Verstappen names McLaren duo as top pair

In brief

McLaren pair impress Verstappen

Asked who he would pick to drive for a Formula 1 team – excluding himself – the reigning world champion named McLaren team mates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

“I would take Lando and Oscar,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “So the McLaren pairing. Both are good.

“Lando is just a little older than Oscar. I think Oscar is a fast rookie. He still has things to learn, such as improving his racing pace. But from what I see, he’s a smart guy. He will win his races.”

De Ferran family pays tribute to Gil

The family of Gil de Ferran has paid tribute to the multiple IndyCar champion and Indianapolis 500 winner who died at the end of last year. His daughter Anna de Ferran wrote in a social media post also thanked those who had sent messages about her father.

“It is truly heart warming to see the words respect, champion, intelligent, humble, deep connection and integrity come up so often,” she wrote.

“While my father left us too young, he died the way we believe he would have wanted – driving a race car with my brother at his side. He left us without pain with his last act being to place his foot on the brake so my brother was able to come home safely with us that evening. That story in itself is testament to the level of thought, care, selflessness and love he put into everything he did.”

Ferrari pass crash test, Red Bull not cleared yet

Ferrari have already passed the first crash test for their new chassis, codenamed 676, according to Autosprint. The same publication reports Red Bull’s new RB20 did not pass its test first time. However the development is unlikely to prove a significant setback for the world champions.

Wharton to FREC after Ferrari exit

Former Ferrari Driver Academy member James Wharton will stay with the Prema team as he moves up from Italian Formula 4 to compete in the Formula Regional European Championship. “We have had a great relationship with James so far, and we look forward to having him with us for 2024 as well,” said team principal Rene Roisin. “He always fought for wins and podiums in every championship, so we trust him to be able to do the same in FRECA.

“We know this is a particularly tricky series, but we are confident we will manage to make all the steps we need to maximize our potential together and have a successful learning experience.”