Lance Stroll’s FIA ticking off and more Andretti speculation – F1 news round-up

Sam Cooper 13 Oct 2023 10:00 PM

Michael Andretti in conversation. Austin October 2022. — Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti is preparing for a possible F1 entry.

Lance Stroll was in the FIA’s bad books as Formula 1 gets ready for a non-race weekend.

With the Qatar GP getting further and further away in the rear view mirror, F1 fans will still have to wait a little longer for the return of the action.

As the United States Grand Prix appears over the horizon, here are all the stories you may have missed.

Lance Stroll given written FIA warning

First up is official confirmation from the FIA that Lance Stroll has been handed a written warning following his actions at the Qatar Grand Prix.

After being knocked out of Q1, the Canadian was seen shoving his personal trainer who looked to be advising Stroll that he needed to go and get weighed, as mandated by the FIA.

Stroll then appeared in the media pen offering a very short interview of which 1/6th of the words were “sh*t” in a video that circulated widely on social media.

The FIA announced that their compliance officer was looking into the matter and after receiving an apology from the 24-year-old, they have closed the case.

FIA hoping to avoid court over Andretti entry

With the Andretti bid still being considered by FOM, one man who has already given it the green light has been weighing in on the possibility of a court case should things not go the American family’s way.

With the possibility of legal action put forward should FOM say no, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is hopeful it will not come to that.

“We don’t have to go to court, and I don’t think any of us will go to court,” Ben Sulayem told reporters in Qatar, including Motorsport.com.

“I mean, maybe it sounds very exciting and thrilling to the media, but it will not go to court. I’m sure of that. Why should we go to court?

“This marriage [between FIA and FOM]? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I think the Pope of the Vatican can get married 100 times and get divorced. But we will not be divorced.

“Yes, the owners might change tomorrow, Liberty Media might sell. But the FIA with Liberty going to court? We will not allow it even. It’s not even for discussion.

“对我来说,我们越南河粉ne, we handle things. These small things that go are part of making the sport better.”

Red Bull reportedly deny Sergio Perez setup choice

The difference between Sergio Perez’s form in the first half of the season as to now has been remarkable.

While the Mexican currently seems incapable of doing well, at the start of the year his two wins in the opening four races had him looking like a potential title candidate.

But that fell away at the Miami Grand Prix and according to German publication Auto Motor und Sport that is because Red Bull refused to go back to how the car used to be.

They claim Perez approached the team with a request to return to the pre-Barcelona RB19 during his mid-season struggles, with Red Bull rejecting it on the basis that no team brings two different cars to grands prix.

Felipe Massa update as court case rumbles on

While Bernie Ecclestone was in the docks this week, he was not the only F1-related court case that is ongoing.

Felipe Massa is continuing his legal case against the sport over the events of the 2008 season and a member of his legal team told PlanetF1.com that F1 had requested a delay.

“FIA and FOM are completing an internal investigation,” Bernardo Viana said.

“They have requested one last extension to the deadline they initially asked for, from October 12th to November 15th.

“We have agreed to this final period because, if the new administration is indeed looking into the matter in good faith, they will certainly reach the same conclusion we and so many people around the world have.

“We would like to know what Formula 1’s new leadership’s position is on the recently disclosed scandal and the injustice faced by Felipe Massa.”

Alain Prost poses worrying Max Verstappen opinion

Anyone hoping to beat Max Verstappen in the future will not have taken comfort from the words of another multi World Champion Alain Prost.

The Frenchman remarked on Verstappen after he secured his third world title, one fewer than Prost himself, and said the “impatient kid” is gone.

“There is no doubt that he has succeeded in becoming a great driver. But what, in my opinion, makes him even stronger is the way in which he has learned to be one with his car and his team.

“He’s a great whole who strives for perfection every day. When you hear the driver complaining about the bad behaviour of his single-seater during free practice on Friday morning, it’s not the anger of the kid who used to make mistakes and sometimes ended up in the wall because of his impatience.

“不,这马克斯消失在th 2021年底e end of his magnificent battle against Lewis Hamilton. I’m not going to talk about the highly controversial Abu Dhabi final, but about the way he and his Red Bull battled throughout the season against Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.”

Andretti Lance Stroll