Between all the important news, it’s easy to miss a few things. Don’t worry, F1Maximaal.nl will keep you informed of all the sense and nonsense from the world of Formula 1 in the Meanwhile in F1 section.
Red Bull looks back on the year in which Verstappen joined the team
Red Bull Racing looks back on the first year in which Max Verstappen joined the team with a video. That was in 2016, eight years ago now. Since his entry into the premier class, he has always been associated with Red Bull, so in principle the Dutchman is entering his tenth year as a Red Bull driver.
Leclerc’s Spotify has been hacked, hacker has published new song ‘Coffee Shop Love’
Charles Leclerc has been recording his piano songs since the 2023 season and has also published them on his Spotify page, but he discovered on Saturday evening that a new song had suddenly been published that he did not write at all. The hacker apparently added ‘Coffee Shop Love’. Leclerc could laugh about it: ‘I haven’t started singing yet!’
Alex ‘The Thai Sensation’ Albon loses to girlfriend in a game of golf
Alexander Albon played a game of digital golf with his girlfriend and professional golfer Lily Muni He, but could not beat her. Towards the end of the game, ‘The Thai Sensation’ thought he still had a chance, but his attempt to get close to his girlfriend was in vain.
Bottas making wine with Alesi in the south of France
Valtteri Bottas is now also known for his love of gin and coffee, but also makes time to enjoy a glass of wine. The Finn was in Grasse, near Cannes, with former Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi to compare some wines.
Tottenham boss also aware of Hamilton’s transfer
Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou spoke about the transfer business during a team press conference, as Thursday, February 1 was also the deadline of the so-called transfer window. However, on that day the news that Lewis Hamilton would switch to Ferrari stole the show, and Postecoglou was also aware of this and was able to joke about it during the media moment.
Piastri shows off new outfit for 2024
The British McLaren team is currently at the Paul Ricard circuit, where Oscar Piastri is testing a 2022 car. Although the car is not new, Piastri did wear the new racing suit, in which he and Lando Norris will race in 2024.
Red Bull posts viral video of Verstappen and Pérez in response to Hamilton transfer
Red Bull Racing’s Instagram account has responded in a playful way to the transfer news of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari. The video shows Max confusing Verstappen and Sergio Pérez as they stare into the distance in disbelief, symbolizing how a significant part of the F1 world is feeling following the announcement of the seven-time world champion’s departure from Mercedes.
“They don’t change drivers,” the Dutchman then shouts, after which Pérez corrects his teammate. ‘They do’, which also shows how Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari came about. The Briton was already linked to the Scuderia in the past, but still signed a contract extension with Mercedes, where he will now leave at the end of 2024.
Hamilton is mocked online: ‘How old is that guy, 62?’
Conor Moore is known online for his impersonations of several key figures in Formula 1 and other sports, and Moore eagerly took advantage of the news that Lewis Hamilton will take over at Ferrari. For example, he imitated Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz.
Hamilton appears in a red suit on social media
It is still a year before Lewis Hamilton is officially a Ferrari driver, and will therefore regularly be spotted in a scarlet red suit, but on the X account, the former Twitter, Formula1.com already shared a first photo of the Ferrari driver duo for 2025, with Hamilton in a red suit.
Piastri comes up with hilarious response to Hamilton news: ‘What did I miss?’
Oscar Piastri has given a hilarious response to the news surrounding Lewis Hamilton on X. The Mercedes driver appears to be making the switch to Ferrari and that is causing a lot of commotion on social media. Piastri pretends that nothing has happened: ‘What did I miss?’
Pérez visits Horner for dinner
Sergio Pérez has paid a visit to team boss Christian Horner. The Mexican was invited to dinner and he couldn’t say no. The team boss is thanked for this by Pérez.
Andretti reacts dejectedly to the news: ‘I am devastated’
Mario Andretti, former world champion and father of Michael Andretti, has responded on social media to the news that Andretti Autosport will not be admitted to Formula 1. Andretti senior, a racer through and through, is left speechless after the rejection: ‘ I’m devastated. I won’t say anything else because I can’t find the right words, other than to say I’m devastated.’
McLaren revs engine for the first time for the 2024 season
McLaren has shared the famous first fire-up before the start of the new season. So the engine roars like in Woking where the livery has already been unveiled. The car will be officially presented on February 14.
Sainz flew to Saudi Arabia to see his father win: ‘We are going to surprise him’
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s racing virus was sparked at an early age, not surprising given his father’s successes. Sainz senior proved to be a smooth operator and won the Dakar Rally again this year, at the age of 61, and his family traveled to Saudi Arabia to surprise the Spanish racing icon. The Ferrari driver shared his journey on his own YouTube channel.
Hamilton explains in detail what ‘Hammer Time’ means and also does a dance
On Formula 1’s YouTube channel, the drivers were given the opportunity to explain some terms. ‘Hammer Time’, Peter Bonnington’s radio message to Lewis Hamilton, also passed by. The seven-time world champion briefly but powerfully explained what the message meant and couldn’t resist doing a little dance.
Tutoring from Alonso: two-time Formula 1 champion explains F1 terms
There are a lot of technical terms used in Formula 1, and as a new fan it can sometimes be difficult to follow what the drivers exactly mean. Two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso explains what exactly is understeer and oversteer. Alonso and his colleagues explain many different terms on YouTube.
Gasly has hung photos of Verstappen, Hamilton, Norris and Leclerc on the garage door
Pierre Gasly has shared a number of photos from his holiday on Instagram. The Alpine driver was with Yuki Tsunoda, went to Dubai with his parents and is already training hard. The most striking photo in the collage is a photo of a garage door. There are photos of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc. Why? Only Gasly knows that.
