Latest news with #Turn1
NBC Sports
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
IMSA Watkins Glen results, points: Acura wins again as Blomqvist saves just enough juice
Stretching his hybrid battery to the aboslute limit when a rival couldn't, Tom Blomqvist took the lead on the last lap to win the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar race at Watkins Glen International. Blomqvist's No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 crossed the finish line with less than 1% of its battery power reamining and finished 1.880 seconds ahed of the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac. The No. 10 WTR Cadillac finished third. 'The guys gave me a target, and we were able to execute,' Blomqvist told NBC Sports' Dave Burns on Peacock. 'The car came alive there. I knew we just needed a bit space. We were able to capitalize on a couple of restarts. The guys did a great strategy and the pace was set to be able to hit those really big fuel targets ,and that's what enabled me to go to the end and the others not. IMSA WATKINS GLEN RESULTS: Click here for overall l By class 'So really proud of everyone. It was an up-and-down race for us. We had a few mistakes here at the beginning, but we made the most of it there at the end, so I'm so happy for the guys. It's been a really tough year. We haven't really had what we believe we deserve.' Earl Bamber had been in the lead on a restart with 3 minutes remaining, but his No. 31 Cadillac finished fifth after being forced to make a pit stop when its battery expired just before taking the white flag. Just before the last restart, Nick Yelloly also had pitted from second in the No. 93 MSR Acura. That had Blomqvist's co-driver, Colin Braun, nervous atop the Meyer Shank Racing pit stand. 'Tom did a great job there at the end saving the fuel,' Braun said. 'Man, the guys on the pit box were sweating bullets up there, but they made it happen there, so I'm pumped.' With the No. 93 's May 31 victory at Detroit, Meyer Shank Racing's Acuras have won two consecutive races after Porsche Penske Motorsport opened the 2025 season with four wins. 'The guys have really stepped it up,' Blomqvist said. 'We're just getting better and better every race, so hopefully more to come.' The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 finished fourth to move into the championship lead by 12 points over the No. 7 963, which finished a season-worst 47th. After a promising start in which Felipe Nasr moved from 10th to the lead, things went awry when Nick Tandy went into the Turn 1 wall with just over 90 minutes remaining. The No. 7 Porsche 963 required major repairs that cost the team more than 10 laps in the pits. The Watkins Glen winners in other categories: LMP2: No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07 GTD Pro: No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO GTD: No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo IMSA WATKINS GLEN SIX HOURS RESULTS Race results Results by class Fastest laps by driver Fastest laps by driver after race (over the weekend) Fastest laps by driver and class after race Lap chart Best sector times Leader sequence Race distance and average speed Fastest lap sequence Race analysis by lap Stint analysis Track limits analysis Time cards Pit stop time cards Flag analysis Weather report NEXT RACE The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will race with the LMP2, GTD Pro and GTD categories Sunday, July 13 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (2 p.m. ET, USA, Peacock). Dan Harper and Max Hesse recap their up-and-down day at Watkins Glen and how they worked pit strategy to climb to the front and win the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen in GTD Pro. For Tom Gamble, his emotions were "all over the place" after Lexus ran out of gas on the final lap at Watkins Glen, and he shares his first-time win with teammate Casper Stevenson while Zacharie Robichon gets his eighth. Paul Di Resta, Rasmus Lindh and Daniel Goldburg discuss their LMP2 class win at Watkins Glen, vaulting the United Motorsports No. 22 to the top of the championship standings.
Irish Daily Mirror
03-06-2025
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Alex Dunne on the harrowing abuse he faced following Monaco GP crash
Irish racing driver Alex Dunne revealed the extent of the harrowing abuse he faced after his crash caused multiple DNFs in Monaco in the last race weekend. Speaking to The Race, the Offaly teenager accepted the blame for the crash in Monte Carlo which left him with multiple grid penalties for the Barcelona sprint and feature races last weekend. He said: 'I don't think there's any point in me commenting on Monaco really, what happened, happened. 'But I think moving forward, it's clear in these scenarios, maybe sometimes you just need to rein it back a bit. 'Everyone knows Monaco Turn 1, if you come out in the lead, the chance of you finishing there is pretty high. 'Everyone around me is still pushing me on, McLaren and the team are still fully behind me and happy with how I'm doing. So yeah, couple of things to change but should be fine.' He was then asked whether his comeback drive from P19 to 2nd had silenced his critics. He didn't know, as the abuse he received after the events of the Monaco feature race forced him to delete social media from his phone. 'I got a lot of stuff after Monaco, normally I'm not someone who reads things and gets annoyed by them," he said. 'But, I think an hour after the race, I deleted social media off my phone because I've ever received such bad messages in my life. 'A lot of the stuff I got was really, really bad and quite upsetting to be honest. But you know, I think...' His answer trailed off after this as he became visibly emotional before the interview moved onto other topics. McLaren F1 team principal Andrea Stella - who takes charge of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, of which the 19-year-old is a member - told The Race 'Alex is doing very well, he's a very fast driver, very talented, and the situation he had in Monaco was one of those situations where you can learn a lot. 'If we think, multiple world champions they went through situations that were very important to finetune the way they go racing. 'The way he raced today, the way he managed to overtake cars in a very clean way in the first lap, stay calm and see how the situation would have evolved, and capitalise when the opportunity came, was an immediate response to the situation he had in Monaco, and the pressure that came from these social media comments, for me that's something that makes me very proud of him. 'I think it was genuine. I think we need to realise that we live in a difficult world in which people can attack people really with no foundation, sometimes no competence, so we're completely behind Alex, not only on track but also off-track from this point of view." While it would be great to get an Irish driver on the F1 grid, it may be a ways away yet, with a McLaren promotion unlikely until at least 2027 when Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris's contracts run out. If the opportunity arises, though, it may be difficult to look past the Offaly man, with his performances in the F2 championship, specifically his ability to bounce back from his Monaco blip, beginning to turn heads in the sport.
Fox Sports
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Paddock Buzz: David Malukas Earns Sweet Redemption with Third
INDYCAR Just one year removed from being sidelined with a severe wrist injury that left David Malukas without a ride for last year's Indianapolis 500, he returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway not only as a driver but as a contender. Malukas finished third driving the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises in Sunday's 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. 'Last year, there was a chance I would never be back in the INDYCAR paddock again,' Malukas said. 'I was a fan watching in Turn 1, and now one year later, I'm back here fighting for the win.' Malukas' 2024 season started with promise after signing with Arrow McLaren, but a mountain biking accident in February shattered those plans. The injury kept him off the grid longer than expected, leading to his release from the team. During the Month of May last year, he took a very different role—contributing to INDYCAR's content team while healing, uncertain if he'd ever return to competitive racing. Once medically cleared, Malukas secured a part-time opportunity with Meyer Shank Racing for the final 10 races of the 2024 season. His performances there reignited his career, ultimately earning him a full-time seat with AJ Foyt Racing in 2025. Entering the 2025 Indy 500, his season-best was only a 13th-place finish at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. His best Indy 500 result had been 16th place as a rookie driving for Dale Coyne Racing in 2022. But Sunday, he delivered the performance of his career, fighting among the leaders and holding strong to claim third. This third-place finish is a powerful symbol of Malukas' return and potential. From spectator to top-three finisher in just one year, Malukas is no longer a comeback story – he's a serious contender. Despite the result, Malukas admitted the result stung a bit. 'Bittersweet because you're just so close to greatness,' he said. 'Every driver wants to be there.' His inexperience in a late-race duel for victory might have cost him the win, as he noted his team had to make educated guesses on the car's setup for the final stint. Ultimately, it was Alex Palou and 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson who had the upper hand in the final laps. 'We did everything right,' Malukas said. 'The guys did an incredible job. It's just bad timing at the end there. They (Palou and Ericsson) got us, and we tried to get that setup to where it needed to be on that final run, but never have been in that situation before, so we kind of made a guess.' Newgarden's Three-Peat Bid Halted Josef Newgarden's bid for history at the '500' came to a premature and frustrating end, not through driver error or pit lane mishap, but due to a mechanical failure that forced him to retire on Lap 135. Starting deep in the field (32nd), Newgarden methodically worked his way forward, breaking into the top 10 by the midway point of the race. He worked his way to sixth by Lap 128. It was shaping up to be a classic Newgarden oval charge – poised, strategic, and quietly effective. But just one lap after a routine pit stop on Lap 133, something broke. He brought the No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Chevrolet back to pit lane, climbed out and saw his hopes of becoming the first driver to win three straight Indy 500s come to a halt. 'It's tough to not have a shot at the end,' Newgarden said. 'It felt really good. Tried to be methodical today. It's a team sport. As tough as it is to take, still grateful to be out here today.' Larson's Day Ends in Crash Kyle Larson's ambitious attempt at the Indy/Charlotte 'Double' in 2025 ended in disappointment at Indianapolis, where a Lap 92 crash in Turn 2 derailed both his day and his bid to join Tony Stewart in motorsports history. Larson aimed to do what only Stewart accomplished in 2001 by completing all 1,100 miles in one day — 500 miles at Indy and 600 miles in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte. Stewart's feat remains the gold standard, with a sixth-place finish at Indy and third at Charlotte. On a restart, Larson suffered understeer behind Takuma Sato, then oversteer mid-corner in Turn 2 and lost control of the No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. The result was a multicar crash involving Kyffin Simpson (No. 8 Journie Rewards Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) and Sting Ray Robb (No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet). All three made heavy contact with the SAFER Barrier. Robb's car then spun across the track and slammed the tire barrier inside Turn 2. 'It was a bit crazy there on the start,' Larson said. 'I got a bit tight behind Takuma, and then I got loose and kind of all over the place. I just hate that I got a little too eager there on the restart and caused that crash. Hate it for everybody that got caught up in it. Just bummed out.' Ferrucci Continues Top-10 Streak Santino Ferrucci's Indy 500 record remains unblemished — seven starts, seven top-10 finishes. With a seventh-place finish in the No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet on Sunday, the AJ Foyt Racing driver continued to solidify his reputation as one of the most consistent and confident performers at the Brickyard. Ferrucci carved his way from 15th on the starting grid to a solid top-10 result. It's a performance that fits perfectly with his Indy 500 track record being always in the mix. 'Bittersweet because I knew we could have been in the top five,' he said. 'The goal is to win this race. I woke up this morning and wanted to win, told the guys let's win it. So, I'm a bit disappointed in myself that I couldn't get it done for us. Just faced a little bit more adversity than I anticipated.' Rough Start Sunday's race reminded everyone early that the margin for error at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is razor-thin, even before the green flag drops. After a 43-minute weather delay, the race was just moments from beginning when Scott McLaughlin, driving the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, lost control on the final pace lap while warming up his tires and slammed into the inside pit wall entering Turn 1. The contact knocked his car out of the race before he ever took the green flag, relegating him to a 33rd-place finish, the lowest in the field. 'I don't know what happened; I really had no idea,' McLaughlin said. 'I didn't even get to see the green flag.' This was a crushing blow for last year's Indy 500 pole sitter, who entered the month with high expectations. He already had suffered a setback during practice for Top 12 Qualifying when a crash forced him into a backup car, eliminating his chance at a pole repeat and dropping him to 10th on the grid. Sunday's early exit added more woes in what's been a turbulent Month of May for the New Zealander. 'Worst moment of my life,' he said. 'I know that's probably dramatic. I just put so much into this race.' Once the race went green, the trouble didn't stop. On the Lap 4 restart, Marco Andretti andRinus VeeKay made slight contact in Turn 1. Andretti, stuck high, got pinched and was forced into the outside SAFER Barrier, ending his day early. He finished 32nd in the No. 98 MAPEI/Curb Honda for Andretti Herta w/Marco & Curb-Agajanian. 'I guess I could have been patient, but once I was committed up there, I was already at the wall,' Andretti said. 'Whoever was next to me was crowding me, and I ran out of room.' Pit Road Problematic Pit road proved to be just as treacherous as the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval Sunday. In a race where pit stops can make or break a 500-mile effort, the 2025 Indy 500 saw more of the latter. Whether it was mechanical failures, brake issues, procedural errors or just bad luck, pit road played a decisive – and in many cases, destructive – role in shaping the final outcome. In his second '500' start, Larson's first pit stop on Lap 24 went sideways when he exited his pit stall in the wrong gear, dropping him from 17th to 31st. While he recovered somewhat later in the race, the mistake was an early reminder of how unforgiving pit road can be, especially for someone of Larson's caliber. Rookie Louis Foster was caught speeding on pit lane after his second stop in the No. 45 Desunda Tequila Honda, earning a costly penalty. He still finished as the top rookie, in 15th. Meanwhile, Colton Herta had a double dose of trouble. He experienced brake issues and was also penalized for speeding. Both issues severely compromised his day in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda and eliminated any chance at a top-tier result. He finished 17th. On Lap 73, 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi came to pit road with what appeared to be a gearbox issue. Things worsened when a fire broke out on the left rear of his No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet. He was classified 31st, marking the worst finish of his Indy 500 career. 'Another opportunity gone,' Rossi said. Just eight laps later on Lap 81, VeeKay experienced what appeared to be a brake failure in his No. 18 askROI Honda. He did a half-spin, smacked the inside wall with the right rear and then hit again. 'I had no response from the brakes ... I was just a passenger,' VeeKay said. He finished 30th. On Lap 87, during a caution period pit cycle, pole winner Robert Shwartzman endured a terrifying moment when he locked both front tires and slid into his pit crew, thenhit the pit wall. No serious injuries were reported, but the No. 83 PREMA Racing car was retired, ending Shwartzman's day in 29th – the worst finish by a pole sitter since Scott Dixon (32nd in 2017). 'I was just a passenger,' Shwartzman said. 'Really scary.' On the same stop, Sato, who was leading the race and led 51 of the first 87 laps, overshot his pit box, costing him several positions. He finished 11th in the No. 75 AMADA Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. On Lap 169, Ryan Hunter-Reay also led when he stalled while pitting, dashing his late-race victory hopes. Hunter-Reay led 48 of 200 laps but finished 24th in the No. 23 DRR CUSICK WEDBUSH SECURITIES Chevrolet. This is the 13th time in the last 15 years that the driver leading the most laps failed to win. Hunter-Reay's Races Backup Car Hunter-Reay's 2025 Indianapolis 500 story was one of resilience, brilliance and heartbreak. During the final two-hour Miller Lite Carb Day practice on Friday, Hunter-Reay's No. 23 DRR CUSICK WEDBUSH Securities Chevrolet suffered a mechanical failure that led to a fire, forcing the team to abandon its primary car. With just over 48 hours until the green flag, the crew faced a monumental task. The backup car, which was rushed from the team's Indianapolis-area shop, was a pit stop practice car and had never turned a lap on track. Both DRR and Cusick Motorsports crews worked until 1 a.m. Saturday, while five crew members pulled an all-nighter to prep for a special 8:30 a.m. install-lap session Saturday morning to complete a systems check. Historic Cars Take Pre-Race Lap Forty years ago, Danny Sullivan took the No. 5 Miller American Special to victory lane for a victory in the 69th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in his famous 'spin and win.' Before Sunday's race, Sullivan was among the drivers in 13 historic cars to circle the 2.5-mile track. He was joined by: 2010 Target Chip Ganassi driven by Dario Franchitti 2000 Target G Force driven by Jeff Ward 1990 Domino Pizza Lola driven by Arie Luyendyk 1980 Pennzoil Special Chaparral driven by Zach Veach 1963 Willard Battery Agajanian Special driven by Mario Andretti 1960 Ken Paul Special Watson driven by Willy T. Ribbs 1955 Keck Epperly Streamline driven by Sebastian Saavedra 1955 John Zink Special Kurtis driven by Michel Jourdain Jr. 1950 Cummins Diesel Kurtis driven by Al Unser Jr. 1950 Wynn's Friction Proofing Kurtis Kraft driven by Donnie Beechler 1939 Maserati 8CTF driven by J. Douglas Boles 1935 Ford V-8 Miller driven by Lyn St. James Odds and Ends This is the third-time in history a driver swept the Month of May as Palou joins Will Power (2018) and Simon Pagenaud (2019) to win the Sonsio Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500 in the same month. Palou is just the second driver in the last 17 years to win the '500' under the age of 32. He joins Rossi, who was 24 when he won the 100th Running in 2016. Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing have won the last four Indianapolis 500s. Ericsson (2022) and Palou (2025) won for CGR, with Newgarden (2023, 2024) for Team Penske. Palou is tied with Dan Wheldon for 31st on the all-time wins list with 16 each. Next up is Ralph Mulford, Sullivan and Tony Kanaan with 17. recommended
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Alpine F1 team considers immediate Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto switch
Alpine is considering switching Jack Doohan with reserve driver Franco Colapinto ahead of Formula 1's next race in Imola, understands. Doohan's disappointing run of results and incidents have moved Alpine's management to seriously consider whether it should make a driver change immediately rather than hand the Australian rookie more time to make the seat his own. Advertisement Doohan endured a frustrating rookie campaign thus far, showing flashes of one-lap pace that suggests he could do enough to hold down his seat and even outqualifying Pierre Gasly at last weekend's Miami Grand Prix. However, summing up the Australian's season so far, Doohan got involved in a Turn 1 tangle with Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, which ended his race on the spot. Neither driver was wholly to blame for what was deemed a racing incident, but it added to the growing list of on-track issues – including a huge crash in Suzuka practice – which hampered Doohan's campaign, and with it, Alpine's too. The French team has a 2025 car with potential, as evidenced by Gasly's excellent seventh place at the Bahrain Grand Prix. But other than a Miami sprint race point for Gasly due to three time penalties for his rivals, this was Alpine's only points finish this year. Franco Colapinto, Alpine Franco Colapinto, Alpine Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images Advertisement In contrast, a ferocious midfield battle saw Williams lead the charge in fifth followed by Haas. Alpine is a disappointing ninth in the standings ahead of only Sauber, which may well force the Enstone squad to reconsider its options. Ever since 2024 Williams reserve Colapinto was signed by Alpine over the off-season, rumours swirled over Doohan's longevity with the Enstone squad, noise that Alpine admitted was partly of its own making. That pressure has only ramped up in recent weeks, with the CEO of Argentinian energy giant YPF Horacio Marin caught saying Colapinto would be in the car "in Imola" after a TV interview, later clarifying it was only wishful thinking on his behalf. Speaking ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes said: "I think it was a sponsor from Argentina off-camera giving his view on Franco, when he's going to be in the car. I'm sure there's a lot of people in Argentina who'd like him in the car this Sunday. We've been pretty open as a team that that's just noise. Jack needs to continue doing a good job. But it's natural that there's always speculation there. Advertisement When pressed for a black and white answer on whether Doohan will remain in the car in two weeks in Imola, Oakes said Doohan was the team's driver "as it is today," leaving wiggle room for interpretation before adding the team is "always evaluating" its line-up. Read Also: Claims Franco Colapinto will replace Jack Doohan for Imola F1 race 'just noise' Doohan vs Colapinto: Is it really all decided? "Yeah, as it is today, Jack is our driver along with Pierre," he said. "We've been pretty clear on that. We always evaluate, but yeah – today, that is the case." Advertisement Logistically, making a decision before Imola would make sense as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on 18 May forms the first race in a triple-header that includes Monaco and Barcelona. But understands that timing is not a factor in Alpine's decision. In any case, Colapinto is well prepared to step in at short notice as part of his reserve duties with a mixture of simulation work and private testing, and it is worth pointing out that the Argentinian made his F1 debut last year in the middle of a Zandvoort-Monza double-header. Colapinto caused an immediate impact on his nine-race Williams cameo replacing Logan Sargeant, scoring points in Baku and Austin, which led to a brief spell of interest from Red Bull. But the Argentinian's inexperience also showed in violent crashes in Las Vegas and Brazil, which put Red Bull off his scent before Alpine swooped in over the off-season to add the 21-year-old to its roster of reserve drivers. Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore, who runs the team alongside Oakes, is reported to be keen on giving Colapinto a chance sooner rather than later. The Argentinian also enjoys considerable backing from his supportive home country, with sponsor Mercado Libre already following him from Williams to Alpine. To read more articles visit our website.
New York Times
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Lego built full-size F1 cars for the Miami GP drivers' parade: Here's how they did it
Formula One's driver parade for the 2025 Miami Grand Prix will surely go down as one of the most memorable in the sport's recent history. Ahead of Sunday's race, the drivers swapped the flatbed truck that usually takes them around the track to wave to the fans for full-size, drivable F1 cars — all built out of Lego. Advertisement 'That was the most fun drivers' parade we've ever had,' Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton said. 'Some dirty driving from this one here (Gasly)! That was great fun.' 'They'll have to sweep the track, there's quite a bit of Lego debris on the track,' Max Verstappen said. 'A bit different, that's for sure!' With liveries identical to those of their real-world counterparts, this was an ambitious project enacted as part of F1's partnership with Lego. It was over a year in the making and required tons of bricks to assemble. In January, The Athletic was granted access to Lego's 'big builds' factory on the outskirts of Prague, Czechia (more widely known in English as the Czech Republic), to see how the cars were built, and even get a chance to jump into the cockpit. Just setting foot inside Lego's factory is enough to bring childhood memories flooding back. Walking around the facility, based in the industrial town of Kladno, offers a peek into Lego's big projects for the future. Dotted around the central warehouse are many large-scale models that will be used at Lego theme parks, as well as its other top-secret big build projects. Builders sit at work stations with instructions and trays of bricks all around. It's no different from how kids would build Lego sets, albeit with glue and hammers easily at their disposal. But taking up a considerable amount of the empty floor space here is a line of F1 cars. They're being readied to take to the track ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. Each of the 10 teams has a full-scale F1 car that has been faithfully reconstructed — or, more accurately here, constructed — to look as close to the real-life thing as possible. This requires around 400,000 bricks per car, using the full catalog of Lego bricks. No detail has been skimmed over, down to slightly different part shapes between each team's cars. Some have skinnier sidepods or a larger sidepod undercut, while even team sponsors have had their logos replicated with the same level of prominence — the text spelled out using the smallest bricks available. The LEGO McLaren cuts across everybody at Turn 1 but Ferrari come out in front 😱#F1 #MiamiGP — Formula 1 (@F1) May 4, 2025 Plans for F1 car big builds were first floated in early 2024. When Martin Smida, Lego's engineering manager specialist, was first asked if it was possible, he said yes — in 2026. But in true F1 fashion, efforts were made to make the impossible possible. 'All our partners, all my colleagues, and all the F1 teams worked perfectly,' Smida said. 'For me, it was a surprise how it was possible with so many companies.' Advertisement F1 teams are notoriously very secretive about their car designs, but when it came to the Lego recreations, they were more than happy to share as much as possible to make them take accurate shape. This started with Lego's new Speed Champions product, launched for 2025 featuring small car kits of all 10 teams. Jonathan Jurion, the project's senior designer, took these small models as a starting point to build into more complex life-size models. 'Once we had that, we transformed that into an upscaled build using our software, working very closely with our mechanical engineers and all the departments to make sure this would be a feasible thing,' he told The Athletic. Jurion worked with a team of 26 fellow designers and engineers on the project. 'We were throwing ideas around,' he said. 'I love doing concepts. I'd been asked to do some concepts for that particular thing, and we had a lot of ideas.' It was the first drivable car that Jurion had worked on for Lego, but not the first time the company had embarked on an ambitious big build for an automotive project. Last year, Lando Norris drove a Lego version of the McLaren P1 supercar around Silverstone. But, as this was constructed using specialized Tecnic bricks that typically strengthen structures by design, instead of the traditional and simple 'Lego System' bricks at play here, the F1 cars required a very different approach. To make the cars sturdy, the 400,000 bricks — weighing about a ton in total — were constructed around a steel frame that weighs another 500 kg. The building team at Kladno glued all the bricks together to provide extra strength, while the car itself was split into five different brick sections (cockpit, engine cover, front wing, rear structure and the halo) to be brought together. 'We had to really streamline the process because we have 10 of them,' said Jurion. 'So, we decided to have all of the components integrated into the chassis and then we would build the bricks around it.' Advertisement The fact that the cars have to be mobile also presented a challenge to Lego's designers and engineers, making it far more complicated than a traditional, stationary build that might sit on show for people to admire instead of actually moving. 'First, you need to have an engine (an electric powertrain in this case),' said Smida. 'Then after that, you need something to connect to the wheels — a gearbox and a differential. OK, you can start it. But if something starts, you need to stop it. So after that, you need some brakes. And for the first time in this project, we used hydraulic brakes. Once you have the brakes to stop, you need it to be drivable. You need some steering (components) and the steering wheel.' Smida said the group designed a special steering rack, as they needed one much smaller to fit into F1-sized cockpits compared to full-size road car Lego replicas. He also said Lego worked with a racing brake manufacturer to get brakes that would work sufficiently. Then came the challenge of getting the drivers — plural — into one car. As seen during the Miami parade lap on Sunday, the cockpits had to be big enough for both drivers from each team to sit inside the car. 'We had to tweak it quite a lot to accommodate the second driver,' said Jurion. 'We had to make them a little bit longer.' The second driver sits behind the typical F1 cockpit seating position. For safety reasons, both drivers have seat belts inside the cockpit, even though a decision was also taken to limit the cars to a speed of 12 miles per hour from what is provided by the powertrain. In total, it took over 2,000 production hours spread across the Lego team in three weeks to construct each car. Once they were complete, they were tested in an underground car park that was big enough to drive the cars around, ensuring they would be strong enough to get around the Miami lap. The electric powertrain provides a decent getaway, as Smida shows on an open expanse of floor in the Kladno factory. As well as the steering wheel, the cockpits also have a series of switches and buttons that can be used to turn the powertrain on and off. Naturally, I couldn't say no to a chance to get into the car and check it out firsthand — even if I wasn't allowed to drive it. Just like the actual F1 cars, getting into the cockpit requires careful choreography. First, you step onto the sidepod — trusting my entire body weight on a mass of Lego bricks made me very tentative, but it held up just fine — before stepping onto the seat (thankfully not made out of Lego), then sliding your legs into the footwell. I couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of F1 drivers squabbling over who would be allowed to drive and who would be forced to sit awkwardly in the space behind. A few weeks after my visit, the cars were packed up and shipped off to Miami. A special Lego garage was put into the fan area at the Hard Rock Stadium so everyone could look at the cars. Ferrari even took its replica into the F1 pit lane. But the fact these cars were fully drivable was kept under wraps by F1 until the parade itself began, to bring a little extra surprise for all the fans watching. Advertisement What was evident from speaking with both Jurion and Smida was the immense pride they felt over the project. For Jurion, a lifelong fan of both Lego and F1, it was the perfect combination of his great passions in life. 'This is a dream come true,' he said. 'Seeing them drive the cars will be amazing.' Top photo: Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
