F1 Round Up: Pirelli tyre concerns, Ferrari staff delays, Hamilton's future

Russell and Leclerc raise concerns over blanket-free tyres

Mercedes driver George Russell and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc have expressed their apprehension towards Pirelli's 2024 blanket-free tyres, citing safety concerns.

Russell warned of the potential consequences ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, commenting, "There will be crashes, I have no doubt about it."

He drew on his experience with the tyres in differing conditions during testing sessions at Barcelona and Jerez.

While the former proved manageable, Russell noted the challenges presented by colder conditions, raising questions over the tyres' adaptability across varying circuits and temperatures.

Leclerc echoed Russell's sentiments. Although his testing session in Barcelona was successful, he noted a potential difficulty with tyre temperature management when racing against other cars.

He stressed the need to explore the tyres' performance in less favourable conditions before they are deemed raceable.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin driver, dismissed the blanket-free tyre idea as inappropriate for F1, highlighting the influence of circuit-specific tyre energy requirements.

Ferrari's recovery stalled by staff acquisition delays

Ferrari's recently appointed team boss, Fred Vasseur, has highlighted the arduous timescales involved in Formula 1's recovery, particularly in terms of new top-tier personnel signings.

This revelation follows Ferrari's struggles this season, marked by the inconsistency of its SF-23, operated by drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

The team also suffered losses in key personnel such as head of vehicle concept David Sanchez and sporting director Laurent Mekies, who are headed for McLaren and AlphaTauri, respectively.

Vasseur's efforts for a turnaround have shown promise after the latest major update introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix, but he acknowledged the necessity of further reinforcements from outside the team.

The 'gardening leave' clauses in F1 contracts impose significant delays in acquiring new talents.

As Vasseur shared, "I signed a top guy a couple of weeks ago to join in 2025."

Despite such challenges, Vasseur insists on focusing on current car development, stating, "Step by step we are going on the right direction."

The Ferrari boss is cautiously optimistic about performance at unique tracks like Montreal and their comparison to competitors like Aston Martin.

This season's difficulties illuminate the hard reality of F1's slow pace in team recovery and development.

Lewis Hamilton hints at an expanded role in his ongoing contract negotiations with Mercedes

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is in talks with Mercedes about a new deal that he described as "not just a simple driving contract".

The complexity of the contract, which is expected to extend beyond Hamilton's racing tenure, could explain why negotiations are taking longer than anticipated.

Hamilton expressed interest in potentially expanding his association with Mercedes, hinting at a future role beyond driving.

The British driver remained tight-lipped about the exact details of the contract, but emphasised his focus on racing for a significant period.

He also spoke of his intentions to explore all avenues to nurture his partnership with Mercedes, stating that there is no need to rush the process.