Word on the beat

David Sanchez, the recently resigned Ferrari chief of engineering, who was responsible for the design of 2022’s F1-75 and 2023’s SF-23, is on his way back to McLaren, where he last served in 2011, after the daparture of technical boss James Key.

Dr Xavier Mir, right, will be familiar to MotoGP fans because he’s invariably the surgeon of choice for injured top-level bike riders. His name is now becoming known within Formula 1 circles too. Lance Stroll credited him for being responsible for his remarkable achievement of racing his Aston Martin in the Bahrain Grand Prix just over a week after fracturing his wrist and breaking a toe in a cycling accident in Spain. Stroll had to miss pre-season training in Bahrain.

Formula 2 champion and Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich, left, had looked almost certain to be making his F1 debut in Bahrain, such were Stroll’s injuries. There was also speculation about whether Sebastian Vettel might perform a stand-in role at the team he retired from at the end of last year.

Oliver Mintzlaff, right, who became CEO of Red Bull following the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz, was in attendance with the team in the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. Helmut Marko, formerly Mateschitz’s right-hand man, reports that his relationship with Mintzlaff “is on the right track.” Marko had apparently mentioned that Mintzlaff is discovering Red Bull is “more than a sweet drink”.