World Rally Championship drivers have doubled-down on their stance regarding the FIA’s rules on drivers swearing by refusing to answer questions in interviews.

The World Rally Drivers’ Alliance [WoRDA] has issued a statement ahead of this weekend’s Safari Rally Kenya, which says drivers will choose to either remain silent in any obligatory media duties, or answer questions in their respective language, rather than English.

This comes after a similar statement, penned three weeks ago, rebuking a €10,000 fine handed to Hyundai driver Adrien Fourmaux – €20,000 suspended – for swearing in a television interview at January’s Rally Sweden.

The Frenchman’s fine was the catalyst for WoRDA being established, and is, in effect, the WRC’s equivalent of Formula 1’s Grand Prix Drivers’ Association [GPDA], which has also been at loggerheads with the FIA and its president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, regarding his directives which takes a similar no-tolerance approach to drivers’ language at race weekends.

It urged the sport’s governing body for a “mutually agreeable and urgent solution,” and with no apparent communication opened with WoRDA, the new WRC driver alliance has felt it necessary to promulgate a further explanation for its intended upcoming actions.

WoRDA statement in full

“We all agree to keep rudeness at the microphone to a minimum,” the statement read. “At the same time, it is necessary to maintain a certain freedom of expression and to keep emotions alive while drivers don’t need to be afraid of getting punished in any way. 

“We have asked the president of the FIA for some positive changes in the rules to help us achieve this goal.

“For the reasons explained in our statement, it is impossible for us to guarantee that we (drivers and co-drivers) will be able to follow these rules perfectly and systematically.

“This is why we – WoRDA members –  are now taking the responsible decision to remain silent at the end of the interviews or to answer in our mother tongue.In the own interest of our sport, such an action is unfortunately needed, and we apologize to all the rally fans, even though we know they support us in this.”

READ MORE – WRC news from Motorsport Week

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The FIA has improved an immediate and stricter clampdown on rear wing flexibility ahead of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix following ‘mini DRS’ suspicions.

The phenomenon known as ‘mini-DRS’ was coined following observations of flexing in the rear wing slot gap on Oscar Piastri’s McLaren in Azerbaijan en route to the Aussie’s victory.

Teams argued its validity under the regulations and McLaren made changes to its rear wing structure following the Azerbaijan GP.

The FIA imposed stricter guidelines at the start of this season to limit rear wing flexibility and video observations made by the governing body at the Albert Park Circuit confirmed all teams complied with the regulations.

However, with debate raging that some teams are still benefitting too much from rear-wing flexibility, and upon its video review, the FIA has released a statement outlining further restrictions, effective immediately.

The new restrictions mean all 10 F1 teams will have to prepare rear wings that flex at a limit of 0.5 mm, down from 2mm under a vertical load-bearing test of 75kg on the mainplane, with a China-only tolerance of 0.25mm.

FIA statement on rear wing flexibility 

“As has been previously communicated, between the end of the 2024 season and the start of the 2025 season, the FIA exercised the authority it is granted under Article 3.15.1 of the Technical Regulations to introduce either new or more challenging load-deflection tests for the front wing (from race nine, Spanish Grand Prix), the upper rear wing, and the beam rear wing,” the statement began. 

“In addition, the FIA requested to the teams to use cameras in free practice sessions to monitor the on-track deformations exhibited by the cars during the Australian Grand Prix.

“Having analysed footage from the rear wing deformations combined to [with] the static deflections measured inside the FIA garage in Melbourne, the FIA has concluded that sufficient grounds exist for a tougher test to be introduced from the forthcoming Chinese Grand Prix on the upper rear wing.

“More specifically, Article 3.15.17, introduced in 2025, states that if 75kg of vertical load is applied on either extremity of the rear wing main plane, the distance between the main plane and the flap (also known as “slot gap”) must not vary by more than 2mm. 

“From the forthcoming Grand Prix in Shanghai, this limit will be reduced to 0.5mm. Due to the short notice for Shanghai only a tolerance of 0.25mm will be added to this new limit.

“The teams were informed of this revised test early [on] Monday 17th of March.

“The FIA wishes to further confirm that during the Melbourne event all cars tested against the requirements of Article 3.15.17 and found to comply, therefore all cars raced in Melbourne were deemed to be legal.”

READ MORE – F1 mini-DRS controversy returns amid fresh accusations

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The 11 teams set to compete in Formula 1 from 2026 onwards have all signed the commercial aspect of the new Concorde Agreement, which will come into force next year.

The agreement will last for the next five years, covering the commercial terms under which all the teams will operate under.

The renewed deal between the teams and F1’s commercial rights holders follows on from Stefano Domenicali’s contract extension to continue as the CEO of the Formula One Group.

An F1 statement read: “Formula 1 can confirm that all teams have signed the 2026 Concorde Commercial Agreement, which secures the long-term economic strength of the sport.

“Formula 1 has never been in a stronger position and all stakeholders have seen positive benefits and significant growth.

“We thank all the teams for their engagement during this process to reach the best outcome for the sport.

“The 2026 Concorde Governance Agreement will be finalized in due course.”

Under the new agreement is the inclusion of the 11th team, Cadillac, who received approval from the FIA and F1 to join the sport at the start of this month.

The governing body’s president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, will have to navigate the next part of the Concorde Agreement, which concerns governance.

In the final year of his first term as FIA president, Ben Sulayem will also have to defend his position if any other runners signal their intention to run for president later this year.

As the teams and F1 present a united front after agreeing to the commercial aspects of the Concorde agreement, the 63-year-old will be on his own as he fights for an improved deal for the FIA.

READ MORE: Liberty Media commits to Stefano Domenicali long-term as F1 CEO through 2029

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The junior category is now in its ninth season under the FIA Formula 2 Championship name, with Invicta Racing prepared to defend the Teams’ Championship.

Gabriel Bortoleto was crowned the champion in 2024, and he is one of four graduates moving up into a full-time seat in Formula 1 this year.

His replacement will be Leonardo Fornaroli, who enters F2 as the reigning Formula 3 World Champion.

The Italian racing driver aims to follow Bortoleto’s path and achieve consecutive championship victories to secure his future in F1.

Jak Crawford, the highest-ranked returning racing driver from last season, retains his seat with DAMS Lucas Oil.

Alongside Crawford, eight other drivers have retained their seats, including Victor Martins, who is competing in his third season in the racing category.

But who are the 22 racing drivers set to compete for the coveted crown in 2025?

Invicta Racing – Fornaroli and Stanek

The British squad has an all-new lineup for the upcoming season.

Fornaroli and Roman Stanek replace the Sauber-F1 bound Bortoleto and Kush Maini – who moves to DAMS.

A consistent competitor, Fornaroli became the first driver in the history of F3 to not win a single race en route to becoming World Champion.

His partner, Stanek, endured a far less successful 2024, scoring points on only three occasions.

However, he did manage to secure his first victory in F2 with a Sprint Race win at Melbourne.

Campos Racing – Marti and Lindblad

Pepe Marti left it late to secure his first win in the series, taking the Sprint Race victory in Abu Dhabi.

The Spaniard spent most of 2024 in the shadow of Isack Hadjar, who finished as runner-up to Bortoleto last season.

With Hadjar moving up into F1, Marti’s new team-mate this year will be the highly rated Arvid Lindblad.

The British-Swedish racing driver won four races last season for his debut F3 campaign.

The Spanish squad will have an all-Red Bull junior line-up as it sets out to improve on its second-place finish in the 2024 F2 Teams’ Standings.

MP Motorsport – Verschoor and Goethe

Richard Verschoor enters his fifth season in the junior series.

In 2024, the Dutchman returned to the team where he made his debut in F2, and with four wins to his name, he is always a driver to watch closely.

Partnering the 24-year-old will be F3 graduate Oliver Goethe, who competed for Campos last season.

The Danish-German racing driver also auditioned for the Dutch squad in 2024 for six races, scoring 12 points.

Hitech TGR – Beganovic and Browning

The British team employs a rookie line-up for 2025, with both Dino Beganovic and Luke Browning stepping up from F3.

The duo replaces the outgoing Amaury Cordeel and Paul Aron, who finished third in 2024 with just a single victory, as the Estonian consistently scored points.

After a mixed F3 campaign with Prema, Beganovic shone for DAMS in F2 last year, scoring 22 points across the final four races and claiming a first podium finish in the series.

His team-mate will be the British youngster, who continues with Hitech after a short stint with ART Grand Prix last year.

Browning took two victories last season on his way to finishing third in the F3 standings.

Prema Racing – Mini and Montoya

The Italian outfit has an all-new driver pairing for 2025, with both Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli making the step up into F1.

Whilst one Italian leaves, another replaces him, as Gabriele Mini continues with Prema for his debut F2 season.

Mini finished runner-up to Fornaroli for the F3 title last season before standing in for Bearman in Baku, grabbing his first F2 podium finish.

His partner will be Sebastian Montoya, who competed for Campos in 2024, finishing 17th out of 34 drivers last season.

DAMS Lucas Oil – Crawford and Maini

Crawford stays with the French outfit for 2025 after finishing fifth last season, with Maini making the move from Invicta.

The American finished on the podium six times whilst also taking the Feature Race victory in Spain.

Maini enters his third season in the category, and the Indian racing driver was also one of the many victors in 2024.

However, inconsistency and a poor end to the season saw him finish lower than Crawford in the standings in 13th place.

ART Grand Prix – Martins and Miyata

The French combination continues yet again, as Martins enters his third season with ART in F2 alongside Ritomo Miyata.

The 2022 F3 World Champion was one of the favourites for the 2023 F2 titles, yet he finished in fifth place in the standings.

Last year, he took a step backwards, finishing in seventh, but could 2025 finally be his year?

Miyata joins ART from Rodin Motorsport, where he finished in 19th place after 28 races.

Rodin Motorsport – Cordeel and Dunne

Christian Mansell was set to compete for Rodin Motorsport before announcing he would step away from racing ahead of the upcoming season.

It would have been his debut season in F2 after racing for Trident towards the end of the 2024 campaign.

His replacement will be Cordeel, who leaves Hitech, and Alex Dunne will complete the line-up for 2025.

The Irishman achieved two podium finishes in F3 last year racing for MP Motorsport.

AIX Racing – Durksen and Shields

With an impressive 2024 F2 campaign, winning the Sprint Race in Baku and the Feature Race in the Abu Dhabi finale, Joshua Durksen returns with AIX Racing for 2025.

The Paraguayan-German racing driver surprised his competitors on his way to finishing 10th in the Drivers’ Standings.

His partner for the upcoming season will be Cian Shields.

The British driver makes the step up from F3 to join AIX, after he competed in the final four races of the 2024 F2 season with the Emirati-German squad.

Trident – Meguetounif and Esterson

Sami Meguetounif and Max Esterson complete the 2025 F2 line-up for Trident.

The Frenchman won two races with the same team in F3 last season on his way to finishing eighth in the Drivers’ Standings.

His partner will be the American-British racing driver, Esterson, who graduates to Trident from Jenzer Motorsport.

The 22-year-old replaced Verschoor after he departed the team before the final two rounds of the 2024 season.

Van Amersfoort Racing – Bennett and Villagomez

John Bennett and Rafael Villagomez will race for Van Amersfoort Racing in 2025.

Bennett stepped up for the final two rounds of the 2024 F2 season with VAR, taking over from the departing Enzo Fittipaldi.

Villagomez retains his seat with the Dutch team after finishing 24th last season, scoring 13 points.

VAR finished last in the standings after scoring 78 points across the season.

READ MORE: Christian Mansell to ‘step away from racing’ weeks before F2 debut

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The future of Formula 1 could see the return of V10 engines and Lewis Hamilton is the latest to advocate his approval for the change.

Discussions over reverting back to the V10 era were sparked by the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

He suggested that F1 should at least consider the idea of running the popular engines on sustainable fuels in the future.

For 2026, there is a huge regulation overhaul, which includes changes to the engine regulations.

F1 will transition to using 100% sustainable fuel as part of its goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2030.

Additionally, the series plans to implement a nearly 50/50 split between the power output from the engine and the MGU-K electric motor.

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner offered his support for the return of engines last used back in 2005.

Horner revealed how he would love to go back to ‘the sound of grand prix racing’ with the use of V10 engines.

Hamilton has recently added his thoughts on the matter at a Ferrari event in Milan, as he agreed with the Red Bull chief’s opinion.

“I hope that in 20 years we’ll have great races and we’ll have cars that sound good,” Hamilton said.

“I certainly hope it’s not completely electric, but sustainable with V10 or V12 engines, with a zero carbon footprint or something like that.”

FIA to further explore the return of V10s, reports say

After Ben Sulayem signalled his intentions to contemplate using V10s once again in the sport, rumours started to circulate that the FIA had taken action towards the idea.

A spokesperson for the governing body confirmed that a working group was being set up to discuss the concept further.

A statement read: “We are engaged in discussions with a number of stakeholders to determine the future technical direction of F1 beyond the 2026 regulatory cycle.

“A V10 power train running on sustainable fuel would be part of those considerations which would be tied to environmental and cost-containment measures.

“We need to consider the appropriate technical path for the sport.

“While we are fully focussed on the introduction of the 2026 regulations, and the prospect of the competitive racing they will bring, we also need to keep an eye on the future.

“The intention is to establish a working group whose brief it would be to explore all possibilities.”

There has still been no official confirmation from the FIA as of late, yet the hype train behind the return of V10s is steadily gaining traction, with the seven-time World Champion being the latest to join the fight.

READ MORE: Toto Wolff: F1 ‘at risk of diluted messaging’ with ‘premature’ V10 engine revival talk

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Formula 1 is set to impose a new restriction on flexi-wings at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, which has received varied predictions from the motorsport chiefs.

After Round 9 of the upcoming season, the maximum flex of the front wings will be reduced from 15mm to 10mm, whereas new rear wing restrictions will come into effect immediately.

The regulation change comes after McLaren and Mercedes were accused of abusing the flexi-wing restrictions in 2024, which led to the FIA ordering a technical directive at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The governing body found no wrongdoing, to the frustration of Red Bull and Ferrari, and it vowed not to change its rules going forward.

However, in the months building up to the new season, the FIA went back on its word and introduced stricter rear wing flex tests to start from the Australian Grand Prix, then harsher tests for the front wing in Spain.

Aston Martin Team Principal, Andy Cowell, isn’t concerned by the new directive, and he feels it really isn’t a “big fuss”.

“I think everybody’s always had a flexi wing, and the FIA have always come up with a way of measuring the flexibility that’s permitted,” Cowell told media including Motorsport Week.

“The numbers change, we’ll adapt to that. I don’t see it as a big fuss, we’ll move forward.

“It’s another flexible element regulation interpretation change.

“I don’t know how many have been over the last two decades.

“You’ll know better than me.”

Horner and Brown deliver verdicts on flexi wing restrictions

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner and McLaren CEO Zak Brown also gave their opinions on the effect of the flexi wing clampdown and both held similar views on the topic.

Horner believes it will be difficult to assess which teams, if any, suffer massively from the incoming flexi-wing regulation changes.

Yet, he was more concerned by the timing of when the rules are set to be enforced, suggesting teams will continue to exploit the current regulations until then.

“Yeah, it’ll be interesting the effect that it has – I guess the slight oddball about it is the timing of it,” Horner said.

“Why race nine? It might have been better to have been addressed during the off season, because you end up doing sort of two specs of wings.

“But who will gain or who will lose from it, I think, is impossible to predict.”

Brown agreed, insisting how he expects for there to be very little change from the outcome of the regulation change.

“I don’t think it’s a significant change for us,” he explained.

“I think it’s too hard to tell who wins or loses over it, because I don’t think it’s going to be a material change for anybody.

“I’m not expecting there to be a winner and loser, or some change in the pecking order at that time because of that change.”

READ MORE: Red Bull lodges ‘accusatory file’ against McLaren and Ferrari to FIA – report

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Red Bull has lodged an “official and accusatory file” against Formula 1 rivals McLaren and Ferrari to the FIA regarding their use of flexi-wings, according to a report.

A report by FUnoAnalisiTechnica says that the Milton Keynes squad are said to be concerned regarding the issue, with Technical Director Pierre Wache conveying his disquietness to stewards during the Bahrain pre-season test programme.

The report states that, as per the file being submitted, the FIA will now visit both Woking and Maranello to inspect both teams’ practices.

The flexi-wings issue dates back to last year with Red Bull taking issue with the front wing flexibility displayed by McLaren and Ferrari.

The saga spread to rear wings with McLaren’s configurations on low-drag circuits believed to be pushing the boundaries of legality within the rules.

A notable example came at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, won by Oscar Piastri, with the upper and lower sections of the Australian’s rear wing being seen to flex in such a way that the movement began to replicate the effects of DRS.

Wache had been previously vocal of McLaren’s design, telling Racing News 365 in December: “I think it’s so difficult to develop that I think some grey areas are so attractive as an engineer.

“When you see the rear wing of McLaren, I’m sorry, but it’s more than grey, and they use it for multiple races. 

“Because, without that, Baku, they will not win. Even our constructors’ championship will be completely different.”

New camera and deflection tests in place for further inspection

The FIA has begun to take stringent measures to combat any potential breach of the regulations, with specifically-mounted cameras placed on the front of the cars in order to monitor any potential infringements.

This will continue in 2025, with cameras now being placed on the rear wings.

More stringent deflection testing on rear wings will also come into effect immediately, with similar testing on front wings commencing from Round 9, the Spanish Grand Prix – a directive that could threaten to shake up the competition, depending on how the interpretation of the regulations have been currently met by teams.

McLaren’s Team Principal Andrea Stella has been optimistic regarding the changes, telling Sky Sports last month the FIA’s clampdown was “No headache at all,” adding: “We don’t have to make many adjustments at all for the start of the season.”

READ MORE – Why McLaren opted to ditch digital advertising panels on F1 cars

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The United Kingdom’s motorsport body, Motorsport UK, has threatened the FIA with legal action over a lack of transparency after its Chairman, David Richards, was barred from attending a World Motor Sport Council meeting, as well as a “failure to meet its promises”.

Richards, as an appointed member, is permitted “full access to [WMSC] meetings”, but was barred from the latest meeting along with a number of other members who refused to sign a new ‘confidentiality agreement’ which they felt had been “forced upon them”, and one which went too far with objections to the following statements;

• – Everything was now considered confidential, without any qualification, preventing me from necessarily sharing what I considered to be relevant information
• – The FIA, at its own discretion, could decide if anyone breached the terms of the new confidentiality agreement with no process or frame of reference.
• – There was an immediate fine of 50,000 euros for any breach and a threat of undisclosed damages.

“The construction of this new confidentiality agreement does not comply with the Statutes of the FIA and contradicts the promise of transparent governance we had voted for,” Richards wrote in a letter to members of Motorsport UK.

That has led Richards and Motorsport UK to question the FIA’s actions, but such requests have gone unanswered. That has prompted Richards to threaten the FIA with legal action should such issues not be addressed.

Richards unhappy with FIA President

The statement also went on to criticise FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who has been embroiled in a number of controversies since being appointed to the role in 2021.

Among those controversies include alleged meddling in race results with two whistleblowers claiming he tried to intervene in the results of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Sexist comments towards women and more recently a clampdown on swearing, which has promoted Formula 1 and WRC drivers to criticise new rules on language.

The Motorsport UK statement says Ben Sulayem has failed to uphold the promises he made when elected to the role of FIA president, in which he promised take a “hands-off” approach to governing motorsport, instead “delegating the day-to-day running of the FIA to a professional executive team.”

The situation is “worsening” at the FIA according to Richards, who highlighted a number of resignations under Ben Sulayem.

He added: “The scope of the audit and ethics committees has been severely limited and now lacks autonomy from the authority of the president, while the UK representative, who challenged certain matters, was summarily removed along with the chair of the audit committee”.

Ben Sulayem is running for re-election at the end of his first term in December this year. Currently there are no public candidates standing against him.

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The FIA has rewritten parts of its sporting rules to prevent loopholes exploited by Formula 1 teams in regard to cars that start from the pits and attempt to continue after incidents.

Ahead of the new F1 season, the sport’s governing body has made the decision to alter areas of the rules to prevent teams aiming to gain advantages under specific contexts, the first notable change coming in Article 43.8.

Motorsport.com has reported that this article now states that “all cars starting from the pitlane able to do so must leave the pitlane and join the formation lap”.

This now renders the formation lap a compulsory one, with cars that are opting to start from just before the pit exit line enforced to complete the formation lap first, rather than drive out of the garage in time with the grid lining-up in their respective slots.

Cars that opt to start from the pits must do so in qualifying order, but will be ordered to join the back of a queue if they form after the five-minute pre-race signal.

The previous wording of the article says that those starting in the pitlane were able to join an additional formation lap or laps behind the Safety Car [under necessitating circumstances], but if several cars were in this particular situation, it was possible that some could opt out of this, gaining positions when others would enter the pitlane for the start.

Rewording now prevents this, the first of three loopholes.

The second was that, if the race start was aborted and required a second formation lap, cars that started from the pits would emerge from its garage, in effect, having done one lap less than all regular starters, thus giving them a fuel advantage, which could prove crucial in the closing stages of a Grand Prix.

The third loophole centred around the scenario of a race starting under the Safety Car conditions due to extreme wet weather.

Those starting in the pits would have had the luxury of waiting one lap on a different compound if the track was drying, giving them an advantage once on-track as those starting on the circuit would then box to change to the more suitable compound.

Further FIA rewording prevents damaged car loophole

The second part of the sporting rules that has been reworded by the FIA is Article 26.10, giving F1 Race Director Rui Marques the power of imposing a damaged car stop on-track if it is damaged in such a way that it might cause detriment to another car if it decides to drive back to the pits.

The rewrite now reads: “Any driver whose car has significant and obvious damage to a structural component which results in it being in a condition presenting an immediate risk of endangering the driver or others, or whose car has a significant failure or fault which means it cannot reasonably return to the pitlane without unnecessarily impeding another competitor or otherwise hindering the competition, must leave the track as soon as it is safe to do so.

“At the sole discretion of the race director, should a car be deemed to have such significant and obvious damage to a structural component, or such significant failure or fault, the competitor may be instructed that the car must leave the track as soon as it is safe to do so.”

This appears to suggest the FIA have rowed back on its previous change in 2022, in which it briefed officials to reduce usage of the black-and-orange flag, which is waved when a car is deemed damaged enough to potentially cause danger to others, requiring it to pit for repairs.

The change left a great proportion of the decisions in such scenarios in the hands of the teams concerned, leaving an obscurity in the interpretation of the rule, and teams protesting a lack of consistency when stewards did step in.

At the 2022 US Grand Prix, Haas protested the final result after both Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso finished the race without penalty, despite both cars being damaged in separate incidents.

The Mexican’s front wing endplate fell off onto the circuit towards the end of the race, with Alonso’s Alpine shedding its right wing mirror after the Spaniard collided with Lance Stroll.

The American team voiced its objection after driver Kevin Magnussen was shown the black-and-orange flag on three occasions earlier that year, each one for damage that was similar to that on Perez’s Red Bull.

Rewording of the articles will surely give the FIA hope that potential ambiguity in its previous issuing will now eradicate any potential exploitation, thus ensuring any subsequent predicaments will be suppressed.

READ MORE – Toto Wolff: FIA should consider ‘context’ of F1 driver swearing

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George Russell has claimed that the current crop of Formula 1 drivers are “more united than ever” amid a period of contention with the FIA.

The Briton, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) since 2021, has been at the forefront of a war of words between drivers and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

The tension between the two parties arose last Autumn when Max Verstappen was penalised for swearing at a press conference in Singapore, landing him community service.

Charles Leclerc would also land in hot water over a similar infringement at the Mexico City Grand Prix, though the Ferrari driver received a fine for his misdemeanour.

The punishments came as part of a rewording of its International Sporting Code, which clamps down firmly on drivers’ using swear words, with Ben Sulayem claiming that drivers should not be speaking like “rappers”.

With Verstappen holding his own press events and giving one-word answers at subsequent official ones, and with Hamilton speculating racial undertones in Ben Sulayem’s comments, the GPDA subsequently issued a statement in which it urged the Emirati to “consider his own tone and language“.

With Carlos Sainz being named alongside him as a director of the GPDA, Russell expressed that the appointment of the Spaniard was an intelligent move by all involved.

“It’s great to have Carlos as part of the GPDA,” Russell told media including Motorsport Week.

“Obviously, [he is] a great driver, a really smart, wise individual – and has been around for a long time.

“And of course, in the past, there was always more than one driver director, but since Sebastian [Vettel retired], it’s just been myself for the last couple of years.

“So I’m happy that the other questions can be shared out a little bit more evenly between me and another driver.

“But I think, for all of us as 20, we’re probably more united than ever, especially with everything that’s going on off track.

“And to have Carlos as one of the senior voices as well, I think is a great addition.”

READ MORE – F1 champion backs Susie Wolff to challenge for FIA presidency

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