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F1 Today | Mario Andretti on Micheal's exit, Ricciardo advised by F1 legend
Another day without a Formula 1 race has ticked by, but you can get your news fix from the day right here on GPblog. We are getting closer to the end of the autumn break and the return of racing, as action begins on October 18 at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas!
Mario Andretti Exclusive: 'Michael's exit isn't what it seems'
Rumours swirled last week after Michael Andretti announced he was quitting, with immediate effect, as owner of the racing team that bears his own surname. For instance, the American was said to have fallen out with business partner Daniel Towriss, the new owner of Andretti Global. It was also suggested that Cadillac would only join an F1 adventure with Andretti on the condition that Michael would no longer be the owner. Mario Andretti, who is involved in the team F1 efforts, spoke openly with GPblog. Here's a snippet from the interview:
What is the reason for Michael's departure as owner of the team?
"Well, I think you will have to talk to Michael. A lot of things are not exactly the way that it seems like people are assuming because no official comments have been made on that. So that's coming. It's not for me to divulge any of that."
"I really do (Want an 11th team) because you’ve got to think about the practical side of it. I had some conversations with the organisers, with Bobby Epstein [of COTA], for instance. Any organiser would welcome more. Perhaps 11 or 12 teams on the grid because look at the ambition of Formula One now." Click this link to read the full interview.
Ricciardo received honest advice from F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart:
The recently axed Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that Formula 1 Legend Sir Jackie Stewart warned him that Formula 1 wouldn't always be easy. The Australian took eight victories and 32 podiums during his time in the sport, and during his first season at Red Bull in 2014, Ricciardo told Sky Sports F1 how Stewart gave him some invaluable advice that he'd never forget:
“I remember it was here in 2014 – that was my breakthrough year, and Sir Jackie Stewart called me in the lobby, and I remember he said something to me,” Ricciardo explained. “He goes, Look, if you ever want to talk, let me know because it won’t always be as easy as it seems."
“Even the following year, 2015, it was a tough year, and I immediately realised what he was talking about,” he continued. In 2015, the Australian finished on the podium just twice. “I think [the best approach is to] never get too high, try not to get too low and just try to ride the wave. Yeah, just keep your feet on the ground.” Ricciardo concluded.
Szafnauer reveals brutal details behind Alpine sacking:
Otmar Szafnauer has uncovered some brutal details behind his Alpine F1 dismissal. The former F1 team principal said he was sacked over a Zoom call and explained how he was asked to make a cultural change he didn't agree with.
During an interview with the High-Performance Podcast, Szafnauer explained exactly why he was dismissed by Alpine: "[It was delivered] just in a Zoom call from the head of Renault HR. The Renault Group HR," he began.
"They wanted a corporate culture change in a different manner to get rid of some people that were doing a good job that have been there for a long time. And my thought was, well, if you get rid of people that do a good job, then the message you send is: do a good job, get fired. That's not the culture that you really want," the former team principal explained. Alpine has struggled since the Romanian-American left in 2023 and currently sits in ninth in the constructor's championship.
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