The latest F1 news sees Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton undergo a change at this week's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion will miss the opening practice session to make way for a rookie driver.
Hamilton's Replacement
Every full-time driver is mandated to give up their seat on two separate occasions each year for a younger driver. Sweden's Dino Beganovic, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, will step into Hamilton's car for FP1 this weekend.
Beganovic expressed his excitement: "My aim is to do the job the team requires of me, provide useful feedback, and adapt to the car as much as possible. If I can do that, it will be a positive session for the whole team and hopefully an enjoyable one for me too."
Barcelona is seen as a major opportunity for rookies due to the circuit's familiarity among drivers. Beganovic, who has had two prior FP1 outings, added: "Putting on the red race suit, getting back behind the wheel, and working closely with the engineers and mechanics is something unique, so I’m really looking forward to Barcelona."
Alonso's Reality Check
F1 icon Fernando Alonso believes he and his Aston Martin team will have to endure more "painful results" before a major upgrade package arrives. Due to the cost cap, Aston Martin has chosen to focus on a single large upgrade rather than incremental improvements.
Alonso earned the team's first point of the season in Monaco after a penalty for Sergio Perez. The team currently sits 10th in the constructors' standings. Alonso explained: "In Australia, we found our engine was very down. In China, we found our energy was very down. In Monaco, we found our chassis is down, and in Miami, we found that our gearbox was very bad."
He added: "I think every circuit exposed some of our weakness in the car. But the good thing is that there is a very good understanding of what action is needed in each of the areas, and for the second part of the year the package that we try to bring all in once, and tackling all those problems individually, I have full faith and trust on the team."
Alonso conceded that the car is difficult to drive, saying: "It was difficult, because it is very easy to crash. You are 19th and you crash, and you look stupid on the TV. Like in FP1, I crashed into the wall braking for the chicane, and you are three seconds off the pace, and you're still crashing. It's not that you run out of talent, the car is very difficult, very on the edge."
