Edd Straw

Formula 1

Ferrari reshuffle made Seidl leave McLaren three years early

Andreas Seidl’s plan to leave McLaren for Sauber/Audi was already set for 2026, until Mattia Binotto’s split with Ferrari accelerated it all

Formula 1

Why McLaren’s ‘continuity candidate’ is a logical choice

Andrea Stella has been in Formula 1 for more than two decades, yet the extent of his involvement in helping McLaren to revive its fortunes isn’t publicly obvious. That changes now he’s team principal

Formula 1

Sauber – or rather Audi – has won the team boss silly season

The Formula 1 team boss silly season kicked off in a big way on Tuesday. But while Frederic Vasseur’s move to Ferrari got the ball rolling, its Sauber’s – or Audi’s – move to replace him with Andreas Seidl that’s the biggest coup

Formula 1

Abrupt exits suggest Williams wants a quick course correction

Look at the big picture Dorilton Capital and Jost Capito were focused on, and it seems strange that he and technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison are suddenly out of their jobs at the Williams Formula 1 team

Formula 1

Bottas’s demolition of his F1 apprentice was misleading

In terms of points scored, Valtteri Bottas demolished his rookie Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team-mate Zhou Guanyu in 2022. But that paints a misleading picture as Edd Straw explains in his review of their first year as team-mates

Formula 1

What led to F1 2022’s biggest teams’ championship slump

This team’s lowest finish in the F1 constructors’ standings for a decade was down to both a failure to make the most of its performance early in the season and in falling short of the required aero development progress

Formula 1

How Alpine’s volatile F1 team-mates really compared

Alpine left a lot of points on the table in 2022, but it got what it needed out of a volatile Fernando Alonso/Esteban Ocon combination

Formula 1

F1’s vision for non-DRS moveable aero in 2026

DRS aside, F1 has largely steered clear of moveable aero since 1969 – but a solution usable “100% of the time” is being considered for 2026

Formula 1

F1’s plan for lighter and shorter cars in 2026

Formula 1’s 2026 cars are set to be lighter and “quite a lot shorter”, according to the FIA head of single-seater technical matters Nikolas Tombazis, with the size reduction creating the opportunity to reduce the mass

Formula 1

A bigger F1 grid would only give drivers false hope

One of the arguments made for having more teams on the Formula 1 grid is that it gives greater opportunity for drivers. Numerically, that’s true. But those opportunities have rarely been worthwhile

Formula 1

The strengths ‘class act’ Hulkenberg brings to Haas

Three years on the sidelines, that dubious accolade of the record for F1 starts with no podiums… There are reasons to be sceptical about Haas’s choice of Nico Hulkenberg. Edd Straw tackles them, with insight from an engineer very aware of Hulk’s strengths

Formula 1

The ‘ridiculous’ situation that caused F1’s flag ‘overreaction’

The FIA admits it became trigger-happy with black-and-orange flags in F1 this season after allowing a car to run in a “ridiculous” state in Baku

Formula 1

Alonso’s Alpine outburst that encouraged Aston Martin

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has highlighted a key public outburst of Fernando Alonso’s frustration with Alpine as proof of the 41-year-old’s continuing absolute motivation to succeed in Formula 1

Formula 1

Aston Martin’s best-in-F1 target for its ‘game-changer’ factory

Aston Martin is pinning a lot on its new Formula 1 base, as it finally moves out of its old Jordan facility in 2023. But the reasons it thinks the new factory will be ‘game-changing’ might not be what you expect. Edd Straw took a look around

Formula 1

Further Jeddah F1 changes unveiled after driver criticism

Further modifications have been made to the Saudi Arabian F1 venue to tackle driver criticisms of the high-speed street circuit

Formula 1

‘It was our doing’ – Why heavier defeat hurt Mercedes much less

The Mercedes F1 team has found coming up well short in an “absolute meritocracy” to be much less painful than what happened in 2021

Formula 1

F1 wheel arches plan motivated by ‘scars’ of Spa 2021 fiasco

Formula 1’s intention to create standard-specification wheel arches to be fitted to cars for wet conditions is motivated by the desire to prevent a repeat of the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix farce the FIA says “left scars on the sport”. Edd Straw found out more about the plan

Formula 1

How deliberate Aston interference helped Alfa Romeo’s $11m bid

Alfa Romeo had little intention of trying to score points in Abu Dhabi. Instead, it went for spoiler tactics to try to hinder the Aston Martin drivers’ progress and cling on to sixth in the constructors’ championship

Formula 1

‘Make something amazing together’ – Gasly buzzing after Alpine debut

Even by the standards of Formula 1 drivers trying to say nice things about their first day at a new team, Pierre Gasly’s summary of his Alpine debut in the post-season Abu Dhabi test was exceptionally upbeat

Formula 1

Edd Straw’s 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix F1 driver ratings

The curtain-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the final chance for drivers to impress in the 2022 Formula 1 season. So who signed off on a high, and who was left disappointed?

Formula 1

Does F1’s latest Abu Dhabi decider actually matter?

The battle for the F1 2022 runner-up spot has already managed to cause significant strife – but is there really any prestige to second place?

Formula 1

Hamilton eager to be done with Mercedes W13 as porpoising returns

Lewis Hamilton is keen to bid farewell to Mercedes’ troubled 2022 Formula 1 car in the post-season test, as both drivers complained of a return of porpoising at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Formula 1

Hamilton eager to be done with Mercedes W13 as porpoising returns

Lewis Hamilton is keen to bid farewell to Mercedes’ troubled 2022 Formula 1 car in the post-season test, as both drivers complained of a return of porpoising at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Formula 1

Red Bull’s rivals explain why they won’t seek Perez investigation

Red Bull’s main F1 rivals have no interest in asking the FIA to investigate Sergio Perez’s newly-controversial Monaco crash

Formula 1

F1 evaluating ‘wheel arches’ as option for wet races

Formula 1 is mulling the introduction of “wheel arches” that can be fitted to the car for wet conditions, for potentially as early as 2024

Formula 1

Perez denies Monaco crash deliberate, explains Brazil talks

Sergio Perez has denied claims he crashed deliberately during Formula 1 qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix, and said Red Bull’s talks in Brazil focused only on the application of team orders that day and not Max Verstappen’s wider reason for snubbing them

Formula 1

Deliberate crashes more common in F1 than you think – Sainz

Carlos Sainz has suggested deliberate crashes in Formula 1 are relatively common, while refusing to comment on whether he considers Sergio Perez’s Monaco Grand Prix qualifying incident to be one of them

Formula 1

Vettel certain of F1 retirement ‘peace’ he could’ve been denied

Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin epilogue has allowed him to bow out at peace, whatever result Abu Dhabi brings

Formula 1

Edd Straw’s 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix F1 driver ratings

There’s one just perfect 10 among Edd Straw’s Formula 1 driver ratings for the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix

Formula 1

Mercedes didn’t tell Russell about potential race-ending leak

George Russell had a water leak that threatened his Brazilian Grand Prix victory – and the Mercedes Formula 1 driver didn’t even know about it during the race

Formula 1

McLaren’s unexpected boost for its Daniel Ricciardo replacement

Alpine has agreed to release Oscar Piastri to drive for McLaren in the post-Abu Dhabi Grand Prix test

Formula 1

On-track form won’t ‘hugely change’ Schumacher’s future anymore

Mick Schumacher doubts his on-track results in the final two events of the season will “hugely change” his Formula 1 destiny, with Haas team principal Guenther Steiner suggesting a final decision on its 2022 driver line-up is imminent

Formula 1

How Brazil’s previous underdog pole fairytale happened

Coincidentally, the last driver to pull off a surprise pole position at Interlagos is Kevin Magnussen’s likely 2023 team-mate. Edd Straw explains how Nico Hulkenberg took his stunning maiden F1 pole in 2010 in equally shocking circumstances

Formula 1

Shock pole proves F1 got seemingly trivial rule change right

Kevin Magnussen’s 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix pole position will always be remembered, a result that was totally unexpected but welcomed almost universally within the paddock. And it’s proved why a seemingly trivial change made by Formula 1 for 2022 was absolutely right

Formula 1

The gratitude balancing out Alonso’s big Alpine frustrations

Fernando Alonso hasn’t been the happiest with his soon-to-be-former F1 employer Alpine, but is keenly aware of what the team did for him

Formula 1

Can Ferrari make a meaningful recovery from new 2022 low?

Ferrari is confident it won’t be left standing by Red Bull and Mercedes in Brazil as it was in Mexico. Is that confidence well-founded? Edd Straw assesses whether Ferrari’s Mexico City problems will transfer to Interlagos

Formula 1

What Ricciardo wants from a 2023 F1 reserve deal

Daniel Ricciardo needs a break from Formula 1 in 2023 – but also a way of staying involved and staying race-fit and sharp. Can he find a reserve deal that offers that balance?

Formula 1

The problem exposed by F1’s winter shutdown push

F1’s mooted winter shutdown is an extremely sensible idea, but one that will inevitably emphasise a wider inflexibility problem

Formula 1

The ‘really complicated’ F1 windtunnel steps that await McLaren

McLaren will take a ‘cautious’ approach to phasing in its new Formula 1 windtunnel in 2023, a decision ex-F1 technical director Gary Anderson can see the logic in

Formula 1

Ocon interview: Alonso contrast, Ricciardo defeat and his style

Following Fernando Alonso’s shock exit to Aston Martin, Alpine will need incumbent Esteban Ocon to lead the team alongside new signing Pierre Gasly. Edd Straw sat down with Ocon for an exclusive interview to pin down the driving style traits that have defined Ocon’s F1 career so far