F1 Paddock Notebook - Monaco GP Friday
It may be a rest day for Formula 1 on-track, but there's still lots going on in the paddock - the same going for Crash.net F1 Editor Luke Smith's notebook.
- The main talking point from the paddock on Friday was a continuation of the meeting between F1 bosses and the teams from Bahrain as more plans for 2021 are pieced together and fleshed out. F1 has been holding individual meetings with teams over the past few weeks, with some taking place as recently as yesterday night.
It may be a rest day for Formula 1 on-track, but there's still lots going on in the paddock - the same going for Crash.net F1 Editor Luke Smith's notebook.
- The main talking point from the paddock on Friday was a continuation of the meeting between F1 bosses and the teams from Bahrain as more plans for 2021 are pieced together and fleshed out. F1 has been holding individual meetings with teams over the past few weeks, with some taking place as recently as yesterday night.
- The on-track action in Monaco on Friday came in the morning as Porsche Supercup and Formula 2 races were staged. The latter was won by Artem Markelov as he repeated on his 2016 victory through a hectic race that saw leaders Alexander Albon and Nyck de Vries collide in the pit lane.
- However, the F1 drivers were not afforded a whole day off as they had to take part in various media engagements, including fan zone appearances and also on the pit walk.
- F1 formally presented 'F1 Fan Voice', a new initiative aimed at giving fans an enhanced platform on which to present their ideas and opinions on the sport via polls, surveys and blogs.
- The Austrian Grand Prix also gained a title sponsor ahead of the race on July 1 in the form of eyetime, which is "an innovative social life app, one of the most avant-garde communication tools currently available on the digital market" according to the official announcement from F1.
- During an F1 Live video on Facebook, Sauber's Charles Leclerc revealed he told his father shortly before his death that he had signed a deal to race in F1 for 2018, even though nothing had been formally agreed. You can watch the video below.
. @Charles_Leclerc
— Charles Leclerc #7 (@LeclercNews) May 25, 2018
"Last year before I actually signed up for here, I told my father I signed in F1, to make him happy, we knew the end was near and I‘m happy to have managed to do that. And that I‘m racing here in Monaco and he can see that from up there."#F1 #MonacoGP #CL16 pic.twitter.com/bw9hejyTm7
- Two-time F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen celebrated 20 years since his first title victory with an event on his yacht in Monaco, complete with one of his McLaren cars on deck that had previously adorned the wall of the 'Stars n Bars' restaurant underneath the media centre.
- On-track F1 running resumes at 12pm tomorrow local time in Monaco with FP3, lasting until 1pm. Qualifying then begins at 3pm local time.
