As we conclude our Monday coverage, we look forward to tomorrow, when my colleague Kevin Scheuren will take over and bring you a fresh edition. I’ll be back on Thursday when the next media day kicks off in Monza. Until then, enjoy our portal and see you soon!
Plummeting Ratings for Sky and RTL
The viewership numbers for the Zandvoort race have seen better days. Private broadcaster RTL attracted just 1.7 million viewers, marking its smallest audience of the year and falling below its previous low of 1.77 million for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
A year-over-year comparison reveals a further decline. During the last live broadcast of the Dutch Grand Prix in 2022, RTL had 2.04 million viewers. Pay-TV channel Sky also delivered a weak performance.
Ferrari to Bring an Update for Monza
After much speculation, Ferrari has finally confirmed when the next update for the SF-24 will arrive. “It will be in Monza,” Charles Leclerc revealed, adding, “I hope it will help us close the gap.”
Leclerc’s third-place finish yesterday was “a pleasant surprise,” though it was more about “damage limitation.” The Monza update is expected to change that, with Ferrari aiming to be back at the front.
It’s worth noting that Leclerc’s last victory in Monaco was already three months ago.
Red Bull: Drivers Lacking Confidence?
Helmut Marko believes that Red Bull’s current issues are not necessarily down to their pace. Speaking to ServusTV, he explained, “We have an idea of where the problems lie. The car needs more balance.”
“Balance means the driver has more confidence and slides less, which improves tyre wear. We have a few things in the pipeline,” the Austrian promised.
Given yesterday’s defeat, he made it clear that these updates should come “sooner rather than later,” warning that McLaren could soon overtake them in the Constructors’ Championship.
Bottas: Hopefully Just a One-Off
Both Sauber drivers finished yesterday’s race two laps behind the leader. “I didn’t expect the performance to be this bad,” admitted Valtteri Bottas, who finished second-last, just ahead of his teammate.
His harsh assessment: “We tried all the tyre compounds today, so the issue isn’t with the tyres, it’s with the car. It just doesn’t work on this track.”
The Finn added, “We haven’t been this weak in any race this year, and it’s not like we’ve gone backwards. So I think this track really highlights the car’s weaknesses.”
That’s his hope, at least. The Swiss team can only hope that things go better in Monza and that this doesn’t turn into another disaster