livery, and the main character of the film, Lightning McQueen, will drive along the track, with whom everyone happily took photos today. "For many, the animated film 'Cars' was their first introduction to racing, so this collaboration is a great way to celebrate the popularity of this sport with characters that many generations know and love," said Formula 1's Commercial Director Emily Prazer.
In the Monza paddock, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali spoke about the calendar, sprint events, and future plans…
Stefano Domenicali: “I want to confirm that as of today, the calendar remains in effect. We have confirmation from Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but I will not discuss what I cannot openly talk about. We are monitoring the situation and are in constant communication. If circumstances do not allow us to fully guarantee safety and the holding of the event, we will have to make other decisions. But for now, I confirm: the calendar is as you know it.
Next Sunday, we have a race in Madrid, on a new track where everything is almost ready or will be ready at the last moment. It’s not ideal, but there’s always room for improvement. Next year we will have Portugal, we will have Turkey. Considering everything we have achieved in recent months, it is clear that we cannot remain stagnant for long.
We should not be satisfied with today’s successes; we need to remain realistic in assessing new growth opportunities. Everything is changing so quickly that if you are not ready to react, you will immediately fall behind.
There will be more sprint events in 2027 than this year. One of them will take place in Monza. For now, I cannot name the exact number, but it will be less than half of the events.
Modern young people prefer the weekend concept where qualifying takes place on Friday instead of practice sessions, which do not interest them. I was the first, as a guardian of tradition, to have doubts about sprint weekends, but the results speak for themselves. Organizers, media, fans — the overwhelming majority have embraced these changes as a dynamic form of sport that brings — I also speak from a commercial perspective — interesting results.
Reducing the race distance in 2027? I see no problem. We are talking about two or three laps. If it were more, that would be worth discussing, but right now it doesn’t concern me.
The discussion on the regulations that will replace the current ones is ongoing. We are communicating about this with the FIA and all stakeholders. When discussing the current rules, everyone was confident that the automotive industry would transition to electric vehicles. It is clear that this is not the case.
We need to understand how to ensure the presence of manufacturers on one hand, while maintaining independence on the other. Obviously, the less complex the technological project in conjunction with the targeted cost and efficiency metrics, the more it contributes to our independence.
There are several key issues. One of them is the use of environmentally friendly fuels. The second is reducing the weight of the cars. We want to see drivers pushing the limits of cars that are obedient to them. The driver must remain the main character.”
Stefano Domenicali: “I want to confirm that as of today, the calendar remains in effect. We have confirmation from Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but I will not discuss what I cannot openly talk about. We are monitoring the situation and are in constant communication. If circumstances do not allow us to fully guarantee safety and the holding of the event, we will have to make other decisions. But for now, I confirm: the calendar is as you know it.
Next Sunday, we have a race in Madrid, on a new track where everything is almost ready or will be ready at the last moment. It’s not ideal, but there’s always room for improvement. Next year we will have Portugal, we will have Turkey. Considering everything we have achieved in recent months, it is clear that we cannot remain stagnant for long.
We should not be satisfied with today’s successes; we need to remain realistic in assessing new growth opportunities. Everything is changing so quickly that if you are not ready to react, you will immediately fall behind.
There will be more sprint events in 2027 than this year. One of them will take place in Monza. For now, I cannot name the exact number, but it will be less than half of the events.
Modern young people prefer the weekend concept where qualifying takes place on Friday instead of practice sessions, which do not interest them. I was the first, as a guardian of tradition, to have doubts about sprint weekends, but the results speak for themselves. Organizers, media, fans — the overwhelming majority have embraced these changes as a dynamic form of sport that brings — I also speak from a commercial perspective — interesting results.
Reducing the race distance in 2027? I see no problem. We are talking about two or three laps. If it were more, that would be worth discussing, but right now it doesn’t concern me.
The discussion on the regulations that will replace the current ones is ongoing. We are communicating about this with the FIA and all stakeholders. When discussing the current rules, everyone was confident that the automotive industry would transition to electric vehicles. It is clear that this is not the case.
We need to understand how to ensure the presence of manufacturers on one hand, while maintaining independence on the other. Obviously, the less complex the technological project in conjunction with the targeted cost and efficiency metrics, the more it contributes to our independence.
There are several key issues. One of them is the use of environmentally friendly fuels. The second is reducing the weight of the cars. We want to see drivers pushing the limits of cars that are obedient to them. The driver must remain the main character.”
In the Monza paddock, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali spoke about the calendar, sprint events, and future plans...
Stefano Domenicali: "I want to confirm that as of today, the calendar remains in effect. We have confirmation from Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but I will not speak about what I cannot discuss openly. We are monitoring developments and are in constant communication. If circumstances do not allow us to fully guarantee safety and the holding of the event, we will have to make other decisions. But for now, I confirm: the calendar is as you know it.
Next Sunday, we have a race in Madrid, at a new track where everything is almost ready or will be ready at the last moment. It’s not ideal, but there’s always room for improvement. Next year we will have Portugal, we will have Turkey. Considering everything we have achieved in recent months, it is clear that we cannot remain stagnant for long.
We should not be satisfied with today’s successes; we need to remain realistic in assessing new growth opportunities. Everything is changing so quickly that if you are not ready to react, you will immediately fall behind.
There will be more sprint events in 2027 than this year. One of them will take place in Monza. For now, I cannot name the exact number, but it will be less than half of the events.
Modern young people prefer the weekend concept where qualifying takes place on Friday instead of practice sessions, which do not interest them. I was the first, as a guardian of tradition, to doubt the weekends with sprints, but the results speak for themselves. Organizers, media, fans—the overwhelming majority have accepted these changes as a dynamic form of sport that brings—I'm also speaking from a commercial perspective—interesting results.
Reducing the race distance in 2027? I see no problem. We are talking about two or three laps. If there were more, it would be worth discussing, but right now it doesn’t concern me.
The discussion on the regulations that will replace the current ones is ongoing. We are communicating about this with the FIA and all stakeholders. When discussing the current rules, everyone was confident that the automotive industry would transition to electric vehicles. It is clear that this is not the case.
We need to understand how, on one hand, to ensure the presence of manufacturers, and on the other, to maintain independence. Obviously, the less complex the technological project in conjunction with target cost and efficiency metrics, the more it contributes to our independence.
There are several key issues. One of them is the use of environmentally friendly fuels. The second is reducing the weight of the cars. We want to see drivers pushing the limits of the cars that are obedient to them. The driver must remain the main character."
Stefano Domenicali: "I want to confirm that as of today, the calendar remains in effect. We have confirmation from Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but I will not speak about what I cannot discuss openly. We are monitoring developments and are in constant communication. If circumstances do not allow us to fully guarantee safety and the holding of the event, we will have to make other decisions. But for now, I confirm: the calendar is as you know it.
Next Sunday, we have a race in Madrid, at a new track where everything is almost ready or will be ready at the last moment. It’s not ideal, but there’s always room for improvement. Next year we will have Portugal, we will have Turkey. Considering everything we have achieved in recent months, it is clear that we cannot remain stagnant for long.
We should not be satisfied with today’s successes; we need to remain realistic in assessing new growth opportunities. Everything is changing so quickly that if you are not ready to react, you will immediately fall behind.
There will be more sprint events in 2027 than this year. One of them will take place in Monza. For now, I cannot name the exact number, but it will be less than half of the events.
Modern young people prefer the weekend concept where qualifying takes place on Friday instead of practice sessions, which do not interest them. I was the first, as a guardian of tradition, to doubt the weekends with sprints, but the results speak for themselves. Organizers, media, fans—the overwhelming majority have accepted these changes as a dynamic form of sport that brings—I'm also speaking from a commercial perspective—interesting results.
Reducing the race distance in 2027? I see no problem. We are talking about two or three laps. If there were more, it would be worth discussing, but right now it doesn’t concern me.
The discussion on the regulations that will replace the current ones is ongoing. We are communicating about this with the FIA and all stakeholders. When discussing the current rules, everyone was confident that the automotive industry would transition to electric vehicles. It is clear that this is not the case.
We need to understand how, on one hand, to ensure the presence of manufacturers, and on the other, to maintain independence. Obviously, the less complex the technological project in conjunction with target cost and efficiency metrics, the more it contributes to our independence.
There are several key issues. One of them is the use of environmentally friendly fuels. The second is reducing the weight of the cars. We want to see drivers pushing the limits of the cars that are obedient to them. The driver must remain the main character."
For the home stage of the season, the Ferrari team brought an updated power unit, refined as part of the ADUO program. Not only the Scuderia drivers will receive the new unit, but also customer teams, although not all of them. At Haas, the upgraded engine will only be installed in Oliver Berman's car, while Esteban Ocon will have to race this weekend with the previous version of the engine, but with aerodynamic updates.
Esteban Ocon: "I won't have a fully updated car. As for aerodynamics, there will be updates, but I won't receive the upgraded engine as part of ADUO – we only have one such engine. So I will have to race with the old version of the power unit, which will certainly be a noticeable disadvantage. But I will get the updated aerodynamics, so let's see what we can achieve.
I am looking forward to trying the updated car on the track on Friday. We have a new aerodynamic package. On Tuesday, I tested it in the simulator, and the car felt better there. Of course, now we need to transfer those feelings to the track, which doesn't always guarantee the same result.
Everyone in the team is eagerly waiting to see what the car will be capable of. Of course, Monza is not the most representative track for this update, so we won't see the full gain. Most likely, we will be able to fully assess it in Madrid. But it is still interesting to compare the sensations from the car in the Lesmo and Parabolica corners with what it was before. The updates are quite significant, and I am looking forward to trying them out."
Esteban Ocon: "I won't have a fully updated car. As for aerodynamics, there will be updates, but I won't receive the upgraded engine as part of ADUO – we only have one such engine. So I will have to race with the old version of the power unit, which will certainly be a noticeable disadvantage. But I will get the updated aerodynamics, so let's see what we can achieve.
I am looking forward to trying the updated car on the track on Friday. We have a new aerodynamic package. On Tuesday, I tested it in the simulator, and the car felt better there. Of course, now we need to transfer those feelings to the track, which doesn't always guarantee the same result.
Everyone in the team is eagerly waiting to see what the car will be capable of. Of course, Monza is not the most representative track for this update, so we won't see the full gain. Most likely, we will be able to fully assess it in Madrid. But it is still interesting to compare the sensations from the car in the Lesmo and Parabolica corners with what it was before. The updates are quite significant, and I am looking forward to trying them out."
Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto arrived in Monza in great spirits and is looking forward to the weekend with optimism…
Gabriel Bortoleto: “We are feeling optimistic. The team has scored points for four races in a row, and I hope we can also fight for a top ten here. Let’s see what we can achieve in the end.
There are several interesting tracks ahead. Madrid will surely be great – we haven’t raced there yet, so it will all be a first. I’ve heard that the track is quite challenging, and there were many red flags during the Formula 3 tests. And Singapore has a good track as well – it’s always hot there and exciting to race.”
Gabriel Bortoleto: “We are feeling optimistic. The team has scored points for four races in a row, and I hope we can also fight for a top ten here. Let’s see what we can achieve in the end.
There are several interesting tracks ahead. Madrid will surely be great – we haven’t raced there yet, so it will all be a first. I’ve heard that the track is quite challenging, and there were many red flags during the Formula 3 tests. And Singapore has a good track as well – it’s always hot there and exciting to race.”
Almost three months have passed since the Monaco Grand Prix, but the saga of reviewing its results continues, and it has just been announced that the decision of the FIA International Appeal Court has been made. The essence of it is that following the hearings held on August 25, a final verdict has been issued: Pierre Gasly's penalty for speeding in the pit lane, which was initially overturned, is now reinstated. Thus, the Alpine F1 driver has once again lost his podium position and dropped to 7th place in the Monaco Grand Prix standings, while Isaac Hajar, competing for Red Bull Racing, has returned to the podium. The text of the verdict spans 26 pages, detailing the history of the issue, the logic behind the stewards' decisions made on race day, the logic of subsequent events, and, of course, explaining why it was ultimately decided to reinstate Gasly's penalty and return Hajar to the podium. Naturally, the factory team of the Renault group immediately reacted to this decision, issuing the following statement: "The team expresses disappointment and dissatisfaction with the outcomes of the hearings conducted by the International Appeal Court regarding the results of the Monaco Grand Prix 2026. Although we disagree with this decision and remain convinced that car No. 10 did not exceed the speed limit in the pit lane at any point during the race, the team acknowledges the verdict issued following the hearings in Paris. While the results are not what we hoped for, as we believe we were unfairly penalized, the team is fully focused on working to improve results on the track and continues to fight in the World Championship. This decision will not affect the team's efforts and its determination to achieve the goals set for the end of the season."
At the Italian Grand Prix, the Haas team brought its first significant technical updates since the Canadian stage. Oliver Berman hopes that they will allow the team to return to the fight for points, but adds that while the updates showed effective results in the simulator, he is not confident that they will perform as well on the real track.
Oliver Berman: "We really hope that we can improve our speed this weekend. For several races in a row, we have been noticeably lagging behind our competitors. It has also been quite a while since we brought serious updates, so we have high hopes for the new parts for Monza. The updates are indeed significant, and the team is feeling quite confident.
Monza may not be the best place for the debut of the new parts, as we won't be able to fully assess their effect on this track. Aerodynamic drag plays a much larger role here than, for example, at the last stage. But the team has worked hard on these updates and has done a huge amount of work.
We have to face certain difficulties related to being a small team. One of them is the timeline for preparing updates. The last major update we brought was to Canada, and that was quite a while ago. So, I hope we have a good weekend ahead.
I have already tested the updates in the simulator, and they looked effective, but I always approach simulator numbers with some skepticism. We don't have dedicated drivers who only work on the simulator, so I'm not entirely sure how accurately it reflects the real situation. So we will only draw final conclusions after we test the updates on the track.
The second half of last season was very strong for us, but much of that was due to the fact that we continued to bring updates while some competitors did not. However, the lack of such updates at the beginning of the current season did not necessarily work against us.
I fully trust the team. In the past, they have achieved excellent results, and now our task is to provide all employees with the necessary resources and opportunities to fully unlock their potential. The team works very hard, and I am confident that we will achieve our goals.
These updates are a big step forward for us. I hope they help us earn some points. That is the main goal."
Oliver Berman: "We really hope that we can improve our speed this weekend. For several races in a row, we have been noticeably lagging behind our competitors. It has also been quite a while since we brought serious updates, so we have high hopes for the new parts for Monza. The updates are indeed significant, and the team is feeling quite confident.
Monza may not be the best place for the debut of the new parts, as we won't be able to fully assess their effect on this track. Aerodynamic drag plays a much larger role here than, for example, at the last stage. But the team has worked hard on these updates and has done a huge amount of work.
We have to face certain difficulties related to being a small team. One of them is the timeline for preparing updates. The last major update we brought was to Canada, and that was quite a while ago. So, I hope we have a good weekend ahead.
I have already tested the updates in the simulator, and they looked effective, but I always approach simulator numbers with some skepticism. We don't have dedicated drivers who only work on the simulator, so I'm not entirely sure how accurately it reflects the real situation. So we will only draw final conclusions after we test the updates on the track.
The second half of last season was very strong for us, but much of that was due to the fact that we continued to bring updates while some competitors did not. However, the lack of such updates at the beginning of the current season did not necessarily work against us.
I fully trust the team. In the past, they have achieved excellent results, and now our task is to provide all employees with the necessary resources and opportunities to fully unlock their potential. The team works very hard, and I am confident that we will achieve our goals.
These updates are a big step forward for us. I hope they help us earn some points. That is the main goal."
Pierre Gasly and Flavio Briatore have both suggested that Alpine may still face legal repercussions from the Monaco GP, despite the FIA International Court of Appeal upholding Gasly's penalties and removing him from third place. Gasly expressed to Canal Plus at Monza: "We were wronged. I believe this isn't over yet."
"I was quite clear about the speed we maintained in the pitlane, and there are numerous interpretations and disputes in the offices, legally addressing issues that go beyond the sporting aspect."
"It’s unfortunate to see results impacted by these kinds of situations."
"On the track, we finished third." Gasly mentioned that the next step now rests with Alpine. "I’ll let my team handle the rest," the Frenchman stated. "I’ve done everything I could on the track, and now it’s their turn to take action, and I have faith in them."
This comes after Briatore's striking remarks during Friday’s FIA team principals' press conference, where he raised concerns about the impartiality of ICA judge Filippo Marchino due to supposed connections with McLaren. "We accept the outcome of the hearing," Briatore remarked. "What was very disappointing was learning that one of the judges has a very close relationship with McLaren."
When directly asked if Alpine was contemplating further legal action, he responded: "We’ve been considering it." "Let’s just get through the weekend, and then we’ll think about it." "At this moment, I don’t have an answer."
McLaren's Andrea Stella firmly denied any suggestion that the appeal process had been compromised. "I find this conference going in this direction quite disrespectful to McLaren, towards a team that deserves significant respect," the Italian stated. "The entire hearing, the whole International Court of Appeal process, was conducted to the highest standards and we should not question this phase as it has been.”
The FIA clarified that the judging panel was appointed by the president of the independent International Court of Appeal from candidates who met the necessary eligibility criteria and were elected by the FIA General Assembly.
"I was quite clear about the speed we maintained in the pitlane, and there are numerous interpretations and disputes in the offices, legally addressing issues that go beyond the sporting aspect."
"It’s unfortunate to see results impacted by these kinds of situations."
"On the track, we finished third." Gasly mentioned that the next step now rests with Alpine. "I’ll let my team handle the rest," the Frenchman stated. "I’ve done everything I could on the track, and now it’s their turn to take action, and I have faith in them."
This comes after Briatore's striking remarks during Friday’s FIA team principals' press conference, where he raised concerns about the impartiality of ICA judge Filippo Marchino due to supposed connections with McLaren. "We accept the outcome of the hearing," Briatore remarked. "What was very disappointing was learning that one of the judges has a very close relationship with McLaren."
When directly asked if Alpine was contemplating further legal action, he responded: "We’ve been considering it." "Let’s just get through the weekend, and then we’ll think about it." "At this moment, I don’t have an answer."
McLaren's Andrea Stella firmly denied any suggestion that the appeal process had been compromised. "I find this conference going in this direction quite disrespectful to McLaren, towards a team that deserves significant respect," the Italian stated. "The entire hearing, the whole International Court of Appeal process, was conducted to the highest standards and we should not question this phase as it has been.”
The FIA clarified that the judging panel was appointed by the president of the independent International Court of Appeal from candidates who met the necessary eligibility criteria and were elected by the FIA General Assembly.
Carlos Sainz is fulfilling the honorable duty of ambassador for the new racetrack MadRing, which will host the Spanish Grand Prix for the first time in a week. Recently, F3 tests were held there, and Carlos is aware of the impressions of the young series drivers, but he has also driven on this track himself, although only in a road sports car so far. He believes that MadRing will leave no one indifferent.
"In my opinion, the F3 tests went quite well, and the track surprised these drivers," Sainz is quoted by the Spanish newspaper Marca. "According to them, it is one of the most challenging tracks they have raced on, which already speaks to its character: it has its own unique features.
It is important for new tracks that appear on the Formula 1 calendar to have their own character and distinct features, and I wanted this racetrack to be just that.
However, we still need to check whether we went too far in wanting the Madrid track to have a special character, and whether it turned out to be too crazy, whether overtaking will be enjoyable, etc.
I have one request to everyone involved in this project, to the Formula 1 management and the drivers: that after the debut Grand Prix, everyone openly expresses their opinions. On many tracks, for example, in Miami, Mexico City, and Baku, work has been done over time aimed at various improvements based on the drivers' impressions, and adjustments have been made to the projects.
Therefore, I call for patience, because in the first year it is impossible to account for everything and get everything right. Overall, if flexibility and a desire to improve are shown, I think this Grand Prix can go excellently.
At first glance, there are no obvious points on the track where overtaking will occur – probably, this is one of the aspects that can be corrected after the first race. If we share our impressions with the racetrack owners, and they want to improve it, then a way can be found to do so, as everyone wants to see exciting races with overtaking. This is an area where I can also contribute."
When Carlos, a native of Madrid, was asked if he would have a chance to fight for points at the new racetrack, the Williams driver replied: "It would be nice if I could earn something in my first home Grand Prix. To be honest, I am very disappointed that this year I have to drive such a poor car – even in 2015 and 2016 I had better cars.
But if the team manages to fix all the shortcomings by next year, then we will quickly forget everything that happened this season."
"In my opinion, the F3 tests went quite well, and the track surprised these drivers," Sainz is quoted by the Spanish newspaper Marca. "According to them, it is one of the most challenging tracks they have raced on, which already speaks to its character: it has its own unique features.
It is important for new tracks that appear on the Formula 1 calendar to have their own character and distinct features, and I wanted this racetrack to be just that.
However, we still need to check whether we went too far in wanting the Madrid track to have a special character, and whether it turned out to be too crazy, whether overtaking will be enjoyable, etc.
I have one request to everyone involved in this project, to the Formula 1 management and the drivers: that after the debut Grand Prix, everyone openly expresses their opinions. On many tracks, for example, in Miami, Mexico City, and Baku, work has been done over time aimed at various improvements based on the drivers' impressions, and adjustments have been made to the projects.
Therefore, I call for patience, because in the first year it is impossible to account for everything and get everything right. Overall, if flexibility and a desire to improve are shown, I think this Grand Prix can go excellently.
At first glance, there are no obvious points on the track where overtaking will occur – probably, this is one of the aspects that can be corrected after the first race. If we share our impressions with the racetrack owners, and they want to improve it, then a way can be found to do so, as everyone wants to see exciting races with overtaking. This is an area where I can also contribute."
When Carlos, a native of Madrid, was asked if he would have a chance to fight for points at the new racetrack, the Williams driver replied: "It would be nice if I could earn something in my first home Grand Prix. To be honest, I am very disappointed that this year I have to drive such a poor car – even in 2015 and 2016 I had better cars.
But if the team manages to fix all the shortcomings by next year, then we will quickly forget everything that happened this season."