Latest news with #MarkSkaife
News.com.au
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Legend Mark Skaife's bold call out to recruit Daniel Ricciardo
Racing legend Mark Skaife is imploring General Motors to make a big splash as it searches for drivers for the 2026 Supercars campaign. GM was blindsided earlier this year when the wildly successful Triple Eight racing outfit announced it would end their 15-year association and switch to Ford next season. Kayo Sports is the home of Supercars | Watch every race of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship LIVE & ad-break free during racing. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Under the banner Red Bull Ampol Racing, Triple Eight drivers Broc Feeney and Will Brown are currently first and second in the Supercars standings respectively and both are under contract with Triple Eight for 2026. Skaife won five Supercars championships and represented Triple Eight towards the end of his glittering career. The 56-year-old told Speedcafe that GM should be targeting a big name to rebound from the shock Triple Eight split and that includes picking up the phone to Daniel Ricciardo. 'If I was running a race team, I would constantly be looking for the very best operators. You would be delinquent if you weren't,' he said. 'And they don't come along that often. You think about a Jamie Whincup or a Craig Lowndes, they are pretty few and far between in terms of absolute superstars. 'I think overall, the policy around having superstar drivers, I can't emphasise enough how essential it is. It's just fact. 'Where would Red Bull be without (Max) Verstappen? They'd be nowhere. To me, GM finding a, or maybe a couple, of real stars is essential. 'I thought when I read about (GM) trying to get Cam Waters, that made a lot of sense to me. 'But I'd be looking at some other scenarios. I'd be picking the phone up to someone like a Dan Ricciardo or a (Porsche Penske driver) Matt Campbell. 'I'd be looking outside our current sphere to try and procure an absolute superstar.' Apart from some vague links with the new Cadillac team that will join the F1 ranks next season, Ricciardo has been barely sighted since his final race with the VCARB team at last year's Singapore Grand Prix. The 35-year-old has given every indication he's finished as a driver, although he has expressed an interest in the past in attacking the Bathurst 1000. If GM was able to attract Ricciardo to the team, still comfortably among the biggest names in Australian motorsport, it would be one heck of a coup. Skaife's bold suggestion comes after Ricciardo's former teammate Verstappen's wild move in Spain last weekend was widely condemned. While fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri saluted for the fifth time this season after winning the Spanish Grand Prix, edging out his teammate Lando Norris to secure a one-two finish, Verstappen lost his mind in the closing stages. After closing to third place, Verstappen was left seething at his own team after having a set of hard tyres put on after a safety car. He was instantly caught out by Charles Leclerc before later being advised by his team to hand a position back to George Russell. That directive didn't sit well with the four-time world champion who slowed down, allowing Russell to pass before he jumped back on the accelerator and rammed into the Mercedes driver. It was a spectacular blunder by his team, with FIA stewards confirming after the race they would not have penalised Verstappen if he had held his position. F1 commentators around the globe were unanimous in criticising Verstappen for the vicious move. Former world champion Nico Rosberg said on Sky Sports the Dutch driver should have been black-flagged and disqualified. 'It looked like a very intentional retaliation,' Rosberg said. 'Wait for the opponent, go ramming into him, just like you felt the other guy rammed into you at Turn 1.' The F1 season is taking a break this weekend before the Canadian Grand Prix starts at 4am AEST on June 16.
Daily Telegraph
30-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
F1 2025: ‘Impossible' overtaking problem and ‘gimmick' that can't fix it
Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. There's no way around it, Formula One has an overtaking problem. Monaco's place on the F1 calendar once again came under question last weekend, with a mandatory second pit stop failing to shake-up the race. Monaco is the jewel in F1's crown but it's difficult to escape the reality that the race on Sunday is a dull procession decided by Saturday's qualifying session — the most important of the year. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. 'At a place like Monaco it's just you might as well have the race Saturday in qualifying and then park up for Sunday because it's impossible to pass,' Supercars legend Mark Skaife told But it's not just Monaco where F1 is confronted with its biggest dilemma. Max Verstappen's gutsy lunge past Oscar Piastri on the first lap at Imola was impressive for its bravery, but also necessary given the rest of the race became more about tyre management than overtaking opportunities. F1 has a big overtaking problem. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Overtaking is nearly impossible in the current cars, which are 2 metres wide. Under F1's new regulations for 2026, F1 cars will be 100mm narrower as part of an effort to make the cars smaller and more agile. 'The cars are so big now, that's the issue,' Skaife said. 'If you look through the history of Formula One, the cars were comparatively really small. 'Through the modern era of car changes, the hybrid era and through the physicality of the cars, an unintended consequence has been the cars have become so large. 'It was even apparent at Imola. It's a traditional racecourse with grass verges and all that stuff. You could tell straight away at Imola without the extreme nature of Monaco that the cars being so big is a real issue for the overtaking. 'Obviously that then puts the emphasis on qualifying being paramount to success.' Michael Schumacher's old Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello agrees, telling PokerStrategy: 'With Piastri and Norris, it's an open competition between the two and Piastri has the upper hand. 'Whoever gets on pole of the race has a 51 per cent chance of winning with their car. They spend most of their time practising race starts, because it's so important to get in front.' F1 is a business, but quality of racing is paramount F1 has never been more popular and is a commercial behemoth right now, valued at $US 17 billion ($26 billion). This week F1 unveiled another major sponsor in Pepsi, complete with an unexpected Daniel Ricciardo sighting. But Skaife believes the quality of racing is not as good as it could be, highlighting the choice of circuits on the F1 calendar as a major dilemma. 'As rule makers, one of the intentions should be that the quality of your racing is tantamount to the success of the game,' the five-time Supercars champion said. 'So you've got all the personalities, you've got all the car brands, you've got Cadillac/General Motors coming, you've got Audi coming next year. 'The sport is in great shape. But one of the things that I'm sure the powers-that-be would be considering is what do the cars look like in five years' time and what do you need to change? 'Because you can't change the infrastructure. You can't just go and fix Monaco tomorrow. It is impossible to overtake on Monaco's street circuit. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / POOL / AFP) 'And you can't fix a lot of the traditional circuits. I know there's been a lot of controversy about this in recent times, but I'm a real fan of the really hardcore proper car racing tracks. 'Places like Spa. There's a lot of conjecture about whether Spa will end up being knocked on the head. 'And places like Suzuka, there's so many really cool racetracks. 'Verstappen and the drivers were talking about Imola being a really cool little racetrack and it is. 'So you've always got this complex nature of who's prepared to pay, what market are you in?Where do you go? 'Miami now has a long-term contract. There's always been a difficulty for Formula One to get into the US market and clearly they're pushing hard with that. 'So when you then think about it from a business perspective, you are still a car racing business and the car racing is the pinnacle of world motorsport. 'There will be a lot of discussion around what the cars look like in the future and how do you make the racing as good as it can be, especially from an overtaking perspective.' The McLaren driver that dominates qualifying will likely win the F1 championship. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) The F1 calendar is in a state of flux for next year, with several European circuits including Imola in Italy and Spa in Belgium set to be ditched from the schedule as part of a rotating policy. Piastri has said it would be a shame for the iconic tracks to disappear from the calendar. 'It's a great circuit,' Piastri said of Imola earlier this month. 'I've only raced here once before, but it's definitely towards the top end of my favourites. 'OK, maybe it's not the best track to race on — not the best for overtaking — but in terms of the ultimate experience of driving an F1 car, this is at the top of the list. We need to be mindful of that. 'Having two races in the same country, with how many bids we have from around the world, maybe doesn't make that much sense anymore. And when you have Monza as your second race in Italy, it's pretty hard not to go to Monza. There'd be some riots if we didn't! 'So for me, we just need to be careful to preserve the history. Zandvoort is going, Spa is going to be on rotation, which I'm not the happiest about. 'We just need to be careful not to lose these historical tracks.' The iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa, Belgium could soon be gone from the F1 calendar. (Photo by Remko de Waal / ANP / AFP) F1 'gimmick' isn't the answer The Drag Reduction System, where the rear wing opens to boost straight-line speed, was introduced into F1 in 2011 in a bid to improve overtaking. But in recent years there have gradually been less memorable overtakes like Ricciardo's trademark dive-bombs or Lewis Hamilton's double overtake at Silverstone in 2022. 'I mean really DRS is a gimmick for overtaking,' Skaife said. 'You've got this system, this aero system, to assist with overtaking if you've actually got cars that can follow each other closely. 'That's was what the mandate of the current regulations were you know everyone was saying 'oh you'll be able to follow more closely'. There are growing calls to make F1 cars smaller. (Photo by) 'But it's essential to have a policy around how much aero the cars have got and how close can you drive behind the car in front. 'Firstly it's about how much downforce you have when you're in the dirty air behind another car. 'That's the core value of being able to overtake another car and have aero efficiency that's good enough in the dirty air to be able to get a run out of a corner, slipstream the car in front, and be able to pass. 'But the other part of it is that the lead car, the car that's in front, has to have enough drag. 'It pays a penalty for leading. So the car behind has less drag, that's the reality of the car in front having to push the air. 'And if you've got less lift to drag ratio, so you actually want more drag on the cars, that would then have an effect of being able to pass on a straight line.' Watch every practice and qualifying session of the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend, including the race on Sunday at 11pm AEST on Kayo Sports. Originally published as 'It's impossible': F1's massive problem exposed and 'gimmick' that can't fix it
News.com.au
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
‘It's impossible': F1's massive problem exposed and ‘gimmick' that can't fix it
There's no way around it, Formula One has an overtaking problem. Monaco's place on the F1 calendar once again came under question last weekend, with a mandatory second pit stop failing to shake-up the race. Monaco is the jewel in F1's crown but it's difficult to escape the reality that the race on Sunday is a dull procession decided by Saturday's qualifying session — the most important of the year. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. 'At a place like Monaco it's just you might as well have the race Saturday in qualifying and then park up for Sunday because it's impossible to pass,' Supercars legend Mark Skaife told But it's not just Monaco where F1 is confronted with its biggest dilemma. Max Verstappen's gutsy lunge past Oscar Piastri on the first lap at Imola was impressive for its bravery, but also necessary given the rest of the race became more about tyre management than overtaking opportunities. Overtaking is nearly impossible in the current cars, which are 2 metres wide. Under F1's new regulations for 2026, F1 cars will be 100mm narrower as part of an effort to make the cars smaller and more agile. 'The cars are so big now, that's the issue,' Skaife said. 'If you look through the history of Formula One, the cars were comparatively really small. 'Through the modern era of car changes, the hybrid era and through the physicality of the cars, an unintended consequence has been the cars have become so large. 'It was even apparent at Imola. It's a traditional racecourse with grass verges and all that stuff. You could tell straight away at Imola without the extreme nature of Monaco that the cars being so big is a real issue for the overtaking. 'Obviously that then puts the emphasis on qualifying being paramount to success.' Michael Schumacher's old Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello agrees, telling PokerStrategy: 'With Piastri and Norris, it's an open competition between the two and Piastri has the upper hand. 'Whoever gets on pole of the race has a 51 per cent chance of winning with their car. They spend most of their time practising race starts, because it's so important to get in front.' F1 is a business, but quality of racing is paramount F1 has never been more popular and is a commercial behemoth right now, valued at $US 17 billion ($26 billion). This week F1 unveiled another major sponsor in Pepsi, complete with an unexpected Daniel Ricciardo sighting. But Skaife believes the quality of racing is not as good as it could be, highlighting the choice of circuits on the F1 calendar as a major dilemma. 'As rule makers, one of the intentions should be that the quality of your racing is tantamount to the success of the game,' the five-time Supercars champion said. 'So you've got all the personalities, you've got all the car brands, you've got Cadillac/General Motors coming, you've got Audi coming next year. 'The sport is in great shape. But one of the things that I'm sure the powers-that-be would be considering is what do the cars look like in five years' time and what do you need to change? 'Because you can't change the infrastructure. You can't just go and fix Monaco tomorrow. 'And you can't fix a lot of the traditional circuits. I know there's been a lot of controversy about this in recent times, but I'm a real fan of the really hardcore proper car racing tracks. 'Places like Spa. There's a lot of conjecture about whether Spa will end up being knocked on the head. 'And places like Suzuka, there's so many really cool racetracks. 'Verstappen and the drivers were talking about, you might be a really cool little racetrack and it is. So you've always got this complex nature of who's prepared to pay, what market are you in? 'Where do you go? Miami now has a long-term contract. There's always been a difficulty for Formula One to get into the US market and clearly they're pushing hard with that. 'So when you then think about it from a business perspective, you are still a car racing business and the car racing is the pinnacle of world motorsport. 'There will be a lot of discussion around what the cars look like in the future and how do you make the racing as good as it can be, especially from an overtaking perspective.' The F1 calendar is in a state of flux for next year, with several European circuits including Imola in Italy and Spa in Belgium set to be ditched from the schedule as part of a rotating policy. Piastri has said it would be a shame for the iconic tracks to disappear from the calendar. 'It's a great circuit,' Piastri said of Imola earlier this month. 'I've only raced here once before, but it's definitely towards the top end of my favourites. 'OK, maybe it's not the best track to race on — not the best for overtaking — but in terms of the ultimate experience of driving an F1 car, this is at the top of the list. We need to be mindful of that. 'Having two races in the same country, with how many bids we have from around the world, maybe doesn't make that much sense anymore. And when you have Monza as your second race in Italy, it's pretty hard not to go to Monza. There'd be some riots if we didn't! 'So for me, we just need to be careful to preserve the history. Zandvoort is going, Spa is going to be on rotation, which I'm not the happiest about. 'We just need to be careful not to lose these historical tracks.' F1 'gimmick' isn't the answer The Drag Reduction System, where the rear wing opens to boost straight-line speed, was introduced into F1 in 2011 in a bid to improve overtaking. But in recent years there have gradually been less memorable overtakes like Ricciardo's trademark dive-bombs or Lewis Hamilton's double overtake at Silverstone in 2022. 'I mean really DRS is a gimmick for overtaking,' Skaife said. 'You've got this system, this aero system, to assist with overtaking if you've actually got cars that can follow each other closely. 'That's was what the mandate of the current regulations were you know everyone was saying 'oh you'll be able to follow more closely'. 'But it's essential to have a policy around how much aero the cars have got and how close can you drive behind the car in front. 'Firstly it's about how much downforce you have when you're in the dirty air behind another car. 'That's the core value of being able to overtake another car and have aero efficiency that's good enough in the dirty air to be able to get a run out of a corner, slipstream the car in front, and be able to pass. 'But the other part of it is that the lead car, the car that's in front, has to have enough drag. 'It pays a penalty for leading. So the car behind has less drag, that's the reality of the car in front having to push the air. 'And if you've got less lift to drag ratio, so you actually want more drag on the cars, that would then have an effect of being able to pass on a straight line.'
