Photo dump – F1 drivers are not happy about paddock toilet facilities
The number one point of discussion in Friday’s Formula 1 drivers’ briefing in Suzuka was not kerbs or run-off areas but the state of paddock toilet facilities around the world.
You may think that I’m pulling your chain but the subject really did emerge and was extended into a chat about showers.
There is a serious point here in that drivers always spend the build-up to a race hydrating, and they factor in a comfort break between parking their cars on the grid and going to the national anthem ceremony.
One driver told me this morning that “a shit can be worth two-tenths” but he might have been little optimistic in his calculations.
At most tracks they simply return to their own garages for their personal pitstop, but there are some venues where they have to venture out into the public part of the paddock and potentially join a queue to use temporary facilities, with Melbourne and Montreal among those highlighted.
The problem is that if they are late to the national anthem they potentially face a penalty, something that the FIA has highlighted, and thus any time lost could be very costly. Drivers also pointed out to the FIA how they can be delayed by being doorstepped for TV interviews.
They are keen for the FIA to log the WC issue and add better pit building facilities to the guidelines for new venues.
GPDA director George Russell also mentioned the lack of shower facilities at many tracks. At European events team hospitality units usually have showers for the use of drivers, but they are not common at flyaway venues, and especially at temporary circuits.
However Russell’s plea didn’t get much traction amongst his colleagues, with one of them suggesting that circuits should ensure that there is a hair dryer just for George’s use…
The issue of facilities is not a new one. Max Mosley once told me that in the early days of FOCA he and Bernie Ecclestone delegated the job of paddock toilet inspector to none other than Frank Williams.
Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner says that Red Bull has swapped Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson because it has a “duty of care to protect and develop” the Kiwi driver after his difficult start to 2025.
After just two races with the senior team Lawson returns to the VCARB team for whom he did 11 races across the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Tsunoda has been parachuted into the RBR team for his home race at Suzuka after the team exercised what it termed a “driver rotation.”
The Japanese driver has just a week to prepare for his debut with the team having done a day in the RB20 at the Abu test in December
“It has been difficult to see Liam struggle with the RB21 at the first two races and as a result we have collectively taken the decision to make an early switch,” said Horner.
“We came into the 2025 season, with two ambitions, to retain the World Drivers’ Championship and to reclaim the World Constructors’ title and this is a purely sporting decision. We acknowledge there is a lot of work to be done with the RB21 and Yuki’s experience will prove highly beneficial in helping to develop the current car.
“We welcome him to the team and are looking forward to seeing him behind the wheel of the RB21. We have a duty of care to protect and develop Liam and together, we see that after such a difficult start, it makes sense to act quickly so Liam can gain experience, as he continues his F1 career with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, an environment and a team he knows very well.”
Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies made it clear that he was pleased to see Tsunoda get a chance.
“We’re incredibly proud of Yuki earning his well-deserved move to Oracle Red Bull Racing,” he said. “His progress last year, and more recently from the very start of 2025, has been nothing less than sensational. Personally, and collectively, it has been an immense privilege to witness those progresses for all of us in Faenza and in Milton Keynes.
“Yuki’s energy and positivity has lightened up every corner of our factories and of our garage and he will always be a Racing Bull! We wish him all the success he deserves at ORBR. Everyone here at VCARB is looking forward to working hard with Liam to give him the best environment possible for him to shine in our car and to express the talent we all know he has.
“He fit in so well last year, and we cannot wait to challenge ourselves and grow as a team. With Isack having started so strongly with us already, we know we have a young and strong lineup.”
Norris had to manage a brake issue for the last third of the Chinese GP
An otherwise perfect Sunday for McLaren in China was spoiled by a brake issue that Lando Norris had to manage for the last part of the race.
The team came away with a welcome one-two result led by Oscar Piastri after a difficult sprint the previous day, but a long brake pedal for Norris created some tension.
Paradoxically at the same time the situation also made the team’s life easier in terms of any stress associated with allowing the two drivers to race, as it prevented Norris from being able to fight with Piastri.
Nevertheless team principal Andrea Stella made it clear that any sort of reliability issue was “not acceptable” in the context of the World Championship fight.
“We have been tense at the pitwall, and I’m sure the entire team and the fans, because we had one issue on Lando’s car with a brake pedal that we needed to manage over the last 20 laps,” said the Italian.
“Lando and the team did a very good job in being in the loop as to how to adapt the driving style to this kind of problem, which then got worse and worse through the race, and put the entire result at risk, which is obviously just not acceptable from a reliability point of view. We need to do better.
“And this will be one of the points that we will definitely re-emphasise to the entire team that has worked at an incredibly high level, but we cannot have issues that put these sort of results at risk.
He added: “The brake pedal was going long, and what we needed to do is we needed to avoid more and more the peak pressure.
“So he needed to brake with less and less and less peak pressure, to the point that over the final laps, he was just costing for a long time off the throttle, and then applying just a minimum amount of brake pressure to stop the car and go around the corner.”
Stella declined to elaborate on exactly what the root cause of the issue was.
“We understand what the problem is, which I don’t disclose for IP reasons, but fundamentally, it had to do with a leak in one of the components, not the brake line, but somewhere else.
“And the main action required was to limit the peak brake pressure, or like just you could brake, but very, very gently.
“So what was a 100 metre braking, now it became 200 metres, and towards the end, it was a 300 metres, because Lando needed to lift the throttle, cost to a certain speed and then apply very gentle brake pressure. That was to avoid that leak to become too fast.”
Hamilton had to settle for 10th place in Melbourne
Lewis Hamilton says it’s “not the moment to throw the toys out of the pram” and insists that his Ferrari Formula 1 team should not be defined by its difficult race in Australia.
Hamilton qualified eighth in Melbourne, a place behind team mate Charles Leclerc. After a bad decision to stay on slicks cost both men a chance to make progress they finished eighth and 10th, with the Monesgasque driver still ahead.
Hamilton has made no secret of the fact that he still has a lot of work to do as he learns about the team and the car.
“We’re just going to set the car up a bit different this weekend,” he said in Shanghai. “So to this point, I think I’m still having to witness and take a view and see how the team operates.
“I’m still learning, it’s the first weekend to see how they operate on a race weekend – it’s different to testing – how they like to set the car up, the changes they like to make during the weekends.”
He added: “I think as I get more and more comfortable and more knowledgeable about the car, I can start making more decisions, and say, actually, this is the setup change I want to go with.
“So already this weekend I’m having those discussions, and I’m going to lean a little bit more with adding my experience, hopefully there’s a bit more in it. But they’ve got a lot of experience already.
“And yep, it wasn’t the race that we wanted. It’s not the moment to throw the toys out of the pram. It is what it is. One small thing could have made a big difference in our result. But we move forwards.
“Everyone’s still motivated. You’ve got everyone here with their heads high, and I think that the energy is still good in the garage. We’re not going to be defined by that one race.”
Hamilton’s radio conversations with race engineer Ricardo Adami attracted a lot of comment in Australia after he asked several times to be left to it.
The pair are still discovering the most efficient way to communicate, and when I asked how that process is going Hamilton was keen to downplay the subject.
“Naturally, everyone overegged it,” he said. “It was literally just a back and forth. I was very polite in how I suggested it. I said, ‘leave it to me, please.’ I wasn’t saying ‘FU,’ I wasn’t swearing.
“And at that point I was really struggling with the car, and I needed full focus on these couple of things. We’re getting to know each other. He’s obviously had two champions or more in the past, and there’s no issues between us. Go and listen to the radio calls with others and their engineers – far worse, far worse.
“The conversations that Max has within engineer over the years, the abuse that the poor guy’s taken, and you never write about it, but you write about the smallest little discussion I have with mine. Ultimately we’re we’re literally just getting to know each other.
“So afterwards I’m like, ‘Hey, bro, I don’t need that bit of information. But if you want to give me this, this is the place I’d like to do it. This is how I’m feeling in the car and at these points, this is when I do and don’t need the information.’
“And it’s that’s what it’s about. There’s no issues, and it’s done with a smiley face. And we move forward.”
Piastri was in the hunt for victory when he went off
Oscar Piastri’s dream result of a win in the Formula 1 Australian GP slipped away on lap 44 of Sunday’s race, when his pursuit of McLaren team mate Lando Norris was ended by a sudden shower and a trip onto the Albert Park grass.
A recovery to ninth place and a couple of points was of little comfort given what he had lost, but nevertheless it was a strong weekend overall for the 23-year-old.
Norris may have been a step ahead for most of the time, but Piastri was right there throughout, and was especially strong in the race. It’s now in his hands to get in front and prove that he can be the team’s main title candidate.
“Oscar today was deserving to be in contention for the victory until the last moment,” said team boss Andrea Stella.
“And he drove exceptionally well. And when I use the verb driving, that’s not only driving the car around the track, but it’s also the kind of assessment of the conditions of the decisions that we should have taken.
“It was very lucid, very calm. And he is starting his year three in F1, but he looks like one of the most expert drivers that I worked with. So, extremely impressed by Oscar today, just a little bit unlucky.”
Piastri’s life was made harder by losing a spot to Max Verstappen at the start, but he was able to keep the pressure on the Dutchman, eventually pushing him into a rare mistake.
“The start was not amazing,” he said when I asked about his race. “I just got pinched on the inside a little bit, and I got overtaken, I think the pace was really strong until we pitted for slicks. I think Max obviously locked up a little bit and went wide, and I was able to show the pace I had.”
On lap 32, shortly after a mistake had cost him a couple of seconds, a radio message revealed that only now – with backmarkers out of the way – was he free to race Norris.
“We were holding position before that. I think by the time we were free to race, it kind of killed my front left a little bit getting to the back of Lando. So by that point, there wasn’t much I could do.
“I think today’s race and the circumstances were pretty extreme. We were approaching backmarkers, one dry line, not knowing if there’s going to be rain to come. I’ll speak to the team and try and understand better what the thinking was. I think it’s always clear that those calls can come in either direction.”
It was when the rain returned that things went from for Piastri. At the end of lap 44 both he and Norris went off towards the end of the lap, and while his team mate was able to scrabble back onto the track and dive into the pits Piastri was left stranded on the wet grass for what seemed like an age.
“I tried to push a bit too much, I guess. In those conditions, very difficult to judge just how slippery it’s going to be. I think from one lap to the next, it had really changed a lot. And I could see Lando going off in front of me, but I was also already in the corner, basically.
“So there wasn’t much I could do to slow myself down at that point. And then once you’re in the gravel and the grass, you obviously try to keep the car as straight as possible. And then obviously to get stuck in the grass like that was pretty unbelievable sat in the car, but I’ve only got myself to blame for being there, so it’s a shame.”
Eventually he managed to reverse back onto the escape road and get into the pits: “I was just trying to stay in the race. Tried to go forwards, and I couldn’t, so a good thing I spent some time in the off-season trying to learn how to reverse a tractor on Jeremy Clarkson’s farm, because I think it came in handy today. I was just trying to get myself back in the race.”
He was 13th for the restart after the safety car, and was given a little help through being waved past to regain his lap – which helped to take the green with warm tyres.
“I knew that we had strong pace. I knew that I had strong pace. Even after the final restart it was frustrating. Ocon went wide or nearly lost the car at the last corner. So I went past just by driving normally, and then had to give the position back. So I lost three or four seconds doing that.
“And then given that I had to unlap myself, I had some pretty good temperature in the tyres, and was just able to capitalise on that, the car’s pace and my own confidence, I think. I’m glad that we at least got back to the points, but it should have been a lot more.”
He made it as far as ninth, pulling off a bold passing move on Lewis Hamilton right at the end. It was another sign that he means business this year.
“I think for essentially 56 laps of today’s race I was very proud of the job I did,” he said. “I feel like the pace was really strong, and obviously disappointed with the mistake I made.
“But I think that doesn’t take away completely from just how strong the whole week has been for not just the team, but for myself. I feel like I’ve done a good job all weekend. So I think it would be pessimistic of me to just write-off the whole weekend because of one mistake.”
Swearing on team radio won’t incur penalties – unless aimed at officials
The FIA has clarified the new swearing rules after the subject came up in Friday evening’s Formula 1 drivers’ briefing in Melbourne.
The new guidelines and table of fines have been a major talking point in recent weeks with drivers concerned about the scale of potential penalties.
However it was made clear that team radio conversations are exempt, and that the main focus of the new swearing guidelines is on press conferences and similar situations.
The FIA’s call not to take action on Dan Ticktum’s colourful rant in the recent Jeddah Formula E race served as an informal precedent for what would happen in F1.
That approach was confirmed by steward Garry Connelly in Friday’s briefing after drivers brought up the subject.
The FIA view is that car-to-pit conversations are “private” and the fact that some are broadcast and others aren’t mean that the stewards won’t take any action.
However the FIA also stressed that any abuse of stewards, the race director or any other officials in radio conversations would be subject to an investigation and potentially a penalty. The FIA made the point that online abuse – which can be stoked by driver comments – has led to some stewards deciding that they no longer want to serve in the role.
Drivers were also reminded that the size of any fines was at the discretion of the stewards, and wouldn’t necessarily be as high as the published numbers.
Gravel traps were another topic of conversation in the briefing after were stones thrown onto the track at Turn 6 in practice, causing a red flag at one point.
The plan is for the track to be swept in that area between qualifying sessions on Saturday. The track will also be cleared during the race should a safety car or red flag create the opportunity to do so.
Former Renault and Alpine engineer Pierre Genon has joined the Haas Formula 1 team as its Toyota project manager.
The Belgian will in effect be the liaison between the UK-based team and the Toyota Gazoo Racing operation in Cologne following the announcement of their technical collaboration late last year.
Genon went to Enstone in 2012 as the head of vehicle performance group at what was then the Lotus team, prior to its return to Renault identity.
He became the team’s head of performance systems group in 2014, and maintained the same role into the Alpine era, until going onto gardening leave last year.
Previously he worked for Prodrive’s Subaru WRC team, and on the Peugeot LMP1 programme, which included a Le Mans win in 2009.
“I am extremely excited to finally join Moneygram Haas F1 team this coming week as Toyota project manager, with the key accountability to drive the collaboration between Haas F1 and Toyota Gazoo Racing,” he said.
“I have everything to learn about the team, the project, and the partner, and the state-of-charge is at 100% for a challenge which will be quite different from the previous one.
“I am eager to meet my new team mates and to contribute to the next steps in the progress of the team via this new project.”
Genon also paid tribute to his former colleagues at Alpine, including the PU personnel whose F1 role ends this season.
“A big thank you to all those I had the pleasure of working with in the past 12 years, whether they are still there, or have moved on. Thank you for the support, the collaboration… And the laughs.
“I also spare a thought for Viry-Chatillon where I always felt very welcome. There are many good people there and so much heritage. For those wishing to continue in top level motorsport, I hope that you find what you want.
“I have no doubt that Enstone is also still full of talent and will provide fierce competition in my next adventure.”
Mercedes has confirmed that Valtteri Bottas will be back in the Formula 1 paddock in 2025 as reserve driver.
Although the team has given no details on his duties there will be a more extensive Pirelli test programme in preparation for 2026, and thus the Finn is likely to get some mileage doing via that.
It remains to be seen how many of the 24 races he will attend. Usually reserves have to be on site at flyaway races, but can wait at home on standby in Europe.
Bottas had high hopes of being retained by Sauber/Audi until the Swiss outfit confirmed that that it had opted for youth in Gabriel Bortoleto.
“I’m happy to finally answer the question I’ve posed over the past month,” he said. “Returning home to the Mercedes family as third driver for 2025 is what’s next and I couldn’t be more pleased. I want to thank Toto [Wolff], the team at Brackley, and everyone at the three-pointed star for welcoming me back with open arms.
“Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I’ve still got so much more to contribute to F1. “I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed many incredible moments in my 12 years of racing in F1 so far.
“As I return to the place where so many of those moments were achieved, I’m looking forward to using all the knowledge I’ve gained to help the team to perform and progress towards our goal of fighting for world championships.”
Wolff, who managed the early career of Bottas before he was obliged to step aside, has made his admiration clear.
“His impact and contribution in the five years he was with us previously as our race driver was immense,” said the Austrian.
“Along with scoring multiple Grands Prix wins, he played a vital role in five of our championship victories. His technical feedback and input were important in helping us to those successes and pushing the team forward.
“Not only that, but he was also a fantastic colleague and team member. His dry sense of humour and personable nature made him a firm favourite with everyone at Brackley and Brixworth.
“In his role as reserve driver, all those qualities will be incredibly important in helping us compete for world championships and supporting both George and Kimi on track.”
Lawson’s promotion has finally been confirmed. Pic: @tinnekephotography
Red Bull Racing has finally confirmed that Liam Lawson will replace Sergio Perez and partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing in 2025.
The New Zealander has been the obvious candidate since Daniel Ricciardo was dropped from RB after the Singapore GP and Lawson was given what was in effect a six-race audition for the job at the main team.
He has been chosen over Yuki Tsunoda, despite the Japanese driver having far greater experience. Lawson has started 11 races over his two part-seasons with the Faenza team.
Team boss Christian Horner made it clear that Lawson’s VCARB outings had played a key role.
“Liam’s performances over the course of his two stints with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls have demonstrated that he’s not only capable of delivering strong results but that he’s also a real racer, not afraid to mix it with the best and come out on top,” he said.
“His arrival continues the team’s long history of promoting from within the Red Bull junior programme and he follows in the footsteps of championship and race-winning drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and of course, Max Verstappen.
“There’s no doubt that racing alongside Max, a four-time champion and undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers ever seen in F1, is a daunting task, but I’m sure Liam can rise to that challenge and deliver some outstanding results for us next year.”
Lawson said: “To be announced as an Oracle Red Bull Racing driver is a lifelong dream for me, this is something I’ve wanted and worked towards since I was eight years old,” he said.
“It’s been an incredible journey so far. I want to say a massive thank you to the whole team at VCARB for their support, the last six races have played a huge part in my preparation for this next step.
“I also want to thank, Christian, Helmut [Marko] and the whole Red Bull family for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I am super excited to work alongside Max and learn from a World Champion, I have no doubt I will learn from his expertise. I can’t wait to get going!”
Kevin Magnussen says he wanted to “try something special” with a spectacular charge on the first lap of his final Formula 1 race with Haas in Abu Dhabi.
The Dane started from 14th on the grid, and helped by the Max Verstappen/Lando Norris clash and some charging moves he was up to seventh place by the end of the first lap.
However a slow first pit stop cost him time, and later his race was effectively ended when he was hit by Valtteri Bottas.
The team then gave him the chance to grab fastest lap on soft tyres right at the end, mirroring what Daniel Ricciardo did in Singapore with VCARB.
“The enjoyable part was lap one,” said Magnussen. “I knew I wanted to try something special, and just go balls to the wall and try to make up for the qualifying.
“And I did. I came around P7 from P14. So just unfortunate with the slow pit stop, which kind of ruined the race, and then afterwards, of course, the contact with Bottas.
“Gave it a go, tried our best, nothing to show for it, but still been a privilege to come back to F1. And these last three years have been a real challenge, but a real privilege as well. And very thankful, very excited for the future. And wish the team all the best.”
Magnussen has accepted that he is unlikely to race again in F1.
“I’ve been in this situation before, so it’s kind of getting old,” he said. “I think somehow the emotions I’ve been through it before, in a way. It doesn’t really feel like the last time, somehow. I think as I said, I’m very thankful, and just feel good.”
He also made sure to make his last F1 start a family event: “It was very enjoyable to share this moment with my daughter and my wife, on the grid. We sat there just looking.
“My daughter won’t remember when she grows old, but ‘ll certainly remember for the rest of my life just to sit there. She was excited and proud to be there on the grid. She loves being around here. She loves supporting her dad, and that means a lot.”
Adam Cooper F1 