Despite the world we live in which seemingly relies on social media, Vettel has rarely gotten heavily involved in it.

In fact, the four-time World Champion only made an Instagram account last year to announce his retirement from Formula 1, ahead of the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Even in his retirement post though, the German uploaded a video of him speaking, rather than a conventional image with a caption.

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His focus has been on his family and raising awareness for the environment, something he attempted to do during his last few years in F1.

Back in 2019 when Vettel was still racing for Ferrari, the German was keen on helping the British Grand Prix organisers clean up, something he’s done at other races as well.

However, Vettel had one condition, he didn’t want Silverstone to post anything on social media regarding him helping de-litter the circuit.

The German turned up on the Monday after the race with a pack of bin liners, ready to help the clean up get underway.

According to Plato, the retired F1 driver went “ballistic” with the circuit when he discovered that he had been put on social media by the circuit cleaning the circuit.

Plato added that it showed the type of person Vettel is, as he simply wanted to “quietly” help out without it becoming a huge deal on social media.

READ: Carlos Sainz reveals when he will sign new Ferrari contract

“It was Seb’s idea and he said ‘I want to help clear up’,” Plato said on the Fuelling Around podcast that he co-hosts alongside ex-Radio One broadcaster ‘Comedy’ Dave Vitty.

“On the Monday he went with bin liners and cleaned up all of the grandstands. And do you know what? His only request was ‘I don’t want this put on social media’. Silverstone actually broke that trust and did put something out and he went ballistic.

“That’s really interesting because that’s the character of the man. He just wanted to do something quietly, for himself, and that’s unusual in the crazy world of motorsport.”

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The McLaren driver, known for his low-key approach to his personal life, took the opportunity to enjoy the sport he loves and secured seats in Centre Court on Wednesday.

Taking to Twitter, Piastri expressed his excitement about his Wimbledon experience, writing, “F1P4 -> SW19. Awesome day at Wimbledon.” 

Accompanying the post was a picture of himself and his girlfriend, Lily Zneimer, enjoying their time at the prestigious tennis event.

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Just days prior to his Wimbledon outing, Piastri achieved a career-best fourth-place finish in Formula 1 at the British Grand Prix. 

The talented driver believed a podium finish was within reach had it not been for the safety car intervention. 

Despite the missed opportunity, Piastri remains focused on his racing ambitions.

Regarding his private life, Piastri prefers to keep it out of the public eye. However, he revealed some details during an interview with 9 News. 

“We keep it private. We have been together for – I better get this right – about four and a half years now,” Piastri shared while attending one of the four tennis Grand Slam events.

Piastri’s time in the United Kingdom has been eventful, extending beyond his Formula 1 commitments. 

He recently paid a visit to Lord’s Cricket Ground, where he had the opportunity to meet the Australian Cricket Team and participate in a net session with star bowlers Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.

At just 22 years old, Piastri has shown maturity and composure as he navigates the world of Formula 1. 

READ: Mercedes admit ‘a lot of heartache’ amid work on new engine

While focusing on his career, he manages to remain grounded and keeps his private life separate from the racing paddock.

With McLaren experiencing positive progress, both Piastri and his teammate Lando Norris are optimistic about their prospects. 

The team is set to introduce new parts to the MCL35M for the Hungarian Grand Prix, following significant improvements in Austria and Great Britain.

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It was Williams’ best result on home soil since 2015, and Albon expressed his optimism about the team’s performance at Silverstone. 

Despite finishing in eighth, he acknowledged the realistic expectations set for the race, saying, “It’s almost like you’ve finished qualifying somehow disappointed with P8, but we have to be realistic.”

Albon highlighted the team’s strong start to the weekend, with impressive performances in all three practice sessions. 

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However, he noted that other teams caught up by the time of the qualifying session, suggesting that some were potentially sandbagging. 

Despite this, Albon recognised the achievement of their result, mentioning that they were initially aiming for around 15th place.

Qualifying presented its challenges due to the changing weather conditions, with rain affecting the session. 

Albon experienced tire degradation, particularly with the front tires, which impacted his performance. 

Reflecting on the session, he felt that the car had the potential to get even closer to pole position.

The team plans to analyse their qualifying performance to identify areas for improvement. 

Albon emphasised the importance of understanding both the reasons behind slow pace and fast pace, as they strive for consistency and further progress.

“There’s almost a bit that we understand and a bit that we don’t. We need to kind of reverse-engineer. It’s important to understand why you’re slow, but it’s also important to understand why you’re fast.”

In the race, Albon maintained his starting position thanks to the timing of the Safety Car period. 

He crossed the finish line behind Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, with the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. close behind.

Albon admitted that they expected a tougher race after qualifying, considering the threat posed by Alonso and Sergio Perez starting behind them. 

However, he managed to bring the car home, securing Williams’ third points finish of the season.

Despite losing two positions on the first lap, Albon attributed it to a poor start caused by fluid on the track. 

He mentioned that once he settled into a rhythm, the car performed well.

With a long first stint and strategic decision-making during the race, Albon took advantage of the Safety Car period caused by Kevin Magnussen’s retirement. 

He pitted from sixth place and emerged in ninth, enabling him to attack the Ferrari ahead.

“I had better pace than Fernando, which was a bit of a surprise, but then Charles was coming quite quickly at the end,” he added.

“So it was a race of forwards and backwards, one eye forward, one eye back, and it became a bit of a dogfight. I wouldn’t have wanted that race to last one more lap.”

Albon described the race as a constant battle, with him trying to overtake the car in front while defending against Leclerc’s advances from behind. 

The trio crossed the finish line within a second and a half of each other, and Albon acknowledged that if the race had been a lap or two longer, the outcome might have been different.

“I think if it was one lap [longer], Charles would have got past,” Albon said. 

“If it was two laps, Charles would have got past both of us and I would have got past Fernando. 

“That’s my theory.”

The recent races have showcased Williams’ improved performance, with Albon delivering strong results. 

However, he anticipates significant fluctuations in the car’s performance based on different types of tracks and varying levels of downforce.

“I think our highs and lows are quite easy to predict,” he said. 

“I don’t know if McLaren could have predicted their pace this weekend, but I think we can.

“It’s quite clear that tracks where there’s a bit lower downforce and a lot of full throttle time, that’s all us, that’s how we like it. 

“It’s also important that the track remains quite cool. 

“[On Sunday] the track temperature was dropping at the end of the race, which made us a bit more competitive. 

“Also, not much braking [over a lap]. 

“The less braking, the better for us. So Silverstone works out quite well for that.”

Looking ahead, Albon acknowledged that some circuits would suit Williams better than others. 

“We’re still going to have our good circuits and our bad circuits. Spa-Francorchamps, Monza is still our focus.”

He mentioned that tracks with lower downforce and extensive full-throttle sections favour their car. 

The upcoming Hungaroring race is not expected to be as favourable, but Albon emphasised that their focus remains on circuits like Spa-Francorchamps and Monza.

Williams’ recent progress has propelled them to seventh in the constructors’ championship, tied with Haas. 

READ: FIA president bluntly rejects Lewis Hamilton’s controversial demand

Albon expressed confidence in the team’s position and stressed the importance of capitalising on opportunities to score points in the remaining races of the season.

“We’re now P7 in the constructors’ championship, tied with Haas. So we are in a very good place.

“The points aren’t always available, and in the few races where we can score points this year coming up, we’re going to have to make sure we capitalise to stay seventh.”

The post Alex Albon says Williams in ‘very good place’ after new upgrades appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

The Brackley-based team unveiled the revised front wing at the British Grand Prix held at Silverstone. 

However, their achievements were overshadowed by their customer team, McLaren, who secured impressive second and fourth-place finishes last weekend.

During Mercedes’ post-British GP debrief on YouTube, James Allison, Technical Director of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, acknowledged that it is still too early to make a conclusive assessment of the new front wing’s impact. 

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Allison emphasised that the primary goal of the upgrade is to enhance the team’s speed and overall performance.

“It’s a bit too early to tell,” Allison stated. 

“The new front wing is, of course, designed to make us go faster. That’s why we do all our things. 

“The specific characteristics of this new front wing that we are excited about is that it should improve the balance and performance of the car through the slower range of corners.”

Allison highlighted the unique challenge faced at Silverstone, where the circuit is renowned for its high-speed sections rather than a multitude of slower corners. 

Despite this, Mercedes found reassurance in their competitiveness in the slower parts of the track, suggesting positive signs regarding the new front wing’s impact.

“That’s a tick in the box for this new front wing,” Allison noted. 

“But I guess it will only be when we get to Hungary, which is a track made up almost entirely of slower stuff, that we’ll get to know for sure. 

READ: ‘Definitely not helping’: Max Verstappen not looking forward to 2024

“Early signs are promising; the new front wing seemed to do what we expected, and hopefully, it will bring us more advantages at tracks with a wider range of slow corners.”

The Hungarian Grand Prix, scheduled to take place next weekend, will provide Mercedes with a crucial opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of their upgraded front wing under conditions that better reflect its intended performance range. 

The team will be hoping that the new front wing will unlock further gains and bolster their competitiveness, cracking Red Bull’s win streak.

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Bearman, who originally finished sixth in the F2 feature race, was demoted to eighth place after receiving a five-second penalty and a penalty point for contact with Kush Maini at turn 17. 

The incident caused Maini to make contact with his Campos Racing teammate Ralph Boschung, but no action was taken by the stewards in that regard.

Prema driver Bearman escaped a further penalty for an alleged incident where he was accused of forcing Maini off at the same corner, after Maini had attempted to pass around the outside of turn 15. 

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As a result of Bearman’s penalty, Jehan Daruvala of MP Motorsport was promoted to sixth place, elevating him to 11th in the championship standings.

Additional penalties were handed out to Daruvala, Roy Nissany of PHM Racing by Charouz, and Richard Verschoor of Van Amersfoort Racing for pitlane speeding. 

All three drivers received five-second penalties, while Nissany also received a 10-second penalty and two penalty points for contact with Prema’s Frederik Vesti. 

As a consequence, Nissany dropped from 12th to 17th in the final race result, allowing Verschoor to move up to 16th place.

Ralph Boschung, who retired from the race, was penalised with a five-second penalty and two penalty points, bringing his total to five on his license. 

The penalty was imposed for overtaking Ayumu Iwasa at the second safety car line. The incident occurred when Iwasa exited the pitlane, and he crossed the second safety car line before Boschung did. 

Therefore, the stewards deemed Boschung’s pass on Iwasa at turn two to be illegal during a safety car period.

READ: Honda calls for talks but remains coy on Aston Martin deal

Arthur Leclerc of DAMS was fined €500 for pitlane speeding during the reconnaissance lap. 

Additionally, Prema received a fine of €1,500, with €1,000 being imposed for releasing Vesti from his pit stop with damaged front-left suspension, and the remaining €500 due to an incident where “the air blower fell off Car 7 at turn 11 when Car 7 (Vesti) was driving from the F2 paddock to the Formula 1 pitlane prior to the start of” the feature race.

Meanwhile, points leader Frederik Vesti escaped a penalty for an incident involving Roman Stanek just before the first safety car restart during the race.

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The Spanish driver is well known for burning bridges in the F1 world.

Former world champion Nico Rosberg previously said of Alonso: “He sometimes lacked social competence and then he often had difficulties being in the best teams with the best cars.

“They didn’t really want him anymore because of burning some bridges in the past.”

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He raced with Ferrari from 2010-2014 before returning for a second stint with McLaren from 2015-2018.

His Ferrari stint saw him gain 11 Grand Prix wins and come close to winning his third Championship on two occasions.

This era cemented his place as one of the most successful drivers in Ferrari’s history.

The Ferrari Enzo was a symbolic car that linked him to this historical period, with the iconic V-12 supercar dating back to 2002.

However, Alonso has finally given the vehicle new ownership, selling it at an auction that took place on June 8th at the Monaco Auctions House.

Alonso recorded a message to bidders, saying: “It means a lot to me. I had a great time with the car, it’s a magical work of art.”

“Take care of the car and enjoy it!”

Alonso has not seen great success since leaving Ferrari as it was the last team he won a title with – all the way back in 2013.

He claimed first place in the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, his home race.

However, Alonso is now arguably in his strongest position yet, since leaving Ferrari, to win his 33rd grand prix with Aston Martin.

The Spanish driver will be spearheading Aston Martin’s push to finish P2 in the Constructors’ Championship and is hoping to claim his first victory with the team.

READ: Ex-Ferrari chief criticises Sebastian Vettel

However, the dominant Red Bull team will be a thorn in the side of Alonso’s push for a victory.

Between them, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have won every F1 race in 2023, eight for Verstappen and two for Perez.

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Despite this hurdle, the team maintained their perfect winning record for the season at Silverstone, with Verstappen securing Red Bull’s first British GP victory since 2012.

While Verstappen’s dominance appeared effortless on the timesheets, the race proved to be a harder-fought battle than most this year. 

Early on, he lost the lead to Lando Norris, inciting excitement among the British crowd. 

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However, after a few laps, Verstappen swiftly regained his position and settled into a steady rhythm.

The situation took a dramatic turn when Kevin Magnussen’s Haas caught fire, leading to a safety car period. 

Seizing the opportunity, Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri made a bold decision to switch to hard tires for the final stint. 

Although considered a significant risk, the move paid off as they quickly found good pace on the more durable compound.

In contrast, Verstappen and several others remained on the soft tires, which offered better initial speed but deteriorated faster than anticipated. 

Both Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who trailed in third place, struggled with tire degradation, unable to catch up to Norris in front.

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko expressed his concerns, stating, “In retrospect, the tire choice was a risk. Max took good care of the tires, but you could see with him and Hamilton that the soft tires were wearing out.

“We were glad the race was over. Norris needed another lap or three or five, and he would have had a significant tire advantage.”

READ: Karun Chandhok disagrees with Toto Wolff about Lewis Hamilton

The latter part of the race posed more worries for Red Bull than Norris’s initial lead. 

Marko acknowledged Verstappen’s attentiveness to tire management in the fast corners during the early stages. 

However, once the race progressed, Red Bull showcased superior performance compared to McLaren in all aspects. Marko added, “At the end of the race, we couldn’t have asked for anything more from the tires.”

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Hamilton had just secured a third-place finish at the British Grand Prix, the 14th podium of his career at his home Formula 1 race. 

And it appears he celebrated in style with Colombian superstar Shakira, who reportedly jetted in to watch the race at Silverstone.

Shakira has been single since her separation from former Barcelona star Gerard Pique last year.

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The explosive split led to the singer penning a diss track taking aim at the World Cup winner, with the relationship between the duo fraying. 

It appears she is ready to move on from the Spaniard and has been growing increasingly close to Hamilton. 

According to The Sun, Shakira flew in just to watch Hamilton at the Northamptonshire track on Sunday, before heading out in London to celebrate his podium finish.

The duo partied at regular celebrity bar Tape London and stayed out until early the next morning. 

They were spotted by several other revellers, sitting together on a VIP table and regularly engaged in conversation. 

Shakira also frequently got up from the table to dance, before heading home around 3.30am. 

Hamilton was keen to enjoy the night more though and stayed out clubbing until 6am before returning to his hotel.

It is not the first time the duo have been spotted together, with Shakira also spending time at both the Spanish and Miami Grand Prix. 

Hamilton had good reason to celebrate after Sunday’s race.

“Also, I just want to say a big congratulations to Lando, and to McLaren, where…It’s my family, it’s where I first started, so to see them back up there, looking so strong… I mean that thing was rapid through the high-speed corners, wow! I couldn’t keep up, but we had a good little battle on the restart,” Hamilton said.

“The start wasn’t so great for me, but the long run on the medium [tyre] was really great. 

READ: Toto Wolff reveals why Mercedes aren’t focussing on 2024 car

“I think this is a good positive for us as a team to know that we’re not that far away, we’ve just got to keep on pushing and we can catch those guys at the front.

“We had good performance in the low-speed, we had a good little battle there, just didn’t have the grunt on the straights. 

“But I’m really happy… To start seventh and come third is a mega, mega job, so a big thank you to my team – great pit stops, great work all weekend,” Hamilton concluded.

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Brundle shared an awkward exchange with the model on Sunday, prompting a social media response from the team.

Delevingne appears to have been present at the British GP as a guest of Alfa Romeo. 

The team shared a video of the 30-year-old being shown behind-the-scenes by their staff. 

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Taking a fiery dig at Brundle, Alfa Romeo reminded him that nobody should be put in an ‘uncomfortable situation’.

During the grid walk, Brundle attempted to approach Delevingne for an interview but was informed by a member of staff and then by the celebrity herself that she did not want to be interviewed. 

However, the 64-year-old journalist continued to persist with his questions and made a sarcastic comment as he walked away.

After Alfa Romeo shared the video of Delevingne’s Formula One race day experience, a fan expressed disappointment in her refusal to engage with Brundle, questioning her identity. 

In response, Alfa Romeo defended Delevingne and took a dig at Brundle, stating, “Respect goes both ways: nobody should be placed in an uncomfortable situation or forced to do things against their will.”

The incident has sparked a debate within the F1 community regarding access to the grid. 

Some fans and pundits argue that grid walk pass holders should be obliged to make themselves available for media interviews.

However, Delevingne has clarified that she was instructed to refuse an interview with Brundle. 

In response to a tweet suggesting that Brundle was manufacturing controversy, Delevingne quote-tweeted and expressed gratitude for those who understand both sides of the debate. 

She wrote, “I was told to say no, so I did. Thank you for seeing both sides.”

READ: Max Verstappen thought Red Bull made the wrong decision

Later, Delevingne added, “Anyway, I had so much fun today and was so happy to be there no matter what anyone else may think.” 

Her statements indicate that she enjoyed her time at the British Grand Prix despite the controversy surrounding her interaction with Brundle.

The incident involving Brundle and Delevingne has sparked a broader discussion about media access and the autonomy of guests on the grid, with the debate raging on social media days after the race.

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The Red Bull driver initially lost the lead to Lando Norris at the start of the race, and although he managed to regain the position, he didn’t pull away from his pursuers as quickly as he had in the previous race at the Red Bull Ring.

Despite the challenges, Verstappen secured his sixth consecutive victory, but he admitted that it was far from straightforward. 

Reflecting on the race, he explained, “I had a bad start, a lot of wheel spin. 

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“So I had to work my way up again to Lando, that took a few laps, then it also took a few laps to cool down the tires again in the lead because Lando came back at me again in the DRS.”

Verstappen did manage to build a comfortable gap over Norris, but the introduction of the Safety Car erased his advantage. 

However, he remained positive about the race, stating, “Once everything settled in, we, lap after lap, could open up the gap to, at one point, it was nine seconds before the Safety Car came out. 

“So I guess that was very positive.”

Nevertheless, Verstappen expressed his admiration for McLaren’s performance. 

While the team had shown strength in qualifying earlier in the season, their race pace at Silverstone proved to be equally impressive. 

Verstappen remarked, “Everything was working quite well, but it was still quite surprising to see that the McLaren was actually that quick, or Lando was that quick, over the whole stint.”

During the Safety Car period, Verstappen made the decision to switch to soft tires. 

In hindsight, he questioned whether it was the correct choice. 

He explained, “Because of the Safety Car, we had to make the decision about what tire to put on: the soft or the hard. 

“We opted to go for the soft, which at the time I thought was right. 

“But when I restarted, it took only two, three laps, and then I realised that it was quite tricky to keep them under control with the temperatures.”

Verstappen admitted that using the hard tires might have been a better option, allowing him to push harder throughout the stint. 

Although the first few laps would have been challenging, he believed the hard tires would have provided greater speed towards the end of the race.

Verstappen also acknowledged that McLaren’s performance in the race exceeded Red Bull’s expectations. 

READ: Jenson Button surprisingly compares Charles Leclerc to British F1 legend

He expressed, “I was definitely positively surprised with the pace of the McLaren in the race. 

“They were actually very quick compared to even the cars behind.” 

However, Verstappen emphasised the importance of focusing on his own performance and remaining aware of the developments happening behind him.

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