Featuring the big reveal of F1’s newest rookie, the fight for Franco, and stupid, sexy Charles and his stupid, sexy new car…

The Formation Lap

This week, we’re forgoing the typical Last Week in Formula 1 preamble in favour of sharing a spot of news, dear reader and fellow racing fan.

There’s changes coming over the next week to Last Week in Formula 1, which include a new name and livery, along with the launch of a new weekly feature.

As this humble racing newsletter expands in scope, Last Week in Formula 1 isn’t broad enough to capture all that will be published, hence the change.

Mums the word for now, but the announcement will be landing in your inbox on Wednesday November 13th, bright and early at 6:30am PST.

(Which is all the more reason to subscribe on Substack if you haven’t already.)

Until then, you have the latest edition of Last Week in Formula 1’s mutterings and musings, twistings and turnings, tidbits and playtime to enjoy below.

(If you missed last week’s issue, you can find that one here.)

Now, for the uninitiated: 

If you’re a rookie ‘round these parts and wondering what you're in for, Last Week in Formula 1 is a weekly feature compiling the most interesting, important, and informative goings-on in the Formula 1 world into one easy, breezy, beautiful read.

Every fun fact, story, and piece of news has been sourced from posts in r/formula1 (AKA: Formula 1’s publicly accessible online paddock).

Given this is The Internet, I suggest taking everything you read with a grain of salt. However, over many years of following the subreddit, there’s far more truth than lies posted—and much of the news comes from reputable sources.

Lastly, like the cars we enjoy watching so much, Last Week in Formula 1 and   nope, not this time either! are in a constant state of development. Any feedback you have on what’s covered, the format, or anything I may have missed is welcome in the comments.

Now let’s hit the track…

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Trackside Stats

Behold:

• The laps lead leaderboard in 2024.
• The WDC state of play with 3 rounds remaining.
• The WCC state of play with 3 rounds left (and compared to last year).

Proving that Maxi’s 4th WDC title has never really been in doubt or danger, despite Red Bull’s travails and McLaren’s rise, Max has still scored more points than Lando since Miami, when McLaren’s season began gaining steam.

A whopping nine of Max’s laps around Interlagos were good enough to claim Fastest Lap honours… His best being over a second quicker than Lando’s best.

Owing to… I’m not sure what, a mixed bag of causes I’m sure… Pierre Gasly has achieved 3 out 5 of his F1 podiums when starting from 10th or worse.

For those following the riveting Black vs. Yellow T-Cam 2024 Championship, here are the updated standings after Round 21 went down in São Paulo.

Courtesy of my future friends at The Race, check out this breakdown of winners after 21 rounds last year vs. this year… And hold on to your butt!

Alas… Only 184 laps remain in this season for the ages. Enjoy them all!

~~~

The Drivers’ Mutterings & Musings

Is this news if hardly anyone is surprised? In an officially official statement, Sauberaudi have confirmed that Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will be leaving the team after this season, paving the way for Nico Hulkenberg and… 

Gabriel Bortoleto, who has been confirmed as a Sauberaudi driver for 2025. 

(I’m pleased as punch about this development, as I’ve been super impressed with Young Gabriel over his last two feeder series seasons, and am eager to see what he can do in Formula 1—even if he is driving a tractor initially).

As for Sauberaudi’s departing drivers, Zhou’s future is an uncertain mystery, while Valtteri seems headed for a reserve/development role at Mercedes.

In a poignant marking of this ending era at Sauberaudi, former team strategist (under their Alfa Romeo guise) Ruth Buscombe Divey penned this adorable goodbye post honouring her time with Valtteri and Zhou.

Meanwhile, folks around the paddock seem rather confident that the Argentine surprise, Franco Colapinto, will be on the grid next year, somehow.

And if The Race is reporting that Franco is firmly “In Red Bull Frame As Perez Replacement Option” for 2025 there’s definitely fire amongst all the smoke.

I don’t want to put too much stock in this, because Flavio Briatore mostly, but apparently Flavio has changed his mind on Jack Doohan sitting in their car next year and he’s giving Franco the “I want you” stare from across the room.

In other driver news… Shots have been fired from the portside cannons at FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, courtesy of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GDPA). Rightfully so, they’re fed up with the FIA’s nitpicking of silly things like underwear, jewelry, and their very expensive swear jar.

~~~

The Teams’ Twistings & Turnings

To the collective pain of Williams fans the world round, the team that’s been showing much promise and signs of growth this season, are having to accept that all may be for naught, at least in terms of rising in the WCC standings. 

Team Principal James Vowles gave his honest assessment of a torrid Brazilian Grand Prix weekend that began with so much promise, and was undone by big crashes and Alpine’s shock double podium rubbing salt in their wounds.

Speaking of Williams and their travails, in addition to likely losing $30 million in prize money, their recent spate of damages has them in a spot of bother, leaving them uncertain of what car spec they can bring to Las Vegas.

The Middle East Oil Barons’ gradual takeover of Formula 1 continues, with Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund set to buy a minority stake in what is becoming the Audi F1 team. Audi will retain full control, but gain a cash infusion for investments into their Hinwil factory and such.

NOW BRACE YOURSELF: Rotational European races are coming.

~~~

Technical Tidbits

Coming soon, the petrol wars are…

~~~

This Week in Formula 1 History

Interlagos. Aryton Senna in 1991 vs. Lewis Hamilton in 2024.

1993, Australia. Ayrton Senna en route to his 41st and final victory.

~~~

Paddock Playtime

Get a load of these nifty racing threads, featuring some of the more inventive, creative, and unique drivers’ racing suits from over the years.

Mercedes have published a book! And yes… Toto printed out a copy.

If you, like me, are a sucker for film photos… I must insist you check out u/jameypricephoto’s sweet, filmy snaps from the Brazilian Grand Prix.

In case you missed this last week, here are some more shots of stupid sexy Charles and his stupid sexy new Ferrari SF90 XX Stradle. #6 is my fave.

Alex Albon also joined the ranks of F1 drivers receiving fancy new wheels this week, whose Porsche 911 GT3 RS has me yearning… Do you ever yearn?

Meme Lord Max Verstappen pulled out all the stops on his livery for the 23 Hour Race for Mental Health he competed in over the weekend.

~~~

The Final Lap

Alright friend, that’s a wrap on the twelfth edition of Last Week in Formula 1.

To keep yourself up-to-date on the latest twistings and turnings, mutterings and musings from the Formula 1 world without spending all week on r/Formula1, you can subscribe to namechangenamechange on Substack.

When you do, you’ll receive the pretty-with-pictures version of each Last Week in Formula 1 newsletter in your favourite email inbox every Monday…

Along with being the first to hear Wednesday’s big news.

On that note… Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed your time here and learned a thing or two along the way. What did you love about this issue? What did I miss this week? Let me know in the comments.

Signed (for the last time),

Last Week in Formula 1

#Welcome to the /r/formula1 Daily Discussion / Q&A thread.

This thread is a hub for general discussion and questions about Formula 1, that don't need threads of their own.

Are you new to Formula 1? This is the place for you. Ever wondered why it's called a lollipop man? Why the cars don't refuel during pitstops? Or when Mika will be back from his sabbatical? Ask any question you might have here, and the community will answer.

Also make sure you check out our guide for new fans, and our FAQ for new fans.

Are you a veteran fan, longing for the days of lollipop men, refueling during pitstops, and Mika Häkkinen? This is the place to introduce new fans to your passion and knowledge of the sport.

Remember to keep it civil and welcoming! Gatekeeping within the Daily Discussion will subject users to disciplinary action.

Have a meta question about the subreddit? Please direct these to the moderators instead.

Useful links:

• Discord

Good causes:

• 🇺🇦 Want to support Ukraine? Here's a list of charities.
• 🏳️‍🌈 Support Stonewall to help improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people.

TRASH TALK 101 FOR ANYONE NEW HERE - BEACAUSE. TRASH. TALK. IS. A. GENERATIONAL. THREAD.

​

STEP ONE: LURK ON THE SUB VERY REGULARLY, MAKING SURE TO SORT BY “NEW”.

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STEP TWO: GET INSPIRED BY WHATEVER MAD NARRATIVE OR TREND GRIPS THE SUB THAT PARTICULAR DAY / WEEK. OFF SEASON IS QUITE SLOW BUT RACE WEEKS / WEEKENDS SHOULD YIELD A LOT OF SUBJECT MATTER. THE MORE INSANE AND UNREALISTIC, THE BETTER QUALITY SUBJECT MATTER IT IS. WATCH PEOPLES' OBSESSIVE BEHAVIOUR VERY CLOSELY - IT WILL YIELD SOME FASCINATING INSIGHT.

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STEP THREE: AT THIS STAGE YOU MAY BE FEELING SICK WITH THE AMOUNT OF NONSENSE YOU HAVE FORCED YOURSELF TO VIEW. FEEL FREE TO STEP OVER INTO r/f1circlejerk AND MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER BY POSTING A MOCKING IMITATION OF THE NONSENSE.

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HOWEVER AS YOU BUILD YOUR TOLERANCE, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF ABLE TO WAIT FOR MONDAY, THE HOLIEST OF DAYS. PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU RACE DAY SUNDAY IS THE BEST DAY, BUT THOSE PEOPLE ARE UNENLIGHTENED SAVAGES.

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STEP FOUR:

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(A) AS SOON AS THE TRASH TALK THREAD IS POSTED, UPVOTE IT. THIS IS IMPORTANT.

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(B) [REDACTED]

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(C) THEN - UNLOAD YOUR MOCKERY AND SCORN OF ALL THE VILE RUBBISH YOU HAVE WITNESSED FROM SUB USERS AND "RESPECTED" "JOURNALISTS".

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(D) SIT BACK AND WATCH THE UPVOTES GATHER. CLEVER PHOTOSHOPS AND META REFERENCES WILL YIELD MORE UPVOTES.

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STEP FIVE: REALISE THAT TRUTH AND SENSE ONLY EXIST IN THIS THREAD AND MAKE IT YOUR WEEKLY MISSION TO POST HERE.

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AND REMEMBER: FLAIR UP AND SMASH THAT CAPS LOCK! AAAAAAAAAAAAA!

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GOOD LUCK AND MAY THE TRASH TALK BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR.

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/r/FORMULA1 [POSTING GUIDELINES](/r/formula1/wiki/userguide#wiki_posting_guidelines) STILL APPLY.