Motorsports

Box Confidential: Alberto Puig’s final files

Published

2 years ago

November 24, 2023

Kyle

Box Confidential: Alberto Puig’s final files

1. Alberto Puig, last card.

Rumors are once again circulating in the paddock that Davide Brivio may take over the management of Team Honda Racing next season. A possibility that was ruled out at the last Japanese GP. Yes, there were contacts – the approach was from Brivio to Honda – but in the end they would have told the Italian coach no to his proposal. Since then, HRC’s structure has undergone a transformation, with the chief engineer of the MotoGP project replaced, a leading rider leaving the brand and the head of communications sacked. Currently, only managerial positions will be renewed as responsible positions. With this blank slate that Honda worked on, that continuity doesn’t make much sense, but its home times have always been very common. Puig insists he has renewed his contract with HRC for a year, while Brivio insists he is “in very good shape at the moment”, which was apparently not the case two months ago. In this story, nothing is as it seems.

2. Solomon’s decision.

I’m not going to assess whether the tires that condemned Jorge Martin’s race in Qatar last Sunday were as bad as the driver claimed, or perfect as Michelin described them today. However, taking advantage of the fact that Turia will pass through Valencia, I will launch a solomonic proposal to minimize the impact of the inevitable percentage of defective tires throughout the season. That means eliminating many outcomes. With 44 races a year, all drivers are going to be affected sooner or later, so leaving out a lot of results (to be determined) not only takes away the drama from episodes like last weekend’s, but it also makes it easier for example to It will give you a lot of margin. For the recovery of injured pilots. This is not a new idea, as such schemes have dominated the World Cup for many years, but now with 22 double GGPPs, there is even more discussion. I mentioned this to some drivers this weekend and they don’t understand the idea and want to reduce the number of races. But knowing the organizers of the championship, I think that retreating may not be an option…

3. People also cry with joy.

In theory, 2023 was supposed to be a transition year with most MotoGP riders waiting for their contracts to end in 2024…and ham! The list of drivers bidding farewell this weekend here in Valencia says otherwise. It marks the end of 11 years with Honda for Marc Marquez. For Pol Espargaro, it’s a farewell as a full-time MotoGP rider. In the case of Alex Rins, it is an epitaph from his express days at Honda. This is Johann Zarco’s final chapter with Ducati before joining HRC. And for Franco Morbidelli, we have come this far with Yamaha. Luca Marini and Di Giannantonio also remain on the schedule and will be riding a different bike on Tuesday than the one they will be riding this Sunday. I think they will all cry when they cross the finish line because of what they left unfinished. Some people cry with joy, so it’s not all sadness.

Source: Mundo Deportivo

Kyle

I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.

Motorsports

PHOTOGRAPH. Red Bull will finally update its livery. Back to the classics

Published

7 minutes ago

January 14, 2026

Ruth

PHOTOGRAPH. Red Bull will finally update its livery. Back to the classics

There are growing rumors in the paddock that Red Bull is preparing to make a radical change to the livery of its car for the first time since 2015.

Ten years ago the Austrians created a design that they use today almost unchanged, with minor adjustments to the layout of elements and changes to the composition of sponsors.

According to multiple sources, the team decided to finally update its look, going back closer in spirit to the first look, inspired by the design of Red Bull energy drink cans. The team itself is already talking about this design on social networks and periodically directs its fans to it.

Let’s remember that the team was supposed to present its new uniform on January 15 at an event in the USA where Ford will also show off the design of the youth team. Due to the difference in time zones, the live broadcast of the event will start at 05:00 Kyiv time.

If Red Bull finally brings back chrome for the 2026 livery 👀

(🎨 @shauryanayarart ) pic.twitter.com/G4ci0AU3kt

— Autosport (@autosport) January 14, 2026

Source: Sport UA

Ruth

Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.

Motorsports

It all depends on Hamilton. Its decision will determine the fate of the pilot market

Published

6 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Ruth

It all depends on Hamilton. Its decision will determine the fate of the pilot market

Former Red Bull and Aston Martin chief engineer Dan Fellows believes significant changes in the Formula 1 driver market in the coming years will depend on Lewis Hamilton’s decision.

The seven-time world champion had a difficult first season with Ferrari, failing to reach the podium once in all 24 Grands Prix. For the first time in his career, Hamilton finished a season without finishing in the top three.

Amid these difficulties, suggestions have emerged that the Briton could retire from Formula 1 after the 2026 season.

Fellows said Hamilton would not want to stay in the championship unless he had a competitive car.

Fellows said: “I believe Hamilton is the key figure in the driver market. It is easy to compare him to Fernando Alonso; although last season was difficult for him, he is still capable of performing at a high level.” he said.

Fellowes added: “Lewis wants to be competitive. He wants a car that can win races. If he doesn’t do that, I’m not sure he wants to continue.”

Ferrari now has a young driver named Oliver Berman, who races for Haas and is considered one of the main candidates for promotion. According to Fellows, if Hamilton decides to retire early, this could start a chain reaction in the driver market.

Fellows said: “If he decides to leave, he will probably announce it in advance so Ferrari has time to prepare. This could require many changes. Berman is the obvious option, but not the only one.”

Source: Sport UA

Ruth

Motorsports

Is there one minus one contender left for the championship? F1 team bets for the 2027 season

Published

7 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Ruth

Is there one minus one contender left for the championship? F1 team bets for the 2027 season

One of the most anticipated projects of the 2026 season is Aston Martin with the first car designed by Adrian Newey. In the summer of 2025, the brilliant coach joined the team and his experience in reading the rules already made itself felt.

According to sources, the project ran into difficulties: data from the wind tunnel and simulations were inaccurate, so Newey ordered the wind tunnel to be reconfigured and the software rewritten. This made it possible to identify weak points of the concept and make changes to the design of the car without disrupting the program.

Aston Martin sees the 2026 season as a transition period: In the first half of the year, work will progress in two directions: optimizing the layout and integration of the power plant, as well as improving aerodynamic efficiency, and the final configuration of the car is expected to be done by the summer holidays.

All preparations for the first half of 2026 will form the basis of the 2027 car, on which all hopes are pinned.

Source: Sport UA

Ruth