2022 - A Look Ahead

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff explains why Audi are better option than Andretti for 11th team.
Toto Wollf has hinted that he would be more favourable to Audi becoming Formula 1’s 11th team rather than Andretti Global.
Sunday 7th August 2022 10:00 AM
Sam Cooper

The Andretti family, led by Michael, has long been trying to find a way to get onto the grid. Last year, they came close after almost agreeing a deal to buy Sauber only for it to collapse at the 11th hour, and this year the 59-year-old American announced plans to launch his own Andretti Global team which would be an 11th constructor in the pit lane, hoping to do so for the 2024 season.

His plans have been met with a lukewarm response by the FIA and F1 as well as the current occupiers of the spots on the grid, most notably in the form of Mercedes boss Wolff.

In May, the Austrian said that any new team would need to show it can bring value as an 11th team would mean a “dilution” for the existing 10.

‘Toto Wollf Favours Audi’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-wolff-audi-better-option-andretti/


Wolff reins in Mercedes enthusiasm: 'We're still lacking to front-runners'
05/08/2022 at 09:47
Michael Delaney

Toto Wolff says Mercedes must remain cautious about its improved performance on the back of its strong display in Hungary, where the team may have just "landed in the perfect window".

"I think we need to be careful that it's not specific to Budapest that we just landed in the perfect window," Wolff suggested. "The other teams, Ferrari especially yesterday, complained about the tyre not being where it should have been.”

"So, in my personal opinion, we're still lacking to the front runners. You've seen that Leclerc on the right tyre is still a dominant force. But at least we were in the same race."

‘Mercedes Must Remain Cautious’;

https://f1i.com/news/450568-wolff-reins-in-mercedes-enthusiasm-were-still-lacking-to-front-runners.html


Why Wolff has been enjoying Mercedes 'getting it wrong'
07/08/2022, ‎10‎:‎40
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Toto Wolff admits that a part of him is enjoying the process of Mercedes "getting it wrong" in 2022 as he believes this is the key to future success.

"I don't think it's challenging in a way because I've had much harder times in all of my life, not particularly in Formula 1, but this is actually within my comfort zone," Wolff told Square Mile.

"I would say that I'm enjoying getting it wrong at the moment, because it's the basis for long-term future success, I believe. We have had eight consecutive World Championships that hasn't been done in any other sport. And I think I know why.”

‘Within My Comfort Zone’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-wolff-has-been-enjoying-mercedes-getting-it-wrong


Toto Wolff denies FIA technical directive will be a ‘silver bullet’ at Spa
Saturday 6th August 2022 11:00 AM
Jon Wilde

Toto Wolff does not see the FIA technical directive being introduced for the Belgian Grand Prix as a “silver bullet” that will fire Mercedes to the front.

“It will be very interesting to see what we see at Spa,” said Wolff, quoted by the German edition of Motorsport.com. “Let’s see if the difference in ride height makes a difference for the teams that ride so low.”

“But I no longer believe in the ‘silver bullet’, as they say, that we will then suddenly be three tenths faster than everyone else, but in any case it will be interesting.”

‘No Longer Believe in the ‘Silver Bullet’!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-wolff-fia-td-no-silver-bullet/


Wolff not interested in Constructors' P2 fight: Second means first loser!
‎03‎ ‎August‎ ‎12‎:‎00
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff says he isn't concerned about whether his team finish second or third in the Constructors' Championship, saying he would rather Mercedes win races on merit.

"Second [is the] first loser," Wolff told media including RacingNews365.com.

"For me, whether it's second or third in the Constructors' Championship is not so relevant, compared to really racing and being at the front, developing the car so we can win races on merit, beat the Ferraris, beat the Red Bulls and prepare for next year, rather than really care about the championship position."

‘No Interest in Constructors' P2’.’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-not-interested-in-constructors-p2-fight-second-means-first-loser


Mercedes ‘missing a few months’ in development race with Red Bull and Ferrari
Sunday 7th August 2022 7:00 PM
Sam Cooper

Toto Wolff has conceded that Mercedes are “a few months” behind Red Bull and Ferrari after their troubling start to the season.

“The start of the season wasn’t really any good,” Wolff said. “And there is no other way of describing it. Because if you win the Championship in December then four months on, you’re not competing with the guys in the front. That’s frustrating.”

“Since then we had a roller coaster, we’ve been on the podium, almost every single race. We were strong on the Sundays, but never quite there in qualifying and the gap was simply too large.”

‘Start of the season wasn’t really any good’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mercedes-missing-few-months-development-red-bull-ferrari/


Wolff's bizarre Russell compliment
Sunday 7 August 2022 07:00
Sam Hall

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed he complimented George Russell on his maiden F1 pole lap by saying over the radio it was "not s**t".

"I said 'not s**t' on my radio," said Wolff. "That is pretty high up in my scale by the way, that is not negative.”

"It was quite an interesting experience because we knew it was going quick. On our used soft, it was already quite competitive."

‘ 'Not S**t', is pretty high up in my scale by the way!’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/88854/toto-wolff-george-russell/

[Fortitude]

Honda F1 chief surprised by Red Bull's huge lead over Ferrari.
Honda are pleased with Red Bull's performance so far in 2022, though remain realistic about why the points gap between the team and Ferrari is currently so substantial.
08/08/2022, ‎07‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Honda F1 chief Yasuaki Asaki admits that Red Bull's points advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship has come as something of a surprise. Red Bull have been aided in their success by Honda who, despite officially withdrawing from Formula 1 at the end of 2021, continue to support the team's Red Bull Powertrains operation in a partnership that was recently extended until the end of 2025.

As such, Honda's Asaki remains closely involved with the sport, and acknowledges that certain aspects of the season have not been what he expected. Asaki has praised Red Bull for their consistency, but has warned that their advantage over Ferrari in terms of points is not necessarily a realistic picture of their performances.

"Red Bull are making fewer mistakes than Ferrari at the moment," Asaki explained. "The difference in points between the two teams is greater than our true strength. We are now in a position where we are fighting for both championships, so we keep fighting. We had some problems at the start of the season, but we solved them. I think that's why we are where we are today."

‘Honda F1 chief surprised by Red Bull's huge lead’;

https://racingnews365.com/honda-f1-chief-surprised-by-red-bulls-huge-lead-over-ferrari


Honda explain Charles Leclerc gap to Max Verstappen as Ferrari have themselves to blame
MAX VERSTAPPEN enjoys a healthy 80-point lead over Charles Leclerc in the Drivers Championship.
08:30, Mon, Aug 8, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Red Bull are leading the championship because they “solved” their early season reliability issues compared to Ferrari, according to Honda boss Yasuaki Asaki. Asaki also claimed Red Bull are “making fewer mistakes” than Ferrari which has proven vital to Max Verstappen's success.

Victories for Charles Leclerc in two of the first three races, coupled with retirements for Max Verstappen, saw the Monegasque open up a commanding 46-point advantage over the Dutchman.

Red Bull boss Helmut Marko admits the team cannot relax despite their healthy championship lead. He said it was possible Ferrari could win the next nine races if they were to completely cut out their errors.

‘Red Bull Cannot Relax’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1651974/red-bull-max-verstappen-ferrari-charles-leclerc-honda


Red Bull taking nothing for granted in Ferrari battle
Monday 8 August 2022 07:00
Ewan Gale

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has insisted Red Bull will take "nothing for granted" in the remaining races of the season. The Milton Keynes-based team has opened up a 97-point gap over nearest rival Ferrari despite the Scuderia's challenge this season often seeing Charles Leclerc rush ahead of Max Verstappen on track.

But Horner has insisted complacency will not creep in for Red Bull in its quest for a first championship double since 2013. “The points tables look healthy and it’s a great way to sign off into the summer break but there is still a lot of racing to go," said Horner.

“Ferrari are quick, Mercedes are coming back into the game…there’s still a long, long way to go in this championship, plus a sprint race, so we don’t take anything for granted. “There is still a lot of racing to do and at very different venues.”

‘Red Bull Taking Nothing For Granted’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/88870/red-bull-ferrari/


Sergio Perez’s assessment of his ‘7/10’ season so far with Red Bull
Sunday 7th August 2022 4:00 PM
Sam Cooper

Perez, who was ranked sixth on our top 10 drivers of the season so far, was asked by his team to score his season so far out of 10 and replied “7/10.”

“I’m looking forward to some rest, it’s been an intense season,” the Mexican said. “But you can only disconnect for a week or so and then back into it. We’ve got a lot of work to do because the second half of the season is going to be very intense. We have to keep delivering.”

“I couldn’t have imagined we would be where we are at that point [following Red Bull’s double DNF at the start of the season]. It’s great to have the team where it is at the moment, but we cannot take anything for granted.”

‘Sergio Perez’s Assessment’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio-perez-season-assessment-red-bull/


Has there been a ‘clear change’ in how Max Verstappen thinks and races?
Sunday 7th August 2022 12:59 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Now a Formula 1 veteran at the tender age of only 24, has there been a “clear change” in Max Verstappen with his thinking and racing? “You see a clear change in how he thinks and how he races,” said Coronel of Verstappen on RacingNews365.com’s Formula 1 podcast.

“Everything is based on finishing. No longer that fierceness as we knew from him in the beginning. Very conservative and more like: ‘okay, my turn will come in a moment’. That also struck me: Max knows that if he is less fast, he has to take chances to get as many points as possible.”

“Even if he’s fourth or fifth… I think that was in his head during the race in Hungary. But then you get one gift after another gift. Everything was right!”

‘Clear Change In How Max Verstappen Thinks And Races’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-verstappen-changed-driving-style/


How Red Bull piled back the downforce in Hungary
Red Bull initially feared it would be on the back foot at Formula 1’s Hungarian Grand Prix, with the team seemingly less comfortable at high downforce circuits than previous years.
Aug 7, 2022, 8:46 AM
By: Matt Somerfield
Co-author: Giorgio Piola

It’s clearly the consequence of a design direction that the team has taken with the new regulations though. For its drivers have often found themselves at the top of the speed trap figures in 2022, whereas in previous seasons they’d be at the bottom more often than not.

In order to tackle this issue in Hungary, Red Bull introduced a new beam wing layout, pairing it with its higher downforce rear wing offering. This new beam wing design is what most of the grid would consider the conventional layout for these regulations, with two elements mounted in series, one above the other.

And, just like its rivals, the design featured elements with a more loaded central section and tapered outer tip. Prior to this, Red Bull had bucked this trend, opting for a ‘stacked’ arrangement instead. Plus when it was required to reduce downforce and drag at higher speed circuits, it also ditched the upper of those two elements, as can be seen at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

‘Piled Back The Downforce’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/how-red-bull-piled-back-the-downforce-in-hungary/10349601/


Christian Horner speaks out as Red Bull poach Lewis Hamilton's former Mercedes engineer.
RED BULL currently lead the F1 Constructors' Championship standings by nearly 100 points.
09:56, Sun, Aug 7, 2022
By Tom Parsons

Christian Horner has spoken out after Red Bull poached Lewis Hamilton’s former engineer Phil Prew from Mercedes. The Austrian team have been in imperious form on the track this season and are leading the Constructors’ Championship by 97 points, with Max Verstappen also at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings.

Red Bull have been uncompromising in their recruitment drive recently as they look to become the powerhouse in F1 for years to come. And Horner believes Prew’s arrival is a “statement of intent.” He said: “I’m delighted that Phil is going to be joining the team and he has a phenomenal track record. He has been a key component of Mercedes’ recent success and, again, it is another statement of intent of where we want to be with the power unit.”

“I think we have assembled great strength and depth within the business and it’s fantastic to see it really coming together and coming to life. Phil’s one of a few key signings recently that add to the very talented group of people that we have already assembled.”

‘Statement Of Intent’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1651673/Christian-Horner-Red-Bull-Lewis-Hamilton-Mercedes-F1-news-Max-Verstappen

[Fortitude]

Daniel Ricciardo posts for first time after McLaren 'inform Aussie they plan to axe him'.
It is believed Ricciardo was told the news by McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
10:28, Mon, Aug 8, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Daniel Ricciardo has broken his social media silence after reportedly being told he will lose his McLaren drive for next season. Ricciardo was photographed beaming while swimming on holiday, suggesting the Australian is not worried about his F1 future.

He posted the image alongside a caption which simply said “hello” with a sun emoji. It comes after a source close to Ricciardo reported he had already been told of McLaren’s decision to replace him with Oscar Piastri for next season, according to ESPN.

It is also understood Ricciardo was not interested in a seat at McLaren’s Formula E team in a bid to remain on the F1 grid. Ricciardo is tipped to sign for Alpine, securing the seat Piastri was expected to step into when Fernando Alonso announced his switch to Aston Martin.

‘Ricciardo was photographed beaming’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1652070/daniel-ricciardo-mclaren-alpine-f1-contract-news-latest


Daniel Ricciardo receives sponsorship boost despite McLaren saga
Monday 8th August 2022 3:15 PM
Michelle Foster

Despite rumours of his pending McLaren exit, Daniel Ricciardo has renewed a sponsorship deal with Singtel Optus for a further two years. The smiling Australian first partnered with the telecommunications company in 2020, Optus saying at the time he was the perfect brand ambassador as he “radiates positivity and optimism”.

However, there has not been much to be optimistic about of late with continued rumours this season will be Ricciardo’s final year with McLaren.

According to reports, the team have already told the 33-year-old he will not be racing for them next season, his seat going to fellow Australian driver Oscar Piastri.

‘Sponsorship Boost’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/daniel-ricciardo-receives-sponsorship-boost/


The four contenders for Ricciardo’s signature — and the ‘long game’ twist that could sway his decision
August 8th, 2022 8:43 pm
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports

In the wake of persistent rumours that Mark Webber was lining up Oscar Piastri to snatch Ricciardo’s seat from underneath him in 2023, rival teams have been probing the availability of the affable 33-year-old for his next chapter. As many as four rival constructors have sounded out Ricciardo, per ESPN, in the weeks leading up to McLaren reportedly issuing him its intention to break his contract.

Deducing which teams ought to be a simple case of arithmetic. Before Fernando Alonso’s bombshell move there were six teams with possible vacancies: Alpine, Alfa Romeo, Haas, AlphaTauri, Aston Martin and Williams. AlphaTauri is also moving closer to re-signing Yuki Tsunoda, who Franz Tost wants to give a third season to establish himself. Anyway, signing 33-year-old Ricciardo also doesn’t click with what’s supposed to be Red Bull’s development team.

Aston Martin has also removed itself from the list, but with Alpine seemingly sure to need new blood, the group possible suitors is stable at four, including Haas, Alfa Romeo and Williams. So which is most likely to be seriously pitching for Ricciardo’s services, and which has the best chance of attracting his attention.

‘Four contenders for Ricciardo’s signature’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/the-four-contenders-for-ricciardos-signature-and-why-one-of-them-is-a-clear-favourite/news-story/db1b28066c0f6a367a6beac7ee1430ba


Lando Norris squashes Daniel Ricciardo ‘mind games’ accusation
Lando Norris is currently seventh in the Drivers' Championship.
8 August 2022
by Nick Golding

With Norris performing so much better than Ricciardo on a Grand Prix basis, it’s led to accusations that Norris has been playing “mind games” on his team-mate, something he profoundly denies. “Mind games?” Norris questioned the media. “In what way? What mind games can I play? No, it’s the opposite,” Norris said.

“I’m trying to help him as much as I can. It’s for the benefit of us as a team, to try and beat Alpine at the end of the day.” It appears that Norris is doing everything he possibly can to aid Ricciardo’s improvement, after revealing that the 33-year-old is able to see all of his data.

The British driver explained that he’s sharing more of his own data with Ricciardo than he usually would for a team-mate, highlighting Norris’ desire to get the team higher up in the championship. “He sees everything that I see in terms of data and everything,” the Brit explained.

‘Mind Games Accusation Squashed’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/lando-norris-squashes-daniel-ricciardo-mind-games-accusation/


The reasons behind Ricciardo’s McLaren Formula 1 struggles
Daniel Ricciardo’s pending Formula 1 exit from McLaren is set to end two difficult years for the eight-time grand prix winner.
Aug 8, 2022, 8:57 AM
By: Luke Smith
Co-author: Roberto Chinchero

So why has Ricciardo struggled so much with McLaren’s Formula 1 cars over the past two years? The important thing to bear in mind is that while the 2022 regulations may have heralded a technical overhaul for F1, they did not eradicate many of the characteristics of the McLaren car that made it so tricky to drive last year. The MCL36, just like the MCL35M, excels in high-speed corners but struggles more when it comes to the medium-speed stuff.

At the end of last year, McLaren technical director James Key spoke of a desire to attack the weaknesses and “account for them with a blank sheet of paper”, ensuring there were “no legacy built in behaviours in a new car like that.” But Ricciardo ended up encountering the same struggles with the new car. "The regulations make the car feel different, but the DNA of the car is still very similar,” Ricciardo told Motorsport.com in an interview ahead of F1’s summer break, before plans for him to be replaced by Piastri were set into motion.

“Some of the things from last year which I struggled with, they are still in this car. It's something I think we are starting to understand better what it is. Because obviously I tried to describe it, but to really understand, is it aero, is it is geometry, like… you know what I mean? We are starting to understand better what it is, and Lando also does complain about it. I think he's just used to it.”

‘Technical Overhaul for F1 did not eradicate many of the tricky characteristics of the McLaren car’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/reasons-behind-ricciardo-mclaren-struggles/10350455/

[Fortitude]

Petition for Mattia Binotto to be fired by Ferrari picks up steam.
As such, a petition that was started in 2019, when strategic mistakes also played a part in the Scuderia’s struggles to win races, has been brought back to life.
8 August 2022
by James Clifford

It was initially started by a fan from South Africa, and many more users on change.org have now spoken out against Binotto, urging Ferrari to sack him.

It is unknown exactly what they expect will happen as a result of the petition, as no one has any jurisdiction over whom Ferrari choose to lead their F1 team other than the board themselves.

Further, no governmental action can have a say in that unless anything unlawful has taken place and, while throwing away races in the manner Ferrari have could be labelled “criminal,” it is in fact not at all.

‘Petition Picks Up Steam’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/petition-for-mattia-binotto-to-be-fired-by-ferrari-picks-up-steam/


Binotto admits Ferrari engine failures spark feelings of 'depression'
08/08/2022 at 16:18
Phillip van Osten

Ferrari's engine failures never go down well with team boss Mattia Binotto who admits that the breakdowns lead to feelings of despair although they are fortunately short lived.

The failures were gut-wrenching for both drivers but they were just as upsetting for Ferrari's head man on the pitwall. "It is very difficult for two reasons," Binotto told Italy's Motorsport.com franchise.

"When it comes to engine failures, well, I've run that department myself in the past, and seeing smoke coming out of the car is never cool. And this is more of a feeling of depression. "When you are leading the race, as Charles was leading in Baku but we can also mention Carlos in Austria, these are problems you would never want to see."

‘Seeing smoke coming out of the car is never cool’;

https://f1i.com/news/450726-binotto-admits-ferrari-engine-failures-spark-feelings-of-depression.html


Does Mattia Binotto really deserve his Red Bull ’employee of the month’ award?
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have suffered no shortage of misfortune so far in 2022.
4 August 2022
by James Clifford

Formula 1 memers on social media have been praising Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto for the success that Red Bull have enjoyed in recent weeks, but does he deserve that? Light-hearted though the jokes may sometimes be, the criticism of the Scuderia will be painful enough for them, but the ridicule is difficult to bear watching them go through.

The same mistakes are being made almost every week by Ferrari, who have shown a susceptibility to panicking under pressure, and sometimes under no pressure at all. Blaming one person for the downfall of the entire team is never a wise approach, but changes are needed at Ferrari, and it is clear that Rueda needs some assistance on his side.

With the deficit as it is in the standings right now, Ferrari may be well-advised to start thinking about how to attack next year’s title challenge, because there appears to be no imminent let-up from Red Bull.

‘Red Bull Employee of the Month Award’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/does-mattia-binotto-really-deserve-his-red-bull-employee-of-the-month-award/


Why Ferrari launched failed tyre gamble in Hungary
Tuesday 2 August 2022 18:30
Sam Hall

Mattia Binotto has revealed why Ferrari took its disastrous gamble with hard tyres for Charles Leclerc at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Binotto concedes data decided. Ferrari had not completed any running on the hard compound during the two dry practice sessions on Friday.

After the race, Verstappen and George Russell confirmed Red Bull and Mercedes had ruled out using that tyre in the race. “Overall, the tyres didn’t work," added Binotto.

"I know that they were not working as well on other cars but still, the analysis I made was based on all the data we had. Overall, as I said before, the main reason is not to look into the strategy but to look at why the car was not as good as we were hoping."

‘Failed Tyre Gamble’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/88571/hungarian-grand-prix-ferrari-tyre/


Binotto denies Ferrari needs personnel shakeup
AUGUST 8, 2022, 08 Aug 2022.
GrandPrix.com

Mattia Binotto could end up paying for Ferrari's flagging championship hopes with his job. That is the view of former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, who worked with the Italian team's current team boss when he was still in charge of the engine program.

"He's a very good engineer - a very professional guy," the Brazilian said. "He understands a lot about it on the technical side. He's also a good guy, to be honest. But in the end, the result is not coming the way it should. So we cannot definitely blame him, but we need to say that he's part of it."

Indeed, although Binotto should be hailed for helping Ferrari field a truly competitive car in 2022, the team's title hopes are fading due to reliability and strategy errors. Another former Ferrari driver, Jean Alesi, says the critics should hold their tongues.

‘Ferrari Need Personnel Shakeup’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/binotto-denies-ferrari-needs-personnel-shakeup.html


Ferrari 'won't change' approach despite mistakes in 2022
Published: 8 Aug 2022, 14:33
By George Dagless

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has said that the team does not feel the need to change their approach despite some of the errors that have struck their championship challenge. The Scuderia started this season in great form and looked as though they were the team to beat in the title fight but as the campaign has worn on, Red Bull have grown stronger and stronger and the mistakes have crept in in red.

Despite that, though, Binotto is defiant that Ferrari just need to keep doing what they’re doing and not change anything drastically: “There’s nothing to change, I think it’s always a matter of confidence, learning, building, building experience, building skills.”

“But if I look again at the balance of the first half of the season there is no reason why we should change. I think we simply need to understand [Hungary] and address that and try to be competitive, as we have been in 12 races so far. There is no reason why we will not be [competitive] at the next.”

‘Ferrari Won't Change Approach’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88044992-ferrari-wont-change-approach-despite-mistakes-in-2022

[Fortitude]

Daniel Ricciardo demanding £17million pay-out to walkaway from his McLaren contract.
If the rumours are anything to go by, McLaren have agreed a deal with Formula 2 champion Piastri for next season, and with the thriving Lando Norris on a long-term contract with team, it is Ricciardo who will be asked to make way.
Tuesday 9 Aug 2022 4:59 pm
Callum McAvoy

According to Australian publication Speedcafe, Ricciardo has the option to terminate his own contract prematurely, but McLaren do not, and with the balls in his court, the eight-time race winner has asked for $21million (£17.3m) in compensation for him to walk away from the team.

A similar situation occurred in 2009, when Ferrari signed Alonso for the following season even though they already had Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen under contract, with the latter eventually being handed a pay-out of around £20m.

Save from the past season-and-a-half, Ricciardo is considered one of the quickest drivers on the grid, and certainly one of the most marketable and will not be short of suitors.

‘£17million pay-out’;

https://metro.co.uk/2022/08/09/daniel-ricciardo-demands-17million-pay-out-to-terminate-mclaren-deal-17155177/?ito=newsnow-feed


Daniel Ricciardo demands massive pay-off to end McLaren career amid Oscar Piastri fiasco.
McLaren have told Daniel Ricciardo they intend to replace him with wantaway Alpine reserve Oscar Piastri, but the former Red Bull racer will not leave early without a significant pay-off.
17:12, 9 Aug 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

Daniel Ricciardo has told McLaren to give him an eight-figure pay-off if they want to replace him with Oscar Piastri for next season, according to a report.

The final fee is expected to be less if both sides strike a deal, but still Ricciardo will earn millions for stepping aside to allow Piastri to race alongside Lando Norris. And even if he does, his F1 future is likely to be secure with several teams waiting to pounce.

At least four teams have been in contact with the Aussie to get a sense of his intentions in recent weeks. One of them is believed to be Alpine, who would consider bringing Ricciardo back into the fold should they end up losing Piastri to McLaren.

‘Eight-figure pay-off’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/ricciardo-mclaren-pay-off-piastri-27699025


Alpine F1 Team Preparing Lawsuit Against McLaren-Bound Oscar Piastri
The team spent millions of dollars preparing Piastri for Formula 1, and wants to get it back via legal action.
10/08/2022, 12:21PM
By Ryan Erik King

According to Reuters, Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer is all but certain that the team will seek compensation in the High Court of Justice in London if Piastri refuses to race for Alpine next season. The French manufacturer’s factory team announced last week that the 21-year-old Australian would replace the departing Fernando Alonso next season. The crux of the potential legal action is that Piastri bluntly stated on social media that he will not drive for Alpine next year.

Alpine has contacted the FIA’s in-house Contract Recognition Board to resolve the dispute of whether Piastri is contractually tied to the team or not. However, the Australian could still choose not to compete in F1 at all in 2023.

Szafnauer told Reuters, “Going to the High Court is over 90-percent certain that’s what we’ll do. If the CRB says ‘your license is only valid at Alpine’, and then he [Piastri] says ‘that’s great but I’m never driving for them, I’ll just sit out a year’, then you’ve got to go to the High Court for compensation.”

‘Preparing Lawsuit’;

https://jalopnik.com/alpine-f1-team-preparing-lawsuit-against-mclaren-bound-1849389975


Daniel Ricciardo 'demands £12m to quit McLaren' as negotiations start over ending contract
DANIEL RICCIARDO will reportedly demand an eight-figure sum to end his McLaren contract early.
18:26, Tue, Aug 9, 2022
By Liam Llewellyn

Daniel Ricciardo has reportedly demanded £12m to quit McLaren as the negotiations to end his contract have commenced. Team boss Zak Brown is said to be trying to move the eight-time race winner on in order to create space to sign reigning Formula Two champion Oscar Piastri.

Ricciardo is contracted at the team until the end of 2023 and will need to be paid off to depart early. It is understood he is the only party to have the right to cancel his current deal, and it is expected Ricciardo’s asking fee may be reduced as McLaren haggles over a price.

Formula One expert Peter Windsor believes that the current situation leaves Brown in an uncomfortable position, with the American regretting the deal he initially gave the former Red Bull and Renault man. "What will take some time now is the deal that Zak Brown will make with Daniel,” he continued. “Daniel will be riding for him for the rest of this year, so it will not be a comfortable situation for Zak.”

‘Regretting The Deal’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1652877/Daniel-Ricciardo-demands-12m-to-quit-McLaren-f1-news


Daniel Ricciardo auditions to join ‘clowns at Ferrari’.
Ferrari's title challenge is starting to fall apart with nine rounds left in 2022.
9 August 2022
by James Clifford

A video of Daniel Ricciardo juggling tennis balls has resurfaced amid Ferrari’s continued struggles in 2022. Sadly for the Scuderia, they have become a laughing stock in recent weeks due to a series of strategic mistakes, driver errors and reliability failures.

Many have called into question Ferrari strategist Inaki Rueda, as well as team principal Mattia Binotto’s ability to lead the team. The ridicule has seen Maranello compared to a circus, and the juggling techniques of Ricciardo, as per a meme page on Instagram, would make him the ideal fit.

Indeed, it is possible that the 33-year-old might be looking for a seat next year, as Alpine reserve Oscar Piastri is reported to have secured a deal with McLaren for 2023.

‘Juggling techniques of Ricciardo, would make him the ideal fit, for the laughing stock of Ferrari!’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/daniel-ricciardo-auditions-to-join-clowns-at-ferrari/


Daniel Ricciardo was "expected to kick a**" as F1 star opens up on McLaren nightmare
Ricciardo has a contract with McLaren until the end of next season, but nevertheless his F1 future is shrouded in mystery with the team eager to replace him with wantaway Alpine racer Oscar Piastri
20:37, 9 Aug 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

McLaren were puzzled by Daniel Ricciardo's slow start to life with the team as the driver claims the team expected him to "kick a**" from day one.

"This time last year there was probably a little more head-scratching from everyone," he told Racer. "I think that’s because... the truth is, I think they just expected me to get into the team and kick a**. So there was probably still some pure head-scratching, like, 'hmm, what’s happening?'

"And that was probably overriding what needs to happen – I'm just speculating, but maybe too much energy was put into the why's and this and that before it was, 'what do we need to do now to make him feel better?'" Ricciardo was speaking before the Piastri saga took off.

‘Expected to kick a**’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/ricciardo-mclaren-alpine-piastri-latest-27700625


This is how much McLaren will need to pay Daniel Ricciardo to buy out his contract
Daniel Ricciardo will be owed a fair amount of money if he leaves McLaren at the end of this year.
by James Clifford
9 August 20229 August 2022

If the eight-time champions are to send their driver on his way, journalist Peter Windsor estimates that they will have to fork out an eyewatering sum to part ways. “It will be a hit in the region of twenty million,” he said in a YouTube video.

“Maybe more, or maybe less, maybe they can negotiate it down or they can finance a seat for him somewhere else. In any case, that will be the key before everything can fall into place.” Windsor also indicated that Brown has out himself in a difficult situation, firstly by negotiating with another driver behind Ricciardo’s back, but also by giving the former Red Bull driver leverage in the original contract.

“What will take some time now is the deal that Zak Brown will make with Daniel,” he added. “Daniel will be riding for him for the rest of this year, so it will not be a comfortable situation for Zak. He’s bound to regret the contract he drew up in the first place, which means Daniel now has so many options and he himself doesn’t.”

‘Not a comfortable situation for Zak Brown!’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/this-is-how-much-mclaren-will-need-to-pay-daniel-ricciardo-to-buy-out-his-contract/

[Fortitude]

Question Mark: Is Toto Wolff too powerful for F1?
Has Wolff’s involvement in F1 been excessive? Conflicts of interest? How would or can all this impact the future of F1?
10 August, 2022
Mark Kay

Has Wolff’s involvement in F1 been excessive? Apart from being the public face of the team he runs, an important function of Wolff’s role as CEO and Team Principal is to have a strong voice in the advocacy of the best interests of his team, but is it not reasonable to question if his voice is louder than his peers, the other F1 team bosses? Consider that in recent times the 50-year-old motor racing veteran has been one of, if not the most vocal questioning the value that will be gained if the proposed Andretti F1 team entry happens, from the sidelines he certainly threw a hefty spanner in the works to keep the F1-pie down to ten teams, not the twelve which every real F1 fan wants.

Last year’s Michael Masi aftermath… Many saw it as a sore-loser campaign with Wolff using his position to attempt to discredit the FIA, in a show of solidarity with the manner Lewis Hamilton lost the title, by not attending the end-of-year prize-giving ceremony to accept the 2021 F1 World Constructors Championship award. Granted Abu Dhabi was a disaster, but his team had nabbed an incredible eighth F1 title long before that night, yet he neglected to use the event as a public demonstration of respect to the two thousand or so dedicated employees of the Mercedes F1 Team who deserved better from their boss who until that day was all about sportsmanship. Excessive? Selfish? Or both?

REACTION (See link below) from one poster to this article: M96/72 “I believe Wolf’s (and his Academy Award-worthy drivers) campaign to influence the floor rules (also utilizing his former employee now acting as mole and influencer within the FIA) will result in rules written that will return Mercedes to the 2-seconds faster top of the heap and hamstring RedBull and Ferrari or anyone else. This season is my last as a F1 fan and follower after 42 years. I will no longer watch ,read about or purchase any team or driver merchandise.”

‘Too Powerful For F1?’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/10/question-mark-is-toto-wolff-too-powerful-for-f1/


Toto Wolff gets his wish as FIA president announces new 2023 rules changes.
TOTO WOLFF has called for rules changes to address porpoising as Mercedes continue to struggle.
10:32, Tue, Aug 9, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton could benefit from new 2023 rule changes after the FIA announced a plan to battle porpoising issues in a major win for Mercedes. Wolff has called for urgent action to be taken on the bouncing issues which has plagued the Silver Arrows this season.

The team has demanded changes on safety grounds since Hamilton suffered severe back pains at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. However, Wolff has been met by opposition from rival team bosses who claimed his call for updates was purely a tactical one.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner and Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto have both denied the need for regulation changes to solve the issues. But, the FIA has now sided with Mercedes’ argument as president Mohammed ben Sulayem announced the rules would be tweaked for next season.

‘Toto Wolff gets his wish’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1652624/toto-wolff-mercedes-fia-rules-change-porpoising-safety


Wolff explains Andretti F1 bid opposition
Tuesday 9 August 2022 16:01
Sam Hall

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has explained why he has been one of the loudest voices opposing the addition of Andretti Global to the F1 grid.

Former F1 champion Mario Andretti confirmed in February that his son, Michael, had applied to the FIA for a position in the F1 paddock in 2024.

Asked how the two are different, Wolff said: "I think whoever joins as an 11th team, whoever gets an entry needs to demonstrate how accretive they can be for the business. "Andretti is a great name, they have done exceptional things in the US but this is sport and this is business.”

‘Toto Wolff, one of the loudest voices opposing Andretti Global’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/89077/toto-wolff-andretti/


Toto Wolff fires back after being accused of trying to manipulate the FIA
The FIA is considering a new set of regulations for 2023 to eliminate porpoising.
9 August 2022
by Nick Golding

Mercedes F1 Team boss Toto Wolff continues to fire back at rival teams who claim that nothing needs to be done about porpoising, despite new data which suggests that drivers are at a serious health risk.

Red Bull Racing and the Alpine F1 Team, for example, haven’t suffered from porpoising this season, with the pair being against any FIA intervention.

Some teams who are against the proposed regulation changes have argued that porpoising hasn’t been seen as severely at recent races, and that Mercedes have improved considerably.

‘Trying to manipulate the FIA Accusations’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-fires-back-after-being-accused-of-trying-to-manipulate-the-fia/


Wolff says Mercedes are still ‘lacking’ against Red Bull and Ferrari

Toto Wolff downplays recent form and insists Mercedes are still ‘lacking’ up against Red Bull and Ferrari
Mercedes have earned double podiums in the last two races but Wolff is unsure their pace is up there with the leading contenders
12:35 Thu, 04 Aug 2022.
Kieran Jackson
Formula 1 Correspondent
The Independent

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has downplayed the recent form of the Constructors champions and insists his team are “still lacking to the frontrunners” of Red Bull and Ferrari.

Mercedes have earned double podiums in the last two races in France and Hungary, with George Russell a surprise pole sitter in Budapest - the Silver Arrows’ first pole position of the season.

Despite not being able to hold position as Max Verstappen’s surged through the pack, Russell still finished third with teammate Lewis Hamilton second and the seven-time world champion has now been on the podium in the last five races.

‘Mercedes are still ‘lacking’ up’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/toto-wolff-mercedes-red-bull-ferrari-b2138082.html

[Fortitude]

Sebastian Vettel: Ferrari’s F1 2022 errors show that he wasn’t the problem in his failed title bid.
Sebastian Vettel was often pinpointed as the main factor behind Ferrari not winning the title in either 2017 or 2018.
10 Aug 2022
Connor McDonagh

With four world titles, 53 grand prix victories and over 120 podium finishes, Vettel’s statistics put him among the very best drivers in F1 history. Despite these spectacular statistics, Vettel often doesn’t get the recognition he deserves with his failure to win the title with Ferrari often cited as to why. He got close in 2017 and 2018 but finished runner-up to Lewis Hamilton on both occasions.

His failure to topple Hamilton was ultimately his undoing as Ferrari’s rising star - Charles Leclerc - shone in his first year with the team in 2019 which led to Ferrari replacing him one year later in favour of Carlos Sainz. Fast forward to 2022, Ferrari have - on average - the fastest car this year but Leclerc trails Max Verstappen by a whopping 80 points, eight wins to three in the Dutchman’s favour.

Poor reliability and strategy errors have been all too common for 2022 but it was no different during Vettel’s years with the team, made worse by Mercedes often having a significant performance advantage (aside from the first half of 2018).

‘Ferrari’s F1 2022 errors show that Sebastian Vettel wasn’t the problem in his failed title bid’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/1009887/1/defence-vettel-ferrari-s-f1-2022-failure-shows-he-wasn-t-problem


How Ferrari Fumbled Away Its F1 Title Hopes in 10 Races
Perfect storm of bad strategy, reliability issues, and driver blunders cost Ferrari chance at 2022 Formula 1 championship.
Aug 10, 2022
BY PHILLIP HORTON

F1 Drivers' Standings After 3 Races
1. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 71
2. George Russell, Mercedes, 37
3. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 33
4. Sergio Perez, Red Bull, 30
5. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 28
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 25

Current F1 Drivers' Standings After 13 Races
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 258
2. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 178
3. Sergio Perez, Red Bull, 173
4. George Russell, Mercedes, 158
5. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 156

As Maranello’s title drought looks set to extend into a 14th year, Autoweek analyzes Ferrari’s dramatic drop, its weaknesses, and where it goes next.

‘Ferrari Fumbled Away Its F1 Title Hopes’;

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/a40858472/how-ferrari-fumbled-away-f1-title-hopes/


Ex-Ferrari boss urges Mattia Binotto to axe strategy chief with contract running down
According to reports, team chief Binotto's contract expires at the end of the season – but a former Ferrari boss believe he should stay and instead sack the team's lead strategist
16:43, 10 Aug 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

Mattia Binotto has been urged to sack under-fire Ferrari strategy chief Inaki Rueda by one of his predecessors. Cesare Fiorio, who led the team in the 1990s, does not share that view. Speaking to Italian magazine Autosprint, he said: "I certainly expected an intervention by [executive chairman] John Elkann after the events in Budapest.”

"Unfortunately, the mistakes have been numerous. The 2022 car is very competitive and you can see that the team has made progress compared to the last two years. The credit for that must be given to Binotto, who has always been very skilled on the technical side and is leading the engineers to build a winning machine.”

"Mattia was originally a designer and he knows how to do that job very well, as shown with the F1-75. He just needs people who fit better with the culture. Binotto needs to stay in place, but not Rueda – he has never positively influenced the different teams he has worked for."

‘Ex-Ferrari Boss Urges Strategy Chief Axe’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/ferrari-binotto-strategy-inaki-rueda-27708806


Massa: At Ferrari the tide needs to turn quickly
10 August, 2022
Paul Velasco

With insider knowledge, Massa’s advice for Binotto and the great Italian team: “Ferrari need to be calmer when making decisions and understand what’s going on because the mistakes in strategy that were made at the beginning of the season are still being made today.

“The tide needs to turn quickly, otherwise they may have to pay the price,” added Massa, perhaps suggesting an alternative to the current boss.

History shows that Binotto popped into the top management position as part of a master plan of the late Sergio Marchionne who ejected Maurizio Arrivabene as team principal, putting Binotto in full charge in what at the time was reported as a powerplay for the helm of the F1 team at Maranello.

‘Ferrari tide needs to turn quickly’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/10/massa-at-ferrari-the-tide-needs-to-turn-quickly-in-f1-under-binotto/


Salo exclusive: Ferrari are not going to win titles this way
10/08/2022, ‎18‎:‎00
Author Ruud Dimmers
Co-author Jake Nichol

In the first months of the 2022 F1 season, it seemed to be the year of Charles Leclerc and Ferrari. In a few months, the legendary Italian team lost everything. Therefore, its former F1 driver Mika Salo is now critical. RacingNews365.com spoke extensively and exclusively with Salo, who made his debut in F1 in 1994 with the Tyrrell team, where he was a teammate to Jos Verstappen.

He would eventually end up at Scuderia Ferrari, as a replacement for the injured Michael Schumacher in 1999, coming very close to a race victory in Austria, but he had to let through teammate and leader Eddie Irvine. In the end, Irvine was three points short of denying Mika Hakkinen the world title.

Ferrari does not deserve to win F1 title, according to Salo. According to Salo, the pressure from the Italian media and the Tifosi should not be a reason for the series of mistakes and disappointments. He does not believe that a reorganisation is necessary and compliments team boss Mattia Binotto.

‘Ferrari does not deserve to win F1 title’;

https://racingnews365.com/salo-exclusive-ferrari-are-not-going-to-win-titles-this-way


Ferrari set for power unit upgrade at Spa
10/08/2022 at 13:21
Phillip van Osten

Ferrari will return to action at Spa-Francorchamps at the end of the month with a power unit that will feature an upgraded hybrid component.

But a second homologation date set for September 1 allows manufacturers to introduce a final update limited to the PU's control electronics, energy store (battery) and the MGU-K.

The Belgian Grand Prix will take place on August 28 which means that any updates limited to the specific hybrid elements will be within the September 1 deadline.

‘Ferrari PU Upgrade’;

https://f1i.com/news/450817-ferrari-set-for-power-unit-upgrade-at-spa.html


Ferrari will beat engine upgrade deadline in boost to Charles Leclerc's slim title hopes.
Leclerc and Carlos Sainz desperately need a drama-free second half of the season, and more reliable power units would certainly go a long way in making that happen.
19:24, 10 Aug 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Ferrari are set to beat the looming engine freeze deadline to introduce power unit upgrades for the rest of the season and beyond.

Teams are working against the clock to finalise their engine plans for the next few years. It is not like with other areas of car performance, such as the aerodynamics, with teams allowed to continue tinkering with their designs whenever they want.

When it comes to the engines, manufacturers must submit their final specifications before September 1. After that, they will be unable to make any performance-related improvements until 2026, when new power unit regulations come into force.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/ferrari-engine-upgrade-leclerc-sainz-27710278

[Fortitude]

2023 F1 driver market: Mick Schumacher contract talks delayed by Haas in a strategic power play.
Mick Schumacher’s contract talks over his future have been put on hold by Haas as the 2023 F1 driver market becomes a game of poker.
7 Aug 2022
F1 Desk

Schumacher was due to resolve his future during the summer break but Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has decided to delay talks, report German broadcaster RTL. That decision is because Haas believe they are Schumacher’s only hope of remaining in F1 in the 2023 season, so they are playing hard ball in contract negotiations.

This wave of movement in the 2023 F1 driver market has sent shockwaves through the entire grid and Haas’ decision to delay talks with Schumacher is a direct result. There are currently five unconfirmed seats among F1 teams for next season. Haas, AlphaTauri, Alfa Romeo, Alpine and Williams each have a spot yet to be decided.

Haas don’t believe that Schumacher is a realistic target for any of their rivals, so their hand in the negotiations has never been stronger. Schumacher is reportedly one of only four F1 drivers who earn less than £1 million per season. His only other option for 2023, apart from Haas, would be as a reserve driver for Ferrari, RTL report.

‘Strategic Power Play’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1009604/1/haas-delay-schumacher-talks-f1-2023-driver-market-becomes-game-poker


Haas concede Schumacher future "up in the air".
Schumacher is one of a number of drivers for whom the future remains unclear with F1 in its summer shutdown.
Wednesday 10 August 2022 13:58
Sam Hall

Former F2 champion Schumacher scored the first points of his F1 career by finishing eighth at Silverstone and immediately backed this up with a sixth in Austria.

Asked if ending his drought at the 32nd attempt had changed Schumacher, Steiner added: "Absolutely not. He is happy about it and it gives him a bit of confidence that he can do it.

“You don’t see that. I think he feels it but we don’t see it because he never really lacked confidence on the outside. What you portray and what you have got are two different things.”

‘Future up in the air’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/89080/haas-mick-schumacher-future/


STEINER: “IF SCHUMACHER DECIDES TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE…”
The Haas Team Principal discussed his drivers' contracts
19:35 Fri, 05 Aug 2022.
Dalila Zanardo
FormulaNerds

Haas Team Principal Gunther Steiner recently opened up to discuss Mick Schumacher’s future within the American team. Doubts still surround the German’s presence on the grid in 2023 but Steiner admits no announcement is to be expected during the summer break.

Mick Schumacher’s first season in Formula 1 was all but easy with a car that did not allow the rookie to fight for much. His second season, on the other side, had a difficult start but proceeded to then also show some sparkles of talent. Amid the negotiations with his current team Haas, however, Schumacher had also proceeded to enter talks with Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team to replace fellow German Sebastian Vettel in 2023, following the 4-times World Champion’s retirement at the end of the season.

Consequently to Aston Martin’s announcement that 2-times World Champion Fernando Alonso will take the seat left empty by Vettel, RTL now reports talks between Haas and Mick Schumacher have also suffered a halt. In particular, according to the German media: “Schumacher will not get a new contract with his Haas team during the summer break as team boss Guenther Steiner is no longer in a hurry to negotiate an extended contract with the driver”.

‘No longer in a hurry to negotiate’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/steiner-if-schumacher-decides-to-go-somewhere-else/?nowprocket=1


‘Mattia Binotto is not fully convinced by Mick Schumacher’
Monday 8th August 2022 11:00 AM
Michelle Foster

Guenther Steiner, though, says he had no intention of speaking with his drivers until after the summer break. He also will not wait to see what Ferrari have to say. “No, we don’t have to wait to see what Ferrari say,” the team boss told Racer. “We never decide the driver before the summer break and we will not do so this year. “Obviously I will start to speak with Gene [Haas] over the summer break and then you know how we do it — you will ask again at the next race in Europe and then we will tell you some time at the end of September or October what we are doing, and the same will be happening this year hopefully.”

However, unlike in the past two years when Schumacher could count on Ferrari’s support, Bild claims Ferrari’s team boss is no longer enamoured with the 23-year-old. “Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto is not fully convinced by Schumi Jr,” claims the German newspaper.

Steiner has no idea what Schumacher’s deal with Ferrari entails. “I don’t want to speak about our Ferrari deal because otherwise they get upset!” he joked. “At the end of the day I don’t know the real deal between Ferrari and Mick — and I don’t need to know. If he decides to go somewhere else, I cannot change it. Only Gene and me are involved in that process.”

‘Mattia Binotto not fully convinced by Mick Schumacher’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mattia-binotto-not-fully-convinced-mick-schumacher/


F1 driver Mick Schumacher expected to leave Haas in 2023.
Mick Schumacher is expected to be out at Haas for the 2023 season, per Motorsport's Adam Cooper. Why is Schumacher in this position and what is next for him?
17:04 Fri, 05 Aug 2022.
Austin Konenski

Young F1 star Mick Schumacher’s days at the Haas team look to be officially over. Mick Schumacher is expected to be out at Haas for the 2023 season, per Motorsport’s Adam Cooper. This was mentioned as a possibility in a story about Schumacher on Thursday morning also. So, why is Schumacher expected to be on the way out, and what’s next?

Things can change quickly in the business side of Motorsports, so unless something is announced during the summer break, Schumacher needs to prove he belongs and try to earn his ride at Haas. It has also been reported that Mattia Binotto, team principal of Ferrari, is no longer convinced of Schumacher’s potential at this point. The 23-year-old is a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy.

This opens the door for Schumacher to possibly jump ship to another driver academy, such as Red Bull, since Binotto might not see a future for the young driver at Ferrari. It was covered on Thursday that Helmut Marko, head of Red Bull’s driver development program, has a soft spot for Schumacher and it could work out in his favor.

‘Mick Schumacher expected to leave Haas in 2023’;

https://sportsnaut.com/f1-driver-mick-schumacher-leaving-haas/


Formula 1: Mick Schumacher to Red Bull for 2023?
Mon, 08 Aug 2022
by Asher Fair

If Haas move on from Mick Schumacher, could he end up making the switch from Ferrari to Red Bull for the 2023 Formula 1 season? Could that lead him to join Red Bull’s development program? Such a move could keep Schumacher in Formula 1 with Red Bull sister team AlphaTauri, as they have yet to confirm whether Yuki Tsunoda will be back for what would be a third season with the team in 2023.

There is also still the belief that Pierre Gasly isn’t exactly locked in for 2023, even though the team have him under contract through next year. We all know just how much “under contract” means anymore. After this year’s silly season, and not just in Formula 1, you’d be silly not to put it right on par with the promises of a career politician running for another term in public office.

It is also interesting to note that Vettel has long served as a mentor to the young Schumacher, just as Michael served as a mentor for Vettel. Vettel even backed Schumacher to take over his seat at Aston Martin before they signed Alonso. Is a move to the Red Bull organization, one with which Vettel won four consecutive world championships to open up the 2010s, now in the cards? Red Bull don’t currently have any F1-ready junior drivers in their development program, but the addition of Schumacher could change that.

‘Mick Schumacher to Red Bull for 2023’;

https://beyondtheflag.com/2022/08/08/formula-1-mick-schumacher-red-bull-2023/

[Fortitude]

Big decisions may await Williams in quest to shed unwanted tag.
F1’s new rules were designed to potentially shake up the order – but Williams still find themselves stuck at the bottom of the pile.
Tuesday 9th August 2022 8:00 AM.
Jon Wilde

Just like in every other season from 2018 onwards, they are propping up the table in 10th – and, despite returning to Spa with those happy memories straight after the summer break, look unlikely to improve on that position before the campaign draws to a close. So what has enabled Alfa Romeo and Haas to leapfrog Williams? (And AlphaTauri and Aston Martin too, for that matter.)

Redesigning the cars has to account for much of it. Like ninth-placed Aston Martin, who are 17 points ahead of them in the championship, Williams have already changed direction since they launched the FW44, aware that the original concept was not working as hoped. Technical director FX Demaison added of the revamp rolled out at Silverstone: “We can really call it a new car, because the list of parts we kept is much shorter than the ones we changed.”

“We saw many other cars going in other directions. We are not [so] stupid to not look somewhere else and not look at what the others do. For this, it took a bit of time and analysis before we were ready to go because we didn’t want to copy without understanding. That’s why it was only at race 10 we saw it because we first wanted to understand the concept.” Albon, however, has had the new spec for four races now without adding to the three points he scored in Australia (10th) and Miami (ninth).

‘Williams Big Decisions’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/williams-2022-mid-season-review/


Williams chief makes bold Red Bull and Ferrari claim – "We can now compete"
22:20, 8 Aug 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

The Williams team remains a shadow of its former self despite being sold to new owners Dorilton Capital two years ago, though ambitious team boss Jost Capito is optimistic about the future.

Gone are the days, however, of competitive cars and world champion drivers. Instead, those famous blue and white cars have largely been making up the numbers in recent seasons. Capito is the man charged with the unenviable task of turning things around, and he insists there is still hope of what would be a much-welcomed resurgence.

Speaking to Speedweek, he continued: "That's a long process in Formula 1. You saw that at Red Bull Racing and also at Ferrari. The same goes for Williams. "Williams is a traditional racing team but has not been able to invest heavily in the last 10 years. If you look at the gap to the other teams at the beginning of the season, it has narrowed. We can now compete with other teams again and that's fun."

‘Williams F1 Can Now Compete’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/williams-capito-red-bull-ferrari-27690760


Hong Kong billionaire backer of Williams could expand investment in F1
08/08/2022 at 10:56
Michael Delaney

Hong Kong billionaire and life insurance tycoon Calvin Lo, the investor suspected to be behind Dorilton Capital's investment in Williams Racing, says he could expand his interests in Formula 1. Dorilton acquired Williams from the team's founding family in 2020, and speculation at the time pointed to Lo – the chief executive of insurance broker RE Lee International – as the man behind the US private equity firm's investment.

Lo has neither denied nor confirmed the speculation but has admitted to having "some sort of exposure" to Williams through Dorilton, although he declined to offer more detail on the level of his investment. However, speaking to Reuters recently, Lo says Formula 1's remarkable growth of late has caught Asian investors' attention, adding that investment opportunities in the sport are being considered.

"A lot of people, me included, are still looking to other teams, other opportunities, because...there are consistently good teams but they are not able to come up with the right car," Lo told Reuters.

‘Williams Racing Investment Speculation’;

https://f1i.com/news/450702-hong-kong-billionaire-backer-of-williams-could-expand-investment-in-f1.html


Nicholas Latifi felt ‘something was not right’, Williams couldn’t find an issue
Monday 8th August 2022 5:00 PM
Jon Wilde

Nicholas Latifi wonders if there was “something wrong” with his previous Williams chassis that was causing his poor results this season. The Canadian remains the only driver on the grid not to have scored a point in 2022, his highest finishing position being 12th in the British Grand Prix. Often significantly behind the pace of his team-mate Alex Albon, Latifi had to wait two races longer to receive the big upgrades Williams had developed for the FW44.

He got them for the French Grand Prix and while they brought no immediate improvement in terms of race results, Latifi did finish top of the FP3 standings in Hungary last time out and also set a purple fastest sector in Q1. Latifi now believes things are “on the right path” as he battles to extend his F1 racing career to a fourth campaign, needing a strong second half of the season to convince Williams to stick with him.

“There’s been a clear shift that’s factual,” the 27-year-old Montreal-born driver told The Race. “It’s not me and my feeling, it’s on track with numbers. I know [from] one race to the next I didn’t just all of a sudden improve my pace by three quarters of a second. So I feel I have some momentum now since Silverstone and especially since getting the upgrade package.”

‘Something wrong with his previous Williams chassis’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/nicholas-latifi-suspected-chassis-issue/


Robert Kubica: People forget that it was I, not George Russell, who scored Williams’ point
Robert Kubica returned to Formula 1 in 2019 after suffering horrific injuries in 2011.
8 August 2022
by James Clifford

Alfa Romeo reserve driver Robert Kubica has emphasised that returning to Formula 1 after his 2011 crash was one of the most difficult challenges he has ever faced in his career. Kubica was back to a round of applause in the press conference ahead of that year’s Australian Grand Prix (2019 season), and returning after a life-threatening accident eight years prior was a magnificent personal achievement.

“It was a shame that the car was not good that year, as fans have few memories of my comeback because of that,” explained Kubica. However, at the crazy German Grand Prix that season, it was Kubica who would score the Grove-based team’s only podium of the season when both Alfa Romeo drivers were disqualified from the wet race. That point meant the world to Kubica, whose return had been vindicated after years of recovery.

“Similarly, people forget that I was the one who managed to get a World Championship point that year, and that was no easy task with that car,” he stated. “I am still proud of that point scored at the German Grand Prix, it was an important moment in my racing career. It was the culmination of the long road I had to travel to get back into an F1 car and to get back into life at all. A moment that unfortunately very few people remember, but that is how it works in Formula 1.”

‘People forget Robert Kubica scored Williams’ one and only point in 2019’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/robert-kubica-people-forget-that-it-was-i-not-george-russell-who-scored-williams-point/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Formula_One_World_Championship


Williams backed Alex Albon to excel at a team ‘where he is loved’
Sunday 7th August 2022 10:30 PM
Sam Cooper

Jost Capito believed he could get the best out of Alex Albon by bringing him to a Williams team “where he is loved.” Albon spent a year out of the sport having become the latest driver to find the second Red Bull hot-seat just a little too hot and, having served as Red Bull’s test and reserve driver for the 2021 season, he made the switch back into full-time F1 with Williams for the 2022 campaign.

The British-Thai driver has impressed since his return, producing a masterclass in tyre preservation to earn a point in Australia before following that up with a P9 in Miami two races later. While that remains the last of his point-scoring races this season, he has comfortably outperformed his team-mate Nicholas Latifi.

Capito said he always knew Albon had talent and that he just needed the right conditions to thrive. “I think it was clear that he’s good, otherwise, he would never been in the Red Bull,” Capito said, as per GPFans.com. “He did very well beside Max [Verstappen] – you know how good Max is – he did very well, and the team is around Max, isn’t it? It’s very difficult for every second driver in Red Bull.

‘Williams backed Alex Albon to excel’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/williams-alex-albon-team-where-he-is-loved/

[Fortitude]

Bottas: 2022 probably my most enjoyable F1 season so far.
Valtteri Bottas believes 2022 is "probably the most enjoyable" season he has experienced to date in Formula 1 thanks to stability over his future with Alfa Romeo.
Aug 11, 2022, 9:57 AM
By: Luke Smith
Motorsport.com

Bottas joined Alfa Romeo at the beginning of the season following a five-year stint with Mercedes that saw him score 10 grand prix victories and twice finish as runner-up in the drivers' championship to teammate Lewis Hamilton. While the Finn has taken a step back from the regular front-running form he enjoyed at Mercedes, he has spearheaded Alfa Romeo's efforts in the midfield this season, scoring 41 of its 46 points so far.

Bottas signed a multi-year agreement with Alfa Romeo for this year, providing certainty over his future that he never previously enjoyed with either Williams or Mercedes, who opted for yearly contract renewals. "This is actually the first time for me, because even with Williams, it was always one year," Bottas told Motorsport.com in an interview.

"This season is probably the most enjoyable so far," Bottas said. "OK, maybe you don't know always remember things, but it really feels like I'm enjoying F1 more than ever. When it gets to the racing, it's a lot of good fun, especially like in the midfield and how different it is strategy-wise in the races. It's more like one decision can jump you many places. It's a different game.

‘Spearheading Alfa Romeo's Efforts’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/bottas-2022-probably-my-most-enjoyable-f1-season-so-far/10351584/


Bottas ready to plow through the field
12:07 Wed, 10 Aug 2022.
F1i.com

As a fan of big wheels, Valtteri Bottas couldn't resist saddling a tractor while enjoying his summer break in the beautiful American state of Wyoming.
And while most farm equipment is usually green, the Finn naturally opted for a red tractor whose color had a vague common trait with his Alfa Romeo F1 car.
While the machine was short on power and downforce compared to his C42, it did prove more reliable out in the field! Keep those big wheels spinning Val!

‘Tractor Plough’;

https://f1i.com/images/450813-bottas-ready-to-plow-through-the-field.html


ALFA ROMEO AND SAUBER PARTNERSHIP TO CONTINUE
Sauber Group and Alfa Romeo agree terms of new deal
30th July 2022, 18:38
James Phillips

Sauber Group and Alfa Romeo have agreed to continue their partnership. Alfa Romeo has been the title sponsor of the Swiss team since 2019. The agreement also sees the Italian manufacturer provide technical expertise.

Autosport is reporting that Sauber Group and Alfa Romeo have agreed a one-year extension to their existing deal. The agreement has seen the Italian car manufacturer return to the F1 grid, in a reduced capacity. Alfa Romeo has previously been a manufacturer team on the grid. Their last race was in 1985 before withdrawing.

When Alfa agreed to return in 2019, it struck a unique deal with Sauber. It supplies technical assistance and title sponsorship, but race under Ferrari engines. Confirming the extension, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato revealed the deal is for one year only. “I have signed the renewal for 2023 this morning.

‘ALFA ROMEO RENEWAL’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/f1latestnews/alfa-romeo-and-sauber-partnership-to-continue/?nowprocket=1


Alfa Romeo’s ‘bet’ on Sauber and a unique F1 deal has paid off
Jul 29 2022
By Scott Mitchell

Sauber’s renewal of its Alfa Romeo title partnership deal – which Reuters reports has now been confirmed for 2023 – extends a unique Formula 1 arrangement for another season. Alfa Romeo is a ‘works’ F1 team in the loosest possible sense. It is an extreme interpretation of an advertising campaign – title sponsorship with the perks of that sponsor being a famous car brand rather than some cryptocurrency or NFT nonsense.

The purpose of the way this deal is structured is to keep the options open for both parties. While the Alfa Romeo money and prestige are obviously of importance to Sauber, it is not as though it shapes its entire infrastructure. And while being in F1 is of great interest to Alfa Romeo, that’s only the case while this cut-price approach remains valid.

The arrangement currently works well for both parties. Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato – whose reported remarks today come ahead of any planned official announcement – is particularly pleased with what he describes simply as a “fantastic return on investment” for his company. “It was very simple, the guide we had together with Fred [Vasseur] is I want to be ‘up’,” Imparato told The Race about the requirements from Alfa Romeo’s side for 2022. Progress. P8, P7, P6, P5, I don’t care. Up. And with the right level of return on investment in terms of exposure of Alfa Romeo, compared with the investment we make.”

‘Up’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/alfa-romeos-bet-on-sauber-and-a-unique-f1-deal-has-paid-off/


Two-horse race to be Bottas' 2023 teammate.
12/08/2022, 08:29
By GMM F1

The identity of Valtteri Bottas' teammate at Alfa Romeo in 2023 appears to be down to a two-horse race. Frederic Vasseur is personally championing the Sauber team's own junior Theo Pourchaire, the 18-year-old fellow Frenchman who is a title contender in Formula 2 this year.

Vasseur says Pourchaire will be making a Friday practice or tyre testing appearance in 2022. "We'll find the solution, don't worry," he said recently.

At the same time, Alfa Romeo is not yet ready to confirm that Guanyu Zhou will be keeping his seat next year - even though the team says it is impressed with the Chinese rookie. "I haven't spoken to any team yet," Zhou is quoted by the Dutch publication Formule 1. "I feel like I have already proven myself as a fast driver, now I have to show that I can perform consistently."

‘Two-Horse Race’;

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/formula-1/sauber/news/two-horse-race-to-be-bottas-2023-teammate_492107.html?newsnow


The painful deja vu undermining F1 2022’s early feel-good story
11th August 2022, 11:14
By Scott Mitchell

Before Formula 1 signed off for its summer break, Valtteri Bottas hoped the Hungarian Grand Prix would send a message to his Alfa Romeo team. It did. Just not the one Bottas intended. A long-awaited floor and diffuser upgrade in Hungary marked Alfa Romeo’s first major development for several races. Bottas felt it was no coincidence that he promptly secured his first top-10 qualifying result since May’s Spanish Grand Prix – ironically the previous race at which the car had a significant upgrade.

“It would be a good example for the whole team that once we bring new bits to this car, that is the key to keeping us fighting for the top 10 and in the points,” he said. Instead, though, the Hungarian GP sent another message to Alfa Romeo – and it was a very familiar one. Just when Bottas thought the team was about to correct one key 2022 limitation (a lack of development), an equally large limitation (reliability) bit him hard.

The deja vu was palpable: a third retirement of the season for Bottas and seventh for Alfa Romeo across its two cars. Throw into that an astonishing number of car problems in Friday practice sessions for Bottas and there’s a pretty concrete case for the Alfa Romeo C42 being F1 2022’s most unreliable car. “Where we probably have suffered most is in general is reliability, where we had a few setbacks,” says technical director Jan Monchaux.

‘Déjà vu’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/the-painful-deja-vu-undermining-f1-2022s-early-feel-good-story/


How Zhou is silencing doubters: 'People have said racist stuff, I do my talking on track'
AUGUST 10TH 2022, 13:09
AUTHOR Chris Medland

Zhou's rookie season will be remembered for his crash at Silverstone and label as a pay driver, but that's unfair on an impressive young driver, says Chris Medland I defy anyone to hear the name Zhou Guanyu and not immediately recall an Alfa Romeo upside down hurtling towards the barrier at Silverstone, being somersaulted into the fence and landing on its side behind the tyres.

“Everything happened so quickly but it wasn’t a nice feeling,” Zhou recalls. “When I first went upside down it wasn’t a big deal for me because I felt like maybe I would stop in the gravel – Silverstone has gravel after the tarmac – and then when I was in the gravel I was still going at a constant speed and I was like ‘OK, I’m in big s*** now’.

The thing is, for Zhou, it’s not the crash that has been the hardest thing to shake. It was a tag that he was only in the sport due to his nationality, with the Chinese driver having finished third in his third full season of Formula 2 last year. “When I signed the contract I had a lot of people comment or say stuff about me, and some of them never followed Formula 2 or followed my career,” he recalls. “They just judged by where I’m coming from, so this sort of thing is not nice to have.”

‘I do my talking on track’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/how-zhou-guanyu-is-changing-perceptions-i-do-my-talking-on-track

[Fortitude]

Legendary F1 circuit set to stay on the calendar in 2023 despite axe rumours.
The Belgian Grand Prix is set to retain its place on the Formula 1 in the 2023 season that is expected to run until the middle of December.
27 July 20222
by James Clifford

Due to the influx of new and returning venues in the pinnacle of motorsport, the calendar is changing significantly. F1 is set to make its return to South Africa next year, while Vegas will be added to the growing list of races in the United States – Austin and Miami also have a race on the schedule.

The Monaco, Austrian, French, Belgian and Mexican Grand Prix are all out of contract this season, and there has been genuine concern that Spa Francorchamps – the home of the Belgian Grand Prix and one of the most historic tracks in F1 – will disappear next season.

However, it is now set to stay, while the Circuit Paul Ricard’s fate is sealed, according to Auto Motor und Sport journalist, Michael Schmidt. “France is definitely out. South Africa looks more like it will be in 2024, and if that were the case then Spa would stay on the calendar for one more year,” he said.

‘Legendary F1 circuit set to stay’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/legendary-f1-circuit-set-to-stay-on-the-calendar-in-2023-despite-axe-rumours/


‘A shame’, ‘just about money’: F1 drivers fear Spa’s next grand prix will be its last
2022 Belgian Grand Prix
Posted on 5th August 2022, 8:145th August 2022, 10:09 |
Written by Ida Wood and Claire Cottingham

While the 2023 Formula 1 calendar has not yet been officially confirmed, many drivers have already expressed disappointment over the widely-expected loss of the Belgian Grand Prix. This year’s race at Spa-Francorchamps will be the first after F1’s summer break, by which point the event’s future may already be known. Excitement for this year’s race, following the one-lap washout of the 2021 edition, is coupled with uncertainty over whether it could be the last to be held at Spa for the foreseeable future.

When Lando Norris – who has Belgian heritage on his mother’s side – was asked at the French Grand Prix if he would prefer to keep the Belgian or French round at Paul Ricard on the 2023 calendar, it was an easy call for the McLaren driver. “Spa, easy,” he said. “My mum’s from Belgium, so I’m 50% Flemish. It’s as much a home race for me as it in Silverstone in a way.

“I personally have a lot more connections to it, of course, and I love the track and so on, I grew up a lot of the time or I grew up for many years going to Belgium and spending a lot of time there with my family.”

‘F1 drivers fear Spa’s next grand prix will be its last’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/05/a-shame-just-about-money-f1-drivers-fear-spas-next-grand-prix-will-be-its-last/


2022 Belgian GP: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to be handed boost with Ferrari PU upgrade
Ferrari trail Red Bull by 97 points in the Constructors' Standings.
12 August 2022
by James Clifford

Ferrari are set to rock up at the Belgian Grand Prix with an upgrades engine as they look to recover their deficit to Red Bull in the championship. The Scuderia came into the season with one of the best engines on the grid, but the power unit Honda made for Red Bull has generally eclipsed it.

Previously known for their superior downforce, the Red Bull has been a demon in a straight line this season, and Ferrari are trying their best to change that. This is not to say that they are far off; they are really not, but more power from the engine rarely hurts.

Plenty of points have been lost through reliability-related problems this year. This, in part, is due to the fact that Ferrari designed an engine to compete, so spent more of their allocated time on that than ensuring reliability as they endeavoured to close the gap to Mercedes and Red Bull. Changes will still be permitted to the engines after Spa, when Ferrari are set to being their final performance upgrade, but due to the impending freeze, any further changes can only be used for reliability reasons.

‘Ferrari Reliability-Related Problems’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/2022-belgian-gp-charles-leclerc-and-carlos-sainz-to-be-handed-boost-with-ferrari-pu-upgrade/


Mercedes intrigued to see impact of Spa floor changes on Red Bull & Ferrari
02 August 2022
Ben Issatt

Mercedes are intrigued to see how a technical directive coming at the Belgian Grand Prix will impact Red Bull and Ferrari. At Spa, the governing body will finally implement a new vertical oscillation metric that was created after the Canadian GP aimed at reducing the porpoising effect drivers are dealing with in the new ground effect 2022 Formula 1 cars.

During their investigation, however, it was discovered some teams, thought to be Ferrari and Red Bull, are using special floor tricks that allow the plank under the car to flex more than intended and also protect the skid blocks that are used by the FIA to ensure the plank doesn't wear more than permitted during a race.

The new checks are also a relief to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who thinks they are long overdue. "There was a regulatory change or like a technical directive to make clear what the FIA wishes to not see anymore at Spa and in particular on the skids," the Austrian explained. I think it was a coincidence that the FIA spotted it in one of the races, and made it very clear that this was not on.”

‘Mercedes Intrigued’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16147-mercedes-intrigued-to-see-impact-of-spa-floor-changes-on-red-bull-ferrari


Mercedes could be quicker than Ferrari and Red Bull at 2022 Belgian Grand Prix
5 August 2022
by James Clifford

Mercedes trackside engineer, Andrew Shovlin, has confirmed that there are more upgrades on the way for the Silver Arrows are their impressive recent form.

A large part of the recent Mercedes success has been down to upgrades brought in to improve an underperforming W13, and they intend to continue in that vein beyond the Belgian Grand Prix after the summer break. “Well, we’ve got more coming. We are trying to bring some performance to Spa that will hopefully close that gap,” stated Shovlin.

“We haven’t got far to go now, but we’ll keep developing the car for a little while now. We’re quite excited though, the last few races have been the most fun we’ve had all year and we are just hoping that we can take that extra step because we definitely want to be winning races in the near future, so we are working hard to try and achieve that.”

‘More Upgrades on the way for the Silver Arrows’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mercedes-could-be-quicker-than-ferrari-and-red-bull-at-2022-belgian-grand-prix/

[Fortitude]

Fernando Alonso to stay at Aston Martin until 2025.
Fernando Alonso has signed with Aston Martin for the 2023 season, and is set to stay there until the end of 2025.
11 August 2022
by James Clifford

1996 world champion Damon Hill is amazed at Fernando Alonso’s ability to continue performing at the very highest athletic level even at his age. Now 41, Alonso scored his 98th career podium in Qatar last season, and might easily have added more to his tally had it not been for various moments of ill fortune so far in 2022.

If he has the talent, Hill sees no reason why the Spaniard cannot keep going into his mid-forties. “Fernando is firing on all cylinders, and looking very strong and incredible,” he told the F1 Nation Podcast. “And of course, remember that [Juan Manuel] Fangio, he didn’t start in Formula 1 until he was 38 and he went on until he was way into his mid-40s at a time when it was extremely dangerous.”

“So, he must have had nerves of steel and incredible skill, which is the same as Fernando Alonso. I think it’s down to whether you love it or not, if you’ve got enough energy, and you keep yourself in good shape, then why not? Why not keep going? I’m going to pick a number, when is he going to retire? I think he will retire when he’s 44.”

‘EL PLAN: 44’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-alonso-to-stay-at-aston-martin-until-2025/


Aston Martin admit Fernando Alonso will ‘demand a lot’
Fernando Alonso has been announced as Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin replacement next year.
10 August 2022
by James Clifford

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack is looking forward to his working relationship with Fernando Alonso when the Spaniard joins the team next season. It was thought that the 41-year-old had already made an agreement with billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll in advance even of this season; all he had to do was say yes.

It is indeed the sharpness of the double world champion’s mind, on top of a multitude of other things, that Krack is looking forward to next year. “[Fernando] just has that killer instinct, no matter what, you know that he will always give you everything,” he said, quoted by RacingNews365.com.

“[He will] always push 100 per cent, always extract the maximum from the car and the team, his racecraft is exceptional – a formidable combination of confidence, instinct and intelligence. He will demand a lot from us, but that’s to be expected from a multiple World Champion. “Fernando will be a driving force as we climb together and, like everyone in the team, I cannot wait to work with him.” Stroll has a five-year plan to earn the ultimate honour in motorsport – winning the Formula 1 title, but things have not gone Aston Martin’s way this year.

‘EL PLAN: Five-Year Plan’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/aston-martin-admit-fernando-alonso-will-demand-a-lot/


Brundle backs Alonso to push Aston Martin ‘very hard’
14:35 Sat, 06 Aug 2022.
by Fergal Walsh

Ex-Formula 1 driver-turned-pundit Martin Brundle says he expects Fernando Alonso to push Aston Martin “very hard” when he joins the team in 2023. It was a move that surprised many, however it is believed that Alpine only wanted to extend the 41-year-old on a one-year deal, opposed to the multi-season offer he received from Aston Martin.

Writing in his column for Sky F1, Brundle also suggested that Alonso wasn’t impressed by how he was treated on the track by team-mate Esteban Ocon. “The timing of his [Vettel’s] video retirement declaration made even more sense when Fernando Alonso was surprisingly announced as taking his seat on Monday morning.”

“It appears that Alpine couldn’t or wouldn’t offer Alonso a two-year deal, and his Aston Martin deal is officially described as multi-year. He’s also been fairly underwhelmed at how punchy his team-mate Esteban Ocon has been towards him in combat at Alpine rather than turning all their guns on their rivals.”

‘EL PLAN: Push Aston Martin Very Hard’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/08/06/brundle-backs-alonso-to-push-aston-martin-very-hard/


Krack: Alonso is a clear statement of our intent at Aston Martin
11 August, 2022
NewsDesk

Aston Martin have released a mid-term interview with team principal Mike Krack, in it, he says that signing Fernando Alonso to replace retiring Sebastian Vettel is a statement of intent by Lawrence Stroll’s outfit.

Topping the transcript of the interview with Krack was of course the team’s ‘acquisition’ of 41-year-old Alonso to lead the charge alongside Lance Stroll next year; the team boss explained the reasoning of a most unexpected move: “He just has that killer instinct. No matter what, you know that Fernando will always give you everything: always push 100 per cent, always extract the maximum from the car and the team.”

“His racecraft is exceptional – a formidable combination of confidence, instinct and intelligence. Signing Fernando is a clear statement of our intent at Aston Martin F1. We are not on the grid to make up the numbers. We are here to win. We are on a journey to the front of the grid and Fernando’s decided to join us on that journey To have a driver of his calibre believe in the Aston Martin F1 project,” Krack continued, “is a great compliment to our team and the work we are doing.”

‘EL PLAN: Clear Statement Of Our Intent At Aston Martin’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/11/krack-alonso-is-a-clear-statement-of-our-intent-at-aston-martin/


Massa: Aston Martin has more to gain than Alonso
06/08/2022 at 14:03
Phillip van Osten

Felipe Massa admitted to being surprised by Fernando Alonso's move from Alpine to Aston Martin, insisting the British outfit has more to gain from the deal than his former Ferrari teammate. "First of all, Fernando is an amazing driver," Massa told Sky Sports' Any Driven Monday show. "I had the chance to be teammates with him [for a] long time [at] Ferrari. I learned a lot with him, so he's, in my view, one of the best drivers in Formula 1. It was a little bit strange to hear that decision from him to sign with Aston Martin."

Last year, Aston Martin embarked on a multi-year journey to build itself up as a genuine contender for the world title. But the prospect of moving significantly up the grid next year is remote, which has led many to questions Alonso's motives. "To be honest, if you want to hear what I have to say, I think Aston Martin has a lot to gain with Fernando there," Massa continued.

"I don't know if Fernando has a lot to gain by being there with Aston Martin, in my view. The most important thing for Fernando is to have a competitive car in order to show what he's able to. But, if things stay the way it is now, Fernando [could be] fighting for 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th position. So this, I don't think will be really interesting for him."

‘In My View, One Of The Best Drivers In Formula 1’;

https://f1i.com/news/450629-massa-aston-martin-has-more-to-gain-than-alonso.html

[Fortitude]

‘I found it laughable’: McLaren boss Zak Brown slammed for broken F1 promise.
McLaren boss Zak Brown is copping backlash from his own network of reserve drivers as the Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri contract saga rages.
August 13th, 2022 4:08 pm
Nic Savage and Matthew Sullivan from News.com.au

As the drama unfolds, the fallout has extended all the way to the United States. IndyCar drivers Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta and Alex Palou were each targeting the vacant Alpine seat, but the trio have seemingly been sidelined by Brown.

According to leading IndyCar driver O’Ward, Brown dangled the F1 carrot in front of the Americans before going all in on Piastri. “It’s not good for me to have that illusion. It’s a dream that’s very far away, because although I’m racing at a very high level, it’s still not enough to convince them,” O’Ward told ESPN.

“There are many things that come into play that are beyond me. “I found it laughable. I saw it and I laughed. The same prize has been put in front of many other drivers by Brown. In the end, there is only one seat and not five.”

Found It Laughable’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/i-found-it-laughable-mclaren-boss-zak-brown-slammed-for-broken-f1-promise/news-story/c9e5c69236a3338520fd6f28bd98397d


McLaren star dubs Oscar Piastri farce "laughable" as chief Zak Brown stockpiles drivers
Among the many impacts of McLaren's attempts to snatch Piastri from Alpine is what it means for the swathe of talented racers they already have on their books, waiting for a chance in F1
18:58, 12 Aug 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer


McLaren driver Pato O'Ward said his Formula 1 dream is now "a very distant illusion" in the wake of the team's desire to sign wantaway Alpine driver Oscar Piastri.

But along with the impact on Ricciardo, the move would also have ramifications for an ever-growing list of drivers on McLaren's books. Many of their talents reside across the pond, with a hatful of IndyCar stars either in their stable or having been given a chance to test with the team, such as Colton Herta.

Mexican O'Ward races for McLaren's IndyCar outfit, and now appears to have written off his chances of a future switch to F1. "It doesn't do me any good to have that illusion," he told ESPN . "Up to that point I feel that I have matured in the aspect that the illusion is a very distant illusion.

‘Stockpiling Drivers!’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/pato-oward-mclaren-brown-piastri-27728797


Inside Line: Piastri, Webber, Alonso and Flavio
13 August, 2022
Paul Velasco

The “I don’t want to drive for Alpine” Formula 1 Silly Season saga has taken so many twists and turns that it’s taken me a while to tackle this one and try to make some sense of it all. To sum up: the Silly Season really fired off in anger when Fernando Alonso defected from Alpine to replace retiring Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin which caught everyone off guard.

Among us esteemed F1 journo Joe Saward who wrote in his blog: “I was just a tad irritated when I heard that Fernando Alonso had signed for Aston Martin because it seemed before that came that he would be staying at Alpine in 2023. “It was a big surprise in that it is utterly illogical (except from a financial point of view) and it came as a shock to everyone, even Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer.” Hard to argue about the logic of pitting Alonso in the same caravan as Lawrence Stroll but the Canadian billionaire – who calls the shots on the big stuff at AM – sees the benefits of signing the 41-year-old Spaniard.

Again, worth quoting Joe who sums it up as I see it too: “Will Alonso and Aston Martin be a match made in heaven? “Probably not. Fernando is not easy (although he is more relaxed these days). Lawrence Stroll is not known for being an easy companion. What he is known for is his belief that Lance is an undiscovered genius, capable of winning World Championships. Being a racing dad and a team owner is not a good combination and one wonders what will happen when Alonso beats Lance every weekend. Fernando is smart, but he is not ever going to say: After you Lance…” ventured Saward.

‘Utterly illogical (except from a financial point of view)’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/13/inside-line-piastri-alonso-webber-and-flavio-f1-silly-season/


FIA board backed to resolve Piastri dispute
Friday 12 August 2022 17:07
Sam Hall

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has backed the Contract Recognition Board to settle the dispute between Alpine and Oscar Piastri.

After Aston Martin surprised Alpine with its sudden announcement that Fernando Alonso would replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel next season, the French manufacturer moved quickly to confirm that reserve driver Piastri would step up in place of the Spaniard.

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer believes the messy situation is destined for the high court but Ben Sulayem has backed the FIA system to sort the matter. "The FIA's Driver Contract Recognition Board [CRB] was set up to deal with contract priority issues between drivers and F1 teams," said Ben Sulayem on social media. "That's why we rely on their decision to resolve any conflict."

‘Contract Recognition Board’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/89248/fia-piastri/


FIA ANNOUNCES IT WILL LOOK INTO PIASTRI’S CONTRACT ISSUE
The controversy between Alpine, McLaren, and Piastri will be dealt with by the CRB
10:04, Fri, 12 August 2022.
Dalila Zanardo

A new page in the biggest controversy of the 2022 drivers’ market sees the FIA now getting involved in the dispute. The dilemma involving Oscar Piastri’s contracts for a seat in Formula 1 in 2023 will be dealt with by the CRB, as communicated yesterday by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

As both parties believe their contracts to be valid, the dispute has now been moved to the legal side with Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer declaring to Reuters he believes the matter will end up in front of the High Court to discuss compensation, as FIA’s Contract Recognition Board (CRB) might be ineffective in solving the issue: “Going to the High Court is over 90% certain that’s what we’ll do. If the CRB says ‘your licence is only valid at Alpine’, and then he (Piastri) says ‘that’s great but I’m never driving for them, I’ll just sit out a year’, then you’ve got to go to the High Court for compensation.”

Now, a brief statement from FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem clarified that the priority will now be to have the question being dealt with by the FIA’s internal institutions: “The FIA’s Driver Contract Recognition Board (CRB) was set up to deal with contract priority issues between drivers and F1 teams. That’s why we rely on their decision to resolve any conflict.”

‘FIA BRIEF STATEMENT’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/fia-announces-it-will-look-into-piastris-contract-issue/?nowprocket=1

[Fortitude]

Horner heaps praise on Red Bull workforce for 'phenomenal' performance.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has hailed his workforce for dealing "phenomenally well" with the sport's recent change in technical regulations.
‎11‎ ‎August‎ ‎07‎:‎00
Author Dieter Rencken
Co-author RacingNews365 Staff

In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.com, Christian Horner assesses Red Bull's efforts during the 2022 F1 season after a hard-fought battle for 2021 title glory. Reflecting on the season so far in an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.com, Horner offered up plenty of superlatives over his team's performance.

"It's been a remarkable first 13 races for us," he commented. "We came into the season off the back of last year, transitioning very late in the day compared to our opponents to this new set of regulations. I think the team has responded phenomenally well and for us to be in a competitive position from the first test is testament to the hard work that's gone on behind the scenes.”

"Obviously, the early races, we had some frustrations with reliability in Bahrain and in Australia. But we bounced back at race two in Jeddah, winning that race, and have had some epic fights [with Ferrari]. It seems to be working pretty well, these new regs, in terms of creating closer racing, and I think we've maximised our opportunities."

‘Phenomenal Red Bull Workforce’;

https://racingnews365.com/horner-heaps-praise-on-red-bull-workforce-for-phenomenal-performance


Horner says Verstappen’s Hungary win was ‘one of his best drives’ and backs Perez to ‘come back stronger’
03 August 2022
Formula 1.

Red Bull ruled at the Hungaroring after Max Verstappen shrugged off a qualifying issue on Saturday and a spin on Sunday to win the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix – a result which left Team Principal Christian Horner singing the reigning champion’s praises. Verstappen pulled off a two-stop strategy in tough conditions in Budapest as he kept the pressure on the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, the Dutchman capitalising on poor pit stops for the Spaniard and a misjudged switch to hard tyres for the Monegasque.

“I can only focus on our performance and we did a great job today,” said Horner when asked whether Ferrari had made a mistake by putting Leclerc on hards rather than mediums for his second stint. “As soon as we saw Charles go onto the hard tyre, as soon as the white-walled tyres came out, we thought: OK, we’ve really got a chance now.”

And Checo [Perez] was fantastic because he was on a different strategy, he let Max immediately get onto the back of Charles to make that pass. "Max then had a spin, warmed his tyres up a bit more then had to do it all again. A phenomenal performance.”

‘Max Best Drives’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.horner-says-verstappens-hungary-win-was-one-of-his-best-drives-and-backs.3nVRegqH9G7fVTpuUJY2xE.html


Red Bull boss Horner: 2022 success 'beyond my wildest expectations'
11 August 2022
Ben Issatt

An increasingly dominant 2022 Formula 1 season is beyond Red Bull boss Christian Horner's "wildest expectations".

"Look, if you would have told me going into last year that with the biggest regulation change in 40 years, and with the effort we put into last year’s championship, we’d be sitting here with nine Grand Prix victories, two Sprint victories and leading both championships, that would have been beyond my wildest expectations," he said.

"I think it is really a testament to the determination, dedication and hard work that has gone on behind the scenes at the factory. Now, we've seen Ferrari are very competitive also this year, we’ve seen other teams – Mercedes for sure are gathering momentum – but considering that we were probably the last team to transition [development] fully onto this car it’s been a phenomenal job."

‘2022 Success Beyond My Wildest Expectations';

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16197-red-bull-boss-horner-2022-success-beyond-my-wildest-expectations


Christian Horner: 24-race F1 calendar is ‘right on the limit’
Saturday 13th August 2022 6:00 PM
Thomas Maher

Christian Horner reckons a 24-race Formula 1 calendar is right on the limits of what’s possible over the course of a year. F1 is expected to confirm a 24-race calendar for 2023, a record-breaking season that will see the return of the Chinese Grand Prix, as well as races in Las Vegas, Qatar and, possibly, South Africa.

However, F1’s rapidly-expanding calendar is putting more and more strain on the teams who, despite attempting to rotate operational staff between races, are finding it increasingly difficult to give their crews sufficient downtime away from travelling and racing.

A 24-race calendar will mean almost 50% of weekends during 2023 will have an F1 race, meaning plenty of back-to-backs and triple-headers are required in order to maintain the schedule between March and December, as well as including a mandatory summer shutdown.

‘24-Race F1 Calendar Is Right On The Limit’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christian-horner-24-race-f1-calendar-right-on-the-limit/


Horner respect for Verstappen-Leclerc racing conduct
Wednesday 10 August 2022 07:00
Sam Hall

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has admired how Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have conducted themselves in the race for the F1 world championship. The Red Bull and Ferrari drivers have battled side-by-side on numerous occasions so far this season without a single touch between the two cars. This is in stark contrast to the tempestuous nature of the battle between Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton last year.

Leclerc has dropped over 100 points to championship leader Max Verstappen this season through numerous reliability and strategic errors. After crashing through his own mistake in France, the Monégasque claimed that should he lose the title by 32 points or fewer, he would blame himself for the loss.

Even with the problems at Ferrari, Leclerc has remained calm when facing the media, something that has earned Horner's respect. Asked if he feels for Leclerc given Ferrari's struggles, Horner said: “I have a great deal of respect for the way he has conducted himself and the way that he is racing on track.”

‘Respect For Verstappen-Leclerc Racing Conduct’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/89006/christian-horner-max-verstappen-charles-leclerc/

[Fortitude]

Andretti takes swipe at Wolff over F1 power.
1978 Formula 1 World Champion Mario Andretti has hit out at Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, suggesting the Austrian has too much influence in F1.
09:22 Sat, 13 Aug 2022.
by Fergal Walsh

Andretti was responding to an article from GrandPrix247, which argued that Wolff has too much power in the sport. Mario’s son Michael has been moving to form his own outfit in the F1 paddock to expand on his racing operations in IndyCar and Formula E.

However, the movement has been met with resistance from some parties, including Wolff. Wolff was one of the more vocal team bosses that questioned Andretti’s potential F1 entry and the value that they would add to the grid. “I think that whoever joins as the 11th team, whoever gets an entry, needs to demonstrate how creative they can be for the business.,” Wolff said recently.

“Andretti is a great name, and I think they have done exceptional things in the US. But this is sport and this is business and we need to understand what is it that you can provide to the sport.” The GrandPrix247 article questioned: “Is it not reasonable to question if his [Wolff’s] voice is louder than his peers, the other F1 team bosses?” Taking to Twitter, Andretti provided his agreement: “This needed to be said; it’s about time,” he said.

‘Mario Andretti Swipes Toto Wolff’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/08/13/andretti-takes-swipe-at-wolff-over-f1-power/


Ex-F1 champion claims Toto Wolff has too much influence over the FIA and Formula 1
13 August 2022
by James Clifford

1978 champion Mario Andretti has aimed another dig at Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff after the Austrian’s latest protestations of the American entering a Formula 1 team in 2024.

Wolff is a former racing driver himself, as well as an entrepreneur and a shareholder in Mercedes. He holds power in various places, and his Mercedes team also hold power in F1 along with the other teams on the grid.

The teams work together with the FIA and Formula One Management (FOM) to help direct the sport, and an article was written recently asking if Wolff had too much power in the premier class of racing. Mario endorsed this viewpoint, tweeting: “This needed to be said; it’s about time.”

‘Toto Wolff has too much influence over the FIA and Formula 1’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/ex-f1-champion-claims-toto-wolff-has-too-much-influence-over-the-fia-and-formula-1/


Toto Wolff called out for being 'too powerful' as Lewis Hamilton's boss comes under fire
TOTO WOLFF has been slammed over his influence within Formula 1.
18:25, Sat, Aug 13, 2022
By Michael Gowler

Toto Wolff has been branded "too powerful" for Formula 1 as former world champion Mario Andretti has hit back at the Mercedes boss. Wolff has been critical of the American's attempts to see his Andretti Global outfit become the 11th team on the grid, which would provide extra challengers for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

In response to a tweet from Grand Prix 247 which probed “Toto Wolff too powerful for F1? Is he? Worth asking questions in this age of transparency and boom times?” Andretti replied: “This needed to be said; it’s about time”.

Wolff is considered one of F1's most divisive and outspoken figures. Hamilton's boss has also seen his Mercedes team possess a stranglehold on the sport in recent times, with the Silver Arrows having claimed each of the last eight Constructors' Championship titles.

'Too Powerful'

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1654839/Toto-Wolff-powerful-Lewis-Hamilton-Mercedes-F1


Mario Andretti Hits Back at Toto Wolff Over New F1 Team Drama.
Wolff and other F1 bosses aren’t convinced Andretti would add value to F1. The American dynasty ain’t happy about it.
Aug 12, 2022 3:54 PM
By Jerry Perez

"We have 10 franchises that we hope can increase the value and you are certainly not going to increase the value by issuing new franchises to people who cannot increase the overall value of Formula 1," Wolff added.

Following Wolff's comments, Andretti tweeted: "This needed to be said; it's about time." No, Andretti wasn't referring to the Wolff's comments, but someone's tweet asking if "Wolff was too powerful for F1?"

Given the gigantic $200 million “anti-dilution” fee Andretti would have to pay current F1 teams, it seems F1 bosses are whining about the very rules they've agreed to. But how could this happen?! (Sarcasm.) Also, any new team would be ineligible to receive any share of FIA money for several years—just ask Haas. The way it stands, teams are angry that F1 will have more teams to share its money with, even though they are the ones getting the $200,000,000 and the new team won't actually take any of their money for a long time.

‘Mario Andretti Hits Back at Toto Wolff’;

https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/mario-andretti-hits-back-at-toto-wolff-over-new-f1-team-drama


Wolff: I’m not proud of smashing headphones
12 August, 2022
Paul Velasco

Toto Wolff is probably one of the most photographed and quoted personalities in Formula 1 today, and while he is not proud of some of his viral shenanigans and accepts it as the price he pays for wearing his heart on his sleeve.

But this year the streak has wobbled seriously this year, speaking to the Financial Times, Wolff revealed what went wrong with the radical but problematic Mercedes W13: “We got the physics wrong. F1 is physics. I often get the question: How hard is that?’

“I had so many periods, so many episodes in my life that I would judge as difficult, that this is not on the same scale. If you stop dreaming, you’ll run out of purpose, in my opinion. That is not some kind of Instagram bullshit. That is something that I learnt from Niki, that yesterday is irrelevant,” ventured the Mercedes team principal, who also admitted of his management style: “I can’t do aerodynamics but I know everything about the guy who can.”

‘Not Proud Of Smashing Headphones’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/12/wolff-im-not-proud-of-smashing-headphones-mercedes-f1-boss/

[Fortitude]

Haas warned against sacking Mick Schumacher.
Former Formula 1 driver, Hans-Joachim Stuck, has told Haas that they will not be able to find a better driver than Mick Schumacher.
13 August 2022
by James Clifford

Hans-Joachim Stuck: “He needs to stick with it now, show himself and set an example, as he has already done this year, but not driving in Formula 1 for a year would be fatal,” he told Eurosport. Should Schumacher fail to find a drive elsewhere, Stuck suggested that it would be ill-advised from Haas not to keep him on board.

“If for some reason it doesn’t work out for him with another team, he’ll just have to do it with Haas for another year,” added the 71-year-old. “If Mick can’t find another cockpit, I wouldn’t understand it from Haas’ perspective, because they won’t get anyone better.”

“But I’d be surprised if Mick doesn’t find a job anywhere, he shows impeccable performances which the people in charge can see. He also has a great name. A team looking for a young driver can do no better than signing Mick Schumacher.”

‘Haas warned’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/haas-warned-against-sacking-mick-schumacher/


‘Mick Schumacher belongs somewhere better than Haas’
Saturday 13th August 2022 12:00 PM
Thomas Maher

Former F1 racer Hans-Joachim Stuck believes Mick Schumacher has now proven himself to be at a level deserving of a better F1 race seat.

But Schumacher does appear to have turned his form around in the middle part of the year, earning himself plenty of platitudes. Among his supporters is compatriot Hans-Joachim Stuck, who believes Schumacher is now at a higher level than the Haas team. “He has proven his skills this season,” he said, in an interview with Eurosport.

“He belongs in a car that’s better than the Haas. If it doesn’t work out with another team for any reason, he just has to do it with Haas for another year. But if Mick can’t find another cockpit, I wouldn’t understand Haas putting on a circus there. Because they won’t get any better.”

‘Hans-Joachim Stuck believes Mick Schumacher has now proven himself’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mick-schumacher-better-than-haas/


Mick Schumacher told he deserves 'better' than Haas amid uncertainty over future
MICK SCHUMACHER is currently without a seat in 2023 amid an unclear future with his current team Haas.
16:17, Sat, Aug 13, 2022
By Andrew Gamble

Mick Schumacher has been told he has proven himself in Formula 1 and deserves better than Haas going forwards by former driver Hans-Joachim Stuck. Schumacher has enjoyed a season of ups and downs in 2022, and there are suggestions he could be without a drive for 2023 if he looks to join a rival team and move up the grid.

With only nine races remaining before the end of the season, Schumacher is still looking for a seat after he missed out on Aston Martin with Alonso replacing Sebastian Vettel. With the four-time world champion set to retire, Schumacher will be the only German on the grid - if he has a seat.

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner and Schumacher are at odds after a tense season following a number of errors, but the German has improved over the last few races. Compatriot Stuck believes Schumacher operates at a higher level than his current team.

‘Mick Schumacher told he deserves better’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1654800/Mick-Schumacher-deserves-better-Haas-amid-uncertainty-over-future-f1-news


Haas clarifies owner's stance on team's future
14/08/2022 at 09:21
Phillip van Osten

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner says the US outfit's owner Gene Haas remains committed to Formula 1 and has no intention of selling his team. Haas poor results in Formula 1 in recent seasons regularly sparked rumors that the beleaguered outfit could fold or change ownership.

Despite Haas' struggles and pointless campaign in 2021, the US outfit survived, not only to fight another season but also to significantly improve its level of performance as it exploited F1's regulations changes.

Haas currently stands seventh in F1's Constructors' standings with a tally of 34 points, or 17 points behind sixth-place team Alfa Romeo. And Steiner believes his outfit has a shot at snatching that position in the pecking order from Alfa if it gets "a good run" in the back half of the 2022 season.

‘Haas F1 Clarification’;

https://f1i.com/news/451001-haas-clarifies-owners-stance-on-teams-future.html


Mick Schumacher refutes question over legendary F1 father as Haas driver provides insight
MICK SCHUMACHER has insisted he only sees the positives from his famous racing surname.
11:00, Sat, Aug 13, 2022
By Fraser Watson

Mick Schumacher has claimed he sees sharing the same surname as his legendary F1 father as a good thing as he continues to improve at Haas. The German is in his second season with the American team, and finally has championship points to his name after top-10 finishes at both Silverstone and then the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

doubts remain over whether the youngster will have a seat in 2023, with Haas yet to offer him a new deal. He has thus far been outperformed by teammate Kevin Magnusson, with the Dane having racked up 22 points to his partner's 12.

Schumacher had been touted as a possible replacement for compatriot Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. However, it has now been confirmed that Fernando Alonso will replace the four-time world champion.

‘Mick Schumacher refutes question’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1654694/F1-news-Michael-Schumacher-Mick-Haas-insight

[Fortitude]

BARRETTO: Leclerc has the mentality to be world champion – but he'll need more than that to overhaul Verstappen.
“I will believe in the championship until the very end.” As Charles Leclerc left Budapest after another emotional weekend that has characterised his and his Ferrari team’s first half of the 2022 F1 campaign, the young Monegasque remained bullishly and refreshingly optimistic.
13 August 2022
F1 Correspondent & Presenter
Lawrence Barretto

That is a remarkable character trait for a driver who has endured a relentless run of frustrations that would test anyone’s patience. The 24-year-old, fighting for the title for the first time in his still young career, delivered the kind of performances that scream world champion material in the opening three races of the season.

He owned up to his error in France. He didn’t blame the wind or try to make another excuse. That’s not his style. But nor did he apologise for pushing to make a gap and searching for that extra tenth of a second because in his mind, if he isn’t doing that, he isn’t doing everything he can to win the championship and bring the title back to Ferrari for the first time in more than a decade.

“Many times it [the misfortune] was out of my control, which in those cases is very easy to put behind,” said Leclerc, whose mental toughness has emerged as one of his greatest strengths this year. “In some other cases it was in my control. In this particular case, I just go through the process of analysing why I did the mistake – and then you move on. Never been a person who stays too much on mistakes, I prefer to move on.”

‘Mentality To Be World Champion’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.barretto-leclerc-has-the-mentality-to-be-world-champion-but-hell-need-more.3elk0aq4HldQKUSZuEvbfU.html


How Charles Leclerc can beat Max Verstappen to become new F1 world champion this year
CHARLES LECLERC is 80 points behind championship leader Max Verstappen, but the title race is not over yet.
09:26, Sun, Aug 14, 2022
By Joe Krishnan

Charles Leclerc will return from the summer break knowing that he will have to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in F1 history to beat Max Verstappen to become world champion. The Ferrari driver is 80 points adrift with nine races to go after a series of DNFs and strategy errors which have cost the Scuderia a chance of competing with Verstappen for the title.

There is also a scenario where Leclerc would have to win all nine races and Verstappen finishes second three times and third in the remaining races that would still see the Ferrari driver crowned champion. In the event that happens, Verstappen would have 402 points under his belt — meaning he would lose out by a single point. Again, this calculation would be altered if either driver wins the fastest lap.

To state it in simple terms, Verstappen only needs to take 155 points from the remaining nine races to mathematically confirm his second Drivers' Championship. Six wins with a fastest lap in each would be enough to get him to that milestone, meaning Verstappen could be crowned champion for a second time if he wins with the fastest lap at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.

‘Simulated Scenarios’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1654931/Charles-Leclerc-Ferrari-Max-Verstappen-Red-Bull-drivers-standings-world-champion-F1-news


Away From the F1 Drama, Charles Leclerc Is on Vacation in Italy on His New Riva Yacht
10 Aug 2022, 09:26 UTC ·
by Monica Coman

There’s been a lot of drama going on in Formula One since the start of the summer break, but Charles Leclerc is not part of that. This means he can relax and charge his batteries before the upcoming race, doing that on his luxury Riva yacht with his girlfriend, Charlotte Sine.

Given Riva's partnership with Ferrari for over two years, it's no coincidence Charles Leclerc would go for a vessel from the Sarnico shipyard. Not long ago, for Riva’s 180th anniversary, the Monegasque driver appeared in a short film for the brand, alongside soccer star David Beckham and Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino.

Although the video posted on his channel a week ago showed Leclerc chilling on his boat at the end of the day, he is now on a full-time holiday in Sardinia, Italy, with his girlfriend, influencer Charlotte Sine, docking the luxury yacht in Porto Cervo. The two have been officially dating since December 2019.

‘Away From the F1 Drama, Charles Leclerc Is on Vacation’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/away-from-the-f1-drama-charles-leclerc-is-on-vacation-in-italy-on-his-new-riva-yacht-195640.html


Marcus Ericsson: There’s a lack of trust between Ferrari and the drivers
Sunday 14th August 2022 2:20 PM
Thomas Maher

IndyCar racer Marcus Ericsson, Charles Leclerc’s former team-mate, believes there’s a fundamental lack of trust between the two sides.
Ericsson, who won the Indy 500 earlier this year, was team-mates with Charles Leclerc during the Monegasque’s debut season in Formula 1 in 2018 as the pair raced for Sauber.

“I think he’s very frustrated. I think that he’s been fast this year, but it’s just been a lot of issues,” he said on Sky F1’s Any Driven Monday. Ericsson pointed to the example of Leclerc spinning off into retirement all by himself, while leading the French Grand Prix in July, as an example of those frustrations.

“What happened in Paul Ricard, one of the reasons why it happened, I think it’s because Charles is a bit frustrated – he wants to win races,” he said. “He wants to get back in the championship hunt and it just is not being the case. Then he’s pushing, maybe a bit too hard. So it’s not ideal. It’s gonna be tough for Charles because I think he’ll feel he has had the opportunity to really fight for a championship this year. And he hasn’t been able because of quite a few things out of his control.”

‘Lack of trust between Ferrari and the drivers’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/marcus-ericsson-lack-of-trust-ferrari-and-drivers/


The forgotten part of Ferrari’s failed F1 title bid
Aug 13 2022
By Scott Mitchell

The usual subject of focus in Ferrari’s wasteful 2022 Formula 1 season has been Charles Leclerc. So, spare a thought for the forgotten failed Ferrari title bid: Carlos Sainz’s.

Sainz has only won once this season, in Britain where he scored an unexpected pole position and then benefitted as Leclerc’s victory bid was wrecked by Ferrari’s strategic choice. He’s more than 100 points behind Max Verstappen and actually trails a Mercedes driver in the championship.

So, to suggest he is a lost title contender might be a stretch. But like Leclerc, Sainz has a frighteningly large tally of missed opportunities.

‘Forgotten part of Ferrari’s failed F1 title bid’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/the-forgotten-part-of-ferraris-failed-title-bid/


Charles Leclerc’s French Grand Prix retirement is ‘still a mystery’
Sunday 14th August 2022 10:00 AM
Thomas Maher

Charles Leclerc’s spin into retirement at the French Grand Prix has been branded a “mystery” by former F1 racer Hans-Joachim Stuck. Leclerc retired from the lead of the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard as he spun off into the barriers. However, on lap 18, Leclerc appeared to enter the Le Beausset corner with too much speed and simply lost control of the rear of his F1-75. Spinning off into the barriers, he screamed in frustration before climbing out of the car – a likely victory having slipped through his fingers.

Leclerc quickly held up his hands to admit to making a driving mistake, although some rumours have swirled since that race that he was covering for a potential issue related to the throttle. His error came just a week after holding on for victory in Austria after a strange late-race problem meant his car never fully disengaged the throttle as he braked for slower corners.

Former F1 racer and Le Mans winner Hans-Joachim Stuck has questioned Leclerc’s French GP retirement, and suspects Leclerc was following team instructions when he owned up to making a driving error. “For me, something is still a mystery – Charles Leclerc’s departure from Le Castellet,” said Stuck in an interview with Eurosport.

‘French Grand Prix retirement is ‘still a mystery’!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charles-leclercs-french-gp-retirement-still-a-mystery/


Leclerc explains how mental training has helped him in title fight
15/08/2022, ‎10‎:‎40
Author Anna Francis

Leclerc credits mental training as helping him to develop his skills as a driver. "To put me exactly in the zone, to be able to always be at your 110 per cent whenever you get into the car whatever the other outside pressures or whatever is happening around you; this is where mental training is extremely helpful," Leclerc told the BBC.

Alongside this, Leclerc thinks that other changes he has made to his life have contributed towards his progression. "I think there has been a linear progression since I arrived in Formula 1 just by learning year after year and trying to modify some details," the Ferrari driver said.

"This year, I have changed quite a few things, especially in the way I prepare myself for races. In the way I relax after the races. But this comes from experience. "It's not like last year I was not careful to all of these details. Whenever you get older – I'm still 24, so it's fine – in a way you just feel different things.

‘Mental training has helped him in title fight’;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-explains-how-mental-training-has-helped-him-in-title-fight

[Fortitude]

Cops hunt driver who stunned motorists by taking a Ferrari grand prix car for a joyride on a highway - and it's not the first time it's happened.
A bizarre video shows the moment a 'Formula One' car was spotted driving down a motorway in the Czech Republic.
• Mystery GP2 car filmed speeding along public roads in Czech Republic
• Driver escaped ban for similar stunt that occurred on motorway in 2019
• Driver of vehicle cannot be identified by police due to racing helmet
Published: 08:21, 15 August 2022
By James Cooney For Daily Mail Australia

The racing car with Ferrari livery was filmed speeding along a highway which runs out of Prague in the Czech Republic to the German border.

The vehicle appears to be a GP2 car and was decked out in the livery of the famous Ferrari F2004 model which was used by F1 legend Michael Schumacher when he won the world driver's championship in the 2004 season.

GP2 cars raced in the feeder competition that is one rung below Formula One, the pinnacle of the sport. A strikingly similar incident occurred in September 2019 when a seemingly identical car was sighted being driven on the same stretch of road.

‘a Ferrari grand prix car for a joyride on a highway’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11111983/Moment-driver-stuns-motorists-police-taking-Ferrari-grand-prix-car-highway-joyride.html


Ferrari ‘don’t have inner peace and confidence’ to be successful
Monday 15th August 2022 1:15 PM
Michelle Foster

Jan Lammers says Ferrari are making life difficult for themselves as even when they are in control of a race, they “try to be smarter than others” and that’s when it goes wrong.

The early-season pace-setters, it is still widely believed that Ferrari’s F1-75 is the fastest car on this year’s grid.

But its engine is the most unreliable, both Ferrari drivers already hit with engine penalties, while the strategists have not covered themselves in glory at all, so much so that pundits have called for heads to roll starting at the very top with team boss Mattia Binotto.

‘Ferrari Making Life Difficult For Themselves’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-missing-winning-mentality-jan-lammers/


Fiorio: Something is wrong at Ferrari, too many mistakes
15 August, 2022
Paul Velasco

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto became the laughing stock of the Formula 1 paddock after he denied wrongdoing by his team, on a weekend Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz might have scored a one-two in Hungary last month.

In the wake of going bonkers in Budapest, it was easy to ask and many did: Are Ferrari strategists and pitwall gifting the 2022 F1 titles to Max and Red Bull? Not so if you asked Binotto who rather blamed the car, the brilliant F1-75 which has had title-winning potential from day one when the actual culprits were their ‘butter-fingers’ when it came to strategy and pitstops. But Binotto’s one-sided excuses, clearly intended to keep the staff at Maranello protected, are starting to wear thin among pundits beyond Italy where the mass media have been surprisingly quiet on the Ferrari shenanigans.

Former Ferrari team boss Cesare Fiorio, a respected F1 observer in Italy, told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “We must admit that this year Mattia Binotto has turned Ferrari into a team capable of winning every race. “Binotto is a great engineer, first as an engine specialist, then as a technical director, but his job today is very different to that. And as a result, something is wrong at Ferrari, too many mistakes are being made. Binotto has to go all the way, this is his biggest challenge right now. He has to find solutions to make the team work better,” insisted Fiorio.

‘Find Solutions’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/15/fiorio-something-is-wrong-at-ferrari-too-many-mistakes-f1-binotto/


Jean Alesi issues Ferrari defence despite 2022 mistakes
Published: 15 Aug 2022, 12:05
By George Dagless

Jean Alesi has called for some perspective around Ferrari this season, given the progress made by the Scuderia in recent years. “It’s not such a bad season for them,” Alesi said to Give Me Sport.

“Because the last few years they had a very bad car and a bad season. They hardly got on the podium, then last year, they recovered a bit. And now with these new regulations they came out with a rocket car [which is] very competitive everywhere.”

“But, of course, we are in the middle of the season, and now we can make the kind of judgement on what’s happened. And they have had the moments where they made the wrong decision on the wrong moment. And you see how much a small mistake can be a big effect on the bad side.

‘Jean Alesi has called for some perspective’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88047628-jean-alesi-issues-ferrari-defence-despite-2022-mistakes


Ferrari do not want ‘anything to change’ about Charles Leclerc
Monday 15th August 2022 11:00 AM
Michelle Foster

Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies has refuted suggestions that Charles Leclerc needs to change after two crashes this season cost him points in the championship.

While other teams would be calling for the driver to pull it back just a little bit, Ferrari’s Mekies says they want the 24-year-old to continue racing as he does even if it means mistakes “happen”.
“This year Leclerc has shown that he has such exceptional speed that it is an aspect that should not be touched,” Mekies told formulapassion.it. “Charles does not need us to understand, as a great driver, how far he has to push in terms of proximity to the limit. He is a master at this and mistakes can happen just as we do too.”

‘Suggestions Refuted That Charles Leclerc Needs To Change After Two Crashes’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-nothing-change-about-charles-leclerc/


Mekies: Team orders discussed more outside Ferrari than inside
15/08/2022 at 09:54
Phillip van Osten

Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies says the topic of team orders at the Scuderia is one that has been discussed more outside the team than inside the Italian outfit this season.

In Hungary, Mekies reiterated Ferrari's stance on its drivers at the current stage of the season, insisting Leclerc and Sainz remain on equal footing while the topic of team orders is one that is especially discussed by pundits.

"You're right in saying that it is more discussed outside Ferrari than inside Ferrari," Mekies told the media. But more seriously, we have always been very clear. We target to have the best result for the team. Ferrari comes first.”

‘Topic of team orders at the Scuderia’;

https://f1i.com/news/451044-mekies-team-orders-discussed-more-outside-ferrari-than-inside.html

[Fortitude]

Red Bull open to Pierre Gasly exit: ‘Yuki Tsunoda already as quick over one lap’.
Red Bull appear to be opening the door for Pierre Gasly to pursue other opportunities when his contract expires at the end of the 2023 season.
Sunday 14th August 2022 4:00 PM
Mark Scott

Gasly finds himself bumping his head on a glass ceiling within the Red Bull programme, having worked his way up through the ranks and into the main senior team seat alongside Max Verstappen in 2019 only to be demoted to junior team again after just 12 races. The pathway back to the senior team for Gasly appears to be blocked as they have found a more solid option in the vastly experienced Sergio Perez and, even if Perez was no longer a Red Bull driver, it would not be a dead certainty that Gasly would have a second bite of the cherry.

Judging by comments made by Helmut Marko via the French branch of Motorsport.com, people may get their wish at the end of next season. When asked if Red Bull would let Gasly go to pursue other opportunities in Formula 1, he replied: “Yes. We have a good relationship. As a team leader, he has been very successful at AlphaTauri in recent years.

“But Yuki [Tsunoda] is already at his level in terms of lap speed. In the race, things are not going as well [as in previous seasons for the Frenchman]. Nevertheless, we improved Gasly’s contract financially, even though we didn’t have to do that. Perez’s contract prevents a move for Gasly to Red Bull Racing in 2023. From 2024, Gasly is free.”

‘Red Bull appear to be opening the door for Pierre Gasly’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bull-open-to-pierre-gasly-exit/


MARKO SAYS HAUGER IS NEXT IN LINE TO REPLACE GASLY
Red Bull's advisor has spoken about Vips' termination and who they're looking at now
20:42 Mon, 15 Aug 2022.
Morgan Holiday
FormulaNerds

Dennis Hauger is the next driver in line for an AlphaTauri seat following Juri Vips’ termination from the junior academy, according to Helmut Marko. Marko defends Vips. In an interview with Motorsport.com, Marko spoke about the decision to fire Vips. He stated that Red Bull had no choice but to remove the Estonian from their driver academy due to backlash from the media. “The English media unleashed such a sh*tstorm that Red Bull Racing had no choice but to remove him from office. I personally think he is 21 years old and has apologised.”

“Dennis Hauger has dominated Formula 3 in an incredible way,” said Marko. “He now has ups and downs in Formula 2, he is not constant. Performance and nothing else is the deciding factor. That is changeable. “People who we thought could do it suddenly couldn’t do it anymore and vice versa. That is why it is difficult to make predictions.”

Currently, Red Bull has four junior drivers in Formula 2. Jehan Daruvala, Liam Lawson, and Ayumu Iwasa race alongside Hauger in the category. Of the four, Hauger is actually the lowest in the standings, sitting 12th with 67 points. Daruvala, Hauger’s Prema Racing teammate, is the highest placed in fourth. Then it’s Iwasa in seventh and Lawson in eighth. Fortunately for Red Bull and Marko, Gasly has a contract with AlphaTauri for 2023 and will most likely remain with the team. That gives them at least another season to assess which, if any of those four drivers, is the most deserving of a Formula 1 seat.

‘Dennis Hauger has dominated Formula 3 in an incredible way’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/marko-says-hauger-is-next-in-line-to-replace-gasly/?nowprocket=1


What Tsunoda needs to do to keep his AlphaTauri F1 seat
Author Dieter Rencken
Co-author RacingNews365 Staff
16/08/2022, ‎12‎:‎30

In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.com, Franz Tost reviews the progress made by Yuki Tsunoda and his chances of staying in F1 with Red Bull. AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost has given his assessment of Yuki Tsunoda's second F1 season so far, saying he has seen solid progress from the Japanese racer. Reviewing Tsunoda's season so far, Tost told RacingNews365.com: "Yuki is improving. I must say his learning gradient is going up.

"He made a fantastic qualifying at Paul Ricard, when he finished eighth. Unfortunately, in the race, [Esteban] Ocon crashed into him in the first lap. Therefore we had to call him in [to the pits], because the floor was damaged heavily, also the sidepod. This was a shame because I'm sure he would have finished good in the points, in seventh or eighth place. But anyway, this is racing, and we will see now what's going on in the second half of the season."

Tost added that given the demands of modern-day F1, drivers need to be given time to build up their experience and show their full potential. "I'm talking about three years, because the first season for such a young driver is just flying away," he said. "In the second year, he learns all these things a little bit. But to get really deep into the details, he needs a third year, and after three years you have a clear picture of whether a driver can do it or not."

‘Three Years For Experience And To Show Their Full Potential’;

https://racingnews365.com/what-tsunoda-needs-to-do-to-keep-his-alphatauri-f1-seat


Why AlphaTauri's team boss has been left in a 'bad mood'
‎13‎ ‎August‎ ‎12‎:‎30
Author Dieter Rencken
Co-author Jake Nichol

It's been a below par season for the AlphaTauri squad in 2022, with team boss Franz Tost feeling grumpy about fine margins not going their way. Fine margins going against AlphaTauri. "We set out targets to achieve these goals [finishing fifth in the Constructors' standings] and currently we are far away. Therefore, I am in a bad mood," he exclusively told RacingNews365.com.

"It's always difficult if you can't match the expectations, and I hope that we get everything together for the second half of the season. We were sometimes a little bit unlucky with the Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car when we just had a pit-stop on [the] lap before. Two or three times [this was] the case.”

"[In] Formula 1, it always balances [out] during the season. Therefore, I hope that [during] the second half the season sometimes we'll be a little bit more lucky with such unforeseen things like the Safety Car and Virtual Safety Cars."

‘AlphaTauri's Team Boss Left In A Bad Mood’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-alphatauris-team-boss-has-been-left-in-a-bad-mood


Why a slumping F1 team is so certain it’s about to recover
Aug 13 2022
By Edd Straw

AlphaTauri headed into Formula 1’s August break eighth in the constructors’ championship after a run of five races without a point. But despite his team having only the eighth-fastest car on average and managing just six points finishes in 13 races – its worst run since 2018 – lead driver Pierre Gasly is optimistic.

Asked by The Race if he expected a stronger second half of the year given the promising signs shown by the upgrade, Gasly replied with an emphatic “100%”. The lack of results in the first two races with the upgrade has not shaken his belief that it can be game-changing. “We knew at the start of the season that this year is a race of development; new regulations, new cars, so people are going to develop,” Gasly continued.

“It doesn’t matter how you start, what matters is to have an upward curve through the year. We started in a decent place but got slowed down by the issues we had with porpoising etc. But it [the upgrade] is clearly bringing performance and when you see how tight the midfield is, it’s clearly going to put us back in that fight. We just need to make sure we maximise the full potential for the rest of the year.”

‘Certain To Recover’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/why-a-slumping-f1-team-is-so-certain-its-about-to-recover/


Gasly: No explanation for AlphaTauri’s midfield struggles
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 13th August 2022, 0:01
Written by Will Wood

Gasly said he could not explain why the team appears to be struggling to score points compared to their rivals in the midfield.

“I don’t fully have the answer for why we seem to struggle more than than other teams in the midfield, because I don’t think we are missing something in the core of the team,” Gasly said.

“That’s why I think it needs a bit of a step back and look at the whole situation and the bigger picture, what we’re all doing, aero-wise, which direction we do, how we decided to use the budget cap because I know since the start of the year we were already quite on the edge early on in the season. Is that the main reason? I don’t fully know. We’ll keep pushing and hopefully find some more bigger development items over the next few weeks.”

‘Unexplained Midfield Struggles’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/13/racefans-round-up-13-08-5/

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff accuses Mercedes employees of getting complacent as Daniel Ricciardo braced for F1 exit.
The Mercedes boss has incredibly revealed what is at the heart of the side’s success, and that it actually comes from studying “great teams” who became “complacent” when enjoying a run at the top.
16 August 2022
by Nick Golding

“I studied why great teams were not able to repeat great title [runs],” Wolff told the Financial Times.

“No sports team in any sport has ever won eight consecutive world championship titles, and there are many reasons for that, and what is at the core is the human.”

“The human gets complacent. You are not energised in the same way you were before. You are maybe not as ambitious.”

‘Complacent Mercedes Employees’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-accuses-mercedes-employees-of-getting-complacent-as-daniel-ricciardo-braced-for-f1-exit/


Toto Wolff studied Manchester United to learn about Mercedes failings amid drop in form
Mercedes have struggled to compete with Red Bulla and Ferrari in the 2022 F1 season, while Manchester United have been thumped by both Brighton and Brentford already this season
15:24, 16 Aug 2022
By Fraser Watson Sports Trends Writer

Toto Wolff has admitted he analysed the recent history of Man United in a bid to keep Mercedes at the top of Formula 1.

Following an epic title duel between the Dutch star and Hamilton, it was the former who prevailed following a dramatic season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But Wolff's team won't be gaining any kind of revenge this season, with the W13 cars being plagued by the issue of the porpoising. Despite improved showings in recent races, neither Hamilton or partner George Russell have recorded a Grand Prix win.

Although it could be argued that their situation appears blissful in comparison to United's. Since winning their last Premier League title in 2013, the Red Devils have managed to second-placed finishes in the EPL, and have started the 2022/23 campaign in awful form.

the Austrian has studied their dominant period under Sir Alex Ferguson, plus the struggles they've endured since the Scotsman's retirement. In an interview with the Financial Times, Wolff said: “I studied why great teams were not able to repeat great title [runs]," before citing United's spell under Ferguson.

‘Toto Wolff Studied Manchester United’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/toto-wolff-manchester-united-mercedes-27754393


Formula 1 boss studied United’s failures following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement
16/08/2022, 18:14
by Dale O'Donnell
MANUNEWS.COM NEWS

Toto Wolff doesn’t want team Mercedes to suffer like Manchester United post-Sir Alex Ferguson. Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff has revealed he studied Manchester United’s failures to help with his management of team Mercedes.

United haven’t come close to winning a Premier League title since Fergie announced his retirement in 2013. That’s something Wolff believes can be used as a lesson. “I studied why great teams were not able to repeat great title [runs],” Wolff told the Financial Times, in reference to Ferguson.

“The human gets complacent. You are not energised in the same way you were before. You are maybe not as ambitious. I often get the question: ‘How hard is that?”

‘United’s Failures Studied’;

https://strettynews.com/2022/08/16/f1-boss-has-studied-manchester-uniteds-failures-following-sir-alex-fergusons-retirement/


'It's complete bull****'!: Toto Wolff quashes talk of replacing Lewis Hamilton with Sergio Perez - and insists he has had conversations with the 37-year-old about staying at Mercedes for another 'five or 10 YEARS'.
Mercedes team principle Toto Wolff has dismissed suggestions that he is looking to replace Lewis Hamilton with Sergio Perez.
• Mercedes' Toto Wolff has dismissed claims Lewis Hamilton is to leave the team
• It had been rumoured that Sergio Perez was being considered as a replacement
• Wolff rubbished the claims, saying Hamilton could stay for up to 10 more years
• Hamilton has struggled for form and consistency at the start of the 2022 season
Published: 12:47, 16 August 2022
By Lewis Browning For Mailonline

Several names have been brandished as possible replacements, including Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, but Wolff has insisted he has never called the Mexican driver. 'I never called Sergio', said Wolff when questioned on the rumours in an interview with motorsport.com.

'He's a good guy and I respect him, but I never talked to him and I was not in contact with any other driver. It's complete bull****. 'Lewis and I, even in the face of a not-so-encouraging scenario like the beginning of this season, we are always aligned in wanting to try to make things better and be together next year.'

‘Toto Wolff Quashes Talk’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11116269/Toto-Wolff-quashes-talk-replacing-Lewis-Hamilton-Sergio-Perez.html


Toto Wolff breaks silence on Sergio Perez replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes
LEWIS HAMILTON and Mercedes have struggled to compete with Red Bull and Ferrari this season
07:03, Tue, Aug 16, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Toto Wolff has revealed Sergio Perez will not replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes as he sets a retirement deadline for the seven-time champion. Wolff claims Mercedes have “never talked” to Perez or any other driver as a replacement for Hamilton.

Speaking to Motorsport.com Italy, he said: “It's complete b******. I've never called Sergio, he's a good guy and I respect him, but I've never talked to him and haven't been in contact with any other rider.

Wolff’s comments come after Dutch racing star Tom Coronel also claimed Mercedes were eyeing up Nyck de Vries as a possible successor to Hamilton. He claimed Formula E star De Vries was Wolff’s “insurance policy” should Hamilton walk away from the sport.

‘Toto Wolff Breaks Silence’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1655325/toto-wolff-mercedes-lewis-hamilton-retirement-sergio-perez


Toto Wolff: The forgotten story of when Mercedes F1 boss was a Red Bull driver
16 Aug 2022
Lewis Larkam

Toto Wolff is best known for being one of the most successful team principals in F1 history by spearheading Mercedes’ unprecedented winning streak, but there was a time he raced in Red Bull colours.

That’s right, Wolff, the man who has played a key role in helping Mercedes to claim a record eight consecutive constructors’ world championships and seven drivers’ titles across the past eight seasons, once donned the overalls of Mercedes’ F1 nemesis.

Between 2004 and 2006, Wolff raced in blue Red Bull overalls and a car splashed in the energy drinks firm’s branding. Alongside Karl Wendlinger, Dieter Quester and Stefano Zonca, Wolff took class victory in the 1000 Miles of Interlagos in 2004. Amid treacherously wet conditions, it was Wolff who posted the quickest lap time.

‘Toto Wolff The Forgotten Story’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/1009978/1/forgotten-story-toto-wolff-red-bull-driver


Wolff admits 2021 Abu Dhabi GP still on his mind 'every day'
16/08/2022 at 08:57
Michael Delaney

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says that eight months on from the events that marked F1's season finale in Abu Dhabi last year, he still thinks about the dramatic outcome of the race every single day.

"I think about it every day," he said. "But I have my peace with Max winning the championship, because he's a deserving champion.”

"How it panned out, I think I have values around fairness, and especially sporting fairness. This is what provides my fundamental love for the sport. And then that was kicked with the feet on that particular day."

‘On His Mind Every Day';

https://f1i.com/news/451087-wolff-admits-2021-abu-dhabi-gp-still-on-his-mind-every-day.html

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff surprisingly admits Mercedes gained ‘advantage’ by pressuring the FIA.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has admitted that putting pressure on the FIA often leads to the gaining of a “potential advantage.”
17 August 2022
by Finley Crebolder

Wolff and Mercedes have been calling for the governing body to change some rules to address the porpoising issues the German team have encountered this year. He denies that he and his team were putting pressure on the FIA for sporting reasons, but admits it can have his advantages.

“When you put pressure on the FIA there is always a potential advantage, in everything, and we have done that in the past,” he told the Italian branch of Motorsport.com. “I could also add that today we have understood the porpoising problems of our car, we got the pole position in the last race, but that doesn’t change anything,” he added.

“It is irrelevant, we are talking about something that damages the health of the drivers, from the outside we cannot understand what it means to be subjected to those particular stresses. I strongly believe that countermeasures must be taken to be sure that next year this problem will be a distant memory.”

‘Putting pressure on the FIA often leads to the gaining of a “potential advantage’!’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-surprisingly-admits-mercedes-gained-advantage-by-pressuring-the-fia/


FIA ignore Ferrari protest threats as rule changes approved in boost for Lewis Hamilton
THE FIA have approved a number of changes to the technical regulations which are set to come into effect at this month's Belgian Grand Prix.
22:22, Tue, Aug 16, 2022
By Archie Griggs

The FIA's World Motor Sport Council have given the green light to regulation changes for the rest of this season and in 2023 in a bid to combat the 'porpoising' issue that has plagued the efforts of Mercedes over the course of this year. The Silver Arrows led calls for alterations to be made before the summer break, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell having suffered from the violent bouncing of their cars on long straights since pre-season testing.

Mercedes have now seemingly got their wish, with the FIA approving the changes on Tuesday after several months of discussions behind closed doors. Not everybody is expected to be on board with the new measures, though, and Ferrari have already threatened to protest the ruling in the event of its approval as they believe it would serve to benefit Mercedes.

The changes are expected to mainly aid Mercedes, who have suffered with the issue of porpoising more than other teams. The safety of porpoising has however been called into question by a number of drivers since the start of this year. FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem has since reaffirmed that his main priority needs to be mitigating the health risks faced by those in the cockpit in order to reduce the risk of preventable injuries.

‘Mercedes have now seemingly got their wish, with the FIA approving the changes’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1656227/FIA-ignore-Ferrari-protest-threats-rule-changes-approved-Lewis-Hamilton-F1-news


FIA confirm details of clampdown on ‘flexi-floors’ from Belgian Grand Prix
Tuesday 16th August 2022 7:00 PM
Sam Cooper

The FIA have confirmed they are to monitor the stiffness of the planks under cars after some teams were accused of having ‘flexi-floors’.

FIA rules state the wooden plank which runs along the bottom of the car must have a limit of 2mm of flexibility, but there was suspicion some in the paddock had found a grey area which allowed them to hit up to 6mm of flexibility.

Mercedes’ Toto Wolff was the most vocal in his criticism of the FIA’s slowness to act, saying it should have been policed as soon the FIA had caught suspicion it was going on, but the Austrian now has his wish with the governing body set to inspect the cars more closely. The FIA have introduced the new measures alongside rules to combat porpoising and some of them will be in place for the next race in Belgium.

‘FIA confirm details of clampdown on ‘flexi-floors’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fia-clampdown-flexi-floors-belgian-gp/


Breaking: F1's new engine formula finally confirmed as FIA share full details
16/08/2022, ‎17‎:‎30
Author RacingNews365 Staff

F1's governing body, the FIA, have set out the much-anticipated 2026 power unit regulations following their approval by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).

As revealed by RacingNews365.com, a complete set of 2026-on PU rules was recently distributed to the sport's major players, with the WMSC now ratifying them.

Existing manufacturers, prospective manufacturers and the FIA have been involved in discussions over the final features of the regulations for many months.

‘F1's new engine formula’;

https://racingnews365.com/breaking-f1s-new-engine-formula-finally-confirmed-as-fia-share-full-details


FIA confirms roll hoop design changes in wake of Zhou crash
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 17th August 2022, 0:01
Written by Will Wood

In the round-up: The FIA have confirmed that the design of roll hoops on Formula 1 cars will be changed in a bid to avoid similar accidents to the one experienced by Zhou Guanyu at Silverstone. The FIA have confirmed that the design of roll hoops on Formula 1 cars will be changed in a bid to avoid similar accidents to the one experienced by Zhou Guanyu at Silverstone.

Alfa Romeo driver Zhou survived a frightening accident at the start of the British Grand Prix when he was pitched upside down by contact with his helmet millimetres from the track before his car dug into a gravel trap and rolled.

Despite his roll hoop breaking off his car after his half-roll, Alfa Romeo later confirmed that his roll hoop had not technically failed, but that the forces placed on the roll hoop in the accident exceeded the threshold they are tested for.

‘FIA confirms roll hoop design changes’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/17/racefans-round-up-17-08-5/

[Fortitude]

DOMENICALI: “I’M NOT SELLING THE SOUL OF FORMULA 1.”
What's going on behind the scenes of the race calendar planning?

Lena Ferle

Domenicali seems surprised by the little interest from Germany, as some Formula 1 fans would like to see a race at the Hockenheimring or Nürburgring back – from all over the world. Formula 1 added Qatar and Saudi Arabia to the race calendar last year. Not all Formula 1 spectators saw this as progress; they criticised the fixation on the money that would come from the states.

Domenicali defends himself against this accusation: “I’m not selling the soul of Formula 1. I believe that this is the normal change. Money is important everywhere, also for us. But it’s not the only thing we look at. The whole package has to be right. If we only looked at the bank account, the race calendar would definitely look different.”

An example of this would be Russia. Despite good funding (the Russian GP reportedly brought Formula 1 up to $50 million a year), the Sochi circuit is no longer included in the planning: “I always say never say never, but in this case, I can promise: We will not have any more negotiations with them. There will be no more racing there.”

‘Soul Of Formula 1, Not For Sale’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/domenicali-im-not-selling-the-soul-of-formula-1/?nowprocket=1


Briatore shares holiday snap chilling with Wolff and Domenicali
NewsDesk
11 August, 2022

Three of Formula 1‘s most powerful men past and present, F1 chief Stefano Domenicali, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and the sport’s number one scoundrel Flavio Briatore enjoying the sunshine on their summer break.

The trio popped up on Briatore’s Instagram feed post “On the boat with Stefano Domenicali and Toto Wolff.”

Briatore, once one of the most powerful men in F1, appears to be making a comeback in the wake of his role in the notorious Singapore Crashgat scandal, a scam seeing Nelson Piquet crash his Renault to favour Alonso’s bid for a win, Formula 1’s crime of the century.

COMMENTS SECTION:
• NeoGeoH
So yesterday this site ran an article titled: "QUESTION MARK: IS TOTO WOLFF TOO POWERFUL FOR F1?" and now we see him on a boat with the CEO of the F1 Group (and crash gate team boss Flav) during the summer break? If nothing else it is bad optics to me. Also, Briatore's presence is less scandalous as he isn't a team boss, owner, or F1 Group CEO.

‘Formula 1‘s most powerful men past and present’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/11/briatore-shares-holiday-snap-with-wolff-and-domenicali/


Domenicali: Audi and Porsche entering F1 gives it credibility
8 August, 2022
NewsDesk

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali claimed Volkswagen entering the sport through Audi and Porsche will give it credibility in terms of its relevance to the future of mobility.

The subject of Audi and Porsche entering F1 has been a long-discussed matter, with the latest report claiming Porsche will be entering the sport via a joint venture with Red Bull by which they take over a 50% stake in the team, while Audi is reportedly in talks with Sauber regarding a collaboration through Alfa Romeo.

Both companies, part of the Volkswagen group, are also awaiting the finalization of the 2026 new power unit regulations before putting pen to paper on their well advanced agreements.

‘F1 Credibility’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/08/domenicali-audi-and-porsche-entering-f1-gives-it-credibility/


F1 "no space for idiots" - Domenicali
Tuesday 2 August 2022 11:20
Ewan Gale

F1 is about competition not idiots Former FIA race director Michael Masi revealed in an interview with the Australian Daily Telegraph that he felt the most hated man in the world after his part in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix controversy last season.

Masi also revealed a number of death threats that were made online. "There is no space for idiots," added Domenicali. "We don't want to give any kind of room [to them]. This sport can show that it is a competition.

"In competition, you can do good, you can do well but you need to be respectful every time."

‘No Space For Idiots’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/88611/f1-drive-it-out-abuse-stefano-domenicali/


Next year’s F1 calendar to be confirmed in October, 24 races likely – Domenicali
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 6th August 2022, 0:015th August 2022, 23:11 |
Written by Will Wood

Maximum 24 race cap likely to be hit in 2023, suggests Domenicali. Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali expects to confirm details of next year’s schedule “around early October”, he told a call to Liberty Media investors yesterday.

Domenicali indicated the 2023 F1 calendar is likely to feature the maximum permitted 24 races. The series is endeavouring to reorganise some of its rounds to reduce the amount of travel and therefore cut costs and emissions. “We would like to keep the right flow in terms of efficiency around the world, to consider the needs of a calendar to be spread out from March to November all around the world,” he said.

“The demand is very, very high,” for races, he added. “We cannot [say] anything more than what we are saying because we are, of course, finalising all the details. But we for sure expect to have a couple of races more than this year, but less than 25, that’s for sure.”

‘F1 calendar 24 races likely’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/06/racefans-round-up-06-08-5/

[Fortitude]

Sebastian Vettel warns Formula 1 it’s at risk of becoming ‘irrelevant’.
Sebastian Vettel admitted his increasing passion for environmental issues played a part in his decision to retire.
17 August 2022
by Finley Crebolder

Vettel has become an activist for environmental issues in recent years, repeatedly calling for the sport to become greener and admitting his passion for the cause played a part in his decision to retire from racing at the end of this season.

He has often stated that he doesn’t believe that F1 is doing enough in that area, and the Aston Martin man has warned that support and interest in it from those that aren’t already fans could wane as a result if that doesn’t change soon.

“And if we don’t find a way to really help shift change, and contribute to the fact everyone benefits from what we are doing for fun, and the innovation in engineering that comes with it, then I think very soon the question will come up ‘okay, what’s the point?’

‘F1 Irrelevant Risk’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/sebastian-vettel-warns-formula-1-its-at-risk-of-becoming-irrelevant/


‘Sebastian Vettel would find IndyCar tough as F1 is easiest car I’ve ever driven’
Wednesday 17th August 2022 1:15 PM
Michelle Foster

Former F1 hopeful Christian Lundgaard believes Sebastian Vettel would find a move to IndyCar difficult as “the car isn’t driving you, you are driving the car”.

The 21-year-old Dane knows both Formula 1 and IndyCar, swapping to the American series after his two seasons in Formula 2, during which he also tested with Alpine, did not yield a Formula 1 race seat.

“I think it would be cool for Sebastian to drive an IndyCar, honestly,” said Lundgaard, quoted by Motorsport.com. “I’ve driven Formula 1 cars. I’ve tested quite a few days with Renault. So for me, I’ll say it as it is – personally, that was the easiest car I’ve ever driven. It’s easy to drive to a certain extent.”

‘Vettel To Indy?’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christian-lundgaard-indycar-tough/


F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali would welcome Sebastian Vettel on this condition
Sebastian Vettel announced at the Hungarian GP that he'll be retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the season.
9 August 2022
by Nick Golding

Since Vettel announced his retirement, F1 president Stefano Domenicali has revealed that he wants Vettel to “remain close” to the sport, especially with the sustainable approach F1 is taking over the next few years.

“Of course we want the link to remain close in the future,” Domenicali told Sport Bild. “If he is interested in becoming part of our system and the approaches fit, I would of course welcome him here.”

However, ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher believes none of what Domenicali said, with the German convinced that many of the sport’s bosses will be “happy” the Aston Martin driver is going. Motorsport-Total.com quote him as having told Sky Germany “internally in Formula 1 some are now happy he’s gone, especially Domenicali and co, because he addressed all the problems directly, so in part was very uncomfortable, but rightly so”.

‘Welcomed or Uncomfortable?’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/f1-ceo-stefano-domenicali-would-welcome-sebastian-vettel-on-this-condition/


Helmut Marko: Sebastian Vettel could not see Aston Martin joining podium fight in 2023
Wednesday 17th August 2022 5:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Helmut Marko believes Sebastian Vettel chose retirement over another season of only squabbling for points, not podium finishes, at Aston Martin. Vettel surprised many in the paddock, but not Sky F1 broadcaster Ted Kravitz, when he announced ahead of the summer break this season would be his last in Formula 1.

While some have wondered why Vettel, only 35, did not push for a third season with Aston Martin, Marko reckons that is because he did not believe the team would make any progress next season.

“It’s becoming apparent,” he told motorsport-total.com. “He’s not in a competitive car and I don’t think he saw the prospect of the car being able to make a regular podium finish next year. And there’s no space in the top teams. The Austrian, who worked with Vettel at Toro Rosso and Red Bull, was asked whether he felt a comeback could be on the cards like Michael Schumacher with Mercedes. “No,” he replied. “I think this is final.”

‘Chosing Retirement Over Squabbling For Points’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut-marko-sebastian-vettel-no-2023-podiums/


Marc Surer regrets that Sebastian Vettel carries ‘shadow’ of no Ferrari title
Thursday 11th August 2022 11:00 AM
Michelle Foster

Marc Surer says it is a “shame” Sebastian Vettel never won a title with Ferrari as that’s a “shadow” over his legacy. Losing the World title to Lewis Hamilton in 2014, a season in which Vettel wasn’t able to win a single grand prix with Red Bull, the German jumped ship to Ferrari where he dreamt of following in Michael Schumacher’s footsteps and adding his four World titles. But it was not to be.

His six seasons with Ferrari yielded a best result of runner-up in the 2017 and 2018 championships, both years in which Vettel and Ferrari were, at times, their own worst enemies.

“Of course it’s a shame that he only won titles with Red Bull,” former Swiss racer turned pundit Surer said in an interview with Formel1.de. “It would have been nice if he had won another title with Ferrari, because that’s a bit of a shadow.”

‘Shadow Over His Legacy’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/marc-surer-sebastian-vettel-shadow-no-ferrari-title/


Jean Alesi tips Sebastian Vettel for racing return after F1 exit
Published: 16 Aug 2022, 13:00
By George Dagless

Jean Alesi believes it won’t be long until we see Sebastian Vettel back in a racing car after he completes his exit from Formula 1 at the end of the year.

Alesi believes that Vettel is leaving F1 at the right time for him, but that this might not be the end of his career as a racing driver: “He did it at a good time. He is a four-time world champion, he is very well respected in F1 by all the drivers and that means a lot you know,” Alesi said to Give Me Sport.

“But he’s quite young, so probably we will see him back in a racing car quite soon, I believe.” With series like Formula E and Extreme E promoting sustainability and environmental awareness – two issues close to Seb – you’d never be surprised to see him end up in such a championship.

‘Racing Return’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88048072-jean-alesi-tips-sebastian-vettel-for-racing-return-after-f1-exit

[Fortitude]

Mekies says mood in Ferrari camp ‘as high as it gets’ despite 2022 setbacks.
With nine races to go in 2022, Ferrari currently sit second in the constructors’ championship – 97 points behind Red Bull. But the Prancing Horses’ Racing Director Laurent Mekies insists that the spirit within the team is still high, despite the large deficit to their rivals.
18 August 2022
Formula 1.

“The mood in the camp is as high as it gets, because people like Charles [Leclerc], Carlos [Sainz], Mattia , these guys are driving the team in all situations,” said Mekies. “You have the good moments, you have the bad moments, and I think the difference comes from this sort of leadership.”

“They are able, whatever happens, to press the reset button, to bring everybody together, to look back at what happened, to learn from it and to go and look to the next race with a smile and with more motivation than the race before.”

“Let's start from the speed,” said Mekies of Leclerc’s 2022 performance. “He has been showing such outstanding speed this year again that you don't want to go and touch that aspect. Charles doesn't need us… as a great racing driver, to understand where he needs to go in terms of closeness to the limit. He is a master of that and, as we all do, mistakes can happen. I think we don't look at single mistakes, we look at the strike rate. We look at how extraordinarily you're able to do things compared to stuff that you do not as good, and I think his strike rate this year has been very, very impressive and we don't want him to change anything.”

‘Ferrari Look At Strike Rate’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.mekies-says-mood-in-ferrari-camp-as-high-as-it-gets-despite-2022-setbacks.4uc9Z9CSvjwmDhvv1AVbeU.html


[B]Mattia Binotto explains why he’s ‘not surprised’ by Ferrari’s engine failures
Ferrari have suffered a number of power unit failures in 2022.
18 August 2022
by Nick Golding

Scuderia Ferrari have arguably has the fastest car this season; however, it’s also been the most unreliable by a country mile. Whilst the failures have put a huge dent in Ferrari’s title hopes, Sainz admitted after Austria that he’d rather suffer the failures, than have an “underpowered engine”.

Binotto has explained that Ferrari’s desperation to build the most powerful PU on the grid meant that over the winter, reliability was somewhat forgotten about. The Ferrari boss knew that his team’s reliability situation “wasn’t ideal”, but that during the winter they discovered “no problems” with the PU’s reliability.

“That doesn’t mean we came to the first race and thought we were completely unreliable. It wasn’t like that,” said the team boss. There were no problems during the winter tests. But we knew our situation wasn’t ideal.”

‘No Surprise by Ferrari’s Engine Failures’;

‘Rather suffer failures than have an underpowered engine’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-explains-why-hes-not-surprised-by-ferraris-engine-failures/


Exclusive: The story behind one of F1's most important inventions
18/08/2022, ‎17‎:‎05
Author Dieter Rencken
Co-author Anna Francis

In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.com, Ferrari's Racing Director, Laurent Mekies, has been reflecting on his involvement in the process of bringing the Halo to Formula 1. Four years on from its introduction into F1, Ferrari's Laurent Mekies has been recounting the efforts it took to bring the Halo to Formula 1.

Mekies – who holds the role of Racing Director for the Scuderia – was one of those involved in presenting the data behind the device ahead of it being brought into effect for the 2018 season. Looking back now, Mekies admits that there were some concerns about bringing a cockpit protection system to F1. "Everybody was against us," Mekies said. "Every single person was against us. That's how it started. Because of something very fair, because of the aesthetic – [people thought] the aesthetic was unpleasant.”

"There were these false feelings of high-enough safety, so [people asked], 'Why are you trying to push the boundaries?'" Despite the protests, boundaries continued to be pushed in the process of developing the Halo. "[We pushed the boundaries] because we wanted to be productive, we wanted to go to the next step," Mekies continued. Mekies credits Todt with crucial role in bringing Halo Mekies credits the influence of former FIA President Jean Todt in terms of pushing for the Halo to be introduced and encouraging the team behind it to "think outside of the box".

‘Every single person was against us’;

https://racingnews365.com/exclusive-the-story-behind-one-of-f1s-most-important-inventions


Red Mist: What if Ferrari did get their Maths right?
18 August, 2022
Michele Lupini

What if Mattia Binotto and his Ferrari cronies did everything right this season, and never messed up the maths or strategy? Let’s play a game of Excel Formula 1.

Excel is a splendid computer program. It makes crunching numbers really easy. So, with all this speculation surrounding how exactly Ferrari has screwed its F1 campaign up this year, I thought it would be a good idea if we could work it out once and for all.

I love data and I love statistics, and being quite thorough, I worked a plan and set about it. Of course, if grandma had balls, I would not be here. None of us would. ‘If’ is one of those words that losers use. So I suppose it fits.

‘What If?’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/18/red-mist-what-if-ferrari-did-get-their-maths-right-f1-strategy/


Mattia Binotto responds to Ferrari ‘bad luck’ claim as Charles Leclerc’s frustration grows
Ferrari's title challenge has been unravelling lately.
17 August 2022
by James Clifford

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has indicated that it would not serve a purpose to make changes to his team at the moment after several calamitous moments in 2022.

“It’s not a matter of bad luck, and there is nothing to change as well,” he said. “It’s always a matter of continuous learning and building, building experience, building skills.

“Certainly there is something that you need to look at and understand why, but if I look again at the balance of the first half of the season, there is no reason why we should change. I think we simply need to address what was wrong today, we need to understand, and then to address and get back competitive at the 12 races so far and the reason why it could not be the case at the next one.”

‘Not A Matter Of Bad Luck’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-responds-to-ferrari-bad-luck-claim-as-charles-leclercs-frustration-grows/


[B]Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto explains 'depression' after Charles Leclerc engine heartbreak
CHARLES LECLERC'S F1 title challenge has been derailed by a series of mishaps and engine failures.
14:07, Wed, Aug 17, 2022
By Fraser Watson

Mattia Binotto has admitted that the retirements of Charles Leclerc this season have left him feeling 'depressed' as Ferrari bid to address their erratic 2022 F1 campaign. The Monegasque man seemed set to launch a serious challenge for the title when he won the season opener in Bahrain, before notching second in Saudi Arabia and another victory in Australia.

But since then, his title aspirations have been derailed, with a power unit issue forcing his retirement whilst leading in Spain. And despite being on pole for his home race in Monaco, a questionable team strategy saw him end up fourth.

Further engine problems forced him to retire in Azerbaijan, and another pole position went to waste in France when Leclerc spun off early on. The series of mishaps have left him 80 points off leader Max Verstappen in the drivers' standings, and facing a nigh on impossible task to deliver the Scuderia a first title since Kimi Raikkonen triumphed in 2007.

‘Mattia Binotto Explains Depression';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1656485/Ferrari-Mattia-Binotto-Charles-Leclerc-F1-news


Mattia Binotto admits Ferrari ‘prioritised performance over reliability’
Wednesday 17th August 2022 7:00 PM
Jon Wilde

Mattia Binotto has endorsed the comments of driver Carlos Sainz by admitting Ferrari have prioritised performance over reliability with their engine. Sainz has been the most expressive member of the Ferrari team from that perspective, as far back as February saying the Scuderia had aimed to have a “powerful engine – if not the most powerful” because with the development freeze they had “five years to work on reliability”.

Costly breakdowns, such as those that potentially stopped Charles Leclerc from winning in Spain and Azerbaijan, might have changed that mindset. But Sainz reiterated in July, after an engine failure of his own that set the car on fire in Austria, that “I’d rather take that step and get through that bump than have an under-powered engine that is more reliable”.

Binotto, the team principal, has now revealed his own view is very much aligned with that of the Spaniard. “I’m not completely surprised by what happened,” Binotto told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com. “I don’t think we pushed too hard [in developing the engine] because you can never have enough performance. But we certainly prioritised performance over reliability.”

‘Prioritised Performance Over Reliability’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mattia-binotto-ferrari-performance-first/

[Fortitude]

‘We don’t have petrodollars’: Belgian GP organiser fires jibe as Spa faces axe.
A circuit war between Formula 1 owners Liberty Media and the drivers appears to be brewing, with the American company set to drop the legendary Belgian Grand Prix to open up a slot on the calendar for either another American or Middle Eastern race.
17 August 2022
by Nick Golding

Spa-Francorchamps is arguably one of the homes of F1, with the circuit in the Ardennes forest having hosted 55 Grand Prix’s since featuring on the first-ever F1 calendar back in 1950.

The venue is famous for incredible racing, unpredictable weather, and of course Eau Rouge. Yet it appears none of this will be enough to keep it on the calendar, with 2022 looking likely to be the circuit’s last dance at hosting the pinnacle of motorsport.

Drivers are furious with the owner’s position on ditching Spa and have shown vocal support for the one-of-a-kind venue. Circuit organisers have pleaded with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali that the circuit retains its place, with Spa having undergone changes to Eau Rouge as well as a full entertainment programme having been planned for the Belgian Grand Prix. Supposedly, the Belgian GP weekend isn’t entertaining enough, with the races in America having raised the bar on what is expected from an F1 weekend.

‘We don’t have petrodollars’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/we-dont-have-petrodollars-belgian-gp-organiser-fires-jibe-as-spa-faces-axe/


F1 drivers upset amid Belgian GP uncertainty: It's all about money
20/08/2022, ‎15‎:‎10
Author Luuk van Poppelen
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Established F1 drivers Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez have already expressed their disappointment at the prospect of losing the Belgian GP, and Lando Norris, who is half-Belgian, shared his concerns about F1 prioritising "business decisions". "I personally have a lot to do with Spa of course and I love the circuit. I went to Belgium for many years and spent a lot of time there with my family," Norris told media, including RacingNews365.com.

"I'm looking forward to experiencing the changes and the new tarmac, and a new grandstand at Raidillon. I always look forward to Spa. It's one of the coolest circuits all season.”

"It would be a shame to lose Spa. A lot of things these days are just about money, that's the problem. It's a business. It's a historic race for F1, the same as Monaco. As far as I know, they don't even pay in Monaco and it's still on the calendar – same with Monza. So I think Spa should always be there as long as Formula 1 exists."

‘It's all about money’;

https://racingnews365.com/f1-drivers-upset-amid-belgian-gp-uncertainty-its-all-about-money


Max Verstappen makes plea to Formula 1 ahead of 2022 Belgian Grand Prix
19 August 2022
by James Clifford

The future of the Belgian Grand Prix hangs in the balance after this year. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has warned Formula 1 that they cannot do away with tracks like Spa Francorchamps amid worldwide interest in hosting races.

Vegas is set to join Austin and Miami on the calendar next year, expanding American interest to three races, two of them being held on street circuits if Miami is to be counted as such.

Provided Monaco keeps its place for 2023, there will be seven street circuits on the calendar next season, although the Principality is also under threat. In years to come, it is possible that the likes of Silverstone and Monza, who both have deals until 2024, will also drop off, and this is all due to an influx of new demographics.

‘Belgian Grand Prix Track Loss Possibility’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/max-verstappen-makes-plea-to-formula-1-ahead-of-2022-belgian-grand-prix/


‘A shame’, ‘just about money’: F1 drivers fear Spa’s next grand prix will be its last
2022 Belgian Grand Prix
Posted on 5th August 2022, 8:145th August 2022, 10:09 |
Written by Ida Wood and Claire Cottingham

While the 2023 Formula 1 calendar has not yet been officially confirmed, many drivers have already expressed disappointment over the widely-expected loss of the Belgian Grand Prix.

Norris questions why a circuit so historically significant to Formula 1 as Spa has its place on the calendar under threat, while other venues with just as strong a heritage do not appear to be in question.

“It’s a shame,” he continued. “But it’s a historic race for F1. Same as Monaco – for what I know, they don’t even pay and it’s still on the calendar – same with like Monza and stuff. So I feel like it should always be on for as long as Formula 1’s around.”

‘Just about money’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/05/a-shame-just-about-money-f1-drivers-fear-spas-next-grand-prix-will-be-its-last/


F1 quiz: Guess the Grid for the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa
Sunday 21st August 2022 3:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Your next F1 quiz has landed…can you name all of the drivers who formed the grid for the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix? The 2014 campaign was a season of great change in Formula 1 – just like 2022 – as the new turbo-hybrid V6 engines came into play.

Right now, Formula 1 is on its summer hiatus, reflecting on 13 rounds’ worth of action for the new regulations, but once the series returns Belgium will be its first stop as was the case in 2014.

Changeable weather conditions made for a very tricky qualifying session at Spa that year, with rain expected for the race but at a lighter intensity. As it turned out, while rain was not going to provide any drama on the track, the drivers certainly were. Two in particular. We won’t be naming any names though – that is your job!

‘F1 Quiz’;

https://www.planetf1.com/quizzes/f1-quiz-2014-belgian-grand-prix/

[Fortitude]

Domenicali denies selling F1's 'soul' amid call to protect historic races.
Stefano Domenicali denies "selling the soul" of Formula 1 as he is urged to "ringfence" four historic races, including the Belgian Grand Prix.
22 August 2022
Ben Issatt

This weekend's race at Spa-Francorchamps could be the last for the foreseeable future with its contract set to expire and F1 needing to make space for potentially four new or returning events in 2023.

Belgium isn't alone either in facing the axe with the French GP almost certain to be dropped and the 'Jewel in the Crown' at Monaco also still yet to officially sign a new deal for next year. Belgium isn't alone either in facing the axe with the French GP almost certain to be dropped and the 'Jewel in the Crown' at Monaco also still yet to officially sign a new deal for next year.

The assault on F1's foundational races has drawn criticism from drivers and fans alike, and Red Bull boss Christian Horner made it clear some circuits should be mainstays on the calendar. “Spa, for sure. It’s one of those historic races," he told Sky Sports. "There should be a few races – Monaco, Silverstone, Spa, Monza – they’re the big ones, the historic ones, and I think we should ringfence and really protect those.

‘Domenicali Denies Selling F1's 'Soul'!’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16239-domenicali-denies-selling-f1-s-soul-amid-call-to-protect-historic-races


Christian Horner slams FIA approach as Belgian Grand Prix under threat
THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX could be under threat with no deal in place from next season.
09:41, Mon, Aug 22, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Christian Horner has slammed the FIA for not protecting F1’s historic races with the future of the Belgian Grand Prix at risk. Neither Monaco nor Belgium have a deal in place for next season despite their evocative status among fans.

His comments come after the Red Bull boss was asked whether team bosses would fight hard against losing the Belgian Grand Prix. Horner explained: “Spa, for sure. It’s one of those historic races.

"There should be a few races – Monaco, Silverstone, Spa, Monza – they’re the big ones, the historic ones, and I think we should ringfence and really protect those. It’s great that these new venues are coming in and that there is interest but you’ve got to have that history.”

‘FIA Approach Slammed’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1658531/christian-horner-fia-f1-calendar-changes-belgian-grand-prix


Norris rues possible loss of Spa F1: "Things are just about money nowadays"
Aug 22, 2022, 6:37 PM
By: Luke Smith

McLaren driver Lando Norris would feel “sad” if Spa dropped off the Formula 1 calendar for 2023, saying that “things are just about money nowadays.”

This weekend's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa could be the last for the time being as F1 plots its calendar for next year that will reach the limit of 24 races. Spa is one of the most popular tracks on the F1 calendar thanks to its fast layout and iconic corners such as Eau Rouge, making it one of the most challenging for drivers to master.

Asked about the possibility of Spa falling off the calendar, Norris said: "I'll be sad. I guess a lot of things are just about money nowadays, which is the issue. It's a business. It's a shame," Norris said of the possible loss of Spa, which he called "one of the coolest circuits of the whole season."

‘Things are just about money nowadays’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/norris-rues-possible-loss-of-spa-things-are-just-about-money-nowadays/10356180/


Belgian Grand Prix: Formula 1 drivers call for race to remain on calendar amid 2023 uncertainty
Last Updated: 22/08/22 2:00pm
By Matt Morlidge

Belgian GP does not have F1 contract for next year and calendar is expected to grow from 22 to 24 races; Christian Horner: "It's great that there's these new events coming in and there's interest. But you've got to have that history"

Formula 1 drivers have warned against losing the Belgian GP off the calendar, as the sport heads back to Spa-Francorchamps amid growing concerns this could be the last race at the circuit for some time.

Lando Norris, who is half Belgian from his mother's roots, added: "I think Spa should always be there as long as Formula 1 exists." The Belgian GP is all live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend, with practice starting on Friday and Sunday's race at 2pm.

‘Calls For Belgian Grand Prix To Remain On Calendar’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12526/12679201/belgian-grand-prix-formula-1-drivers-call-for-race-to-remain-on-calendar-amid-2023-uncertainty


Belgian GP rumours hinder F1 progress
Monday 22 August 2022 11:20
Sam Hall

Belgian Grand Prix promotor Vanessa Maes has conceded that rumours and speculation about the future of the event are hindering negotiations with F1. Alongside races in Monaco and France, the Belgian GP is out of contract after this weekend.

With an influx of races from America and the Middle East, it is expected a number of traditional European races will make way. Addressing the current situation, and speaking to HNL.de, Maes said: "We are in discussion with the promoter of F1, Formula 1, and those conversations are not easy. The ongoing rumours don't make it any easier.

"I assume that Formula 1 is really looking forward to a future with a GP in Belgium and more specifically in Spa. Also, in the political world, all forces are mobilised to keep Spa-Francorchamps on the F1 calendar."

‘Belgian Grand Prix promotor Vanessa Maes addressing the current situation’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/89827/belgian-grand-prix/


Driver market dealings and a potential 3-way fight – 5 storylines we're excited for ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix
22 August 2022
Special contributor
Chris Medland
Formula 1.

After a well-earned few weeks off for all of the teams, it’s time to go racing once again, with the Belgian Grand Prix kicking off the second part of the season. Ahead of the resumption, here are some of the topics we expect to be hotly-discussed during this visit to Spa-Francorchamps.

1. Alpine's driver situation

2. The rest of the driver market

3. Another three-way fight?

4. How a technical directive might impact the field

5. The new generation of car on a special track

‘A Potential 3-way Fight – 5 Storylines’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.driver-market-dealings-and-a-potential-3-way-fight-5-storylines-were-excited.4r3APByQ8W67Bgt03NtVuS.html

[Fortitude]

Belgian Grand Prix official admits contract renewal talks are ‘not easy’.
Talks over a new contract for the Belgian Grand Prix are proving to be tricky, a Spa-Francorchamps official has admitted.
Monday 22nd August 2022 7:00 PM
Jon Wilde

A highly popular race with fans and drivers, the Belgian GP was on the very first Formula 1 World Championship calendar in 1950.

That was at its current home of Spa-Francorchamps and since then, there have been only six years when it was not held – none of those consecutively – with its other host venues having been Zolder and Nivelles.

But the race is reported to be in serious danger of being squeezed out of the calendar, due to the clamour for a grand prix in various other locations throughout the world.

‘Tricky Talks’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/belgian-grand-prix-contract-renewal/


Lando Norris issues stern response to claims F1 bosses could scrap Spa from calendar
LANDO NORRIS feels historic tracks like Spa should remain on the calendar regardless of finances as the championship returns in Belgium this weekend after a summer break
19:15, Mon, Aug 22, 2022
By Benjamin Goddard

McLaren driver Lando Norris believes that the Belgian GP deserves a place on the Formula 1 calendar regardless of what money other countries are offering championship organisers. Spa has been on the calendar since F1’s inception in 1950, missing just six seasons since but faces being left out of the 2023 championship schedule.

However, an influx of new venues backed by wealthy organisers and returning tracks has put its inclusion in doubt for next year. Norris, aged 22, whose mother is from the Flanders region in Belgium, believes that Spa should be a staple part of the F1 calendar along with Monaco.

“I’ll be sad (if it's missing next year),” said Norris talking to Autosport ahead of this weekend’s Belgium GP. “I guess a lot of things are just about money nowadays, which is the issue. It’s a business. It’s a shame, it’s one of the coolest circuits of the whole season. It’s a historic race for Formula 1. It’s the same as Monaco, from what I know they don’t even pay and it’s on the calendar.”

‘Lot of things are just about money nowadays’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1658852/Lando-Norris-issues-stern-response-to-claims-F1-bosses-could-scrap-Spa-from-calendar


Pirelli describe ‘epic’ Spa-Francorchamps changes for upcoming Belgian GP
Monday 22nd August 2022 9:00 PM
Henry Valantine

Pirelli motorsport director Mario Isola has said the changes made at Spa-Francorchamps ahead of this year’s Belgian Grand Prix are some of the biggest in the modern era. Circuit officials have worked to make significant adjustments to the circuit. Not in terms of its overall layout, which stays the same, but looking at improving circuit facilities alongside making life more challenging for the drivers.

Among the changes are the introduction of new gravel traps at four separate corners, to punish any mistakes drivers make in those parts of the circuit, as well as track resurfacing at five corners to bring the track up to date.

Pirelli have chosen the C2 (hard), C3 (medium) and C4 (soft) tyres, in the middle of their compound range, for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, and they have already gained a significant bank of data on how the tyres react to the new surface, thanks to a recent endurance race at the revamped circuit.

‘Epic’ Spa-Francorchamps changes’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pirelli-epic-spa-francorchamps-changes/


F1 drivers upset amid Belgian GP uncertainty: It's all about money
‎20‎ ‎August‎ ‎15‎:‎10
Author Luuk van Poppelen
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Formula 1 drivers have expressed their concern about the unclear future of the Belgian Grand Prix's place on the calendar. With the F1 2023 schedule expected to be confirmed in the near future, there are growing threats that the fan-favourite Spa-Francorchamps will be missing from the line-up.

Next year's calendar will see an additional event in Las Vegas, as well as the return of the Chinese and Qatar Grands Prix, and a South African GP is rumoured, but not yet confirmed. The 2022 schedule is 22 races long and, with the current Concorde Agreement limiting the schedule to 24 races, Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps Circuit is one of the venues at risk of losing out, as their contract expires this year.

Established F1 drivers Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez have already expressed their disappointment at the prospect of losing the Belgian GP, and Lando Norris, who is half-Belgian, shared his concerns about F1 prioritising "business decisions".

‘It's all about money’;

https://racingnews365.com/f1-drivers-upset-amid-belgian-gp-uncertainty-its-all-about-money


Max Verstappen makes plea to Formula 1 ahead of 2022 Belgian Grand Prix
The future of the Belgian Grand Prix hangs in the balance after this year.
19 August 2022
by James Clifford

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has warned Formula 1 that they cannot do away with tracks like Spa Francorchamps amid worldwide interest in hosting races. Vegas is set to join Austin and Miami on the calendar next year, expanding American interest to three races, two of them being held on street circuits if Miami is to be counted as such.

Provided Monaco keeps its place for 2023, there will be seven street circuits on the calendar next season, although the Principality is also under threat.

“It’s sad, first of all, [Spa] is my favourite track and I think it is just a great track to drive,” he told RacingNews365.com. I understand that to get there compared to other tracks it’s probably a little more difficult sometimes with the traffic, but it’s a very iconic track.”

‘Max Plea’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/max-verstappen-makes-plea-to-formula-1-ahead-of-2022-belgian-grand-prix/

[Fortitude]

'All forces are mobilised' to save Belgian GP but F1 talks 'not easy'.
"All forces are mobilised" to save the Belgian Grand Prix but talks with Formula 1 are "not easy", race boss Vanessa Maes says.
23 August 2022
Ben Issatt
Formula 1

“I don’t participate in these speculations, but I am convinced Formula 1 has a real appetite for a future with a Grand Prix in Belgium, and more specifically at Spa.”

“Also, in the political world, all forces are mobilised to keep Spa Francorchamps on the F1 calendar. This is no more than logical given the incredible history and mythical aura of this race.”

If F1 needed proof of the Belgian GP's appeal, tickets for this weekend sold out within three days despite last year's washout on Sunday that prevented any green flag racing at all.”

'All forces are mobilised';

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16246-all-forces-are-mobilised-to-save-belgian-gp-but-f1-talks-not-easy


Christian Horner insists historic races like Spa should be ‘ringfenced’ in F1 calendar
23/08/2022, 14:57
Kieran Jackson
Formula 1 Correspondent

The future of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps is uncertain with the race in the final year of its current contract.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner insists big and historic races should remain on the Formula 1 calendar with the future of the Belgian Grand Prix uncertain.

Formula 1 returns after the summer break this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, but the future of the race is not clear as it enters the final year of its current contract.

‘Spa should be ‘ringfenced’ ‘;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/f1-red-bull-christian-horner-b2150859.html


Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and more lead calls for Belgium to stay on the Formula 1 calendar
Tuesday 23 Aug 2022 2:36 pm
Callum McAvoy

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris have led the calls for the Belgian Grand Prix to remain on the Formula 1 calendar.

F1 returns to the world-famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium this week, a track hugely popular with drivers and fans that the sport has visited since its inaugural season in 1950.

However, it may be the last race to be held at the venue, with Spa’s contract up after this weekend and looking increasingly unlikely to be renewed given that there limited space left on the 2023 calendar.

‘Calls for Belgian Grand Prix to kept on the 2023 calendar’;

https://metro.co.uk/2022/08/23/max-verstappen-lando-norris-call-for-belgium-to-stay-on-f1-calendar-17230384/?ito=newsnow-feed


Does the Belgian GP deserve a place on the F1 calendar?
Tuesday 23 August 2022 13:55
Ian Parkes

The future of the Belgian Grand Prix has attracted considerable headlines of late due to the fact this weekend's race is the last of its existing contract with F1.

Spa-Francorchamps circuit officials remain in talks with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali over a new deal, with suggestions being the race may alternate in the coming years with the French GP given the heavy financial demands these days for a long-term agreement.

Drivers certainly do not want to lose what remains one of the most iconic venues in the sport even if the challenge of old may have been tempered by the performance of today's cars.

‘Belgian GP deserves a place’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/89890/belgian-grand-prix-f1-calendar/


The extensive changes made to Spa ahead of the 2022 F1 Belgian GP
23/08/2022, ‎14‎:‎20
Author Jake Nichol

Spa-Francorchamps recently underwent some renovation work, but what has actually happened to the Belgian Grand Prix venue? Following the fatal accident of Anthoine Hubert in the 2019 Formula 2 feature race, drivers reiterated calls for this section of the track to be changed. They did not want the essence of Eau Rouge/Raidillon to change, but for more room on the inside in case something went wrong.

This has happened over the winter of 2021/22, with the famed corner finally undergoing some major renovation work. In part, this was made necessary by floods that heavily damaged the track during the 2021/22 winter. Resurfacing work was carried out, with Spa also then taking the opportunity to address some of the safety concerns about the Eau Rouge/Raidillon sequence.

Some slight tweaks have been made to the radius of Eau Rouge itself, but there is now far greater run-off on either side of Raidillon. The barrier has been moved further back, creating lots more run-off for drivers in case they need to use it.

‘Extensive changes made to Spa’;

https://racingnews365.com/the-extensive-changes-made-to-spa-ahead-of-the-2022-f1-belgian-gp


WATCH: Webber vs Alonso, and Schumacher’s fury – 5 dramatic moments from Spa's F1 history
23 August 2022
Formula 1.

After the summer break it's almost time to go racing again as we get set for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix. But before we get stuck into this weekend's action, we decided to have a look back at some of the most dramatic moments at Spa-Francorchamps from the Formula 1 archive.

The famous old circuit has produced some memorable moments from some of F1’s all time greats, including the collision between Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell in 1987.

Perhaps the most unforgettable moment came in 1998 as Michael Schumacher hit the back of David Coulthard as he attempted to lap the McLaren driver, which resulted in quite the scene in the pit lane.

‘5 dramatic moments from Spa's F1 history’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.watch-webber-vs-alonso-and-schumachers-fury-5-dramatic-moments-from-belgian.4j4AdkbeAg8Qf8r33mcU83.html

[Fortitude]

Ferrari chief risks upsetting Charles Leclerc with comments ahead of Belgian Grand Prix.
Ferrari chief Laurent Mekies has risked upsetting Charles Leclerc after revealing that his team have no intentions of putting their focus on the Monegasque ace at the expense of his team-mate Carlos Sainz just yet.
15:17, Tue, Aug 23, 2022
By Tom Parsons

FERRARI ace Charles Leclerc is currently second in this year's F1 Drivers' Championship standings.

“It is more discussed outside Ferrari than inside Ferrari (the topic of team orders),” insisted Mekies. “But more seriously again, we have always been very clear. We target to have the best result for the team - Ferrari comes first.”

Ahead of last month’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Mekies was asked whether Sainz’ improved form had resulted in him becoming the team leader. But the Ferrari chief says his team just want to make both of their drivers as fast as possible.

‘Ferrari chief risks upsetting Charles’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1659266/Ferrari-Charles-Leclerc-Belgian-Grand-Prix-Carlos-Sainz-F1-news-Max-Verstappen-Red-Bull


‘Ferrari comes first’ – We’ll impose team orders ‘when it’s the right time’ says Mekies
23 August 2022
Formula 1.

With Formula 1 returning this weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix, Ferrari will be looking to make inroads on Red Bull’s 97-point gap at the top of the constructors’ championship. And to help them do that the Scuderia’s Race Director Laurent Mekies says the team could employ team orders this season, if it gives them “the best result for the team".

Speaking ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix – where Sainz finished in P4 – Mekies was also asked whether the Spaniard's improved form heading into the summer break had seen him become team leader. But he says Ferrari are not concerned about leadership positions, insisting the sole focus of the team is making both drivers as fast as possible.

“So, at first you are very right in saying that Carlos has had three extremely strong weekends: Silverstone, Austria, France. We are very, very happy with that,” said Mekies. “It did not show up so much on the final race classifications besides Silverstone because we had other things to deal with. But you are very right in saying that he has made great progress since the start of the season.”

‘Ferrari comes first’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.ferrari-comes-first-well-impose-team-orders-when-its-the-right-time-says.ldnWbvoMWSJFs0igdQVIz.html


BINOTTO: CLAIMS ABOUT FERRARI’S HEAD START ARE “WRONG”
Mattia Binotto has revealed his thoughts on suggestions about the team's early development
23/08/2022
Abby Bathurst

Mattia Binotto disagrees with claims that Ferrari’s charge at the front is due to a head start on developing the new cars. 2022 has seen the resurgence of Scuderia Ferrari as the team broke their two-year streak of not having a race victory. As Formula 1 heads into the second half of the season with Spa this weekend, Ferrari are currently second in both championships.

There have been some suggestions as to how Ferrari have made such a competitive car and many suggested that it was down to the team starting work earlier on it. This early development has allowed Ferrari to fight Red Bull and Mercedes, both of whom started development later due to the 2021 title fight. But, Mattia Binotto has disagreed with these claims. Instead he has put it down to doing a better job generally, not having a head start.

Binotto continued saying that Ferrari “started exactly at the same time” as the other teams. He said “it’s a matter of how much resources and priority you could put on the project. Maybe the two cars which were fighting for the 2021 championship had to put some more developments into 2021, but I think we did it as well ourselves, because we were in the fight with McLaren.”

‘CLAIMS ABOUT FERRARI’S HEAD START ARE “WRONG”!’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/binotto-claims-about-ferraris-head-start-are-wrong/?nowprocket=1


Ferrari ‘paying the price’, could have won ‘8 out of 13 races’ so far
Tuesday 23rd August 2022 8:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse


Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto feels the team are “paying the price” for the leap in engine development which they needed compared to Red Bull. After spending two seasons battling in the midfield, Ferrari looked to use the new regulations for 2022 to bring themselves back into the fight at the front, coming armed with not only a new-look challenger, but also an all-new power unit.

Both have combined to make Ferrari a leading force once again, but it is Red Bull who lead the way comfortably, Max Verstappen 80 points clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship, while Ferrari trail Red Bull by 97 in the Constructors’.

In this respect, reliability of the power unit has let Ferrari down in a major way on several occasions, Leclerc retiring from the lead in Spain and Baku, while Carlos Sainz looked a good bet to finish at least P2 in Austria before his PU let go.

‘Ferrari could have won ‘8 out of 13 races’!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-paying-price-engine-development/


Sainz: Binotto leading us in the right direction
23 August, 2022
Jad Mallak

Carlos Sainz heaped praise on his boss Mattia Binotto, claiming he is leading Ferrari in the right direction despite the team’s numerous “faux pas” this season.

Despite having arguably the fastest car on the grid this season, Ferrari are lagging 97 points behind Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship, while Charles Leclerc is 80 points behind Max Verstappen who leads the Drivers’ Standings, as the team suffered from reliability problems as well as their infamous strategy decisions that saw them shoot themselves in the foot on various occasions.

That has put the spotlight on Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto as his ability to steer the fabled team towards Title glory again has been put to question. Carlos Sainz however has faith the Binotto is the right man of the job, even saying he was one reason he finds himself at Ferrari.

‘Binotto leading us in the right direction’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/23/sainz-binotto-leading-us-in-the-right-direction/

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff sends warning to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ahead of Belgian GP.
Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff doesn’t see his side winning races anytime soon, with the Austrian warning his team to “be careful” and not become disillusioned with their incredible performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
23 August 2022
by Nick Golding

Mercedes are certainly getting closer to having race-winning pace; however, Wolff remains convinced that his side have catching up to do still. “I think we need to be careful it’s not specific to Budapest that we just landed in the perfect window,” Wolff warned.

“The other teams, Ferrari especially in qualifying, complained about the tyres not being where they should have been. So in my personal opinion, we are still lacking to the front-runners. “But at least we were in the same race,” he noted. “I don’t want to say now suddenly we are right bang into the game and we can win races because I don’t think that’s the case.”

“Our biggest weakness from the get-go was that our car was bouncing, the famous porpoising,” Wolff said. “And it meant that this was overshadowing all our development. We couldn’t really develop the car aerodynamically and put good updates on because the more downforce we had on the car, the worse the bouncing was.”

‘We need to be careful’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-sends-warning-to-lewis-hamilton-and-george-russell-ahead-of-belgian-gp/


Mercedes need to be 'careful' about expectations after Hungarian GP - Wolff
21 August 2022
Ben Issatt

Toto Wolff says Mercedes need to be "careful" about setting expectations after the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I think we need to be careful it’s not specific to Budapest that we just landed in the perfect window,” Wolff warned.

Mercedes are also eagerly awaiting to see the impact of a technical directive at the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, aimed at prohibiting floor tricks Red Bull and Ferrari were thought to be using to gain downforce.”

“It will be very interesting to see what we see at Spa,” said Wolff. “Let’s see if the difference in ride height makes a difference for the teams that ride so low. But I no longer believe in the ‘silver bullet’, as they say, that we will then suddenly be three tenths faster than everyone else, but in any case it will be interesting.”

‘Very interesting to see what we see at Spa’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16231-mercedes-need-to-be-careful-about-expectations-after-hungarian-gp-wolff


Wolff warns against Mercedes "entitlement"
Sunday 21 August 2022 07:00
Sam Hall

Toto Wolff has warned Mercedes against believing it is 'entitled' to be winning races as the team continues to recover from a difficult start to the season.

“We haven’t met our expectations so far," conceded Wolff in a Mercedes video. "We are strong and solid third on the road but that is not our aim. But in the same sense, we can’t feel any sense of entitlement because the moment you think you should be winning, this is really the downfall.”

“So we are humble about our expectations, we are humble about our competitors – they have done a great job, there are a lot of good people [at those teams] but we are also clear about our objectives, and this is to be back at the front, fight for race victories and eventually be back in a position to fight for a world championship.”

‘Wolff warns against Mercedes entitlement’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/89674/toto-wolff-mercedes-entitlement/


‘Breaking the rules on technical stuff’: Toto Wolff fires warning about budget cap breaches
Formula 1 teams are following a strict budget cap in 2022.
23 August 2022
by Nick Golding

With costs so difficult to manage, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed that the Silver Arrows have financial engineers. According to the team boss, their role is to assess every upgrade produced by Mercedes and determine whether it’s financially beneficial.

If they predict it’ll improve the W13’s performance, then it gets fitted, otherwise it doesn’t. “So we have a tracker with financial engineers that track every single process and every single part that comes into the car,” Wolff told Motorsport.com.

“So when we take things out of the truck, the financial engineer notes, the value. When you utilise it’s being counted for. You are following this trend, like we have planned. We didn’t bring a lot at the beginning but it’s coming steady now.”

‘Financial engineers’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/breaking-the-rules-on-technical-stuff-toto-wolff-fires-warning-about-budget-cap-breaches/


The reason behind Wolff's early-season radio apologies to Hamilton
24/08/2022, ‎08‎:‎50
Author Luke Murphy

Toto Wolff has explained the reasoning behind his public apologies to Lewis Hamilton during a difficult 2022 season. In some of Mercedes' tougher events, Mercedes Team Principal Wolff felt the need to apologise to Hamilton over the team radio on more than one occasion. Wolff explained that Hamilton's early struggles were emphasised by bad luck, and his teammate George Russell's ability to deal with difficult cars.

"I need to protect him, because people have started to hit out at him, which is not right," Wolff commented to Square Mile. "It's complete nonsense: he's the greatest driver of all-time. The car is just sub par.”

"George has sometimes struggled a bit less because he's maybe used to driving difficult cars at the back of the grid, but Lewis was unlucky on many occasions. He could have scored another two podiums and then the pendulum would have swung. So, it [the apology] is to make sure that everybody comprehends that the car is not performing, and not that the driver is at fault."

‘Wolff: The problems are with the car, not the drivers’;

https://racingnews365.com/the-reason-behind-wolffs-radio-apologies-to-hamilton

[Fortitude]

Verstappen has 'got the itch' to get back to it at Spa.
"I’m feeling ready to race again after a good break," Verstappen said in Red Bull's race weekend preview.
24/08/2022 at 12:51
Phillip van Osten

Max Verstappen is reset and rested after a leisurely summer break and ready to get back to work at Spa-Francorchamps, his favourite track.

"The upgrades to the track have made it a little more old school with the gravel traps which I think is a good idea," commented Verstappen, who won last year's race at Spa.”

"It’s my favourite track so I’m looking forward to racing there this weekend. It looks like there might be rain around which will make it more tricky, but luckily as a team we like a challenge."

‘My Favourite Track’;

https://f1i.com/news/451433-verstappen-has-got-the-itch-to-get-back-to-it-at-spa.html


Verstappen: Ready to race after a good break
24 August, 2022
Paul Velasco

Max Verstappen is fired up and ready to go after the summer break, the Red Bull driver has an eighty-point lead as part two of the 2022 Formula 1 season gets underway with the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend.

“It will be a busy triple header but it will be okay to manage as we’ve all had a rest. The upgrades to the track have made it a little more old school with the gravel traps which I think is a good idea.”

“It’s my favourite track so I’m looking forward to racing there this weekend. It looks like there might be rain around which will make it more tricky, but luckily as a Team we like a challenge,” added Verstappen who will be hard to beat this Sunday.”

‘As a Team we like a challenge’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/24/verstappen-ready-to-race-after-a-good-break-f1-belgian-gp-preview/


Sergio Perez highly motivated ahead of F1's return
Published: 24 Aug 2022, 17:07
By George Dagless

Sergio Perez is sounding highly motivated ahead of the Formula 1 season returning, as the paddock heads to the Belgian Grand Prix. The Mexican driver was, at one point, Max Verstappen’s nearest rival in the title fight but some reliability issues has left Perez, as well as the likes of Charles Leclerc, well off of the pace as we head towards the final nine races of the year.

Indeed, Max is very much in the pound-seats as things stand and Checo will be aware that the longer the gap stays as big as it is the more likely it is that he’ll be asked to play rear-gunner, and give up his own title aspirations for another year. For now, though, it’s as you were between the two Red Bull drivers and Perez sounds hugely motivated to kick off the second part of the season with a positive result at Spa-Francorchamps:

“I am massively looking forward to being back in the RB18 and getting out on track again. It has been a good break and I have really recharged for the second half of the season and I am ready for it. There are great races coming up, especially Belgium on a track that I always enjoy and the fans are always amazing there. I cannot wait to get back to work and see my team. I think it’s nice to start after the break with a triple header, where we can really get into our rhythm.”

‘Perez highly motivated’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88051761-sergio-perez-highly-motivated-ahead-of-f1s-return


‘Anything can happen’ – Perez refusing to rule out title charge in remaining 9 races of 2022
22 August 2022

Sergio Perez currently sits 85 points behind team mate and championship leader Max Verstappen in the drivers’ standings. But the Mexican has made it clear he has no plans to give up on the title fight, insisting that “anything can happen.”

At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Perez was asked whether he intended to help Verstappen seal his second championship in a row or if he still had aspirations to close the gap in the title race. And the three-time race winner chose the latter option, insisting that there is still everything to play for.

“I think at the moment everything is still very open, so we have to keep pushing,” said Perez. “Ferrari have been a bit faster than us in the last couple of races, so we just have to keep pushing hard and anything can happen.

‘Anything can happen’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.anything-can-happen-perez-refusing-to-rule-out-title-charge-in-remaining-9.4mCHv36Rspl7v8wuFUmVy3.html


Red Bull strategist Hannah Schmitz on working relationship with Max Verstappen
Sunday 21st August 2022 5:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Hannah Schmitz, Red Bull’s principal strategy engineer, says Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez take a keen interest in that side of Formula 1. In particular when it comes to race day, the strategical calls made by a team can be crucial. In the midfield, it can be the difference between scoring points and missing out, while up front it can determine which driver wins the race.

For Red Bull, the 2022 campaign has been spent in that latter category, the Austrian outfit having won nine of the opening 13 races, while the strategical calls made by rivals Ferrari have been criticised on multiple occasions.

Schmitz has been earning the plaudits for her role in Red Bull’s triumphs this season, the team now 97 points clear of Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship, while Verstappen holds an 80-point lead in the Drivers’ standings.

‘Red Bull strategist Hannah Schmitz’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bull-strategist-max-verstappen-work/


Max Verstappen praises return of gravel at 'old-school' Spa-Francorchamps
24 August 2022
Ben Issatt

Max Verstappen has praised the return of gravel traps at multiple corners around "old-school" Spa-Francorchamps. Over the winter, the historic Belgian Grand Prix circuit underwent a major revamp, with the main purpose being to accommodate the return of bike racing.

To do this, many corners that previously had tarmac run-offs now have gravel, including La Source, Les Combes, Blanchimont and the Bus Stop. Shortly after the renovation was completed, the reigning Formula 1 champion got a first taste of the circuit back in April as he drove a Red Bull RB7 for a promotional video.

And ahead of this weekend's race, he gave his view on the changes. "The upgrades to the track have made it a little more old school with the gravel traps which I think is a good idea," he said. “It’s my favourite track so I’m looking forward to racing there this weekend.”

‘Return of gravel at 'old-school' Spa-Francorchamps praised’;


https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16257-max-verstappen-praises-return-of-gravel-at-old-school-spa-francorchamps

[Fortitude]

Ricciardo to leave McLaren with multimillion-dollar payout.
F1 paddock sources suggest McLaren’s decision to sever ties with the eight-time grand prix winner will cost the team upwards of $24 million, accounting for Ricciardo’s 2023 salary and potential additional earnings from performance bonuses.
24/08/2022, 15:04
WA Today

Daniel Ricciardo’s troubled tenure at Formula 1 team McLaren will finish at the end of the 2022 season, with compatriot Oscar Piastri set to take his place at the British team after Ricciardo and McLaren reached a multimillion-dollar settlement to end Ricciardo’s contract a year early.

Ahead of this weekend’s resumption of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix, Ricciardo and McLaren mutually agreed to terminate the 33-year-old’s option over a 2023 deal with the team, with terms not disclosed.

McLaren is expected to imminently announce Piastri - the 2021 Formula 2 and 2020 Formula 3 champion who is contracted to rival F1 outfit Alpine as a test and reserve driver - for the 2023 season.

‘Multimillion-dollar payout’;

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/motorsport/ricciardo-to-leave-mclaren-with-multimillion-dollar-payout-20220824-p5bce2.html


Haas team principal reportedly contacts Daniel Ricciardo about potential vacancy
August 24th, 2022 12:22 pm
Staff Writers from News.com.au

Daniel Ricciardo’s future in Formula 1 remains shrouded in mystery, but one of the sport’s most popular characters has reportedly approached the Australian driver about a potential vacancy on the grid.

The 33-year-old has registered just one podium finish since joining McLaren ahead of the 2021 season — last year’s remarkable victory at the Italian Grand Prix. But apart from that one triumphant weekend in Monza, nothing has gone right for the Perth driver at McLaren.

ESPN reports that Haas team principle Guenther Steiner, who has become a cult hero for his antics on Netflix documentary series Drive to Survive, contacted Ricciardo before the mid-season break.

‘Haas team principal reportedly contacts Daniel Ricciardo’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/haas-team-principal-reportedly-contacts-daniel-ricciardo-about-potential-vacancy/news-story/d14a8e95277caf53b1f383188d177ed6


Daniel Ricciardo 'holds phone call with Haas boss Guenther Steiner' as F1 future undecided
DANIEL RICCIARDO is assessing his options as he looks set to leave McLaren ahead of the 2023 season.
08:09, Wed, Aug 24, 2022
By Andrew Gamble

Daniel Ricciardo reportedly enjoyed a phone call with Haas boss Guenther Steiner as the Australian assesses his options ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season. Ricciardo has been linked with a move away from McLaren following a difficult tenure since joining the team for 2021.

Rumours have been rife throughout the summer break regarding if and when Ricciardo might be forced out the team. The eight-time race winner held a phone call with Steiner ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, but a return to Alpine is perhaps the most likely scenario for Ricciardo.

Haas are exploring who to pair with Kevin Magnussen amid reports of tension between Steiner and Mick Schumacher, although the German has improved over the last few races. Schumacher - the son of seven-time world champion Michael - is in the final year of his deal with the American team.

‘DANIEL RICCIARDO is assessing his options’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1659510/Daniel-Ricciardo-phone-Haas-boss-Guenther-Steiner-F1-future


Haas eyeing swoop for Ricciardo over 2023 F1 seat
24/08/2022, 14:16
Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Read Motorsport

The Haas Formula 1 team is understood to have made contact with Daniel Ricciardo over his availability for the 2023 season after his departure from McLaren. According to reports, Haas team principal Gunther Steiner called Ricciardo before last month’s Hungarian Grand Prix – the final race before F1’s summer break.

Ricciardo’s future had been a major talking point in recent months due to his ongoing struggles since joining McLaren last year. Steiner is not in a rush to begin negotiations with Schumacher over a new deal, which is where Ricciardo could come in a potential replacement.

Alpine is also considered as another option for the eight-time grand prix winner having previously driven for the Enstone-based squad for two seasons. Now the running saga has been addressed prior to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, attention will turn to Ricciardo plans for 2023 as he aims to end his difficult stint at McLaren on a high.

‘Haas Formula 1 team is understood to have made contact with Daniel Ricciardo’;

https://readmotorsport.com/2022/08/24/haas-eyeing-swoop-for-ricciardo-over-2023-f1-seat/


Our verdict on Ricciardo’s early McLaren exit
24/08/2022, 16:11
The Race

Though there was silence as the Formula 1 summer shutdown kicked in – once the commotion about the extraordinary situation at Alpine had died down – it’s looked increasingly inevitable that Daniel Ricciardo would be giving up his McLaren seat with a year still to run on his contract.

As hopes of a turnaround in his form faded, so too did his chances of keeping his seat for 2023 – even if the ball was in Ricciardo’s court. The end result was Wednesday’s sensational, if unsurprising, announcement that the relationship will end a year early at the conclusion of the current campaign.

So, why didn’t the partnership work? Was it ever likely to succeed? Is either party more responsible than the other for the failure? And can Oscar Piastri do any better if and when he lands the seat? Our writers have their say.

AN INEVITABLE – AND SAD – OUTCOME
Scott Mitchell

FLASHES OF OLD HAVE BEEN ALL TOO SELDOM
Gary Anderson

NEITHER PARTY IS MORE TO BLAME THAN THE OTHER
Mark Hughes

RICCIARDO HAS TO SHOULDER RESPONSIBILITY
Edd Straw

McLAREN HAS PROBLEMS TOO
Ben Anderson

McLaren now has the most exciting line-up in F1’s midfield
Josh Suttill

‘Verdict From The Race’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/our-verdict-on-ricciardos-early-mclaren-exit/

[Fortitude]

Mick Schumacher linked with Alpine amid ‘ruined Haas relationship’.
Mick Schumacher’s chances of remaining at the Haas F1 Team appear to be decreasing, with it being announced that former F1 driver and Ferrari reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi will take part in two FP1 sessions for the American team.
23 August 2022
by Nick Golding

Schumacher is currently without a contract for next season, with the German only having two realistic options remaining should he want to continue in the championship. The first option is to remain at Haas; however, his relationship with the team isn’t believed to be particularly strong at the moment, despite having improved considerably throughout the season.

It’s been discovered that Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi follows Schumacher on Instagram, perhaps an indication that Rossi is a fan of the young German. Schumacher’s uncle, ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, believes his nephew is a “candidate” to replace Fernando Alonso at the French team.

Should the German move to Alpine then it would most likely involve him leaving the Ferrari academy, something which has been rumoured. The favourite for the Alpine seat remains Daniel Ricciardo; however, the German’s age could prove more beneficial should the Enstone-based team be wanting to target their line-up with the future in mind.

‘Ruined Haas Relationship’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mick-schumacher-linked-with-alpine-amid-ruined-haas-relationship/


Mick Schumacher may have three rivals for 2023 Haas seat including Daniel Ricciardo
12:02, Wed, Aug 24, 2022
By Joshua Lees

MICK SCHUMACHER is out of contract with Haas at the end of the 2022 season, and his future remains up in the air following a mixed run of form.

Formula 1 starlet Mick Schumacher could well have three rivals for his Haas seat in 2023, including Australian star Daniel Ricciardo. Schumacher made his first big break onto the F1 scene after securing a seat with Haas in 2021

As well as the Giovinazzi and Ricciardo, one other name linked with Schumacher’s seat is Nico Hulkenburg according to F1 journalist Lawrence Barretto. Hulkenberg is currently the reserve driver at Aston Martin, and has previous F1 experience with Williams, Force India, Sauber and Renault.

‘Three rivals for 2023 Haas seat’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1659668/Mick-Schumacher-Haas-seat-Daniel-Ricciardo-F1-news


Ex-Mercedes boss defends Mick Schumacher, tears into Haas for controversial decision
Antonio Giovinazzi will get two practice outings with Haas in 2022.
24 August 2022
by James Clifford

Former vice president of Mercedes Motorsport, Norbert Haug, disagrees with Haas’ decision to run Antonio Giovinazzi in practice sessions at the Italian and United States Grand Prix.

“Every kilometre a driver doesn’t get, doesn’t help him on the race weekend,” he told Sky Germany. “I don’t know if there is possibly a contractual agreement with Ferrari, focusing on its own drivers is something a team like Haas would need.”

The German believes that his young compatriot has shown enough to convince Haas that he is worth a new contract, but he implores the team to show Schumacher more support. “If I say on one side ‘I expect more points’, then a driver must also be able to say ‘I expect more practice’,” added Haug.

‘Norbert Haug defends Mick Schumacher’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/hes-not-a-plough-horse-ex-mercedes-boss-defends-mick-schumacher-slams-haas-for-controversial-decision/


HAAS OR ALPINE? SCHUMACHER A ‘CANDIDATE’ FOR ALONSO SEAT
With Haas extension rumours floating about, who should Schumacher sign with?
Jay Winter 3 days ago

Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher is facing a tough decision to make regarding his future in F1. If you thought the huge shakeup of the 2023 grid was over, think again.

With Sebastian Vettel announcing his retirement, Alonso moving to Aston Martin and Oscar Piastri denying driving for Alpine in 2023, the door has opened for Mick Schumacher to snap up the seat on the French team. That is what former F1 driver and Schumacher’s uncle, Ralf Schumacher believes.

“Mick has not yet signed a contract,” Ralf told Sky Germany when asked about his nephew’s short-term future with Haas. “Therefore, he would be a candidate. A candidate with speed as we have seen. Nico Hulkenberg is also still in the starting blocks. Then, there is the question of Daniel Ricciardo.”

‘HAAS OR ALPINE?’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/haas-or-alpine-schumacher-a-candidate-for-alonsos-seat/?nowprocket=1


Alpine CEO eyes Mick Schumacher for 2023
08:10 Mon, 22 Aug 2022.
Grandpx.News

Mick Schumacher may be inching towards a plum Alpine race cockpit for 2023. The young German is rumoured to be struggling to maintain the confidence of both the Haas team as well as Ferrari’s F1 driver development ‘academy’.

His uncle Ralf Schumacher, however, thinks 23-year-old Mick is “a candidate” to replace Fernando Alonso at Alpine, with the Renault-owned team’s preferred driver Oscar Piastri likely heading to McLaren.

“It turns out now that Laurent Rossi, the CEO of Alpine who has been mucking up a lot of stories over the past couple of years, has followed Mick Schumacher on social media,” said Alexey Popov, the Russian F1 commentator for Match TV.

‘Mick Schumacher may be inching towards a plum Alpine race cockpit for 2023’;

https://grandpx.news/alpine-ceo-eyes-mick-schumacher-for-2023/

[Fortitude]

“Discussions are still on” to keep Belgian Grand Prix on F1’s 2023 calendar.
The fate of the Belgian Grand Prix is not yet sealed, despite speculation the race will not appear on the 2023 Formula 1 calendar.
Posted on 25th August 2022, 8:0825th August 2022, 0:09
Written by Keith Collantine

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said yesterday “discussions are still on” concerning the future of the race. “We are in Spa this weekend so you will see them a lot of time in my office,” he added. The event is one of several facing pressure from additions to the calendar in Las Vegas, Qatar and potentially South Africa next year. However Domenicali said the sport will make concessions towards heritage tracks such as Spa-Francorchamps which cannot afford the high hosting fees commanded by other venues.

“It’s true that we are working and discussing with other promoters to see if they’re ready for a full commitment already this year or next year,” he said. “But I would say the balance, that has been always a point that we have discussed, is to find the mix of the races where we’re going to have at least one-third in Europe, one-third in the Far East area, and the other one in America and the Middle East. So we want to be balanced.

“Of course, we are talking about a business where investments, financial contributions, are very important. But we have always said that the traditional races, the races that we know cannot bring the money that the others are bringing, have full respect from us. So you will see that this will be respected also not only this year, but also in the future.” However classic venues such as Spa or Monza are not entitled to places on the schedule solely due to their heritage, said Domenicali.

‘We are talking about a business where investments, financial contributions, are very important’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/25/discussions-are-still-on-to-keep-belgian-grand-prix-on-f1s-2023-calendar/


Spa hopes boosted as Kyalami F1 return unlikely for 2023
12:53 Thu, 25 Aug 2022.
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

The Belgian Grand Prix’s hopes of retaining a place on the 2023 Formula 1 calendar look improved as the revival of the South African Grand Prix is likely to be delayed. F1 is yet to reveal even a provisional calendar for next season but the return of a race in Kyalami in 2023 had long been a target as the championship continued its global expansion.

At the same time, classic venue Spa – host of 54 grands prix – looked set to controversially drop off the calendar as the number of European races diminishes to make room for new ones. Stefano Domenicali, F1 CEO, travelled to Kyalami to meet with the prospective race promoter after June’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the hope was that the race could be held in April next year.

“I always say we want to have a race in Africa, and today the most likely place to have a race in Africa is South Africa,” said Domenicali this week. “Discussions are going on. When we’re talking to new promoters we’re looking for a very clear and solid long-term commitment, because we cannot be there for one year and then ‘game over’.”

‘Spa hopes boosted’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/spa-hopes-boosted-as-kyalami-f1-return-unlikely-for-2023/


Domenicali: Traditional F1 races have full respect from us
25 August, 2022
Reuters

The future of the Belgian Grand Prix after Sunday’s race is uncertain but reports of its demise may be premature says Stefano Domenicali while insisting he remains respectful of the sport’s traditional venues. Speaking on Wednesday, F1 chief Domenicali said F1 sought a balanced mix of a third in Europe, a third in the Far East and the others in America and Middle East, the most lucrative region of all for the sport’s balance sheet.

“Of course, we are talking about a business where investments, financial contributions are very important but we have always said that the traditional races, races that we know cannot bring the money that the others are bringing, have full respect from us.”

“You will see that this will be respected also in the future. With Belgium, discussions are still on. We are in Spa this weekend so you will see them (the local promoters) a lot of times in my office,” added Domenicali who went to South Africa in June to discuss the possibility of that country’s Kyalami circuit returning to the F1 calendar in 2023.

‘Future of the Belgian Grand Prix after Sunday’s race is uncertain’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/25/domenicali-traditional-f1-races-have-full-respect-from-us-belgian-gp/


Reports of Belgian GP axe premature says Domenicali
AUGUST 25, 2022
Grand Prix.

Reports that fabled Spa-Francorchamps will definitely lose its Formula 1 race after this weekend's Belgian GP are premature.

That was the word on Wednesday from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who also said discussions are ongoing with promoters in Monaco and France.

"I read somewhere that it will be the last time in Belgium," he told international F1 journalists. "I would be careful with that, very careful."

‘Belgian GP axe premature’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/reports-of-belgian-gp-axe-premature-says-domenicali.html


F1 shouldn’t have sprint races every weekend like Moto GP, say drivers
2022 Belgian Grand Prix
Posted on 25th August 2022, 18:22
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

Formula 1 drivers don’t want the series to adopt Moto GP’s plan of holding sprint races every weekend. The motorbike series announced last week every round in 2023 will include an extra sprint race held after qualifying on Saturdays. F1 began experimenting with a similar format last year but has only held three per season so far.

Max Verstappen, who has won both sprint events so far this year, says the format has added little to F1 and doesn’t want to have the extra races every weekend. “I would not enjoy it,” he admitted. “I just don’t like it. I think that Sunday emotion and feeling should be special. That’s the only time you race. That’s how I grew up racing, anyway: Sunday is the day to race.”

“Anyway, so far, from the sprint races we’ve had, not a lot has drastically changed in terms of results. More or less everyone starts on the same tyre and that’s where you finish because you are scared to have a crash or whatever because [then you] start in the back for the main race where the big coins are. Everyone is also a bit like, ‘okay, just make sure we finish the race without any trouble’. So that’s not what you want really.”

‘F1 shouldn’t have sprint races every weekend’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/25/f1-shouldnt-have-sprint-races-every-weekend-like-moto-gp-say-drivers/

[Fortitude]

'I still believe': Charles Leclerc refuses to give up on Formula 1 title dream.
Leclerc appeared to have resolved his doubts and committed himself again to leading Ferrari's bid for a first title since Kimi Raikkonen's triumph in 2007.
August 26, 2022 10:51:37 IST
Agence France-Presse

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium: A defiant Charles Leclerc on Thursday said he still believes he can beat Max Verstappen and win this year’s world title for Ferrari, starting with a perfect result at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Despite facing an 80-point deficit in the championship with nine races remaining, the 24-year-old Monegasque driver maintained an optimistic outlook and declared he retained his faith in a fallible Ferrari team.

“I still believe in the championship of course,” he told reporters at the majestic Spa-Francorchamps circuit. “It’s going to be a very difficult challenge, but I will believe in it until the very end. I think we will take it one by one as a team, each race, but for sure we need to try and maximise every opportunity that we have ahead.”

'I Still Believe';

https://www.firstpost.com/sports/i-still-believe-charles-leclerc-refuses-to-give-up-on-formula-1-title-dream-11117841.html


Charles Leclerc not giving up hope of ending Ferrari’s F1 title drought
Thursday 25th August 2022 10:30 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Charles Leclerc returns from the summer break recharged and still believes that the 2022 title race is not over. It was a summer break then which Leclerc felt he very much needed. Asked by reporters ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix if he felt recharged by the summer break, Leclerc replied: “Yes. And I needed it.”

“I mean the first part of the season has been full of highs or lows. So, loads of emotions and there’s lots of accumulation of emotions, which leads to being tired. So, I was quite happy to go on the holidays and I used these three weeks in the best way possible with my family, my friends. And yeah, it was just great.”

Asked how he views the next nine races, considering that 80-point gap, Leclerc replied: “Well, I think we’ll take it one by one as a team. “But for sure we need to try and maximise every opportunity that we have ahead, and I still believe in the championship of course, it’s going to be a very difficult challenge, but I will believe in it until the very end.”

‘Not Giving Up Hope’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charles-leclerc-title-hope-remains/


Leclerc: Ferrari must now 'maximize' every opportunity ahead
25/08/2022 at 16:42
Phillip van Osten

Charles Leclerc says he'll continue to believe in the world title as long as the math allows him to do so, but he admits that Ferrari now needs to maximize every opportunity that comes its way in the back half of the season.

Leclerc pointed to Sebastian Vettel's incredible run in the latter part of 2013, when the Red Bull charger won nine consecutive races to seize the title, as and act - although a massively difficult one - to follow.

"I have to do like Sebastian Vettel in 2013, when he won every race after the summer break," he said. "Maybe it's easier said than done but I'll do my best."

‘Must now 'maximize' every opportunity’;

https://f1i.com/news/451577-leclerc-ferrari-must-now-maximize-every-opportunity-ahead.html


Leclerc vows to maintain championship belief "until the very end"
Thursday 25 August 2022 17:40
Will Gray

Charles Leclerc has declared he 'still believes' he can win the world title despite an 80-point deficit to Red Bull rival Max Verstappen.

“Between Red Bull and ourselves, there is very little. Maybe sometimes we are a tiny bit stronger, sometimes they are a tiny bit stronger. Now there is also Mercedes coming into the fight, which is nice.”

“But at the end, I think the one that wins eventually is the one that just puts a great weekend together, so that will define the differences between the two teams.”

‘Vow to maintain championship belief’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/90030/charles-leclerc-belief/


Ferrari urged to remember 2007 Hamilton title defeat in battle with Verstappen
Thursday 25 August 2022 13:09
Ian Parkes

Ferrari has been urged to recall the 2007 F1 championship fight as it bids to overturn a yawning deficit to Max Verstappen in this year's title showdown.

Fifteen years ago, Kimi Raikkonen's challenge appeared a forlorn one as he trailed Lewis Hamilton by 17 points with two races remaining in an era when it was only 10 points for a victory.

But in the penultimate grand prix in China, Hamilton slid off into a gravel trap on entry into the pit lane and then suffered mechanical issues in the final race in Brazil, while Raikkonen won both events to clinch his sole crown by a point from the Briton and his then McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso.

‘Remember 2007’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/90013/lewis-hamilton-2007-f1-title-defeat-ferrari-charles-leclerc-max-verstappen-2022/

[Fortitude]

Sainz heads Leclerc in opening Belgian GP session
Carlos Sainz led a Ferrari 1-2 during a disrupted opening practice session to Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix.
by Phillip Horton

Sainz set a time of 1:46.538s to finish just 0.069s faster than Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc as Formula 1 returned to action after the summer break. Sainz’s benchmark came before a lengthy red flag period, and a subsequent rain shower, which denied drivers the chance to improve.

The session resumed with 11 minutes remaining but as the field began to push on hot laps rain began falling, before swiftly intensifying, prompting the drivers to tip-toe around to the pit lane. World Champion Max Verstappen was third ahead of a weekend in which he is set to start from the lower half of the grid due to an engine penalty.

It came on a day in which Alfa Romeo announced that its partnership with Sauber will conclude by the end of the 2023 season. Sauber has been widely linked to Audi, which finally confirmed on Friday that it will enter Formula 1 in 2026 as a power unit constructor.

‘Ferrari 1-2’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/08/26/sainz-heads-leclerc-in-opening-belgian-gp-session/


(FP1) First Practice Results – 2022 Belgian Grand Prix
Spa, Belgium
26/08/2022, 14:09
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -1:46.538
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.069
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.217
4. George Russell Mercedes +0.858
5. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.899
6. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.297
7. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.543
8. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.772
9. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.882
10. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.936

‘Belgian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the first practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-practice-results-2022-belgian-grand-prix-79882


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from first practice for the Belgian Grand Prix
26 August 2022
Formula 1.
Beck Hart [Special Contributor]

‘FP1: As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-first-practice-in-belgium-2022.2ESxv3aamjul9UlLHBZ6AK.html


FP1 Highlights: Belgian Grand Prix
26 Aug 2022
Formula 1.

Watch highlights from first practice at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.fp1-highlights-belgian-grand-prix.1742233510588926291.html


Everything that happened in first Belgian GP F1 practice
26/08/2022, 14:19
The Race
By Josh Suttill

Carlos Sainz led a Ferrari one-two in the opening Formula 1 practice session at the Belgian Grand Prix as a late-session downpour prevented improvements.

Key moments
– Sainz 0.069s faster than Leclerc
– Verstappen third ahead of Russell
– Magnussen’s Haas stops on track, causes red flag
– Late-session shower stops improvements

‘FP1: The Race Round Up’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/everything-that-happened-in-first-belgian-gp-f1-practice/


Sainz leads Ferrari one-two as rain ends first practice early at Spa
2022 Belgian Grand Prix first practice
Posted on 26th August 2022, 14:15
Written by Will Wood

Carlos Sainz Jnr topped the times ahead of Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc during a first practice session which was interrupted by a red flag and ended in a rain shower. Sainz’s best time of a 1’46.538 saw him go fastest of all, 0.096s faster than Leclerc and two tenths quicker than Max Verstappen. Late rainfall prevented many drivers from improving their best times in the final 20 minutes of the session.

The circuit was slightly damp due to light spitting of rain before the session begin, leading to a handful of cars venturing out on intermediate tyres when the pit exit lights shone green. However, it quickly become clear the track was more than dry enough for slicks, and drivers switched less than five minutes into the session.

Verstappen had to take avoiding action in the pit lane when Nicholas Latifi was released in front of the Red Bull driver as he made his way towards the pit exit. Verstappen cut inside of the Williams to get by and the stewards noted the incident, but determined that no further investigation was necessary.

‘Sainz leads Ferrari one-two’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/26/sainz-leads-ferrari-one-two-as-rain-ends-first-practice-early-at-spa/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen leads Leclerc by eight-tenths in second practice.
Max Verstappen was comfortably fastest of all in second practice for the Belgian Grand Prix, leading title rival Charles Leclerc by eight tenths of a second.
Posted on 26th August 2022, 17:24
Written by Will Wood
2022 Belgian Grand Prix second practice

Lando Norris was third-quickest for McLaren. However all the top three drivers in this session will take grid penalties for exceeding their power unit parts allocation.

The second and final practice session for the race at Spa-Francorchamps was again affected by rain in the later stages, with Verstappen setting the fastest time on the soft tyres midway through the session to end Friday fastest of all.

After earlier rain had effectively ended first practice early, the track was fortunately dry and ready for action when the second and final hour of the day’s running began. With a high risk of rain later in the hour, teams wasted no team in getting their cars out on the track.

‘Verstappen leads Leclerc by eight-tenths’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/26/verstappen-leads-leclerc-by-eight-tenths-in-second-practice/


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Belgian Grand Prix
Spa, Belgium
28/08/2022, 17:02
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:45.507
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.862
3. Lando Norris McLaren +1.082
4. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.128
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +1.142
6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.386
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.468
8. George Russell Mercedes +1.535
9. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.748
10. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.839

‘Belgian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second-practice-results-2022-belgian-grand-prix-79895


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from second practice for the Belgian Grand Prix
26 August 2022, 16:01.
Formula 1.
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]

‘FP2: As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-second-practice-in-belgium-2022.2ZgnvvetqGDOt4PqY8SXZf.html


FP2 Highlights: Belgian Grand Prix
26 Aug 2022
Formula 1.

‘Watch highlights from second practice at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.fp2-highlights-belgian-grand-prix.1742245212151836066.html


Verstappen, Leclerc amongst Six Drivers with Grid Penalties for Belgium Grand Prix
August 26, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Oracle Red Bull Racing have opted to change multiple components on Verstappen’s power unit, with a fresh Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), turbocharger, MGU-H, MGU-K, energy store and control electronics. The team had hinted of impending changes during the summer break and have opted to introduce the new elements in Belgium rather than in his home event at Zandvoort the following week.

Scuderia Ferrari have also opted to change the power unit on Leclerc’s F1-75, meaning the Monegasque driver will also be at the back on Sunday afternoon at Spa-Francorchamps. Ferrari have had multiple issues with their power units throughout the season, with Leclerc twice retiring from the lead due to his engine failing.

Also set to take penalties for fresh engine components are McLaren F1 Team’s Lando Norris, Alfa Romeo F1 Team’s Valtteri Bottas, BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Esteban Ocon and Haas F1 Team’s Mick Schumacher.

‘Six Drivers with Grid Penalties for Belgium Grand Prix’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/08/verstappen-leclerc-amongst-six-drivers-with-grid-penalties-for-belgium-grand-prix/


Horner explains Verstappen's engine change and grid penalty
26/08/2022, ‎17‎:‎50
Author Jake Nichol

The Red Bull team boss believes it is best for the team "strategically" to take a grid penalty hit at the Belgian Grand Prix. Christian Horner says it would have been "tight" for Red Bull on engine mileage for the remainder of the Formula 1 season, hence Max Verstappen's grid penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was fastest of all in FP2 at Spa-Francorchamps, ending 0.862s quicker than Charles Leclerc to follow on from third fastest in the first session earlier in the day. However, Verstappen, and indeed Leclerc, are among a clutch of drivers who will drop to the rear of the field for Sunday's Grand Prix, having exceeded their engine allocation by taking new parts.

In the case of the World Champion, Red Bull have fitted a fourth Internal Combustion Engine, Turbo Charger, and MGU-H and MGU-K, meaning he will start from the rear of the 20-car grid. Verstappen's ultimate starting position will still be determined in qualifying as if he finishes ahead of Leclerc, he will start ahead of the Ferrari driver.

‘Verstappen's engine change explained’;

https://racingnews365.com/horner-explains-verstappens-engine-change-and-grid-penalty


Sergio Pérez: Red Bull 'looking competitive' despite disjointed Belgian GP practice
26 Aug 2022
Formula 1.

Sergio Pérez thinks that Red Bull are "looking competitive" ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix despite the Mexican's disjointed Friday practice sessions at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

‘Looking competitive';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.sergio-perez-red-bull-looking-competitive-despite-disjointed-belgian-gp-practice.1742244761605938557.html

[Fortitude]

Perez tops third Belgian GP practice, crash for Leclerc.
Sergio Perez led a Red Bull 1-2 in the third practice of Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc had a minor crash.
27/08/2022.
By Valentin Khorounzhiy

Key moments:
> Red Bull in control
> Leclerc’s Ferrari escapes crash
> Schumacher compromised by issue

The two Ferraris sat out the first third of the session in its entirety, but once they headed out Carlos Sainz and Leclerc established themselves out in front.

However, they were soon usurped by Perez – and they were on course to be surpassed by the other Red Bull of Max Verstappen, too, only for him to be advised to abort his lap in the final sector due to an apparent Pierre Gasly off.

‘Red Bull in control’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/perez-tops-third-belgian-gp-practice-crash-for-leclerc/


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2022 Belgian Grand Prix
27/08/2022
Spa, Belgium
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing -1:45.047
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.137
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.777
4. Lando Norris McLaren +0.918
5. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.014
6. George Russell Mercedes +1.024
7. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +1.073
8. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.119
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.554
10. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.557

‘Belgian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the final practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-practice-results-2022-belgian-grand-prix-79908


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from final practice for the Belgian Grand Prix
27 August 2022
Formula 1.
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]

• Overview:
o Round 14 of the 2022 season comes from Spa, Belgium
o Sergio Perez finished top of a dry FP3 session
o There are a whole raft of grid penalties being applied after plenty of drivers took new PU components
o That includes title rivals Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen
o It is another overcast and grey day, with a possibility of showers

‘As It Happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-third-practice-in-belgium-2022.1Knv4hzmDsCOJJHupMnDV3.html


HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from the third practice session in Spa as Perez leads Red Bull one-two
27 August 2022
Formula 1.

Sergio Perez put in a superb late lap to lead a Red Bull one-two in the third practice session at the Belgian Grand Prix, ahead of qualifying later today.

On the soft tyre, Perez set a time of 1m 45.047s to lead team mate Max Verstappen, in second, by 0.137s. Carlos Sainz was the lead Ferrari in third, 0.777s behind the Mexican driver, with Lando Norris putting in another impressive session to go up into to P4, ahead of Fernando Alonso in fifth.

It was a tricky session for Mercedes, with George Russell in sixth and Lewis Hamilton down in 12th, while Charles Leclerc was seventh fastest in the Ferrari.

‘FP3: Highlights’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.highlights-watch-the-action-from-the-third-practice-session-in-spa-as-perez.6ex0Eq8GknK8vdW3kcuU6k.html


2022 Belgian GP FP3: Onboard for Sergio Pérez’ fastest lap
27 Aug 2022
Formula 1.

Ride onboard as Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez posts the fastest lap of final practice at the 2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, with a time of 1:45.047 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

‘Onboard Video’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2022-belgian-gp-fp3-onboard-for-sergio-perez-fastest-lap.1742318635069587391.html

[Fortitude]

Verstappen wins qualifying but Sainz on pole for Belgian GP.
Max Verstappen dominated qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix, but it will be Carlos Sainz starting on pole position at Spa-Francorchamps.
27/08/2022, ‎16‎:‎38

Max Verstappen won Formula 1 qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, but it will be Carlos Sainz who starts on pole position after grid penalties are applied. Verstappen's 1:43.655s lap was quickest of all at Spa-Francorchamps, but after taking engine and gearbox penalties, he drops down to 15th place.

Sergio Perez will ride shotgun on the front row, just over two-tenths behind Sainz who could not improve to snatch pole outright on a scrappy final Q3 lap. Charles Leclerc was fourth fastest on the day, but Ferrari once again messed up his strategy.

Running off-sequence to the rest, Leclerc was fitted with fresh Soft tyres for his sole Q3 lap, despite seemingly being planned to go out with a scrubbed set. He emerged again late on to tow Sainz up the Kemmel Straight, but Sainz could not find the required 0.632s to Verstappen.

‘Sainz on pole for Belgian GP’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-wins-qualifying-sainz-on-pole-for-belgian-gp


Qualifying Results – 2022 Belgian Grand Prix
Spa, Belgium
27/08/2022.
by Emer Hedderman

Q3
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:43.665
2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.632
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.797
4. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.888
5. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.515
6. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.703
7. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.838
8. George Russell Mercedes +2.111
9. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +2.172
10. Lando Norris McLaren +2.513

‘Belgian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying-results-2022-belgian-grand-prix-79913


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix
27 August 2022
Formula 1.
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]

‘As It Happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-qualifying-in-belgium-2022.01LliZkwYSrOFlHYGQ9i1l.html


What the Belgian GP grid will actually look like
27/08/2022.
By Josh Suttill

With seven of the 20 Formula 1 drivers facing major grid penalties at the Belgian Grand Prix, the actual grid order looks starkly different from the qualifying result. So, who is actually starting where for the Belgian GP?

Belgian GP starting grid
1. Sainz
2. Perez
3. Alonso
4. Hamilton
5. Russell
6. Albon
7. Ricciardo
8. Gasly
9. Stroll
10. Vettel
11. Latifi
12. Magnussen
13. Tsunoda
14. Bottas
15. Verstappen
16. Leclerc
17. Ocon
18. Norris
19. Zhou
20. Schumacher

‘Grid Order’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-the-belgian-gp-grid-will-actually-look-like/


Wolff laments Mercedes’ “worst qualifying session” since he joined them
2022 Belgian Grand Prix
Posted on 27th August 2022, 19:14
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said their qualifying performance at Spa was the worst he’d experienced during his time with them. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will start from fourth and fifth on the grid respectively for tomorrow’s race at Spa after they recorded the seventh and eighth best times in Q3. The pair will gain three positions on the starting grid due to penalties for Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon.

Wolff admitted the 1.8-second margin between Verstappen and Hamilton’s best times in Q3 was an unacceptable performance for the team which took pole position for the last race before the summer break in Hungary. “You can’t be on pole three weeks before – albeit for very different conditions, different track – and then be 1.8 seconds off the pace, the next one,” Wolff said.

“There’s something which we totally don’t understand, or seem to get right. Clearly Red Bull is here in a league of their own. What is the next Ferrari, eight or nine tenths off? So I don’t know what that is, but that is no consolation. “It’s for me, the worst qualifying session that I had in 10 years. Irrespective of what positions we are going to start tomorrow and just even being on pole the [previous] weekend and then three weeks later being nowhere is just not acceptable for ourselves.”

‘Mercedes Worst Qualifying Session’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/27/wolff-laments-mercedes-worst-qualifying-session-since-he-joined-them/


Hamilton calls 1.8s gap in qualifying 'a kick in the teeth' as Russell predicts Verstappen will win Belgian GP
27 August 2022
Formula 1.

The deflated Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ended up seventh and eighth fastest respectively in Spa qualifying, forcing them to reflect on a tough day in the office – with Hamilton calling the gap to pace-setter Verstappen “a kick in the teeth”, as Russell even predicted a win for the Dutchman, despite Verstappen’s P15 starting position after grid penalties.

Hamilton will start the race in fourth – after being promoted up the order due to Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon’s engine penalties – but the Briton could not hide his disappointment at the 1.8s gap to Verstappen’s fastest Q3 time, even admitting he would not miss driving the W13 at the end of the year.

“I mean, obviously everyone is working for improvements. And we came here very, very optimistic that we are going to be able to be close [the gap to Red Bull and Ferrari],” said Hamilton. “Half a second, who knows, but to be 1.8s behind is a real kick in the teeth. But it is what it is. It’s a car that we continue to struggle with and I definitely won’t miss it at the end of the year.”

‘A Kick In The Teeth';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.hamilton-calls-1-8s-gap-in-qualifying-a-kick-in-the-teeth-as-russell.6TH1F9bPWfMlWzDDfRFsKn.html


Qualifying Highlights: Belgian Grand Prix
27 Aug 2022
Formula 1.

Watch highlights from qualifying at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.

‘Qualifying Highlights’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.qualifying-highlights-belgian-grand-prix.1742331091895643236.html

[Fortitude]

Not One F1 Driver Will Start Where They Qualified After Crazy Belgian GP Penalties.
F1 qualifying: Seven grid penalties mean chaotic starting order in Belgium.
Aug 27, 2022 5:35 PM
By Eoin Harrington

F1 qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix threw up a bit of a bizarre scenario on Saturday afternoon, as the amount of grid penalties being taken by drivers up and down the field meant that not one driver will start Sunday's race in the position they qualified in.

Max Verstappen was fastest but, after taking a new engine, he was handed with a "back of the grid" penalty, meaning Carlos Sainz will start from pole. Verstappen's main championship rival Charles Leclerc also took a similar penalty, meaning the order at the front of the grid is quite shaken up for Sunday's race at Spa-Francorchamps.

The engine regulations in the sport dictate that drivers must take position drops if they exceed a certain amount of engine components over the course of the season. Seven drivers incurred those penalties ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, meaning that the grid looks rather different to how the running order looked at the end of qualifying.

‘Crazy Belgian GP Penalties’;

https://www.balls.ie/motorsport/f1-qualifying-grid-penalties-spa-522132


Martin Brundle attacks 'ridiculous' grid penalty rules ahead of Belgian GP
15:32, Sat, Aug 27, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

MAX VERSTAPPEN and Charles Leclerc will start the Belgian Grand Prix from the back of the grid. Martin Brundle has attacked F1’s grid penalty system as “horribly confusing” and says it “looks ridiculous”. He said the current system seems a “bit silly” after seven drivers were issued penalties ahead of qualifying.

Six of those drivers, including title challengers Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, have been ordered to start from the back of the grid. However, Brundle explained a penalty system to limit new parts was crucial to stop big teams from pulling away,

He said: “I’ve been shown how they calculate that, how they apply the penalties car by car and then move them back down again. It’s horribly confusing. It seems a bit silly, because the power units are around, they are in existence, as Christian Horner often says they do a world tour anyway..

‘Ridiculous Grid Penalty Rules’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1661217/martin-brundle-grid-penalty-max-verstappen-charles-leclerc-belgian-grand-prix


Verstappen aims to ‘survive Lap 1’ and take podium as dominant qualifying win turns to P15 on grid
27 August 2022
Formula 1.

Championship leader Max Verstappen took P1 in qualifying at Spa but will start 15th, while Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez finished the session in third and will be promoted to second on the grid for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. Both drivers shared their lofty aims for the race...

Verstappen’s Q3 lap ensured he would at least start ahead of rival Charles Leclerc – not to mention the rest of the drivers who copped back-of-grid penalties for engine penalties – and the Dutchman managed to set the fastest Q3 time by six tenths of a second.

Given his performance on Saturday and recent recovery from P10 to victory in Hungary, Verstappen said: “I think with the pace we have in the car, I want to move forward, and I want to be at least on the podium. “Yeah, I mean survive, of course, Lap 1 – that’s the most important [thing]. Then after that I need to pass a few cars before of course you get into a competitive position. I mean, it’s a bit like Hungary as well. Of course we’re a bit further back now, but the basics are the same.”

‘Survive Lap 1’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappen-aims-to-survive-lap-1-and-take-podium-as-dominant-qualifying-win.4Z5dTOKkN1JNk1QellH7Gp.html


Sainz vs Perez, a mixed up grid, and Lap 1 slipstreaming – What To Watch For in the Belgian GP
27 August 2022
Special contributor
Chris Medland

From the fastest driver in qualifying starting in 15th place to a top three grid position for Fernando Alonso; and from two drivers chasing their second wins of the season to a crucial tow on the opening lap, we pick out some key areas to keep an eye on when the lights go out at Spa-Francorchamps… 1. Verstappen’s charge from the back If you watched qualifying without knowing about any existing grid penalties, you might have been a bit confused by some of the tactics employed by certain teams, but probably not by the sight of Max Verstappen setting the fastest time.

2. Sainz vs Perez for the win Verstappen’s demotion – along with that of Charles Leclerc who qualified in fourth place but starts one position behind the Dutchman in 16th – means the front row will be made up of the other two Ferrari and Red Bull drivers, with Carlos Sainz on pole position from Sergio Perez. 3. Multiple other drivers out of position As already mentioned, the top two in the championship will start far down the order with Verstappen and Leclerc lining up alongside each other on the eighth row, but they’re not the only quick cars that need to produce a recovery drive.

4. Alonso and Albon’s lofty grid spots There are two other drivers who are somewhat out of position but in more positive terms, with Fernando Alonso starting from third place after outqualifying the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. 5. A crucial tow on the opening lap Ironically, it can sometimes be better to exit the first corner in second position rather than first at Spa-Francorchamps due to the nature of the track layout in Belgium.

‘What To Watch For’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.sainz-vs-perez-a-mixed-up-grid-and-lap-1-slipstreaming-what-to-watch-for-in.1Li9bJYo0t0DWL0PNYUd74.html


Sergio Pérez thinks Belgian GP victory is 'definitely' possible
27 Aug 2022
Formula 1.

Sergio Pérez thinks that a victory in Sunday's 2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix is "definitely" possible from P2 on the grid and the Red Bull driver "will go for it" at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

‘Sergio Pérez Victory Is 'Definitely' Possible’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.sergio-perez-thinks-belgian-gp-victory-is-definitely-possible.1742332901018484060.html


Verstappen backed for blast-from-the-back Belgian GP win by F1 rivals
Sunday 28 August 2022 04:00
Sam Hall

Max Verstappen has been backed by his F1 rivals to deliver a crushing Belgian Grand Prix victory despite starting from 15th on the grid.

Asked if he anticipated the battle at the front to be purely between himself and Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, Sainz said: "Not entirely, no, especially with the pace Max has.

"As soon as there's either a safety car that can help him close the gap, or with the pace he has, if you translate it into 44 laps, he can come back, and we've seen him do it before."

‘Max Can Come Back’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/90230/max-verstappen-belgian-grand-prix-win-red-bull/


STRATEGY GUIDE: What are the possible race strategies for the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix?
28 August 2022
Special contributor
Chris Medland

Formula 1 is finally back after the mid-season break – and it’s back with a bang as the top two in the championship will start well down the order thanks to a raft of grid penalties. So ahead of the race, let’s take a look at the different strategic options available to the teams in Belgium. What’s the quickest strategy? It took a while for everyone to get a read on the tyres this weekend due to the tricky weather on Friday, when the two practice sessions took place in damp conditions.

How about a different option for the top 10? So for anyone who thinks they might struggle to make the softs last long enough at the start of the race, the next quickest strategy is a two-stopper. Usually it’s a clear choice between one or two stops, but at Spa-Francorchamps overtaking is not as difficult as at some venues and therefore track position is less valuable.

What are the options for the bottom half of the field? For a further variation of the two-stop strategy, some drivers can consider using softs on two occasions. It’s strange to include him in the “bottom half of the field” section, but Max Verstappen has that particular strategy open to him after saving two new sets of softs by only completing one run in Q3 – when he ended up comfortably quickest but has a grid penalty that sees him start 15th.

‘Wait, but what’s the weather doing?’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.strategy-guide-what-are-the-possible-race-strategies-for-the-2022-belgian.3rU2eOmR5tEMNrpukMd5Ar.html

[Fortitude]

Verstappen cruises to dominant Belgian GP win as Leclerc only sixth.
Max Verstappen extended his Formula 1 championship lead with a crushing victory in the Belgian GP, from 14th on the grid.
28/08/2022, ‎15‎:‎32
Author Jake Nichol

Max Verstapppen stormed from 14th on the grid to claim his ninth victory of the Formula 1 season in the Belgian Grand Prix, as title rival Charles Leclerc could only manage a penalised sixth. An early safety car allowed Verstappen to climb into the top 10 by Lap 5, and was running third behind Carlos Sainz and teammate Sergio Perez.

Sainz pitted for fresh Mediums on Lap 12 - the same lap as Verstappen passed Perez at the Turn 5 Les Combes chicane to take the lead. He pitted for the first time at the end of Lap 15, rejoining 4.6s behind Sainz, although the World Champion quickly reeled Sainz in, taking the lead again on Lap 18.

In the end, Verstappen crossed the line ahead 17.841s clear of Perez, who secured a one-two for Red Bull. It is the 28th Grand Prix victory for Verstappen, whose championship lead is now 101 points as Leclerc faltered.

‘Verstappen cruises to dominant Belgian GP win’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-cruises-to-dominant-belgian-gp-win-leclerc-fifth


Race Results – 2022 Belgian Grand Prix
Spa, Belgium
28/08/2022.
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing – 44 laps
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +17.841
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +26.886
4. George Russell Mercedes +29.140
5. Fernando Alonso Alpine +73.256
6. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +74.936 *
7. Esteban Ocon Alpine +75.640
8. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +78.107
9. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +92.181
10. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +101.900

‘Belgian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-results-2022-belgian-grand-prix-79939


Max Verstappen wins Belgian Grand Prix - 'This car is a rocket ship!'
28/08/2022
SKY

‘Red Bull's Max Verstappen wins the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12683984/this-car-is-a-rocket-ship-max-verstappen-wins-belgian-grand-prix


‘What an idiot!’ – Fernando Alonso slams Lewis Hamilton after crash at Belgian Grand Prix
Sunday 28 Aug 2022 2:49 pm
Sean Kearns

Fernando Alonso labelled rival Lewis Hamilton an ‘idiot’ during an explosive rant after the pair collided in the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix. Hamilton, starting behind Alonso, saw his race come to a premarture end when he was told ‘stop, stop, stop’ by his Mercedes team after colliding with the Spaniard.

The pair both made a strong start by surging past Sergio Perez but Hamilton wanted to go one better by slipping past Alonso. Hamilton’s former team-mate successfully blocked off the move but that didn’t stop the Englishman attempting the takeover.

What an idiot!’ Alonso said on radio. ‘Closing the door from the outside. I mean, we had a mega start but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first.’

‘Only knows how to drive and start in first!’;

https://metro.co.uk/2022/08/28/fernando-alonso-slams-idiot-lewis-hamilton-after-crash-at-belgian-gp-17257522/?ito=newsnow-feed


Lewis Hamilton responds to Fernando Alonso calling him an 'idiot' after Belgian GP crash
LEWIS HAMILTON was forced out of the Belgian Grand Prix after an accident with Fernando Alonso on the first lap.
15:26, Sun, Aug 28, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Lewis Hamilton has claimed he “don’t care” after Fernando Alonso called the Mercedes star an “idiot” after their lap one crash. Hamilton swept around the outside of Fernando Alonso in a bid to take second on lap one.

Hamilton accepted the blame for the shunt as he recorded his first retirement of the season. He told Sky Sports F1: “No. Looking back at my footage, he was in my blind spot. I didn't leave him enough space. It's my fault today. Just so sorry to the team.

"It doesn't really matter he said that. I don't really care. It was my fault. I couldn't see him actually. He was right in my blind spot. Just recuperate, get back on the treadmill."

‘In my blind spot’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1661536/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-fernando-alonso-belgian-grand-prix-crash

[Fortitude]

'I don’t expect it to be like that every single race weekend' says Verstappen after leading dominant Red Bull 1-2.
Max Verstappen won the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix in emphatic fashion, the reigning champion starting 14th and finishing nearly 18 seconds ahead of team mate Sergio Perez as Red Bull collected maximum points.
28 August 2022
Formula 1.

Verstappen made it up to P8 behind the Safety Car that was brought out for Valtteri Bottas's spin, and then into the podium places shortly after. The Dutchman, who extended his championship lead over team mate and runner-up Perez, was asked if this was the most dominant win of his F1 career.

“I think if you look at the whole weekend, yes, the car has been incredible from FP1. I don’t think we expected it to be like this but sometimes it’s nice when things positively surprise you, and it’s been really enjoyable to drive the car around here this year.”

“I don’t expect it to be like that every single race weekend… just because of the track layout, more downforce on the car to get round, less straights as well. So definitely, it will be closer, yes.
“But we of course again made a bigger gap which is of course very nice, but we know that we have to score points every single weekend,” he said.

‘I don’t expect it to be like that every single race weekend’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.i-dont-expect-it-to-be-like-that-every-single-race-weekend-says-verstappen.273EzrdmcnjEzM70CPd1VR.html


HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from the Belgian Grand Prix as Verstappen dominates to lead Red Bull 1-2
28 August 2022
Formula 1.

Max Verstappen put in a phenomenal drive after starting in P14 to win the Belgian Grand Prix – leading home Red Bull’s fourth one-two finish of the season.

Verstappen started on the soft tyre as he looked to make early gains through the field. And the championship leader did just that, taking the lead of the Grand Prix on just Lap 12, before pulling away from the field to seal his ninth victory of the season.

Sergio Perez overtook Carlos Sainz to take second place, with the Spaniard holding off George Russell in the Mercedes to take the third place. It was a tough afternoon for Charles Leclerc, who crossed the line in P5, but was demoted to sixth after speeding in the pit lane.

‘Video Player Link’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.highlights-watch-the-action-from-the-belgian-grand-prix-as-verstappen.cmX5PwvHxmFMrOeCgvJ4t.html


Pérez felt 'lucky' to recover after nightmare start
28 Aug 2022
Formula 1.

Sergio Pérez felt "lucky" to claw back a podium finish after a terrible race start for the Red Bull driver at the 2022 F1 Belgian Grand Prix.

‘Feeling Lucky’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.perez-felt-lucky-to-recover-after-nightmare-start.1742420957350281044.html


“I don’t think we can be satisfied with this weekend” – Mercedes’ Toto Wolff
August 28, 2022
By Joe McCormick

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team‘s Toto Wolff is, understandably, disappointed with the outcome of Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix after suffering an early retirement on Lewis Hamilton‘s side of the garage, and finishing a decent fourth place with George Russell – but a long distance away from the leaders in race and single-lap pace.

Wolff is not happy with the gap to the dominant Oracle Red Bull Racing as the Silver Arrows prepare to race at Zandvoort next Sunday. “I don’t think we can be satisfied with this weekend – if you see Verstappen, he has leaped above us all. We really need to find out how we can improve our car because the gap is just too big.”

“We’re giving the drivers a very difficult car to drive and it hasn’t got the pace on a single lap so we need to work ourselves out of this situation. Over the next four days, we’ll be putting our heads together, setting our sights on the next race and also next season. It’s important we stay level-headed, keep our spirits up and don’t flip too much between elation and depression – this weekend is a low but in Hungary three weeks ago, we were thinking we will absolutely win a race, so we’ll never give up,” Wolff concluded.

‘Important we stay level-headed’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/08/i-dont-think-we-can-be-satisfied-with-this-weekend-mercedes-toto-wolff/


Red Bull’s Christian Horner: “This was our biggest ever achievement to date”
August 28, 2022
By Ashley Cline

Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner was thrilled with the team’s result at the Belgian Grand Prix, where the team pulled off a 1-2 finish and fastest lap. With Max Verstappen taking victory after starting fourteenth due to an engine replacement penalty, Spa marked the lowest starting position the team had ever won from. “This was our biggest ever achievement to date. We have never won a race from as far back as P14 and to take a 1 – 2 with Checo, along with fastest lap, is an outstanding achievement.”

Horner said that Verstappen had performed incredibly, as the Dutch driver was able to advantage of the chaotic first lap to move himself up the ranks, and overtook the rest of the grid with his great pace and solid tyre management. On the other side of the garage, Sergio Perez maintained his position against the rivaling teams of Scuderia Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team with a solid effort to ensure a second place finish.

“It’s a fantastic win for Max and he has been in a class of his own on the track this weekend but it really is a team victory; for everyone here and all the team back in Milton Keynes. There is a lot of hard work that goes in behind the scenes that contributes to a performance like today and would also like to thank HRC for their contribution to this victory.”

‘A lot of hard work that goes in behind the scenes’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/08/red-bulls-christian-horner-this-was-our-biggest-ever-achievement-to-date/


Belgian GP: Sunday's action in pictures
28/08/2022 at 19:15
Phillip van Osten

It was a sunny and warm day at the races for Formula 1 fans at Spa-Francorchamps, and an even brighter afternoon for Red Bull and its supreme leader Max Verstappen who, despite a lowly grid spot, trounced his rivals from start to finish.

Check out our recap in pictures of Sunday's Belgian GP, round 14 of the 2022 F1 World Championship.

‘Sunday's action in pictures’;

https://f1i.com/news/452098-belgian-gp-sundays-action-in-pictures-3.html


2022 Belgian Grand Prix: Every driver's over the line team radio
28 Aug 2022
Formula 1.

Listen to every radio broadcast as the drivers cross the line at the end of the 2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.

‘Every driver's over the line team radio’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2022-belgian-grand-prix-every-drivers-over-the-line-team-radio.1742435344440961193.html


Spa To Remain On Formula One Calendar In 2023
17:08 Sun, 28 Aug
iafrica.com

The Belgian Grand Prix will remain on the Formula One calendar next year, the sport announced on Sunday after speculation the race at Spa-Francorchamps could be dropped.
“Formula One can confirm that the Belgian Grand Prix will be on the 2023 calendar following an agreement to extend our partnership together,” it said in a statement ahead of the 55th edition of the grand prix.
Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali had cautioned this week that reports of the race’s demise might be premature.
While Spa will return, the prospects of holding a race at South Africa’s Kyalami circuit appeared to have receded.

‘Spa To Remain On Formula One Calendar’;

https://iafrica.com/spa-to-remain-on-formula-one-calendar-in-2023/

[Fortitude]

'Ferrari's Plan Æ': 2022 Belgian GP – Goin' up, goin' down.
Just when you think Ferrari has exhausted the ways to mess up, the Scuderia digs even deeper and finds a new level of failure.
Motor Sport Magazine
29/08/2022, 13:28
Author: James Elson

In qualifying, the Italian team put new tyres meant for the race on Leclerc when he was simply sent out to give Sainz a tow.

Then, after presenting the Monegasque with a myriad of strategic options mid-race, which he surely would have struggled to decide on at 200mph, his confused colleagues called Leclerc into the pits for a risky late fastest lap attempt, putting him behind Fernando Alonso with two laps left.

After overtaking the Spaniard, Leclerc was hit with a pitlane speeding penalty, seeing him drop to sixth. ‘Mamma Mia’ doesn’t even cut it anymore.

‘Digging even deeper and finds a new level of failure’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/ferraris-plan-ae-2022-belgian-gp-goin-up-goin-down#


Alonso sends dig in Ferrari's direction: They always do strange strategies!
29/08/2022, ‎12‎:‎30
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Fernando Alonso sent a dig to his old team Ferrari after they pitted Charles Leclerc at the end of the Belgium Grand Prix in a bid to get the fastest lap point. Alonso, who raced for the Italian team between 2010 and 2014, was surprised that Ferrari chose to risk Leclerc at such a late stage in the race when he was guaranteed to finish ahead.

Despite informing the team that he didn't want to risk his fifth position, Ferrari told Leclerc to pit with two laps to go. He emerged behind Alonso at the pit exit but was able to retake it on the final lap, utilising the faster grip from the Soft tyres and tow down the Kemmel straight.

"I was surprised! Ferrari always does strange strategies, so that was one of those," Alonso told Sky Sports F1.

‘Ferrari always does strange strategies’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-sends-dig-in-ferraris-direction-they-always-do-strange-strategies


Mattia Binotto defends Ferrari after Scuderia mocked for controversial Charles Leclerc decision.
29 August 2022
by James Clifford

Charles Leclerc lost P5 at the Belgian Grand Prix after Ferrari's risky move did not pay off. Ferrari team principal, Mattia Binotto, has no regrets after Charles Leclerc picked up a penalty while trying to go for the fastest lap of the Belgian Grand Prix.

Ferrari team principal, Mattia Binotto, has no regrets after Charles Leclerc picked up a penalty while trying to go for the fastest lap of the Belgian Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old was awarded a five-second penalty as a result and, having been forced to pass Alonso on the final lap, he did not get the fastest lap either. “It was really, really borderline,” he told Motorsport.com. “We were not using our normal sensors measuring the speed because they have failed during the overheating of the front-right due to the tear-off of Max, and our recovery [system], maybe it was not such accurate.”

‘Sensors Failed’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-defends-ferrari-after-scuderia-mocked-for-controversial-charles-leclerc-decision/


Are Ferrari finally awakening to reality of championship loss?
Monday 29th August 2022 12:15 PM
Thomas Maher

The extent of Ferrari’s defeat to Red Bull at Spa-Francorchamps seems to have triggered concession from Mattia Binotto and Charles Leclerc. It is said there are five stages of grieving a loss – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance.

After the (few) ups and the (many) downs of the 2022 Formula 1 season, everything about the Belgian Grand Prix post-race interviews with Ferrari’s main men suggested they have reached the stage of acceptance that, to all intents and purposes, the 2022 World Championship has been lost.

Throughout the first half of the season, Ferrari became particularly adept at throwing away strong positions and potential, but could count on their F1-75 showing the pace to be a bother for the Red Bull team.

‘Ferrari Finally Awakening!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/ferrari-awakening-championship-loss/


Video: What was most concerning about Ferrari’s crushing loss
29/08/2022, 19:17
The Race

Ferrari was left surprised, confused and worried after being demolished by Formula 1 rival Red Bull in the Belgian Grand Prix – and the big concern now is whether it can happen again.
Max Verstappen was able to dominate the Spa race despite only starting 14th, while Ferrari turned a pole position into third for Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc had a tough run to sixth having only started one place behind Verstappen.
It was a crushing performance from Verstappen and Red Bull, so much so that Leclerc called it a “strange” leap and admitted Ferrari didn’t know how it happened.

‘Video looking at the factors that made this possible and why Ferrari is so concerned it might not just be a one-off’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/video-what-was-most-concerning-about-ferraris-crushing-loss/

[Fortitude]

Why McLaren went home empty-handed from Belgian Grand Prix.
McLaren principal Andreas Seidl explained that a lack of traction out of Turn 1 at Spa left his drivers stuck and unable to progress.
Monday 29th August 2022 10:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Lando Norris was among the group of drivers to drop towards the back of the grid due to a power unit-related penalty, though with these penalties promoting Daniel Ricciardo to a starting spot of P7, McLaren still had reason for some optimism.

The race though did not go as McLaren would have hoped, Ricciardo crossing the line all the way down in P15, with Norris recording a P12 finish, meaning McLaren left Spa with zero points.

Norris had explained that McLaren just did not have enough of a pace advantage over rival midfield teams to escape the ‘DRS train’, while Ricciardo was left ruing his straight-line speed, feeling that a sub-optimal rear wing spec was holding him back.

‘Lack Of Traction Out Of Turn 1’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-point-less-belgian-gp-explained/


Ricciardo weighed down at Spa by older-spec rear wing
29/08/2022 at 17:23
Michael Delaney

Daniel Riccardo faced an uphill battle from the outset at Spa relative to McLaren teammate Lando Norris, with the Aussie running an older-spec, higher drag rear wing on his MCL36. McLaren implemented several upgrades on its car ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, and one updated element included a Spa-specific low drag rear wing.

Unfortunately, the team only had two such wings in its cases and Norris was the logical recipient of the element. "On Daniel’s side, we had an issue with the latest rear wing and we only had two for this event here," explained McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl.

"So we had to go back to an older rear wing, which meant slightly more downforce and therefore a bit less top speed, which wasn’t what we wanted to run, clearly."

‘Daniel Riccardo faced an uphill battle from the outset’;

https://f1i.com/news/452384-ricciardo-weighed-down-at-spa-by-older-spec-rear-wing.html


‘Daniel Ricciardo looked a broken man at the Belgian Grand Prix’
Monday 29th August 2022 5:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Daniel Ricciardo looked a “broken man” to Martin Brundle in Sunday’s Belgian GP, the former driver questioning whether the Aussie really wants to continue in Formula 1 next season. Brundle says he looked a “broken man I’m not enjoying watching Daniel,” he said on Sky Sports. “It’s painful isn’t it. I consider him a friend and I rate him massively as a person and a racing driver.”

“If I was McLaren I would have been doing the same thing because he’s struggling to get pace and you can’t take that for another 18 months. I would have done exactly the same thing. How they’ve done it — they’ve made an agreement, this is a tough business.”

“Daniel didn’t convince me that he wanted to stay on the grid, that he wanted to go to Alpine or anywhere else. I think he potentially does, but I saw a bit of a broken man, I didn’t see ‘I’m going to win a race this year, I am going to be on the grid next year. I’ll show them they’ve made the wrong decision here’.”

‘Daniel Ricciardo looked a broken man’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/daniel-ricciardo-broken-man-martin-brundle/


Norris on Ricciardo's issues: 'That's life – you adapt to the car'
F1 AUGUST 29TH 2022
AUTHOR Adam Cooper

It’s no secret that Daniel Ricciardo’s impending split with McLaren is a simple result of his failure to match team mate Lando Norris over the past season and a half. “I guess I’m surprised because when Daniel came into the team, of course, everyone expected more. I’m sure he expected more from himself. So, when you look at it that way, you are surprised.”

“It’s not me having a dig or anything, but when you look at the results, if you want two guys to be at the same level and so on, then in a way, you’re not surprised. It’s just hard to know when to call it, I guess, which is what they’ve done.” Asked if he’d been involved in any discussions about Ricciardo’s future he adds: “It makes no difference to me. It’s not my job, it’s his career, not my career.”

Given how competitive he has been over the past couple of years Norris has watched the situation unfold with some bemusement, sitting in team press briefings while Ricciardo has fielded endless questions about his poor form and explanation of how he couldn’t get on with either the MCL35M or its very different successor. Norris makes it clear that it’s not been easy for him either.

‘Everyone Expected More’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/norris-on-ricciardos-issues-thats-life-you-adapt-to-the-car


Seidl denies morale at McLaren has been compromised.
29/08/2022
NEWS STORY

McLaren team boss, Andreas Seidl has played down suggestions that the dropping of Daniel Ricciardo has affected team morale. Finishing 12th (Norris) and 15th (Ricciardo) pretty much summed up a dismal weekend for the Woking outfit, a weekend that followed a difficult week.

On Wednesday, following weeks (months?) of speculation, the team announced that it would not be retaining Riccardo for 2023, which led to the inevitable backlash on social media. "In today's world, we've seen with the various campaigns and all the activity around social media, that unfortunately some fans, fortunately not most, are quite abusive on social media," said Zak Brown on Saturday when asked about the backlash.

"I think all you can do is ignore it," he continued. "You don't have to like it, but those that choose to hate are really not the types of fans that you want in sport. Certainly people are entitled to their opinions and I don't mind the cheering and booing that you get in sports, but some people do take it way too far.”

‘McLaren morale compromised denial’;

https://www.pitpass.com/73452/Seidl-denies-morale-at-McLaren-has-been-compromised


Lando Norris outlines major issue with McLaren car as Oscar Piastri decision imminent
LANDO NORRIS suggests his McLaren car was lacking pace after finishing outside the points at the Belgian Grand Prix.
14:31, Mon, Aug 29, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Lando Norris has claimed McLaren’s DRS is “pretty shocking” and has been costing the team overtaking opportunities. The Briton predicted his car was capable of beating the Red Bulls in a straight line but then lost out when the rear wing flap opened.

Speaking on race day in Spa, Norris explained: “I think we were probably one of the quicker ones on the straights. Where we lose a lot is in DRS for some reason. In DRS we’re pretty shocking, some cars are a lot better than others.”

“Like, in a pure straightline condition, I think yesterday we were quicker than Red Bull. But then the Red Bull opens DRS and gains another 15kph and is a completely different league to a lot of people, [so there’s] something we’re maybe missing with DRS. Maybe that makes our overtaking opportunities less than other people.” Norris was competitive across the free practice sessions, regularly setting times faster than the Mercedes and Ferraris.

‘Major issue with McLaren car’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1661850/lando-norris-mclaren-oscar-piastri-news-latest


Daniel Ricciardo: Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says he 'doesn't recognise' former driver amid McLaren exit.
Last Updated: 29/08/22 5:23pm
SKY

McLaren and Ricciardo last week confirmed a 'mutual termination' of his contract at the end of the 2022 season; the former Red Bull's F1 future is in doubt; Christian Horner also offers opinion on Oscar Piastri saga

Christian Horner says he "doesn't recognise" Daniel Ricciardo as the same driver he was during his time with Red Bull, following the Australian's "very sad" exit from McLaren.

"It's just very sad," Horner told Sky Sports F1. "Obviously, I'm not close to it. I've spoken to Daniel a little bit. I don't recognise him as the same driver as he was with when he was with us. He's one of the best guys out there. He's definitely got that capability. His confidence has been zapped. We're used to seeing him on the podium, doing shoeys, messing around with that big smile, and we don't see any of that anymore.”

‘Confidence has been zapped’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12684507/daniel-ricciardo-red-bull-team-principal-christian-horner-says-he-doesnt-recognise-former-driver-amid-mclaren-exit

[Fortitude]

Wolff: W13 going to the caves not Mercedes museum.
Toto Wolff gave a harsh yet fair judgement of Mercedes’ W13, claiming it will not have a high place in the Mercedes museum, but belongs in the caves.
29 August, 2022
Jad Mallak

“We came here and we were very optimistic that we would be able to be close – half a second,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. “To be 1.8 seconds behind is a real kick in the teeth but it is what it is. It’s a car that we continue to struggle with and I definitely won’t miss it at the end of the year,” he admitted. “For me, it’s just about focusing on how we design and build next year’s car,” the Briton said with a hint of throwing in the towel.”

Toto Wolff was clearly dissatisfied with his team’s performance in Spa, where Verstappen “leaped above” everyone, and when asked about Hamilton’s sentiments towards his 2022 ride, he seemed to be of the same opinion. “We are in a situation where the championship will be concluded in Europe probably and that car will not… I don’t think it’s going to have the highest place in the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Maybe going to go a little bit in the caves,” the Mercedes boss revealed.

It’s very difficult to cope with these swings,” Wolff said on Sunday of the W13’s fluctuating performance. “We had a totally subpar performance yesterday; fighting you know being beaten by the Alpines, Albon very strong. Valtteri would have been right there. Norris probably too. And then in the race at times we go three seconds a lap faster,” he revealed. “Big question marks about what’s going on. It is not where we should be with the structure and the knowledge to understand the racing car but we don’t with this one.”

‘Maybe going to go a little bit in the caves’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/08/29/wolff-w13-going-to-the-caves-not-mercedes-museum/


Toto Wolf: Mercedes have to stick to principles despite being in ‘dungeon’.
After another trying weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix, Wolff referred to their desperate straits as a “dungeon” which was proving harder to cope with than anything the team had experienced before.
Tue, 30 Aug, 2022 - 07:50
Giles Richards

Wolff conceded it was hard to cope with being relegated to an also-ran. “They say you never lose you learn, I can tell you it is f***ing difficult,” he said.

“All these nice Instagram posts and everything we have talked about over the eight years, about how we are going to take this when you arrive in the dungeon.

“To stick to your principles and your values, to keep the spirit up and continue to relentlessly seek to get better? Phew. There is more to write a book about this year than there is about the last eight years.”

‘I can tell you it is f***ing difficult’;

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/othersport/arid-40950569.html


Christian Horner has ‘to thank Toto’ and his flexi-floor TD for Red Bull’s 1-2
Monday 29th August 2022 1:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Christian Horner has joked he should thank Toto Wolff for insisting on porpoising and flexi-floor technical directives after Red Bull romped to a 1-2 at the first race weekend in which the TD was in play. Earlier this season Mercedes complaints about porpoising and the long-term impact it could have on their drivers’ health led to the FIA wanting to introduce a technical directive aimed at measuring the cars’ levels of oscillations.

In the process of putting that together, the FIA discovered that some teams may have been playing in a grey area in the regulations that allowed them to flex their floors by more than the allotted 2mm. As such the FIA enforced TD39, which came into play at the Belgian Grand Prix, clarifying the wording surrounding the flexibility of the cars’ planks and skid blocks.

Horner says he probably owes Wolff a thank you. “On the face of it I’d probably have to thank Toto for the TD,” Horner told reporters at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. “In all seriousness, I think this circuit has played to our strengths. A lot was made and a lot of expectation was put on that TD, so perhaps it’s hurt others more than it’s hurt ourselves. We haven’t really changed the way we operate the car.”

‘On the face of it I’d probably have to thank Toto for the TD’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christian-horner-thank-toto-wolff-spa-technical-directive/


Helmut Marko mocks Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on new F1 rule changes at Belgian GP
MERCEDES struggled to match the pace of the dominant Red Bulls at the Belgian Grand Prix.
11:14, Mon, Aug 29, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

The new changes were expected to bring Mercedes closer to their rivals but had the opposite effect as Red Bull pulled away. Lewis Hamilton was a staggering 1.8 seconds slower than Max Verstappen in qualifying while George Russell was unable to hold onto the leaders on race day.

In a swipe at Wolff, Marko said: “Maybe we will have to change something about the chassis because of Toto's new guidelines. They worked very well this weekend! We thank him. It seems that Mercedes have fallen back even further!"

George Russell had accused Red Bull of running flexible floors last time out in Hungary but Red Bull stressed they were doing nothing wrong. Verstappen also took shots at Mercedes after qualifying as he laughed that the rule changes had made little difference to the pecking order.

‘Maybe we will have to change something about the chassis because of Toto's new guidelines’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1661769/helmut-marko-toto-wolff-f1-rule-changes-belgian-grand-prix


Mercedes facing 'difficult' decision regarding concept of 2023 F1 car
30/08/2022 at 16:48
Phillip van Osten

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says the Brackley squad is facing a "difficult situation" regarding its 2023 car, as it must carefully evaluate the design concept of its future contender. Mercedes is in the midst of troubled season, marked by the complex aerodynamic issues that have undermined the performance of its new-generation W13.

"It's a very difficult situation because we obviously have a certain concept of a car," explained Wolff, referring to Mercedes' design approach for 2023 that it is in the process of deciding. It's not like we can experiment a lot this year and just simply dial stuff out and test.”

"So whatever we decide for next year needs to be carefully evaluated because clearly our data don't give us the results, and don't correlate with the reality. We have massive swings in performance that we can't really get on top of. So in this moment to take a decision for next year, whatever it may be, like changing the concept dramatically, how can you be sure that that's the better direction to go because clearly we'll be starting a little bit way back?"

‘Our data don't give us the results, and don't correlate with the reality’;

https://f1i.com/news/452431-mercedes-facing-difficult-decision-regarding-concept-of-2023-f1-car.html

[Fortitude]

Mattia Binotto says he would be ‘very surprised’ if Red Bull aren’t cheating.
Mattia Binotto is confused as to how Red Bull can afford to introduce a new lightweight chassis.
30 August 2022
by Finley Crebolder

Mattia Binotto thinks that Red Bull could be exceeding the budget cap, and that the FIA aren’t monitoring the matter closely enough. Ferrari and Red Bull started the 2022 campaign fairly evenly matched, but the latter team have now pulled ahead in terms of both points and pace.

That was abundantly clear to see at the Belgian Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen won with ease despite the fact that he started down in P13 while the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz was on pole. To make matters worse for Binotto and co, the Dutchman said that his team will be introducing a new, lighter chassis in the coming rounds.

“We are getting a new chassis in the future,” he stated in Spa. “I don’t know how much lighter it will be, but if it works it will help us.” The Ferrari team principal is confused by this revelation as his own team don’t have the budget left to make such changes.

‘Mattia Binotto is confused’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-says-he-would-be-very-surprised-if-red-bull-arent-cheating/


Mattia Binotto defends Ferrari after Scuderia mocked for controversial Charles Leclerc decision
Charles Leclerc lost P5 at the Belgian Grand Prix after Ferrari's risky move did not pay off.
29 August 2022
by James Clifford

Ferrari team principal, Mattia Binotto, has no regrets after Charles Leclerc picked up a penalty while trying to go for the fastest lap of the Belgian Grand Prix. Leclerc entered the weekend with a grid penalty that would see him start 15th behind Max Verstappen, but Red Bull’s pace at Spa was, for everyone not of am energy drinks persuasion, scary.

Binotto affirmed after the race that faulty sensors were not going to deter his team from trying to collect an additional point at Spa. “It was really, really borderline,” he told Motorsport.com.

“We were not using our normal sensors measuring the speed because they have failed during the overheating of the front-right due to the tear-off of Max, and our recovery [system], maybe it was not such accurate.”

‘Borderline’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-defends-ferrari-after-scuderia-mocked-for-controversial-charles-leclerc-decision/


“Today’s race did not live up to our expectations” – Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto
August 28, 2022
By Joe McCormick

The Belgian Grand Prix was another event that didn’t quite go the way of Scuderia Ferrari. Oracle Red Bull Racing have extended their lead in the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship with an impressive one-two finish at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, while the Italian outfit were only able to finish third and sixth.

Ferrari Team Principal, Mattia Binotto, says the team need to “roll up [their] sleeves” if they want to catch up to the huge points deficit between themselves and Red Bull. “Today’s race did not live up to our expectations. Red Bull has done a great job and the performance difference between them and us this weekend, in terms of pace and also tyre degradation was clear to see.”

“Carlos drove a good race. Charles was unlucky in the very early stages and from then on he had even more of a job on his hands. As a team, we just have to roll up our sleeves and continue to improve the performance of our car. The next race at Zandvoort features a track with completely different characteristics and we are ready to give it our best shot as always, aiming for the win.”

‘Says the team need to roll up their sleeves’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/08/todays-race-did-not-live-up-to-our-expectations-ferraris-mattia-binotto/


Ferrari express "concern" with Red Bull performance
Tuesday 30 August 2022 07:00
Ian Parkes

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has expressed "concern" at Red Bull's pace over the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. Max Verstappen left his rivals trailing around Spa-Francorchamps, finishing over six-tenths of a second quicker than Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in qualifying before delivering a crushingly dominant victory from 14th on the grid.

Asked as to how big his hope Spa was an outlier, Binotto replied: “I don’t think that there is any hope in that. It [the pace] has been a true difference between us and the Red Bull. If I look back, they were also faster in Hungary, which is a different type of track - high downforce. Overall, I think that simply the Red Bull is a faster car than we have got in terms of overall efficiency, and Spa is where you need efficiency, both from the aerodynamics and from the power unit."

“What I think is more concerning is they were capable of running a lower downforce [package] but still having a great type of speed in the middle sector where you need downforce. So, they got both [parts] which is back to the efficiency. They got low drag and great downforce on the track.”

‘More Concerning, Capable Of Running A Lower Downforce’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/90374/ferrari-express-concern-with-red-bull-performance/


Mattia Binotto accuses Red Bull of cheating, urges FIA to take action
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez stormed to a Red Bull one-two in Belgium.
29 August 2022
by James Clifford

Ferrari team principal, Mattia Binotto, has been left wondering if Red Bull are complying with the financial regulations this season. Charles Leclerc won two of the opening three races as Red Bull struggled to find their feet, suffering three reliability failures between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Leclerc led the Drivers’ Standings, while he and Carlos Sainz had given the Scuderia a healthy advantage in the Constructors’ Championship. However, the Austrian side hit back in Imola with a highly effective upgrade that has seen them win nine of the last 11 races as of Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Binotto, naturally, has to find answers as to how his team are so far adrift of the pace of their rivals, and he lands upon a potential breach of the $145 million budget cap. “I would be very surprised if that [rate of upgrades] was possible for other teams,” he said. “You have to ask yourself whether the monitoring is sufficient. Unfortunately, only a few people at the FIA keep an eye on it.”

‘FIA urged to take action’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-accuses-red-bull-of-cheating-urges-fia-to-take-action/


‘Outside perceptions’ of Ferrari strategy errors this year are wrong – Binotto
2022 Belgian Grand Prix
Posted on 30th August 2022, 11:07
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto rejected claims the squad made the latest in a series of strategic errors during last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc questioned the team’s decision to make a late pit stop during Sunday’s race at Spa-Francorchamps. The team intended to fit a fresh set of tyres in a bid to set the fastest lap of the race and take the bonus point that came with it.

Ferrari pressed aheda with the plan, but it backfired. Leclerc was passed by Fernando Alonso when he rejoined the circuit, and although he was able to repass the Alpine, he lost some time doing so at the beginning of his final lap. Not only was Leclerc unable to beat Max Verstappen’s fastest lap time, he also collected a penalty for speeding in the pits, which dropped him behind Alonso. Ferrari’s attempt to gain an extra point therefore ended up costing them two.

“Obviously there is always a need to improve and there are lessons learned on which we are looking and reflecting,” he said. “But if I look back at the season, I think there is a lot of perception from outside compared to what are the truth and the reality. I think sometimes we’re not doing these things that may have been perceived as mistakes.” The decision to pit Leclerc at the end of Sunday’s race “was the right call”, Binotto stated. “You need to be brave in F1. If there is an opportunity to try to get the fast lap and there was the margin on Fernando to stop on that and try to go for it, I think it was the right decision.”

‘ ‘Outside perceptions’ Wrong’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/08/30/outside-perceptions-of-ferrari-strategy-errors-this-year-are-wrong-binotto/

[Fortitude]

Dutch Grand Prix “going to be pretty crazy!” – Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen is buzzing to get going with his home Grand Prix, after the Dutchman dominated the field at the Belgian Grand Prix to claim his ninth victory of the season.
August 31, 2022.
By Nick Golding

Verstappen is predicting it to be a “pretty crazy” weekend, as he looks to deliver in front of his home supporters. “After the successful weekend we’ve had in Spa, I’m really looking forward to the Dutch GP. There’s a lot more downforce required at the track in Zandvoort so it will be harder for us to be dominant, I expect Ferrari to be strong there.”

“I of course want a good result but it’s important to always score points, lets hope we can do a good job. It will be great to have my family there supporting me, I’m just going to enjoy the weekend with all the fans, it’s going to be pretty crazy.”

Sergio Pérez moved to second in the standings last weekend, after finishing on the second step of the podium at Spa-Francorchamps. Despite finishing second, the Mexican driver was still blown away by his team-mate, but then again so was everyone! Pérez is aiming to be closer to his team-mate this weekend, at a venue he calls a “brilliant place”.

‘Max is buzzing to get going at Zandvoort’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/08/dutch-grand-prix-going-to-be-pretty-crazy-max-verstappen/


Can anyone spoil Verstappen's party? 2022 Dutch GP: what to watch for
F1 August 31st 2022
Author Edward Hardy

Last season was the first Dutch GP in 36 years, and the crowd certainly made up for lost time with an atmosphere as good as any on the calendar. The grandstands were full, flares were being set off, the music was pretty loud – but the crowds were there to see one man.

“It’s an old school circuit, the atmosphere here has been outstanding,” said Verstappen’s Red Bull team boss Christian Horner at the time. “I think in my entire career I’ve never heard so much support for a driver. It’s been like being in a nightclub for three days.”

“The way that Max has handled that pressure, we’ve seen it in other drivers at home races, sometimes it can get to them. But I think the intensity and the noise has just been insane.” However, this year Verstappen will return as a world champion and being en route to back-to-back titles, a similar atmosphere should be expected.

‘It’s been like being in a nightclub for three days!’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/can-anyone-spoil-verstappens-party-what-to-watch-out-for-at-the-2022-dutch-gp#


Marko: Max would have won in Spa from 20th!
31/08/2022, ‎10‎:‎00
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Jesse Janse

Red Bull Special Advisor Helmut Marko says Max Verstappen would have won last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix even if he had started from the back of the grid. Speaking after the race, Marko acknowledged that Verstappen's level of dominance was such that he could have won from 20th on the grid.

"I think so," Marko told media including RacingNews365.com when asked whether such a feat would have been possible, adding that Verstappen's father Jos had been confident in his son's abilities to win despite a grid penalty.

"We knew already before the [summer] break that we would change the engine here, and thought, 'okay, at least let's try to get points', but after the qualifying lap, we thought a podium should be possible, but Jos said, 'no, he will win'," said Marko.

‘Winning With Consummate Ease’;

https://racingnews365.com/marko-max-would-have-won-in-spa-from-20th


Verstappen: 'Harder' for Red Bull to dominate at Zandvoort
31/08/2022 at 15:04
Phillip van Osten

Local hero Max Verstappen heads into his home race next weekend as the grand favourite after his crushing win in Spa, but the Red Bull charger expects to have a "harder" time at Zandvoort.

"There’s a lot more downforce required at the track in Zandvoort so it will be harder for us to be dominant, I expect Ferrari to be strong there. I of course want a good result but it's important to always score points, lets hope we can do a good job.”

"It will be great to have my family there supporting me, I’m just going to enjoy the weekend with all the fans, it’s going to be pretty crazy."

‘Zandvoort Will Be Harder’;

https://f1i.com/news/452474-verstappen-harder-for-red-bull-to-dominate-at-zandvoort.html


Max Verstappen to seal second championship at Singapore GP
Max Verstappen boasts a 93-point lead in the Drivers' Championship over second-placed Sergio Pérez.
30 August 2022
by Nick Golding

Red Bull Racing chief advisor Dr Helmut Marko believes that Max Verstappen will retain his World Drivers’ Championship with “two or three” more wins, which could realistically see the Dutchman win the championship at the first fly-away race following the European races.

In all honesty, unless Verstappen has a complete breakdown, then he will retain his crown. This could realistically happen at the Singapore Grand Prix should he win the upcoming Dutch and Italian GP’s. If Verstappen wins at Zandvoort, Monza and at the Marina Bay Circuit, he will have at least a 118-point lead over Leclerc if the Ferrari driver finishes all three races in second.

The 24-year-old needs to leave Singapore with a 125-point advantage to retain his title, and with three consecutive P2’s seemingly unlikely for Leclerc, then Verstappen could be champion at the start of October with five races to go.

‘Second Championship Seal At Singapore GP?’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/max-verstappen-to-seal-second-championship-at-singapore-gp/

[Fortitude]

Why Verstappen is expecting a tougher test at Zandvoort.
Max Verstappen is anticipating a harder fight for victory at this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix than he had last weekend in Belgium.
31/08/2022, ‎13‎:‎30
Author Michael Butterworth

Such was Verstappen's dominance that Red Bull Special Advisor Helmut Marko said the Dutchman could even have won at Spa from the back of the grid. However, the tighter confines of the Zandvoort circuit will require a very different setup to Spa, and Verstappen noted that his home race may see Ferrari return to form.

"After the successful weekend we had in Spa, I'm really looking forward to the Dutch Grand Prix," said Verstappen, who won last year's race at Zandvoort (main picture). "There's a lot more downforce required at Zandvoort, so it will be harder for us to be dominant, and I expect Ferrari to be strong there.”

"Of course I want a good result, but it's important to always score points. Let's hope we can do a good job. It will be great to have my family there supporting me, I'm just going to enjoy the weekend with all the fans, it’s going to be pretty crazy."

‘Tougher Test At Zandvoort’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-verstappen-is-expecting-a-tougher-test-at-zandvoort


WATCH: Relive the action from last year's Dutch GP ahead of this weekend's return to Zandvoort
31 August 2022
Formula 1.

Max Verstappen is set to return to his home race this weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix for the first time as a world champion. But before we go racing again, let's relive the Red Bull driver’s triumph at last year’s race in Zandvoort.

Returning to the calendar for the first time since 1985, the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix saw home hero Verstappen start on pole ahead of title rival Lewis Hamilton. The Red Bull driver was then able to hold off the challenge of the Briton all afternoon - including when Valtteri Bottas held up Verstappen, allowing Hamilton to close within a second - to seal a well earned victory in front of an ecstatic home crowd.

Hamilton pitted late to take the fastest lap but took the chequered flag in second place, ahead of Bottas in third. It was a great afternoon for AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly who finished in fourth ahead of Charles Leclerc in fifth.

‘Relive 2021 Dutch GP action’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.watch-relive-the-action-from-last-years-dutch-gp-ahead-of-this-weekends.6KJVYdfGLOUGKVHzxMBKbs.html


Horner: We’ll try to keep Verstappen within a bubble in Zandvoort
1 September, 2022
Jad Mallak

Christian Horner revealed that Red Bull will try and keep Max Verstappen within a team bubble in Zandvoort to help him focus away from the noise as well as manage expectations. The Dutch Grand Prix, Verstappen’s home race has become an annual celebration of the 2021 Formula 1 Champion by the legions of the Orange Army, expected to flood the circuit in Zandvoort in support of their national hero.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner doesn’t see the current advantage the team and their star driver hold this season, especially after their dominant showing in Spa last weekend as a reason to relax. “I think you have to keep the pressure on because as soon as you don’t, you start making mistakes,” he said. “So we will approach Zandvoort with exactly the same discipline that we have done every grand prix this year.”

As for Verstappen’s workload, Horner said: “There are no additional activities for Max compared to a standard grand prix weekend. “Of course, there will be an awful lot of noise around the circuit but we will try to keep him within a bubble inside the team to try to manage expectations,” he revealed.

‘Keep Verstappen within a bubble in Zandvoort’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/01/horner-well-try-to-keep-verstappen-within-a-bubble-in-zandvoort/


Dutch Grand Prix weather: Will Zandvoort dodge the rain?
Thursday 1st September 2022 8:30 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Friday, September 2 – FP1 and FP2. Fans can expect the track to be bathed in sunshine throughout Friday as the race weekend action kicks off with the first two practice sessions.

Saturday, September 3 – FP3 and qualifying. By the time of FP3, drivers can expect 62% humidity as some sunny intervals break through the cloud cover at times, with temperatures nudging into the low 20s as the wind strength slowly begins to decline. The threat of rain also grows, though at this stage it is described as a low chance. Qualifying then begins at 1500 local time, with the prospects of rain starting to increase towards the end of that session, should it run as planned without interruptions.

Sunday, September 4 – race. According to the current forecast, the threat of rain will actually be lower on race day compared to Saturday, but much of the race activity is set to take place under cloudy skies, with the Dutch Grand Prix getting underway at 1500 local time.

‘Dutch Grand Prix Weather’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/2022-dutch-grand-prix-weather/


Sergio Perez expects Ferrari, Mercedes to be in the mix at Zandvoort
Thursday 1st September 2022 10:00 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Sergio Perez expects Ferrari and Mercedes to be a threat to Red Bull once more around Zandvoort during the Dutch Grand Prix. It was a story of Red Bull domination in Belgium, at least from one side of the garage, as Max Verstappen found a different level to leave the chasing pack behind.

Perez though anticipates that situation will change for the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort, believing Red Bull’s Spa dominance was specific to that track. Asked for his thoughts on Red Bull’s pace at Spa, Perez replied: “Yeah, well, I think they got the car was certainly the fastest today.

“And especially Max was very impressive. The whole weekend, especially come the race, he was just on another level today. So that’s great to have, but I think it’s very track specific. I think when we are back to Zandvoort we will have the Ferraris and Mercedes back into contention.”

‘Sergio Perez expects Ferrari, Mercedes to be in the mix’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio-perez-ferrari-mercedes-zandvoort-contenders/

[Fortitude]

Ferrari expect to be fighting at the front in Zandvoort.
Ferrari are confident they will be a lot closer to Red Bull in this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix than they were in Belgium last Sunday.
20:58 Thu, 01 Sep 2022.
Reuters

The race is a home one for Red Bull's runaway Formula One leader Max Verstappen, who was in a league of his own at Spa-Francorchamps and won in front of his Orange Army of fans in the Netherlands last year.

"I don't think we are as bad as it seems," said Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who was third in Belgium behind a Red Bull one-two after starting on pole position. And I'm pretty sure that we can be back on from this weekend and be fighting again for pole and win," added the Spaniard, who turned 28 on Thursday.

Team mate Charles Leclerc agreed that Ferrari should be much more competitive. "We are super-motivated and after Spa there has been so much work to try and understand from where the lack of pace was coming from," he said.

‘Ferrari expect to be fighting at the front’;

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/ferrari-expect-be-fighting-front-zandvoort-2022-09-01/?rpc=401&


Bad news for Ferrari: Team doubts Spa deficit was track specific.
Trounced by Red Bull at the Belgian Grand Prix, Mattia Binotto doesn’t think there is “any hope” that Red Bull’s superior pace was solely down to the circuit.
Tuesday 30th August 2022 12:15 PM
Michelle Foster

Rather, he concedes, they are “faster” compared to Ferrari than what he had expected. Red Bull returned from the summer break to all but quash any lingering hopes of a Ferrari World title, Max Verstappen putting in his most dominant display yet.

But while fans and pundits wanting a thriller all the way to the final race of the season are hoping Sunday’s beating was due to the nature of the circuit, Binotto has quashed those dreams. “I don’t think there is any hope in that,” he said as per Motorsport.com.

“It has been a true difference between us and the Red Bulls this weekend. If I look back, I think they have been slightly faster in Hungary, which has been a different kind of track, high downforce. So overall, I think simply today, the Red Bull is a faster car compared to what we’ve got in terms of overall efficiency, because Spa is where you need efficiency in terms of the aerodynamics and power unit.”

‘Red Bull are “faster” compared to Ferrari than what Mattia Binotto had expected’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-doubts-spa-deficit-track-specific/


Charles Leclerc: Ferrari 'have ideas' where deficit to Red Bull lies
01 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc speaks to F1's Will Buxton ahead of the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix, with the Monegasque driver having taken just a single podium finish in the last nine grands prix.

‘Ferrari Have Ideas';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.charles-leclerc-ferrari-have-ideas-where-deficit-to-red-bull-lies.1742769544963768154.html


Verstappen and Sainz expect intense battle for Dutch Grand Prix victory
F1 September 1st 2022
Author Edward Hardy

Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz both believe the fight between Red Bull and Ferrari will be much tighter at the Dutch Grand Prix than it was in Spa last weekend. Verstappen was unstoppable as he won the Belgian Grand Prix by 17.8sec, despite starting 14th on the grid due to an engine penalty.

Both he and Sainz put the performance difference down to the circuit favouring Red Bull’s car, and expect the gap to close once more at high-downforce Zandvoort. Speaking ahead of the Dutch GP, Sainz was optimistic when asked if Ferrari could take the fight to Red Bull. “I think so,” he said. “I think we should just be going back a bit to where we were before the summer break.

I think Spa was a great example of how an off-weekend can just change the perception so much in Formula 1 – I don’t think we are as bad as it seems. I’m pretty sure that we can be back on form this weekend and be fighting again for pole and win.”

‘Intense Battle For Dutch Grand Prix Victory’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/verstappen-and-sainz-expect-intense-battle-for-dutch-grand-prix-victory#


How have things gone so wrong at Ferrari this F1 season?
20:41 Thu, 01 Sep 2022.
by C Wolsey
Kettle (UK)

The recent Belgium Grand Prix was meant to be the turning point in Ferrari’s season. Admittedly there have already been high points, such as when Charles Leclerc led the team back to their winning ways in this year’s Formula One World Championship curtain raiser in Bahrain.

Oddschecker, which provides no deposit offers for sports betting, made Max Verstappen the favourite to retain the championship trophy which he won in dramatic fashion last season, and with eight races remaining, it looks as though they will be proven right.

The problems began for Ferrari in Barcelona, when Charles Leclerc’s engine failed him as he was on course for a comfortable victory. The same thing would occur three weeks later in Azerbaijan, when the engine of the prancing horse would once again let its head driver down while he was leading.

‘Poor decisions end Leclerc’s title challenge’;

https://kettlemag.co.uk/how-have-things-gone-so-wrong-at-ferrari-this-f1-season/


Charles Leclerc not sure Ferrari have ‘final answers’ yet for Red Bull pace
Thursday 1st September 2022 5:45 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

After an all-conquering display for Max Verstappen and Red Bull at Spa, Charles Leclerc is not sure Ferrari have a final answer yet. As Formula 1 re-emerged from its summer slumber, Verstappen came flying out of the blocks to deliver an utterly dominant Belgian Grand Prix performance.

Leclerc does believe that Ferrari have made progress in working out how to reel Red Bull back in, but he is not sure whether they have all the answers at this stage. “We are super motivated and after Spa there’s been so much work to try and understand from where the lack of pace was coming from,” Leclerc told Sky F1.

“And I think we’ve got some directions to push in, but whether we have the final answers, we don’t know yet. We know where to push and hopefully we’ll have a final answer as quick as possible. I mean, I think we struggle to believe that the package is suddenly so much quicker from one weekend to the other. So, there is a bit of track characteristic for sure, but it’s not all down to that.”

‘Not sure Ferrari have ‘final answers’ yet’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charles-leclerc-ferrari-may-lack-final-answer-red-bull/


Leclerc asserts he hasn’t lost trust in Ferrari F1 team
16:57 Thu, 01 Sep 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Charles Leclerc says he has not lost faith in the Ferrari Formula 1 team amid a run of questionable strategy calls. Despite the blunder being the latest in a run of erroneous calls, Leclerc asserts that he still has full faith

“We need to keep the trust in the team,” Leclerc said. “I think this is super important, especially whenever you find more difficult moments. Overall as a team we are very united and I do fully trust the team. We always try to improve the process.”

“On my side I always try to push to be better and better and that’s what we do. Whatever is said outside I try not to pay attention to it and try to focus on ourselves to get better.”

‘Have not lost trust in Ferrari F1 team’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/09/01/leclerc-asserts-he-hasnt-lost-trust-in-ferrari-f1-team/

[Fortitude]

Wolff reveals Mercedes' "dungeon" mentality.
Wolff claims Mercedes is currently "in the dungeon" as it attempts to discover a path to again winning grands prix with a car it is struggling to understand after changes to the aerodynamic regulations were introduced for this season.
Wednesday 31 August 2022 04:00 - Updated: 11:30
Ian Parkes

Toto Wolff believes more could be written in a book about what he has learned from this past season than in the previous eight combined from Mercedes' dominance.

Mercedes stands on the brink of losing its grip on a constructors' championship it has won for the past eight years, and even worse, is faced with the prospect of not winning a race in a single season for the first time since 2011. "Today, we're getting it wrong," said Wolff. "The non-correlation in the various areas [of the car] is causing us to not perform.”

"Now maybe there is a single thing that overshadows everything and therefore we are not doing it justice to question every part of the car. Are the tyres something we fundamentally don't understand, and actually all the rest is good? Is the aero or mechanical balance messing it up? That is so difficult. As we say, you never lose you learn, and I can tell you it's f***ing difficult.

‘Past Season Book, More Written, Compared To Previous Eight Seasons Combined’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/90417/toto-wolff-mercedes-dungeon-mentality/


WOLFF’S FRUSTRATION ON MERCEDES STRUGGLES: “WE’RE GETTING IT WRONG”
The Mercedes Team Principal admitted the team is yet to find a solution to its problems
12:01 Wed, 31 Aug 2022.
Dalila Zanardo
FormulaNerds

The solution to Mercedes’ struggles is yet to be found, as proven by Team Principal Toto Wolff admitting keeping up the morale is difficult while facing uncertainty regarding the car’s performance on the track.

For a team that has won so much in its recent history, keeping up the morale is difficult when facing disappointment, as admitted by Wolff: “As they say in F1, you never lose, you learn. But I can tell you it’s very difficult: with all these nice Instagram posts and everything we’ve talked about over eight years about the way we’re going to take this.”

“When you’re arriving there in the dungeon, to stick to your principles and to your values, keep the spirit up and really continue to relentlessly seek to get better…. there’s more to write a book about this year than there is about the last eight years.”

‘Toto WOLFF’S FRUSTRATION’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/wolffs-frustration-on-mercedes-struggles-were-getting-it-wrong/?nowprocket=1


Toto Wolff furious with Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton complains
Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were nearly two seconds off Max Verstappen's pole time in Spa.
28 August 2022
by James Clifford

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is struggling to understand how the Silver Arrows went from pole position in Hungary to the fourth row in Belgium.

The seven-time champion could scarcely believe his ears when his engineer, Peter Bonnington, told him that he was 1.8 seconds behind pace setter Max Verstappen, as Mercedes’ rollercoaster season hits its latest low point.

There will undoubtedly be more high ebbs for the Brackley-based side during the final nine rounds of the season; a team that has won eight championships in a row will be just fine, but times are tough for the moment.

‘Seven-time champion could scarcely believe his ears’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-furious-with-mercedes-after-lewis-hamilton-complains/


Wolff: Weekends like Belgium fire you up
1 September, 2022
Jad Mallak

Toto Wolff tried to air a sense of defiance after Mercedes’ humbling 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, claiming the team is fired up to tackle the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix this weekend in Zandvoort. “Belgium was a challenging weekend for us as a Team, but those weekends are the ones that really fire you up and make you dig deeper,” Toto Wolff said in Mercedes’ preview of this weekend’s race.

“There were such big extremes across the weekend; from the pace differences on Saturday and Sunday, to the difficult first lap for Lewis and George’s late charge for a podium,” he added. “We’ve been working hard to understand our Spa struggles and thankfully we don’t have long to wait until we can bring utilise and maximise those learnings.

“The Dutch Grand Prix is next, and it was a real party atmosphere last year,” he said. “It’s an interesting, old-school track with sweeping bends, banked corners and a lot of character. So, we’re excited to be back there and to take on the circuit’s challenges with this year’s car,” Wolff concluded.

‘Wolff Fired Up’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/01/wolff-weekends-like-belgium-fire-you-up/


Toto Wolff Wanting Mercedes To “Dig Deeper”
September 1, 2022
By Joe Briley

Mercedes team principle Toto Wolff is looking for his team to bounce back and dig deeper as Formula 1 travels to Netherlands for the challenging and exciting Zandvoort GP. Wolff spoke on the struggles of the Belgium GP and the differences in pace between qualifying and the race.

“Belgium was a challenging weekend for us as a Team, but those weekends are the ones that really fire you up and make you dig deeper. There were such big extremes across the weekend; from the pace differences on Saturday and Sunday, to the difficult first lap for Lewis and George’s late charge for a podium.”

‘Dig Deeper’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/toto-wolff-wanting-mercedes-to-dig-deeper/


Mercedes’s 2023 F1 car concept ‘needs to be decided in the next weeks’ – Wolff
2023 F1 season
Posted on 1st September 2022, 7:1431st August 2022, 23:47
Written by Ida Wood and Claire Cottingham

Mercedes’ decision on what direction to take with major parts of its 2023 Formula 1 car need to come “in the next weeks”, says team principal Toto Wolff. The 14th car Mercedes has produced since returning to F1 as a chassis constructor in 2010 is in the early stages of planning. The team have not determined whether it will be an evolution of this year’s F1 W13 car – which is the currently Mercedes’ first win-less chassis in a decade – or take a different design direction.

“It’s a very difficult situation because we obviously have a certain concept of the [2022] car, and it’s not like we can experiment a lot this year and simply [try] stuff out and test,” said Wolff during the Belgian Grand Prix. So whatever we decide for next year, it needs to be carefully evaluated because our data doesn’t give us the results, doesn’t correlate with the reality.”

“We have massive swings in performance that we can’t really get on top of. In this very moment to take a decision for next year, whatever it may be, changing the concept dramatically, how can you be sure that’s the better direction to go?”

‘2023 F1 car concept ‘needs to be decided’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/01/mercedess-2023-f1-car-concept-needs-to-be-decided-in-the-next-weeks-wolff/

[Fortitude]

Max Verstappen has nightmare start to Dutch GP as smoke pours out of Red Bull.
Smoke was seen pouring out of the back of Max Verstappen's Red Bull as he pulled up during FP1 at Zandvoort, leaving his mechanics with a repair job to do quickly on Friday
12:17, 2 Sep 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Smoke was seen pouring out of the back of Max Verstappen's Red Bull as he pulled up during FP1 at Zandvoort, leaving his mechanics with a repair job to do quickly on Friday. Max Verstappen suffered an early blow to his Dutch Grand Prix chances after suffering a gearbox problem in the first free practice session of the weekend.

The Red Bull star managed just one hot lap before coming to a stop in the middle of the circuit. Smoke could be seen pouring out of the back of his car, and it wasn't long before the driver confirmed the source. Verstappen jumped quickly onto team radio to inform his engineers that there was "something wrong with the gearbox".

A virtual safety car was introduced, before that was quickly upgraded and the session red flagged. Verstappen was the left to trudge back to the paddock while his car was recovered. The sight of the stricken Red Bull pulled over at the side of the track was a worrying one for the home fans, many of whom were stood up in silence.

‘Home fans stood up in silence’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/verstappen-gearbox-dutch-gp-practice-27892727


(FP1) First Practice Results – 2022 Dutch Grand Prix
Zandvoort, Netherlands
02/09/2022, 12:34
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. George Russell Mercedes -1:12.455
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.240
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.390
4. Lando Norris McLaren +0.474
5. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.622
6. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.672
7. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.961
8. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.178
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.508
10. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.608

‘Dutch Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the first practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Zandvoort’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-practice-results-2022-dutch-grand-prix-79954


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from first practice for the Dutch Grand Prix
02 September 2022
Formula 1.
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-first-practice-in-the-netherlands-2022.KY68SWoncOTxZ43wU8azg.html


Mercedes Lead First Free Practice At The Dutch GP
September 2, 2022
By Joe Briley

George Russell led teammate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. in the first free practice session of the weekend at the FIA Formula 1 World Championship Dutch GP. Russell finished 0.240s ahead of Hamilton with a time of 1:12.455, while Sainz was a further 0.150s behind the British leader.

It was an impressive session for Mercedes, with Russell and Hamilton running a 1-2 finish. However, it wasn’t without controversy. Seven time FIA Formula 1 World Champion Hamilton was seen to impede a number of cars around the circuit with him reporting issues of a loss of radio throughout his practice runs.

Max Verstappen set the pace early on the hard tyre but his session was cut short just ten minutes in after an issue with his gearbox that forced him to stop on track and bring out the red flag.

‘Mercedes Lead First Free Practice’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/mercedes-lead-first-free-practice-at-the-dutch-gp/


Several drivers summoned for impeding after Dutch GP FP1
02/09/2022, ‎13‎:‎50
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Several drivers have been summoned by the Formula 1 stewards for alleged impeding during FP1 for the Dutch Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Sebastian Vettel, and Lando Norris were all summoned for "Alleged breach of Article 37.5 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations."

This section of the sporting regulations states: "Any driver taking part in any practice session who, in the opinion of the stewards, stops unnecessarily on the circuit or unnecessarily impedes another driver shall be subject to the penalties referred to in Article 37.4"

‘Called up to see the stewards post-FP1’;

https://racingnews365.com/several-drivers-summoned-for-impeding-after-dutch-gp-fp1


Verstappen set to escape gearbox grid penalty at Dutch GP
02/09/2022, ‎13‎:‎38
Author Rory Mitchell

Max Verstappen has escaped a gearbox penalty following his stoppage in Dutch GP FP1. Max Verstappen will not receive a Formula 1 gearbox penalty following his stoppage in Dutch Grand Prix FP1. The Dutchman reported an issue between fourth and fifth gear before his car stopped out on track with a transmission issue, after just completing seven laps in front of the home crowd.

Prior to the session Red Bull changed the main shaft locking insert without incurring a penalty, however, Verstappen will also escape any further grid penalties following a change made at Spa Francorchamps last weekend.

Red Bull increased the pool of gearboxes when they took the Power Unit penalties for the Belgian Grand Prix. This means they didn't have to break a gearbox seal, and crucially means Verstappen escapes taking a grid drop this weekend.

‘Max escapes gearbox grid penalty at Dutch GP’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-looks-to-escape-gearbox-grid-penalty

[Fortitude]

FP2: Leclerc leads the way as Ferrari take charge in Zandvoort.
It was a Ferrari 1-2 in the second practice session at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc narrowly pipping team mate Carlos Sainz to set the fastest time, with rivals Red Bull having a disjointed day.
02 September 2022
Formula 1.

On a bright and sunny afternoon in Zandvoort, the drivers filed out on track for their first run of the second session, the majority on medium tyres, with Sainz leading the way early on with a time of 1m 13.412s to head Leclerc by 0.025s.

And after 15 minutes of running the drivers made their way back into the pit lane – leaving a silent track - to fit on a pair of brand-new set of soft tyres in preparation for the customary Friday afternoon qualifying simulations.

And after 15 minutes of running the drivers made their way back into the pit lane – leaving a silent track - to fit on a pair of brand-new set of soft tyres in preparation for the customary Friday afternoon qualifying simulations.

‘FP2: Ferrari 1-2’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.fp2-leclerc-leads-the-way-as-ferrari-take-charge-in-zandvoort.2PR8k10Q5SVi8me2ijOIE3.html


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Dutch Grand Prix
Zandvoort, Netherlands
by Emer Hedderman
02/09/2022, 16:27
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:12.345
2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.004
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.072
4. Lando Norris McLaren +0.103
5. George Russell Mercedes +0.310
6. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.401
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.503
8. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.697
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.960
10. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.017

‘Dutch Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Zandvoort’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second-practice-results-2022-dutch-grand-prix-79967


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from second practice for the Dutch Grand Prix
02 September 2022
Formula 1.
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]

‘LIVE COVERAGE’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-second-practice-in-the-netherlands-2022.4Q8D2HrPpUO13BhBNCwMDz.html


Dutch GP: Leclerc leads tight top three as Red Bull struggle in Practice 2
02 September 2022
Ben Issatt

Charles Leclerc was quickest as less than a tenth covered the top three drivers in Practice 2 at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Ferrari man posted a 1m12.345s during the soft tyre runs, pipping teammate Carlos Sainz by just 0.004s with Lewis Hamilton only 0.072s behind in third.

Red Bull's difficult day continued with Max Verstappen only eighth quickest as he returned to the track following his gearbox problems in Practice 1. More worryingly, the home hero was still half a second faster than Sergio Perez in P12 in the other RB18.

‘Leclerc leads tight top three’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16325-dutch-gp-leclerc-leads-tight-top-three-as-red-bull-struggle-in-practice-2


F1 ruling clears way for Piastri to drive for McLaren in '23.
02/09/2022, 16:04
Technical upgrades: Dutch GP FOX Sports

Oscar Piastri will join McLaren on a multiyear deal in 2023 after Formula One's contracts board ruled in his favor and against Alpine on Friday. Alpine was in dispute with Piastri — the team's reserve driver — after he said he didn’t want promotion to the Alpine seat vacated by Fernando Alonso for next year.

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer wanted to retain the 21-year-old Australian driver. The matter went before F1's Contract Recognition Board this week and the four-person tribunal ruled that McLaren had an existing contract in place.

“The only contract to be recognized by the board is the contract between McLaren Racing Limited and Mr Piastri dated 4 July 2022," governing body FIA said in a statement. "Mr Piastri is entitled to drive for McLaren Racing Limited for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.”

‘Formula One's contracts board ruling’;

https://www.foxsports.com/articles/f1/f1-ruling-clears-way-for-piastri-to-drive-for-mclaren-in-23


Piastri thanks Alpine for support after confirming departure to McLaren
2022 Dutch Grand Prix
Posted on 2nd September 2022, 15:55
Written by Keith Collantine

Oscar Piastri has thanked Alpine team members for their support after his move to McLaren for next season was confirmed. The dispute between Alpine and McLaren over Piastri’s services was resolved today by the FIA’s Contract Recognition Board. Piastri, who has been an Alpine junior driver since 2020, will make his F1 debut for McLaren.

“I am super-excited to be joining the grid and with such a prestigious team like McLaren,” said Piastri on social media after the CRB’s decision was announced. “I have no doubt it’s a great place to start my career. It’s been a long road up until this point.”

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said they never had any doubt the CRB would rule in their favour having hired Piastri to replace Daniel Ricciardo alongside Lando Norris. “In terms of the Contract Recognition Board, to be honest for us, that was never a case,” he told Sky. “Therefore, I guess it’s better you ask the other party involved why they thought they had a case and therefore this is not really any surprise for us.

‘Piastri thanks Alpine for support’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/02/piastri-thanks-alpine-for-support-after-confirming-departure-to-mclaren/

[Fortitude]

‘We can do better than this’ says Verstappen after rocky start to home weekend at Zandvoort.
“We have the whole night to look at things and of course FP3 as well. I will try of course to be more competitive.”
02 September 2022
Formula 1.

Max Verstappen faced a tough start to his home weekend as gearbox issues cut short his first practice session, before Ferrari topped the timesheets in FP2, which left the reigning champion asking for much more from the Red Bull RB18.

“Yeah, just missing out in FP1 on the soft tyre, I think on that hard tyre [in FP2] we couldn’t really tell the balance because we had such little grip in the tyre and then you are a session behind. We went into FP2 and the balance wasn’t great, but in an hour’s session you can’t really change the car a lot, so we tried to deal with what we had, and that wasn’t great today so we’ll have the night to deal with things. For sure we can do better than this.”

Asked if he was surprised by the lap time gap to Ferrari, he replied: “To be honest, while driving it I was not really surprised when I saw the lap time difference, so there is a lot of things we can improve on.

‘Whole night to look at things’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.we-can-do-better-than-this-says-verstappen-after-rocky-start-to-home-weekend.76COy9gWRVQBvldFUnvNR9.html



Sergio Pérez: 'We certainly need to improve for qualifying'
02 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

Red Bull's Sergio Pérez admits he couldn't get a "proper read on his soft tyre" after finishing P7 and P12 in Friday's two practice sessions at the 2022 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.

‘Need To Improve’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.sergio-perez-we-certainly-need-to-improve-for-qualifying.1742882014869012308.html


Marko explains cause of weak Red Bull Friday at Zandvoort
02/09/2022, ‎20‎:‎02
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Red Bull endured a difficult day at Zandvoort on Friday, but Helmut Marko has shed light on the team's troubles. "We drastically overestimated the value of the Hard tyres," Marko explained to media including RacingNews365.com. We felt good on those tyres, when we thought we would have not grip on those tyres."

However, Marko admits this lulled Red Bull into a sense of false security, with the team struggling for balance and pace. "At the moment, we have don't have a good balance, no grip, and the tyres overheated way too quickly.”

"[Sergio] Perez had all those problems in first practice, but we thought it was just his Friday form. Often it is not very impressive. The hard tyre probably won't even be used during the race - that's why we drove on it right at the start of FP1 - because we wanted to get rid of it. We were at the front on those tyres, so we thought we were in a good position."

‘Red Bull lulled into a sense of false security’;

https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-explain-cause-of-weak-friday-at-zandvoort


Max Verstappen expects Saturday gains after disrupted Dutch GP practice
02 September 2022
Ben Issatt
Formula 1

Max Verstappen does expect gains on Saturday after a tricky Practice at the Dutch Grand Prix. The reigning world champion was only eighth fastest at Zandvoort on Friday afternoon, after losing out on most of the first session due to a gearbox problem.

But while it is clear Red Bull's rivals are more competitive, Verstappen wasn't too concerned about his situation. "Just missing out on FP1 on the soft tyre," he said on what the biggest problem was on Friday.

Verstappen and Red Bull definitely have work to do though, with almost seven-tenths between himself and the leading Ferraris. "To be honest while driving, I was not really surprised when I saw the lap time difference," Max said on the deficit. “There are a lot of things we can improve on. We will try to, of course, be more competitive."

‘Saturday Gains Expected’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16327-max-verstappen-expects-saturday-gains-after-disrupted-dutch-gp-practice


Not all car: ‘Max Verstappen makes the difference’ at Red Bull
Max Verstappen has won nine races this season.
2 September 2022
by James Clifford

Dutch racing driver, Tom Coronel, sees a negative side to the current stranglehold his compatriot, Max Verstappen, has over Formula 1. The reigning champion has eased to victory from 10th or lower in both of the last two races in Hungary and Belgium, so the lack of competition is slightly concerning for Coronel.

“This is not good for Formula 1!” he told the RacingNews365.com podcast. Verstappen’s father and former F1 driver, Jos, naturally disagreed with the 50-year-old when they discussed it.

“If you then look at the difference with Perez, it is not the car and not the team: it is Max Verstappen who makes the difference. Jos said he is not interested, because winning the race is all that matters, that’s right!”

‘Not all car’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/not-all-car-max-verstappen-makes-the-difference-at-red-bull/

[Fortitude]

‘It’s great to be back feeling competitive’ say Ferrari drivers after topping FP2.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz emerged quietly confident from Friday practice at Zandvoort after they scored a one-two finish in FP2 – but both sought a step forward for Saturday's qualifying session.
02 September 2022
Formula 1.

Sainz said: “It’s great to be back feeling competitive, being there at the top of the times all weekend. Also the car gave me great confidence. I’m optimistic going into the rest of the weekend, but also feeling cautious because I know everyone can suddenly find two-tenths and beat you.

“It’s great to be back at such a challenging track, demanding as it is. I enjoyed... driving out there, even better when you look at the times we did out there. It felt like we were back to being competitive after such a difficult weekend in Spa, but also very surprised with how quick everyone is – McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull – we are all within three tenths of a second, but I’m sure it will make everything very tight for tomorrow, and exciting,” he added.

Leclerc offered similar remarks after a successful Friday as he kept one eye on Ferrari’s competition – with Red Bull still to show their full hand – as he remarked that the Scuderia still need to iron out some understeer for Saturday.

‘Great To Be Back’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.its-great-to-be-back-feeling-competitive-say-ferrari-drivers-after-topping.4Dosa2j6OzqqPiQRsUHBLL.html


Ferrari predicting ‘very tight’ tussle for Dutch Grand Prix pole position
Friday 2nd September 2022 8:45 PM
Jon Wilde

Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are both predicting a close Dutch Grand Prix qualifying session – with potentially a four-team fight for pole position.

“It’s great to be back at such a challenging track, demanding as it is,” said the Spaniard (Carlos Sainz )during his post-FP2 interview. “I enjoyed it a lot – even better when you look at the times we were doing across the whole day. “It felt like we were back at being competitive, a bit like we expected after such a difficult weekend at Spa [last time out].

Leclerc, whose Drivers’ title hopes look to have gone as he now trails Verstappen by 98 points, said: “We are all extremely close. It’s still a surprise to see everybody so close and it will be a tricky day tomorrow. “We are looking forward to doing another step forward. I wasn’t very much at ease with the car balance today, so hopefully we can work in the right direction and do another step tomorrow.”

‘Very Tight Tussle Predicted For Pole’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-tight-dutch-gp-pole-tussle/


Leclerc: We were all very close apart from Max and Checo
2 September, 2022
Paul Velasco

In July, Ferrari spoilt the party at Red Bull’s home race in Austria, with Charles Leclerc winning on their turf, this weekend they seem intent on also spoiling Max Verstappen’s homecoming.

Leclerc reported at the end of day one in Holland: “We picked up the pace a little in FP2, but we were not quite there with the car balance on my side. There’s some work ahead of us and I’m confident we can make a step forward by tomorrow.”

In the other car, Sainz was the form Ferrari driver at Spa-Francorchamps and was satisfied at the end of day one at Zandy: “Overall it was a good Friday here in Zandvoort. It was great to be back at such a demanding and challenging track for drivers and cars, so I enjoyed it a lot.”

‘Intent on also spoiling Max Verstappen’s homecoming’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/02/leclerc-we-were-all-very-close-apart-from-max-and-checo-dutch-gp-parctice/


Dutch GP: Charles LecLerc And Ferrari Gatecrash Max Verstappen's Orange Army
• Updated: September 03, 2022 09:40 AM IST
• Agence France-Presse

Charles Leclerc topped the times ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz as Ferrari spoiled the party in second practice for a huge crowd of local fans at the Dutch Grand Prix on Friday.

Expecting to celebrate the homecoming of Max Verstappen for the first time since he won the world championship last year, the fans were treated to a Ferrari revival ahead of third-placed Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes.

Red Bull's runaway leader of this year's title race was down in eighth after a troubled day that saw him pull up with a gearbox failure in opening practice topped by the two Mercedes.

‘Gatecrashing Max Verstappen's Orange Army’;

https://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/dutch-gp-charles-leclerc-and-ferrari-gatecrash-max-verstappens-orange-army-3311837


Charles Leclerc: “We have work to do and I am confident that we can take another step forward”
September 2, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

Despite topping today’s second practice session, Scuderia Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc, has stated that the team still has work to do if they are to contend for the race victory this weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Speaking after today’s action out on track, Leclerc demanded that his team take the necessary steps forward over night to protect their advantage over Oracle Red Bull Racing in the early stages of the weekend. “Compared to the first session, in the second we gained a bit of performance but in terms of balance we are not yet where I would like. We have work to do and I am confident that we can take another step forward for tomorrow.”

“Today we were all very close except Max and Checo but I think they had a day that was not without problems. It will be an interesting qualification. “

‘Leclerc demanded his team to take the necessary steps forward over night to protect advantage’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/charles-leclerc-we-have-work-to-do-and-i-am-confident-that-we-can-take-another-step-forward%ef%bf%bc/

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff now ‘understands’ Mercedes’ pace fluctuations race by race.
The Mercedes CEO and team principal remained coy about exactly what he now knows about Mercedes’ circuit-specific performance, but is pleased to be back in the fight this weekend.
Friday 2nd September 2022 10:30 PM
Henry Valantine

Toto Wolff has said he and the team understand why Mercedes’ competitiveness changes from weekend to weekend, and that their Belgian Grand Prix issues were an “outlier” in the context of the season so far.

Mercedes’ qualifying pace at Spa was one of their largest deficits of the season compared to Red Bull and Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton lapping 1.8 seconds slower than Max Verstappen’s fastest effort, with George Russell having been on pole in the previous round in Budapest in July.

The team looked closer to the pace once again around the high-downforce layout at Zandvoort, which Wolff says plays into the strengths of the W13, with a totally different setup required compared to Spa.

‘Mercedes’ pace fluctuations now understood’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-wolff-understands-mercedes-w13/


Wolff cryptic on gains that place Mercedes "where the music plays"
Friday 2 September 2022 21:00
Sam Hall

Toto Wolff has suggested that invisible gains have pushed Mercedes back into the mix at Zandvoort. Asked what the best way forward is for Mercedes given its sensitive working window, team principal Wolff told Sky Sports F1: "I think it's more a question of things you don't see on the car than what you see.

"It's obvious we have a narrow sidepod concept and some other things, the rear floor is sticking out much more than on other cars.”

"And certainly that will play a role but much more important is how we have developed the car to run low on the floor where we can't run it and what does it do to our suspension kinematic and this is why at the moment, it is just a bit of trial and error."

‘Wolff cryptic "where the music plays"!’;


https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/90677/toto-wolff-mercedes-dutch-grand-prix/


Mark Hughes: Mercedes in Dutch GP lead fight as Red Bull stumbles
19:17 Fri, 02 Sep 2022.
The Race
By Mark Hughes

With Zandvoort representing a more conventional Formula 1 track after the outlier of Spa, we seem to be back to a more conventional 2022 competitive order, now that the cars are carrying a more normal wing level. That said, the Ferrari 1-2 in FP2 flattered it, given Max Verstappen’s loss of much of FP1 to a gearbox problem and how that impacted his run programme in FP2.

But when he was out at the same time Verstappen looked at least as quick, with a notable advantage in the twists of the middle sector. Mercedes also looked in a much more potent form than at Spa, with Lewis Hamilton lapping within half-a-tenth of the Ferraris and the W13 showing good long-run pace too.

Verstappen’s FP1 stoppage meant Red Bull was initially relying only on Sergio Perez’s runs on the hard tyre and the team adjusted the car around that – only to find when it switched to the mediums and softs that it made the hard tyre seem more uncompetitive than it actually was.

‘Mercedes lead fight at Dutch GP’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/mark-hughes-mercedes-in-dutch-gp-lead-fight-as-red-bull-stumbles/


Mercedes’ Andrew Shovlin: “The car has been a lot easier to balance here than in Spa”
September 2, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team kicked off their Dutch Grand Prix weekend in impressive fashion as George Russell was able to top the timesheet in first practice, while Lewis Hamilton was able to finish both sessions inside the top three.

Shovlin touched on how both drivers had not yet found the perfect balance of the W13, and with considerable work on the car and setup expected overnight, the team could challenge Scuderia Ferrari and Oracle Red Bull Racing in qualifying tomorrow.

“The car has been a lot easier to balance here than in Spa and we look to be in a better place in terms of pace; we’re still missing a bit on single lap and long run but the gaps are a lot better than last week. The sessions were a bit messy with a few red flags but we managed to tick off our test items and have a decent idea where we are going with the car spec for tomorrow.”

‘Easier To Balance’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/mercedes-andrew-shovlin-the-car-has-been-a-lot-easier-to-balance-here-than-in-spa%ef%bf%bc/


Mercedes buoyed by race pace, wary of one-lap issues
19:13 Fri, 02 Sep 2022.
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Mercedes says it is confident that it has strong race pace at Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix but is wary it risks being masked by its qualifying speed.


Mercedes displayed an upturn in performance at Zandvoort compared to last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton 1-2 in first practice.

Hamilton dropped behind the Ferrari drivers in FP2 but his best time was within a tenth of Charles Leclerc’s pace-setting lap, while Russell was a competitive fifth.

‘Mercedes buoyed by race pace’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/09/02/mercedes-buoyed-by-race-pace-wary-of-one-lap-issues/

[Fortitude]

Dutch GP: Charles Leclerc leads as Red Bull make gains in Practice 3.
Charles Leclerc set the pace in a very tight final practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.
03 September 2022
Ben Issatt


Charles Leclerc set the pace in a very tight final practice at the Dutch Grand Prix. The story early on was the resurgence of Max Verstappen, who, after a difficult Friday blighted by a gearbox problem, jumped half a second clear of the field after the first runs.

But when the second set of soft tyres went on for the final flying laps, it was Carlos Sainz and then Leclerc who went fastest with a 1m11.632s. George Russell would split the two Ferrari's in second for Mercedes, just 0.066s slower than the Monegasque.

Verstappen also improved on his earlier best but could only manage third, albeit after a small mistake on his first flying lap. After the chequered flag, there was a close call between Sainz and Perez as the Mexican was caught out by the fast-approaching Spaniard.

‘FP3: Charles Leclerc leads’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16334-dutch-gp-charles-leclerc-leads-as-red-bull-make-gains-in-practice-3


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2022 Dutch Grand Prix
03/09/2022, 12:16
Zandvoort, Netherlands
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari – 1:11.632
2. George Russell Mercedes +0.066
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.161
4. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.339
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.524
6. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.544
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.695
8. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +0.859
9. Mick Schumacher Haas +0.926
10. Lando Norris McLaren +0.959

‘Dutch Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the final practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Zandvoort’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-practice-results-2022-dutch-grand-prix-79981


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from final practice for the Dutch Grand Prix
03 September 2022
Formula 1.
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-third-practice-in-the-netherlands-2022.3XxbtsrdWjTSnkRFqslkXE.html


What took place in F1’s final Dutch GP practice at Zandvoort
03/09/2022, 12:14
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race

Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc led the way in third practice of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend at Zandvoort, heading George Russell and Max Verstappen.

Key moments:
> Leclerc 0.066s ahead of Russell
> Verstappen shrugs off difficult Friday
> Step back for McLaren, step forward for Haas

F1 points leader Verstappen had missed most of Friday’s opening session and ended the day eighth-fastest, but made a very strong impression on his first run of FP3, first comfortably eclipsing his best time from Friday and then going one better with a 1m12.196s that stood as the best time of the weekend so far.

‘What took place in F1’s final Dutch GP practice’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-took-place-in-f1s-final-dutch-gp-practice-at-zandvoort/


‘So cringe’: Ultra-awkward moment between British journalists at 2022 Dutch Grand Prix
The driver market has sent everyone for a spin this summer.
3 September 2022
by James Clifford

After the contract recognition board (CRB)’s confirmation that Piastri’s contract with McLaren is valid, Croft threw down to Kravitz for him to explain what was happening. However, with little track action for the viewers to enjoy while he was talking, the latter decided to hold off until after the break.

“You can go to your break,” Kravitz told Croft. “Alright, you’re producing the show are you, Ted?” joked the commentator. “The only car on track is a Williams, and I can go on and on if you want, but I understood we were going to a break, and all I can see is a lot of cars in the garage,” explained Kravitz.

“And I do want to talk about Alpine and Oscar Piastri, and all of this, but it won’t in the interest of our viewers – our viewers want to see cars on track…” While Kravitz was rambling, Croft was repeating his name to get his attention, and he eventually told him, “Just go for it now, just tell us about Alpine, go for it.”

‘You’re producing the show are you, Ted’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/so-cringe-ultra-awkward-moment-between-british-journalists-at-2022-dutch-grand-prix/


FP3 Highlights: 2022 Dutch Grand Prix
03 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

Watch highlights from final practice at Zandvoort ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.

‘FP3 Highlights’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.fp3-highlights-2022-dutch-grand-prix.1742952227596606766.html

[Fortitude]

Dutch GP: Verstappen pips Leclerc to pole by 0.021s.
Verstappen ended up with pole after reversing Leclerc's advantage from the opening Q1 runs, with the session marred by fans throwing flares onto the Zandvoort track, causing Q2 to be briefly suspended.
Sep 3, 2022, 3:18 PM
By: Alex Kalinauckas

Max Verstappen beat Charles Leclerc in qualifying for Formula 1's 2022 Dutch Grand Prix, with Sergio Perez spinning off late in Q3 and denying the Mercedes cars a final shot. Leclerc led Verstappen by 0.059s after the first Q3 runs, with the 2022 frontrunners converging on pace after Red Bull's tricky start to the weekend.

The Ferrari driver set the quickest times in the first and last sectors on his final lap, but being unable to replicate his best time in the middle part of the track cost him dear. This was because Verstappen roared to a purple sector and ended up with a best time of 1m10.342s, 0.021s quicker than his rival.

Carlos Sainz slotted into third just before Perez spun at the end of his final lap – the Mexican driver dipping his left-side wheels into the gravel at the exit of the penultimate corner and spearing around to the inside of the banked final turn.

‘Verstappen pips Leclerc to pole by 0.021s’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/dutch-gp-verstappen-pips-leclerc-to-pole-by-0021s/10362807/


Qualifying Results – 2022 Dutch Grand Prix
Zandvoort, Netherlands
03/09/2022, 14:29
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Q3
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:10.342
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.021
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.092
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.306
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.735
6. George Russell Mercedes +0.805
7. Lando Norris McLaren +0.832
8. Mick Schumacher Haas +1.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +2.214
10. Lance Stroll Aston Martin NC

‘Dutch Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at Zandvoort’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying-results-2022-dutch-grand-prix-79987


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix
03 September 2022
Formula 1.
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-qualifying-in-the-netherlands-2022.7c9UymvQaIbYKpnqknHiTp.html


Verstappen narrowly beats Leclerc to claim pole position at home again
2022 Dutch Grand Prix qualifying
Posted on
3rd September 2022, 15:273rd September 2022, 15:31
Written by Will Wood

Max Verstappen snatched pole position for his home grand prix by beating Charles Leclerc by just 0.021s in a tight qualifying session at Zandvoort. What appeared to be a tiny mistake at turn nine on his final Q3 lap cost Leclerc a tenth of a second, which allowed Verstappen to pip him for pole by just two-hundredths of a second. Carlos Sainz Jnr will start from third on the grid, with Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and George Russell behind.

The local hero did not need an invitation and squeaked ahead of Leclerc by just 0.021s to snatch pole position to the delight of his legion of fans in the grandstands. There was still time for Perez and the Mercedes pair to improve, however a mistake from Perez at turn 13 saw the Red Bull spinning across the track and bringing out the yellow flags, which ruined the final flying laps of the Mercedes behind and guaranteed Verstappen took a second consecutive home pole position.

Leclerc was frustrated to settle for second place after being told he lost a tenth of a second with his mistake in the middle sector. Sainz secure third on the grid, ahead of Hamilton’s Mercedes, with Perez and Russell ending up in fifth and sixth after Perez’s late error.

‘Verstappen narrowly beats Leclerc’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/03/verstappen-narrowly-beats-leclerc-to-claim-pole-position-at-home-again/


Dutch GP: Max Verstappen sends home fans wild by sealing pole
Published: 3 Sep 2022, 15:35
By George Dagless

Max Verstappen will start his home Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday afternoon as he took pole at Zandvoort by two-hundredths of a second.

The Dutchman’s home weekend did not get off to the start he would have wanted with a gearbox issue stopping his FP1 before it really got going, and the lack of running meant he and his team were still working on set-up come FP2 yesterday, with them still off of the pace.

However, by FP3 earlier today, Max was inside the top three and looking far more competitive and, indeed, when it mattered most of all, in qualifying, he delivered once again to send the home support into an orange sea of rapture.

‘Orange Sea Of Rapture’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88055642-dutch-gp-max-verstappen-sends-home-fans-wild-by-sealing-pole


Verstappen praises Red Bull recovery after "difficult" Friday
03/09/2022, ‎15‎:‎30
Author Luke Murphy

Max Verstappen heaped praise on the Red Bull team after recovering from a turbulent practice session to secure Pole Position for the Dutch GP. Verstappen: 'Car enjoyable to drive again'. Speaking after qualifying, Verstappen was delighted with Red Bull's overnight work to bring him back to the front of the field.

"Unbelievable, especially after Friday where we had a difficult day," Verstappen told media. "I think we worked really well overnight with the whole team to turn it around, and today we had a quick race car.”

"It was very close, and a qualifying lap around here is insane. We changed a lot, because yesterday was a little bit rushed in FP2 do to get the car together, but today it was enjoyable to drive again."

‘We worked really well overnight with the whole team to turn it around’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-praises-red-bull-recovery-after-difficult-friday

[Fortitude]

STRATEGY GUIDE: What are the possible race strategies for the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix?
What’s the quickest strategy? A week ago there were only a few cars that were willing to start on the soft compound tyre due to how difficult it was to make last at Spa-Francorchamps, but it’s clearly going to be the preferred starting tyre today in Zandvoort.
04 September 2022
Special contributor: Chris Medland

The second visit to Zandvoort since it returned to the calendar has seen good weather and a close battle between the top three teams so far, so let’s take a look at the different strategic options available to the field for the Dutch Grand Prix.

How about a different option for the top 10? Only Mick Schumacher can match that strategy of the remaining top ten runners, with both Haas and Williams also holding back two sets of mediums for the race. So a different option that is more likely for the likes of Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll is to also attempt at two-stopper but using another set of soft tyres.

What are the options for the bottom half of the field? The pit lane speed limit is set at 60kph at Zandvoort, so while it is a short pit lane that takes an inside line at Turn 1, the time loss is relatively high.
So the one-stop strategy is attractive if a driver can make it work, but it is likely to mean needing to use the hard compound tyre.

Wait, but what’s the weather doing? While the weather was good on Friday, it was a warm day on Saturday with the air temperature reaching over 27C during qualifying. That meant the tyres were easier to switch on but is what also highlights thermal degradation as a limiting factor.

‘Different Strategic Options’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.strategy-guide-what-are-the-possible-race-strategies-for-the-2022-dutch.8HZbX64wr3GqEwMAdR3dC.html


Dutch Grand Prix Qualifying Press Conference Transcript
Full transcript from the FIA hosted top three press conferences after qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix, Round 15 of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship at Circuit Zandvoort.
3 September, 2022
FIA

Q: Max, for the second time in a row, pole position. That must be feeling great on your own soil.
Max Verstappen: Unbelievable, especially after yesterday as well. We had a difficult day but I think we worked really well overnight with the whole team to turn it around and today we had a quick race car again, but it was very close and a lap around here, a qualifying lap, is insane.

Q: Charles, that was close!
Charles Leclerc: Yeah, very, very close. I mean, Max did a great lap in the end. Our car was getting better and better through qualifying. At the beginning I was pretty scared, because Max was much, much quicker than us on used tyres. But then in Q3, the car came a bit more together and I managed to do that lap, which was close enough for P2. But tomorrow is the race and we’ll give it all.

Q: Carlos, were you happy with that lap?
Carlos Sainz: Yeah, it was a clean lap with no mistakes, just missing that last half a tenth to a tenth to beat Charles and Max. It was on the limit out there, every little metre of track that you could use and that you could push was counting. It wasn’t an easy quali from Q1 to Q2 to Q3, but I think in the end we did a decent job.

‘Qualifying Press Conference Transcript’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/03/dutch-grand-prix-qualifying-press-conference-transcript-f1-2022/


2022 Dutch Grand Prix qualifying day in pictures
F1 Pictures
Posted on
3rd September 2022, 15:49
Written by Keith Collantine

‘Pictures from qualifying day for the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/03/2022-dutch-grand-prix-qualifying-day-in-pictures/


Dutch GP: FIA Team Principals Press Conference
03/09/2022
NEWS STORY

Part One: Franz Tost, Jost Capito and Otmar Szafnauer.
Otmar, perhaps we could start with you please. First up, please can we get your reaction to yesterday's news from the Contract Recognition Board?
Otmar Szafnauer: Well, we want to thank the Contract Recognition Board first and foremost for convening and listening to both sides of the argument. They did a thorough and competent job and the process works.

Jost, we'll come to you now. And while we're talking about Oscar Piastri, did you talk to him about a seat in 2023?
Jost Capito: We talked to a couple of drivers for '23, so we had a couple of options. And of course, Oscar could have been an option. But that was an early stage of the season, just to check out what kind of options are available for '23.

Franz, we'll come to you now, and while we're talking drivers, in Canada, you told us that Pierre Gasly would definitely be an AlphaTauri driver in 2023. Is that still the case?
Franz Tost: Yes, he has a contract with Scuderia AlphaTauri.
Would you release him to another team?
FT: This decision from Red Bull.
So, as things stand, it's Gasly and Tsunoda for you in 2023?
FT: At this moment, yes.

‘FIA Team Principals Press Conference’;

https://www.pitpass.com/73517/Dutch-GP-FIA-Team-Principals-Press-Conference


Formula One Qualifying Analysis: Three Teams Will Vy For Glory At The 2022 Dutch Grand Prix
20:57 Sat, 03 Sep 2022.
Contributor: Rob Reed
Forbes

Saturday’s prelude (qualifying) to the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix drew significant contrast from the prior weekend at Spa in Belgium. As you’ll recall, Verstappen was a full 1.8 seconds clear of Mercedes in qualifying. To put that in American sporting terms, it’s like a football game that ends at 50 to 3—a complete blowout. And that’s just the nature of Red Bull’s straight line speed. Fortunately, the Circuit Zandvoort in Holland is a stark contrast, where drivers rarely even see eighth gear. Instead, it’s characterized by banked turns and a series of technical corners, such that driver skill really comes into play when cars are properly setup with enough downforce. Tire degradation also appears to be an issue, which plays to Mercedes’ strengths.

What we witnessed throughout the practice sessions and qualifying was that the top three teams—Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes—each had good pace and would be separated by mere hundreds over the course of this short F1 lap. The Ferrari showed it was the superior car in terms of how it handled Zandvoort, especially tricky turn three with its awkward braking zone, steep banking at the apex and on the edge of track limits and then an aggressive curb to avoid on the exit. On this basis, Leclerc should have secured pole position, but a mistake in sector two cost him and Verstappen edged him by mere hundredths on what was also an imperfect lap.

The big disappointment for the Mercedes team and fans alike was Checo’s spin and yellow flag in Q3, which negated the final laps of pretty everyone save for Red Bull and Ferrari. Nevertheless, this leaves each of the three competitive teams starting first through sixth. With Ferrari two and three, it could set them up for a game of chess with Red Bull, especially if Leclerc gets a good start and manages to overtake Verstappen on the first lap. If Ferrari drop the ball, which has been the trend, then the door opens for Hamilton and possibly even Russell to come through with podiums.

‘Three Teams Will Vy For Glory’;

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robreed/2022/09/03/formula-one-qualifying-analysis-three-teams-will-vy-for-glory-at-the-2022-dutch-grand-prix/


Mark Hughes: How Verstappen climbed out of big Dutch GP hole
18:19 Sat, 03 Sep
By Mark Hughes
The Race

In the previous couple of races Max Verstappen was nowhere on the grid but clearly favourite for the race on account of a big inherent speed advantage. But at his home track of Zandvoort, only a supreme effort on his final run edged him clear of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, which didn’t make the ideal lap.

This time, although Verstappen starts from pole, he doesn’t have a significant underlying pace advantage over Ferrari and only a small one over Mercedes. In what looks set to be a two-stop race, things could get very tight and Red Bull may be relying even more than usual on its driver to make the crucial difference.

Anything less than a Verstappen victory would obviously be a big disappointment for the excited but good-natured orange crowd here and the pole will only have heightened those expectations. But that pole was at least as much down to a small Charles Leclerc error into Turn 10 as it was the RB18’s pace and any Verstappen victory looks set to be far harder-fought than that he enjoyed here last year – or in the previous two races of this season.

‘How Verstappen climbed out of big Dutch GP hole’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/mark-hughes-how-verstappen-climbed-out-of-big-dutch-gp-hole/


Ted's Qualifying Notebook | Dutch Grand Prix
17:33 Sat, 03 Sep 2022.
Sky Sports

‘Sky F1's Ted Kravitz looks back at all the stories from qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12688969/teds-quali-notebook

[Fortitude]

Max Verstappen wins breathless Dutch GP as Lewis Hamilton suffers late nightmare.
Verstappen was the home favourite with two Ferraris behind him on the grid, though Hamilton and George Russell turned out to be his main opponents as Mercedes had a brilliant day at Zandvoort.
• 15:40, 4 Sep 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Lewis Hamilton came close to spoiling the Max Verstappen party at the Dutch Grand Prix – but was unable to prevent the Red Bull star from overtaking in the final few laps. A breathless race saw Mercedes live up to the hype they have received this weekend. Ferrari were unable to challenge the home favourite, but both Hamilton and George Russell were flying on hard tyres and putting race leader Verstappen under intense pressure during the middle stages.

But everything was changed by a virtual safety car, followed by the real thing. Hamilton took the lead of the race as Verstappen pitted for soft tyres, but Russell also came in under the main safety car and so the seven-time world champion lost his buffer, and was duly overtaken by the Dutchman.

He then tumbled down the order with Russell and Charles Leclerc overtook him, meaning he did not even manage a spot on the podium. Hamilton was furious over team radio, bombarding his race engineer with a series of X-rated messages.

‘Max Verstappen wins breathless Dutch GP’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/breaking-dutchgp-verstappen-hamilton-russell-27904614


Race Results – 2022 Dutch Grand Prix
Zandvoort, Netherlands
04/09/2022, 15:46
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing – 72 laps
2. George Russell Mercedes +4.071
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +10.929
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +13.016
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +18.168
6. Fernando Alonso Alpine +18.754
7. Lando Norris McLaren +19.306
8. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +20.916
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +21.117
10. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +22.459

‘Dutch Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at Zandvoort’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-results-2022-dutch-grand-prix-80002


Max Verstappen wins home Dutch Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton fumes at Mercedes
04/09/2022, 15:46
Philip Duncan
The Independent

Max Verstappen won the Dutch Grand Prix after a furious Lewis Hamilton’s charge for a breath-taking victory was derailed by a Mercedes strategy error.

Hamilton was second when Valtteri Bottas broke down in his Alfa Romeo with 15 laps remaining in Zandvoort.

Hamilton was furious with his team after being left on old tyres and the seven-time champion finished fourth after leading the race with 12 laps remaining.

‘Max Verstappen wins home Dutch Grand Prix’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/dutch-grand-prix-result-max-verstappen-lewis-hamilton-b2159516.html


Lewis Hamilton slams Mercedes in expletive-ridden radio message after Dutch GP ruined
LEWIS HAMILTON launched an astonishing attack on his Mercedes team.
15:36, Sun, Sep 4, 2022 |
By Joe Krishnan

Lewis Hamilton ripped into his Mercedes team with an astonishing expletive-ridden rant after losing the lead to Max Verstappen at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Mercedes star was left distraught after the team decided to pit George Russell during the safety car, leaving Hamilton exposed on the restart on Lap 61.

‘Lewis Hamilton slams Mercedes in expletive-ridden radio message’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1664552/Lewis-Hamilton-Mercedes-Max-Verstappen-radio-message-Dutch-Grand-Prix-F1-news


Dutch GP: Lewis Hamilton's livid team radio outburst as Mercedes cost him
Published: 4 Sep 2022, 15:58
By Sam Pearce

Lewis Hamilton is yet to go a full season in his Formula One career without a win during a full season, but time is running out this season after Mercedes struggled to adapt to the new regulations at the start of the season, forcing them to play catch-up.

As you can imagine, Hamilton was absolutely fuming with what unfolded after he looked in a great position to get the win and ultimately missed out on a podium, finishing fourth. So it was no surprise to see Hamilton on the team radio making his feelings known to the team. First of all he said: “That was the biggest **** up.”

But he wasn’t done there, he then ranted at his team further, conveying just how seething he was, and rightly so, he should be: “I can’t believe you s****d me like that. I can’t describe how p****d I am.” To add insult to injury for Hamilton, his team have hampered him and helped his teammate. Whilst Hamilton is a team player and will love to see his team have another P2 in the bag, his own fortunes will obviously have him irate.

“I can’t believe you s****d me like that. I can’t describe how p****d I am.”;

https://www.givemesport.com/88055961-dutch-gp-lewis-hamiltons-livid-team-radio-outburst-as-mercedes-cost-him


Lewis Hamilton blanks George Russell as anger boils over after dramatic Dutch Grand Prix
GEORGE RUSSELL benefited from team-mate Lewis Hamilton staying out after the safety car at the end of a chaotic Dutch Grand Prix.
15:52, Sun, Sep 4, 2022
By Stuart Ballard

Lewis Hamilton gave George Russell the cold shoulder in a tense moment after the Dutch Grand Prix with the seven-time world champion only managing fourth in the end.

‘Lewis Hamilton blanks George Russell’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1664558/George-Russell-Lewis-Hamilton-F1-news-Dutch-Grand-Prix-Mercedes

[Fortitude]

Lewis Hamilton receives Toto Wolff apology as Mercedes mistake costs Brit Dutch GP win.
TOTO WOLFF issued an apology to Lewis Hamilton after a chaotic finale at the Dutch Grand Prix.
16:14, Sun, Sep 4, 2022
By Joe Krishnan

Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton received an apology from team prinicipal Toto Wolff after a strategy error robbed the Briton of a first race victory of the season at the Dutch Grand Prix. The seven-time champion unleashed a tirade of expletives at his team after being passed by Max Verstappen following the safety car restart before coming home in fourth.

Hamilton’s race engineer Peter Bennington apologised to Hamilton for the events that led to the Briton coming home in fourth place and promised to review the incidents later in the day. And Wolff echoed his comments, admitting their gamble “didn’t work”.

"Sorry about that Lewis,” Bennington said. ‘Was looking good but we'll sit down and review the decisions that we made there." Wolff then followed his message by saying: “Yeah Lewis, sorry it didn't work out. We did what we discussed in the morning, we took a risk. It didn't work. Let's discuss between us in the office.”

‘TOTO WOLFF issued an apology to Lewis Hamilton’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1664567/Lewis-Hamilton-Mercedes-Toto-Wolff-apology-radio-message-Dutch-Grand-Prix-F1-news


Toto Wolff details private chat with Lewis Hamilton after Brit's horror end to Dutch GP
LEWIS HAMILTON had to make do with fourth after threatening to win the Dutch Grand Prix.
16:15, Sun, Sep 4, 2022
By Stuart Ballard

to Wolff has explained what he "discussed" with a clearly angry and disappointed Lewis Hamilton after an eventful Dutch Grand Prix. Hamilton, at one stage, looked the strong favourite to win his first race of the season with Mercedes opting for a one-stop strategy.

It looked as though Russell was going to be used in an attempt to block Verstappen catching Hamilton on the restart. But confusion ensued when Russell then demanded to come into the pits for softs, leaving Hamilton exposed to Verstappen.

Hamilton was then powerless at the restart to Verstappen overtaking him and it wasn't ong until both Russell and Charles Leclerc also passed the seven-time world champion. The 37-year-old was furious on team radio, accusing Mercedes of ruining his race entirely with Wolff later apologising to his star driver.

‘Toto Wolff details private chat’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1664569/Toto-Wolff-Lewis-Hamilton-team-radio-Dutch-Grand-Prix-Verstappen-Russell-podium


F1 results: Dutch GP 2022 full standings as Hamilton left livid by Mercedes error which gifts Verstappen win.
September 4, 2022 4:15 pm(Updated 4:44 pm)
By Daniel Austin
Sports writer

Mercedes throw away the best chance of victory they’ve had all season just to chase a podium place. No wonder Hamilton isn’t happy. In a Formula One season where they have been unable to challenge for race victories due to the skittishness and sheer speed deficit of their car, the unified determination of the Mercedes team and Lewis Hamilton has kept the former winning machine moving slowly forward as they try to make their way back to the front.

Imagine their delight, then, when a chaotic final portion of the Dutch Grand Prix caused by a late safety car left Hamilton in first, with team-mate George Russell behind, separating him and home favourite Verstappen. Mercedes had their best shot at a win all year, and Hamilton the most likely chance of maintaining his record of taking at least one victory in every season he has raced in F1.

But suddenly, incomprehensibly, inexplicably, Mercedes threw it all away. Russell requested a pit stop to switch his medium tyres for softs, which would leave Verstappen exposed on fast rubber of his own and Hamilton hopelessly vulnerable. A bizarre strategy suggestion, surely? Nothing Mercedes would even consider from that position. A given that they would want to have a two-car buffer ahead of Verstappen. Right?

‘Hamilton left livid by Mercedes error’;

https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-one/f1-results-dutch-gp-2022-full-standings-lewis-hamilton-radio-mercedes-max-verstappen-1832431?ITO=newsnow


Nico Rosberg: Lewis' frustration 'totally understandable'
04/09/2022, 16:37
Sky Sports

Nico Rosberg believes Mercedes should have left George Russell out to maximise Lewis Hamilton's chances of winning the race.

‘Lewis' frustration 'totally understandable' ’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/f1/12689997/nico-rosberg-mercedes-should-have-left-george-russell-out-to-block-for-lewis-hamilton


Dutch GP gives Mercedes "a lot of confidence" - Russell
04/09/2022, ‎16‎:‎36
Author Jake Nichol

George Russell was P2 at Zandvoort for his best result of the season after a challenging season. George Russell believes Mercedes can take "a lot of confidence" from the Dutch Grand Prix, after secured his best Formula 1 result of the season. Russell made a decision to put for Soft tyres behind a late Valtteri Bottas-inspired Safety Car, dropping down to third behind Max Verstappen.

On the restart, leader Lewis Hamilton was mugged by Verstappen who cleared off for the win, with Russell overtaking Hamilton on Lap 64 for P2 - the elder Briton falling away to P4 on old Mediums. "We like to keep it close always," joked Russell in his post-race world feed interview to David Coulthard.

"I think as a team today we showed incredible pace, I know the team result wasn't quite what we hoped for. But this gives us a lot of confidence and a lot of faith moving forward. I think it's incredible to see three different teams on the podium and we as Mercedes slowly getting closer to that top step, so let's keep on pushing."

"We like to keep it close always,";

https://racingnews365.com/dutch-gp-gives-mercedes-a-lot-of-confidence-russell

[Fortitude]

‘I was hopeful we were going to get a 1-2’ says Hamilton, as he apologises for angry Dutch GP radio outbursts.
Lewis Hamilton turned the airwaves blue in the final stages of the Dutch Grand Prix, having seen a possible chance of victory snatched away by a late Safety Car. But a becalmed Hamilton was taking the positives from his Sunday despite finishing P4 – as team mate George Russell climbed past him to P2 at the flag.
04 September 2022
Formula 1.

A Safety Car was called six laps later after Valtteri Bottas pulled up on the main straight, Verstappen, Russell and Charles Leclerc diving into the pits for soft tyres as Hamilton stayed out on his mediums, inheriting the lead.

However, when green flag racing resumed, he was immediately passed by Verstappen, with Russell and Leclerc following suit to leave a furious Hamilton P4 by the chequered. “I can’t believe you guys ****ed me. I can’t tell you how ****ed I am,” yelled Hamilton into the radio.

But fortunately for the awaiting media, he’d calmed down by the time he faced the cameras post-race. “My apologies to the team because I don’t even remember what I said,” smiled Hamilton. “It was like I just lost it for a second, but I think they know it’s just so much passion.

‘Apologies for angry Dutch GP radio outbursts’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.i-was-hopeful-we-were-going-to-get-a-1-2-says-hamilton-as-he-apologises-for.2VOnSMTNvuWV4BK7P7Dm0L.html


Hamilton: ‘I knew I’d lost the race before the restart’
2022 Dutch Grand Prix
Posted on 4th September 2022, 17:35
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

Lewis Hamilton knew he was a sitting duck at the final restart in the Dutch Grand Prix as he hadn’t switched to a set of soft tyres as the drivers behind him had. The Mercedes driver moved into the lead of the race when the Safety Car was deployed due to Valtteri Bottas’s car coming to a stop on the pit straight. While Verstappen came in to switch to soft tyres, giving up the race lead, Hamilton stayed out on his medium rubber, which had only done five laps.

However other drivers behind him switched to softs, including team mate George Russell. After the restart he was immediately passed by three of them and finished fourth. The result was a blow for Hamilton after Mercedes’ strongest showing of the year so far, in a season where there are still yet to score a win.

“It’s been such a rollercoaster ride this year,” said Hamilton in response to a question from RaceFans. “This was such a good race. The car was feeling better than it’s felt all year long. And obviously we had a difficult race last week. Yesterday up until the last corner where the yellow flag was, I was up 0.7 on everyone. So we had pace. The car was different to how it’s been all year long.”

‘I Knew I’d Lost The Race Before The Restart’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/04/hamilton-i-knew-id-lost-the-race-before-the-restart/


Lewis Hamilton: Safety Car 'completely screwed us' in Dutch GP
04 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

Hamilton also apologised to the team for his "emotional" radio outburst after he slipped from the lead to P4 at the flag at Zandvoort.

‘Safety Car Completely Screwed Us';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.lewis-hamilton-safety-car-completely-screwed-us-in-dutch-gp.1743055158101594044.html


Hamilton admits "not an easy call" for Mercedes in Dutch GP
04/09/2022, ‎19‎:‎10
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

‘Lewis Hamilton was left out on old Mediums for the restart after not pitting for Soft tyres, and finished fourth’;

‘Not An Easy Call For Mercedes’;

https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-admits-not-an-easy-call-for-mercedes-in-dutch-gp


Apologetic Hamilton 'on the edge of breaking point' in Dutch GP
04/09/2022 at 17:47
Phillip van Osten

Hamilton, running on his old mediums, led the restart but was overhauled in short order by Verstappen, with Russell and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc also breezing past the seven-time world champion in the following laps.

"I can’t believe you guys screwed me like that," quipped a visibly angry Hamilton on the radio. "I can’t tell you how pissed I am right now." But after the race which he concluded in fourth position, Hamilton apologized to his team and conceded that his fury had gotten the better of him.

"I was just on the edge of breaking point with emotions and my apologies to the team because I don’t even remember what I said, I just lost it for a second," Hamilton said. "But I think they know that there is just so much passion and I want to look at it as a glass half full, we came here struggling from last race, we were fighting against the Red Bulls today, we were quicker than most at many points."

‘On The Edge Of Breaking Point';

https://f1i.com/news/453175-apologetic-hamilton-on-the-edge-of-breaking-point-in-dutch-gp.html

[Fortitude]

‘Oh my god’: F1 basket case a total ‘mess’ after fresh shambles.
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto and one of his drivers Carlos Sainz agreed their disastrous Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday was “a mess”.
September 5th, 2022 8:26 am
AFP

In a chaotic and busy race, punctuated by stoppages, Red Bull emerged triumphant as Max Verstappen drove to his fourth consecutive victory ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Ferrari’s race was filled with series of errors and misfortunes including bungled pit-stops, unsafe releases in the pit lane and erratic strategy calls.

A poor first pit stop left Sainz standing for 12 seconds as his crew searched for a left rear tyre. “Oh my God!” exclaimed Sainz.

‘F1 basket case’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/f1-2022-dutch-grand-prix-news-ferrari-lament-shambles-pit-stop-error-strategy-blunder-carlos-sainz-charles-leclerc/news-story/b5f87ba632147f3ad5d4aea6e36e57e7


Binotto and Sainz lament Ferrari's Dutch 'mess'.
Ferrari's race was filled with series of errors and misfortunes including bungled pit-stops, unsafe releases in the pit lane and erratic strategy calls.
Issued on: 04/09/2022 - 21:18
France 24

Zandvoort (Netherlands) (AFP) – Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto and one of his drivers Carlos Sainz agreed their disastrous Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday was "a mess". A poor first pit stop left Sainz standing for 12 seconds as his crew searched for a left rear tyre. "Oh my God!" exclaimed Sainz.

Not only had his crew mislaid a tyre, but they also left a wheel gun on the ground in front of Sergio Perez of Red Bull. "A mess," said Binotto. "What happened: a mess. A very, very late call. The mechanics weren't ready. We will revisit that at the end of this race.”

"We made the call at the last corner, at the banking. Not enough time, but we will review at the end." Sainz's dramas were not over. He was later released unsafely from his pit into the path of Fernando Alonso's Alpine, an error that cost him a five-second penalty and dropped him from fifth to eighth in the race result.

‘Ferrari's Dutch 'mess' ’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220904-binotto-and-sainz-lament-ferrari-s-dutch-mess


Nico Rosberg says F2 and F3 teams do 'better job' than Ferrari after Dutch GP calamity.
Nico Rosberg has blasted Ferrari in the wake of the Dutch Grand Prix which saw Carlos Sainz suffer two disastrous pitstops and limp home eighth while Charles Leclerc could only manager third.
20:22, 4 SEP 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Ferrari were left to reflect on another error-strewn race following the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Once again, Ferrari shot themselves in the foot with comical errors, this time affecting Carlos Sainz. First, after the Spaniard was called in, the mechanics did not have all four wheels ready, meaning a stop which should have taken less than three seconds took more than 12.

Sainz suffered another setback later in the race when he was hit with a time penalty following an unsafe release and eventually finished eighth. While Leclerc salvaged third, it was another day to forget for the Scuderia. Former world champion Nico Rosberg issued a brutal verdict on Ferrari, saying the team needs to make big changes if it is to challenge for wins on a regular basis.

“Oh my goodness,” he said on Sky Sports F1. “And Binotto says ‘no, no, we don’t need to make changes, everything is going well’. When is the day coming? It’s not possible. Even Formula 2 teams or Formula 3 teams do a better job at their strategy and pitstops. You go in the pits and there’s no tyre there. At some point, they really need to start making some changes. And their car is just a little bit off the pace. We saw it at Spa, we saw it again here. They’re starting to lose out.”

‘Nico Rosberg says F2 and F3 teams do 'better job' ’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/ferrari-dutch-gp-rosberg-f1-27906492


‘They left the gun out’: Sergio Perez unhappy with Ferrari blunder.
The Dutch Grand Prix was one to forget for Carlos Sainz.
4 September 2022
by James Clifford

It was not an easy day for Carlos Sainz at the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix as yet more mistakes from Ferrari cost him points. The Spaniard started third behind Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, and there was contact on his right rear with Sir Lewis Hamilton – the pair escaped unscathed.

The left rear was the tyre in question later on in the race when the 27-year-old was called in for a stop but, somehow, the mechanic who was meant to put the tyre on that corner was late out of the garage.

While the rest of the team was waiting for the replacement tyre, the left rear tyre gun was left out in the pit lane, and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez ran over it. “They left the gun out,” said a surprised 32-year-old over the radio. Thankfully, no lasting damage was done to the Red Bull and, after the new tyre came out, Sainz was finally released.

‘They left the gun out’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/they-left-the-gun-out-sergio-perez-unhappy-with-ferrari-blunder/


Sainz calls his Dutch GP a ‘mess’ after pit stop trouble and penalty drop him to P8
04 September 2022
Formula 1.

Carlos Sainz had a race to forget at Zandvoort, the Ferrari driver finishing fifth but dropping to eighth after a five-second penalty for an unsafe release, which followed a glacial and chaotic pit stop.

The Spaniard couldn’t keep up with the leaders early in the race and pitted for a new set of mediums in a stop that lasted 12.7 seconds, as the rear-left tyre was not present when he entered the box. To add insult to injury, Sergio Perez – who made up time on Sainz in the pits – drove over a Ferrari wheel gun while exiting his box.

The #55 driver also appeared to pass Esteban Ocon under a yellow flag flown for Valtteri Bottas’s stricken car, Sainz finally given a five-second penalty for an unsafe release in front of Fernando Alonso having pitted for tyres under the resulting Safety Car.

‘Race to forget at Zandvoort’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.sainz-calls-his-dutch-gp-a-mess-after-pit-stop-trouble-and-penalty-drop-him.6oSVQj8Ndx70xhikXh99t2.html


‘It was a mess, the whole race’ – Sainz reflects on a tough day after a disastrous pit stop at Zandvoort
04 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

Carlos Sainz had an eventful Dutch Grand Prix, dropping down the order after a botched pit stop, before being given a penalty for an unsafe release on a later stop as he eventually came home a frustrated P8.

‘Sainz reflects on a tough day’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.it-was-a-mess-the-whole-race-sainz-reflects-on-a-tough-day-after-a-disastrous-pit-stop-at-zandvoort.1743052011405741068.html


Binotto promises 'fix' after Ferrari's latest "mess"
Sunday 4 September 2022 20:40
Ewan Gale

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has promised a fix after the Scuderia's latest "mess" during the Dutch Grand Prix. Binotto initially told Sky Sports F1 from the pit wall the situation was "a mess", adding: "A late call and the mechanics were not ready. We will review after the race."

Speaking post-race, Binotto at least presented a cool head in the face of adversity. "If I look at it the problem it was too late a call, we had no time to react," said Binotto.

"All these things need to be fixed, this is one of the easiest to be fixed. It happened, it should not have happened. I am pretty sure we can be stronger in the future. I am less concerned by that than by the speed of the car."

‘Binotto promises fix';

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/90917/dutch-grand-prix-ferrari-mess-concerns-cooled/

[Fortitude]

Marko raves about 'alien' Verstappen following Dutch GP win.
Helmut Marko heaped praise on Max Verstappen describing him as "on his own planet" following his victory in the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.
‎04‎ ‎September‎ ‎17‎:‎40
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Ruud Dimmers

The Red Bull driver boss was gushing about his star driver following a fourth Grand Prix win in a row. Although Verstappen started on pole and won the race, it was far from a comfortable day for the World Champion who passed Lewis Hamilton on a late Safety Car restart to re-take the lead.

Verstappen was able to benefit from a Virtual and then full Safety Cars to bail him out of a strategy hole vs Hamilton - who was on a one-stop compared to a planned two, but eventually three-stopper for the Red Bull.

Verstappen crossed the line to win his fourth successive Grand Prix, 10th from 15 races and earn a 109 point lead over Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc, both on 201 points following fifth and third place finishes, respectively.

"On His Own Planet";

https://racingnews365.com/marko-raves-about-alien-verstappen-following-dutch-gp-win


Max Verstappen's wild celebrations with fans | 'Absolute chaos!'
09:04 Mon, 05 Sep 2022.
Sky Sports

Max Verstappen celebrated with his Red Bull team-mates and his home fans after taking victory at the Dutch Grand Prix.

'Absolute chaos!';

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12690449/max-verstappens-wild-celebrations-with-fans-absolute-chaos


Villeneuve: Verstappen and Red Bull virtually unbeatable
6 September, 2022
Jad Mallak

Jacque Villeneuve hailed the Max Verstappen and Red Bull combination as unbeatable after the Dutchman won his tenth race this season at the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix. Reflecting on the race in his formule1.nl column, Villeneuve said: “At the moment, the combination of Max Verstappen and Red Bull is virtually unbeatable. They have the perfect chemistry, have the momentum and are now a combination like Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in their peak years,” he added.

“Beating them would take a perfect season and for them to make mistakes,” the Canadian went on. “And what mistakes has Verstappen made? Small errors in Spain and Hungary, after which he still won.”

“Still, I can’t believe that we have two cars that are close in speed to each other and yet the championship is as good as decided with seven races to go,” he pointed out at Ferrari’s inability to run Red Bull close despite their impressive F1-75.”

‘Verstappen and Red Bull virtually unbeatable’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/06/villeneuve-verstappen-and-red-bull-virtually-unbeatable/


LEWIS HAMILTON IS IMPRESSED BY THE RED BULL TEAM
Red Bull have been judged for being a drinks company and taking on Formula One, particularly by Lewis Hamilton.
06/09/2022, 07:35
Catherine Micallef
FormulaNerds

Lewis Hamilton was asked to comment on Max Verstappen’s dominance. But Hamilton chose to praise someone else for Red Bull’s success. This is Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey, who previously worked with Williams and McLaren before joining Red Bull in 2006. Adrian was key to Red Bull’s success as a professional and expert in aerodynamics. Lewis Hamilton was asked whether he is impressed by Max Verstappen. The Brit is more impressed by the person behind the dominant RB18. As reported by Crash, Hamilton said, “It’s more that I’m impressed with Adrian Newey and his team.”

He added, “I think it is a great team; they’ve generally had really great cars for some time. They’ve done a fantastic job and anything I’ve said in the past about the team, I didn’t mean it in a negative way. I think years ago I said something about them being a drinks company, and I was just really highlighting that you would bet more on a car company, but they’ve proved me wrong and everyone else.”

“But also knowing that Adrian did his thesis on ground effect cars when he was at university, it’s no surprise what he has done and created this year. It is impressive but I believe in the young guns in my team and that we will catch up.”

‘They’ve proved me wrong and everyone else’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/lewis-hamilton-impressed-red-bull-team/?nowprocket=1


Verstappen: No "real weaknesses" for RB18
06/09/2022, ‎07‎:‎55
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Aaron Deckers

Max Verstappen says Red Bull are looking forward to Monza as he believes there is no "real weakness" for them in the final seven races of the season. Red Bull have shown to be consistent across all types of tracks so far, with the recent floor directive introduced at the Belgium Grand Prix also seemingly un-affecting them.

This is contrasting to rivals Mercedes who have found high speed circuits affect them most, while Ferrari are left trying to solve why they are dropping off in pace during the race. "No real weaknesses but we know at some places where we are stronger than others, we know on a high downforce track that it's a bit of a more difficult situation to get the best out of our package," Verstappen told media, including RacingNews365.com.

"But I think if you look at the whole season, of course, you have more tracks with kind of medium downforce levels and I think our car is very efficient. So that's why I think we're all looking forward to Monza."

‘No "real weaknesses" for RB18’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-no-real-weaknesses-for-red-bull

[Fortitude]

AlphaTauri issue damning statement on ‘unacceptable’ foul play accusations.
AlphaTauri have released a strongly-worded statement condemning accusations levelled at Red Bull and themselves over Yuki Tsunoda’s retirement from the Dutch Grand Prix.
Henry Valantine
Monday 5th September 2022 4:50 PM

The team have railed against “hateful behaviour” directed at Red Bull’s chief strategist, Hannah Schmitz, online overnight, as well as stating in the strongest possible terms they compete independently of Red Bull.

AlphaTauri said: “It is incredibly disheartening to read some of the language and comments directed at our team and towards Red Bull Racing’s head of strategy, Hannah Schmitz. Such hateful behaviour cannot be tolerated, and to entertain accusations of foul play is unacceptable, untrue and completely disrespectful towards both Hannah and us.”

“We have always competed independently, fairly and with the highest levels of respect and sportsmanship. Yuki had a failure that the team didn’t immediately detect which caused him to stop on track. To suggest anything different is insulting and categorically incorrect.”

‘Strongly-worded statement condemning accusations’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alphatauri-statement-yuki-tsunoda-accusations/


AlphaTauri Chief Engineer explains Tsunoda's bizarre DNF at Zandvoort
04 September 2022
Formula 1.

AlphaTauri’s Chief Engineer has explained Yuki Tsunoda’s confusing retirement from the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix after the Japanese driver stopped on track, retreated to the pits and re-emerged – only to stop on track once again.

After leaving the pits on Lap 48, he came to a halt and brought out the Virtual Safety Car. “Having seen that the [hard] compound was working well, we decided to also pit Yuki for them. After the pit stop he reported something strange at the rear of the car. We called him in again to change the tyres and immediately after, we had a car failure. This is currently under investigation within the team,” said Claudio Balestri, AlphaTauri’s Chief Engineer of Vehicle Performance.

‘AlphaTauri Chief Engineer explains Tsunoda's bizarre DNF’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.alphatauri-chief-engineer-explains-tsunodas-bizarre-dnf-at-zandvoort.7M4FwRxgJf2ozrEWdbr1fH.html


Gary Anderson: Why Tsunoda conspiracy was clearly nonsense
06/09/2022,07:35
By Gary Anderson
The Race

The conspiracy theory about AlphaTauri causing a virtual safety car period to help Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the Dutch Grand Prix is total rubbish and I’m not surprised to see the team criticising such suggestions. You can see why AlphaTauri didn’t immediately diagnose the problem Yuki Tsunoda’s car suffered.

I’m pretty sure that when he left the pits after his second pitstop of the race he either broke the differential, a driveshaft joining or sheared the drive pegs. To him, that would feel like there was no drive on one side, so he thought that a wheel was loose. The team did later discover that it was apparently a diff problem.

Any suspicions Mercedes might have had about this – and it’s important to note it made no complaints or protests – will surely have vanished when it saw the facts of what happened. It just has to accept its own weaknesses and resist the temptation to blame AlphaTauri. As for Red Bull, what would it gain from this? It was already well ahead in both championships and Verstappen probably would have won even if the Mercedes one-stopper had played out, after all.

‘Clearly Nonsense’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-anderson-why-tsunoda-conspiracy-was-clearly-nonsense/


AlphaTauri call out 'hateful behaviour' directed at Red Bull strategist for Yuki Tsunda's DNF at Dutch GP
Last Updated: 05/09/22 10:50pm
SKY Sports

Red Bull Racing's Head of Strategy, Hannah Schmitz, has been the victim of online hate after Yuki Tsunoda's DNF resulted in Lewis Hamilton losing his lead in Sunday's Dutch Grand Prix

AlphaTauri have released a statement to call out the "hateful behaviour" directed at the team and Red Bull Racing's Head of Strategy, Hannah Schmitz, after Yuki Tsunoda's DNF cost Lewis Hamilton a chance of victory at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday.

‘Hateful Behaviour Called Out’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12690829/alpha-tauri-call-out-hateful-behaviour-directed-at-red-bull-strategist-for-yuki-tsundas-dnf-at-dutch-gp


Lewis Hamilton defends Red Bull strategy ace after abuse and conspiracy theories
09:22, 5 SEP 2022
BY Mark Whiley

“We 100% understand that everyone’s emotions are high right now,” tweeted the group, a message which was retweeted by Hamilton himself. “No one expected the race to unfold that way when we were so close to a win. But it’s important to us that we continue to spread love and empathy towards the hardworking teams in the paddock – whether from our team or others – but especially the women.”

“The language of hateful comments directed at Red Bull head of strategy Hannah Schmitz is intolerable and should not be condoned. This sport is cut-throat, and you have to be ready for absolutely anything, and that’s what she did today.”

“There are a lot of positives to take from Lewis’ race today, and that’s exactly what we are focusing on doing. Thank you for your unwavering support for LH! We win and we lose together.”

‘Lewis Hamilton defends Red Bull strategy ace’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/hamilton-hannah-schmitz-red-bull-27908517

[Fortitude]

Alonso pleased to gain a place from Ferrari again after “70 qualifying laps” at Zandvoort.
The Alpine driver rose up the order from 13th on the grid by passing the AlphaTauris in the opening laps then making an early switch to hard tyres.
2022 Dutch Grand Prix
Posted on 5th September 2022, 12:58
Written by Keith Collantine

Fernando Alonso said his run to sixth place in the Dutch Grand Prix was “one of his best” performances of the year. “It was for sure 70 laps of qualifying today because we could not relax at any point,” he said. “The start was good, but I lost places on the outside of one so I had to fight very hard to recover some.”

He made a “very early” switch to the hard tyre “because we wanted some clear air in front of us and it was working,” he explained. “We had to push very hard to make that middle stint work.” As he didn’t make it into Q3 in qualifying, Alonso had a fresh set of soft tyres for his final stint. But soon after he put them on, the Safety Car was deployed.

As he didn’t make it into Q3 in qualifying, Alonso had a fresh set of soft tyres for his final stint. But soon after he put them on, the Safety Car was deployed. “When we thought that it was more relaxed part of the race at the end with a good, fresh soft tyre, the Safety Car came and we had to fight again all the last 12 laps. So it was a very demanding race for sure.”

‘Alonso pleased to gain a place from Ferrari again’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/05/alonso-pleased-to-gain-a-place-from-ferrari-again-after-70-qualifying-laps-at-zandvoort/


Fernando Alonso praises ‘very aggressive’ hard tyre call that paid off with P6 finish
Monday 5th September 2022 8:00 PM
Henry Valantine

Fernando Alonso says he and Alpine identified in Friday practice using the hard tyre would be beneficial in the Dutch Grand Prix – having been largely ignored by others before teams changed strategy mid-race.

Having complained of traffic during Q2 that he felt had hampered his final flying run, which left him down in P13 on the starting grid, Alonso was able to work his way up to finish seventh on the road before a penalty for Carlos Sainz was applied and elevated the Alpine driver up to P6.

Part of his and Alpine’s success came down to an early pit-stop that eventually paid dividends for them, moving onto a set of hard tyres that performed better than most had anticipated in race trim.

‘Fernando Alonso praises ‘very aggressive’ hard tyre call’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernando-alonso-happy-dutch-gp-strategy/


Fernando Alonso opens up on Alpine exit as veteran F1 star maps out retirement plan
FERNANDO ALONSO has explained why he chose to leave Alpine for Aston Martin.
19:36, Mon, Sep 5, 2022
By Joe Krishnan

Fernando Alonso has lifted the lid on his surprise decision to leave Alpine, suggesting that Aston Martin’s eagerness to sign him made him aware of how little love he had been receiving from Alpine. The 41-year-old will drive for the British-based team in 2023 after signing a two-year contract, ending his two-year association with his current employers.

Alonso had been in discussions with Alpine over a new deal to keep him with the Enstone team after some impressive displays in 2022. He has finished in the top six in four of the last six races, earning a total of 59 points, and finished on the podium at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2021.

But Alpine’s refusal to hand him a deal longer than a one-year extension forced Alonso to consider his options. And when Aston Martin made their interest clear, the Spaniard decided to sign for the outfit owned by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll.

‘FERNANDO ALONSO has explained why he chose to leave Alpine for Aston Martin’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1665096/Fernando-Alonso-Alpine-exit-Aston-Martin-retirement-date-confirmed-F1-news


Aston Martin want to run 3 cars with Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso in 2023
Fernando Alonso will partner Lance Stroll at Aston Martin in 2023.
5 September 2022
by James Clifford

Krack revealed during the Belgian Grand Prix there were other names in the hat to replace Vettel, but they went with 32-time race winner Alonso. “When Sebastian announced what his plans were, you need to look at who is available and who is the best one available,” he told Sky Sports. “So, there were a few others but I think there is no need that I go now into detail.”

“We were always clear that we wanted to continue with Sebastian so it is not a fair question at the end of the day,” added Krack. “Our plans were to continue with Sebastian, we always said it, and an alternative was only coming alive as soon as Sebastian said that he is going to stop.” The German joked that he would “take both” Vettel and Alonso, and run “three cars” along with Stroll.

‘Aston Martin want to run 3 cars!’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/aston-martin-want-to-run-3-cars-with-sebastian-vettel-and-fernando-alonso-in-2023/


No Hard Feelings - Fernando Alonso Picks Up the Autographed Cap From Lewis Hamilton
2 Sep 2022, 10:02 UTC ·
by Monica Coman

Later, the Spaniard apologized (kind of) for his words. He shared: "First of all, Lewis is a champion, he’s a legend of our time. And then when you say something – and I’m sorry to repeat this – against a British driver, there is huge media involvement after that.”

Alonso added he wanted to apologize in person, too. Well, the two-time World Champion is a man of his word, so he did do that. In a new picture shared on Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One’s official Twitter account, captioned “Look who stopped by,” Alonso posed with Lewis Hamilton, holding an autographed cap from the seven-time World Champion.

In a series of pictures shared by Lewis on August 30, there was also the same cap with a sticker that read, “To Fernando.”

‘No Hard Feelings’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/no-hard-feelings-fernando-alonso-picks-up-the-autographed-cap-from-lewis-hamilton-197611.html

[Fortitude]

‘We probably have to try quite hard to lose it’ says Horner as Red Bull eye both titles for first time since 2013.
“We’re in a great position,” said Horner at the end of the Dutch Grand Prix, “and we probably have to try quite hard to lose it. But mathematically, nothing is done until it’s done. Our approach is as it’s always been, go one race at a time. Next race, next Sunday, same effort. We don’t allow ourselves to think too far ahead.”
06 September 2022
Formula 1.

Christian Horner could be forgiven for his post-race demeanour in Zandvoort, such was the manner in which his charge took victory in the Dutch Grand Prix. With Max Verstappen showing no signs of pressure despite the huge number of fans there cheering him on, the Dutchman secured the win with surprising ease – and in doing so, moved Red Bull closer to both world titles.

Verstappen has 310 points in the drivers’ championship, with team mate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc equal on 201 points in pursuit. There are just 190 left on the table, including the bonus points for fastest lap along with those for the Sprint in Brazil.

All of which means the Dutchman needs just four second place finishes and a fifth from the last seven races to seal back to back titles – and that's assuming Leclerc wins every race and takes the bonus points. And with Red Bull streets ahead in the constructors’, it was easy to see why Horner was in a jovial mood.

‘We probably have to try quite hard to lose it’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.we-probably-have-to-try-quite-hard-to-lose-it-says-horner-as-red-bull-eye.36RYHmj28GHxPrS1GveC1C.html


Christian Horner on Red Bull title chances: ‘We’d have to try quite hard to lose it’
Tuesday 6th September 2022 1:00 PM
Jon Wilde

Christian Horner has given his strongest admission yet that Red Bull and Max Verstappen are on the brink of a World Championship double. Although Ferrari began the 2022 season, with its new technical regulations and the return of ground-effect aerodynamics, as the team on top, the tide has turned Red Bull’s way since race four.

Verstappen won the second round of the series in Saudi Arabia but it was Imola where his fortunes really began to pick up and he has now triumphed in nine of the last 12 grands prix. The Dutchman, defending his Drivers’ crown, has built a 109-point advantage over early leader Charles Leclerc, while Red Bull are now 135 points ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors’ standings.

Horner, the Red Bull team principal, is generally wary of getting carried away about title prospects – after all, Verstappen had a commanding margin over Lewis Hamilton last year with four races to go but the duo ended up level going into the Abu Dhabi decider. But even with seven grands prix of this campaign remaining, Horner has conceded it would need an incredible turnaround to stop both trophies being placed in the Milton Keynes cabinet come the end of November.

‘Christian Horner has given his strongest admission yet’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christian-horner-red-bull-try-hard/


Red Bull Racing’s Christian Horner: “The Team is operating at an extremely high level”
September 5, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

After Oracle Red Bull Racing‘s eleventh win of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season at the Dutch Grand Prix, Christian Horner has heaped praise on the team following another impressive showing. With another win under the team’s belt in 2022, Horner refused to claim that both championships were already wrapped up and insisted that the team would still be taking it one race at a time.

“However, what you see here is only 10% of the Team, it’s what goes on behind the scenes that really makes this possible. The Team is operating at an extremely high level and it’s all the support and effort that you don’t see back in Milton Keynes that makes a victory like this possible. All in all, it was a fantastic team performance, both drivers were in the zone from the moment they arrived at the track.

“We are in a great position and we are happy, although nothing is done until it is done. We operate one race at a time and we don’t allow ourselves to think too far ahead. It’s Monza next week, we are looking forward to it and hopefully can carry this form into that race.”

“The Team is operating at an extremely high level”;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/red-bull-racings-christian-horner-the-team-is-operating-at-an-extremely-high-level/


Mercedes’ Dutch Grand Prix strategy decision ‘surprised’ Christian Horner
Monday 5th September 2022 3:30 PM
Jon Wilde

Christian Horner thought Mercedes had made Dutch Grand Prix victory easier to achieve for Max Verstappen than it needed to be in the decisive stages. Although Verstappen had started from pole position in his home race, his 10th win of the season turned out to be anything but straightforward – due to the pace of, and the original strategy deployed by, Mercedes.

The climax was shaped by a Safety Car period triggered by Valtteri Bottas’ retirement, with his car stationary on the inside at the end of the pits straight. Lewis Hamilton was making the best of an initial one-stop strategy compared to Verstappen’s two-stopper and leading the race, but Mercedes chose to split their options during the Safety Car period. They chose to leave the seven-time former World Champion out in front to keep track position.

Verstappen made a pit-stop for fresh soft tyres and Hamilton’s team-mate, George Russell, demanded to do likewise. That left the Red Bull right on Hamilton’s tail when racing resumed, without the protection of having the other Mercedes as a buffer that could have allowed him to build a gap on Verstappen had Russell defended effectively. It was that split strategy that left Red Bull team principal Horner with eyebrows raised. “I was quite surprised they didn’t leave George out strategically as a rear gunner for Lewis,” Horner told reporters afterwards.

‘Quite surprised they didn’t leave George out strategically as a rear gunner for Lewis’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christian-horner-mercedes-surprised/


Horner surprised Mercedes didn't use Russell as 'rear gunner' for Hamilton
05/09/2022 at 09:21
Phillip van Osten

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was "quite surprised" that Mercedes did not leave George Russell out on track to protect Lewis Hamilton following Max Verstappen's late pit stop in the Dutch Grand Prix.
What first looked like a straightforward afternoon of racing at Zandvoort for Red Bull and Verstappen transformed into a tricky game of strategy, first due to a Virtual Safety Car following Yuki Tsunoda's retirement and then for a full safety car triggered by Valtteri Bottas' engine failure on the main straight. The latter neutralization decided Red Bull's strategists to give up track position against Mercedes and pit Verstappen for a final set of softs tyres.

While Hamilton picked up the leader's baton and remained out on track, the Brackley squad brought in Russell, also for a fresh set of soft boots. Horner was puzzled by Mercedes' apparent decision to hedge its bets. "You've got your home driver, leading in front of 105,000 people, and you decide to pit him for the soft tyres and concede track position behind two Mercedes," said Horner.

‘Russell as 'rear gunner' for Hamilton’;

https://f1i.com/news/453304-horner-surprised-mercedes-didnt-use-russell-as-rear-gunner-for-hamilton.html


Horner explains why Perez ran different Dutch GP floor to Verstappen.
The Red Bull duo ran different floors in the Dutch GP - with Christian Horner explaining why.
05‎ ‎September‎ ‎07‎:‎55
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has explained why Sergio Perez was forced to run a different Formula 1 floor to Max Verstappen in the Dutch Grand Prix. While Verstappen cruised to a fourth win on the trot and 10th of the season in front of his home crowd at Zandvoort, Perez endured a difficult weekend - and eventually came home in fifth place.

Verstappen now enjoys a 109 point championship lead over Perez and Charles Leclerc who are equal on 201. And Perez was forced to run a slightly different floor to his World Champion, soon to be twice, teammate, and had a precautionary power unit change overnight from Saturday into Sunday.

"It (the different spec of floor) gave minuscule differences," Horner explained to media including RacingNews365.com. "It's been predominantly driven by the availability of spare parts. I think the difference is probably less than a tenth, approximately maybe a tenth of a second. Checo had a tricky race and unfortunately was jumped at a restart. I think with hindsight, his tyre preference was the Medium and I think with 20/20 vision, the Soft at the end would probably better to attack. But it was still decent points for him today."

‘Perez ran different Dutch GP floor’;

https://racingnews365.com/horner-explains-why-perez-ran-different-dutch-gp-floor-to-verstappen

[Fortitude]

F1 2023 driver market update - the key issues still to be resolved.
With the Oscar Piastri-Daniel Ricciardo fiasco finally sorted, what remains to be resolved with F1’s driver market for 2023?
7 Sep 2022
Connor McDonagh

Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin have all got their driver pairings sorted for F1 2023.

Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon will all lead their respective teams’ charges next season but the identity of their teammates are still unknown.

‘How will things play out?’

https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/1011817/1/f1-2023-driver-market-update-key-issues-still-be-resolved


F1 Podcast: What's next in F1's 2023 driver market?
06/09/2022, ‎14‎:‎20
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Dieter Rencken
Off-track, one of the worst-kept secrets of recent times was confirmed last week, as F1's Contracts Recognition Board ruled that Oscar Piastri would indeed be able to race for McLaren in 2023. A tug of war for Piastri's services had developed between the Woking squad and his current employers Alpine, who had designs on promoting him to a race seat next year to replace the outgoing Fernando Alonso.

However, with Alonso off to Aston Martin and Piastri set to join McLaren, Alpine suddenly find themselves with only one contracted driver - Esteban Ocon - instead of three. How did they end up in this situation, and what's next for the French squad? Rumours suggest that Alpine are keen on replacing Alonso with Pierre Gasly, but that move may be contingent on AlphaTauri finding a replacement.

The Faenza team are linked with Colton Herta, but the American may not be granted a Super Licence to race in F1. Are the FIA's Super Licence points unfairly biased against drivers coming from IndyCar? And with uncertainty surrounding the F1 futures of Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher, what's next for that duo?

‘What's next in F1's 2023 driver market?’

https://racingnews365.com/f1-podcast-whats-next-in-f1s-2023-driver-market


Alpine considering 14 drivers for 'best seat in F1' but Pierre Gasly hailed as 'perfect choice' in 2023
Nico Rosberg: "For me, Pierre Gasly is the perfect choice. I think that'd be the perfect line-up for them"; Alpine want Gasly to fill unexpectedly vacant 2023 seat but deal is dependent on Red Bull signing Colton Herta for AlphaTauri
Last Updated: 07/09/22 1:26pm
SKY Sports.

Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer says the team have a shortlist of 14 drivers to fill "the best seat open in F1", with Pierre Gasly heralded by Nico Rosberg as the "perfect" candidate to partner Esteban Ocon. The French team have an unexpected opening for 2023 after Fernando Alonso signed for Aston Martin, while they then lost a contract battle to McLaren for the services of the previously-announced Oscar Piastri.

Gasly is the overwhelming favourite to land the seat, and Alpine have been in discussions with Red Bull over releasing the highly-rated AlphaTauri driver, but Szafnauer says the team have a "long list".

"We just want to understand all those that are available," the Alpine team principal told Sky Sports F1 at the Dutch GP. "We've got a long list. I've mentioned 14 before and it's about right. Now we've got to whittle that down to three or four and then look at all those and see which one's the best fit."

‘Alpine considering 14 drivers’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12691994/alpine-considering-14-drivers-for-best-seat-in-f1-but-pierre-gasly-hailed-as-perfect-choice-in-2023


Daniel Ricciardo linked to Mercedes in latest Formula 1 rumours
September 7th, 2022 4:18 pm
James McKern from News.com.au

Daniel Ricciardo’s uncertain future in Formula 1 remains the hot topic of conversation among the F1 community. But now a new rumour has taken over the Formula 1 community, linking Ricciardo to the powerhouse Mercedes. And the Aussie say’s he’s “open minded” to all options.

F1 journalist Joe Saward has linked the Aussie to joining the eight-time champion team, but not in a permanent on the grid role. Ricciardo would take over as the team’s reserve driver. Mercedes’ seats for 2023 are set in stone with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell proving to be a strong partnership on the grid.

“Ricciardo’s best move might be to become reserve driver at Mercedes, to help build up his confidence again,” Saward wrote. Hamilton’s contract is set to expire at the end of 2023 with retirement rumours following him for well over 12 months now.

‘Daniel Ricciardo linked to Mercedes’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/daniel-ricciardo-linked-to-mercedes-in-latest-formula-1-rumours/news-story/3980a1870fad3f6c3dc30f3ccc25afcc


Mick Schumacher Has Yet to Secure a Seat for the 2023 Formula 1 Season
30 Aug 2022, 16:06 UTC ·
by Sebastian Toma

Mick Schumacher is reportedly close to being a free agent after the end of the 2021 Formula 1 season, sources claim. The unnamed source noted that Mick's contract with Scuderia Ferrari, more precisely with the Ferrari Driver Academy, was set to end after the 2022 season. In other words, it is unclear if we will see Schumacher with Haas in 2023.

Those who have been keeping a close eye on the sport know that Sebastian Vettel intended to have Mick in his place at Aston Martin when he retired, but the team decided to disregard the German driver's suggestion. With that, there are several potential options for Mick Schumacher in 2023, but nothing is official now.

Sources claim that Mattia Binotto no longer believes in Schumacher's potential, but that assessment has not been confirmed. Moreover, Mick's chance of getting a seat at the big team is slim, since both Leclerc and Sainz Jr. have valid contracts with the Scuderia up until the end of 2024.

‘Yet to Secure a Seat’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/mick-schumacher-has-yet-to-secure-a-seat-for-the-2023-formula-1-season-197332.html

[Fortitude]

Italian GP: Charles Leclerc playing down hopes of home victory for Ferrari at Monza.
Charles Leclerc has suggested that Ferrari may struggle for performance at Monza more than they did at Zandvoort.
Published: 6 Sep 2022, 15:49
By George Dagless

The Scuderia have seen Red Bull stretch their legs even further in both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ championships to the point now that it looks a foregone conclusion as to where both titles are heading this year.

Indeed, the return from the summer break has not been the reset Ferrari would have liked with them unable to do anything about Red Bull and Max Verstappen in particular, and now the triple header reaches its conclusion this very weekend with the Italian Grand Prix.

Speaking to the media after the Dutch GP, he was asked to look forward to this weekend’s race in northern Italy and had this to say: “On paper, it’s not our best track, unfortunately. But anyway, I’m really looking forward to going there. We always have a massive amount of support. And for that, I’m really looking forward to it. But I think the performance on paper will be a bit more difficult than this weekend, unfortunately.”

‘Playing down hopes of home victory for Ferrari at Monza’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88056887-italian-gp-charles-leclerc-playing-down-hopes-of-home-victory-for-ferrari-at-monza


Italian Grand Prix 2022: 7 Drivers to Watch This Weekend
Updated September 07, 2022 10:19 AM
By Alex Kirshner Men’s Journal

The Italian Grand Prix is one of the great races on the Formula 1 calendar. It is an institution unto itself—it began in 1921, three decades before F1 became an organized circuit—and it has appeared on the calendar in every single F1 season. All but one of those races took place at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, a.k.a. “the Temple of Speed,” which is one of the most beloved tracks in the world.

This race doesn’t count for more points than any other on F1’s schedule, but points are no longer the main story anyway if your focus is the championship battles. Max Verstappen is going to walk to the World Drivers’ Championship this year, and his Red Bull Racing team will breeze through to the Constructors’ title.

Fortunately, the Italian Grand Prix is a big enough deal that it’s still worth watching, even if the championships are no longer competitive. Last year, to name one example, it produced a shock result when the two McLaren drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, finished first and second.

‘7 Drivers to Watch This Weekend?!’;

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/living/article265443746.html#storylink=mainstage_lead


'It’s a dream come true' – What racing in red at Monza means to Ferrari’s Leclerc and Sainz
07 September 2022
Lawrence Barretto
F1 Correspondent & Presenter

When Charles Leclerc won the Italian Grand Prix for the first time for Ferrari in 2019, Monza – bursting at the seams with red-clad Tifosi – exploded. The dreams of much of Italy had come true, ending a wait of nine years for this feeling of nirvana.

“There were people as far as I could see,” he said when we spoke at Zandvoort ahead of this weekend’s Italian GP. “It was packed. I was trying to find my mum. She was in a grandstand.

"She arrived Saturday night because she saw I had done the pole position but I didn’t have the pass for the Sunday – I had already promised it to someone else so, I said 'Mum the only thing I can get you is a pass in the grandstand', so she was on the main straight. I was trying to find her but there were way too many people. Being up there was a very special moment. Racing for Ferrari, you only see red – or 98% of people are red – and this make you feel like home.”

'It’s a dream come true';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.its-a-dream-come-true-what-racing-in-red-at-monza-means-to-ferraris-leclerc.1BInUOCrofU3fBSxBM6fb6.html


Thunderstorms predicated for Italian Grand Prix weekend
08/09/2022, ‎17‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff

RacingNews365 presents the weather report for the Italian Grand Prix weekend in collaboration with WeerOnline. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected in northern Italy in the coming days, which might impact this weekends Formula 1Italian Grand Prix. Showers will move over the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in the night from Thursday to Friday morning.

The possibility of rain decreases during the afternoon however, meaning the chances of a (partly) wet track is therefore greater during FP1 instead of FP2. The rest of the weekend looks set to be sunny with temperatures reaching 26 degrees centigrade on Saturday and 27 degrees centigrade on Sunday. On Saturday the weather picture consists of sun with overcast clouds. In a number of places in northern Italy, these clouds develop into thunderstorms, mostly in the mountain regions.

The chance of these showers reaching the Monza circuit just before or during qualifying in the afternoon is around 10%. The chance of rain during the race on Sunday in the afternoon is 0%. The sunny weather ensures that the track temperature will be very high, making tyre management even more challenging.

‘Thunderstorms predicated’;

https://racingnews365.com/thunderstorms-predicated-for-italian-grand-prix-weekend


F1 CEO warns history no longer enough for Monza
SEPTEMBER 4, 2022
GrandPrix.com

Monza cannot assume that it will always host the Italian GP. That is the warning of Italian and former Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali, who is now CEO of the calendar-making Formula One Management.

Monza is currently preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary with next weekend's Italian GP, but Domenicali warned that it could be one of the fabled circuit's last. "F1 is now a party everywhere we go - there is a queue to host a grand prix," he told Sky Italia.

"History is no longer enough for this and an organisation like Monza will have to raise the bar to stay in the world championship," Domenicali insisted. The Italian said on Saturday: "We will not go beyond 24 races in the world championship.”

‘The warnings of Stefano Domenicali’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/f1-ceo-warns-history-no-longer-enough-for-monza.html

[Fortitude]

Ferrari under the microscope - What to expect at the Italian Grand Prix.
The Italian Grand Prix brings the European leg of the F1 season to a close as Ferrari returns home to face the Tifosi.
Thursday 8 September 2022 11:37
Sam Hall

Ferrari's problems have continued since the summer shutdown and with the pressure on, this is where we look at what you can expect from the Italian GP. Ferrari scrutiny magnifed: Up to the Belgian GP, it was possible to argue that Ferrari could and should be leading both the drivers' and constructors' championship battles.

The Tifosi lining the Autodromo Nazionale Monza has never been shy about letting the Ferrari hierarchy know their feelings on how the team is being run and should a mistake be made this weekend, there will surely be an uproar.

Charles Leclerc must also prove his worth to the team. On a long-term contract, last weekend's Dutch GP was the first race he has finished ahead of team-mate Carlos Sainz - when both drivers have seen the chequered flag - since Miami in May.

‘The Tifosi: never been shy about letting the Ferrari hierarchy know their feelings on how the team is being run’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/91149/italian-grand-prix-what-to-expect/


Can Mattia Binotto afford another embarrassing Ferrari mistake in front of the Tifosi?
7 Sep 2022
Connor McDonagh

Can Binotto afford another embarrassing Ferrari blunder? Ferrari’s long run of high-profile errors continued at the Dutch Grand Prix as a pit stop blunder for Carlos Sainz cost him over 10 seconds in the pit lane.

Mattia Binotto insisted after the race that there is no reason to make changes to the pit crew or strategy team, but given the number of mistakes we have seen operationally in the first 15 races of the season, the Ferrari boss is inevitably going to be put under pressure.

The Scuderia will race in front of their adoring home crowd - the Tifosi - at Monza this weekend. Ferrari haven’t won since the Austrian Grand Prix, and it seems that F1’s new floor technical directive has impacted their race pace and tyre management.

They are expected to go all out this weekend with a rumoured Monza-specific rear wing and aggressive engine modes, but it is unlikely to be enough to topple Max Verstappen and Red Bull. However, with Ferrari’s top brass likely to be in attendance at their home race, they cannot afford another embarrassing blunder.

‘Ferrari boss is inevitably going to be put under pressure’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/1011808/1/can-binotto-afford-another-embarrassing-ferrari-mistake-front-tifosi


Binotto bites back at Rosberg after Ferrari derision
Tuesday 6 September 2022 08:10
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Mattia Binotto has fought back against Nico Rosberg's claims that Ferrari was worse than an F2 or F3 team at the Dutch Grand Prix. The Scuderia fumbled Carlos Sainz's first pit stop with a late call leaving the Spaniard stranded on the jacks for 12.7 seconds. That drama dropped Sainz from third to sixth and kicked off a multitude of unfortunate events that ultimately saw him finish eighth, drawing criticism from 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg on Sky Sports F1.

"Oh my goodness, and Mattia Binotto keeps saying 'No, we don't need to make any changes. Everything is going well'," said the German. "I mean, when is the day coming? It's not possible. Even Formula 2 or Formula 3 teams do a better job at their strategy and pit stops than Ferrari."

But retorting to the criticism, Ferrari team principal Binotto said: "First, I think it is so easy to speak when you are outside. I can do the job he is doing and simply criticise. But we will not change people: that is the answer to Rosberg. We have got great people and it has been proven in this sport that what is more important is simply stability and that we make sure we are improving day-by-day and race-by-race.”

‘We will not change people: that is the answer to Rosberg’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/90994/mattia-binotto-nico-rosberg-ferrari/


Binotto admits Ferrari 'needs to react' at Monza
08/09/2022 at 09:32
Phillip van Osten

Mattia Binotto says Ferrari is currently enduring "a difficult moment" that has put the team up against the wall ahead of its home race at Monza where it "certainly needs to react".

"It is certainly a difficult moment right now and for our team because we are not getting the results with the expectations that we have got," Binotto conceded.

"We need to react and Monza, we will have the tifosi there after COVID and to have them in the grandstands will be important for us as they cheer for us and boost us as a team. Right now, we need to find some good results for the spirit and the mood."

‘Ferrari Needs To React';

https://f1i.com/news/453494-binotto-admits-ferrari-needs-to-react-at-monza.html


Mattia Binotto says he’s not prioritising fixing Ferrari’s mistakes
8 September 2022
by James Clifford

Ferrari team principal, Mattia Binotto, is more focused on improving the pace of the F1-75 than he is on addressing the mistakes made by his team during the Dutch Grand Prix.

There is pressure on Ferrari going into their home race in Monza this weekend in front of their expectant fans, but the 52-year-old is looking forward to the atmosphere. “Now we go to Monza where we can expect a warm welcome from our tifosi, we know we can always count on their support,” said Binotto.

“And it will be great to finally see the grandstands at the Autodromo packed out, after the limitation on spectator numbers last year because of Covid. “We will do our utmost to make our supporters proud of us, even if we already know it won’t be an easy race, given the performance level of our competitors.”

‘We can expect a warm welcome from our Tifosi’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-says-hes-not-prioritising-addressing-ferraris-mistakes/


Italian GP: Charles Leclerc says Ferrari must 'stay united' amid rumours over Mattia Binotto's future
Last Updated: 08/09/22 3:44pm
SKY Sports

Charles Leclerc says Ferrari must avoid being distracted and stay united amid rumours over team principal Mattia Binotto's future ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix. With the spotlight on Ferrari at its brightest - as the Tifosi flock to Monza this weekend - Leclerc was asked in Thursday's press conference to address rumours that the team boss's position could be under threat.

"There are always rumours around a Formula 1 team and especially with Ferrari but I think what is important in those moments is not to get distracted with whatever is being said," Leclerc said.

"We are very united as a team and I think we need to keep on going like this. We've shown that we've been great from last year to this year with this kind of performance and we need to keep going in that direction. I didn't hear that rumour in particular but obviously we have to focus on our own job."

‘Ferrari must 'stay united' amid rumours over Mattia Binotto's future’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12692945/italian-gp-charles-leclerc-says-ferrari-must-stay-united-amid-rumours-over-mattia-binottos-future

[Fortitude]

Tsunoda tells conspiracy theorists to check their brains.
AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda says that those people who believe that his retirement from last week's Dutch Grand Prix was staged in order to benefit Max Verstappen should get their heads examined.
08/09/2022 at 16:53
Andrew Lewin

"It's funny that fans are really excited to always create the story," Tsunoda said at a media interview in Monza ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix. "It's just a super simple fact that there was an issue in the car.

"Straight away I felt some strange things at the rear," he said when asked what had happened. "I thought at first it was the tyre. I got radio from the team to stop the car in a safe place at the side of the track, so I just stopped and nearly switched off as well.

"But I got told again from the team that we didn't find any issues and that's why we restarted. We fitted a new tyre, but I felt clearly that there was an issue again," he added. "So that's why they said to stop. The situation made it of course a little bit confused, but there's not any room to complain to the team, myself and also especially to Red Bull that it's such a to be honest crazy, crazy story.”

‘Get their heads examined’;

https://f1i.com/news/453579-tsunoda-tells-conspiracy-theorists-to-check-their-brains.html


Tsunoda wants to ‘scan the brains’ of conspiracy theorists to ‘see what’s wrong’
2022 Italian Grand Prix
Posted on 8th September 2022, 18:01
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

The AlphaTauri driver came to a stop twice on consecutive laps, the last time permanently, when a differential problem developed on his car. At first Tsunoda mistook it for a loose wheel, and returned to the pits to have it checked.

His eventual retirement triggered a Virtual Safety Car period which played into the hands of race leader Max Verstappen, as it allowed him to make a pit stop while losing minimal time. This prompted wild accusations on social media of collusion between Red Bull and its junior team.

“It’s funny that the fans are really excited to always create a story,” said Tsunoda. “It’s just a super-simple fact that there was an issue in the car, there was a differential issue.” Although the situation was “a little bit confused”, Tsunoda pointed out he was in “a good place to score points” and the idea he’d forfeit it to help Red Bull is “such a crazy, crazy story.”

‘Scan The Brains, See What’s Wrong’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/08/tsunoda-wants-to-scan-the-brains-of-conspiracy-theorists-to-see-whats-wrong/


AlphaTauri hit back at ‘insulting’ claims from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff
Mercedes boss Wolff he would ask the FIA to investigate Tsunoda’s retirement if his team were in a title battle with Red Bull
11:51 Tue, 06 Sep 2022.
Jamie Braidwood
The Independent

Alpha Tauri have branded calls from Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff for Yuki Tsunoda’s retirement from the Dutch Grand Prix to be investigated as “insulting”.

Wolff raised questions surrounding Tsuonda’s retirement and suggested the actions of Red Bull’s junior team “changed the outcome of the race”, leading to Max Verstappen’s victory and ending any chance Lewis

‘AlphaTauri hit back at ‘insulting’ claims from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/alpha-tauri-tsunoda-retirement-hannah-schmitz-b2160763.html


AlphaTauri hits out at social media abuse
06/09/2022
NEWS STORY

AlphaTauri has reacted following "hateful" abuse of Yuki Tsunoda and Red Bull strategist, Hannah Schmitz following Sunday's Grand Prix. The abuse followed Tsunoda's retirement from the race, which brought about the deployment of the VSC. On Monday evening, as the abuse continued, AlphaTauri issued a statement:

"It is incredibly disheartening to read some of the language and comments directed at our team and towards Red Bull Racing’s head of strategy, Hannah Schmitz," said the team. "Such hateful behaviour cannot be tolerated, and to entertain accusations of foul play is unacceptable, untrue and completely disrespectful towards both Hannah and us.”

"We have always competed independently, fairly and with the highest levels of respect and sportsmanship. Yuki had a failure that the team didn’t immediately detect which caused him to stop on track. To suggest anything different is insulting and categorically incorrect."

‘Incredibly Disheartening’;

https://www.pitpass.com/73549/AlphaTauri-hits-out-at-social-media-abuse


Gary Anderson: Why Tsunoda conspiracy was clearly nonsense
Sep 6 2022
By Gary Anderson
The Race.

The conspiracy theory about AlphaTauri causing a virtual safety car period to help Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the Dutch Grand Prix is total rubbish and I’m not surprised to see the team criticising such suggestions. You can see why AlphaTauri didn’t immediately diagnose the problem Yuki Tsunoda’s car suffered.

I’m pretty sure that when he left the pits after his second pitstop of the race he either broke the differential, a driveshaft joining or sheared the drive pegs. To him, that would feel like there was no drive on one side, so he thought that a wheel was loose. The team did later discover that it was apparently a diff problem.

It’s a logical conclusion for the driver to suggest a loose wheel at first given he’s just made a pitstop. But the crabbing effect he felt in the car was a consequence of a real problem, as he kept telling the team. Tsunoda stopped and undid his seatbelts because he thought he was retiring. But then he was told to carry on when the team realised the wheels were attached properly and could see no other problem. But it’s not easy for the team to see if you have drive to both rear wheels when you aren’t moving.

‘Total rubbish and I’m not surprised to see the team criticising such suggestions’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-anderson-why-tsunoda-conspiracy-was-clearly-nonsense/

[Fortitude]

Leclerc fronts Ferrari 1-2 in opening Italian GP session.
Ferrari opened the Italian Grand Prix in the top two positions as Charles Leclerc led Carlos Sainz during first practice at Monza.
09/09/2022, 14:12
by Phillip Horton

Leclerc, winner of the Italian Grand Prix in 2019, clocked a time of 1:22.410s in hot and sunny conditions at the high-speed circuit. That left him 0.077s clear of team-mate Sainz, who had a moment through the Ascari gravel late in the session, after the opening hour of track activity.

Verstappen, chasing a fifth successive victory but a first at Monza, finished the session in fifth, behind Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. The reigning champion did not set his best tyres on Softs.

‘Ferrari 1-2’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/09/09/leclerc-fronts-ferrari-1-2-in-opening-italian-gp-session/


(FP1) First Practice Results – 2022 Italian Grand Prix
14:11, 09/09/2022.
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:22.410
2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.077
3. George Russell Mercedes +0.279
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.421
5. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.430
6. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.665
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.689
8. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +0.850
9. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.984
10. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.101

‘Italian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the first practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Monza’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-practice-results-2022-italian-grand-prix-80019


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from first practice for the Italian Grand Prix
09 September 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-first-practice-in-italy-2022.3KKnuyXrWKrICQRHIgNbfe.html


2022 Italian Grand Prix practice in pictures
F1 Pictures
Posted on 9th September 2022, 13:56
Written by Keith Collantine

‘Practice in pictures’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/09/2022-italian-grand-prix-practice-in-pictures/


Everything that happened in first Italian GP F1 practice
Sep 9 2022
By Valentin Khorounzhiy

Charles Leclerc led a 1-2 for home team Ferrari in F1’s first practice for the 2022 Italian GP – but it was points leader Max Verstappen who looked quickest.
Key moments:
> Verstappen held up on fastest lap
> Leclerc 0.077s clear of Sainz
> Mercedes in the mix
> Giovinazzi, de Vries join the fray

Verstappen, who will serve a grid penalty of at least five places for the race, led the session by over a second after his initial attempt on hards, with it taking a switch to fresh softs for Leclerc to jump ahead – by four tenths. And the Dutchman was on course to reclaim the top spot once he himself swapped to new red-walled soft rubber, running three tenths faster than Leclerc after two sectors.

But at that point he came up on Lando Norris, the McLaren driver likewise on a push lap but on hards – and as Norris moved to cover off a potential overtaking attempt from Verstappen heading into Parabolica, the championship leader was left incensed, even though the subsequent slipstream allowed him to at least salvage an 0.013s improvement.

‘Italian GP F1 Practice’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/everything-that-happened-in-first-italian-gp-f1-practice/

[Fortitude]

Penalised Sainz keeps Ferrari on top at Italian GP
Carlos Sainz set the fastest time during second practice for Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix to keep Ferrari on top on home soil.
09/09/2022, 17:05
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Sainz, who faces an engine penalty after taking on fresh components, clocked a time of 1:21.664s in hot and sunny weather at the high-speed Monza circuit on Friday afternoon. Sainz’s best time left him 0.143s faster than reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, who also has an engine penalty, albeit only five places.

Verstappen’s best time came on his second push lap on Soft tyres after a lock-up into the first chicane on his initial attempt. Charles Leclerc was the fastest of the penalty-free drivers, in third position, 0.193s behind his Ferrari team-mate.

‘Carlos Sainz set the fastest time during second practice’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/09/09/penalised-sainz-keeps-ferrari-on-top-at-italian-gp/


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Italian Grand Prix
Monza, Italy
09/09/2022, 17:04
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -1:21.664
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.143
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.193
4. Lando Norris McLaren +0.674
5. George Russell Mercedes +0.722
6. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.730
7. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.839
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.064
9. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.088
10. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.171

‘Italian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Monza’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second-practice-results-2022-italian-grand-prix-80029


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from second practice for the Italian Grand Prix.
09 September 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

‘As It Happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-second-practice-in-italy-2022.2zPvat5Qk8a1evtjrt8dfd.html


Verstappen handed five-place grid penalty at Italian GP
Issued on: 09/09/2022 - 18:02
AFP

Monza (Italy) (AFP) – Max Verstappen has been hit with a five-place grid penalty for the Italian Grand Prix after exceeding his engine allocation, Formula One said on Friday. Championship leader Verstappen was handed the punishment after taking his fifth engine of the season, damaging his chances of winning at Monza for the first time.

He is one of six drivers to be hit with grid penalties alongside teammate Sergio Perez -- who drops back 10 places for a similar offence -- seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, Valtteri Bottas and Yuki Tsunoda.

Mercedes driver Hamilton will start from the back of the grid for a power unit change and other engine infractions, as will Tsunoda who after already being dropped back 10 places was hit with power unit sanctions.
Sainz was hit with a 25-place penalty for new gearbox components but will start in front of Hamilton and Tsunoda, while breaking engine rules leaves Bottas 15 places down.

‘Six drivers to be hit with grid penalties’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220909-verstappen-handed-five-place-grid-penalty-at-italian-gp


Aston Martin bring ridiculous rear-wing to Italian Grand Prix
Aston Martin are currently ninth in the Constructors' Standings.
9 September 2022
by James Clifford

Aston Martin have caught the eye several times so far this season. They were the first to put their striking challenger on the track, complete with its raised front wing, as fans got to see the ground effect aerodynamic concept in the flesh for the first time.

They then showed up to the Spanish Grand Prix with new sidepods that Red Bull claimed were copied using their intellectual property. When the FIA looked at the British side’s documents though, they corroborated their insistence that they had started work on the new design late last year.

Aston Martin have rocked up to Monza with a thin, flat-panelled wing that aims to ensure almost no drag on the straight. When the DRS opens, it may even end up looking like the wing is not there; these are the extreme lengths of engineering we love to see in Formula 1. And, so far, it is all legal. No irregularities have been noticed by the FIA, so Aston Martin may be ones to watch this weekend.

‘Aston Martin have rocked up to Monza’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/aston-martin-bring-ridiculous-rear-wing-to-italian-grand-prix/


2022 F1 Italian Grand Prix Preview: Monza turns 100.
September 9, 2022.
Viknesh Vijayenthran.

The 2022 Formula 1 World Championship continues this weekend with round 16, the Italian Grand Prix, taking place at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The Italian Grand Prix, like the British Grand Prix, has been on the F1 calendar since the inaugural 1950 season. It's been held at Monza, located just outside of Milan, every year except 1980, when it was held at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari located at Imola. In recent years, F1 has held additional rounds in Italy to help cover for rounds in other locations canceled due to pandemic-related restrictions.

With the demise of the original track layout of the Hockenheimring in Germany, Monza remains the only historic high-speed track still hosting an F1 race. In the old days, there were no chicanes on the long straights, which made for some incredibly close racing, with dozens of overtaking moves every lap thanks to the slipstreaming effect.

But the Italian Grand Prix is much older than F1, as its first race was held in 1921. Monza was built the following year, making it 100 years old this year, and the circuit hosted its first Italian Grand Prix just a week after its completion. Today, Monza's 3.6-mile track layout consists of a series of straights and some tight chicanes, with drivers typically spending 76% of the lap time and 83% of the lap distance at full throttle. It delivers the fastest average speed of the season and the cars reach more than 200 mph in no less than four sections.

‘Monza turns 100’;

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1137105_2022-f1-italian-grand-prix-preview

[Fortitude]

What went on in second Italian GP F1 practice session.
Key moments: Sainz fastest but has back-of-the-grid penalty. Red flag for Schumacher’s loss of power. Norris impressive fourth for McLaren.
17:27 Fri, 09 Sep 2022.
By Jack Cozens
The Race.

Carlos Sainz ensured Ferrari ended both Friday practice sessions fastest at the Italian Grand Prix by beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to top spot in FP2.

Sainz and Verstappen, who are among six Formula 1 drivers with grid penalties this weekend, were separated by 0.143 seconds with times set either side of a mid-session red flag.

The 1m21.664s Sainz set on soft tyres in the second half of the session was the fastest of the weekend so far, and meant Ferrari – running a special livery at its home grand prix to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Monza circuit – topped another session following Charles Leclerc’s fastest time in FP1. Leclerc ended FP2 in third, just 0.050s down on Verstappen, having like team-mate Sainz set his best time after the red flag.

‘FP2: What went on’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-went-on-in-second-italian-gp-f1-practice-session/


Ferrari chairman backs Binotto but says team are making too many mistakes
2022 Italian Grand Prix
Posted on 10th September 2022, 9:1810th September 2022, 9:47
Written by Keith Collantine

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto retains the backing of the manufacturer’s chairman John Elkann but has been told the team need to make fewer mistakes.

After taking an early lead in both championships over the first three races of 2022, Ferrari were quickly caught and overhauled by Red Bull. The Scuderia’s championship hopes now look like a lost cause, Red Bull leading the constructors’ standings by 135 points, while Max Verstappen has a 109-point lead in the drivers’ title fight.

“After the first grand prix, it seemed legitimate to dream,” Elkann told La Gazzetta dello Sport, “but we must remain humble and let the results speak for themselves.” While he admitted he was “not satisfied” with the team’s season, Elkann made it clear he continues to back Binotto, who was installed as team principal in 2019.

‘Ferrari chairman backs Binotto’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/10/ferrari-chairman-backs-binotto-but-says-team-are-making-too-many-mistakes/


Sainz 'surprise' as Ferrari send Tifosi hopes soaring
Friday 9 September 2022 20:33
Sam Hall

Carlos Sainz has proclaimed his surprise at Ferrari's pace around Monza after leading the way in Friday practice ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. The Spaniard's lap of one minute 21.664secs, to finish 0.143secs ahead of Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen, delighted the Tifosi.

Although Sainz will take a back-of-the-grid penalty for fitting a number of fresh power unit components, team-mate Charles Leclerc is poised to start from pole position as Verstappen drops five places for taking a new engine. Ferrari had approached Monza with an element of trepidation given its struggles with a low downforce set-up at Spa Francorchamps two weeks ago for the Belgian Grand Prix.

But Sainz assessed: "It has been a positive day. Coming from Spa, the last downforce track where we struggled a lot, we expected not to be very competitive here but I must say that since FP1, the car has felt in a much better window, a much better position than it was at Spa.

‘Ferrari send Tifosi hopes soaring’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/91293/carlos-sainz-ferrari-italian-grand-prix-tifosi/


‘The stopwatch doesn’t lie’ – Sainz optimistic for Italian GP chances after topping second practice.
09 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

Ferrari weren’t expecting to be competitive on the very low downforce Monza circuit but Carlos Sainz was quickest in FP2, and although still wary of Red Bull, he said it is a “pleasant surprise” to be so quick.

‘The stopwatch doesn’t lie’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.the-stopwatch-doesnt-lie-sainz-optimistic-for-italian-gp-chances-after-topping-second-practice.1743513554106781965.html


Max Verstappen: “We should stand a good chance” of Italian GP victory
September 9, 2022
By Nick Golding

Verstappen ended Friday believing that the car was “pretty good”, but does recognise that Scuderia Ferrari are also looking mighty fast at their home race. “I think the car was pretty good today, we’ve been trying a few different things from FP1 to FP2. Some things worked and some didn’t, if you look at the long runs we look good and of course that’s most important for the race.

“We did more long run practice knowing that we have the five place grid penalty on Sunday, everything seemed to work out quite well. There are still a few things that we can do better, but I think we should stand a good chance. The Ferraris look good, I’m not worried about them but we still have a few things to finalise.”

‘The car was “pretty good” ’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/max-verstappen-we-should-stand-a-good-chance-of-italian-gp-victory/


5 things we learned from Friday practice at the Italian Grand Prix
09 September 2022
Special contributor: Chris Medland
Formula 1.

A big Friday crowd at Monza basked in glorious September sunshine as the Italian Grand Prix weekend got under way with the opening two practice sessions. After last year’s Sprint event here, it was a more familiar schedule and provided plenty of insight into the potential each team has for qualifying and the race.

1. Ferrari closer than expected

2. Red Bull’s set-up for the race

3. Mercedes under pressure from behind

4. McLarens have got pace at scene of 2021 win

5. Albon right in the middle of a tight midfield

‘Plenty of insight into the potential each team has’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.5-things-we-learned-from-friday-practice-at-the-italian-grand-prix.73S4XvfMWXzQ2qk7ABYSl9.html


FIVE MAGIC MOMENTS FROM MONZA – THE ITALIAN GRAND PRIX PART ONE
Monza is a magical track within Formula One
07:38, 10/09/2022.
Liam Ploetner
FormulaNerds

Italian Inspiration: The first F1 Italian Grand Prix was in 1950, held at Monza (like all but the 1980 edition have been) and it was a special occasion. Two Italian drivers had a shot at becoming the maiden F1 champion: Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina and Luigi Fagioli, both driving for Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo. The only man who could stop them was their teammate, Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio.

Comeback Clark: Heading into round nine of the 1967 season, Jim Clark was 24 points behind Denny Hulme with three races left of the season. Clark did what he needed to in qualifying and got pole ahead of Jack Brabham (Hulme’s main title rival and teammate). He led nine of the opening 12 laps before picking up a puncture on lap 12 and fell a lap down. He then spent the next 48 out of 56 laps chasing the pack down, taking the lead with nine laps to go.

A New Niki: Everyone, barring McLaren’s Jochen Mass, started on wets as he predicted the rain would cease and was spot on. Due to this, everyone except Mass pitted for dry tyres and subsequently was affected – some positively and some negatively. Lauda fell down the field and heading into a fast kink, Lauda’s car went out of control, snapping to the right, erupting the car into flames after bouncing off the barriers. As a result of the collision, he was knocked. Harald Ertl, Brett Lunger and two nearby drivers (Guy Edwards and Arturo Merzario) managed to pull him out of the flaming wreckage.

‘FormulaNerds: ITALIAN GRAND PRIX PART ONE

https://www.formulanerds.com/features/five-magic-moments-from-monza-the-italian-grand-prix-part-one/?nowprocket=1

[Fortitude]

Verstappen quickest in final practice ahead of Italian Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver was a healthy margin clear of Charles Leclerc in second place.
10/09/2022, ‎13‎:‎07
Author Jake Nichol

Max Verstappen posted the quickest time in the third and final practice session ahead of Qualifying for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix. In the first segment of the session, Verstappen posted a 1m:21.872s on the Medium Pirellis, narrowly edging out Charles Leclerc by just 0.072s.

However, as the field then bolted on the Softs, Verstappen improved by 0.6s to post a 1m:21.252s effort which proved unbeatable. Verstappen and Leclerc's two teammates Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz Jr were the only other two drivers within one second of the leading time.

Perez edged ahead of Sainz with a 1m:21.848s effort to leave him 0.596s slower than Verstappen, with the second Ferrari about half a tenth slower, with Sainz set to take further engine grid penalties on top of those he had already incurred.

‘Verstappen Quickest’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-quickest-in-final-practice-ahead-of-italian-grand-prix


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2022 Italian Grand Prix
Monza, Italy
10/09/2022, 13:05
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:21.252
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.347
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.596
4. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.645
5. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.054
6. Lando Norris McLaren +1.067
7. George Russell Mercedes +1.105
8. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.178
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.254
10. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.315

‘Italian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the third practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Monza’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-practice-results-2022-italian-grand-prix-80036


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from final practice for the Italian Grand Prix
10 September 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

‘As It Happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-third-practice-in-italy-2022.4ax4qcuiSTIm014OKHVCZR.html


Verstappen comfortably clear in final Italian GP practice
10/09/2022, 13:15
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

World Champion Max Verstappen comfortably led the final practice session ahead of Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Verstappen, who is one of nine drivers currently facing a grid penalty due to component changes, set a time of 1:21.252s as drivers carried out qualifying simulations. That time left him 0.347s faster than Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc.

Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz, who also have sizeable grid drops, finished behind their respective team-mates in third and fourth overall. Alpine’s Fernando Alonso edged McLaren rival Lando Norris to claim fifth place, with both poised to move up the starting grid on Sunday if their practice pace is replicated in qualifying.

‘Verstappen comfortably clear’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/09/10/verstappen-comfortably-clear-in-final-italian-gp-practice/


Two more drivers join growing list with Italian Grand Prix grid penalties
Saturday 10th September 2022 12:58 PM
Jon Wilde

Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen have joined the lengthy list of drivers who will have grid penalties for the Italian Grand Prix. The race at Monza is emulating the Belgian round of the World Championship two weeks previously, which ended up with not one driver starting the race in the position where they had qualified.

At present, there are eight drivers who have incurred penalties for exceeding the permitted number of power-unit parts this season – and Mick Schumacher has been reported as likely to join them. Just as the final free practice session was getting under way, Alpine confirmed Ocon will be taking a new Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) which means a five-place grid penalty.

‘Two more drivers join growing list’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/italian-grand-prix-grid-penalties-list/


Carlos Sainz called up before the stewards ahead of Italian GP qualifying
Saturday 10th September 2022 12:53 PM
Thomas Maher

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has been summoned before the stewards at Monza after an alleged transgression during the final practice session. Carlos Sainz is off to see the stewards after the third and final practice session at Monza, with the Ferrari driver summoned after an alleged transgression during the session.

Sainz was loitering slowly on the racing line approaching the first chicane as Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas approached at full speed. The Finn was forced to take avoiding action, taking to the escape area as he swerved away from the Ferrari. The stewards took note of the incident, and have since summoned the Spaniard to visit them ahead of qualifying.

‘Ssummoned before the stewards at Monza after an alleged transgression during the final practice session’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos-sainz-called-up-before-the-stewards-ahead-of-italian-gp-qualifying/


DE VRIES WILL REPLACE ALBON FOR REST OF F1 ITALIAN GP
Alex Albon will miss the rest of the Italian Grand Prix due to appendicitis
10/09/2022, 12:44
Nathan Hartley
FormulaNerds

De Vries will earn his Formula 1 debut this weekend at the Italian Grand Prix. The Dutchman will replace Alex Albon, who has suffered from appendicitis.

The Thai driver woke up this morning not feeling well. After inspection from the FIA doctors, they suggested that the 26-year-old should not race due to appendicitis.

The former Formula E champion will participate in FP3, qualifying and the race.

‘De Vries will earn his Formula 1 debut this weekend at the Italian Grand Prix’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/de-vries-will-replace-albon-for-rest-of-f1-italian-gp/?nowprocket=1

[Fortitude]

Italian GP: Leclerc on pole, Russell second after penalties.
Charles Leclerc landed Ferrari pole position for the 2022 Italian Grand Prix as he fought off a penalised Max Verstappen to top Formula 1 qualifying as Carlos Sainz ran third.
Sep 10, 2022, 4:10 PM
By: Matt Kew
Motorsport.com

Regardless of Verstappen taking a five-place grid drop for a new internal combustion engine, Leclerc set the pace at Monza by a quarter of a second to the delight of the home fans as Sainz, who will start at the back of the grid, clocked third over Sergio Perez.

Ferrari had provisionally secured a 1-2 in Q3 as Sainz delivered a 1m20.584s on his first run in Q3, helped by a purple run through sector one, to edge Leclerc's 1m20.770s effort.

Verstappen initially settled for third, despite his second-sector prowess, as he was a little under a tenth adrift of the second F1-75. And then for the climax, it looked as though the Red Bull might offer a last-ditch reply when Verstappen clocked the fastest run through the middle part of the circuit yet again to heap on the pressure.

‘Leclerc on pole, Russell second after penalties’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/italian-gp-leclerc-on-pole-russell-second-after-penalties/10367093/


Qualifying Results – 2022 Italian Grand Prix
Monza, Italy
10/09/2022, 15:27
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Q3
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:20.161
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.145
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.268
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.045
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.363
6. George Russell Mercedes +1.381
7. Lando Norris McLaren +1.423
8. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.764
9. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +2.487
10. Fernando Alonso Alpine NC

‘Italian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at Monza’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying-results-2022-italian-grand-prix-80044


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix
10 September 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

‘As It Happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-qualifying-in-italy-2022.CbHi5ELDBSdcCkS8We157.html


Leclerc storms to Italian GP pole with Russell on front row
10/09/2022, 16:10
Author Jake Nichol

Charles Leclerc claimed his eighth pole position of the Formula 1 season in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix, just edging out Max Verstappen. Leclerc was second after the first runs in Q3, but shaved 0.268s off his time to post a 1m:20.161s to grab pole position from Verstappen in the Red Bull.

The World Champion vaulted up from third to leapfrog Carlos Sainz Jr who was the provisional pole-sitter after the first runs. However, Sainz could only improve by 0.155s but was never going to start on pole due to the engine penalties he is carrying.

The leading trio were nearly one second clear of the field, with Sergio Perez fourth fastest for Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton was fifth fastest for Mercedes, pipping George Russell by 0.018s.

‘Leclerc storms to Italian GP pole’;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-storms-to-italian-gp-pole-with-russell-on-front-row


Ferrari risk Italian GP civil war as Mattia Binotto is hit with 'not satisfied' remark
FERRARI have failed to mount a championship bid with Charles Leclerc now lying 109 points behind Max Verstappen.
By LUKE CHILLINGSWORTH
15:12, Sat, Sep 10, 2022

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has been warned bosses are “not satisfied” with the team after throwing away a title bid. Ferrari CEO John Elkann slammed Binotto, claiming everyone had to improve “including the team boss”.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Elkann said: “We have great faith in Mattia Binotto and we fully appreciate everything he and all our engineers have done. But there’s no doubt that the work at Maranello, in the box on the wall, and behind the wheel must improve. We must continue to progress and that applies to the mechanics, the engineers, the drivers and obviously, the entire management team. Including the team boss.

“We have seen far too many mistakes, from reliability issues, to driving errors and strategic blunders. We have trusted in Binotto and his team. That was the right decision. It has paid off and we can thank them that Ferrari is competitive and winning again.”

‘Ferrari Risk Italian GP Civil War’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1667485/ferrari-mattia-binotto-italian-grand-prix


Leclerc takes pole position for the 2022 Italian Grand Prix with Russell to join him on front row
10/09/2022, 16:26
Formula One - Official Site

Charles Leclerc took pole position in qualifying for the 2022 Italian Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, both of whom will drop down the order once grid penalties are applied, as George Russell jumps up to the front row.

Leclerc’s time of 1m 20.161s put him on pole by 0.145s over Red Bull’s Verstappen, while Sainz was 0.268s off his team mate in P3. Verstappen has a five-place penalty, however, while Sainz will drop to 18th. While Sergio Perez qualified fourth for Red Bull, he will drop 10 places – with fifth-place qualifier Lewis Hamilton to drop to the back row alongside Yuki Tsunoda.

Therefore, Russell will start second despite qualifying sixth. McLaren’s Lando Norris qualified seventh to guarantee a second-row start, while Daniel Ricciardo is set to be promoted after qualifying eighth. Fernando Alonso did not set a time for Alpine in Q3, but will be promoted behind AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly.

‘2022 Italian Grand Prix’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.leclerc-takes-pole-position-for-the-2022-italian-grand-prix-with-russell-to.6yiWZGMfvHSvrU1FH9w7bU.html


Sainz gets fourth reprimand and Ferrari warned over “potentially dangerous” incident
2022 Italian Grand Prix
Posted on 10th September 2022, 15:0810th September 2022, 15:15
Written by Keith Collantine

Carlos Sainz Jnr will collect an automatic 10-place grid drop if he receives another driving reprimand this year, having reached a total of four reprimands in Monza. The Ferrari driver was found to have driven unnecessarily slowly at Rettifilo (turn one) during final practice, causing Valtteri Bottas to take evasive action in his Alfa Romeo.

Sainz told the stewards he was driving slowly to cool his tyres at the time. However the stewards noted Sainz reduced his speed to 50kph, around 20kph slower than any other driver did at the same point on the track during the session. The stewards noted Sainz was paying attention to other cars around him and checked his mirrors six times between the start/finish line and the first corner. “However the fact remains that he drove unnecessarily slowly and as a result, a potentially dangerous situation was created,” they ruled.

‘Formally Warned’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/10/sainz-given-fourth-reprimand-and-ferrari-warned-over-potentially-dangerous-bottas-incident/

[Fortitude]

2022 Italian Grand Prix grid.
Charles Leclerc has taken provisional pole position for the Italian Grand Prix for Ferrari ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris.
2022 Italian Grand Prix
Posted on 10th September 2022, 18:11 |
Written by Keith Collantine

Row 1
1. (16) Charles Leclerc 1’20.161
Ferrari F1-75

2. (63) George Russell 1’21.542
Mercedes W13


Row 2
3. (4) Lando Norris 1’21.584
McLaren-Mercedes MCL36

4. (3) Daniel Ricciardo 1’21.925
McLaren-Mercedes MCL36


Row 3
5. (10) Pierre Gasly 1’22.648
AlphaTauri-Red Bull AT03

6. (14) Fernando Alonso No time
Alpine-Renault A522


Row 4
7. (1) Max Verstappen 1’20.306
Red Bull RB18

8. (45) Nyck de Vries 1’22.471
Williams-Mercedes FW44


Row 5
9. (24) Zhou Guanyu 1’22.577
Alfa Romeo-Ferrari C42

10. (6) Nicholas Latifi 1’22.587
Williams-Mercedes FW44

‘2022 Italian Grand Prix grid’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/10/2022-italian-grand-prix-grid/


‘Charles is where our race is at’ – Russell targeting Leclerc in Sunday’s Italian GP from P2 on the grid.
10 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

George Russell was sixth fastest in qualifying at Monza but will start alongside Leclerc on the front row – but the Mercedes man thinks Max Verstappen may have too much speed for all of them.

‘Where our race is at’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.charles-is-where-our-race-is-at-russell-targeting-leclerc-in-sundays-italian-gp-from-p2-on-the-grid.1743597232791220856.html


Ricciardo ‘refilled with optimism’ after P8 in Italian GP qualifying
10 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

The McLaren driver admitted he was ”on the limit” during qualifying at Monza, but was pleased to get through to Q3 – and he will end up higher on the grid than P8 thanks to other drivers taking penalties.

‘Refilled With Optimism’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.ricciardo-refilled-with-optimism-after-p8-in-italian-gp-qualifying.1743596254900588803.html


Verstappen reckons he has the pace ‘to pass everyone up to P2’ in the Italian GP
10 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

The Red Bull racer won’t start second thanks to grid penalties, but says he can claw his way back up the order on race day.

‘Pace to pass everyone up to P2’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.verstappen-reckons-he-has-the-pace-to-pass-everyone-up-to-p2-in-the-italian-gp.1743598280348999779.html


How De Vries found out he would be racing at the 2022 Italian GP
Formula 1's newest star Nyck De Vries explains how he found out he would be making his F1 debut.
September 10, 2022
By Rahul Sharan

De Vries, who qualified 13th but will start the race from eight explains how he got the good news and how he had approximately an hour and a half to prepare for the FP3 session. “I was having a coffee in the paddock club for an appearance, and it was very quiet early in the morning,” De Vries explained to members of the press.

“I was watching the F3 podium with a cappuccino, and James Vowels (Mercedes’s engineer) gave me a ring, and I had to come down quickly to Mercedes, and everyone was pretty happy. I kind of tried to manage expectations a little bit saying, you know, let’s, let’s wait.”

“So then I went down to Williams, and unfortunately, Alex was ill but hopefully he will be back soon and recover quickly. Then during the FP3 briefing, it kind of became clear that it was my duty to be in the car for FP3 three and the rest of the weekend. All of this happened only one and a half hours prior to FP3, so there was not a lot of time to quickly get my head around it.”

‘It kind of became clear that it was my duty to be in the car for FP3 and the rest of the weekend’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/de-vries-f1-debut-italian-gp-2022/

[Fortitude]

Leclerc: The car is amazing, I will give it everything.
Charles Leclerc did the proverbial thing and ‘painted’ Monza the Red of Ferrari (and splashes of yellow!) today by claiming pole position for the 2022 Italian Grand Prix in front of the adoring Tifosi, if he wins for them on Sunday they will blow a hole in the ozone, over the beautiful park in which the Temple of Speed resides.
10 September, 2022
Paul Velasco

It was a magnificent effort, a special lap that gives him hope he can emulate the victory he scored for the Italian team, on home soil, back in 2019 locking himself into the hearts and minds of all Tifosi forever. A repeat win will just strengthen that legacy.

Although the form man Max Verstappen ran him close, but Leclerc’s scintillating 1:20.161s was too good by a tenth and half for over the Red Bull and a quarter second up on Carlos Sainz who has been speedy all weekend. Thus Leclerc, from the top spot start, has set himself for a repeat win at the Scuderia’s home Grand Prix as most of his rivals around him will suffer grid penalties.

Leclerc, winner here in 2019, added: “It wasn’t an easy qualifying session. I knew there was quite a bit of potential in the car. “I knew in this last lap in Q3 I had to put everything together and I managed to do it, very happy with the lap, very happy with the performance, the feeling with the car is amazing and I really hope we can do just like 2019 tomorrow.”

‘Painted Monza the Red of Ferrari/ In front of the adoring Tifosi/ Blow a hole in the ozone/ The Temple of Speed resides’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/10/leclerc-the-feeling-with-the-car-is-amazing-italian-gp-qualifying-report/


Leclerc believes he can halt Verstappen’s winning run after unexpected pole position
2022 Italian Grand Prix pre-race analysis
Posted on 11th September 2022, 0:2111th September 2022, 0:22
Written by Will Wood

Charles Leclerc did not need to put himself under intense pressure in qualifying at Monza in order to secure the most advantageous starting position on the grid and, with it, the best possible chance of victory heading into the Italian Grand Prix.

“We still need to finalise this tomorrow, otherwise it’s pointless to do the pole on Saturday,” the pole winner said. “But it is a very good surprise today, considering where we come from, especially in Spa.”

“We were not expecting to fight for pole here. So it’s a very good surprise at home. There’s a special motivation for this weekend and it’s great that we managed to do a good job today.”

‘Leclerc believes he can halt Verstappen’s winning run’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/11/leclerc-believes-he-can-halt-verstappens-winning-run-after-unexpected-pole-position/


Marko warns Verstappen to be careful fighting Leclerc in Italian GP
11/09/2022, ‎07‎:‎00
Author Jake Nichol

The Red Bull driver boss was speaking after Charles Leclerc secured pole position at Monza.
Helmut Marko has warned Max Verstappen to be careful if he gets an opportunity to fight with Charles Leclerc during the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix. Leclerc qualified on pole position with Verstappen in second, although the Red Bull driver will be taking a grid penalty for a new Internal Combustion Engine.

He is set to start seventh, but in having won the last four races, he has shown substantially better race pace than Ferrari - meaning he is still in contention for the win. However, Marko has cautioned his lead driver from taking any unnecessary risks to pass Leclerc if the race situation allows.

"Of course we will see if we can attack Leclerc, but we do not do that with risks," Marko explained to ORF. If it [passing Leclerc] can't be done without risks, then we just keep the position and we go for P2."

‘Marko warns Verstappen to be careful’;

https://racingnews365.com/marko-warns-verstappen-to-be-careful-fighting-leclerc-in-italian-gp


Russell: Monza P2 start undeserved for 'substantially worse' W13
10/09/2022 at 19:03
Phillip van Osten

George Russell says he doesn't deserve his second place on Sunday's Italian Grand Prix grid after a frustrating day in which his car once again felt "substantially worse" than earlier in the weekend. Russell clocked in P6 at the end of Q3 on Saturday at Monza, one spot and 0.018s behind Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

"We don't deserve to be starting P2 after today's performance," Russell commented after qualifying. It was again a frustrating session because we can't seem to get the car in that sweet spot.”

"FP1 the car felt great, in FP2, FP3 substantially worse. In Q1, the car felt great, [we were] a few tenths off Ferrari. Q2 was worse, Q3 was worse. But ultimately that's been a theme this season. Lining up P2 we'll have a faster race car, probably not fast enough to battle with Max, potentially [we can fight] Charles."

‘Monza P2 start undeserved for 'substantially worse' W13’;

https://f1i.com/news/453972-russell-monza-p2-start-undeserved-for-substantially-worse-w13.html


'We pretty much put it all together' – Norris and Ricciardo delighted with McLaren qualifying performance at Monza.
10 September 2022
Formula 1.

It was a strong Saturday afternoon at Monza for McLaren, as Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo qualified seventh and eighth fastest respectively, for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix, leaving both drivers to reflect on a great team performance.

“I mean, very happy with today, good job by the team,” said Norris. “My lap in the end I was very happy with. Pretty much put it all together. Tough, it’s not easy… it’s a short track, not too many corners, but the margins are very close. Especially Q2, I think it was... it was extremely close between everyone.

“I am happy with the session,” said Ricciardo. “I think Q3, it was a bit of handful through the second sector, even the first actually. It wasn’t completely hooked up and to be honest my lap in Q2 I was kind of like on the limit with trying to get everything out of it. It’s obviously been hard for me to really feel comfortable on the limit of this car.”

‘Norris and Ricciardo delighted with McLaren qualifying performance’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.we-pretty-much-put-it-all-together-norris-and-ricciardo-delighted-with.60MB6tie1SFkl2aP2KkC5A.html


De Vries pleased with qualifying debut despite accidental brake balance error
2022 Italian Grand Prix
Posted on 10th September 2022, 19:3710th September 2022, 19:41
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham

Nyck de Vries says he had a “decent” first-ever qualifying session in Formula 1, reaching Q2 after an unexpected call-up to the Williams team. The 2019 Formula 2 champion and 2021 Formula E world champion will make his F1 debut in tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix in place of Alexander Albon, who was forced to withdraw from the weekend after contracting appendicitis.

After driving Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin on Friday’s first practice, De Vries admitted it had not been easy to adapt back to the Williams the following day, despite having driven the Williams FW44 during practice for the Spanish Grand Prix in May. “It was tricky,” said De Vries. “I think that’s the only disappointment I have from our qualifying session, because I felt like there was probably more in it, more potential, and we just didn’t quite succeed to put it together.

De Vries was on course to improve on his final lap in Q2 before an error under braking for the Roggia chicane ruined his final attempt, resulting in his elimination. The Dutch driver admits he mistakenly changed a setting on his steering wheel before the braking zone, which led to the mistake. “I do feel there was more in it – especially in the last run of Q2,” he said. “I hit a brake balance switch which moved the brake balance a percent rearwards and that’s why I locked up my rears going into four and lost my lap. But ultimately to get through to Q2 and be in the mix I think was a decent job on such a short notice.”

‘Accidental brake balance error’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/10/de-vries-pleased-with-qualifying-debut-despite-accidental-brake-balance-error/


De Vries performance "puts down a marker" for F1 future - Wolff
Saturday 10 September 2022 21:01
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has hailed Nyck de Vries for putting down a "marker" with his debut qualifying performance ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. The Dutch driver was called up at late notice on Saturday morning with Alex Albon sidelined through appendicitis, taking the wheel of the Williams FW44 for the second half of FP3.

Asked to assess his reserve driver's performance, Wolff said De Vries deserves a chance to drive in the championship full time. "Nyck was an official Mercedes driver until we stopped Formula E a few weeks ago and he won the championship for us, our first world championship," said Wolff.

"But we haven't got a management contract with him, we haven't got any influence on his career nor are we taking any cut of his future earnings. Nyck deserves to have a place in F1. He has shown that because of the limited experience he had from driving around with the rake in FP1. Then he was thrown into the cold in FP3, not even at the beginning but at the end - that is a line in the sand. It puts down a marker."

‘De Vries performance puts down a marker’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/91379/italian-grand-prix-qualifying-toto-wolff-nyck-de-vries/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen wins Italian Grand Prix as Leclerc strategy backfires.
It's an 11th win of the season for Max Verstappen and fifth in a row as Ferrari's gamble with Charles Leclerc backfired.
11/09/2022, ‎15‎:‎25
Author Jake Nichol

Max Verstappen won the Italian Grand Prix for Red Bull as Ferrari's Formula 1 tyre gamble with Charles Leclerc did not pay off. Starting from seventh after his grid penalty, Verstappen was quickly up into the top two by Lap 5 of 53 at Monza, and began to close in on Leclerc who maintained the lead from pole position.

Verstappen was told to do the opposite to the Monegasque, and so did not pit and assumed the lead ahead of George Russell. The World Champion made his own switch to Mediums on Lap 25, with Ferrari immediately considering "Plan C" which turned out to be a two-stop strategy.

Verstappen had 13 lap fresher tyres than Leclerc and so on Lap 33, the latter pitted again for a set of new Softs. It left him 19.6s behind leader Verstappen, but Leclerc never thereafter showed the requisite pace he required - about one second a lap to hunt the #1 down. Verstappen crossed the line ahead of Leclerc under the Safety Car, with Russell completing the podium places in a quiet race for the Mercedes driver.

‘Verstappen wins’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-wins-italian-grand-prix-as-leclerc-strategy-backfires


Race Results – 2022 Italian Grand Prix
Monza, Italy
11/09/2022, 15:32
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -53 laps
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +2.446
3. George Russell Mercedes +3.405
4. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +5.061
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +5.380
6. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +6.091
7. Lando Norris McLaren +6.207
8. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +6.396
9. Nyck de Vries Williams Racing +7.122
10. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +7.910

‘Italian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at Monza’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-results-2022-italian-grand-prix-80074


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from the 2022 Italian Grand Prix
11 September 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-formula-1-pirelli-gran-premio-d-italia-2022.6pvMkOQrUQNnPE3LXxlP9H.html


Leclerc frustrated by decision not to restart Italian Grand Prix
2022 Italian Grand Prix
Posted on 11th September 2022, 16:0311th September 2022, 16:08
Written by Hazel Southwell

Charles Leclerc was disappointed by the decision to finish the Italian Grand Prix behind Safety Car after taking second behind Max Verstappen. The Ferrari driver led the early stages of the race but was running second behind Verstappen in the closing stages after making two pit stops – the first under an early Virtual Safety Car period – to his rival’s one.

A late Safety Car period, triggered when Daniel Ricciardo stopped at the side of the track, appeared to offer all the drivers an opportunity for a sprint to the chequered flag. But the race was never restarted, and Leclerc was followed Verstappen home as his rival took his fifth win in a row. “The end was frustrating,” Leclerc said. “I wish we could have ended up racing, unfortunately we were second at that point because of what happened before so it’s a shame but overall I gave it all, P2 today.”

Jeers from the crowd rang out after the anticlimactic end to the race. “I wish I could have won in front of the amazing Tifosi we have here but I just couldn’t today,” Leclerc added. He indicated he wasn’t convinced Ferrari’s call to pit early, during that first Virtual Safety Car, had been correct. “We didn’t know what they were going to do behind so we took that choice,” he explained. “Obviously we finished P2 so I’m not extremely happy with the race but we’ll work on that.”

‘Frustrated Leclerc’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/11/leclerc-frustrated-by-decision-not-to-restart-italian-grand-prix/


Max Verstappen booed across line in controversial finish at Italian Grand Prix
MAX VERSTAPPEN clinched yet another victory at Monza and the Ferrari-mad crowd were not best pleased.
15:33, Sun, Sep 11, 2022
By Charlie Gordon

Red Bull star Max Verstappen was booed across the finish line at the Italian Grand Prix as the Ferrari-dominated crowd vented their frustration at a decision to finish the race behind a safety car. Charles Leclerc consequently had to settle for second place after being denied the chance to launch a late challenge for top spot. Leclerc started Sunday's Grand Prix on pole after a superb qualifying performance saw him pip Verstappen. The Dutchman ended up starting way back in seventh as he, along with several other competitors, accepted grid penalties.

Verstappen quickly weaved his way through the pack and ended up in second place, behind Leclerc, in the early stages of the race. Superior pace eventually told and the Red Bull star had surpassed Leclerc and built up a commanding lead by the time Ferrari committed to one last throw of the dice by fitting the 24-year-old with soft-compound tyres for the final 20 laps.

The Monegasque didn't have the pace to close a 20-second gap, although it looked like he had been thrown a lifeline when Daniel Ricciardo's malfunction brought out a late safety car. A cherry picker was required to move the Aussie's McLaren and, much to the home fans' frustration, it meant that the race was finished under safety car conditions.

‘The Monegasque didn't have the pace to close a 20-second gap’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1667811/max-verstappen-italian-grand-prix-red-bull-f1-news

[Fortitude]

Fans were booing the FIA more than Verstappen at end of Italian GP – Binotto.
“Booing a driver is never great, especially if the driver has been Max, which today was the fastest driver on track and deserved the win,” Binotto told media including RaceFans. “So that’s not good.”
2022 Italian Grand Prix
Posted on 11th September 2022, 17:55
Written by Keith Collantine

Formula 1 fans at the Italian Grand Prix were booing the FIA for their handling of the race, not winner Max Verstappen, Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto believes. Verstappen scored his 11th win of the season on Sunday at the expense of Charles Leclerc, who started from pole position for home favourites Ferrari. Some spectators were heard booing after Verstappen was acclaimed as the winner.

“Booing a driver is never great, especially if the driver has been Max, which today was the fastest driver on track and deserved the win,” Binotto told media including RaceFans. “So that’s not good. But I think that the booing from our tifosi [fans] was more toward the FIA and simply by booing the first and the winner it was trying to boo the FIA. The reason was I think because the people out there believe that the Safety Car could have been ended before and give still a couple of laps for the show today, for battles on track.”

Verstappen said he wasn’t bothered by the reaction even if the jeers had been aimed at him. “When it happens, of course, everyone speaks to me about it with the booing and stuff,” he said. “But I mean at the end of the day I’m here to try and win the race, which we’ve done. Some people, of course, they can’t appreciate that. But that’s, of course, because they’re very passionate fans of a different team and it is what it is. I mean, it’s not going to spoil my day. I’m just enjoying the moment.”

‘Booing a driver is never great’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/11/fans-were-booing-the-fia-more-than-verstappen-at-end-of-italian-gp-binotto/


Max Verstappen issues response to Charles Leclerc fans booing him at Italian Grand Prix.
MAX VERSTAPPEN secured his 11th win of the season as he edged out Charles Leclerc at the Italian Grand Prix.
20:56, Sun, Sep 11, 2022
By Andrew Gamble

The Monza crowd booed the anticlimactic finish, while Verstappen also received jeers during his post-race interview with Martin Brundle. Booing has not been commonplace during the 2022 season, but it became fairly prominent during Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s title battle last year.

Verstappen insisted the boos from the Ferrari fans were fair as they were simply supporting Leclerc. He assumed they thought the Monegasque driver was denied the chance to fight him for the win at the end.

When asked about the booing, Leclerc suggested F1 fans should not do it while flares were seen in the Monza crowd. Two flares were thrown on the track during Dutch Grand Prix qualifying last weekend. He said: “I think nobody likes booing and I think it shouldn't happen. That's it.”

‘Boos from the Ferrari fans were fair as they were simply supporting Leclerc’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1667893/Max-Verstappen-reponse-Charles-Leclerc-fans-booing-Italian-Grand-Prix


The rules that forced controversial end to F1’s Italian GP.
12/09/2022, 05:38.
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race.

Formula 1’s anti-climactic yet controversial Italian Grand Prix finish under the safety car was the result of the rules being applied in the consistent manner many have demanded. Given the criticism directed at the FIA – everywhere from team bosses in the Monza paddock to commenters on social media – it’s worth understanding the rules that meant the race ended the way it did.

Especially as the FIA says there were no delays in any of the race control procedures. “It felt like the safety car picked up the wrong car,” said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. “And that delayed things further for what looked like a reasonably trivial incident.”

Once this delay was in effect, there was nothing more race control could do. The cars were released, but they only caught the back of the queue as Verstappen started the final lap. This meant there was not enough time to then allow lapped cars to overtake and for the safety car to come in at the end of the following lap – let alone for there to be any green flag racing. There is no mechanism in the regulations for unilaterally throwing a red flag and suspending the race without just cause. So there was no alternative but to finish behind the safety car.

‘The rules that forced controversial end to F1’s Italian GP’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/the-rules-that-forced-controversial-end-to-f1s-italian-gp/


F1 fans 'gutted' as Aussie driver Daniel Ricciardo was robbed of a points result in Italian Grand Prix due to yet another McLaren stuff-up
Published: 01:19, 12 September 2022
By Josh Alston For Daily Mail Australia

Dumped Aussie McLaren star Daniel Ricciardo's F1 season has lurched from one disaster to the next after he suffered another engine failure in Italy with a points result in sight. With around half the field copping points penalties for engine modifications, including leader Max Verstappen, Ricciardo started from the second row of the grid. He was within six laps of a morale-boosting points finish at the Monza track when his engine developed an oil leak and he slowed and lurched to the right side of the track.

Because the nature of the engine failure meant he car was stuck in gear, his McLaren could not be moved easily which forced the remainder of the race to be completed behind the safety car. Ricciardo tried to remain positive after yet another McLaren disaster.

'It was a busy race, trying to hold on, do what I could and then yeah, felt like we got a little bit of a rhythm on the hards (tyres) with 10-15 laps to go but then the engine just switched off out of turn six,' he said. 'I had to pull over straight away because it was stuck in gear and so I couldn't roll to a safe place. It would have been nice to get some points, but it wasn't meant to be today.'

‘Yet another McLaren stuff-up’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11202517/Australian-F1-driver-Daniel-Ricciardo-robbed-result-Italian-Grand-Prix-McLaren-error.html


Sergio Perez brands his Monza race a ‘mess’ after early brake disc fire
Sunday 11th September 2022 8:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Sergio Perez was forced to address a fiery right front brake disc early in the Italian Grand Prix which turned his race into a “mess”. Perez was one of many drivers carrying a grid penalty into the Italian Grand Prix, leaving him to start from P13, although he still had reason to be optimistic of a strong result in the Red Bull RB18, currently the fastest car on the grid.

His race encountered rocky waters early on, Perez forced to pit by lap eight with smoke coming from the right front wheel on his Red Bull. He returned to the track with flames starting to develop. Perez thought that could have been the moment when his race ended, but he was able to keep his RB18 in a healthy enough state to continue. But by this point, he said the damage was done.

“It was a mess, my race,” he told Sky Sports F1. “It all started with the front right disc early on and that really compromised our race because we had to ‘box’ pretty early. Then the first laps on the hard tyres I had to lift and coast like crazy to bring them (the brakes) back to temperature. Because otherwise I think we could have retired the car. I spent a few laps with the right disc on fire a bit, so it wasn’t ideal and I think at the end I could have got to the end with the hard tyres, but we had to stop.”

‘Early brake disc fire’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio-perez-monza-race-mess/


De Vries keeps Monza points following F1 stewards investigation
Nyck De Vries has been issued with a reprimand by Formula 1 stewards for "erratic" driving in the Italian Grand Prix, but will keep his points finish.
11/09/2022, ‎17‎:‎21
Author Jake Nichol

De Vries started in eighth, alongside Max Verstappen at Monza, after grid penalties, but drove a composed race to bank two points for ninth place, just behind 2020 Italian GP winner Pierre Gasly.

However, during the late Safety Car period, the stewards deemed De Vries to have driven "erratically", and so summoned him for a hearing. After the investigation, the 2020/21 Formula E champion was just hit with a reprimand - his first of the season.

It means he gets to keep the points he earned, and will not incur any further penalties should he be required for Singapore if Albon has not recovered from the surgery he requires.

‘Issued with a reprimand by Formula 1 stewards for "erratic" driving’;

https://racingnews365.com/de-vries-keeps-monza-points-following-f1-stewards-investigation

[Fortitude]

Helmut Marko to fly to Tokyo as Red Bull scramble to reignite Honda partnership.
Red Bull adviser, Dr Helmut Marko, says that the team are still weighing up their options for 2026, but confirms that any relationship with Porsche is now dead in the water.
by James Clifford
13 September 2022

Red Bull's relationship with Honda, as it stands, is set to end ahead of the 2026 season. The Austrian team had initially purchased Honda’s intellectual property to construct their own powertrains when the Japanese motoring giant announced its intention to leave Formula 1 at the end of last year.

At the moment, Red Bull are developing well to become a works team in 2026. “No, that’s over too,” Dr Marko told Osterreich newspaper. “The first engine we developed has already run on the test bench, so we’re doing very well for ourselves there too.” There is every chance that the Milton Keynes-based side might also continue their deal with Honda in four years.

“That is being negotiated, I will be flying to Tokyo between the Singapore and Suzuka races in early October,” explained Dr Marko. Red Bull’s owner and founder, Dietrich Mateschitz, was unable to oversee negotiations with Porsche, but Dr Marko confirmed that this had “nothing to do” with the deal falling through, before revealing his compatriot’s son, Mark was in Monza last weekend.

‘Helmut Marko to fly to Tokyo’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/helmut-marko-to-fly-to-tokyo-as-red-bull-scramble-to-reignite-honda-partnership/


Max Verstappen on brink of beating Fernando Alonso feat as he eyes record-breaking season
MAX VERSTAPPEN already has 31 Grand Prix wins to his name after his latest triumph at Monza.
15:28, Mon, Sep 12, 2022
By Fraser Watson

Max Verstappen is hunting down the career markers of Fernando Alonso after the Red Bull man continued his dominance of the 2022 season in Italy. Verstappen beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc after the Scuderia tried a questionable two-stop strategy, although he was booed across the line with the leaders finishing behind a safety car.

It was Verstappen's fifth win a row and 11th race victory this year, already one more than he achieved in 2021. Monza represented the 31st F1 win of Verstappen's career, drawing him level with Nigel Mansell, and moving him just one shy of sixth-placed Alonso on the all-time list.

When the inevitable happens, only Lewis Hamilton (103), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53), Alain Prost (51) and Ayrton Senna (43) would then sit above him. Verstappen also looks like he has a chance to eclipse the record of most wins in a season (13), shared by Schumacher and Vettel.

‘Max Verstappen on the brink’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1668187/Max-Verstappen-feat-Fernando-Alonso-F1-news


Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen can secure 14 wins this season
Monday 12th September 2022 5:00 PM
Sam Cooper

Helmut Marko has predicted Max Verstappen could reach 14 wins this season, which would set a record for the most in a single campaign. Before the 2021 season, Verstappen had 10 career wins to his name but now, just one and a half years later, he has more than trebled that figure.

He has 31 wins in his career, the joint seventh most in F1 history alongside Nigel Mansell, and could quite easily break the record tally for the most in a single season. The record currently stands at 13 with both Michael Schumacher (2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2013) having achieved that figure.

Verstappen has been backed by Red Bull senior adviser Helmut Marko to break the record and the Austrian predicted 14 wins was a realistic target for the driver and the team. “He managed it relatively easily again,” Marko told Sky Sports Germany when discussing the Italian Grand Prix. “It was a pity the race ended under the Safety Car. We had the upper hand but it was amazing how quickly he took the lead.”

‘Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen can secure 14 wins’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut-marko-max-verstappen-14-wins/


Verstappen compares 2022 F1 season to his final year in karting
Red Bull's Max Verstappen draws a parallel between his current F1 season and his final year in karts
September 12, 2022
By Rahul Sharan

Red Bull Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen, compared his current campaign to his final year in karting, where he won six out of the eight championships he contested. Despite starting seventh in Monza, Verstappen proved to be the class of the field claiming his eleventh win of the season and fifth in a row. His latest triumph means the Dutchman could mathematically wrap up the driver’s title in Singapore with the Red Bull driver now 116 points ahead of second-placed Charles Leclerc with six rounds left to go.

The Dutchman is inevitably heading for his second F1 Drivers’ Championship in as many years following his win at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix. “Yes, my last year in karting,” Verstappen said to Motorsport-Total when asked if he had enjoyed a season as dominant as the one in 2022.

“But it is very different in terms of feelings. At that moment, Formula 1 is your goal. Of course, you enjoy what you achieve, but you also think that there is still a long way to go so it feels different. But the last year in karting was also beautiful.”

‘Verstappen compares 2022 F1 season to his final year in karting’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/verstappen-compares-2022-f1-season-to-final-year-karting/


Red Bull reveal they’ve received ‘surprising enquiries’
Porsche are reportedly now looking at McLaren and Williams as options for 2026.
12 September 2022
by Nick Golding

“If it turns out that there are synergies and benefits, then we are open. Now that Porsche’s cancellation has become official, we have received some surprising enquiries.

“We are in talks with Honda,” he revealed. Porsche are reportedly now looking into a potential partnership with McLaren or Williams, as they push on to find a suitable partner for 2026.

“As we are now, we are in a good position,” said the Austrian. “We have the fastest driver until 2028. We have Adrian Newey, the best engineer. And we have an engine factory that will be fully operational within 55 weeks. “The first engine has already fired up. That means we are completely self-sufficient.”

‘Red Bull in a good position’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/red-bull-reveal-theyve-received-surprising-enquiries/

[Fortitude]

‘Ferrari can’t win anymore, the F1-75 eats its tyres’.
“Ferrari can’t win anymore” declared a damning indictment from Auto Motor und Sport, with Mattia Binotto left to rue Ferrari’s race pace at the Italian Grand Prix.
Monday 12th September 2022 1:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Although Charles Leclerc started Sunday’s 53-lap Monza race from pole position, the Monégasque driver P1 for the eighth time this season, he was unable to match Max Verstappen’s pace in the grand prix. Aware of this, Ferrari threw the dice with an early pit-stop when the Virtual Safety Car was deployed on lap 12 with that decision putting Leclerc onto a two-stop strategy.

But even with the brand new set of soft tyres he took on at his second stop, he was unable to chase down Verstappen and was 16 seconds behind when the Safety Car was deployed, ending the day’s action. Auto Motor und Sport’s Michael Schmidt says Ferrari’s biggest problem is their race pace due to the F1-75’s high tyre degradation. “Ferrari can’t win anymore,” he wrote. “It’s still enough for pole position but no longer for victory.”

“The speed in the F1-75 is still there, but over the distance the red car eats its tyres. That puts all the trump cards in Max Verstappen’s hand. Monza was no exception. Even if Charles Leclerc gave the Tifosi hope, it was deceptive.’ Ferrari, he added, “suspect the aerodynamics – that the search for more downforce has reduced the working window and thus the scope for set-up”.

‘Ferrari can’t win anymore’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-cant-win-anymore-report/


Martin Brundle sees 'major problem' for Ferrari after 'punchy' comments from chairman
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is under mounting pressure after company chairman John Elkann fired a "warning shot" following a host of errors this season
16:40, 13 SEP 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Martin Brundle believes key personnel at Ferrari could be axed if the Italian squad loses second spot in the constructors’ championship to Mercedes. Sky Sports F1’s Brundle interviewed Binotto over the weekend and hopes he can weather the storm, but admits being overtaken by Mercedes would represent a hammer blow to him and the team. “I think he’s under a lot of pressure. I always say in Formula 1 that you’re either giving pressure or taking it, and he’s taking a lot,” said Brundle.

“They’re over 100 points behind in the drivers’ championship. They won two of the first three races and, if you add up all of the reliability issues, the strategy problems, the driver errors, they should be pushing Red Bull really hard in the closing stages of this World Championship. Every time they make a mistake, Red Bull and Max Verstappen gain from it as well.

“I asked him how much pain you will take if you finish behind Mercedes. I think it’s a major problem for them. We see it in football a lot, the changes of managers. If you want to change your team principal, fine, but who with?”

‘Major Problem For Ferrari’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/ferrari-binotto-brundle-elkann-f1-27982277


Binotto deconstructs message from Ferrari boss Elkann
13 September, 2022
Paul Velasco

Ferrari’s invisible Chairman John Elkann turned up at the Italian Grand Prix reaffirming his faith in Mattia Binotto’s leadership and talking-the-talk of “Formula 1 titles before 2026” which needed some deconstructing by the team principal.

Asked if support from the Big Boss took the pressure off his shoulders, Binotto replied: “Is it a relief? First, I know and the team knows that we’ve got the full support of our chairman so we do not need an article or an interview to know that so we got. We are continuously in contact.

“We are commenting races, post-race. We are discussing race preparation, so he’s a person that is certainly a lot interested in what we are doing and supporting the team itself. Is it a relief? I think more for external – let me say – judgements rather than internal, so internally we were focused, we were okay and had no concerns but seeing such an interview certainly is great because it’s somehow confirming what we already know,” explained Binotto.

‘Message From Ferrari Boss Elkann Deconstructed’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/13/binotto-deconstructs-ferrari-boss-elkanns-message-f1/


Sam Bird: Ferrari are running scared of Red Bull’s and Max Verstappen’s pace
Tuesday 13th September 2022 5:00 PM
Thomas Maher

Formula E racer Sam Bird believes Ferrari have been spooked by Red Bull’s pace, which is causing them to make questionable decisions. With Ferrari having jumped at the chance to pit under the early Virtual Safety Car at Monza, it left Charles Leclerc with a steep mountain to climb as he faced a 40-lap stint on the medium tyres.

Unsurprisingly, this strategy did not work out despite Leclerc gaining back the lead when Verstappen pitted at the race’s halfway mark, Verstappen quickly closing the gap back up to Leclerc.

However, an on-track battle did not unfold as Ferrari pulled Leclerc back in for a second stop before Verstappen got within striking distance. With Ferrari stuck in a sub-optimal strategy after the VSC, Bird believes this is indicative the Scuderia are going in with the mentality they are simply slower than Red Bull.

‘Running Scared’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sam-bird-ferrari-running-scared-red-bull/


Ferrari encouraged by Leclerc’s “comfortable” margin over Russell at Monza
2022 Italian Grand Prix
Posted on 13th September 2022, 17:36
Written by Ida Wood and Claire Cottingham

WhileCharles Leclerc failed to convert pole position into victory at the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari drew encouragement from his margin over Mercedes, who were a significant threat in previous races. Now Binotto thinks Ferrari has a better understanding of why Red Bull have pulled away and Mercedes have emerged as a greater threat to them on race days.

“On the race pace, we are suffering tyre degradation and I think that in that respect the Red Bull is a better car,” he said. “So they have been capable of developing their car for a better balance, but certainly as well for a better car in terms of tyre degradation, that we didn’t. The reason is something that we are looking at because we need to address it, if not for us this season, certainly for the next.”

‘Ferrari encouraged’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/13/ferrari-encouraged-by-leclercs-comfortable-margin-over-russell-at-monza/


Ferrari 'not to blame' for Monza loss despite strategy gamble - Leclerc
Tuesday 13 September 2022 12:52
Ewan Gale

Charles Leclerc has insisted Ferrari is not to blame after a strategy gamble failed to pay off at the Italian Grand Prix. The Monégasque led from pole at Monza but rival Max Verstappen was behind in second having climbed from seventh on the grid in the first five laps.

When Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin broke down on the run to Ascari on lap 12, a virtual safety car was called, allowing for a potential 'free' stop where less time is lost due to the reduced speed of rivals on the track. But after taking the risk as Verstappen stayed on track, the VSC ended whilst Leclerc was in the pits and therefore took away at least half of the advantage the Scuderia would have gained with the ploy.

"If it was a clear mistake? I don't think so because it was just our choice and looking back at it, you just cannot predict whenever the VSC is going to end. If I was not stopping, Max will have pitted and he will have had the same problem as I did. So nothing to blame on anybody there, just a little bit unlucky, and probably missing a little bit of pace too."

‘Ferrari Not To Blame';

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/91595/ferrari-strategy-gamble-charles-leclerc/

[Fortitude]

‘Horrible luck’: Oil leak robs Daniel Ricciardo of points finish in Italian Grand Prix.
This hurts. Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo was less than six laps away from clinching a points finish in the Italian Grand Prix before engine failures robbed the 33-year-old of a much-needed morale boost.
September 12th, 2022 7:10 am
Nic Savage from News.com.au

Ricciardo’s McLaren sat idle on the edge of the Monza track for the final stage of Sunday evening’s race due to an oil leak, forcing the event to end behind a safety car in anticlimactic scenes. Because Ricciardo’s car was stuck in gear, stewards were unable to quickly remove the stranded McLaren from the side of the track.

“I felt like I was doing a good job to hold off (Pierre) Gasly but didn’t have much more to show than that,” Ricciardo told reporters after the race. “It was a busy race, trying to hold on, do what I could and then yeah, felt like we got a little bit of a rhythm on the hards (tyres) with 10-15 laps to go but then the engine just switched off out of Turn Six.

“I had to pull over straight away because it was stuck in gear and so I couldn’t roll to a safe place. It would have been nice to get some points, but it wasn’t meant to be today.” McLaren team principal told Speedcafe.com: “Daniel commented on the radio that he lost the engine and it looks like that we had an oil leak, but what exactly the root cause of the oil leak (is) something we need to analyse once the car is back.

‘Less than six laps away from clinching a points finish in the Italian Grand Prix’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/horrible-luck-oil-leak-robs-daniel-ricciardo-of-points-finish-in-italian-grand-prix/news-story/e3873196c3f9ca57d154cd7e5b1ab2a1


‘Everything shut off’ – Ricciardo explains his Lap 47 DNF at Monza that triggered late Safety Car.
11 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

“If I could have done anything else I would have,” says Daniel Ricciardo after he was forced to leave his McLaren on the side of the track which triggered a Safety Car that ran to the end of the Italian Grand Prix.

‘Everything shut off’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.everything-shut-off-ricciardo-explains-his-lap-47-dnf-at-monza-that-triggered-late-safety-car.1743687100639547663.html


Ricciardo says 'everything shut off' as he reveals disappointment at late DNF in Italian GP
13 September 2022
Formula 1.

Daniel Ricciardo was running in eighth place at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix and looking set for a first top-10 finish since France. But a late DNF on Sunday meant it was fourth consecutive point-less outing for the Australian, much to his disappointment.

And speaking after the race, Ricciardo explained: “The car switched off. I don’t know the details but in simple terms just everything shut off, so I was in Lesmo 1, fourth gear and then immediately off and then obviously stuck in gear. I just tried to pull over to the inside of the track as quick as I could.

“But then when I got out of the car, even for me to find an opening was difficult, so I was surprised there wasn’t an opening sooner or I guess I passed it when I was trying to pull off. Then I found out after that the race ended under Safety Car. If I could have done anything else, I would have but that was all I could do.”

‘Disappointment at late DNF in Italian GP’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.ricciardo-says-everything-shut-off-as-he-reveals-disappointment-at-late-dnf.1JodTkiq8ba0ECDiSm10uJ.html


Daniel Ricciardo ‘wished the race had ended on lap one’ after strong start
Sunday 11th September 2022 10:00 PM
Henry Valantine

Daniel Ricciardo retired from the Italian Grand Prix and having moved up to third place on the first lap, admitted he had hoped to have seen the chequered flag there and then.

He had been running high up the order for most of the race, holding off Pierre Gasly behind, before retiring on lap 47, prompting the Safety Car period which saw the remaining drivers finish under yellow flag conditions at Monza. This came in part as Ricciardo’s car was stuck in gear after retiring, which meant the marshals could not move it back to safety between the two Lesmo corners.

But the Australian said there was not much else he could do in that situation. “Car switched off, I don’t know the details but in simple terms just everything shut off,” Ricciardo told Formula1.com. “So I was in Lesmo 1, fourth gear and then immediately [switched] off, and then obviously stuck in gear so I just tried to pull over to the inside of the track as quick as I could.”

‘Wished the race had ended on lap one’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/daniel-ricciardo-monza-2022-reaction/


F1 fans 'gutted' as Aussie driver Daniel Ricciardo was robbed of a points result in Italian Grand Prix due to yet another McLaren stuff-up
Published: 01:19, 12 September 2022
By Josh Alston For Daily Mail Australia

He was within six laps of a morale-boosting points finish at the Monza track when his engine developed an oil leak and he slowed and lurched to the right side of the track.

Ricciardo tried to remain positive after yet another McLaren disaster. 'It was a busy race, trying to hold on, do what I could and then yeah, felt like we got a little bit of a rhythm on the hards (tyres) with 10-15 laps to go but then the engine just switched off out of turn six,' he said.

McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said it was a disappointing finish to what was shaping as a strong weekend. 'It is obviously very unfortunate for Daniel, for us, that after a strong weekend on his side of the garage, the strong race today, that ultimately we couldn't score the points that he deserves this weekend.'

‘Driver Daniel Ricciardo was robbed of a points result’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11202517/Australian-F1-driver-Daniel-Ricciardo-robbed-result-Italian-Grand-Prix-McLaren-error.html


Daniel Ricciardo reveals Oscar Piastri’s manager apologised to him
Daniel Ricciardo will leave McLaren at the end of the year.
9 September 2022
by James Clifford

McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo showed his class by speaking to Mark Webber and Oscar Piastri recently, assuring his compatriots that there are no hard feelings. The 33-year-old has not had an easy time of it since he joined the British side last year, and he has often struggled to find common ground with a stubborn car.

‘Oscar Piastri’s manager apologised to him’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/daniel-ricciardo-reveals-oscar-piastris-manager-apologised-to-him/


Ricciardo offers thoughts on 2023 plans
14/09/2022, ‎17‎:‎00
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Dieter Rencken

A difficult 2022 for Ricciardo has resulted in McLaren cancelling his contract one year earlier than planned, in order to replace the Australian with compatriot Oscar Piastri for 2023. Ricciardo had previously stated his intention to remain on the F1 grid in 2023, but possible openings at teams such as Alpine, Haas and Williams seem destined for other drivers.

In recent days, Ricciardo intimated that he would settle for a role as a third driver for 2023 with a view towards returning to a race seat in the future, and speaking after the Italian Grand Prix, the Australian said he was ready to consider an enforced sabbatical next year. "I've certainly accepted if I'm not to be on the grid next year, I'm okay with that," Ricciardo told media including RacingNews365.com.

"I've accepted that I'm not going to do everything, or my [management] team is not going to do everything just to put me on the grid if it's not right, or it doesn't make sense. If I am on the grid, I want to know that it's a place that I can enjoy and feel that like I can thrive in, so I don't want to just jump into a car for the sake of it."

‘Ricciardo offers thoughts on 2023 plans’;

https://racingnews365.com/ricciardo-offers-thoughts-on-2023-plans

[Fortitude]

George Russell: Mercedes W13 sidepods not the performance differentiator.
George Russell says that the sidepods are not the main influencer of performance for Mercedes’ inconsistent W13.
Tuesday 13th September 2022 8:15 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Their W13 has shown flashes of leading performance, Russell taking his first career pole in Hungary, while Lewis Hamilton was in contention to win the Dutch Grand Prix, but, as the Belgian and Italian rounds showed either side of those GPs, the W13 is not yet capable of competing against Red Bull and Ferrari at the front on a consistent basis.

Mercedes went down a very different route with the design of their 2022 car, most striking were the narrow sidepods, commonly referred to as a ‘zero-pod’ concept. The Silver Arrows must decide whether they wish to stick with this concept for 2023.

Put to him by Sky Sports F1 that the W13 seems to be a real “Jekyll and Hyde” car, Russell replied: “Yeah, I think we understand exactly why at circuits like Zandvoort and Budapest, why we were competitive, and we understand why on circuits like this [Monza] and Spa we were uncompetitive.

‘W13 Jekyll And Hyde Car’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george-russell-w13-sidepods-not-to-blame/


Mercedes expect 'difficult' races to come despite better W13 understanding
08 September 2022
Ben Issatt

Mercedes admits more "difficult" weekends are to be expected despite a better understanding of their 2022 car. After overcoming the porpoising and bouncing problems that dominated the first half of this season, the Brackley-based team is still trying to more consistently find the sweet spot of the W13 on all kinds of circuits.

In Zandvoort, Mercedes did just that and was firmly in the battle for victory, but Wolff concedes there will be races where that won't be the case. “Our performance is fundamentally ingrained in the car concept as it is, but we are now understanding better how everything interacts,” said team boss Toto Wolff via Motorsport.com.

“I think we can tune the car more precisely to fit and to target the performance window. Having said that, there will be races that are better for us and there might be some on the calendar that will be very difficult. So you need to stay realistic in my opinion. We won’t be fighting for pole positions on all the other race tracks, but at least we need to really get us back to this point for next year."

‘Tuning the car more precisely to fit and to target the performance window’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16358-mercedes-expect-difficult-races-to-come-despite-better-w13-understanding


Martin Brundle makes Lewis Hamilton observation at Italian Grand Prix
LEWIS HAMILTON recovered from a back of the grid start to finish P5 at the Italian Grand Prix.
11:47, Wed, Sep 14, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Lewis Hamilton “didn’t look impressed” after the Italian Grand Prix despite a comeback drive from P19, reckons Sky Sports' Martin Brundle. Hamilton was forced to start at the back after Mercedes fitted him with a new power unit ahead of the weekend.

However, the seven-time champion slicked through the field to secure good points for the Silver Arrows. But, Sky Sports host Brundle has stressed the Briton was not too happy moments after the chequered flag.

Writing in his column, Brundle said: “Lewis Hamilton was less spectacular in his progress but nonetheless finished a fine fifth from 19th on the grid, although he didn't look that impressed as he walked through parc ferme as I waited to interview the top three.” Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate, George Russell, secured his seventh podium of the season with P3.

‘Lewis Hamilton didn’t look impressed’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1669208/martin-brundle-lewis-hamilton-italian-grand-prix-f1-news


Valtteri Bottas fires jibe at Toto Wolff
Valtteri Bottas signed with Alfa Romeo for the start of the 2022 season.
14 September 2022
by James Clifford

Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas feels that he can “trust” his current employers more than he could Mercedes.

Bottas was put straight up against Sir Lewis Hamilton, and he won three races in 2017… The now 33-year-old was unfortunate not to win a grand prix in 2018… Two more one-year arrangements would follow after 2021, but the lack of job security at the Brackley-based squad became too much of a burden on Bottas’ shoulders, so he had to leave.

He landed in Switzerland with Alfa Romeo, and they gave him a contract until the end of next season, so he feels as though he can relax his shoulders and race without anything hanging over his head. “I can work here without feeling any negative pressure,” Bottas told Auto Bild. “I only ever had a one-year contract so I never knew if I would be continuing or not, that sucked.”

‘Lack of job security too much of a burden on Bottas’ shoulders’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/valtteri-bottas-fires-jibe-at-toto-wolff/


George Russell admits Ferrari pace at Monza caught Mercedes by surprise
Tuesday 13th September 2022 8:00 PM
Henry Valantine

George Russell has spoken of the “goose bumps” he felt on the podium at Monza – where Ferrari’s surprising pace stopped him from standing higher on the rostrum. He soaked up the atmosphere after the race but said it was far from the strongest weekend Mercedes have had this season.

“Certainly standing on the podium at Monza is a really special feeling and I’d say [part of] a driver’s bucket list is to be standing on the top step at Monza, [it] would be really special,” Russell told Sky Sports F1 after the race.

“It kind of gave me goose bumps up there, but the race was pretty uneventful. Definitely wasn’t our strongest race of the season by far, car wasn’t feeling great. We lost quite a bit of performance since FP1 on Friday and we don’t really know why. But I think the biggest thing was the pace of Ferrari surprised us.”

‘Ferrari pace at Monza caught Mercedes by surprise’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george-russell-ferrari-monza-surprise/


Wolff says it’s ‘all to play for’ as Mercedes target second-placed Ferrari in the championship
13 September 2022
Formula 1.

Toto Wolff is hopeful that Mercedes can push Ferrari for the runner-up spot in the 2022 constructors’ standings after “maximising” their Italian Grand Prix points haul “on a track that doesn’t suit us”.

On race day, however, Russell capitalised on a host of grid penalties to convert a front-row start into another podium finish, while Hamilton fought his way through the field from P19 to claim fifth – adding important points to Mercedes’s tally.

Having recovered plenty of lost ground after their early-season struggles, and with six races left to run, Mercedes are just 35 points down on second-placed Ferrari in the constructors’ standings. With tracks coming up that should be better suited to their W13, Wolff is excited to see whether his team can overhaul the Scuderia during the final stages of the season.

‘All To Play For’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.wolff-says-its-all-to-play-for-as-mercedes-target-second-placed-ferrari-in-the-championship.4LK071AJpgbWqheAWpC4aW.html


Ferrari Fail To Win at Monza, at Least They Extend Lead Over Mercedes
11 Sep 2022, 15:37 UTC ·
by Bogdan Bebeselea

Ferrari had many ups and downs this season, but there is one race where all their sins could have been forgiven. There is one win that would have wiped the slate clean and taken some pressure off both the drivers and team principal Mattia Binotto. However, the taste it left was bittersweet. Instead of bringing the Tifosi some much-needed hope, they gave up another race win to Red Bull.

Ferrari is surely out of the fight by now. But there is still the matter of second place in the Constructors Championship. While it is by no means a crown, it is a consolation prize. One that comes with a lot of money, too. Considering how poorly the season went after their promising start, the fact that they at least managed to get some more points over Mercedes is the small victory they need right now.

‘The matter of second place in the Constructors Championship. While it is by no means a crown, it is a consolation prize’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/ferrari-fail-to-win-at-monza-at-least-they-extend-lead-over-mercedes-198345.html

[Fortitude]

Guenther Steiner admits Mick Schumacher’s weakness as Haas mull replacements.
“To be honest, we don’t know if Mick will stay or not. He delivered very good races in Canada, England and Austria, but he lacks the consistency to perform well. We’re in no hurry on the driver issue and Mick still has chances to show what he can do.”
14 September 2022
by James Clifford

Mick Schumacher is out of contract with Haas at the end of 2022. Schumacher has also been linked with the vacant seat at Alpine after Fernando Alonso signed with Aston Martin, while Oscar Piastri agreed to join McLaren in 2023.

Schumacher’s performances of late have given a sense of optimism that he may remain on the grid next season, but as it stands, he is out of contract at the end of this year.

There has been no guarantee from Haas that they will retain the former F2 champion, and there are also rumours that he will be splitting with Ferrari at the end of the year.

‘Lacks the consistency to perform well’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/guenther-steiner-admits-mick-schumachers-weakness-as-haas-mull-replacements/


Are Schumacher’s days in Formula 1 numbered?
14 September, 2022
NewsDesk

Reports suggest that Mick Schumacher may have just six races to save his Formula 1 career, however, his future is yet to be decided by Ferrari according to Mattia Binotto despite a number of drivers being linked with the Haas seat.

While media have all but written off Schumacher’s chances of remaining on the grid, Binotto has not pulled the plug yet: “With Mick, as we said at the start of the season, it’s important for Mick this season to improve. “We will in a few races sit down with him, make a balance of the season, and we’ll do that as well together with Haas and decide for his best future.”

Ferrari reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi replaced Schumacher in the car for Friday’s first practice at Monza and has been linked as his full-time replacement at Haas next year, while others in the frame for the drive include F1 veteran Nico Hulkenberg who is emerging as a favourite.

‘Formula 1 Days Numbered!’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/14/are-schumachers-days-in-formula-1-numbered/


Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher not included as three drivers to have Alpine trial
ALPINE are selecting their new driver after Oscar Piastri left the team for McLaren.
14:54, Wed, Sep 14, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Neither Mick Schumacher or Sebastian Vettel will fight it out for Alpine’s 2023 seat in a special test but Nyck de Vries is expected to take part. It is understood Vettel did hold talks with Alpine over a possible 2023 race seat.

Schumacher is battling for his F1 future amid rumours Haas could replace him at the end of the season, but Express Sport understands despite reports, he will not test with Alpine. Meanwhile, De Vries starred in his F1 debut with Williams at the Italian Grand Prix and is one of several drivers competing for the seat.

Rossi also admitted Alpine wanted to make “the right decision” over their driver line-up and stressed there was “no hurry”. Pierre Gasly and Daniel Ricciardo have also been talked about in relation to the Alpine drive but are not expected to take part in the test.

‘Mick Schumacher not included in Alpine test’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1669356/sebastian-vettel-mick-schumacher-alpine-drive


Mattia Binotto gives Mick Schumacher deadline as Ferrari to decide if Haas will sack him
Mick Schumacher is without a contract for the 2023 season, and Mattia Binotto has given the German racer a deadline.
14 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto discussed Schumacher’s future following the Italian GP, where he explained that “hopefully” an option for the German would be made possible with Haas.

“It was another unfortunate weekend for Mick, he had problems with the car and couldn’t drive much before qualifying, which is why he had to start from the back,” Binotto told Sky Germany. “We still have a few races, then we’ll sit down with Haas and hopefully find the best decision for him and his future.”

The American team clearly feels like they have all the cards in their hands, which is arguably the truth. The vacant Haas seat is one of the final seats to be filled for 2023, with four drivers having all been linked to it.

‘Mick Schumacher deadline’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-gives-mick-schumacher-deadline-as-ferrari-to-decide-if-haas-will-sack-him/


BINOTTO HINTS FERRARI TEST DRIVER COULD RACE IN SCHUMACHER’S F1 SEAT
17:10 Tue, 13 Sep 2022.
Abby Bathurst
FormulaNerds

Speculation around Mick Schumacher's future in F1 has risen and Mattia Binotto has revealed a driver who could possibly be in the Haas seat for 2023. However, while the speculation increases around Schumacher’s future, Binotto has hinted at a potential replacement for the American team.

Could this driver be a successor to Schumacher’s seat at Haas? Robert Schwartzman is the current test driver for Scuderia Ferrari. He finished the 2021 F2 championship in second, behind Oscar Piastri by 60 points.

Schwartzman was a part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, much like Schumacher, but didn’t get an F1 seat after leaving F2. Instead, he has supported Ferrari in a testing capacity, not racing competitively.

‘Robert Schwartzman is the current test driver for Scuderia Ferrari’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/binotto-hints-ferrari-test-driver-could-replace-schumacher-in-f1/?nowprocket=1


Guenther Steiner admits Haas could replace Mick Schumacher with Nico Hulkenberg
Haas are yet to announce who will partner Kevin Magnussen in 2023.
13 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Times are tough at Haas at the moment, as the team have taken a turn for the worse ever since they introduced their only upgrade of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the American side currently occupying seventh in the Constructors’ Championship by one point.

The team aren’t appearing to be in a hurry to announce Magnussen’s team-mate for next season, with team principal Guenther Steiner revealing that the team are considering “everybody with a superlicence. Everybody with a superlicence is on the list,” Steiner said.

‘Guenther Steiner admits Haas could replace Mick Schumacher’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/guenther-steiner-admits-haas-could-replace-mick-schumacher-with-nico-hulkenberg/

[Fortitude]

‘Every team’ interested in signing Nyck de Vries for 2023.
Former Formula 1 driver, Timo Glock, reckons that Nyck de Vries is now “clearly” in the mix for a seat on the grid in 2023.
14 September 2022
by James Clifford

Nyck de Vries has joined the extensive list of drivers looking for a seat next season. “In my opinion, it is relatively clear what this means for the driver market,” Glock wrote in his column for Sky Germany. “He has been one of the candidates all along, but of course he has brought himself even more clearly into the conversation with such an appearance as at the weekend.”

“He will definitely appear on the list for every team now, I’m also sure we’ll see him in one of the cars next year. For Mick Schumacher, this means there is another competitor for the remaining cockpits,” added Glock.

“Of course, that doesn’t make it any easier for him. In my opinion, however, he also – perhaps a little more under the radar – also performed greatly. With 16 laps all weekend [in practice] and the many problems he had, to move up to 12th place with a car that didn’t have speed at Monza is really a good performance. And he also had a clear grip on his team-mate.”

‘Every team’ interested in signing Nyck de Vries’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/every-team-interested-in-signing-nyck-de-vries-for-2023/


Palmer: Multiple F1 teams will look to sign De Vries
Ex-Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes that multiple Formula 1 teams will be chasing Nyck de Vries following his impressive debut last weekend at Monza.

by Fergal Walsh

“Alex Albon has been putting in stellar drives all season at Williams and de Vries’ Monza effort was Albon-esque in its delivery,” Palmer wrote in a column for Formula1.com. “Relatively understated, but by plugging away the result turned up at the end, made all the more impressive by it being a debut.”

“Surely for Williams now, the prospect of having two potential point scorers will be too appealing to turn down for 2023. But it won’t just be them that are keen on de Vries’ signature now. The rise in fortunes for the former F2 champion couldn’t have been clearer after a wonderful cameo which showcased his ability. Any reserve driver outing is an opportunity, and Nyck de Vries grabbed it with both hands in Monza.”

‘Multiple F1 teams will look to sign De Vries’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/09/14/palmer-multiple-f1-teams-will-look-to-sign-de-vries/


Lauda would have 'taken hat off' for de Vries debut - Wolff
Wednesday 14 September 2022 04:00
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
GPFans

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has provided a glowing appraisal of Nyck de Vries' F1 debut at the Italian Grand Prix and insisted triple world champion Niki Lauda "would have taken his hat off", such was the quality of the performance. Assessing his performance, Wolff said: “I like him. He is just a good young man.

“He’s not only fast and has shown that in the junior categories, but he is also intelligent and a good team player, that is why he deserved it here. I don’t think that anyone else could have possibly done a better job in what he did. You are in an Aston Martin, you are driving around with a rake and then you are being drafted in at the last minute in a different car, you are beating your team-mate by quite a margin, you are starting eighth and you finish ninth.”

Lauda passed away in 2019 having held the position of Mercedes non-executive chairman, with his legacy continuing with the team. Suggesting the Austrian would have been thoroughly impressed with de Vries' effort, Wolff added: "Niki would have taken his hat off as a driver.”

‘Triple world champion Niki Lauda "would have taken his hat off",’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/91618/toto-wolff-nyck-de-vries-niki-lauda-tribute/


Damon Hill issues brutal Nicholas Latifi verdict as Nyck de Vries stars at Italian GP
Nyck de Vries was one of the stars of the Italian Grand Prix, finishing ninth for Williams having only been called up as Alex Albon’s replacement on Saturday morning
18:16, 11 SEP 2022
BY Mark Whiley

As the Sky Sports F1 team discussed De Vries’s performance, presenter Simon Lazenby expressed his sympathy for Latifi, but former world champion Damon Hill, a former Williams driver, was having none of it.

“I’m sorry but this is the way it is,” he said bluntly. “In this case, Nicholas hasn’t got the pace that he needs to stay in that position in Formula 1. He’s had some good moments but along comes a guy who’s not even driven in the Grand Prix before, and he’s done a fantastic job.”

“I know he [De Vries] had grid penalties and stuff like that, which helped him up the grid, but he still delivered in qualifying and didn’t really make a mistake. He’s done enough for us to be talking about him, he’s got Toto [Wolff] talking about him. That’s what you need to be doing to be a Formula 1 driver.”

‘Damon Hill issues brutal Nicholas Latifi verdict’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/de-vries-latifi-williams-hill-27964564


Martin Brundle: Nyck de Vries has debunked a ‘fickle’ theory about F1
Wednesday 14th September 2022 10:45 AM
Jon Wilde

Martin Brundle believes Nyck de Vries’ impressive debut at Monza has given the lie to a theory that future F1 talents are in short supply. And not only did the Dutchman outperform his beleaguered temporary team-mate Nicholas Latifi, he also added 50% to Williams’ prior total of World Championship points for the season by finishing an excellent ninth.

Brundle, writing in his post-race column for Sky Sports, says he has heard suggestions there is a lack of depth among the youngsters currently pushing to get to Formula 1. “Nyck de Vries did an outstanding job stepping in on Saturday at Williams for Alex Albon, who needed his appendix removed in a procedure which ended up with a few complications,” said Brundle, referring to the London-born Thai driver having to be taken to intensive care due to respiratory problems. “Hopefully he will be fit soon.”

“De Vries qualified well, started eighth after penalties had been applied, stayed out of trouble and ran with the likes of Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly all race to seal ninth and two World Championship points on his debut. And the fans’ Driver of the Day. That will surely have sealed a seat for him somewhere next year.”

‘The fans’ Driver of the Day’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/martin-brundle-nyck-de-vries-fickle-theory/


‘No doubt’: George Russell’s honest assessment of Nyck de Vries F1 debut
Nyck de Vries scored points on his debut at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend.
14 September 2022
by James Clifford

Mercedes’ George Russell has offered his congratulations to Nyck de Vries for the way he performed during the Italian Grand Prix last weekend. The 24-year-old reckons it was harder for de Vries as, unlike Russell’s call-up while he was already at Williams, the former Mercedes EQ driver was not on the grid.

“I think it was probably tougher for him to be honest than it was for me because I was obviously a full-time race driver,” explained Russell in the post-race press conference. “Equally as well for him jumping from Aston Martin on Friday into a Williams, it’s a different car and the seating positions are different.”

“I remember when I was doing testing with Mercedes and Force India, and driving in F2, it took quite a few laps to get used to a different feeling of how those cars reacted. To score points on your debut in a Williams is pretty spectacular no doubt.” De Vries’ result lifts him up to 20th in the championship, ahead of Latifi, whose future next year is now under even more scrutiny.

‘To score points on your debut in a Williams is pretty spectacular no doubt’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/no-doubt-george-russells-honest-assessment-of-nyck-de-vries-f1-debut/


Williams’ Dave Robson: “Nyck drove an excellent race today”
September 14, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

After an FIA Formula 1 World Championship debut at the Italian Grand Prix to remember for Nyck de Vries, Williams Racing’s Head of Vehicle Performance Dave Robson has heaped the praise on the Dutch driver stating that de Vries ‘drove an excellent race’ at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.

Dave Robson was left particularly delighted by how de Vries was able to turn in such an impressive performance given the short amount of time he had to prepare for the Grand Prix.

“Nyck drove an excellent race today and was able to defend when required as well as keeping constant pressure on the cars ahead. We gave him an ambitious strategy which would push his Soft and Medium tyres to the limit. The late safety car offered some protection in the final laps and also helped him manage a hot front brake disc.”

‘Williams Racing’s Head of Vehicle Performance Dave Robson has heaped the praise’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/williams-dave-robson-nyck-drove-an-excellent-race-today%ef%bf%bc/

[Fortitude]

Hakkinen: Elkann comments 'only add more pressure' to Ferrari.
Mika Hakkinen believes the public comments made by Ferrari chairman John Elkann ahead of last weekend's Italian Grand Prix likely added more pressure to an already tense atmosphere at the Scuderia.
15/09/2022 at 14:48
Phillip van Osten

"Ferrari has always had a lot of pressure," Hakkinen wrote in his post-Italian Grand Prix Unibet column. "And it is something unique to them. "Of course, at McLaren we felt the pressure of competing to win, trying our best, not being satisfied if we were not winning.”

"But Ferrari has always had this additional pressure of being a kind of national team." Hakkinen believes therefore that Elkann's comments perhaps only served the purpose of piling on more pressure on a team in need of calm and composure to perform.

"There is always the feeling of extra pressure, and this cannot be easy on the management or drivers who need to keep working hard, pushing together and making sure they do not start to blame each other when things go wrong," he added.

‘Only Add More Pressure';

https://f1i.com/news/454492-hakkinen-elkann-comments-only-add-more-pressure-to-ferrari.html


Hakkinen on pressure at Ferrari – 'It's a national team'.
Former World Champion Mika Hakkinen says there is an additional pressure involved in driving for Ferrari, likening it to an Italian national team.
14/09/2022, ‎07‎:‎55
Author Michael Butterworth

Hakkinen's comments come after Ferrari chairman John Elkann gave a rare interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, in which he said the F1 team was making too many mistakes and needed to improve.
"Ferrari has always had a lot of pressure, and it is something unique to them," Hakkinen wrote in his column for Unibet, also referencing his nine-year spell with McLaren, in which he won 20 Grands Prix and two World Championships.

"I think this season has been difficult because they started with a quick car, race wins and a lot of confidence, but Red Bull have operated so efficiently, making so few mistakes and improving the car."

'It's A National Team';

https://racingnews365.com/hakkinen-on-pressure-at-ferrari-its-a-national-team


Mattia Binotto admits he has no idea why Ferrari's performance has fallen behind Red Bull.
For all of Ferrari's reliability issues and strategy disasters this year, they still had a car capable of going toe-to-toe with Red Bull's machine – but that no longer seems to be the case.
18:05, 15 Sep 2022
By Daniel Moxon
F1 Writer

Ferrari have admitted they still need to figure out why they have lost pace compared to Red Bull as Max Verstappen continues to establish his dominance of this season.
Team principal Mattia Binotto has noticed the decline in performance since they raced in Budapest before the summer break, but admits his team is still unsure as to exactly why.

"I think we do not only look back at the previous two [races] but the last three because I would include as well Hungary," he said. "In the last races, I think that the performance of the Red Bull has been better than ours. Not in qualifying, because I see that in quali we have still got a good pace – so let me say the pure performance is still there.”

“But then with the race pace, we are suffering tyre degradation. In that respect, I think the Red Bull is a better car, so they've been capable of developing that car for a better balance that we didn't. The reason? I think it is something that we are looking at, because we need to address it. If not for this season, certainly for the next one.”

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/ferrari-red-bull-pace-binotto-28002713


Jean Alesi wants Ferrari to provide Mattia Binotto with ‘reinforcements’
Wednesday 14th September 2022 11:30 AM
Jon Wilde

Jean Alesi has called for Ferrari to back up Mattia Binotto with “reinforcements” after another frustrating weekend at the Italian Grand Prix. The Frenchman praised Binotto for not pointing the finger at those who report to him, such as the strategists whose mistakes have been under the media microscope this year, just as Mercedes have guarded whoever was chiefly responsible for the design of their disappointing all-new W13 car.

“Honestly, I believed it. I thought Leclerc could win at Monza after that crazy lap in qualifying,” said Alesi in his columm for Corriere della Sera. “That was not the case and I have some friendly and affectionate thoughts to pass on to Mattia Binotto. I admire his righteousness. As a true leader, he protects his men. That’s the right attitude, always. Nobody, for example, knows the name of the designer who chose the wrong path at Mercedes, just as anyone who makes a mistake under pressure during a race must be protected.”

“As a fan, I am also convinced Binotto can seek, without fuss, some reinforcements for the future. On the strategy front, where a more aggressive approach would perhaps be useful; on the quicker understanding of set-ups, something Red Bull seem to be doing more readily. I’m not talking about revolutions but about consolidation on some decisive aspects to counter first-rate adversaries.”

‘Provide Mattia Binotto With Reinforcements’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jean-alesi-ferrari-reinforcements/


Flavio Briatore: Incredible how Ferrari manage to mess it up in every race
Wednesday 14th September 2022 10:00 AM
Michelle Foster

Flavio Briatore has had a go at Ferrari for messing up their Italian Grand Prix strategy – but Christian Horner says he understands the timing of Charles Leclerc’s first pit-stop. Former Renault team boss Briatore has billed it as just another Ferrari mistake. “It’s incredible how Ferrari manage to mess it up in every race,” he told F1-Insider.com.

Binotto, though, defended Ferrari’s strategy, telling Auto Motor und Sport they knew their F1-75 did not have the pace to win and so rolled the dice. “The Red Bull was the faster car,” said the Italian. “If we had gone up against him with the same strategy, we would never have beaten him.”

“Two stops were basically not wrong because you never know what will happen later in the race. “For us, playing poker was without risk.” Told of Binotto’s comment, Briatore replied: “Incredible!”

‘Flavio Briatore: Incredible’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/flavio-briatore-incredible-ferrari-mess/


Laurent Mekies: United Ferrari accepting setbacks ‘with a smile’
Thursday 15th September 2022 3:30 PM
Thomas Maher

Ferrari’s sporting director Laurent Mekies says his team are conscious of errors made in 2022, but are accepting them as part of a strengthening process. Mekies believes that Ferrari’s significant step forward in 2022 proves the team are on the right path, and are now uncovering the weaknesses that have stopped them from challenging more strongly for the titles.

Speaking to Channel 4 at the Italian Grand Prix, Mekies said a diligent approach is being taken by the Scuderia. “If you look at Sundays, we’ve had a few races where we didn’t have the right pace, but it was not the majority of them,” he said.

“We have had a few reliability issues, and we have made a few mistakes. If you add all of that, it’s simply telling us that we’ve made great steps forward this year with a faster car, but we need more work to do to be stronger all around and that’s what we are working on.”

‘Accepting Setbacks With A Smile’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/laurent-mekies-united-ferrari-setbacks-smile/


Ferrari upgrades coming for Singapore with more planned for later – report
Thursday 15th September 2022 6:02 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Apparently rejuvenated by their Monza display, Ferrari are now reportedly planning two further 2022 upgrades, the first coming for Singapore. Ferrari now find their title challenge in 2022 effectively over, with the chance that their hopes of a first Drivers’ title since 2007 could be dashed as early as Singapore.

While Verstappen did win the race, by a margin that would have been comfortable without a Safety Car to conclude proceedings, Ferrari were certainly far more competitive than at Spa, having claimed pole via Charles Leclerc on the Saturday. So, according to the Italian branch of Motorsport.com, this has given Ferrari a spark which was needed to lift the mood at Maranello as they continue to put resources into the 2022 campaign.

They (Italian branch of Motorsport.com) report that for Singapore an upgrade to the floor and the wings will be introduced, with the Singapore Grand Prix “seen as a great opportunity” to end Verstappen’s winning streak at five as Formula 1 action returns to the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the first time since 2019. The report mentions Mexico as the venue where this second upgrade could be introduced, which would give Ferrari three races with its services. “The season is not over and we will continue to fight for victory,” said team principal Mattia Binotto, adding that the 2023 Ferrari “is coming along nicely”.

‘Ferrari Upgrades Coming’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-singapore-mexico-upgrades-report/

[Fortitude]

Alpine A522 set for ‘massive step of downforce’ in Singapore.
Alpine says its A522 contender will benefit from a new floor and a “massive step of downforce” at F1’s next race in Singapore.
15/09/2022 at 17:24
Michael Delaney

The update will be a timely development for the Enstone squad who heads into the final stretch of the season just 18 points ahead of McLaren as the two teams battle for fourth in the Constructors’ standings. Alpine sporting director Alan Permane insists his team’s low-key performance at the Temple of Speed was a one-off, insisting the French outfit will be back where it belongs in the pecking order in Singapore.

“For sure, 100% it's an outlier," commented Permane. "We've got a new floor coming for Singapore, which has got a massive step of downforce. We'll be back where we should be, and we're really looking forward to there and especially Suzuka with this car. It's going to be fun."

Permane admitted however that he was somewhat caught out by Alpine’s relative performance at Monza, a pace deficit that still requires a few answers. “We didn't expect to struggle,” he said. “I thought we would be okay. We ran absolutely fine on Friday and that's the tricky thing, that's what we don't understand.”

‘Alpine A522 set for massive step of downforce’;

https://f1i.com/news/454502-alpine-a522-set-for-massive-step-of-downforce-in-singapore.html


F1 podcast: Alpine’s 2023 options + what its test will achieve
18:32 Thu, 15 Sep 2022.
The Race

Who should Alpine sign to partner Esteban Ocon in the 2023 Formula 1 season? That’s a question we answer in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Ben Anderson and Scott Mitchell-Malm join Edd Straw to run through Alpine’s very lengthy shortlist, and the significance of the upcoming test using a 2021 car at the Hungaroring.

While Pierre Gasly is the team’s first choice for the drive – or rather, it’s third first choice after losing out on Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri – there are a plethora of other candidates. We also explain why Colton Herta has a part to play in deciding Alpine’s driver line-up, even though his anticipated test outing for the Enstone team doesn’t mean he is a contender for the seat.

‘Alpine’s 2023 options’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/f1-podcast-alpines-2023-options-what-its-test-will-achieve/


Alpine earmarks four drivers for private F1 test in Hungary
15/09/2022 at 10:53
Michael Delaney

Alpine has reportedly earmarked four drivers for an upcoming private Formula 1 test that is scheduled to take place at the Hungaroring.

It was reported earlier this week that Colton Herta was in line for the outing that will take place as part of F1's Testing of Previous Cars provision, meaning drivers will be entrusted with a 2021-spec Alpine A521 car. In addition to Herta, Alpine junior Jack Doohan will be in action in Hungary as well as Nyck de Vries and Antonio Giovinazzi.

Save for Herta, who is hopeful of racing with AlphaTauri next season if the American is granted a superlicence exemption by the FIA, all drivers taking part in the test are considered as candidates to fill the seat that will be vacated at Alpine by Fernando Alonso at the end of the season.

‘Alpine earmarks four drivers for private F1 test’;

https://f1i.com/news/454472-alpine-earmarks-four-drivers-for-private-f1-test-in-hungary.html


Four drivers set for Alpine shootout — but will any get the 2023 F1 seat?
Only three F1 seats remain realistically open for 2023. As Alpine prepares to host a four-driver test, Adam Cooper reveals that there's still a lot more going on behind the scenes
September 15th 2022
F1 Author: Adam Cooper

If not Gasly at Alpine, then who? Gasly is still at the top of Alpine’s list, and it’s been made clear that any past personal rivalry between the 2020 Italian GP winner and potential future team mate Esteban Ocon will have to be overcome, should be get the drive.

Alpine has made it clear that it is in no hurry to make a decision, and thus in effect it can wait for the Gasly situation to play out. The risk is that in waiting it might lose other potential candidates. One solution is already onboard. Alpine might have lost Piastri, but it still has Jack Doohan, whose stock has been rising recently. Alpine has made its open-minded position clear by inviting Nyck de Vries and Antonio Giovinazzi to join the young Australian and Herta at the Budapest test.

De Vries raised his stock with his brilliant drive to ninth at Monza with Williams, and some would argue that Alpine should have signed him there and then. It remains to be seen whether someone else does take him even before the Alpine test can happen. Schumacher cannot be completely ruled out at Alpine, while Daniel Ricciardo should be an obvious candidate, but his name is not being mentioned.

‘Four drivers set for Alpine shootout’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/four-drivers-set-for-alpine-shootout-but-will-any-get-the-2023-f1-seat#


Fernando Alonso wanted ‘longer’ deal at Alpine, but to them it ‘didn’t make sense’
Friday 16th September 2022 7:45 AM
Henry Valantine

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi has said offering Fernando Alonso a longer contract “didn’t make sense” given the deal they had with Oscar Piastri. “We wanted him (Alonso) to continue with us as an endurance and/or Dakar Rally driver,” Rossi told Formula1.com’s Lawrence Barretto.

“We spoke about it at length last year. Why did we only offer him two years? We only had two years of option with Oscar. “Fernando had a desire to drive longer in F1, which we couldn’t match or we would have lost Oscar. It didn’t make sense for us.”

“More than likely, we couldn’t match other conditions that were offered too. So with Fernando, we would have loved to continue. He’s an amazing champion, he will remain a legend of our brand – but it didn’t work and that’s life.”

‘Longer Deal At Alpine Didn’t Make Sense’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernando-alonso-three-year-deal-no-sense/


‘One of the hires I’m most proud of’ – Alpine CEO on Szafnauer
14:59 Thu, 15 Sep 2022.
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi rates team principal Otmar Szafnauer as “one of the hires I’m most proud of” and says he is doing an “excellent job” despite the losses of Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri. Szafnauer joined Alpine ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 season beginning, having left Aston Martin over the winter.

He has been the face of the team in the wake of Alonso agreeing a deal to join Aston Martin when Alpine thought the two-time world champion was set to sign a new contract, and Alpine’s long-term hope Piastri signing for McLaren instead. Alonso’s previous contractual dealings had been with Rossi, and Szafnauer said recently he only got involved from July’s French Grand Prix onwards.

“Otmar is, by the way, one of the hires I’m most proud of, because he’s delivering every day since he arrived,” said Rossi. “On topics like that [driver contracts] we stay close. So we knew all of the developments. We would agree sometimes on maximums, limits, boundaries. Because, of course, we need to be aligned, and I need to know. But there was no real disconnection between us.”

‘One of the hires I’m most proud of’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/one-of-the-hires-im-most-proud-of-alpine-ceo-on-szafnauer/

[Fortitude]

Zak Brown on Oscar Piastri legal battle: ‘We kept our mouths shut deliberately’
Oscar Piastri will line up alongside Lando Norris at McLaren in 2023.
14 September 2022
by Nick Golding

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has spoken out about winning the Oscar Piastri saga, for the first time since the FIA’s Contract Recognition Board concluded that the Australian was legally allowed to race for the Woking-based team next season.

Piastri is, of course, Alpine’s reserve driver and has been a profound part of their driver academy. Following Fernando Alonso’s announcement after the Hungarian Grand Prix that he’d be leaving Alpine and joining Aston Martin, the Enstone-based team released a statement of their own announcing Piastri as his replacement.

Whilst Piastri was being congratulated on social media, the 21-year-old quickly turned the situation incredibly ugly by releasing his own jaw-dropping statement. The Aussie announced that he hadn’t agreed to race for Alpine in 2023 and wouldn’t be doing so either. It soon came to light that he’d signed a contract with McLaren to replace Daniel Ricciardo; however, Alpine insisted that Piastri was contracted to race alongside Esteban Ocon next season.

‘We kept our mouths shut deliberately’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/zak-brown-on-oscar-piastri-legal-battle-we-kept-our-mouths-shut-deliberately/


Brown takes potshot at Szafnauer following Piastri furore.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer was left looking "a little silly" throughout the recent Oscar Piastri saga.
Thursday 15 September 2022 18:20
Ian Parkes

The upshot was that the Contract Recognition Board sided with McLaren, leaving all at Alpine red-faced in failing to sign up its reserve driver and in whom it had invested so much time and resources over the previous years.

Explaining McLaren's positioning in the lead-up to the CRB hearing, speaking to NBC Sports, Brown said: "It was very noisy", in contrast to his team opting not to 'comment on anything'. He added: "It was better just to let things play out and give a little bit of colour afterwards.”

‘McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer was left looking "a little silly"’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/91737/mclaren-ceo-zak-brown-silly-potshot-alpine-team-principal-otmar-szafnauer/


Daniel Ricciardo breaks his silence to make it clear McLaren DID sack him - and insists he's not finished in F1 despite getting offer to make big switch to American racing
• Aussie F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo confirmed he won't be with McLaren in 2023
• Told Instagram followers news was 'bittersweet', is determined to keep racing
• Fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri in line to replace Ricciardo at McLaren next season
Published: 03:27, 25 August 2022
By Andrew Prentice For Daily Mail Australia

Dumped Aussie F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo is adamant his days at the pinnacle of motor sport are not over as he made it clear McLaren made the decision to end his contract a year early.

Taking to Instagram, Ricciardo confirmed the worst-kept secret in the sport - and made it abundantly clear it was ultimately the team's decision, not his.

By saying 'the team has decided' the Aussie went against McLaren's statement that he and the team 'agreed to part ways mutually'.

'The Team Has Decided';

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11143797/Daniel-Ricciardo-makes-clear-SACKED-McLaren-insists-hes-not-finished-F1.html


‘First I’ve heard’: McLaren signed Piastri despite publicly backing Ricciardo for 2023
September 3rd, 2022 12:54 pm
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports

Daniel Ricciardo says he didn’t know McLaren had already signed Oscar Piastri on a two-year deal on 4 July, a month before the team issued him notice that it intended to sack him for 2023.

Piastri’s contract with McLaren was validated by the FIA’s contract recognition board on Friday after Alpine claimed it still had rights to the young Australian, who is a member of its young driver academy.

The board’s statement revealed McLaren had lodged a contract covering the 2023 and 2024 seasons signed on 4 July, the Monday after the British Grand Prix.

‘McLaren signed Piastri despite publicly backing Ricciardo for 2023’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/first-ive-heard-mclaren-signed-piastri-despite-publicly-backing-ricciardo-for-2023/news-story/68bab10ccaf44d8ee34addc4e86ccaaf


Ricciardo "not aware" Piastri had signed McLaren 2023 deal
‎03‎ ‎September‎ ‎07‎:‎00
Author Jake Nichol

The CRB ruled that McLaren had rights on Piastri for 2023, but Ricciardo says he wasn't aware of the deal. Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he wasn't aware McLaren had signed a deal with Oscar Piastri to replace him in Formula 1 next season.

The Woking squad were rumoured to have signed Alpine junior Piastri to replace his fellow Australian, but remained tight-lipped as the case went through the FIA's Contract Recognition Board.

The CRB ruled on Friday that McLaren does have a legally binding deal with Piastri - hence he will partner Norris in 2023. However, speaking at Zandvoort following a strong day in Friday practice for the Dutch Grand Prix, Ricciardo admitted he was not aware of any deal.

‘Ricciardo "not aware" Piastri had signed McLaren 2023 deal’;

https://racingnews365.com/ricciardo-not-aware-piastri-had-signed-mclaren-2023-deal


Did McLaren manipulate and lie to Daniel Ricciardo?
Oscar Piastri will partner Lando Norris at McLaren next season.
3 September 2022
by James Clifford

Interestingly though, the contract recognition board (CRB), who checked Piastri’s contract with McLaren and found it to be legal, stated that it had been signed on 4 July. This is where things are even more confusing, because Ricciardo, after his employers had already signed another driver, put out a statement out nine days after Piastri’s signature stating that he was committed to staying until the end of his contract next year.

McLaren team principal, Andreas Seidl, has since insisted that the 33-year-old was told of the decision at the time, leading to questions as to why he would put out a statement revealing that he was staying if he knew that he was not.

The German called himself “transparent” at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, indicating that nothing underhanded had taken place. Intentional or not, the situation is cruel on Ricciardo who, at best, was accidentally misled, and at worst, was directly lied to about his future.

‘Did McLaren manipulate and lie to Daniel Ricciardo?’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/did-mclaren-lie-to-daniel-ricciardo/


“If I’m not on the grid next year, I’m okay with that” – Ricciardo
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 15th September 2022, 0:01
Written by Keith Collantine

“I’ve certainly accepted, if I’m not to be on the grid next year, I’m okay with that,” said Ricciardo following Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix. “So I’ve accepted that I’m not going to do everything, or my [management] team’s not going to do everything just to put me on the grid if it’s not right or it doesn’t make sense.

“Obviously this year’s been challenging and if I am on the grid, I want to know that it’s a place that I can enjoy it and feel like I can thrive. An environment I feel I can thrive in. I don’t want to just jump into a car for the sake of it.”

Last year’s Italian Grand Prix winner retired from Sunday’s race while running in eighth place, having started fourth. “Days like this certainly are pretty frustrating,” he admitted. “But give it 24, 48 hours and I’ll get over it and try to understand what’s best for next year. Not in an overconfident or cocky way, but it’s not meant to be, then I’m totally okay with that. I’m not going to be too proud. We haven’t certainly given up on it, but that’s kind of where my head’s at, at the moment.”

‘I want to know that it’s a place that I can enjoy it and feel like I can thrive’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/15/racefans-round-up-15-09-5/

[Fortitude]

Schumacher axed.
MICK SCHUMACHER is facing the sack from American team Haas, meaning the famous family name is unlikely to be on the Formula One grid next season.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2022.
JONATHAN MCEVOY
Mail+

‘Schumacher axed’;

https://www.mailplus.co.uk/edition/sport/formula-one/223428/schumacher-axed


Haas are ready to SACK Mick Schumacher, son of legendary Ferrari driver and seven-time world champion Michael, with Nico Hulkenberg identified as No 1 replacement target.
Sportsmail understands Haas have already deemed him surplus to requirements.
Mick Schumacher is set to be sacked by Haas as they eye Nico Hulkenberg
It means the iconic racing name of the Schumacher family is set to not be on grid.
Published: 22:30, 16 September 2022
By Jonathan McEvoy for the Daily Mail

Sportsmail understands Hass boss Gunther Steiner has already decided that Schumacher, the 23-year-old son of legendary seven-time world champion Michael, is surplus to requirements.

Haas have instead installed Nico Hulkenberg, Schumacher's 35-year-old compatriot, as their No 1 target after he impressed as a Covid super-sub, scoring in two of his four appearances for Racing Point/Aston Martin when he filled in for corona-stricken drivers.

Hulkenberg brings the experience of 181 starts mostly racked up before he left Renault in 2019. He also enjoys a good relationship with Steiner. As for Schumacher, he has scored just twice - in Britain and Austria this year after a crash-strewn early season - since making his Formula One debut in 2021.

‘Sportsmail understands Haas have already deemed him surplus to requirements’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11220987/Haas-ready-SACK-Mick-Schumacher-dismal-season.html


Nico Hulkenberg close to replacing Mick Schumacher at Haas
Nico Hulkenberg has made five appearances since he left Renault in 2019.
16 September 2022
by James Clifford

Reports linking Nico Hulkenberg to the currently vacant Haas seat next year have strengthened in recent days. Mick Schumacher is out of contract at the end of the year as it stands. The German struggled to put points on the board in the opening nine rounds, and crashes in Jeddah and Monaco did not help with that.

His Italian boss seemed particularly disgruntled after the latter, but the 23-year-old has found his feet since then. Schumacher deserved points at the Canadian Grand Prix before a reliability failure put pay to his chances, but he would manage his first championship points in Silverstone two weeks later.

‘Reports linking Nico Hulkenberg to vacant Haas seat, strengthened in recent days’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/nico-hulkenberg-close-to-replacing-mick-schumacher-at-haas/


Nico Hulkenberg in the mix to join Haas for 2023
Published: 16 Sep 2022, 09:17
By George Dagless

Nico Hulkenberg is said to be firmly in the mix for the vacant Haas seat next year, with him the potential replacement for Mick Schumacher.

Haas have one drive available for 2023 as things stand, with Kevin Magnussen already committed to another year after an impressive return to Formula 1 this season.

Indeed, it’s Mick Schumacher that is currently on the other side of the garage but the German’s future with the team and even in terms of on the grid is still in doubt, with several other names being linked with replacing him at Haas.

‘Nico Hulkenberg in the mix to join Haas’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88060319-nico-hulkenberg-in-the-mix-to-join-haas-for-2023


Hulkenberg closes on Haas deal
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
GrandPrix.Com

Gene Haas’ dislike for having rookies driving for him is playing right into Nico Hulkenberg’s hands, according to Team Haas insiders. Haas re-hired Kevin Magnussen and the Dane’s results against Mick Schumacher, especially at the start of the season, reinforced his conviction that he’s much better off working with veterans.

With Mick Schumacher on his way out of the Ferrari Driver Academy and unsure if he wants to remain with Haas, feeling the team is now biased towards Magnussen and resenting Gunther Steiner’s public criticism, Haas told the Austro-Italian he wants a veteran alongside Magnussen and has set his sight on Nico Hulkenberg…

‘Much Better Off Working With Veterans’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/hulkenber-closes-on-haas-deal.html


Mick Schumacher urged to leave Haas and make ideal career move amid Ferrari exit links.
EXCLUSIVE: Karun Chandhok has weighed in on the long-term future of Mick Schumacher in the F1 paddock.
12:23, Sun, Sep 11, 2022
By Archie Griggs

Mick Schumacher would be the perfect driver to replace Nicholas Latifi at Williams if he leaves Haas and cuts ties with Ferrari's junior programme at the end of this year, according to ex-F1 driver Karun Chandhok.

"He’s come on a bit, at the start of the year he was being beaten by Kevin Magnussen, but in recent races he’s stepped up a notch," Chandhok exclusively told Express Sport when quizzed on what the future may hold for Schumacher.

"At Zandvoort his qualifying was really good. I wonder if a team like Williams for example, if they are looking to replace Nicholas Latifi, then he could be a good fit there. He’s got a couple years of experience and they’ve got Alex Albon there, who is a good lead driver.”

‘Mick Schumacher would be the perfect driver to replace Nicholas Latifi at Williams’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1667751/Mick-Schumacher-Haas-ideal-career-move-Ferrari-F1-news


Long-time Kimi Raikkonen engineer to partner Kevin Magnussen permanently
Tuesday 13th September 2022 11:59 PM
Henry Valantine

Haas have confirmed they have brought in Mark Slade to partner Kevin Magnussen as his full-time engineer from the Singapore Grand Prix after a lengthy search.

Slade, who had worked at McLaren alongside Kimi Raikkonen, had most recently worked at ‘Team Enstone’ under their Lotus, Renault and Alpine guises for a decade until leaving at the end of last season, and has now taken on the role of guiding Magnussen through his race weekends with Haas.

Magnussen’s former engineer Ed Regan had been moved into an office role after confirming he will be leaving the team towards the end of the season, with Dominic Haines having taken on the role on an interim basis while Haas’ recruitment process took place, advising the Dane at Spa, Zandvoort and Monza.

‘Long-time Kimi Raikkonen engineer guiding Magnussen through his race weekends with Haas’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mark-slade-kevin-magnussen-haas-engineer/

[nichihaii53]

Ross Brawn, Formula 1 Managing Director of Motorsport, who has been integral in the introduction of the new aero regulations is set to exit the sport in 2022, reports have claimed. hellodear.in (https://hellodear.in/)

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[Fortitude]

DE VRIES AND MARKO ARE SAID TO HAVE “AGREED” ON DE VRIES GOING TO ALPHATAURI
Auto Hebdo have reported that Helmut Marko met with de Vries in Graz in Austria. According to their reports, the Red Bull advisor met with the Dutchman to discuss his move to AlphaTauri.
12:54, 17th Sept 2022.
Abby Bathurst
FormulaNerds

De Vries impressed the paddock whilst racing in Monza for Williams. Auto Hebdo stated that Marko and de Vries are said to have: “agreed on a move of [de Vries] to AlphaTauri next season, where he is expected to race alongside Yuki Tsunoda.”

This would be an interesting move for the Dutchman as he is currently the Mercedes Reserve Driver and has raced for Mercedes in Formula E. Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal, said earlier this year that Mercedes “can’t really tell any team to look” at de Vries because it would “be felt as interference.”

De Vries also commented on his future after Monza, saying that getting on the Formula One grid is “out of [his] control”. But many thought he was likely to have secured his seat at Williams after out-performing Latifi. However, with the potential of a seat at AlphaTauri, de Vries’s future is now up for more speculation.

‘Agreed on a move of [de Vries] to AlphaTauri’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/de-vries-and-marko-are-said-to-have-agreed-on-de-vries-going-to-alphatauri/?nowprocket=1


Nyck de Vries set to be rewarded with Formula 1 seat as Alpha Tauri are ‘close’ to agreeing move for Italian Grand Prix debutant star, allowing Pierre Gasly to complete Alpine switch
17th September 2022, 4:45 pm
Connor Andrews

The 27-year-old decimated fellow Williams driver Nicholas Latifi in both qualifying and the race, and with only Albon signed for next season, the Canadian’s seat appeared to be in jeopardy.

De Vries outscored Latifi’s point tally for the season in just a single race, while his two points make up 33 per cent of Williams’ 2022 total in the constructors standings.

However, Williams’ inactivity in nailing down De Vries has been pounced upon by Alpha Tauri, with reports in the Netherlands claiming a deal is ‘close’ to completion. De Telegraph report that once current Alpha Tauri driver Pierre Gasly has sealed his move to Alpine, De Vries will step in as his replacement.

‘Nyck de Vries set to be rewarded with Formula 1 seat as Alpha Tauri’;

https://talksport.com/sport/motorsport/1197348/


AlphaTauri contract for De Vries ready
Today, ‎15‎:‎45
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Ruud Dimmers

Dutchman looks set to join AlphaTauri in 2023 after meetings with Helmut Marko in Austria. Nyck de Vries has been a man in demand for several teams including Alpine and Williams, however it looks like Red Bull will snatch up the Formula E world champion RacingNews365.com has learned.

After meeting with Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, the Dutchman looks set to join AlphaTauri for 2023 and pair with Yuki Tsunoda. Things still depend on whether Red Bull will enable Pierre Gasly to make a switch to Alpine to replace Fernando Alonso, as previously reported.

‘Dutchman looks set to join AlphaTauri’;

https://racingnews365.com/alphatauri-contract-for-de-vries-ready


De Vries linked to possible AlphaTauri agreement
17/09/2022 at 13:49
Andrew Lewin

Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported on Saturday morning that the Dutchman paid a visit this week to the Graz office of Red Bull motorsports consultant Dr Hellmut Marko. This has subsequently been confirmed by RacingNews365.com

Now French publication AUTOHebdo has gone further than that, and stated that the discussion was more advanced than originally thought and that an agreement has already been reached on the move

In a tweet (translated from the original French), AUTOhebdo said it was "able to confirm the information that de Vries and Helmut Marko have met in Graz, and they are said to have agreed on a move of the 27-year-old Dutchman to Alpha Tauri next season, where he is expected to race alongside Yuki Tsunoda."

‘An agreement has already been reached’;

https://f1i.com/news/454609-de-vries-linked-to-possible-alphatauri-agreement.html


Nyck de Vries to replace Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri – report
Saturday 17th September 2022 3:10 PM
Jon Wilde

How would Mercedes view Nyck de Vries joining the Red Bull camp? It does beg the question of how Mercedes would feel about seeing a driver who has been immersed with them for three years, winning a Formula E World Championship, to up and leave for Red Bull.

Toto Wolff has said more than once he is extremely limited in what more he can to do help De Vries fulfil his F1 dream, for which he has been waiting since he won the Formula 2 title in 2019.

“I can’t really help him,” said the Mercedes head of motorsport after De Vries drove in FP1 for the Silver Arrows at the French Grand Prix in July.

‘How would Mercedes view Nyck de Vries joining the Red Bull camp?’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/nyck-de-vries-alphatauri-link-report/

[Fortitude]

Alex Albon will 'aim high' for Singapore return after health scare.
After his health scare in Italy, Alex Albon will "aim high" for a return at the Singapore Grand Prix.
17 September 2022
Ben Issatt

Last weekend at Monza, the Williams driver was sent to hospital with appendicitis on Saturday morning and underwent successful surgery.

However, it was later revealed Albon suffered complications following the operation that led to respiratory failure and saw him moved into intensive care and briefly put onto a ventilator.

By Tuesday though, Alex's progress was such that the returned home to Monaco to continue his recovery.

‘Albon will 'aim high' for Singapore’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16383-alex-albon-will-aim-high-for-singapore-return-after-health-scare


Alex Albon back home after release from hospital
September 17, 2022
By Joe Briley

There have been further updates today that have said the Thai driver has been released from the hospital back to his home in Monaco, after he spent a further two days in hospital after he was released from intensive care. It is also rumoured that Albon is planning to race in Singapore on 2 October.

A Williams Racing Statement on Monday read: “Following surgery, Alex suffered with unexpected post-operative anaesthetic complications which led to respiratory failure, a known but uncommon complication. He was re-intubated and transferred to intensive care for support.”

“He made excellent progress overnight and was able to be removed from mechanical ventilation yesterday morning. He has now been transferred to a general ward and is expected to return home tomorrow. There were no other complications.”

‘Alex Albon back home’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/alex-albon-back-home-after-release-from-hospital/


‘The goal is to be ready by Singapore’ – Albon provides update to fans on recovery from appendicitis complications
16 September 2022
Formula 1.

Alex Albon has addressed his fans on social media following his release from hospital after contracting appendicitis, with the Thai driver saying his goal is now on getting fully fit for the Singapore Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.

Ahead of final practice for last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, it was announced that Albon had been diagnosed with appendicitis – with the Williams driver then suffering “unexpected post-operative anaesthetic complications which led to respiratory failure” according to a statement from his team, with Albon transferred to intensive care and put on mechanical ventilation.

However, having been discharged from hospital on Tuesday, Albon addressed his fans on Friday night, telling them that he was working to get fit for the Singapore Grand Prix – with Dutch driver Nyck de Vries having stood in for Albon at Monza. “I feel pretty good, I feel okay,” said Albon, in a video posted on his social media accounts. “Obviously on Saturday I had a slight issue and the doctors did an amazing job, and I’m very grateful that they got me in good health and out of the hospital by Tuesday.”

‘The goal is to be ready by Singapore’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.the-goal-is-to-be-ready-by-singapore-albon-provides-update-to-fans-on.2v24alZdJ7O7RpOzb4Otsk.html


Albon: It will tough to be ready for Singapore
17 September, 2022
Reuters

Williams driver Alex Albon said he hoped to race in the Singapore Grand Prix after missing last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix with appendicitis but recognised it would be tough. The 26-year-old Thai was replaced at Monza by Dutch reserve Nyck de Vries, who finished ninth on his debut, while Albon was hospitalised and receiving treatment.

Albon was released from hospital on Tuesday and is recovering at home in Monaco ahead of the Singapore round which starts with practice on Friday, 30 September. “I feel pretty good, I feel OK,” he said in a video message on social media. “Obviously on Saturday I had a slight issue and the doctors did an amazing job. I’m very grateful that they got me in good health and out of the hospital by Tuesday.

“I have been in Monaco since then. I’ve started to walk around and the goal is to be ready for Singapore, which is going to be tough. It’s one of the toughest races that we go to, so it’s not an easy one.

‘It will tough to be ready for Singapore’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/17/albon-it-will-tough-to-be-ready-for-singapore-grand-prix/


Jost Capito thinks Abu Dhabi crash has affected Nicholas Latifi’s driving.
Jost Capito believes the negative response to Nicholas Latifi’s Abu Dhabi crash has affected his driving this season. Latifi became the accidental star of the controversial season ending when his late crash brought out the Safety Car which would go on to dramatically alter the title race.
Sunday 18th September 2022 7:45 AM
Sam Cooper

Despite the unintentional nature of it, that did not stop some social media users from sending the Canadian death threats online. The abuse got so bad that Latifi said he beefed up his security and came off of his social media platforms. Williams team boss Capito has said that the team felt it was important to not push him too much following the abuse as they believed it was only going to make things worse.

“We had to keep giving him the confidence,” Capito told the High Performance Podcast. “We said that there is was nothing wrong, everything was fine but it’s very difficult to up them because that was the end of the season, they all went on vacation, they said they have to take the time off. So he was not around here every single day and it’s also we didn’t interfere there too much as we knew what was happening, we knew was going on that he switched his social media off but if we would have interfered too much, I think we would have made the situation even worse.”

“That’s something everybody has to get over himself. He was fully aware that he had our backing, that were absolutely convinced he didn’t do anything wrong. The crash, of course, it shouldn’t have happened but if you’re racing, you know, crashes can happen. And when we never blame a driver for that, it’s possible to crash. Because otherwise you have to stay at home if you don’t want to crash.”

‘Abu Dhabi crash has affected Nicholas Latifi’s driving’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jost-capito-abu-dhabi-crash-affected-nicholas-latifis-driving/


CAPITO: SARGEANT IS “READY” FOR F1 BUT HE JUST “NEEDS SOME POINTS”
Jost Capito has given his thoughts on Logan Sargeant
13:35 Sat, 17 Sep 2022.
Abby Bathurst
FormulaNerds

Jost Capito has spoken about Logan Sargeant as potentially replacing Nicholas Latifi at Williams for next season. Logan Sargeant joined the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2022 for his rookie season. He’s racing for Calin and has partnered with Liam Lawson.

With only one round left of the F2 season, Sargeant is third in the standings. He has 135 points, but those behind him aren’t too far away. Recently in the past five rounds, since Le Castellet, Sargeant has suffered at least one DNF over a race weekend. However, the American has had some great performances this year, notably his back-to-back feature race wins at Silverstone and in Austria.

At the end of last year, Sargeant joined the Williams Driver Academy. For Sargeant, this has given him the opportunity to drive the Williams at COTA during the FP1 session in front of his home crowd. It has also meant that he could potentially be up for Nicholas Latifi’s seat next year on the F1 grid. The Canadian, along with Niko Hulkenberg, has failed to score points this season.

‘CAPITO: SARGEANT IS “READY” FOR F1’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/capito-sargeant-is-ready-for-f1-but-he-just-needs-some-points/?nowprocket=1


WILLIAMS WILL LOOK ELSEWHERE IF SARGEANT CAN’T GET THE POINTS
With Nicholas Latifi not performing, a replacement for the Canadian is highly anticipated
19:43 Sat, 17 Sep 2022.
Nathan Hartley
FormulaNerds

A replacement for Nicholas Latifi at Williams for next season is more than likely, as the Canadian continues to struggle. Formula 2 driver Logan Sargeant is the latest to be rumoured replacing Latifi but only if he gets the points.

Williams are open to taking a rookie. Logan Sargeant currently finds himself third with 135 points in the Formula 2 championship in his rookie season. The American has impressed many during his debut season. The move for the 21-year-old would make sense for Williams as the American is part of their academy system.

Last weekend at Monza, Williams boss Jost Capito made it clear that the team are open to taking a rookie for next season. He said that “there’s a good choice of drivers”. Within that pool, Sargeant is a strong candidate. Capito said he thinks Sargeant is “ready” to make the step up to Formula 1. The American has just entered his debut season in Formula 2, but the German is still “confident”.

‘WILLIAMS WILL LOOK ELSEWHERE’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/williams-could-turn-to-sargeant-as-potential-latifi-replacement/?nowprocket=1

[Fortitude]

Bottas – Slow upgrade production a ‘weakness’ of Alfa Romeo.
In the round-up: Valtteri Bottas says that development speed is “one of the weaknesses” of his Alfa Romeo team.
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 18th September 2022, 0:01
Written by Will Wood

Valtteri Bottas says that improving how quickly Alfa Romeo produce upgrades for their car is a “high priority” for the team. Alfa Romeo currently sixth in the constructors’ championship on 52 points, but have only scored a single point in the last eight races after scoring 51 over the first nine. Bottas admits the team have been unable to maintain the development pace of some of their fellow midfield teams.

“I think the rivals – like for example, McLaren and Alpine – they have made more development than us and they’ve had more constant upgrades than us,” said Bottas. “We still have some things to come, I think it’s probably maybe Austin or Japan, some things, but I guess that’s going to be more or less it.”

“I think we were one of the very few teams in the beginning of the year who were at the weight limits. I think many teams were overweight, but as they’ve come down now, so maybe that has made an effect as well. We know one of our weaknesses is the production speed, which is a high priority for the team for the future. We’re definitely aware of that.”

‘Slow upgrade production a weakness’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/18/racefans-round-up-18-09-5/


Zhou: Lack of upgrades hiding my improved performances
18/09/2022, ‎18‎:‎00
Author Luke Murphy
Co-author Jesse Janse

Guanyu Zhou believes that his development over the season has been hidden by Alfa Romeo's drop-off in competitiveness. Guanyu Zhou believes that his own performances have improved over the course of the season, but a lack of car performance has prevented better results.

A tenth-place finish for Zhou at the Italian Grand Prix gave Alfa Romeo their first top ten finish since the Canadian GP back in June. The Chinese driver benefited from the numerous grid penalties applied after qualifying at Monza to line up ninth, but was powerless to prevent the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez from storming through the field.

Speaking after the Italian GP, Zhou believed that his own points tally would be much higher had Alfa Romeo kept up with the development pace of the other midfield teams. "I think in every weekend it's important to score points, but it [performance deficit] is more to do with what [pace] we have," Zhou told media, including RacingNews365.com.

‘Lack of upgrades hiding my improved performances’;

https://racingnews365.com/zhou-lack-of-upgrades-hiding-my-improved-performances


Bottas reveals Hamilton battle with Mercedes
Sunday 18 September 2022 12:59
Sam Hall

The pair raced alongside one another at Mercedes for five years between 2017-2021, helping the German manufacturer clinch five constructors' titles in each season, while Hamilton won four drivers' crowns. Such domination was achieved by the entire team working as one cohesive unit to such an extent the drivers were often refused the set-up direction they requested as the data suggested more favourable routes.

"It is just how a top team works," said Bottas. "I feel like Lewis felt the same as well. He sometimes wanted to go in his direction but the engineers would be like ‘No, the computer says this’. So it was sometimes a bit of a battle but it is good to discuss those things and it's just the way it is.”

"They have pretty advanced technology and simulation tools that allow it and quite often the computer was right but not 100 per cent."

‘No, the computer says this’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/91773/valtteri-bottas-lewis-hamilton-mercedes/


Zhou Guanyu reveals why he didn’t try to overtake Nyck de Vries
Zhou Guanyu scored points for the first time since the Canadian GP.
15 September 2022.
by Nick Golding

The Alfa Romeo driver had a look at making an overtake several times; however, De Vries was very late on the brakes on a number of occasions and was moving in the braking zone. This made any attempt to overtake the Dutchman extremely dangerous for Zhou, who prior to Monza hadn’t scored points since the Canadian Grand Prix all the way back in June.


Zhou was asked by F1TV how it felt to be back in the points, with the driver saying it felt “amazing”. “It’s amazing, I think it’s the best place to do it for the team, home race,” said Zhou.

“A lot of pressure coming into it because starting top 10, we knew we had the chance of all the races here. It was quite a tough one of course behind the DRS train, the Williams is super-quick on the straight, but very happy to be finally back in the points [for the first time] since Montreal.”

‘De Vries was very late on the brakes’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/zhou-guanyu-reveals-why-he-didnt-try-to-overtake-nyck-de-vries/


Alfa Romeo’s Frédéric Vasseur: “There’s no denying we wanted more from Spa and Zandvoort”
September 8, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Vasseur, the Team Principal at Alfa Romeo, feels the Monza track should see Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu be more competitive than they have been in recent races, and they will be looking to break their pointless run on Sunday afternoon. “We head to Monza this week for the final part of the triple-header and, more importantly, for our home race,” said Vasseur.”

‘As predicted, they did!’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/alfa-romeos-frederic-vasseur-theres-no-denying-we-wanted-more-from-spa-and-zandvoort/


Zhou insists there’s ‘no hurry’ on 2023 Alfa Romeo deal, as Vasseur says decision will be made this month
16 September 2022
Formula 1.

Alfa Romeo’s rookie Zhou Guanyu says there’s “no hurry” to renew his contract with the team for 2023 after Team Principal Fred Vasseur revealed the team will made a decision on Zhou's future by the end of September.

At Monza, Zhou ended his and Alfa Romeo’s run of six point-less Grands Prix with P10 finish, but with the season now into its final third, the Chinese driver was inevitably asked about his future. The 23-year-old’s contract runs out at the end of this season.

“Yeah, we're talking about it,” said Zhou. “And there's no hurry, myself and the team are very happy with each other, the job we've done so far. It wasn't an easy season, let's say, for the rookie campaign. But for my side, I'm quite happy working with everyone in the team. And yeah, we're talking about it. Nothing has been confirmed but hopefully I get more information soon and I get it all done.”

‘There’s ‘no hurry’ on 2023 Alfa Romeo deal’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.zhou-insists-theres-no-hurry-on-2023-alfa-romeo-deal-as-vasseur-says.6JOEdp4rfm26Wemv1aUXKI.html

[Fortitude]

Fernando Alonso jokes about El Plan as he’s quizzed on racing with Aston Martin in WEC.
Last season, Alonso coined the phrase, “El Plan,” which essentially entailed coming back to F1 and returning to the top step of the podium.10 September 2022
by James Clifford

Fernando Alonso is joining Aston Martin in 2023. Last season, Alonso coined the phrase, “El Plan,” which essentially entailed coming back to F1 and returning to the top step of the podium. It became a popular meme, but he does not want to get caught up in that gimmick again. His ambitions, though, have not changed.

“Let’s not start that again, because there was already enough trouble with El Plan. These things are always created in social media,” joked Alonso. “If it has to be the mission, then it’s the mission. Do I believe in it? We all have to believe.”

“But what happens in F1 is that you start in one position and you are going to finish in that position. It’s not like football where a small one can beat the big one. In F1 everything is too exact and mathematical for that. There are few moments of surprise. That’s the big problem. You can create an illusion but then in the 24 races it can be very monotonous to keep doing the same thing and frustrating for the fans.”

‘El Plan: Where a small one can beat the big one!’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-alonso-jokes-about-el-plan-as-hes-quizzed-about-racing-with-aston-martin-in-wec/


Fernando Alonso has James Bond request for Aston Martin after ditching Alpine
FERNANDO ALONSO raised eyebrows with his move from Aston Martin to Alpine
12:09, Thu, Sep 8, 2022
By Andrew McLean

Fernando Alonso has asked Aston Martin if he can feature in a James Bond film after making the eye-catching move to the team from Alpine. The British car manufacturer is best known for making the cars driven by the fictional secret agent and now the Formula One icon wants to take advantage of that to make his way on to the big screen.

The 41-year-old is considered to be one of the best drivers in the history of the sport having ended Michael Schumacher’s F1 dominance in 2005 with two consecutive title wins for Renault. He has won 32 races during his two-decade-long career with many believing he could have challenged the statistics put up by Lewis Hamilton if he made different career choices. Moves to traditional frontrunners Ferrari and McLaren went pear-shaped as the teams failed to offer him a vehicle capable of regularly performing at the front.

Now it appears he has set his sights on further fame by taking advantage of his move to Aston Martin, steeped in history with the beloved 007. Speaking on Instagram live in his native Spanish, Alonso joked about getting onto the silver screen, stating: "I would like to be featured on a James Bond movie, now that I signed for Aston Martin.”

‘EL PLAN: James Bond’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1666442/Fernando-Alonso-James-Bond-Aston-Martin-Alpine-Formula-One-news


Aston Martin envisage extended partnership with 'racing machine' Alonso.
Aston Martin believes "racing machine" Fernando Alonso could stay beyond his initial two-year deal.
31 August 2022
Ben Issatt

Alonso pointed to a greater desire from Aston Martin to sign him as his main reason to join from Alpine, with team boss Mike Krack denying any special incentives were included. “There's been talk in the media of him being offered things like number one status and a huge salary, but I can assure you Fernando is not doing it for either the status or the paycheque," he said.

“Of course, the package has to be commensurate with a driver of Fernando's calibre and experience, but the speed with which the agreement was made tells you that things like salary or the detail of the deal were not the prime motivators for Fernando. What convinced Fernando is the opportunity to be part of a team that's progressing and where he can make a real impact.”

Krack also claimed the Aston Martin project is one that matches Alonso's passion and motivation. “Fernando is a machine – a racing machine. He's totally focused on racing,” he continued. "He's determined to perform and compete at the highest level and sees Aston Martin F1 as the team that will enable him to do that.”

‘Racing Machine Alonso’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16302-aston-martin-envisage-extended-partnership-with-racing-machine-alonso


Aston Martin want Fernando Alonso to ask them ‘uncomfortable’ questions
Sunday 18th September 2022 3:00 PM
Henry Valantine

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack wants to see Fernando Alonso challenge the team to try and help push them forward next season. The two-time World Champion will head to the team next season on a multi-year deal to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel, after the Spaniard and Alpine reached a sticking point in their negotiations regarding the length of his deal. Aston Martin were quickly willing to offer Alonso what he had been after, agreeing a move in a matter of days after Vettel’s retirement announcement.

Despite staying at Alpine being Alonso’s initial preferred option, he will want to hit the ground running with Aston Martin next year, and the team principal hopes to see the team challenged to make the most of their potential. Krack said to Sky F1: “Well, he’s a champion. There is a reason why they are [champions] and it is because they are very competitive.”

“They are asking the right questions, they are pushing the teams to the limit, and we feel, for us, it’s important to have someone like that to ask some also uncomfortable questions. And it pushes us one step further. So I think for the team, it is the right thing to have people like that.”

‘Want Uncomfortable Questions’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/aston-martin-fernando-alonso-uncomfortable-questions/


Aston Martin: Alonso can help to drive us forwards
14 September, 2022
Paul Velasco

Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough explained why they chose Fernando and what it means for the team: “Watching him from the outside this year and last year, he’s particularly competitive and really wanting to do well. We see the job he’s doing at Alpine week-in, week-out.”

“Really looking forward to getting him into our team,” continued McCullough. “To see what we can learn with him and how he can help continue to drive us forwards. I expect him to be there, week-in, week-out, getting the most out of the car in qualifying, racing really well.”

“He’s a very tenacious racer: you saw last weekend in Zandvoort, at one point, the way the timing of the Virtual Safety Car and Safety Cars had gone, he found himself in the middle of a tight midfield bunch on older Soft tyres than others – but he still comes out looking pretty good.”

‘Drive us forwards’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/14/aston-martin-alonso-can-help-to-drive-us-forwards/

[Fortitude]

Next two months of development “crucial” for Mercedes’ 2023 chances – Wolff.
“We lacked the tools, the simulations and the understanding of uncovering the problem that we would create with the way the car was developed,” said Wolff.
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 19th September 2022, 0:01
Written by Will Wood

In the round-up: Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says that the next two months of development work on their 2023 car are “crucial” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says that the next two months of development work on their 2023 car are “crucial” to their hopes of being race winning and championship contenders for next season.

The eight-time consecutive constructors’ championship winning team will almost certainly lose their crown to Red Bull this year after failing to secure a race win so far in 2022, with Mercedes’ W13 often performing differently on track to how the team’s simulations predicted. Wolff says that the coming weeks are critical to their work on making sure their 2023 car performs more predictably.

“We lacked the tools, the simulations and the understanding of uncovering the problem that we would create with the way the car was developed,” said Wolff. “That we couldn’t run it where we wanted to run it. Aerodynamically and mechanically, it was never in the sweet spot. It took us months to undo some of the steps we’ve done. It’s not like that I believe we’ve discovered the Holy Grail and we understand everything and it’s going to be a blast next year. This is now a crucial period. Literally over the next one-to-two months we need, with a certain degree of precision, to understand what needs to be done for next year.”

‘Next two months of development crucial’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/19/racefans-round-up-19-09-5/


Wolff: Engine penalty points won't solve "problem" of grid penalties
19/09/2022, ‎12‎:‎33
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Qualifying for the Italian GP was marred by confusion over the final grid after penalties. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff does not believe the idea of penalising Formula 1 penalty points is a good deterrent for those taking engine grid drops.

The recent Italian Grand Prix featured nine drivers taking grid drops for exceeding their allocation of engine components and also confusion about the provisional starting grid. It took nearly four hours for one to be drawn up, with extra doubt about Max Verstappen's place after a five-place grid drop from second.

Some thought he was set for seventh - the standard drop - but as others behind him also had drops, it could have meant he was shuffled back up to fourth.

‘Penalty points won't solve problem’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-engine-penalty-points-wont-solve-problem-of-grid-penalties


Wolff defends 'complicated' grid penalties for new engines
17/09/2022 at 12:37
Andrew Lewin

Eight drivers were hit by penalties for taking additional power unit elements at Spa, with Max Verstappen among those receiving a 'back of the grid' sanction after having won pole position in qualifying.

And in Monza the figure was up to nine drivers, with Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton this time sent to the back of the grid while Verstappen served a 'mere' five place penalty for the start of the Italian GP.

The situation was so complex that it took four hours for the race officials to publish a provisional starting grid, with AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly jokingly asking Twitter whether anyone could tell him his starting position. It's left many fans fuming about how it's made qualifying into a farce, with the starting grid bearing no resemblance to the order at the end of Saturday's session.

‘So complex that it took four hours for the race officials to publish a provisional starting grid’;

https://f1i.com/news/454584-wolff-defends-complicated-grid-penalties-for-new-engines.html


Toto Wolff: Grid penalties needed or teams will ‘blow an engine every race’
Friday 16th September 2022 6:00 PM
Sam Cooper

Toto Wolff believes grid penalties are necessary in order to stop teams using 20 engines in a season. As the 2022 season has worn on, there has been an increasing number of drivers taking penalties as a result of new parts being fitted to their car. At the Italian Grand Prix, a total of nine driver received penalties with the likes of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz all starting further back than they qualified.

This trend is only set to continue as teams battle against the wear and tear suffered each race and the confinements of the FIA regulations. Mercedes boss Wolff has pointed out that these penalties are a necessary evil as, unlike on the chassis, there is no cost cap for the engine.

“On the chassis side, we are cost capped, and we weren’t before,” Wolff said, as per Motorsport.com. “On the engine side, we are not cost capped yet. If there were no grid penalties, we would have qualifying engines. And not five of them, but 20! The big teams and the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer) would spend what they want in order to have an advantage.”

‘Penalties needed or teams will ‘blow an engine every race’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-wolff-grid-penalties-needed/


Mercedes’ Toto Wolff: “I hope that we can continue our trend of better race pace than single lap”
September 11, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

After another qualifying performance that once again failed to pass Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team’s lofty expectations in the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season, Toto Wolff is left once again hoping that the W13’s race pace will push his team back into contention for a strong result at the Italian Grand Prix.

Mercedes finished qualifying in their usual place in the pecking order, as Hamilton originally qualified fifth fastest, while Russell was placed directly behind his Mercedes team-mate in sixth-place. Speaking after qualifying, Wolff was keen to praise Ferrari for their efforts at their home Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.

“Overall, that session was probably a little worse than we had hoped for – not in terms of our final positions, which were probably our maximum today, but with respect to the gap to the front of the grid. We started the weekend well and haven’t been able to continue that momentum through the weekend – and on the flip side, Ferrari did an awesome job here in qualifying.“

‘Hope that we can continue our trend of better race pace than single lap’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/mercedes-toto-wolff-i-hope-that-we-can-continue-our-trend-of-better-race-pace-than-single-lap/


Toto Wolff: ‘Niki Lauda would have taken his hat off to Nyck de Vries’
Friday 16th September 2022 11:59 PM
Sam Cooper

Toto Wolff has heaped praise on Mercedes reserve driver Nyck de Vries after he scored points on his F1 debut. Having driven for Aston Martin in FP1, De Vries was parachuted into the Williams ahead of FP3 after Alex Albon had been taken ill, suffering from appendicitis.

Wolff, who has spent a significant amount time with De Vries as boss of Mercedes, was very complimentary about the 27-year-old and said that no one else could have done a better job. “I like him,” the 50-year-old Austrian said.

“He is just a good young man. He’s not only fast and has shown that in the junior categories, but he is also intelligent and a good team player, that is why he deserved it here. “I don’t think that anyone else could have possibly done a better job in what he did.”

‘Niki Lauda would have taken his hat off to Nyck de Vries’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-wolff-niki-lauda-hat-nyck-de-vries/

[Fortitude]

Russell: Narrow sidepods not off the table for 2023.
George Russell revealed that, despite the W13 being a woeful piece of Formula 1 kit, its narrow sidepod design is not off the table as the team designs the 2023 Silver Arrow.
19 September, 2022
Jad Mallak

The W13 turned heads when it showed up at Bahrain’s pre-season testing at the start of this season, with its innovative non-existing sidepods, but the positives ended there, as the car turned out to be a Silver disaster on four wheels.

Mercedes kept the faith with the design, and made good use of the opportunities that came their way, as at least one of their drivers – Lewis Hamilton and George Russell – made it to the podium 11 times on 16 races. George Russell in particular has seven podiums to his name in 2022 and – except for the 2022 British Grand Prix, where he caused a first-lap pileup sending Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu into the barriers in spectacular fashion – was in the top five for all the races so far.

“But ultimately whether we have the wide sidepods or the narrow sidepods that isn’t the performance differentiator, there is more to it,” the Briton pointed out. Mercedes have shown inconsistent flashes of speed at some F1 venues this season, and Russell commented: “I think we understand exactly why at circuits like Zandvoort and Budapest why we were competitive. “We understand why at circuits like this [Monza] and Spa we were uncompetitive. That doesn’t mean that we can solve the issues overnight.”

‘Despite the W13 being a woeful piece of Formula 1 kit, its narrow sidepod design is not off the table’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/19/russell-narrow-sidepods-not-off-the-table-for-2023/


George Russell says Mercedes could stun Formula 1 with radical design.
George Russell currently sits higher than team-mate Sir Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers' Championship.
19 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Nobody could’ve predicted that Mercedes, the team who have won the Constructors’ Championship eight years in a row, would currently be sitting behind both Red Bull and Ferrari in the championship. The German team are comfortably the third best team this season; however, thanks to Ferrari’s inability to deliver a good strategy, they are in a fight with the Italian’s for second place.

Mercedes are desperate to win a race this season, with second place currently being the best they’ve managed. The team are continuing to develop the W13; however, Russell has revealed that the Brackley-based side have a “totally clear direction” on how to make next year’s car stronger than this season’s model.

“I think nothing’s off the table,” Russell told the Formula 1 website during the Italian GP. “For sure we’ve got a pretty unique design with the sidepods. It’s not off the cards that we will continue with that design, but it is equally not off the cars that we will completely change philosophy. But ultimately whether we have the wide sidepods or the narrow sidepods that isn’t the performance differentiator, there is more to it.”

‘Mercedes could stun Formula 1 with radical design’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/george-russell-says-mercedes-could-stun-formula-1-with-radical-design/


'Nothing's off the table' for 2023 Mercedes design, says Russell
17 September 2022
Formula 1.

Mercedes’ W13 turned heads at the beginning of this season with its striking, slim sidepods and radical design, but according to George Russell the team are exploring numerous options for their 2023 car.

Asked whether Mercedes will change their radical design for 2023, Russell said: “I think nothing’s off the table. For sure we’ve got a pretty unique design with the sidepods. It’s not off the cards that we will continue with that design, but it is equally not off the cars that we will completely change philosophy. Mercedes did not expect to perform well at low-downforce, high-speed circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps and Monza, and while Russell said the team knew the underlying reasons, he explained that there’s no “overnight” solution.

“I think we understand exactly why at circuits like Zandvoort and Budapest why we were competitive, and we understand why at circuits like this [Monza] and Spa we were uncompetitive. That doesn’t mean that we can solve the issues overnight. “But we’ve got to keep on developing this car and next year will sort of be an evolution of this and I think now we do have a totally clear direction of how to develop the car.”

'Nothing's off the table' for 2023 Mercedes design’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.nothings-off-the-table-for-2023-mercedes-design-says-russell.3VnRW2f4C55veWJpPsMpu9.html


Russell offers theory on Mercedes' lack of qualifying pace
‎18‎ ‎September‎ ‎16‎:‎50
Author Luke Murphy
Co-author Dieter Rencken

George Russell has given his thoughts on why Mercedes have offered more of a threat in race conditions, rather than qualifying. George Russell believes that tyre management issues are the reason Mercedes generally struggle to compete with Red Bull and Ferrari in qualifying.

In a turbulent season for the reigning Constructors' Champions, Mercedes have increased their competitiveness versus Red Bull and Ferrari in the second half of the season. They have occasionally been outside challengers for race wins, and frequently claimed podium finishes.

Despite this, they have generally struggled to compete with the top two teams on 'qualifying' pace, and usually have to fight back in the race. Russell took his first Pole Position - and Mercedes' first of the season - at the Hungarian GP, but this has been an outlier in a below-par season for the team.

‘Russell offers theory on Mercedes' lack of qualifying pace’;

https://racingnews365.com/russell-offers-theory-to-mercedes-lack-of-qualifying-pace


Carlos Sainz warns Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell threat.
Ferrari have six races remaining to defend second place from Mercedes.
18 September 2022
by Nick Golding

With Red Bull having cleared off in the lead of the Constructors’ Championship, the Austrians now boast a 139-point lead over Ferrari with six races remaining. Ferrari have been left with no choice but to defend second place from Mercedes rather than attack Red Bull for first, with the Scuderia currently sitting just 35 points ahead of the Silver Arrows.

Sainz remains confident that despite all the issues at Ferrari, they can still beat Mercedes “fair and square”. “I think we know they’re going to be there pretty much in every Sunday, especially Sundays they seem to pick up a lot of pace compared to qualifying and they are always there,” said Sainz to reporters at Monza.”

“I’m always surprised how in qualifying they can be maybe one second off sometimes and suddenly come race day your engineer comes on the radio, and they tell you the lap times of Lewis and George and it’s like sometimes they are even quicker. We know they’re going to be there but I think we can still beat them fair and square.” Whilst reliability problems can’t always be avoided, strategic errors can.

‘Ferrari have been left with no choice but to defend second place from Mercedes’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/carlos-sainz-warns-ferrari-of-lewis-hamilton-and-george-russell-threat/

[Fortitude]

Red Bull admits altering set-up for Perez costs it performance.
The admission comes after a run of Perez’s performances dropping off relative to team-mate Max Verstappen over recent months.
Sep 15 2022
By Edd Straw

Red Bull has conceded that if it modifies its 2022 Formula 1 car set-up to better suit Sergio Perez it will usually “lose a bit of performance”. Perez started the season strongly, taking his first F1 pole position in Saudi Arabia and winning the Monaco Grand Prix, and giving Verstappen a hard time on the street circuits in particular.

But from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – where he started ahead of Verstappen but proved off his pace and finished a distant second – in June onwards Perez has struggled and has now taken just two podium finishes in the last eight races. Speaking ahead of July’s Austrian Grand Prix, Perez talked of the development of the Red Bull RB18 was “going away from me in terms of how comfortable I was in the beginning”.

Since then, he and the team have been working to improve matters but with limited success. After the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of August, Perez said he was keen for Red Bull to “run the cars slightly different” in order to unlock more performance from him.

‘Red Bull admits altering set-up for Perez costs it performance’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/red-bull-admits-altering-set-up-for-perez-costs-it-performance/


Red Bull: Development path of RB18 not to Perez's benefit
16/09/2022 at 17:03
Michael Delaney

Red Bull admits that the development this season of its RB18 has come to the detriment of Sergio Perez whose confidence has declined with the winning car's evolution. With eleven wins this season so far, Max Verstappen is on track to equal and perhaps surpass the record jointly held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel of 13 wins achieved in a single season.

But the onslaught of the Dutchman's dominance was gradual in the first part of the season during which Perez was very much a match for Verstappen, with the Mexican snatching a pole in Jeddah and winning outright after a brilliant race in Monaco. However, as the season unfolded, and Red Bull's 2022 car evolved, Verstappen came into his own while Perez helplessly lost ground relative to his teammate.

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache says the development path chosen by the Milton Keynes-based outfit, as much as it has benefitted Verstappen by producing a more 'pointy' car, clearly hasn't suited Perez. "It is multiple factors, but the main factor is clearly the car balance and the confidence with the car compared to the beginning of the year when the car was a little bit more balanced for him and a little bit less for Max," Wache explained at Monza last weekend.”

‘Benefitted Verstappen by producing a more 'pointy' car, clearly hasn't suited Perez’;

https://f1i.com/news/454554-red-bull-development-path-of-rb18-not-to-perezs-benefit.html


Red Bull admit that car development has had impact on Perez form
‎16‎ ‎September‎ ‎11‎:‎35
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

The Mexican started the season strongly but has struggled to match Max Verstappen over recent races. Red Bull have admitted that its Formula 1 car development in 2022 has hampered the form of driver Sergio Perez compared to Max Verstappen.

Perez started the season strongly in the RB18, including a maiden pole in Saudi Arabia and a win in Monaco as Verstappen was not comfortable in the new ground effect machine. However, Verstappen, who likes a car to be strong on the nose and can live with oversteer, has subsequently hit a purple patch of form, winning the last five races from France to Italy and is on the cusp of a second world title.

Perez, who has been running a slightly different floor to his teammate, has struggled to match him, hauling 96 points since winning in Monaco to Verstappen's 210. And Red Bull have now admitted that its development plan in 2022 has cost Perez performance.

‘Perez, who has been running a slightly different floor to his teammate, has struggled to match Verstappen’;

https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-admit-that-car-development-has-had-impact-on-perez-form


‘Danger zones’: Red Bull reveal cause of Sergio Perez brake fire
Sergio Perez finished sixth at last weekend's Italian Grand Prix.
17 September 2022
by Rob Kershaw

Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has revealed that debris got caught in Sergio Perez’s brake duct at the Italian Grand Prix. The Mexican went into the weekend with a 10-place grid penalty for taking too many engine parts, and he started 13thhaving initially qualified fourth, lifted up one place by the back of the grid penalty for Carlos Sainz.

Perez had started to make some progress at the start of the race, but he had locked up on the opening lap, so he had to box early. When he did, smoke could be seen emanating from the front right corner as the mechanics put on the fresh set of tyres.

‘Red Bull reveal cause of Sergio Perez brake fire’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/danger-zones-red-bull-reveal-cause-of-sergio-perez-brake-fire/


The problem that led to Perez's Italian GP comeback drive
‎13‎ ‎September‎ ‎12‎:‎30
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Red Bull has revealed that a damaged tyre is what caused Sergio Perez's early pitstop during the Italian Grand Prix, triggering his comeback drive to sixth place. The Mexican had to pit early on after locking up into Turn 1 battling with Carlos Sainz on the opening lap, which caused damage to his Medium tyres.

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner confirmed that Perez suffered from vibrations from the tyres and elected to pit him on safety grounds for a set of Hard tyres, with the attempt to run him until the end. "On the first lap he had a big lockup and then he had a massive vibration as a result, and we were started getting into danger zones in our thresholds. So that's why we we pitted him onto the Hard [tyre]" said Horner to media, including RacingNews365.com.

When he emerged from the pits, smoke started to appear out of front right wheel which the team later determined was a piece of debris that got lodged in the brake ducts. Horner added: "Some debris also gone into the duct, which was why that front right was smoking quite a lot. "Obviously it was gonna take a little while for that to burn off for the next couple of laps and the temperatures came back under control."

‘Perez's Italian GP comeback drive’;

https://racingnews365.com/the-problem-that-led-to-perezs-italian-gp-comeback-drive


[B]Red Bull warned of ‘snowball effect’ hurting Sergio Perez
Sergio Pérez is currently 125 points behind team-mate Max Verstappen in the World Championship.
12 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Sergio Pérez is enduring a difficult spell at Red Bull currently, with the Mexican having arguably struggled for form ever since he won the Monaco Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver has gone from being a title contender, to suddenly being 109-points behind team-mate Max Verstappen, who is cruising to his second consecutive Drivers’ Championship.

The Mexican qualified fourth for the Italian Grand Prix but found himself nine-tenths of a second behind his team-mate, who qualified second. Pérez actually started the race from P13, following a grid penalty for a component change.

“You could see [the DRS] oscillating on a Red Bull,” Brundle said on Friday to Sky Sports F1 after FP1. “It can’t be helped with the downforce but you don’t need a whole lot of downforce there. What you don’t need either is a whole load of drag, so if it’s creating drag then it’s slowing it down. Sergio has definitely lost his way a little bit with the Red Bull car at the moment.”

‘You could see [the DRS] oscillating on a Red Bull’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/red-bull-warned-of-snowball-effect-hurting-sergio-perez/

[Fortitude]

Ferrari to investigate Red Bull pace deficit after discovering weakness.
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has vowed to investigate the reason behind the Scuderia's sudden race-pace deficit to Red Bull which has resulted in the hoped-for F1 title challenge slipping through its fingers.
Wednesday 21 September 2022 07:00
Ian Parkes

Asked as to where Ferrari had gone wrong with its development compared to Red Bull, Binotto said: “In the last few races, the performance of the Red Bull has been better than ours. Not in qualifying, because in quali we still have good pace, so we can see the pure performance is still there.”

“But then in the race pace, we are suffering tyre degradation and in that respect, the Red Bull is a better car. They have been capable of developing their car for a better balance but certainly as well, for a better car in terms of tyre degradation that we haven’t.”

Suggested to Binotto Red Bull had also made gains in weight saving with its RB18 compared to Ferrari with its F1-75, which for both teams has proven problematic his year, Binotto was sceptical. He added: "I don’t know what they are doing, where they are with the weight. I can only see what I read on the internet and not much more than that, so the comparison is certainly not the right comparison.”

‘Ferrari to investigate Red Bull pace deficit’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/91995/ferrari-red-bull-pace-deficit-tyre-degradation-weakness/


Mattia Binotto gives Red Bull weight assessment
Red Bull are running away with the 2022 titles.
21 September 2022
by James Clifford

Ferrari team principal, Mattia Binotto, has conceded that he is not entirely sure what Red Bull have been doing to improve their performance, or save weight. The cars are heavier than ever this year, with the minimum weight set at 798kg due to the reintroduced ground effect aerodynamics under the new technical regulations.

“They have been capable of developing their car for a better balance but certainly as well, for a better car in terms of tyre degradation that we haven’t. The reason is something we are looking at because we need to address it, if not for this season then certainly for the next.”

It is difficult to emulate the success of your rivals when you do not actually know what they are doing, and Ferrari are not sure whether Red Bull have made minimum weight yet, or whether they are still getting there.

‘Difficult to emulate the success of your rivals’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-gives-red-bull-weight-assessment/


Carlos Sainz begs Ferrari to "be more like Red Bull" in 2023 and hails Max Verstappen.
Ferrari have had a car fast enough this year to challenge Red Bull and should have created a close title race, but reliability woes and strategy errors have allowed their rivals to run away with it.
22:52, 20 Sep 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

Ferrari "have to learn" from Red Bull this year in order to challenge them more convincingly next season, Carlos Sainz has declared. The Italian team started the 2022 season strongest, with a one-two finish in Bahrain. Charles Leclerc followed that up with victory in Australia to make it two wins from three, while Max Verstappen suffered some early-season reliability problems.

"I would like to have a steady end to the season, especially with the amount of things that have happened to us this year," he told Mundo Deportivo . "I would like to have a quiet last part of the season, with less things happening to us and to be able to get into a rhythm for next year, which will be a new opportunity."

In order to make the most of that chance, Sainz believes Ferrari have the perfect example to follow – that of Red Bull, who have shown them how it is done with their control of the championship this season. "We have a solid base from this year with a very good car and the team is making progress," the Spaniard added.

‘Carlos Sainz: "Be more like Red Bull"!’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/sainz-ferrari-red-bull-verstappen-28041656


Inside Ferrari’s 133-point disaster as brutal blunders put F1 boss firmly in the firing line
September 21st, 2022 1:45 pm
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports

Max Verstappen is on the cusp of claiming a second drivers championship with surprising ease, and Red Bull Racing will return to constructors title glory for the first time in almost a decade. With six races still to run, these are the cold, hard facts of what’s become an unexpectedly one-sided season. Those facts also state unequivocally that Ferrari has let them off the hook.

Elkann’s tenure at the head of Ferrari has been characterised by relative serenity compared to past leaders, who have often preferred to insert themselves into the running of the team — and this is despite the last two years of turmoil before the 2022 breakthrough. But with the full support of the board issued, the screws are now being gently turned. This butchered championship campaign must surely be the first and last of Ferrari’s missed opportunities.

THE PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE: “Our first goal was to be competitive,” Elkann said. “If you are not, then you have nowhere to go, whereas you can always work on reliability. “That’s why I believe that before 2026 Ferrari will once again win the constructors and drivers titles, with Charles Leclerc in pole position. We are lucky to have two great drivers, probably the strongest pairing in Formula 1.”

‘With the full support of the board issued, the screws are now being gently turned’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/binotto-has-the-great-faith-of-the-ferrari-board-should-he-be-worried/news-story/6f75fcf9ff9626b7935a5065e00f5e9e


Ferrari employees are ‘terrified of reprisals’
Ferrari are 139 points behind Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship with six races of 2022 remaining.
20 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Former McLaren employee turned broadcaster Marc Priestley simply believes that Ferrari aren’t ready to win the title, something they haven’t done in over a decade. “I don’t want to say Ferrari have stumbled across a great car because they haven’t,” Priestley told the Pit Stop podcast.

“They have built a fantastic car, the best car on many occasions this year, but they don’t have all the ingredients. They don’t have…I suspect and I know this to some extent, a lot of people I know work or have worked at Ferrari, and it feels like the culture isn’t right. You see it in races, you see it when they are a little bit hesitant on the [team] radio. A team like Red Bull or Mercedes, it feels like the people in that team have the freedom to make a decision that might be a little bit out there, a little bit outside the box, might be a risk.”

“But everybody’s trusted to just make that and if it goes wrong, that’s fine, you took the risk. You pay the price, but you learn from the mistake and all that. I think at Ferrari, if they take a risk, if anyone’s going to take a risky decision, they are terrified of the reprisals that are going to come from that.”

‘Terrified Of Reprisals’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/ferrari-employees-are-terrified-of-reprisals/

[Fortitude]

Jacques Villeneuve: George Russell ‘quickly developing into the leader’ at Mercedes.
Jacques Villeneuve believes George Russell’s proactive strategy call at Zandvoort showed he is “quickly developing into the leader” at Mercedes.
Tuesday 6th September 2022 7:30 AM
Jon Wilde

Russell finished second to Max Verstappen in the Dutch Grand Prix, passing his team-mate Lewis Hamilton on track to secure that position. But it was not exactly a level playing field at the time because Russell had stopped for fresh tyres during the Safety Car period at a decisive point, whereas Hamilton had not been given the opportunity to do likewise because the team wanted him to keep track position in the lead.

It worked out badly for Hamilton, who had earlier been compromised by a Virtual Safety Car period, and he took out his ire on the strategists with an expletive-ridden blast over the team radio. Russell, meanwhile, had urged the team to call him into the pits and his plea was the right one as he finished two places above his colleague, extending his advantage over Hamilton to 30 points in the World Championship.

In terms of their race head-to-head record for the season – Russell’s first with Mercedes – that now stands at 9-6 to the younger of the two Britons and, according to Villeneuve, the internal balance of power is very much shifting towards the 24-year-old. “I see a change within Mercedes,” said the 1997 World Champion in his column for Formule1.nl. “George Russell is quickly developing into the leader of the team.”

‘Proactive strategy call at Zandvoort showed he is “quickly developing into the leader” at Mercedes’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jacques-villeneuve-george-russell-leader/


George Russell assesses "opportunity" Lewis Hamilton has given him to shine at Mercedes
• 22:23, 21 Sep 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

Dubbed 'Mr Saturday' for his eye-catching qualifying results in an uncompetitive Williams car, this season he has morphed into 'Mr Consistency'. Mercedes have not been able to compete with Red Bull and Ferrari for pace, but still he has been a regular sight towards the front of the pack.

Those impressive results have seen him climb to fourth in the drivers' championship, just 16 points behind second-placed Charles Leclerc. Russell also has a 35-point advantage over team-mate Hamilton, but insists he would be nowhere near where he is had it not been for the seven-time world champion's support.

Russell is optimistic for the future and believes the team will soon be in a position to offer him the chance of the race wins he wants. "I think we understand exactly why at circuits like Zandvoort and Budapest why we were competitive, and we understand why at circuits like Monza and Spa we were uncompetitive," he told the F1 website. "That doesn’t mean that we can solve the issues overnight. But we've got to keep on developing this car and next year will sort of be an evolution of this and I think now we do have a totally clear direction of how to develop the car."

‘Dubbed 'Mr Saturday', morphed into 'Mr Consistency';

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/mercedes-russell-hamilton-teammates-2022-28050372


George Russell to become Mercedes team leader after Lewis Hamilton’s ‘insulting outburst’
Sir Lewis Hamilton finished fourth at the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday.
10 September 2022
by James Clifford

1997 Formula 1 world champion, Jacques Villeneuve, believes that Sir Lewis Hamilton should have made the call to come into the pits towards the end of the Dutch Grand Prix. When Hamilton saw Russell pit behind him, he thought it would be in a bid to attack leader Verstappen, but it then dawned on him that the reigning champion had come into the pits for fresh tyres of his own.

The 37-year-old fumed over the radio and told the team that they had “screwed” him, and he was passed by Verstappen, Russell and Leclerc as he fell from first to fourth. Villeneuve, known for his hot takes, suggests that Hamilton ought to have made the call to pit himself. “I see a change within Mercedes, George Russell is quickly developing into the leader of the team,” the Canadian wrote in his Formule1.nl column. “He took the decision to go for the soft tyres himself. Hamilton, with all his experience and championships, could have done the same.”

Hamilton later apologised for the radio communications that were made in the heat of the moment, but the former Williams, Renault and Sauber driver criticised the way the Briton spoke to his team. “I was astonished by Lewis Hamilton’s outburst in the race and especially by the way in which he did it,” added Villeneuve.

‘Insulting Outburst’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/george-russell-to-become-mercedes-team-leader-after-lewis-hamiltons-insulting-outburst/


Winging It F1 Podcast | Is Russell ready to lead Mercedes and when will Lewis Hamilton retire?
In the latest episode of the Winging It F1 Podcast, Nigel Chiu, Adam Dickinson and Freddie Coates discuss all things Mercedes for the rest of the 2022 Formula 1 season and beyond.
September 17, 2022
By Nigel Chiu

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have been forced to watch Red Bull and Ferrari fight or the win at nearly every Formula 1 Grand Prix this year, as Mercedes are set to not win the constructors’ championship for the first time since 2013.

Overall, the battle between the Mercedes pair has been close but has Russell done enough to how he can lead the Silver Arrows when Hamilton retires. When will Hamilton retire is another big question in itself and what will happen if both drivers are fighting for the title.

‘Podcast Links’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/winging-it-f1-podcast-george-russell-ready-lead-mercedes-when-hamilton-retire/


Lewis Hamilton judgement made by Damon Hill in George Russell comparison
LEWIS HAMILTON has struggled to match his Mercedes team-mate this season.
13:54, Tue, Sep 20, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Lewis Hamilton has defied expectations for the wrong reasons as Damon Hill suggests he would not have predicted George Russell to beat the seven-time champion. Hamilton has secured just six podiums this season compared to Russell’s seven top-three finishes.

Former Williams star Russell has also finished in the top-five at every race this season when he has reached the chequered flag. His consistency has left him 35 points ahead of Hamilton in the championship with just six races remaining. Hill made the comments on the F1 Nation Podcast when he was asked if anyone would have predicted Russell to have more podiums than Hamilton. Hill replied: “No one. I wouldn’t have done. It's incredible.”

“If you come into F1 and you get a big crack at it and you come into a big team like that, he has definitely held his head way above water. Pretty solid.” Hamilton has only been beaten by teammates in the championship twice in his entire F1 career with both coming against world champions.”

‘Definitely held his head way above water. Pretty solid’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1671858/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-damon-hill-george-russell-news


Mercedes may have another George Russell on their hands who can replace Lewis Hamilton
MERCEDES could be planning to use Nyck de Vries as a long-term replacement for Lewis Hamilton.
05:30, Tue, Sep 13, 2022
By Joe Krishnan

Thousands of F1 fans had packed into the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit on Sunday expecting to see another thrilling race at the 'Temple of Speed'. But as Red Bull and Max Verstappen dominated once again with an 11th win from 16 races, it was the Mercedes reserve Nyck de Vries that left fans beaming with delight after a sensational debut drive.

Some would have expected the Williams novice to struggle to stay in the points given that Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez were all starting at the back of the grid. But he showed his composure in the cockpit that he had developed from his years racing in other driving categories and brought home the Williams in one piece to collect two world championship points.

It may just be the first step towards something greater in the future too. De Vries, as a Mercedes reserve, will be dreaming of one day putting on the Silver Arrows as one of their two drivers. Hamilton's contract expires in 2023, meaning he may need to bide his time with Williams for next season.

‘Another George Russell on their hands’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1668276/Mercedes-Lewis-Hamilton-George-Russell-Nick-de-Vries-Williams-Italian-GP-F1-news

[Fortitude]

Yuki Tsunoda keeps his F1 seat at AlphaTauri next year.
Tsunoda is in his second year in F1 with AlphaTauri and has a best finish of seventh this season at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in April.
23/09/2022, 11:55
FOX Sports

He is 16th in the 20-driver championship with 11 points. His best result for the team overall was fourth at the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP last December.

“Having moved to Italy last year, to be closer to the factory, I really feel part of the team and am glad that I get to carry on racing with them in 2023,” Tsunoda said on Thursday. "Our season isn’t over yet and we’re still pushing hard ... so I’m fully focused on finishing it on a high.”

‘Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri in 2023’;

https://www.foxsports.com/articles/f1/yuki-tsunoda-keeps-his-f1-seat-at-alphatauri-next-year


Formula 1: Another seat confirmed in 2023 driver lineup.
23/09/2022, 11:32
Beyond the Flag (Weblog)

Yuki Tsunoda is officially set to remain with AlphaTauri for the 2023 Formula 1 season, leaving just five seats without confirmed drivers.

Yuki Tsunoda is officially set to return for a third Formula 1 season with AlphaTauri in 2023, the team confirmed on Thursday morning. The 22-year-old Japanese driver is the 16th driver to be confirmed as part of the 2023 driver lineup, and he is the 15th driver whose seat is solidified.

While AlphaTauri have struggled in 2022 compared to 2021, Tsunoda has been much closer to teammate Pierre Gasly in terms of points, average starting position, and average finish throughout the year than he was throughout his rookie season a year ago.

‘Another seat confirmed in 2023’;

https://beyondtheflag.com/2022/09/22/formula-1-another-seat-confirmed-2023-driver-lineup/


Yuki Tsunoda Is Staying with AlphaTauri for the 2023 Formula 1 Season
The much-contested second AlphaTauri seat is now officially taken.
22/09/2022, 11:30AM
By Elizabeth Blackstock

The fact that AlphaTauri is keeping Tsunoda is also telling in other ways. The driver has occasionally shown some stellar race craft, but that success has often been tempered by impulsivity and fiery moods.

Tsunoda has been working closely with a sports psychologist to help keep his temper in check, and he’s admitted that he had to stop looking at I due to their impact on his mental health.
In his first season with AlphaTauri, Tsunoda finished 14th in the World Driver Championship with 32 points to his name while his more experienced teammate Gasly finished in ninth.

This year has been far more difficult — Tsunoda has only scored 11 points so far thanks to a series of retirements or finishes outside of the top 10 that began in Monaco. With six races left in the season, he’s sitting in 16th in the Championship, while Gasly sits in 11th.

‘Much-contested second AlphaTauri seat now officially taken’;

https://jalopnik.com/yuki-tsunoda-is-staying-with-alphatauri-for-the-2023-fo-1849567756


Beneath the swearing and silliness – a real racer exists within Yuki Tsunoda.
On Thursday, AlphaTauri announced a contract extension for Tsunoda, as team boss Franz Tost asserted "a driver needs at least three years to fully get to grips with Formula 1"
20:22, 22 Sep 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

The announcement of a new contract for Yuki Tsunoda was met with a rather predictable response on social media. Many were pleased to hear the news – after all, the Japanese driver's fun-loving personality makes him an extremely likeable person, especially when taking part in silly challenges. The social media and content creation teams at Red Bull must be chuffed to bits.

There's no denying Tsunoda comes with baggage. The main takeaway from his first season in Formula 1 was that he was no stranger to a spin or crash in some pretty bizarre circumstances. Plus, as viewers of Netflix docu-drama Drive to Survive found out, he really is not a fan of Milton Keynes.

Sadly, his second season in the sport is also not likely to be remembered for anything he did specifically on the track – other than shout and swear a lot. Tsunoda's hot-headed actions under his racing helmet saw him labelled as a "problem child" by Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko earlier this summer.

‘A real racer exists within Yuki Tsunoda’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/yuki-tsunoda-contract-alphatauri-reason-28059238


Franz Tost tells ‘problem child’ Yuki Tsunoda to get his emotions ‘under control’.
Yuki Tsunoda has been retained by AlphaTauri for 2023 but has been warned to improve.
22 September 2022
by Nick Golding

AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has called for Yuki Tsunoda to “get under control his emotions”, after a recent run of avoidable incidents.

Tost’s comments came prior to the team announcing that the Japanese driver will be retained for a third season by the Faenza-based team, with Tost believing that “a driver needs at least three years to fully get to grips with Formula 1”.

2023 will, of course, be the 22-year-old’s third and potentially last season, especially if he repeats some of his 2022 antics. Tsunoda was handed a grid penalty at the recent Italian Grand Prix following his fifth reprimand of the year, after he ignored yellow flags during FP2 at the ‘Temple of Speed’.

‘Warned to improve’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/franz-tost-tells-problem-child-yuki-tsunoda-to-get-his-emotions-under-control/

[Fortitude]

‘It is either Oscar Piastri beats Lando Norris or he’s out basically of the sport’.
Nico Rosberg has warned Oscar Piastri of the “really, really tough” challenge he faces next season as he goes up against Lando Norris at McLaren.
Friday 23rd September 2022 10:00 AM.
Michelle Foster

Although he won three successive championships from 2019 to 2021, culminating in his Formula 2 success, F1 is a very different beast. And Norris, as Rosberg points out, is no push-over. “It’s a brave move by Oscar, it really is,” the 2016 World Champion told Sky Sports. “It is either he beats Lando or he’s out basically of the sport, so it’s really, really tough, but he believes in himself. And if you think you’re that good, you’ve got to go for it.”

Rosberg reckons if Ricciardo can’t do, Piastri won’t find it easy either. “It is going to be tough for Oscar to do well there,” he added. “Lando is world-class, he’s World Championship material there so it’s not going to be easy to go there and do better than Daniel. Ricciardo is a multiple race winner, one of the best drivers in the world, and has found it unbelievably tough against Lando. Oscar is brand new to this sport!”

“All the indications are that Oscar really is one of those future superstars. But I can’t really believe that suddenly Ricciardo has unlearned to drive super fast. Therefore, I think it’s Lando who’s just performing like a World Champion at the moment, he’s just driving so incredibly well. So I really think it will be a big, big challenge for Oscar next year to be close to Lando.”

‘Beat Lando Norris or he’s out’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/oscar-piastri-beats-lando-norris-or-hes-out-nico-rosberg/


Nico Rosberg warns Oscar Piastri could be axed from F1 altogether because of Lando Norris
OSCAR PIASTRI will race for McLaren next season after the rookie snubbed an Alpine promotion.
08:41, Thu, Sep 22, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Oscar Piastri could be forced out of F1 if he fails to beat Lando Norris, according to former world champion Nico Rosberg. The ex-Mercedes driver warned Piastri would find it “really tough” due to the Norris' consistent top performance.

The former F2 star also admitted he was impressed by McLaren's long-term strategy for success. McLaren are investing heavily in their infrastructure with a new wind tunnel set to be finalised by the end of the season.

Piastri explained: “McLaren have a competitive car. Obviously, it’s a tight battle between Alpine and McLaren right now, but they are a competitive team with a hell of a lot of winning history, and I think the environment is a great fit for me. The team has great plans and the future is exciting. I’m also looking forward to working and driving alongside Lando.”

‘Oscar Piastri could be axed’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1672703/nico-rosberg-oscar-piastri-f1-lando-norris


Wolff preaches 'integrity and respect' as Piastri contract verdict due
Thursday 1 September 2022 04:00
Sam Hall

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has stated his belief in 'karma and integrity' as the deadline approaches for the FIA contract recognition board to deliver its ruling on the future of Oscar Piastri.

Asked for his thoughts on the matter, Wolff said: “I have bigger problems than to enjoy sitting on the balcony like the Muppets in the Muppet Show and watch the show pan out in front of my eyes. "It’s important that junior programmes are being respected.”

"I think that some of the kids should be wary of what they say on Twitter about multi-national organisations but I have no insight into the contracts. I believe in karma, I believe in integrity but I am not here to judge because as I said, I don’t know the legal situation."

‘Toto Wolff, not sitting on the balcony like the Muppets in the Muppet Show’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/90491/toto-wolff-mercedes-oscar-piastri-contract/


Toto Wolff concerned about Oscar Piastri precedent and warns ‘the boy better be quick’
Tuesday 6th September 2022 8:15 AM
Sam Cooper

Toto Wolff has voiced concern that Oscar Piastri’s contentious move to McLaren has set a bad precedent in the sport. Mercedes, under Wolff’s leadership, have their own academy and have helped to nurture the likes of Esteban Ocon and George Russell to the F1 track.

Wolff is now concerned Piastri’s manoeuvring may dissuade teams from having their own academy talents. “What I really stand firm for is all of us constructors are investing a lot of money in our junior programmes,” said Wolff, quoted by The Race.

“We invest human resources that go to the go-kart tracks, to the junior formulas, and in some cases it’s little money, in some cases it’s more. George Russell and Esteban Ocon, we financed them a long way on. To know now a precedent has been set that if you are clever you can manoeuvre yourself out is something that’s clearly not good for the industry. So we will employ even more lawyers for even stricter contracts.”

‘Concern about Oscar Piastri precedent’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-wolff-oscar-piastri-precedent/


Horner: I regret passing up on Piastri
22 September, 2022
Reuters

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has spoken of his regret at missing the chance to sign Oscar Piastri when the Australian was working his way up to Formula 1.

The 2020 Formula 3 and 2021 Formula 2 Champion raced for the Arden team, founded by Horner and his father, in Formula 4 and Formula Renault. “There was an opportunity for Red Bull to look at him at the time and we didn’t take up that option, which is something that I regret,” Horner told Formula 1’s Beyond the Grid podcast released on Wednesday.

“The only problem he (Piastri) now has to deal with is (that) the expectation on him will be immense,” said Horner. “He’s going to have to get in and deliver against Lando, which is no mean feat. But you either sink or swim in this business. He’s a very, very capable driver, I’m sure he’s going to do very well,” Horner added.

‘Opportunity for Red Bull, didn’t take up that option’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/22/horner-i-regret-passing-up-on-piastri/

[Fortitude]

Opinion: Latifi's treatment in 2022 has been cruel and unnecessary.
The Williams driver will not be returning for 2023, but some of the treatment towards him on social media in '22 has been cruel and was not necessary.
23/09/2022, ‎14‎:‎30
Author Jake Nichol

The news that Nicholas Latifi will not be returning to the Williams Formula 1 squad in 2023 is no great surprise. He has looked badly off the pace of new teammate Alex Albon - who has three points finishes to his name, while Latifi is yet to finish higher than 12th in the current campaign. Throw in Williams' courting of Nyck De Vries to partner Albon, and it always seemed likely that Latifi would be the one to end up without a seat once the music stopped and so it has transpired.

The affable Canadian is by no means a bad Grand Prix driver. Merely to get anywhere consideration for a race seat, you must be very good. He won six F2 races and was second - to De Vries - in 2019. Latifi's treatment in 2022 unfortunately stems back to the one thing his F1 career - should this be the end - will be remembered for: crashing on Lap 53 of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Latifi admitted to receiving death threats and other abuse on social media over the winter of 2021/22 for simply making a mistake while chasing Mick Schumacher. Thanks for the memories 'GOATIFI'' or some variant thereof will be the accompanying caption while others will no doubt post the image of him with a goat's shadow in the background. And what for? Because the guy made a mistake in the wrong place at the wrong time if you happen to support Hamilton - or believe the ending of Abu Dhabi was wrong. But there was still a racing lap in Abu Dhabi. Hamilton's driving at Yas Marina was not his best.

‘Latifi's treatment in 2022 has been cruel and unnecessary’;

https://racingnews365.com/opinion-latifis-treatment-in-2022-has-been-cruel-and-unnecessary


NICHOLAS LATIFI TO LEAVE WILLIAMS AT THE END OF 2022
A replacement is yet to be announced
10:08, 23rd Sept. 2022.
Dalila Zanardo
FormulaNerds

Nicholas Latifi will not race for Williams in 2023. The Canadian and Grove will part ways after three seasons. A replacement is yet to be announced. The Canadian expressed his gratitude for the team: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Williams Racing – all the people back at the factory and those I work with trackside – for the last three years. My initial F1 debut was postponed due to the pandemic but we eventually got going in Austria and, although we have not achieved the results together we hoped we would, it’s still been a fantastic journey.”

“Getting those first points in Hungary last year was a moment I’ll never forget, and I will move onto the next chapter of my career with special memories of my time with this dedicated team. I know none of us will stop putting in every effort until the end of the season.”

Capito: “A great team player” Williams CEO Jost Capito also declared his fondness for the Canadian driver: “On behalf of the whole team, I would like to say an enormous thank you to Nicholas for his three years of hard work with Williams. He is a great team player who has a great attitude towards his colleagues and work and is well-liked and respected throughout the business.

‘NICHOLAS LATIFI TO LEAVE WILLIAMS’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/f1latestnews/nicholas-latifi-to-leave-williams-at-the-end-of-2022/?nowprocket=1


Who are some of the possible replacements for Latifi at Williams?
23/09/2022, ‎12‎:‎25
Author Jake Nichol

The Canadian is out at the end of 2022, but who could possibly slot into his seat alongside Alex Albon for '23? Two main contenders for Williams seat. The logical, and obvious two contenders to replace Latifi already both have links to Williams. Logan Sargeant or Nyck De Vries are the leading two drivers - both coming with considerable upsides. Sargeant is a member of the Williams Driver Academy and has enjoyed a relatively successful Formula 2 campaign in 2022 with two wins thus far.

As for De Vries, after years of trying to get to F1 - it seems he has three teams swooning over him for 2023. Alpine, AlphaTauri and Williams are all interested in the services of the 2019 Formula 2 champion - with Williams being where he impressed with ninth on debut at the Italian Grand Prix, subbing for an ill Albon. As Williams is in its rebuilding stage, it needs an experienced driver to work with Albon to drive the team forward.

‘Possible replacements for Latifi at Williams’;

https://racingnews365.com/who-are-some-of-the-possible-replacements-for-latifi-at-williams


The good and bad of each Williams option to replace Latifi
23/09/2022, 14:17
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race

Williams’s Friday announcement that Nicholas Latifi will be off to pastures new in 2023 formalised the fact that the Formula 1 team is seeking a change within its line-up for next year.

And while Nyck de Vries has been strongly linked to the seat alongside Alex Albon for a long time and acquitted himself extremely well at Monza, Williams will have been prudent – and is now in any case potentially forced – to cast a wider net.

As it stands, while there are some true wildcard options that can be floated ala McLaren outcast Daniel Ricciardo, there are four relatively obvious names (some more, some less) to be considered.

‘The good and bad replacements’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/the-good-and-bad-of-each-williams-option-to-replace-latifi/


Nyck de Vries forced to miss sim test as he could race in Singapore
Alex Albon is endeavouring to be fit for the Singapore Grand Prix.
23 September 2022
by James Clifford

Nyck de Vries has been unable to complete any simulator work ahead of next weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. The Dutchman will be in Singapore as a standby in case Alex Albon has not yet fully recovered from his appendix surgery.

De Vries was trying to get back to Grove to do some simulator running, but due to travel rules since the United Kingdom left the European Union, the 27-year-old could not enter the country using a European ID card. As a result, he will not have as much preparation as he would have liked for his potential racing duties in Singapore.

‘Nyck de Vries could race in Singapore’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/nyck-de-vries-forced-to-miss-sim-test-as-he-could-race-in-singapore/

[Fortitude]

Capito: Latifi’s driving affected after Abu Dhabi crash.
Nicholas Latifi’s performance has been affected by his crash at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, that caused the controversial Safety Car ending – claims Williams’ boss Jost Capito.
20 September, 2022
Jad Mallak

Latifi infamously crashed his Williams on lap 50 of the 2021 Abu Dhabi season finale bringing out the Safety Car, the sequence of events that followed leading to Max Verstappen’s maiden Formula 1 Title already well reported. The Canadian driver was subject to much abuse and social media hate after that incident, as many thought he was to blame for Lewis Hamilton missing out on a record breaking eighth F1 Drivers’ crown.

Not that he was setting the world alight with his F1 performances, but 2022 saw Latifi dip into a new low, as he is yet to score any points, while Nyck de Vries – standing in for an ill Alex Albon – outqualified and outraced him at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Speaking to the High Performance Podcast, Williams team principal Jost Capito reflected on Latifi’s situation and form, claiming Abu Dhabi 2021 is a factor in his driver’s poor form.

“We had to keep giving him the confidence. We said that there was nothing wrong. Everything was fine, but it was very difficult up until then because it was the end of the season,” Capito recalled. “He was not around here every single day and also we didn’t interfere too much as we knew what was happening, we knew what was going on. He switched his social media off but if we would have interfered too much, I think we would have made the situation worse,” the German insisted. “That’s something everybody has to get over on their own. He was fully aware that he had our backing, that we were absolutely convinced he didn’t do anything wrong.”

‘Nicholas Latifi’s performance has been affected. The Canadian driver was subject to much abuse and social media hate after that incident’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/20/capito-latifis-driving-affected-after-abu-dhabi-crash/


Capito convinced Abu Dhabi crash 'affected' Latifi's driving
20/09/2022 at 08:27
Phillip van Osten

Williams boss Jost Capito believes that Nicholas Latifi's crash last year in Abu Dhabi, that set in motion the dramatic finale at Yas Marina, has had an enduring effect on the Canadian's driving. Ahead of the start of his 2022 campaign, Latifi said that he had moved on from F1's dramatic finale in Abu Dhabi.

Capito believes there's a direct link between his driver's poor season and last year's events in Abu Dhabi. "The crash, of course, it shouldn’t have happened but if you’re racing then crashes can happen," added the German. "And we never blame a driver for that, it’s possible to crash. Otherwise, you have to stay at home if you don’t want to crash.”

"I think that was also a part of why it took him quite a while in the season to find his competitiveness. I’m sure it affected his driving after that. It would have affected my driving a lot, I am absolutely convinced of this.”

‘It would have affected my driving a lot’;

https://f1i.com/news/454704-capito-convinced-abu-dhabi-crash-affected-latifis-driving.html


Jost Capito continues to defend Nicholas Latifi after Monza loss to a debutant
Wednesday 21st September 2022 11:30 AM
Michelle Foster

Jost Capito seems determined not to throw Nicholas Latifi under the bus, saying the Canadian was under “quite more” pressure than Nyck de Vries at the Italian Grand Prix. De Vries made his Formula 1 debut at Monza, racing his way to ninth place, while Latifi’s point-less run continued with a P15. It had pundits saying the time has come for Williams to say goodbye to Latifi with former F1 driver Robert Doornbos calling on Capito to be “man enough” to drop him.

Although Latifi was out-qualified, out-raced and out-scored by his one-off Dutch team-mate, the Williams CEO pointed to the pressure he was under compared to De Vries. “I think that’s a normal race driver’s pressure isn’t it?” he told Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle at Monza. “You always have to be better than your team-mates.”

“And I think the pressure for Nikki is quite more than for Nyck. Because he is in the car for all year and then Nyck sets the bar knowing he just jumped in so the pressure is less on him.” Following the Monza race there were a lot of calls for De Vries to be given a 2023 Formula 1 race seat, whether it is with Williams or another team. The Dutchman has spoken with Williams and AlphaTauri with the latter reportedly leading the running.

‘Jost Capito seems determined not to throw Nicholas Latifi under the bus’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jost-capito-continues-defend-nicholas-latifi/


The speculation is over, Williams confirm Nicholas Latifi’s exit
Friday 23rd September 2022 10:15 AM
Michelle Foster

Nicholas Latifi will part ways with Williams at the end of this season, the team has confirmed. Although Latifi stepped onto the Formula 1 grid on the back of his runner-up result in the Formula 2 championship, his time with Williams has been anything but a success.

All too often running at the very back of the field, the Canadian has scored just seven points in 55 starts with pundits almost constantly questioning his future. The final straw was the Italian Grand Prix when Latifi, still point-less this season, was beaten by debutant Nyck de Vries, the latter crossing the line in ninth place.

But while Williams initially stuck by their driver, team boss Jost Capito even going as far as to say last year’s Abu Dhabi crash was a blow to his driver’s confidence, the call has now been made. Latifi has thanked Williams for his three seasons with the team. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Williams Racing – all the people back at the factory and those I work with trackside – for the last three years,” he said.

‘The speculation is over’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/williams-confirm-nicholas-latifi-exit/


The highs and lows of Latifi’s turbulent F1 career
by Ashley Hambly
14:18 Fri, 23 Sep 2022.
Motorsport Week

With the recent news of Nicholas Latifi departing from Williams Racing at the conclusion of the 2022 season, it looks like it could be the end of the line for the Canadian as a full-time Formula 1 driver. While there are still several seats in question, Latifi’s failure to meet expectations over his three-year span in the sport makes him less desirable than some of the contenders in question for the vacancies.

It was a difficult rookie season for the Williams driver which was in part disrupted by the delay of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the season got underway in Austria, he found himself finishing at the very back of each of the first three grand prix. His form did improve as he got more in touch with the Williams FW43 throughout the season, only finishing at the back twice over the next 14 races in backmarker machinery.

Russell out-qualified the Canadian driver in every race of the 2020 season and it wasn’t until the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix that Latifi would start a race ahead of the Brit. Across their two-year tenure together, Latifi beat Russell on track a total of seven times. One of those came in Budapest which secured his debut points as well as Williams’ first haul since Robert Kubica’s tenth place at the 2019 German Grand Prix.

‘Secured his debut points as well as Williams’ first haul since Robert Kubica’s tenth place (in backmarker machinery)’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/09/23/the-highs-and-lows-of-latifis-turbulent-f1-career/

[Fortitude]

Horner explains "heated exchange" with Wolff after Hamilton/Verstappen collision.
Christian Horner has revealed a "heated exchange" with Formula 1 rival Toto Wolff took place at the 2021 British Grand Prix.
‎22‎ ‎September‎ ‎07‎:‎00
Author Jake Nichol

Approaching Copse on the first lap, Hamilton ducked to the inside of the fast-right hander, but he and Verstappen collided - pitching the Red Bull into the barrier with an impact of over 50g. Hamilton was given a time penalty, but still won as Verstappen was taken for precautionary checks in hospital.

The two drivers would also collide in Italy and in Saudi Arabia before the controversial ending to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - but Silverstone was where things finally boiled over. "It really permeated at Silverstone where suddenly there was an awful lot of dialogue from Toto to [then race director] Michael [Masi]," Horner told Tom Clarkson on the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast.

"Then he's (Wolff) sending him an email, and then he's coming up. And I thought: 'Right, okay, I'm not having that, I'm going up.' B "I felt it was incredibly one sided that a team principal should not be able to lobby and influence the race director and with hindsight, Toto and I had a fairly heated exchange in Race Control. At that event, where Toto was obviously arguing his corner that his driver shouldn't be penalised, and I've got a driver in hospital and the car taken out of the race and was obviously feeling pretty aggrieved by it."

'Right, okay, I'm not having that, I'm going up';

https://racingnews365.com/horner-explains-heated-exchange-with-wolff-after-hamilton-verstappen-collision


Christian Horner had 'heated' argument with Toto Wolff minutes after Max Verstappen crash
Christian Horner and Toto Wolff were embroiled in a tense rivalry last season as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton fought for the title.
12:32, Wed, Sep 21, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Christian Horner has admitted he had a “heated exchange” with Toto Wolff away from the cameras in race control last season. Horner revealed he was angry at Wolff and accused him of “lobbying the race director” after he heard the Mercedes boss was sending emails to race director Michael Masi.

Speaking on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Horner admitted he had pushed for fans to be given access to more team radio over the TV broadcast. This came into effect last season but was dropped after it seemed to show team bosses pushing race directors into certain decisions.

However, Horner stressed team radio messages to the FIA should have gone through the team manager and not through team principals. He said: “It was in Barcelona that suddenly I hear they broadcast Toto on the phone to Michael. And I thought that’s a bit strange because I had never had a one-to-one channel, it had always been centred through our team manager.”

‘Heated Argument’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1672326/christian-horner-toto-wolff-argument-max-verstappen-crash


‘I’m not having that’: Christian Horner lashes out at Toto Wolff
Christian Horner and Toto Wolff are not exactly the best of friends.
22 September 2022
by James Clifford

Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has revealed that he and Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff, had an intense argument at last year’s British Grand Prix. The 51G collision sent the 24-year-old to the hospital for precautionary checks, and Hamilton was given a penalty.

Wolff was arguing that the seven-time champion did not deserve to be punished for the crash, and it was one of the first occasions last year that we truly heard a team principal speaking with race director, Michael Masi.

That same radio lobbying was heard in Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi after further incidents, and it was at the latter of those races where the title was controversially decided by a bizarre Safety Car restart.

‘Radio Lobbying’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/im-not-having-that-christian-horner-lashes-out-at-toto-wolff/


Toto Wolff and Christian Horner disagree as Abu Dhabi GP controversy re-emerges
Max Verstappen won the Italian GP which ended behind the Safety Car.
13 September 2022
by Nick Golding

The Italian Grand Prix has caused debate as to whether the sport’s rulebook needs to be adjusted, after the race at the ‘Temple of Speed’ finished behind the Safety Car. Max Verstappen cruised across the line to claim a fifth consecutive victory, after a Safety Car was needed to recover Daniel Ricciardo’s stricken McLaren.

The Australian came to a halt between the two Lesmos but left his car in gear. This meant marshals couldn’t push the Honey Badger’s MCL36 into a safe spot, resulting in a tractor being needed to lift the McLaren to safety.

Unfortunately, the recovery took too long for the race to resume, resulting in it being completed behind the SC. An FIA spokesperson said: “While every effort was made to recover Ricciardo’s car quickly and resume racing, the situation developed, and marshals were unable to put the car into neutral and push it into the escape road.

‘Honey Badger’s Stricken MCL36, at the ‘Temple of Speed’ ’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-and-christian-horner-disagree-as-abu-dhabi-gp-controversy-re-emerges/


Christian Horner reacts to rumoured upgrade, comments on Toto Wolff pain
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez look set to guide Red Bull to both championships this season.
17 September 2022
by James Clifford

Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has rubbished suggestions after the Italian Grand Prix that a new chassis is in the pipeline. An upgrade in Imola certainly helped Red Bull’s cause, and it also helped them bring the weight of the RB18 down to a more optimal figure. Verstappen has taken victory in 10 of the last 13 races, with Charles Leclerc, who won in Bahrain and Australia, claiming just one in that period, as well as Perez and Carlos Sainz.

The reigning champion won from seventh on the grid in Monza last time out, and that came after victories in Hungary and Belgium had arrived from 10th and 14th, respectively. There does not appear to be any way to stop him right now, and the paddock rumour mill has produced suggestions that a lighter chassis is in construction in Milton Keynes.

This would help them maintain an edge over Ferrari at upcoming circuits such as Singapore and Suzuka, which are generally expected to favour the Scuderia. Horner confirmed that this is not the case. “I don’t know where these rumours permeate from, but there’s no plans to introduce a lighter chassis,” he told Sky Sports.

‘Paddock Rumour Mill’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/christian-horner-reacts-to-rumoured-upgrade-comments-on-toto-wolff-pain/

[Fortitude]

Red Bull deny Max Verstappen conspiracy claims as Sergio Perez lags behind.
Jacques Villeneuve suggested Red Bull had not impacted Perez’s progress on purpose but noted that the upgrades appear more suited to Verstappen. He commented: “Sergio Perez has lost his mojo a bit since Monaco, really strange.
13:49, Thu, Sep 22, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Max Verstappen enjoys a commanding 116-point lead in the world championship with just a handful of races remaining.

Jacques Villeneuve : “He (Sergio Perez) is having a hard time since the car has been fitted with adjustments, as if they work better with Verstappen’s driving style. Before that it was the other way around, which is different. That may be because Verstappen is more involved, although it is not the case that people say ‘Now we are going to develop updates that make Verstappen drive better and Perez not.”

“The weight is an aspect, for sure, but it’s part of the set-up of the car. At the beginning of the season, we didn’t have the possibility to move the weight, then it’s part of the set-up. I think it’s everything together and after you find your performance somewhere, and it’s a little bit more tricky to set up the car. It went in the favour of Max. I think he’s able to drive any car. Now we have to find a way to give a car for Sergio to be performing and to compete.”

‘Red Bull deny Max Verstappen conspiracy claims’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1672883/red-bull-upgrades-max-verstappen-sergio-perez-news


Perez: Red Bull has seen I can be as competitive as Max.
Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez has conceded the title but aims to be in the hunt next year as believes he has proved he can be “as competitive as Max.
23 September, 2022
Paul Velasco

Perez: Anyone who knows me knows I’ll turn this around. The pressure is on Perez to up his game relative to the guy in the #1 car, and he knows it: “It’s in me and I’m not making any excuses at all, anyone who knows me knows that I’ll turn this around, I’ll keep working hard and I’m sure I’ll close the year well.”

Heading to next week’s Singapore Grand Prix, Perez believes their rivals will be strong: “Mercedes is already practically in the fight. Marina Bay can be a very good circuit for Ferrari because on the road circuits they were very good. Furthermore, it is a very demanding track. “We were behind Ferrari at the start of the year but we made up for it in subsequent races. Ultimately, Red Bull had a super season and I’m looking forward to maintaining this pace until the end of the year,” said Perez.

While the Red Bull RB18 has been fine in Verstappen’s hands, the same cannot be said of Perez who seems to have plateaued or even gone backwards relative to the mighty benchmark the Dutchman has set. And while the World Champion gets better and better, the sister car does not fare so well Perez pinpointed the problem: “In the last few races, as the car progressed. Maybe I haven’t adapted well to the new car, but that’s something I’m on working with my engineering team to return. I’m the same driver as six months ago.”

‘In the hunt next year as believes he has proved he can be as competitive as Max’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/23/perez-red-bull-has-seen-i-can-be-as-competitive-as-max-verstappen-in-f1/


Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner says Sergio Perez has been an 'incredible servant," saying the idea of 'teammates' is misleading
18:25 Thu, 22 Sep 2022.
2022-09-22 T17:19:51Z
Cork Gaines
INSIDER

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner had a blunt message about Sergio Perez's role on the team — he serves at the pleasure of the team and whatever Max Verstappen needs. Horner sat down for a lengthy Q&A for the Cambridge Union and was asked how he manages Formula One's odd dynamic, wherein teammates are also rivals but one is often asked to sacrifice himself to help the other. In his response, Horner first noted that the idea of "teammates" is misleading.

"You know, 'teammate' is a fallacy," Horner said. "The worst thing that they are. They're definitely not mates because the guy in the other car is the only person that you are judged against. He's the only person with the same equipment. So he will either make or break your career. So it's a fine line." As for the specific situation with Red Bull, Horner made it clear that despite being one of the best drivers in the world, Perez's role on the team was to help Verstappen and Red Bull win championships.

"I think that certainly last year, [Perez] was an incredible servant for the team, where he helped his teammate on numerous occasions," Horner said. "Certainly in that last race, when he did a stunning job of backing Lewis [Hamilton] up. Without that, Max wouldn't have won the championship." While Horner refused to say that Perez carries the dreaded label of "No. 2 driver," it is clear that is Perez's role, even if his perspective has changed a bit this season.

‘Idea of 'teammates' is misleading’;

https://www.insider.com/f1-red-bull-christian-horner-sergio-perez-good-servant-teammate-2022-9


Red Bull admit their car development strategy is at fault for Sergio Perez slump
Perez was considered to be a title contender earlier in the season, but has since struggled to find consistency amid the changes made to his RB18 that have not helped
22:19, 22 Sep 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer

Red Bull have admitted the direction of their RB18 development has taken it out of reach of Sergio Perez's preferred car setup. The 2022 season threatens to be one of unfulfilled promise for the Mexican. After all, earlier in the year he emerged as a genuine contender for the drivers' title after winning the Monaco Grand Prix.

So what has gone wrong for Perez since Monaco? Red Bull have shouldered much of the blame themselves, with technical director Pierre Waché admitting that, while their car developments have helped Verstappen's title defence, it has had the opposite effect on their other driver.

"It is multiple factors," he said when explaining what has gone wrong for the 32-year-old. "The main factor is clearly the car balance and the confidence with a car, compared to the beginning of the year when the car was a little bit more balanced for him and a little bit less for Max. And after the development potential we have put on the car during the season, moving away from that is maybe a part of it. Finding a right set-up for him, it is quite difficult, to put him as confident as he could be to beat, or to fight with Max."

‘Red Bull admit their car development strategy is at fault’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/sergio-perez-form-red-bull-28059851


Red Bull pinpoint why Sergio Perez is struggling against Max Verstappen
Sergio Pérez is at risk of finishing outside the top three in the Drivers' Championship.
23 September 2022
by Nick Golding

It seems like a lifetime ago when Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez was being tipped as a championship contender against team-mate Max Verstappen; however, fast forward four months and the Mexican couldn’t be any further from his dominant team-mate.

Monaco was hugely significant, with Pérez having beaten reigning World Champion Verstappen on pace and merit alone. When the Red Bull number two was celebrating on the top step of the podium at the Principality, it really did look like he was going to take the fight to his imperious team-mate; however, Monaco almost spelled the downfall of the Mexican’s season.

So just where has Pérez’s early season pace gone? Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Waché has put the 32-year-old’s dip in form down to “multiple factors”, with the team favouring upgrades to suit Verstappen appearing to be one of the reasons, without Waché admitting it. “It is multiple factors,” said Waché. “The main factor is clearly the car balance and the confidence with a car, compared to the beginning of the year when the car was a little bit more balanced for him and a little bit less for Max.”

‘Red Bull pinpoint why Sergio Perez is struggling’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/red-bull-pinpoint-why-sergio-perez-is-struggling-against-max-verstappen/

[Fortitude]

‘Ferrari need to take stand, Charles Leclerc in sheer pace is the lead guy’.
Ferrari need to acknowledge that “Charles Leclerc in sheer pace is the lead guy” if they want to have any hope of beating Max Verstappen. That’s the opinion of Damon Hill.
Thursday 22nd September 2022 1:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Ferrari president John Elkann recently raised eyebrows when he told Gazzetta dello Sport the Scuderia will soon win both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles, and “that Charles Leclerc is in pole position”. Put to team boss Mattia Binotto that the president meant Leclerc was their number one driver, the Italian insisted he did “not mean that”.

F1 pundit Tom Clarkson feels for Sainz, saying it was “it was very conspicuous the omission of Carlos Sainz from John Elkann”. Hill, however, believes the Ferrari’s president’s assessment was “tough but fair”. “The fact of the matter is Charles Leclerc in sheer pace is the lead guy, and Carlos has done a great job, but he still hasn’t dominated Charles has he?” he said on the F1 Nation podcast. “I mean it’s a bit like Sergio. They’re a very good team, the pair of them.”

Had Ferrari only won four grands prix because Red Bull were the outright better team, hats off to both of them for their achievements. But Spain, Baku, Hungary and France were all won by Verstappen because of various issues for Leclerc while Monaco also went to Red Bull through a Ferrari blunder. And that’s just the wins lost, the list not including the numerous other times Ferrari threw away points. Four wins may be a sign of a success for Binotto, but for the Tifosi they’re a sign of what could have been.

‘Ferrari president John Elkann recently raised eyebrows’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charles-leclerc-sheer-pace-lead-guy-damon-hill/


Damon Hill warns Ferrari still a long way from success as Michael Schumacher example used
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari have failed to mount a title challenge on Red Bull after a difficult campaign.
09:25, Fri, Sep 23, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Damon Hill has stressed Ferrari is nothing like the team that won with Michael Schumacher 20 years ago. The 1996 champion claimed you used to “bet your house” on Schumacher and Ferrari winning races as he secured five crowns between 2000 and 2004.

He said: “I mean when Michael [Schumacher] was winning, I used to say you could bet your house on him winning. You would go into race going this team, the way they operate, where he drives, you’d bet your house on. “You wouldn’t do that right now with Ferrari.” Leclerc won two of the first three races this season, suggesting the Scuderia could offer a threat to Max Verstappen.

“In today’s Formula One, everything has to work almost perfectly to win. That was different at Ferrari in the days of [Jean] Todt and Schumacher. Ferrari sometimes had such a blatantly superior car that one or the other mistake could be concealed. That’s no longer possible today.”

“Bet your house”. That’s no longer possible today’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1673234/damon-hill-ferrari-michael-schumacher-f1-news


The surprise biggest indicator of Ferrari's 2022 F1 points downfall
Sep 20, 2022, 2:24 PM
By: Alex Kalinauckas

Looking back to the early races of 2022 and Ferrari’s challenge to Red Bull and Max Verstappen was going better than many expected. But it has lost so much ground a surprise rival can even pip Charles Leclerc to runner-up in the standings if given the chance

For anyone fortunate enough to have visited, it's rather hard not to constantly miss Melbourne. And when he looks back to Formula 1's first race in the iconic Australian city for three years, that really applies to 2022 Melbourne winner Charles Leclerc.

The Ferrari driver was dominant on a weekend where Red Bull couldn't match its red rival on outright pace or tyre performance and its star ultimately stopped at the side of the track. That put Leclerc 46 points clear of Max Verstappen and in prime position for first title glory if he and Ferrari could keep it up. As we now know, neither could.

‘Ferrari's 2022 F1 points downfall’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/the-surprise-biggest-indicator-of-ferraris-2022-f1-points-downfall/10371968/


Damon Hill calls for Ferrari to make major Charles Leclerc change to beat Max Verstappen
CHARLES LECLERC lies 116 points behind Max Verstappen in the world championship.
08:21, Fri, Sep 23, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Damon Hill has stressed Ferrari needs to prioritise Charles Leclerc to challenge Max Verstappen to the title next season. Ferrari has been hesitant to favour Leclerc over Carlos Sainz which has cost the Monegasque points.

“Carlos was actually pretty quick at Monza I thought but he’s going to have to go up another level to put Charles in the shade. And so that’s a fair point. If you’re going up into battle against Max Verstappen and Red Bull, you’ve got to put your best guys forward.
“You’re not going to not hurt people’s feelings because there isn’t time for that in F1.” Leclerc and Sainz are separated by just 22 points in the championship compared to the 125-point gap Verstappen has built over Perez.

‘Damon Hill has stressed Ferrari needs to prioritise Charles Leclerc’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1673198/damon-hill-ferrari-charles-leclerc-max-verstappen-news-latest


Is there still hope for Leclerc? We revisit the biggest title comebacks in F1 history
18 September 2022
By Samarth Kanal and Mike Seymour

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will head to the Singapore Grand Prix with a championship lead of 116 points over nearest rival Charles Leclerc. Can the Ferrari driver put together a shock recovery run over the final six rounds of the season to turn the tables? Or is another Verstappen triumph a formality? We reflect on some of the biggest title comebacks in F1 history to gauge just what he’s up against...
John Surtees: 1964
20 points behind with five races to go (points system: 9-6-4-3-2-1)

James Hunt: 1976
17 points behind with three races to go (points system: 9-6-4-3-2-1)
The 1976 season was one of the most memorable in F1 history given Niki Lauda’s horrifying crash at the Nurburgring, his remarkable recovery and return, and the intriguing way in which the championship unfolded.

Keke Rosberg: 1982
16 points behind with five races to go (points system: 9-6-4-3-2-1)
Alain Prost’s brace of victories put him in contention for the 1982 title before compatriot Didier Pironi took the lead – Keke Rosberg a distant fifth in the championship with five of the 16 rounds left to play.

‘Nelson Piquet: 1983, Alain Prost: 1986, Kimi Raikkonen: 2007, Sebastian Vettel: 2010 and 2012, Lewis Hamilton: 2017’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.is-there-still-hope-for-leclerc-we-revisit-the-biggest-title-comebacks-in-f1.1fSX2eMF1KYxoh4A3k82hy.html

[Fortitude]

Esteban Ocon: Only one driver has done better than me against Fernando Alonso.
Since Alonso’s return to Formula 1, he and Ocon have gone on to form one of the most supportive team-mate relationships on the grid, something that was not a given when the two-time World Champion’s move was first announced.
Saturday 17th September 2022 1:15 PM
Sam Cooper

In the immediate aftermath of Ocon’s shock win in Hungary last year, he found himself being lifted into the air by Alonso whose excellent defence against Hamilton had all but ensured the Frenchman the victory.

But, as that partnership nears its end with Alonso’s impending move to Aston Martin, it is worth looking back to when Alonso was first announced and the dire predications that were made for Ocon’s career.

Many thought he would be dramatically outperformed by Alonso and that it could even spell the end of his F1 career but that has not been the case. In 2021, Ocon finished just seven points behind Alonso and in 2021, he is seven points ahead. Looking back, Ocon told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com that after all the suggestions that his F1 career was nearing its end, he is “still here.”

‘Only Lewis Hamilton can claim to have performed better as Fernando Alonso’s team-mate than he has’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/esteban-ocon-only-one-driver-better-against-fernando-alonso/


Ocon: 'A very interesting future awaits me in F1'
19/09/2022 at 16:39
Phillip van Osten

Esteban Ocon says an "interesting future" awaits him in F1, not only with Alpine but also perhaps beyond 2024 after his contract with the French outfit expires. Ocon's formative years in motorsport and in F1 were supported by Mercedes, and when the Frenchman was forced to sit out the 2019 season after losing his seat at Racing Point to Lance Stroll, he was placed in the wings of the Brackley squad as the team's reserve and sim driver.

As Ocon's manager, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff then brokered the young gun's transfer to Renault in 2020, after which his contract was extended with the rebranded Alpine team until the end of 2024. That term may coincidently line up with the end of Lewis Hamilton's career in F1 with Mercedes, making Ocon a potential successor to the seven-time world champion.

Asked in an interview with Motorsport.com if he still entertained a relationship with Wolff and Mercedes, Ocon said that he did. "Yes, we talk, also because in the management of my career Gwen Lagrue, a manager who also works with Mercedes, is still helping me," he commented.

‘Interesting future awaits’;

https://f1i.com/news/454698-ocon-a-very-interesting-future-awaits-me-in-f1.html


Esteban Ocon thinks he’s doing a ‘good job’ as he’s set to emulate Lewis Hamilton
Sir Lewis Hamilton is the only team-mate to have beaten Fernando Alonso over the course of a season.
18 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Esteban Ocon has his eyes set on becoming just the second driver to have ever beaten Fernando Alonso whilst competing in the same team, something which has only ever been done before in 2007.

In 2007, Alonso was beaten at McLaren by rookie team-mate Sir Lewis Hamilton by one point, with the double World Champion having finished above every other team-mate he’s ever had in his Formula 1 career.

In his first season at Alpine alongside Ocon, Alonso beat the Frenchman by just seven points; however, as it stands so far this season, the 41-year-old is somewhat coincidentally seven points behind Ocon.

‘Esteban Ocon thinks he’s doing a good job’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/esteban-ocon-thinks-hes-doing-a-good-job-as-hes-set-to-emulate-lewis-hamilton/


Where does Esteban Ocon rank among Fernando Alonso’s toughest team-mates?
Monday 19th September 2022 9:15 AM
Sam Cooper

Esteban Ocon has claimed only Lewis Hamilton has done better than him as Fernando Alonso’s team-mate – but how true is that statement? When Alonso returned from retirement to join Alpine, there were many who thought Ocon’s days in F1 were numbered.

And yet, after the best part of two full seasons, it is Alonso and not Ocon who is moving on. Looking back on his time at Alonso’s side, Ocon made a point to note only one driver could claim to have performed better – Hamilton. “I admit I find it a bit strange. In the end, in qualifying, in the comparison with Fernando we are 9-7 for him, but I have a few more points in the classification,” he told Motorsport.com.

“Last year, if we talk about qualifying, we finished the season tied – 11-11. If I look at Fernando’s career, the only one of his team-mates who has been his equal is Lewis, all the others have not done better than me.”
But do the numbers support what Ocon is saying? To find out, we have delved into the history books and selected five notable team-mates plus Ocon to see how they stack up against the two-time former World Champion.

‘Felipe Massa: 533 points fewer than Alonso, Ferrari 2010-2013, Giancarlo Fisichella: 137 points fewer than Alonso, Renault 2005-2006, Kimi Raikkonen: 106 points fewer than Alonso, Ferrari 2014, Jenson Button: 28 points fewer than Alonso, McLaren 2015-16, Esteban Ocon: Equal on points with Alonso (as of 2022 Italian Grand Prix), Lewis Hamilton: Equal on points with Alonso’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/esteban-ocon-fernando-alonso-team-mates/


Ocon predicts 'tricky' Singapore GP with 'go-karts on kerbs'
25/09/2022 at 09:13
Andrew Lewin

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon says that he's expecting a wild time in next weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, predicting that the bumpy nature of the track will have a big impact on this year's Formula 1 cars. It will be the first time that F1 has been to the Marina Bay Street Circuit since 2019, with the COVID pandemic forcing the cancellation of the race in 2020 and 2021.

Ocon wasn't racing in F1 that year, but had made three previous starts, finishing on the podium in 2017 with Force India but failing to finish in 2018 after a collision. "I love Singapore, but the track itself is not my favourite," the 26-year-old French said this week. "They are go-karts on kerbs, it's going to be a tricky one.

"It's going to be very bumpy," he explained. "I think Canada has been pretty bad, but probably it will be one of the worst ones. It always is, it's not news. A big challenge I think for us, very physical," he continued. "It's not going to be fun. But we're up for the challenge. It's going to be interesting also to see who chooses what, in terms of set-up. If you go for the car that rides well, or the car that has grip."

‘Go-karts on kerbs';

https://f1i.com/news/454944-ocon-predicts-tricky-singapore-gp-with-go-karts-on-kerbs.html

[Fortitude]

‘Couldn’t be more untrue’: Norris’ strange Ricciardo denial amid claims car ‘suited him better’.
Lando Norris has claimed this year’s McLaren has suited Daniel Ricciardo’s driving style more than his own, denying that the car is the reason for his considerable advantage over the Australian.
September 23rd, 2022 12:03 pm
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports

Ricciardo’s comprehensive defeat at the hands of the 22-year-old has been a major topic of paddock conversation over the last 18 months, with eight-timer race winner putting the difference down to a fundamental mismatch between his trademark driving style and the way McLaren builds its cars.

It’s been suggested that Norris has been less affected by the MCL36’s quirky traits given he’s only ever driver cars made by McLaren and that his tenure with the team has naturally seen the team and his driving style come into alignment. But speaking to the Beyond the Grid podcast, Norris protested that this year’s car better suited Ricciardo when it first rolled out of the factory and that it’s only thanks to changes he’s made to his own driving style that he’s taken the upper hand.

The car’s natural development cycle has opened the door to more consistent pace, and though Norris admitted that he and Ricciardo want different things from the car, he rebuffed suggestions that his feedback has been given priority and resulted in a machine that’s been built around him. And despite misleading representations in Drive to Survive suggesting there was friction between the pair, Norris said his relationship with Ricciardo was still strong.

‘Norris’ strange Ricciardo denial’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/it-suited-daniel-a-lot-more-norris-denies-unsuited-mclaren-car-is-behind-his-ricciardo-blitzing/news-story/d9aa2ece959ce82765ecaba38c657e05


Lando Norris fiercely fires back at Daniel Ricciardo claim
Lando Norris currently sits seventh in the Drivers' Championship after another season of outperforming Daniel Ricciardo.
25 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Norris currently sits seventh in the Drivers’ Championship, meaning he leads the ‘best of the rest’ standings. The Quadrant founder is a staggering 69 points ahead of his Australian team-mate, who will be replaced next season by exciting 21-year-old Oscar Piastri.

The British driver’s considerably better results compared to his team-mate has led to a number of reports that the team based the car around Norris’ driving style, hence why he signed a lucrative long-term deal at the start of 2022. Lando Norris has hit out at reports that the MCL36 “doesn’t suit” outgoing McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo due to the car being developed around the Brit, something he says couldn’t be “more untrue”.

Norris has denied that the team built and developed the car around him, with the Brit admitting that he actually doesn’t like this year’s car. “There have been things said that [Daniel] doesn’t suit the car and stuff, and everyone thinks that I do suit the car and the car is made around me, but it couldn’t be more untrue,” Norris said on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast.

‘Norris has denied that the team built and developed the car around him’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/lando-norris-fiercely-fires-back-at-daniel-ricciardo-claim/


Norris: Untrue the MCL36 is made around me
23 September, 2022
Jad Mallak

Lando Norris rebuffed reports claiming McLaren’s 2022 Formula 1 car, the MCL36 is built around him as an explanation to Daniel Ricciardo’s struggles.

Daniel Ricciardo has not been able to get in sync with McLaren machinery ever since he joined the team back in 2021, and his struggles have been more amplified by the strong results his teammate Lando Norris has been pulling out in the same cars.

That has prompted claims that McLaren have built their cars around their young and rising start who has inked a lucrative long-term deal with Woking back in February. Norris, however, denied such reports, claiming he actually does not enjoy driving his MCL36 when speaking to F1’s Beyond the Grid Podcast.

‘Lando Norris rebuffed reports’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/23/norris-untrue-the-mcl36-is-made-around-me/


Norris exclusive: I am already McLaren team leader
25/09/2022, ‎13‎:‎00
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

The fourth year McLaren driver believes he is now in a position to lead the team forward - as he exclusively told RacingNews365.com. The McLaren driver is, up to and including the Italian Grand Prix, the only interloper onto the podium from outside the big three teams in 2022, with an assured drive to third at Imola.

The grand plan for McLaren boss Zak Brown was to hire Ricciardo as the team's lead driver while Norris continued to incubate before assuming that mantle for himself. However, Ricciardo - with the exception of that win at Monza in 2021 - struggled to gel with last term's car, and the expected reset with the new ground-effect breed of machinery in '22 has failed to materialise.

His inability to match the results and consistency of Norris is hindering the team's chances of finishing fourth in the Constructors' in the battle with Alpine, and as a result, Ricciardo is out for 2023, with the final year of his contract being paid up by the team. Rookie Oscar Piastri is being drafted in after Brown and McLaren managed to snatch him away from Alpine after the contract "shilly-shallying" (as the Contract Recognition Board put it) with the younger Australian and his management left frustrated and open to exploring options for a race seat away from Enstone.

‘I am already McLaren team leader’;

https://racingnews365.com/norris-exclusive-i-am-already-mclaren-team-leader


Lando Norris breaks silence on Oscar Piastri replacing Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren
LANDO NORRIS has opened up on his new teammate Oscar Piastri who will replace Daniel Ricciardo next season.
17:42, Sun, Sep 25, 2022
By Joshua Lees

Ahead of their link up in 2023, Norris has revealed he is ‘excited’ to work alongside one of Formula 1’s brightest prospects. He told RacingNews365: “I'm excited to work with someone different.”

“I've had two very different, extremely good drivers [Carlos Sainz Jr and Ricciardo as teammates] in my first few years in Formula 1, so I always look forward to working with someone new. I just hope that they're someone you can get along with and have some fun with I [also] don't mind if they hate me, and they never want to talk to me.

As mentioned by the Englishman, Norris has worked with two of F1’s strongest drivers in Ricciardo and Sainz throughout his career so far. After working alongside two of the sport’s most seasoned professionals, the youngster feels he is able to judge the fine line between being friends and rivals with his teammates. He commented: “You have to get people who are more ruthless, and at the same time don't want to be as friendly. I guess there'd be differences between Carlos and Daniel.”

‘I'm excited to work with someone different’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1674130/Lando-Norris-Oscar-Piastri-Daniel-Ricciardo-McLaren-F1-news


[B]Norris undaunted by prospect of working with Piastri
25/09/2022 at 13:29
Andrew Lewin

With six races remaining in the 2022 season, Lando Norris is already looking ahead to next year and the arrival of a new team mate at McLaren. "I'm excited to work with someone different," Norris told RacingNews365.com in exclusive comments this week. "I've had two very different, extremely good drivers in my first few years in Formula 1, so I always look forward to working with someone new.”

But Norris caused a stir recently when he was asked whether he had any sympathy for Ricciardo's current plight: "I hate to say it, but I would say no. People will probably hate me for saying it." Norris was keen to stress that his remarks didn't mean there was any bad feeling between himself and the 33-year-old from Perth.

‘Norris undaunted by prospect of working with Piastri’;

https://f1i.com/news/454962-norris-undaunted-by-prospect-of-working-with-piastri.html

[Fortitude]

Aerodynamic upgrades coming for Aston Martin in Singapore.
Aston Martin will be rolling out some tweaks to their AMR22 as part of a final push to the end of the 2022 F1 season.
Sunday 25th September 2022 11:30 AM
Thomas Maher

The Silverstone-based team are set to bring further updates to their car at the Singapore Grand Prix, according to their technical director Dan Fallows. After debuting a unique and eyebrow-raising rear wing design at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Aston Martin are set to use that rear wing design again next week.

“The Marina Bay Street Circuit should suit that wing so it’s likely to be back on the car for the Singapore Grand Prix,” Fallows said in an interview for the official Aston Martin F1 website. The rear wing needed plenty of correspondence between Aston Martin’s technical department and the FIA to ensure the design conformed with the technical regulations, and Fallows said it is an example of how innovative the department can be.

More updates on the way: Aside from the rear wing, Fallows confirmed further new components will be added to the AMR22 in a bid to improve the performance of the car in what has been a tough season for the former Racing Point squad. “As part of a programme to reduce the weight of the car, and improve the aerodynamic performance, we have some new items for Singapore,” he said.

‘Rolling out some tweaks to their AMR22’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/upgrades-aston-martin-singapore/


Fallows predicting "big step" for Aston Martin
25/09/2022
NEWS STORY

One of several 'big name' signings at Aston Martin, Dan Fallows is predicting a "big step" for the Silverstone-based outfit next season. The Yorkshireman is one of the 'A team' recruited by Lawrence Stroll as he seeks to take Aston Martin to the front of the grid, the subject of a high-profile dispute with Red Bull that eventually saw the matter settled out of court.

Fallows joins Aston Martin as technical director, where he reconnects with former Red Bull colleague Andrew Alessi, who has been appointed head of technical operations, (ex-Alfa Romeo Chief Designer) Luca Furbatto as engineering director and Tom McCullough as performance director, all reporting to chief technical officer Andy Green.

Keen to be out of the spotlight that shone brightly following his controversial move from Milton Keynes. "It's really embarrassing," he admits in an interview for the team's website, "especially when you've got friends sending messages with links to articles about you. I've never really been interested in this sort of thing, I'm not in it for the publicity. All I'm interested in is making fast cars."

‘Predicting "big step" for Aston Martin’;

https://www.pitpass.com/73678/Fallows-predicting-big-step-for-Aston-Martin


Part of Aston Martin’s F1 2022 troubles came as a result of ‘growing too quickly’
Sunday 25th September 2022 11:00 PM
Sam Cooper

Mike Krack believes the rapid expansion of the team was one of the causes behind Aston Martin’s troubles in 2022. The 2022 campaign has a tumultuous one for the team. A new team principal arrived, they unveiled a whole new car twice and their senior driver announced he was retiring at the end of the year. Krack, who has only been in the role since January, believes that the team’s rapid expansion may have played a part in their downfall this campaign.

“We have a small structure that was relying on a few people where you put a lot of financial resources in and you grow very fast. And if you grow very fast, the whole structure cannot adapt so quickly,” Krack said in an interview with the BBC. Normally you reduce the efficiency if you grow too quickly and this is something that has happened. The [car] concept that was decided was a direction that offered ultimately very high aerodynamic potential but due to porpoising it could never be exploited.”

‘Growing too quickly’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/aston-martin-f1-troubles-result-growing-too-quickly/


Aston Martin ‘success has not come the way Lawrence Stroll wanted’
Sunday 25th September 2022 9:15 AM
Jon Wilde

Mike Krack has praised the “patience” being shown by Lawrence Stroll over the time it is taking to turn Aston Martin into World Championship hopefuls. Aston Martin, transformed into British racing green from the pink of Racing Point, were launched in early 2021 with grand claims by team owner Stroll that titles were the aim in the foreseeable future. But despite an aggressive recruitment programme targeting some of the sport’s big hitters, and the construction of a state-of-the-art new factory at Silverstone, Aston Martin have only gone backwards.

Fourth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2020 – it would have been third but for a points penalty – they finished seventh last year and are down to ninth this season with six races remaining. Krack is the Aston Martin team principal and as he did in a previous interview, he insisted the high-rolling Canadian businessman who funds Aston Martin F1 is not applying the thumb screws despite the disappointing results achieved with the AMR22 car.

“The financial means he has put into this team give him the right to be demanding. But he is not over-pressurising us…” “He (Stroll senior) is around once a week or something like that and wants to know what is going on, what are the next steps, why have we performed the way we did, what do we do next and what is our strategy. And then after two hours he has other things to do. It’s not that he comes in and decides every single item, not at all.”

‘The “patience” being shown by Lawrence Stroll praised’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lawrence-stroll-aston-martin-patience/


Krack: Lawrence Stroll has the right to be demanding
21 September, 2022
Jad Mallak

Aston Martin team boss Mike Krack claimed Chairman Lawrence Stroll has the right to be demanding given the financial investment he has put into the team. Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily in his Formula 1 outfit, Aston Martin, which he acquired back in 2019 when it was the troubled Vijay Mallya-owned Force India. The Canadian billionaire is yet to reap the rewards of his investment, as Aston Martin endure an underwhelming season in 2022, currently ninth in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead of only Williams.

“It is justified to give your chairman an update every week at least. There are also phone calls in between but they are more like catch-ups. But, bottom line, I admire his patience, honestly,” the ‘Luxembourger added. “Because success has not come the way he wanted it from the beginning, and the patience he has shown shows he is realistic and understands what he is doing.”

‘The right to be demanding’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/21/krack-lawrence-stroll-has-the-right-to-be-demanding/


Lance Stroll savouring teaming up with childhood ‘bad guy’ Fernando Alonso
Sunday 25th September 2022 2:00 PM
Thomas Maher

Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll has revealed that as a child, he viewed his 2023 F1 team-mate Fernando Alonso as the “bad guy”. Stroll said he saw Alonso as being “like a bad guy in the movies” when he watched the Spaniard’s title battles in the mid-2000s. Having spent his childhood watching Alonso go toe to toe with his hero, Stroll laughed at the prospect that he will be team-mates with the ‘bad guy’ from that time.

“I watched [Fernando] on TV in 2004, 2005, 2006 – when he won his titles and was fighting against [Michael] Schumacher,” Stroll told the French subsidiary of Motorsport.com. “I was a fan of Schumacher. [Alonso] was the bad guy in my eyes! I was six years old and he was the bad guy, like in the movies.

But he was always super-exciting to watch. And he still is. He’s one of the best drivers. He’s still very lively at around 42 years old (Alonso will be 42 next July).” The 23-year-old Canadian was just seven years old when Alonso won his first Drivers’ Championship in 2005, beating McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen, with Alonso then embarking on a season-long battle with Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher to clinch his second title in 2006.

‘Childhood ‘bad guy’ Fernando Alonso’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lance-stroll-fernando-alonso-bad-guy/


Fernando Alonso jokes about El Plan as he reveals James Bond intention
Fernando Alonso will join Aston Martin at the start of next season.
24 September 2022
by James Clifford

Fernando Alonso is keen to feature in a James Bond movie in the future, and his upcoming ties with Aston Martin might just help him achieve that. Alonso won two world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006, before leaving for McLaren ahead of the 2007 season.

Now that he has gone to pastures new, he can embark on another plan to win races and add a third world title to his tally, but he would rather not get caught up in that meme again. “Let’s not start again – last year with ‘El Plan’, there was enough of a mess,” joked Alonso will speaking with Finetwork on Instagram.

“It’s always something that is created on social media and I always try to follow what you guys say. If it has to be ‘La Misión’ (The Mission), then ‘La Misión’.” What Alonso would like is to appear in a Bond film. “What would be nice is to be in a James Bond film now I’m with Aston Martin. I would love to shoot some street scenes in an Aston Martin,” he added. “We have to talk it over with the team, hopefully it will work out.”

‘Joking About El Plan, James Bond Intention’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-alonso-jokes-about-el-plan-as-he-reveals-james-bond-intention/

[Fortitude]

Members of Formula 1 paddock upset with ‘unacceptable’ 2023 calendar.
24 races are set to be held next season. Several key figures have been reported by the Guardian to find the 2023 calendar “unacceptable.”
23 September 2022
by James Clifford

The schedule is not decided by the FIA themselves; F1’s promoters set the calendar of races, and they forward their plans to the governing body for approval.

However, the Emirati does have the right to overrule F1 on certain decisions if he chooses to do so. Thanks to the longer hours, the more strenuous journeys and the additional time spent away from their loved ones for the team members, several key figures have been reported by the Guardian to find the 2023 calendar “unacceptable.”

‘Unacceptable 2023 calendar’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/members-of-formula-1-paddock-upset-with-unacceptable-2023-calendar/


How Formula 1 ended up with its gruelling 24-race calendar for 2023
Formula 1’s 24-race calendar for 2023 might be a sign of the series’ current health, but for many, the schedule was cause for concern.
Sep 21, 2022, 3:01 PM
By: Luke Smith

For those working in the paddock, it was the first sign of just how many weekends would be spent away from home next year. People joked about the upcoming boom in business for divorce lawyers around Oxfordshire, where most F1 teams are based, and shuddered at the copious amount of time about to be spent on flights through next season. The number of races is not the surprising bit about the calendar. We knew that would be the case, given the plans to add Qatar and Las Vegas, bring back China and keep both Spa and Monaco. The 24-race limit set by the Concorde Agreement was always going to be hit.

It is the grouping of races that has been the source of frustration for those working in F1. Pairing Baku with Miami while having Montreal a month later; putting Qatar nowhere near the other Middle Eastern races on the calendar; having Austin only a month before Las Vegas, the latter forming a double-header with Abu Dhabi to close out the season. On the face of things, some of it does not make a lot sense, particularly after F1 had stated its intention to try and regroup geographically where possible.

And that’s before we factor in the triple-headers. Remember when the first one happened in 2018, and teams said they never wanted to do it again? And that their return in 2020 was simply out of necessity because of COVID? Well, we’re back to two triples next year: Emilia Romagna/Monaco/Spain, and USA/Mexico/Brazil. Five races in six weeks to round out the season may be exciting for fans, but it will stretch the paddock to its limit.

‘Upcoming boom in business for divorce lawyers around Oxfordshire where most F1 teams are based’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/how-formula-1-ended-up-with-its-gruelling-24-race-calendar-for-2023/10372443/


Formula 1 set for longest season ever as China returns to 2023 calendar
Wednesday 7th September 2022 6:45 AM
Sam Cooper

A reported calendar for the 2023 Formula 1 season has been published and shows that China is set to return to the schedule but only on certain conditions.

The Formula 1 calendar has been rapidly expanding of late and F1 racer turned commentator Martin Brundle warned in March that a 25-race season is “inevitable.”

There is also persistent talks that historic tracks such as Monaco and Spa could make way for more street circuits, a move that four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel described as “horrible.”

‘25-race season is inevitable!’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/formula-1-2023-calendar/


Formula 1: 24-race calendar unveiled for 2023
Romain Boisaubert - 21 September 2022

The FIA has officially unveiled the calendar for the 2023 season, with twenty-four Grand Prix races in total. A historic season that will be the longest and most dense in history.

With twenty-four Grand Prix, F1 is about to set a new record for the most races in a season.

Featuring the Las Vegas Grand Prix for the first time as well as historic races such as the Monaco Grand Prix (28 May) and the Belgian Grand Prix (30 July), the 2023 season will start on 5 March in Bahrain and end on 26 November in Abu Dhabi.

‘Formula 1: 24-race calendar’;

https://www.monaco-tribune.com/en/2022/09/formula-1-24-race-calendar-unveiled-for-2023/


Miami Gardens “excited to bring back” Formula 1 in 2023
September 21, 2022
By Nick Golding

With the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship official calendar having been released, the organisers of the Miami Grand Prix have shared their excitement of finally knowing when fans from across the world will be return for the second race at the Miami International Autodrome.

Next year’s race at Miami has been confirmed as a double header with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with the sport to take its first trip across the pond next season from the 5-7 May. With the date being official, fans can already buy pre-sale tickets, which are set to sell-out extremely fast given how popular this season’s race was.

‘Excited Miami Gardens’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/miami-gardens-excited-to-bring-back-formula-1-in-2023/


FIA Reveals 2023 Formula 1 Calendar – Las Vegas, Monaco & more
September 20, 2022
By: Jack Smith |

F1’s governing body has announced a record length 24-race calendar for next year’s Formula 1 World Championship.

The F1 circus begins in Bahrain over the weekend of March 3rd-5th, with Abu Dhabi again the final race of the season in late November. FIA’s 2023 Formula 1 calendar sees the debut of a new circuit, the return of two former locations, and movement in what will be a busy year for the sport.

The calendar sees the return of the Chinese Grand Prix for the first time in four years. It also features the re-inclusion of Qatar in early October. Perhaps the marque piece of the announcement, the first installment of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Las Vegas will form a double-header with Abu Dhabi to close out the 2023 season.

‘First installment of the Las Vegas Grand Prix’;

https://lastwordonsports.com/motorsports/2022/09/20/fia-reveals-2023-formula-1-calendar-las-vegas-monaco-more/

[Fortitude]

Alfa Romeo is more of a ‘racing team’ compared to ‘company’ Mercedes says Valtteri Bottas.
Valtteri Bottas said Alfa Romeo feels less of a “company” and more of a “race team” in comparison to his previous employers Mercedes.
Tuesday 20th September 2022 2:45 PM
Sam Cooper

Having spent five seasons at Mercedes, Bottas moved on at the end of 2021 to join Alfa Romeo and be reunited with Fred Vasseur who he raced under in the 2011 GP3 Series.

Having helped Mercedes win the Constructors’ Championship every season he was there, the challenge at Alfa Romeo is a different one as the Finn no longer finds himself fighting for race wins and podiums.

He started the season strongly, finishing P6 in Bahrain, and has cut a happier figure around the paddock during a race weekend. Bottas said he is enjoying an “environment with less pressure.”

‘Alfa Romeo ‘racing team’, compared to ‘company’ Mercedes’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alfa-romeo-more-race-team-compared-company-mercedes-valtteri-bottas/


Alfa Romeo CEO insists they will only ever use Ferrari engines in Formula 1.
Alfa Romeo and Sauber will split next year.
26 September 2022
by James Clifford

Alfa Romeo CEO, Jean-Philippe Imperato, has insisted that there are a number of avenues the Italian car maker could go down after they split with Sauber at the end of 2023. Alfa have a rich history in Formula 1, winning the first-ever championship race in Silverstone in 1950 through Giuseppe Farina.

The Italian, and then Juan Manuel Fangio, both drove for the Turin-based outfit when they won the first two titles in 1950 and 1951 respectively, but their 10th win in the latter of those years would also be their last. They left the pinnacle of motorsport in 1985 having teamed up with Benetton, but they would make a sensational return in 2018.

Alfa Romeo have been linked with a partnership with Haas, as well as moves to other motorsport series, but Imperato has time on his hands, so he does not need to rush into anything at this time. “I’m totally open to everything, by the way, it’s a period that gives me the opportunity to study everything with no pressure. That’s what I have,” he told Autosport. “And I would say, even if we have to take a decision before the end of this year, we have some weeks, months, to see how is the business, and as well to choose in a kind of serene atmosphere.”

‘A number of avenues the Italian car maker could go down’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/alfa-romeo-ceo-insists-they-will-only-ever-use-ferrari-engines-in-formula-1/


Alfa Romeo CEO: “No hurry” to decide F1 future beyond 2023
Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato says the company is in “no hurry” to make a call on its long-term future in Formula 1.
Sep 25, 2022, 4:36 PM
By: Adam Cooper

Alfa Romeo announced last month that it will conclude its sponsorship deal with the Sauber team at the end of the 2023 season ahead of the Swiss outfit’s expected alliance with Audi. The Alfa announcement was made on the same day that Audi confirmed its intention to enter F1 in 2026, and it was seen by some observers as a clumsy attempt to draw attention away from it.

Alfa can only stay in F1 beyond 2023 if it can agree a deal with a team using Ferrari engines, which at the moment leaves Haas as its sole option. The only other possibility would be to hook up with a new entrant who agrees a PU partnership with Maranello, such as Andretti. Alternatively, the company could look at other categories, such as Formula E or the World Endurance Championship.

Like other manufacturers Alfa is moving towards electric vehicles, which could inform any decision on its motor sport future. "I'm totally open to everything,” Imperato told Motorsport.com. “By the way, it's a period that gives me the opportunity to study everything with no pressure. That's what I have.”

‘Company is in “no hurry” to make a call on its long-term future in Formula 1’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/alfa-romeo-ceo-no-hurry-to-decide-f1-future-beyond-2023/10373803/


Alfa Romeo eyes Haas as BMW says no to F1
BMW says it will not be following Audi and Porsche into Formula 1.
SEPTEMBER 26, 2022
ANDREW MAITLAND

BMW’s racing boss Andreas Roos insisted: “We are definitely not interested in Formula 1 at the moment. “We need to be realistic,” he told motorsport-total.com. “In order to participate in Formula 1, you need to invest a lot of money. And before you get a return, you need to be successful for a long time. For now, we are satisfied with the large set of projects that we are engaged in.”

The Swiss F1 team’s current title sponsor Alfa Romeo has already announced its departure at the end of 2023. There are rumours that Alfa Romeo may instead team up with Haas from 2024. “I am completely open to everything,” said Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato. “There is absolutely nothing that is definite for 2024,” he added.

‘Alfa Romeo has already announced its departure at the end of 2023’;

https://grandpx.news/alfa-romeo-eyes-haas-as-bmw-says-no-to-f1/


Zhou Guanyu ‘hopeful’ on Alfa Romeo extension as team assess 2023 candidates
Saturday 24th September 2022 10:00 AM
Mark Scott

Zhou Guanyu thinks he has done enough to extend his Formula 1 stay into a second season with Alfa Romeo after receiving positive feedback. The 23-year-old became the first fully-fledged Formula 1 driver to hail from China after he was chosen alongside Valtteri Bottas to form an all-new line-up at Alfa Romeo, replacing Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi.

Speaking to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Zhou is confident he can retain his place at Alfa Romeo. He said: “It is my first year in F1 and therefore the team is analysing my performance, but the feedback is promising and the team is very happy with the work I have done, and so am I with them.

“I think I would have finished next to Valtteri Bottas, with him or a place behind him,” he added. “If we went back to the beginning of the season, especially to Bahrain, I finished 10th, but with the experience now, if Bottas was 6th, maybe I could have been 6th or 7th. “But for my part the most important thing is to do the best I can with what I have now, and of course the retirements this year have not helped, because we would have easily finished more races in the points. But they are things that happen.”

‘Zhou Guanyu ‘hopeful’ on Alfa Romeo extension’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/zhou-guanyu-alfa-romeo-2023-hopes/


Valtteri Bottas is ‘not sure’ he will race in F1 at 41 but is open to other series
Thursday 22nd September 2022 8:00 PM
Henry Valantine

Valtteri Bottas does not know if he will follow the example set by Fernando Alonso, racing in F1 aged 41, but would “never say never” to a different path in motorsport once he retires. The 33-year-old moved to Alfa Romeo on a three-year deal for the 2022 season, with Mercedes having opted for George Russell to partner Lewis Hamilton this season.

“I’m not sure,” Bottas said to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com when asked if he would follow Alonso’s career path. I’m really impressed with Fernando’s performance, he’s still at a really good level, but as for me I don’t know, so I say…never say never.”

“I’m absolutely open to any challenge. I love driving and I could find the motivation in many other contexts. I believe the day my Formula 1 adventure ends, I will continue driving in other championships. The only condition will be to find something that gives me more free time.”

‘Never say never’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/valtteri-bottas-unsure-f1-41-years-old/

[Fortitude]

Daniel Ricciardo is the wild card, Nyck de Vries is the key, and Guenther Steiner is the mystery for the final 4 available seats in F1.
With Zhou Guanyu signing an extension with Alfa Romeo, there are now 17 drivers under contract for 2023.
27/09/2022, 18:34
INSIDER

Four seats remain undecided for the 2023 Formula One grid and 27-year-old reserve driver Nyck de Vries appears to be the key to deciding at least three of them.

On Tuesday, Alfa Romeo announced that Zhou Guanyu signed an extension and will remain with the team in 2023. There are now 17 drivers under contract for the 20 seats on next year's grid. However, four are still up in the air, including one at AlphaTauri, where Pierre Gasly is under contract but could be on the move.

For three teams — Alpine, AlphaTauri, Williams — there are still two likely scenarios and one less likely, but all three depend on where de Vries calls home next year.

“Final 4 available seats’;

https://www.insider.com/f1-2023-grid-drivers-alpine-alphatauri-haas-williams-2022-9


Zhou stays for second Alfa season, four 2023 F1 seats left
27/09/2022, 10:25.
By Josh Suttill
The Race

Zhou Guanyu will remain with Alfa Romeo for the 2023 Formula 1 season following a formal announcement from the team that he will stay on. Zhou’s six points pale in comparison to the 46 points his more experienced team-mate Valtteri Bottas has earned for Alfa Romeo. But that deficit is partially skewed by the competitiveness of Alfa’s C43 dipping just as Zhou started to make progress during his rookie season.

That improvement coupled with Zhou’s financial backing has earned him a second year in F1 alongside 10-time race winner Bottas, who previously said he was “rooting” for Zhou to stay for 2023. “I am happy and grateful to Alfa Romeo for the opportunity to be part of the team for another season,” said Zhou.

“Making it to Formula 1 was a dream come true and the feeling of competing for the first time in a race will live with me forever: the team has been incredibly supportive, welcoming me from day one and helping me adapt to the most complex series in motorsport. “There is more that I want to achieve in this sport and with the team, and the hard work we have put together since the start of the year is just the first step towards where we want to be next season.”

‘Zhou stays for second Alfa season’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/zhou-stays-for-second-alfa-season-four-2023-f1-seats-left/


F1 driver market: The contenders for 2023 seats with Daniel Ricciardo, Mick Schumacher futures unclear
Last Updated: 27/09/22 4:18pm.
By Matt Morlidge

Zhou Guanyu's new contract at Alfa Romeo means there are three seats remaining on the 2023 Formula 1 grid, at Alpine, Williams and Haas; Alpine are targeting AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly, while there are several contenders for the other spots...

Zhou Guanyu's contract renewal at Alfa Romeo has closed another door in Formula 1's 2023 driver market - and made the remaining seats all the more appealing for the established, and emerging, stars in the running.

As a competitive market continues to take shape deep into the 2022 season, we've rounded up the runners and riders for each of the seats as we edge closer to a full confirmed grid...

‘The contenders’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12705641/f1-driver-market-the-contenders-for-2023-seats-with-daniel-ricciardo-mick-schumacher-futures-unclear


DRIVER MARKET: Will Nyck de Vries be on the F1 grid in 2023 – and if so, with who?
24 September 2022
Lawrence Barretto
F1 Correspondent & Presenter

A few months ago, Nyck de Vries’ hopes of making a dream Formula 1 switch next year looked slim. At the French Grand Prix, the Mercedes-backed driver borrowed Lewis Hamilton’s car for first practice, but after the session Silver Arrows’ boss Toto Wolff admitted the team might not be able to provide their junior with an “interesting Formula 1 project”.

While rated highly by many in the paddock, there were simply no obvious landing spots for De Vries, who has Formula E and Formula 2 titles on his CV, in 2023. But in the space of two days over the Italian Grand Prix weekend, everything changed. De Vries completed a run for Aston Martin in FP1, as previously planned, but then got a late call on Saturday morning to jump in for Alex Albon (who was to have appendicitis surgery) at Williams.

The Dutch driver got up to speed incredibly quickly – having only once driven that Williams back in Spain in an FP1 appearance. Not only did he start inside the top 10 – helped in part because of a slew of penalties for others – but he held on to score two points on debut. In the blink of an eye, De Vries has become the most sought-after driver on the current grid with Alpine, AlphaTauri and Williams all realistic options for a race seat in 2023. But where will he end up?

‘In the blink of an eye’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.driver-market-will-nyck-de-vries-be-on-the-f1-grid-in-2023-and-if-so-with.31dSWNrcEG77a3MQgi6r7x.html




NINE drivers... for five (NOW FOUR) seats: F1’s musical chairs set to erupt — but one star is holding everything up
September 22nd, 2022 7:13 am
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports

There are only six races to go this season, but not fewer than five seats (NOW FOUR) remain unaccounted for in the 2023 driver market. This has been one of the more chaotic silly seasons of recent years. From Sebastian Vettel’s retirement to Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri’s sudden defections and Daniel Ricciardo’s sacking, it’s twisted and turned with abandon, keeping even the most experienced paddock watchers on their toes.

But at last it feels like it’s entering its end game, with the final candidates are just about aligned. And yet no-one is pulling the trigger. What’s the hold up? Alpine, as the most competitive team with a seat available, now holds all the cards, and it’s fielding three drivers in a private test this week in Budapest to try to decide which one it will play first. Featuring in that test are expected to be Australian F2 rising star Jack Doohan, Formula E champion Nyck de Vries and former F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi.

But Nico Hulkenberg, Mick Schumacher, Nicholas Latifi, Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu are also in play. With only four seats available — or five including Pierre Gasly and his will to move — some are going to miss out. With less than two months until the end of the season, this is the state of the driver market.

‘F1’s musical chairs’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/nine-drivers-into-five-seats-f1-driver-market-state-of-play-and-where-the-two-uncontracted-aussies-fit-in/news-story/150526da5e5ba5e09fce24e1778220c5

[Fortitude]

Steiner - "Fans would love" Magnussen-Hülkenberg partnership.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes fans would "love" to see Nico Hülkenberg join forces with Kevin Magnussen next season.
Saturday 24 September 2022 08:30
Ewan Gale

Current Aston Martin reserve driver Hülkenberg has spent three seasons on the sidelines, appearing only in substitute appearances across that time. The 35-year-old stood in for both Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll in 2020 at Force India before covering for Sebastian Vettel in the first two races of the current campaign for Aston Martin.

Discussing the possibility of recruiting Hülkenberg, Steiner told RTL: "A man like Nico brings experience with him. I think the fans would love it! But what can a driver contribute to making the team better and bringing us to the top? How much risk are you willing to take? You usually take more risks with a young driver because you don't know how far he can go."

On the possibility of signing the Australian, Steiner conceded: “In his situation, Daniel first has to decide for himself what to do. "It makes little sense to persuade him to do something. He has to decide for himself. If he feels like it, he'll definitely call, otherwise he'll probably say I'm taking a sabbatical or something else."

‘Nico brings experience’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/92210/guenther-steiner-magnussen-hulkenberg-haas/


Guenther Steiner on Mick Schumacher’s future: ‘We’re just playing against ourselves’:
Guenther Steiner is yet to decide who will partner Kevin Magnussen in 2023, with Mick Schumacher set to be axed.
25 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Despite admitting to RTL that Schumacher “had a good race at Monza”, the German driver appears likely to get the boot from the team, with his contract set to expire following the season finale. There is a “50/50 chance” that the 23-year-old will be retained, with a number of high-profile drivers having been linked to the German’s seat.

Nico Hulkenberg, Antonio Giovinazzi and Daniel Ricciardo have all spoken to Steiner about a potential move to the American’s; however, Steiner doesn’t feel “any time pressure” to make a decision. “That’s where you put yourself under pressure, and we don’t need that,” Steiner told RTL. “We’re just playing against ourselves. We don’t really have any time pressure. All the others have the time pressure but not us. That’s an advantage we don’t take away.”

One of the areas Steiner is currently debating is whether to go for experience over youth, with the likes of Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin having recently featured for Haas and arguably failed to deliver consistently. With the likes of Hulkenberg, Giovinazzi and Ricciardo having been linked to the seat, it does appear that the team are taking the approach of having a deeply experienced line-up next season, with Magnussen being no newbie himself.

‘We don’t really have any time pressure’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/guenther-steiner-on-mick-schumachers-future-were-just-playing-against-ourselves/


Steiner: Three US F1 races have come ‘at the right time’.
12:51 Tue, 27 Sep 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Haas Formula 1 team boss Guenther Steiner believes it is the right time to include three US-based races on the calendar. Next year, F1 will visit the US three times throughout the season in a record-breaking 24-race calendar, starting with Miami at the beginning of May, following its inaugural event earlier this year.

It will then travel to Austin, Texas in October for the US Grand Prix, before Las Vegas hosts its first ever race in mid-November as the penultimate race on the 2023 schedule. F1 is currently witnessing rocketing growth in the US in terms of audience engagement, which Steiner believes makes it the right time to have multiple races in the country.

“I think obviously 24 races is a lot of races but the demand is there, the fans want to see what we are doing which is the biggest compliment they can give us and we need to work hard to make them happy,” Steiner said. “Three races in America, I think it comes at the right time. The sport is already popular and it’s getting even more so as we speak in America.”

‘US F1 races at the right time’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/09/27/steiner-three-us-f1-races-have-come-at-the-right-time/


Guenther Steiner: Demand for F1 justifies having 24-race calendar in 2023
Monday 26th September 2022 2:00 PM
Jon Wilde

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner has given a positive appraisal of the 2023 Formula 1 calendar comprising a record 24 races. Although the plan for both 2021 and 2022 had been to stage a season consisting of 23 grands prix, one fewer than that total has been possible each time. With Haas an American-owned team, Steiner has understandably spoken in favour of the number of races in the United States being increased to three, with Las Vegas supplementing those in Austin and Miami.

“I think obviously 24 races is a lot but the demand is there, the fans want to see what we are doing, which is the biggest compliment they can give us and we need to work hard to make them happy,” said Steiner in Haas’ preview of the Singapore Grand Prix. More immediately, Steiner is relishing the Asian swing of the 2022 calendar as F1 returns to Singapore and Japan, on consecutive weekends, for the first time since 2019. “They are two races I think we missed in the Covid seasons,” added Steiner.

“Firstly, with Singapore coming up, it’s a night race on a city circuit and it’s a very cool place. Secondly, Japan, which in my opinion [Suzuka] is one of the best race tracks in the world. Two completely different reasons why I like them but two good reasons to have them back. I really look forward to going to these race tracks because we haven’t been there the last two years and it’s almost like going back to a new, old race track.”

‘Demand for F1 justifies having 24-race calendar’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenther-steiner-24-races-justified/


Haas F1 Team: Singapore Grand Prix: Preview
Haas F1 Team is returning to the Singapore Grand Prix for a dose of night fever around the floodlit streets of the city state.
September 27, 2022
Haas F1 Team

The vibrant city of Singapore has been an important trading post on the tip of the Malay peninsula for several centuries, and has had an at times tumultuous history, but in recent decades the region has been transformed, emerging as a popular tourist destination and business hub. Formula 1’s calendar expansion through the 2000s eventually brought the championship to Singapore in 2008, and for the first time in history a grand prix was held after sundown, with thousands of lights illuminating the course.

The bumpy 23-turn 5km-circuit, located in the Marina Bay district, takes Formula 1 drivers past some of Singapore’s famous landmarks, including the National Gallery, the Esplanade Concert Hall, and Singapore Flyer. The floodlit architecture provides a stunning backdrop to one of Formula 1’s most challenging events.

‘A dose of night fever for the Haas F1 Team’;

https://www.haasf1team.com/news/singapore-grand-prix-preview


Haas publicly criticise Mick Schumacher: ‘What he said after that wasn’t great’
Mick Schumacher's future beyond this year has not yet been finalised.
27 September 2022
by James Clifford

Haas’ chief race engineer, Ayao Komatsu, feels that Mick Schumacher spends too much time comparing himself to his team-mate. If looks could kill, those in the media pen after the session would have been fleeing, and Komatsu has revealed that it all made for an interesting debrief as their young driver vented his frustration. “Mick was behind Kevin and that frustrated him,” he told Motorsport-Total.com.

“His focus in the sprint race wasn’t the right one, we talked about that afterwards. We talked before the sprint race about how we would do it as a team, but what he did after that wasn’t great, and what he said after that wasn’t great either.”

“Then I say to him ‘look, Kevin really likes to help you and he tells you things he would never have told Romain [Grosjean] before’. Then Mick thinks and realises the most important thing for the team is to get up in the Constructors’ Championship. I explain it to him: ‘Mick, come on, you’re doing well, focus on your own performance and not on this thing’, and then it’s fine again.”

‘Haas’ chief race engineer, Ayao Komatsu: Mick Schumacher spends too much time comparing himself to his team-mate’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/haas-publicly-criticise-mick-schumacher-what-he-said-after-that-wasnt-great/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen on brink of winning 2022 F1 title this weekend.
Max Verstappen could clinch the 2022 Formula One title in Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix, depending on how his nearest opponents Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez perform.
28.09.2022
Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

The Dutch driver could win one of the earliest titles in history in two possible case scenarios. If Verstappen finishes the race first and sets the fastest lap, his teammate Perez must finish no higher than fourth, while Ferrari's Leclerc must finish no higher than eighth.

If the Dutchman wins the Singapore GP without setting the fastest lap, Perez must finish no higher than fourth or fifth. If the fastest lap is set by Perez, Leclerc must finish no higher than ninth.

If one of these unlikely are conditions met, 24-year-old Verstappen will equalize the second earliest drivers' championship win in F1 history, with Williams driver Nigel Mansell, who won the 1992 title with five races to spare.

‘Verstappen on the brink’;

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/sports/verstappen-on-brink-of-winning-2022-f1-title-this-weekend/2697219


Verstappen on verge of second world title as F1 returns to Singapore
Issued on: 28/09/2022 - 05:16
Modified: 28/09/2022 - 05:14
France 24

Singapore (AFP) – Red Bull's dominant Max Verstappen can clinch a second world championship when the Singapore Grand Prix returns this weekend after a three-year absence because of Covid.

The flying Dutchman has a mathematical chance to seal back-to-back world titles under lights around the spectacular and demanding Marina Bay street circuit. To do so, the 24-year-old must win the race -- something he has never done in Singapore -- and needs his closest rivals to falter badly.

If that does not happen, the championship fight will move on to the Japanese Grand Prix a week later. It looks a case of when, not if. You need a bit of luck for that as well," Verstappen told Sky Sports of retaining his crown in Singapore. "I don't think about it."

‘Verstappen on the verge’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220928-verstappen-on-verge-of-second-world-title-as-f1-returns-to-singapore


Why Marko hopes Verstappen's title win waits until after Singapore
28/09/2022, ‎13‎:‎25
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Helmut Marko admits that he would prefer Max Verstappen to win the World Championship in Japan rather than at the forthcoming Singapore Grand Prix. There is a chance that Verstappen – who currently has a lead of 116 points in the standings – could potentially clinch the title at the Marina Bay Circuit, though this would require him to outscore closest rival Charles Leclerc by 22 points as well as claiming 13 more points than Sergio Perez.

However, Marko hopes that the Dutchman's victory might instead come one week later at the Japanese Grand Prix. "From a marketing point of view, winning the title would be better in Japan, because of our engine partner Honda," Marko told Austrian broadcaster ORF. "But in general we can assume that Max will be World Champion. It's just a question of when."

Marko praises Red Bull's progression throughout season Ferrari initially looked to hold the edge in the early stages of the 2022 season, but it was Red Bull who seemed to get stronger as the campaign progressed, something that Marko is proud of. "We were 46 points behind after three races," he explained. "That was predominantly due to the car being overweight. The first failure was caused by a weight-saving measure. The second failure was due to technical reasons. Due to the excess weight, the car was initially pushing over the front axle.”

‘From a marketing point of view, Japan for Honda’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-marko-hopes-verstappens-title-win-waits-until-after-singapore


Christian Horner explains why he was shocked by Red Bull’s 2022 car
Red Bull were one of the last teams to switch their focus to the new regulations during the 2021 season.
28 September 2022
by Nick Golding

With Max Verstappen on the cusp of retaining his Drivers’ World Championship at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has revealed how amazed he’s been by his side’s complete domination. Red Bull put more time into their 2021 challenger than arguably any other team, with the Austrians having been the last side to switch their focus to the 2022 aerodynamic regulations.

During the 2021 campaign, a number of teams prioritised designing their 2022 car, due to the brand-new aerodynamic regulations. Mercedes and Ferrari were two of the sides who halted development on their 2021 challengers fairly early in the season, whilst Red Bull pushed on with making their RB16B as strong as possible.

Their strategy ultimately worked, with Verstappen claiming the 2021 title, albeit under controversial circumstances. However, Horner was worried that their 2021 pursuit would “compromise” this season, due to spending less time working on a car for the new regs. What has unfolded this year is beyond the Briton’s wildest dreams, as Red Bull have remarkably built the best car on the grid.

‘Amazed by complete domination’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/christian-horner-explains-why-he-was-shocked-by-red-bulls-2022-car/


Horner: The RB18 is potentially our most successful car
26 September, 2022
Jad Mallak

Christian Horner believes the Red Bull RB18 is potentially the most successful car ever produced at Milton Keynes despite starting late with its development. Despite intense 2021, Red Bull did not compromise 2022. “What has been particularly pleasing about this year is despite colossal regulation changes we had to undergo coming into this year – and we honestly thought we had compromised this year by putting everything we had into last year – the team came up with an amazing car, a super car,” the Briton hailed.

“Max has made another step, Checo [Perez] has felt more part of the team this year with a lot more familiarity. To be sitting here having won 12 grands prix, and with 16 podiums so far has been an incredible season for us.” The fact that Red Bull kept developing their 2021 car late meant their was a risk their RB18 – built to the new regulations with ground effect – might have been affected. Clearly that has not been the case.

“We were probably the last team to transition onto the ’22 regulations,” Horner pointed out. “We went quite late on development through ’21 because when you have a sniff of a championship, we would have kicked ourselves if we hadn’t done everything you possibly could, which meant compromising ’22. The team in Milton Keynes, whilst we were away fighting for the championship, did an incredible job over the winter to come up with the RB18 which has been potentially our most successful car ever.”

‘An incredible season’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/26/horner-the-rb18-is-potentially-our-most-successful-car/


Horner predicts tough Singapore GP test for Red Bull
The Red Bull boss thinks the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix will be one of Red Bull's toughest races in the 2022 season, but said Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will still be aiming for the win
September 25, 2022
By Adam Dickinson

“It should be one of the harder races I would say,” Horner told the press after the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.

“Singapore compared to here it’s got the most corners on the circuit it’s bumpy, it’s a street track so it’s a much different challenge.”

“But we’ve been quick at Spa or Zandvoort or Monza and even Budapest so on different variants of circuits the car’s performing really well.”

‘Red Bull's toughest races’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/horner-predicts-tough-f1-2022-singapore-gp-test-red-bull/


‘It wasn’t fair’: Christian Horner makes Michael Masi revelation
Michael Masi left the FIA over his controversial handling of the 2021 season finale, which saw Max Verstappen come out on top.
28 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Despite his poor handling of the finale, Horner has revealed he still speaks to the former F1 race director who he believes “followed the principles”. “Yes, on a couple of occasions,” Horner revealed to the Beyond the Grid podcast.

“I felt that it wasn’t fair, the way he had been treated, because I think that he’d done the best that he could, following the principles. The only thing he screwed up on was not allowing the final two cars at the back of the field to unlap themselves. As we saw recently in Monza, nobody wants to see a race diluted and finished under a Safety Car.”

“So he did everything to get that race going again, which would have been a horrendous finish to the season, to see it just diluted and peter out under a Safety Car. I think the reaction after the race, there was a huge amount of abuse sent to him, there were death threats to his family. No individual deserves to go through that.”

‘Followed the principles’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/it-wasnt-fair-christian-horner-makes-michael-masi-revelation/

[Fortitude]

Binotto says Ferrari still missing 'Schumacher mentality'.
Mattia Binotto on what Ferrari is lacking: “That winning mentality that was there in the Schumacher era and which pushed you to do better after every victory.”
25/09/2022 at 16:59
Andrew Lewin

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says that the team is still missing a vital 'X Factor' that is stopping it from fully competing for the world championship against the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes. Asked to say exactly what Ferrari was lacking, Binotto told the Italian edition of Motorsport.com: “That winning mentality that was there in the Schumacher era and which pushed you to do better after every victory.”

Binotto joined Ferrari's engine department 27 years ago just before Michael Schumacher moved across from Benetton. The partnership went on to yield five of Schumacher's seven titles. Of course it was more than just Schumacher, but he was at the core of a iconic management line-up that included Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and car designer Rory Byrne.

Binotto himself was trackside when Schumacher recorded his maiden win for the Scuderia in the 1996 Spanish Grand Prix. “It was also my first win," he said. "When I heard the anthem I realised what it means to be Ferrari," he continued. "Then we started winning championships in 1999 and 2000."

‘'Schumacher mentality' missing’;

https://f1i.com/news/454976-binotto-says-ferrari-still-missing-schumacher-mentality.html


‘Honestly’: Mattia Binotto hits out at baseless Ferrari rumour.
Ferrari team principal, Mattia Binotto, has rubbished suggestions that his team suffered as a result of the rule changes midway through the 2022 season.
26 September 2022
by James Clifford

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have fallen out of title contention this year. The Milton Keynes-based team’s increase in pace compared to Ferrari has been linked with the floor changes, but Binotto insists this is not the case.

“No, it has nothing to do [with it], honestly,” he said, quoted by GPFans. “I know there have been a lot of rumours on that but that is not the point. As I said in Hungary, we are not quick enough and maybe we need to simply review the packages we introduced or the way we are balancing our car. The potential of the car could be higher.”

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have taken four wins between them this year, the last of which arriving through the Monegasque in Austria.

‘Baseless Ferrari rumour’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/honestly-mattia-binotto-hits-out-at-baseless-ferrari-rumour/


‘Mattia Binotto catching the bullets’: Ex-Ferrari chairman calls for change in Maranello
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto is coming under increasing pressure following the team's 2022 disappointment.
19 September 2022
by Nick Golding

Ferrari’s somewhat disappointing 2022 season isn’t entirely team principal Mattia Binotto’s fault according to former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who puts the blame on current chairman John Elkann.

The Italian’s will come to regret the current season, after arguably throwing away both championships to Red Bull. Ferrari built a magnificent car for the brand-new regulations, which has proved time and time again this season to be breathtakingly fast; however, it’s also proven to be incredibly unreliable.

The Scuderia seemingly went for performance over reliability when designing this season’s power unit, which has blown up on several occasions, costing Charles Leclerc victory twice this season.

‘Catching the bullets’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-catching-the-bullets-ex-ferrari-chairman-calls-for-change-in-maranello/


Elkann misspoke over number 1 policy says Binotto
SEPTEMBER 27, 2022
GrandPrix.com

Ferrari does not have a 'number 1' driver policy, Mattia Binotto insists. The issue returned to the headlines recently when the Maranello marque's John Elkann said at Monza that Ferrari is aiming to win the title by 2026 "with Charles Leclerc in pole position".

But team boss Binotto insists that doesn't mean Carlos Sainz is the team's number 2. "I think what our chairman meant is that if we look at the current season, Charles has been faster than Carlos on average and he's also been on pole more often," he told Sky Italia.

Once a campaign is well underway, however, Binotto said Ferrari may ultimately issue team orders in order to push for the drivers' crown. "Should the need arise, we could at some point determine who has the better chance of winning," he admitted.

‘Misspoken Number 1 Policy’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/elkann-misspoke-over-number-1-policy-says-binotto.html


Ex-FIA president responds to report he’ll replace Mattia Binotto at Ferrari
Ferrari's title push has fallen at the wayside this year, and Mattia Binotto's job is believed to be under threat.
27 September 2022
by James Clifford

Former Ferrari boss, Jean Todt, has laughed off rumours linking him with a return to the Scuderia. Suggestions around Binotto’s future have been rife, and that naturally leads to speculation about who his replacement would be.

Todt waved away links between him and the Maranello-based team, and joked about previous whispers about him following in the footsteps of former Ferrari team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, by joining Juventus.

“I would doubt that is real news, there is a lot of news underneath it that is not true,” he said, as per thejudge13.com. “I had breakfast in Turin with Andrea Agnelli, many saw me and thought that I would also work with Juventus!”

“It is obvious that when I was president of the FIA I was often with John Elkann, and we talked about Ferrari’s ambitions. But there is a difference between talking, sharing hope and working together, I think that chapters are designed to pass from one to the next.”

‘Ex-FIA President, Jean Todt, has laughed off rumours’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/ex-fia-president-responds-to-report-hell-replace-mattia-binotto-at-ferrari/


Can Ferrari’s reported upgrade delay the inevitable in Singapore?
Wednesday 28th September 2022 11:30 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Max Verstappen and Red Bull are surely destined for title glory, but could a Ferrari upgrade delay celebrations for another round at least? Although not mathematically the case, effectively Ferrari’s title hopes are over for 2022, the Scuderia going into the Singapore Grand Prix, the first since 2019, 139 points behind Red Bull in the Constructors’ standings.

Meanwhile, in the Drivers’ Championship, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc may be P2 in the standings, but a gap of 116 points at this stage is pretty much insurmountable with six rounds to go. Verstappen is looking to see out the season in style, on a run of five successive wins having galloped clear of the chasing pack, but Ferrari are apparently not yet ready to wave the white flag and put everything into their 2023 challenger.

Instead, Motorsport.com’s Italian branch has reported that Ferrari will bring upgrades to Singapore, rejuvenated by their showing at Monza on home turf, with another planned before the season is out. So, will this be enough to keep the title fight technically alive? Upgrades or no upgrades, Ferrari at the very least would expect to be the third-fastest team behind Red Bull and Mercedes, which would be enough to keep Leclerc in contention, but as Ferrari have demonstrated a fair few times this season, a costly error or reliability disaster can come into the equation.

‘Can Ferrari’s reported upgrade delay the inevitable in Singapore’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrari-singapore-upgrade-red-bull-delay/


Jean Todt reminds Ferrari: ‘To win, you need excellence at all levels’
Tuesday 27th September 2022 2:00 PM
Jon Wilde

Between 1999 and 2004, in the middle of Todt’s 14-year spell at the Ferrari helm, the Italian giants were a well-oiled machine of metronomic success that brought six straight Constructors’ titles and five Drivers’ crowns in a row for Michael Schumacher. “Every era is different, I don’t want to give advice. It’s easy to give advice,” said Todt, quoted by Gazzetta dello Sport, speaking at the Festival of Sport in Trento, northern Italy.

“The only one I can give him (Binotto) is to hang in there. And Ferrari are doing very well. It seems to me people don’t fully realise that. “Ferrari are back to winning. I think everyone – well, almost everyone – would like to see Ferrari win championships, not just a few races. We can wish that for next year, because this year I don’t think it’s possible anymore. But to win, you need excellence at all levels. It is difficult to achieve it and even more difficult to maintain it.”

“It starts with excellence in the details. From whoever answers the phone in the company. If in a company they don’t answer the phone after 10 rings, that is not a good company. You cannot make two mistakes the same – if it happens, it means there is something to change.”

‘To win, you need excellence at all levels’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jean-todt-ferrari-excellence-needed/

[davidloeil]

Mercedes and Ferrari are so great this year (and not only)

[Fortitude]

Wolff: "Awesome" if Mercedes can win "on merit" in 2022.
Faced with the prospect of a first winless season in F1 since 2011, and potentially Hamilton going winless for the first season in his entire career, Wolff believes a win is still possible "on merit."
‎27‎ ‎September‎ ‎08‎:‎10
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Despite not being in contention for either championship, Wolff still believes the potential of the W13 is enough to secure a win. "I think it would have be awesome if we could win a race on merit, without any grid penalties," Wolff explained to media including RacingNews365.com.

"If you had asked after Spa, I would have said it was nearly impossible, but we nearly won in Zandvoort, but in Monza it was not so good. "It must be the target - we don't want to have a season with no race wins. Even if the sails are set for 2023, it would quite a nice thing in a difficult season for all our people."

Wolff did err on the side of caution when playing up their chances. "I think the track layout should suit our car, the bumps not," he explained. "The simulations say it should be one of our better tracks, but I'm trying to stay on the careful side with any predictions for Singapore."

‘Err on the side of caution when playing up their chances. "I think the track layout should suit our car, the bumps not,"’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-awesome-if-mercedes-can-win-on-merit-in-2022


Not Singapore: George Russell disagrees with Toto Wolff, says this track will suit Mercedes
George Russell is targeting his first-ever victory in Formula 1 and Mercedes' first of the season.
26 September 2022
by Nick Golding

George Russell has tipped the upcoming United States Grand Prix as a potentially strong weekend for the W13, as the British driver sets his sights on achieving his first ever Formula 1 victory in one of the remaining six races of the season.

The former Williams driver has performed excellently since joining Mercedes this season, and the Brit looks staggeringly on track to beat team-mate Sir Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship.

Russell is currently fourth in the standings and is incredibly in the fight for second, whilst Hamilton occupies sixth place, 35 points behind his 24-year-old team-mate. The formerly dubbed Mr Saturday has maximised the woeful W13’s potential this season, in a year that the Germans simply want to end.

‘Targeting first-ever victory in Formula 1’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/not-singapore-george-russell-disagrees-with-toto-wolff-says-this-circuit-will-suit-mercedes/


Next two months of development “crucial” for Mercedes’ 2023 chances – Wolff
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 19th September 2022, 0:0118th September 2022, 21:39
Written by Will Wood

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says that the next two months of development work on their 2023 car are “crucial” to their hopes of being race winning and championship contenders for next season. With Mercedes’ W13 often performing differently on track to how the team’s simulations predicted, Wolff says that the coming weeks are critical to their work on making sure their 2023 car performs more predictably.

“We lacked the tools, the simulations and the understanding of uncovering the problem that we would create with the way the car was developed,” said Wolff. “That we couldn’t run it where we wanted to run it. Aerodynamically and mechanically, it was never in the sweet spot. It took us months to undo some of the steps we’ve done.

“It’s not like that I believe we’ve discovered the Holy Grail and we understand everything and it’s going to be a blast next year. This is now a crucial period. Literally over the next one-to-two months we need, with a certain degree of precision, to understand what needs to be done for next year.”

‘W13 often performing differently on track to how the team’s simulations predicted’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/19/racefans-round-up-19-09-5/


George Russell fires firm warning to Lewis Hamilton as he explains win-win position
George Russell has starred at Mercedes since switching from Williams.
15:01, Thu, Sep 29, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

In a subtle threat to Hamilton, Russell stressed he wants to be a world champion and had pledged to “make it happen”. Speaking to i, Russell said: “I am going up against the greatest driver of all time, I have nothing to lose.”

“He has won everything, the stats speak for themselves, so why should a young 24-year-old be able to compete with that? If you have that mindset, I am in a win-win position. I want to be world champion, but saying it, dreaming about it, is one thing – you have got to make it happen.”

“Short term I am working as hard as I can on myself to improve the overall package and performance. Then there is no reason why I can’t achieve my long-term goal.” Russell has given Hamilton a run for his money in 2022 with a string of solid performances to elevate him up the table. The ex-Williams star lies 35 points ahead of Hamilton in the championship due to his incredible consistency.

‘Wants to be a world champion and had pledged to “make it happen”.’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1675983/george-russell-lewis-hamilton-mercedes-news-latest


George Russell interview: ‘There’s no reason why I can’t become F1 world champion’
September 29, 2022 9:34 am(Updated 12:02 pm)
By Pete Hall

This is not how George Russell’s season was supposed to go. The 24-year-old sits fourth in the drivers’ standings, 35 points ahead of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, in his first season at Mercedes having remarkably finished in the top five for all but one of the 16 races this campaign. Talk about dealing with the pressure.

But that is one of the reasons this season has gone so well – for Russell, the pressure is off. “I am going up against the greatest driver of all time, I have nothing to lose,” Russell tells i. He has won everything, the stats speak for themselves, so why should a young 24-year-old be able to compete with that?”

“If you have that mindset, I am in a win-win position. I want to be world champion, but saying it, dreaming about it, is one thing – you have got to make it happen. Short term I am working as hard as I can on myself to improve the overall package and performance. Then there is no reason why I can’t achieve my long-term goal.”

‘The pressure is off’;

https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-one/george-russell-interview-mercedes-fight-goat-lewis-hamilton-1882099?ITO=newsnow

[Fortitude]

Five key storylines to emerge from the Singapore GP press conference.
‘feels for the fans’, ‘fighting as fit’, ‘future is still undecided’, ‘just want smooth sailing’, ‘thrilled to see the Singapore GP return’
Thursday 29th September 2022 8:08 PM
Henry Valantine

Formula 1’s original night race is back after a pandemic-induced absence, and the drivers are seemingly universally looking forward to taking on the Marina Bay Street Circuit again.

The heat, humidity, chance of rain and physicality of the circuit under the Singapore lights make it a true test of driver skill, and they cannot wait to get going this weekend.

Lando Norris said: “I’m very excited. For me, one of the coolest tracks on the calendar. At the same time, one of the most difficult to put together, so rewarding I think come qualifying, especially.

‘Singapore GP press conference’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/five-key-storylines-singapore-gp-press-conference/


Singapore GP: FIA Drivers Press Conference
29/09/2022
NEWS STORY

Please, can we start with Alex? First up, great to see you back. How are you feeling?
Alex Albon: Good, thank you. Yeah, it feels good to be back. Yeah, I came here, obviously. I feel ready. I feel as fit as I can be. And we had a good week of training, or two weeks almost, to get back to where we are today. So, you know, we'll see how it goes. Obviously, we are realistic. And we know that we're coming to the most difficult race of the year, so we do have to be mindful of that. But I feel good. I've been karting. It's felt okay, so, yeah...

Q: Lando, let's come to you. You've been here for a few days already. How's the acclimatisation to the heat going?
Lando Norris: Yeah, well, I think. I've not done too much, just exploring little bits here and there. Yeah, that's it, not too much else. So just having a little look around going to some different restaurants and nice places for dinner and lunch and everything but that's all.

Q: And Mick back to you. You've never raced here before. Just tell us about the challenge ahead? What are you expecting?
MS: Yeah, I mean, I can only refer to what everybody else is saying, as I've never raced here myself. So I guess that the humidity is one of the points that probably everybody talks about, but also the track itself as you know. I've done a few simulator sessions on this track and watched a load of videos on this place, but really excited to go out there and make my own kind of experiences of this place.

‘FIA Drivers Press Conference’;

https://www.pitpass.com/73703/Singapore-GP-FIA-Drivers-Press-Conference


Max Verstappen feels like there’s “no rush” to claim second crown
September 29, 2022
By Nick Golding

Max Verstappen has admitted to feeling like there is “no rush” to claim his second Drivers’ Championship, despite the Dutchman having his first chance to do so this weekend at the returning Singapore Grand Prix. Verstappen is aware that he needs to be “ready for anything”, with the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver preparing to take it “race by race”.

“We haven’t been to Singapore for a while so it will be interesting to see how the track has evolved. It’s definitely one of the best races of the year and it’s a beautiful place to be. It’s important to have a good qualifying lap here so we’ll be focussing on that. During the race we just have to be ready for anything as there’s usually a lot of safety cars.

“In general, it’s a challenging circuit, the humidity is tough on the body and it’s very difficult to do a perfect lap because of tight turns and how close the walls are. I don’t really think about the Championship, I just want to have a positive weekend on track and take it race by race, there’s no rush.”

‘No rush to claim second crown’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/09/max-verstappen-feels-like-theres-no-rush-to-claim-second-crown/


Fernando Alonso wishes Max Verstappen 'luck' as Dutchman looks to avoid copying Spaniard
Max Verstappen is closing in on a second world drivers' championship.
22:50, Thu, Sep 29, 2022
By Sam Smith

The Alpine star believes that Verstappen will be an all-time great in Formula One and deserves to win the championship this season. He has backed the 25-year-old to get even better.

“I think so, yes. He’s 24 or 25, no? So there’s still a lot in front of him, but I wish him more luck than me because I was also 26 with those stats and still have the same stats at 40! But I’m sure with Red Bull and how things look for the future, he will only get better,” Alonso told journalists.

“It’s very well deserved. They were the best team and the best driver by far, so when they win it I don’t think it is an important thing, it’s just that they will. Whether it’s here or Japan, let’s see.”

‘Alonso wishes Max Verstappen luck';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1676200/Fernando-Alonso-Max-Verstappen-Singapore-GP-Formula-One-news


Albon feels 'as fit as I can be' for grueling Singapore GP
29/09/2022 at 13:51
Michael Delaney

Alex Albon says he feels "ready" and as fit as he can be for his return to racing at this weekend's grueling Singapore Grand Prix. The Williams driver will be back in the saddle after missing the Italian Grand Prix due to an acute case of appendicitis that sidelined him from Saturday morning at Monza.

"I feel ready. I feel as fit as I can be - no pain," he said on Thursday in Marina Bay. We had a good week of training or two weeks almost to get back to where we are today. We're realistic and we know that we're coming to the most difficult race of the year.”

"We do have to be mindful of that. But I feel good. I've been karting and it's felt OK. I don't think we truthfully had in mind Singapore on the cards," he said. "But just with the way that the speed of recovery, it was definitely a possible thing."

'As fit as I can be';

https://f1i.com/news/455131-albon-feels-as-fit-as-i-can-be-for-grueling-singapore-gp.html


Perez warns plan to lower tyre blanket temperatures will ‘put drivers at risk’
2022 Singapore Grand Prix
Posted on 29th September 2022, 17:1829th September 2022, 17:25
Written by Ida Wood

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is concerned the FIA’s plans to further reduce maximum tyre blanket temperatures in Formula 1 next year could compromise safety. A reduction in temperatures for the heated blankets, which wrap around Formula 1 car tyres while they are sat on the grid pre-race and are also used to warm up tyres prior to pit stops, was introduced this year. The previous upper limits of 100C for front tyres and 80C for rears was lowered to 70C for both this season.

For 2023, another decrease will be written into the regulations, reducing the blankets to 50C. Safety concerns over F1 cars running on cooler tyres has stopped previous attempts to outlaw blankets entirely, but F1 is aiming to do this by 2024. However Perez says it has been more difficult to generate heat in tyres since the temperature limits were lowered this year.

However Perez says it has been more difficult to generate heat in tyres since the temperature limits were lowered this year. “I think for me, the only concern is the warm-up,” said Perez when asked about the difficulty of getting Pirelli’s 2022 tyres into the right operating window for on-the-limit qualifying laps.”

‘Lower tyre blanket temperatures will put drivers at risk’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/29/perez-warns-plan-to-lower-tyre-blanket-temperatures-will-put-drivers-at-risk/


Rain expected during Singapore GP weekend, but F1’s sessions may avoid it
2022 Singapore Grand Prix weather
Posted on 29th September 2022, 11:0029th September 2022, 12:59
Written by Ida Wood

It is almost certain that there will be rain over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, but Formula 1’s competitive sessions may avoid it. Friday afternoon has a 50% chance of thundery showers, with the first practice session beginning at 6pm once the rainy weather is set to clear. However there’s still a 40% estimation that rain could return by then, with air temperature expected to be 29C. Three hours later, the cars take to the track again for second practice, and with only a slight temperature dip to 28C. Rain is still possible, but looks unlikely for the first bit of on-track action under the spotlights.

The weather is set to follow a similar pattern for Saturday, with temperatures being the same as the day before and with rain at its most likely in the early afternoon and therefore long before F1 hits the track for third practice session at 6pm. Any standing water could also be cleared by the two support series running beforehand.

But the forecasts indicate the race will start on a wet track, as was the case for the 2017 edition of the grand prix. From 6am to 7pm there is a consistent expectation of rain, although it dips to a 45% chance of precipitation at 8pm when the race begins.

‘Rain expected during Singapore GP weekend’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/29/rain-expected-during-singapore-gp-weekend-but-f1s-sessions-may-avoid-it/

[Fortitude]

Hamilton on top during opening Singapore GP session.
Hamilton’s lap of 1:43.033s left him 0.084s faster than runaway title leader Max Verstappen.
30th Sept. 2022, 12:13
by Phillip Horton.
Motorsport Week.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time during opening practice for Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix. Singapore did not feature on the calendar in 2020 or 2021 owing to Covid-19 entry restrictions but secured a fresh deal through 2028 during its hiatus.

Formula 1 cars returned to the streets of Marina Bay on Friday evening, with the circuit unchanged since its last appearance in 2019, and seven-time champion Hamilton clocked the quickest time. Hamilton’s lap of 1:43.033s left him 0.084s faster than runaway title leader Max Verstappen. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc recovered from an early brake issue to set the third-best time.

Sergio Perez was fourth for Red Bull, with George Russell fifth for Mercedes, having slid wide at Turn 11 during the early stages of the session and made light contact with the barriers.

‘Hamilton on top’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/09/30/hamilton-on-top-during-opening-singapore-gp-session/


F1 2022 Singapore Grand Prix - Free Practice Results (1)
30 Sep 2022
Connor McDonagh

2022 F1 Singapore Grand Prix - FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1)

Pos Driver Nat. Team Time
1 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m43.033s
2 Max Verstappen NED Oracle Red Bull Racing 1m43.117s
3 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari 1m43.435s
4 Sergio Perez MEX Oracle Red Bull Racing 1m43.839s
5 George Russell GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m44.066s
6 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari 1m44.138s
7 Esteban Ocon FRA BWT Alpine F1 Team 1m44.736s
8 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team 1m45.221s
9 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri 1m45.258s
10 Fernando Alonso ESP BWT Alpine F1 Team 1m45.336s

‘Results from the first practice session at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix, Round 17 of the 2022 F1 world championship’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/results/1013176/1/f1-2022-singapore-grand-prix-free-practice-results-1


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from first practice for the Singapore Grand Prix
30 September 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

The F1 circus is back at the Marina Bay circuit for the first time since 2019. The drivers are hyped to be here, the fans are out in force - and the excitement levels are already building ahead of the first Friday practice session.

‘As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-first-practice-in-singapore-2022.6QJ9TlBvzU8zjopKArDMn1.html


Formula 1 teams’ Singapore Grand Prix upgrades revealed
30/09/2022, 09:55
By Mark Hughes
The Race

The full list of upgrades Formula 1 teams are bringing to the Singapore Grand Prix is out. Mark Hughes summarises what’s new at Marina Bay, including changes at Red Bull and big pushes from the teams fighting for fourth in F1’s constructors’ championship. Red Bull: A subtle reprofiling of the floor fences is all that Red Bull is reporting.

McLaren: Although the reprofiled radiator inlets are the most visually obvious of the changes McLaren has brought here, they also include accompanying changes to the fences and forward floor body. Alpine: Alpine has brought a very significantly different new floor, the effectiveness of which the team is very bullish about.

AlphaTauri: A new front wing is quite rare occurrence in the cost-controlled era but that’s what AlphaTauri has brought, to increase load on the inboard part and changes to the outboard part to improve wheel wake control. Aston Martin: Aston Martin has introduced different detail to its floor edge for more effective vortex generation. Williams: Williams has changed the material of the rear brake duct for better reliability. Mercedes, Ferrari, Haas: No updates reported.

‘Upgrades revealed’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/formula-1-teams-singapore-grand-prix-upgrades-revealed/


McLaren snub at Singapore Grand Prix slaps Daniel Ricciardo in the face
September 30th, 2022 7:57 pm
Matthew Sullivan from News.com.au

Daniel Ricciardo has dismissed suggestions McLaren is treating him as its No. 2 driver after the team revealed he would not get the same engine upgrade as Lando Norris at the Singapore Grand Prix. This weekend Norris will be the sole recipient of McLaren’s upgrade package, which includes a new floor and sidepods.

But Ricciardo won’t get the upgrades until the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka the following weekend. The Australian was relatively unphased by the snub, suggesting the upgrades were designed with on eye to the 2023 season.

“Lando has got it,” he said ahead of the first Singapore Grand Prix since 2019. “Just with time and whatever, resources – ultimately it’s both – we’ll both have it in Japan, but this weekend it’s just him.”

‘Daniel Ricciardo slapped in the face’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/mclaren-snub-at-singapore-grand-prix-slaps-daniel-ricciardo-in-the-face/news-story/eb585bb9e7731cc52bcdeacf02153d59

[Fortitude]

Sainz heads Ferrari one-two in second Singapore practice.
Sainz’s best time of a 1’42.587 was two tenths of a second quicker than his team mate, with George Russell a further tenth behind, just ahead of Max Verstappen.
2022 Singapore Grand Prix second practice
Posted on 30th September 2022, 15:3330th September 2022, 15:33
Written by Will Wood

The two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jnr and Charles Leclerc were fastest in the second Friday practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix. Sainz’s best time of a 1’42.587 was two tenths of a second quicker than his team mate, with George Russell a further tenth behind, just ahead of Max Verstappen.

Despite the sun having set between the end of first practice and the start of the second session, the temperatures had hardly changed by the time the second hour of practice got underway around the Marina Bay street circuit. Despite the sun having set between the end of first practice and the start of the second session, the temperatures had hardly changed by the time the second hour of practice got underway around the Marina Bay street circuit.

After being quickest in the opening session, Lewis Hamilton set the early benchmark of a 1’44.091 on medium tyres, half a second ahead of Fernando Alonso and George Russell in the other Mercedes. Russell, who gently nudged the barrier at turn 12 in the opening practice session, almost committed the same mistake in the early minutes, but managed to avoid contact with the wall.

‘Sainz heads Ferrari one-two’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/09/30/sainz-heads-ferrari-one-two-in-second-singapore-practice/


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Singapore Grand Prix
30th Sept. 2022, 15:22
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -1:42.587
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.208
3. George Russell Mercedes +0.324
4. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.339
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.595
6. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.825
7. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.844
8. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.933
9. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.319
10. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.395

‘Singapore Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second-practice-results-2022-singapore-grand-prix-80117


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from second practice for the Singapore Grand Prix
30 September 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

Hello and welcome back to Singapore...
The sun has set, the lights are on and the track is looking spectacular ahead of the second practice session and the only one that's fully representative of the conditions the drivers will qualify and race in.

‘AS IT HAPPENED;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-second-practice-in-singapore-2022.M0a8GXTAXXkiqpmY1nift.html


Max Verstappen: Lost time for 'changes' means Singapore GP practice times 'not representative'
30 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

Max Verstappen says that "we couldn't really run a lot" during Friday's practice sessions for the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix due to changes Red Bull made to the Dutchman's car, meaning that his lap times were "not really representative."

‘Lost time for changes’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.max-verstappen-lost-time-for-changes-means-singapore-gp-practice-times-not-representative.1745404654769760802.html


2022 Singapore GP FP2: Russell slides towards the wall again at Turn 11
30 Sep 2022
Formula 1.

George Russell slides towards the wall at Turn 11 of the Marina Bay Street Circuit during second practice at the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, in a carbon copy of his bump into the barriers during first practice.

‘Sliding towards the wall!’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2022-singapore-gp-fp2-russell-slides-towards-the-wall-again-at-turn-11.1745401851991232032.html


Pierre Gasly forced to bail as car suddenly catches fire in scary scenes at Singapore GP
Pierre Gasly suffered the issue in the closing stages of FP2 for the Singapore Grand Prix
14:54, Fri, Sep 30, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Pierre Gasly’s car burst into flames while the Frenchman was still in it in a scary moment at the Singapore Grand Prix. The Alpha Tauri’s cockpit caught fire moments after Gasly returned to the pits towards the end of second practice.

The fire appeared to come from the top of the roll hoop as mechanics tried to push the car back into the pit garage. Gasly quickly jumped out of the car as mechanics put out the blaze with an extinguisher. However, the incident did not rule Gasly out of the session as he returned to the track moments later. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Ted Kravitz said: “Everything’s been sorted out. There’s been a bit of tape that’s been out over the fire-damaged engine cover.

“The team are telling me the fire started when the fuel breather was connected to the car but it was put out quickly and then he’s going back out on the circuit. I haven’t heard that before. I’ve had a fuel breather put in the wrong way and supercharged the air in the system.

‘Forced to bail as car suddenly catches fire’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1676530/pierre-gasly-alpha-tauri-fire-singapore-grand-prix


HOW MAX VERSTAPPEN COULD CLINCH THE F1 CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE SINGAPORE GP
September 30, 2022, ‎9‎:‎19‎ ‎AM
Jonathan Brazeau

Max Verstappen has the opportunity to wrap up his Formula One title defence as early as Sunday at the Singapore Grand Prix. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Verstappen's Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez, Mercedes' George Russell and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz are the only other drivers remaining in the title hunt — mathematically at least.

Verstappen (335 points) holds a seemingly insurmountable 116-point lead over Leclerc (219), while Perez (210) is an additional nine points back and Russell (203) lags behind by seven more. Sainz (187) is only still in the picture until Sunday if we're being honest.

What are the scenarios? First off, Verstappen must win the Singapore GP. The Dutch driver needs to outscore Leclerc by 22 points, Perez by 13 and Russell by six. Even finishing second and earning the fastest lap bonus would only net Verstappen a total of 19 points and keep Leclerc hanging on by a thread for at least another week.

‘Further analysis’;

https://www.sportsnet.ca/auto-racing/article/how-max-verstappen-could-clinch-the-f1-championship-at-the-singapore-gp/

[Fortitude]

F1 mechanic looks terrified as AlphaTauri catches fire in Singapore GP pitlane.
AlphaTauri mechanics initially looked shocked but reacted quickly, using fire extinguishers to put out the blaze while Gasly swiftly jumped out of the vehicle.
19:26, 30 SEP 2022
BY Mark Whiley

There was a dramatic interruption to Pierre Gasly’s second practice session at the Marina Bay street circuit but remarkably he was back out on the track in a matter of minutes

There was a moment of terror during the second practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix as Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri suddenly ignited while stationary in the pit lane.

The Frenchman had just finished a run and was still sitting in the car as it was being wheeled back into the garage when an area around the airbox, just above the driver’s helmet, burst into flames.

‘F1 mechanic looks terrified’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/alphatauri-gasly-singapore-f1-28126468


Pierre Gasly had ‘barbeque feeling’ in fiery AlphaTauri at Singapore GP.
Friday 30th September 2022 9:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Despite his AlphaTauri doubling up as a barbeque in Singapore practice, Pierre Gasly said it is not something to worry about. There were shocked looks on the face of the AlphaTauri mechanics as a fire broke out on Gasly’s AT03 while they were pushing him back into the garage.

It was revealed by the team that a connected fuel breather was to blame, this backed up by Gasly as he described the incident to reporters at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. It wasn’t ideal, got slightly hot when we connected the fuel breather, caught fire, but we could switch it off and restart again,” said Gasly.

“So yeah, just a bit of barbecue feeling, but it was nothing too bad in the end.” Asked if this is a concern going into Saturday, Gasly replied: “No, it’s just a procedure and just in these conditions because it’s so warm, but nothing worrying or concerning for the rest of the weekend.”

‘Barbeque Feeling’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre-gasly-alphatauri-singapore-fire/


Singapore GP: Friday's action in pictures
30/09/2022 at 16:15
Michael Delaney

F1 teams completed their first day of running at Marina where Ferrari sole Mercedes thunder in FP2 and where Max Verstappen enjoyed a low-key start.

Check out our recap in pictures of the day 1 at the Singapore GP, round 17 of the 2022 F1 World Championship.

‘Action Pictures’;

https://f1i.com/news/455312-singapore-gp-fridayss-action-in-pictures.html


F1 Singapore GP: Are Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in the fight for pole?
30 Sep 2022
Connor McDonagh

Mercedes enjoyed one of their strongest Friday showings as Lewis Hamilton set the pace for the first time in a practice session in 2022. Are they really in the fight for pole position? It’s crazy to think that FP1 for the F1 Singapore Grand Prix was the first time Lewis Hamilton had topped the timesheets in any practice, qualifying or race session this year.

Mercedes appear to be in the groove at the Marina Bay Street Circuit despite it being traditionally a tricky one in the hybrid era. While on the surface, second practice didn’t have the eye-catching times of the first session, Hamilton and George Russell’s qualifying simulations were disrupted by traffic and yellow flags.

Despite Mercedes’ strong start to the weekend, team boss Toto Wolff is remaining cautious, particularly as Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen didn’t manage representative runs on either low or high fuel. “I think Red Bull was in a bit of a mess. I don’t know what they’ve done setup wise or something else,” Wolff said after FP2. “I think yeah, we can be in the fight. Our long run was very competitive versus the Sainz long run, but again we haven’t seen Leclerc or Max.”

‘I think yeah, we can be in the fight’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1013239/1/are-mercedes-fight-pole-singapore-gp


Alex Albon ‘coping better than expected’ in Singapore upon return after health scare
Friday 30th September 2022 10:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Alex Albon caught many by surprise when he returned for the Singapore GP, but Friday practice thankfully did not flag up any issues. Albon was ruled out for the remainder of the Italian Grand Prix prior to FP3, the Thai driver suffering with appendicitis.

Asked by reporters how he was feeling physically, Albon replied “Okay. I’d leave it at okay! We knew it was going to be difficult, but I feel like I’m coping better than I expected. “We’ve had a good amount of long runs. It’s still a quarter of what we’d be doing come race day on Sunday, but I’ve still got a day to rest tomorrow and of course, just it being one race and one block of driving, it should hopefully be not too bad.”

“It feels okay when I’m in the car, generally speaking. It’s more just the heat! When you get out, you can feel that it’s obviously physical. But I feel like there’s no big issues so I’m feeling pretty good.” As for the performance side, Albon feels there is still more to come from himself in terms of finding the limits in his Williams FW44, though he would see escaping the first part of qualifying as a success.

‘Coping better than expected’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alex-albon-health-singapore-practice/


Daniel Ricciardo insists he’s not being ‘overconfident’ as two 2023 options emerge
Daniel Ricciardo is searching for a 2023 seat and has been linked to Haas and Williams.
1 October 2022
by Nick Golding

Daniel Ricciardo has returned to his hilarious prankster-self ahead of this weekend’s returning Singapore Grand Prix, after revealing that having some time with his family prior to the race helped him “feel like a kid again”.

The Aussie who is still searching for a 2023 seat following his incoming McLaren departure, has recently told reporters that he’d “accepted” the prospect of sitting on the side-lines for a season potentially as a reserve driver; however, a recent interview has given the impression that the 33-year-old might know something the world doesn’t.

Ricciardo is known to have held discussions about a potential move to Haas for next year, but Guenther Steiner informed the media that they wouldn’t pursue the eight-time GP winner until he decides if he wants to race next season.

‘Two 2023 options emerge’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/daniel-ricciardo-insists-hes-not-being-overconfident-as-two-2023-options-emerge/


Singapore Grand Prix chiefs defied F1's ban to bring back gorgeous grid girls.
Formula One owners Liberty Media controversially banned grid girls from race weekends back in 2018 but they still appeared at the Singapore Grand Prix later that same year.
20:26, 30 SEP 2022
BY Ciaran Wiseman

Singapore Grand Prix chiefs once defied Formula One's ban on grid girls by bringing them back to the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Back in 2018, F1 owners Liberty Media banned grid girls at the start of the season as they believed that having them appear at race weekends was not beneficial to the sport's modern image. However, they still appeared in Singapore come September, donning their iconic sarong kebayas as they lined the track ahead of the race.

A spokesperson for the race's title sponsors, Singapore Airlines, explained at the time, via TNP: "Our cabin crew are brand ambassadors for Singapore Airlines and will continue to play an integral role in the F1 2018 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix."

‘Gorgeous Grid Girls’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/singapore-grand-prix-grid-girls-28126786

[Fortitude]

Leclerc fastest in rain-shortened Singapore Grand Prix final practice.
Charles Leclerc set the quickest time in a rain-shortened third and final Formula 1 practice at the Singapore Grand Prix.
01/10/2022, ‎12‎:‎00

Charles Leclerc set the quickest time in a rain-shortened third and final Formula 1 practice at the Singapore Grand Prix. Torrential rain at Marina Bay led to W Series qualifying being abandoned, with FP3 going green at the scheduled start time of 18:00pm local but the cars were not allowed out due to the conditions.

The session eventually got underway 30 minutes in, with Pierre Gasly the first to venture out on the full Wet tyres. The field switched to intermediates, with Leclerc and Max Verstappen trading fastest laps throughout the session.

A 1m:57.782s from the Ferrari driver was enough to claim top spot, with Verstappen's best effort a 1m:58.308s. Carlos Sainz Jr, Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez rounded out the top five ahead of qualifying.

‘Leclerc fastest’;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-fastest-rain-shortened-singapore-grand-prix-final-practice


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2022 Singapore Grand Prix
01/10/2022, 12:16
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:57.782
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.526
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +1.066
4. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.647
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.744
6. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +2.591
7. Esteban Ocon Alpine +3.129
8. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +3.225
9. George Russell Mercedes +3.228
10. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +3.254

‘Singapore Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from a damp final practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-practice-results-2022-singapore-grand-prix-80121


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from third practice for the Singapore Grand Prix
01 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

Alright, looking ahead then and qualifying gets under way at 21:00 local time, 13:00 UTC.

Leclerc stuck his Ferrari on pole here in 2019, and knows what it takes to extract a brilliant lap around the Marina Bay circuit. Vettel, Alonso and Hamilton also have poles from this track - Verstappen does not.

‘As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-third-practice-in-singapore-2022.6AJjeGa3BjFkO5zccd6yKW.html


Lewis Hamilton blasted by furious Yuki Tsunoda during Singapore Grand Prix practice
12:08, Sat, Oct 1, 2022
By Joe Krishnan

Lewis Hamilton was the subject of an angry radio message from AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda.

Lewis Hamilton was blasted by Yuki Tsunoda in a furious radio message during the Singapore Grand Prix free practice after angering the AlphaTauri driver. The Japanese was left fuming by the Mercedes star's behaviour on track after the Briton appeared to block him while on a hot lap in the final practice session on Saturday at the Marina Bay street circuit.

‘Lewis Hamilton blasted by furious Yuki Tsunoda’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1676880/Lewis-Hamilton-Mercedes-Yuki-Tsunoda-radio-Singapore-GP-F1-news


Red Bull demand rivals withdraw ‘fictitious, defamatory’ claims they broke cost cap
2022 Singapore Grand Prix
Posted on 1st October 2022, 10:26
Written by Keith Collantine

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has vehemently refuted suggestions his team exceeded Formula 1’s cost cap last year, and said the claims were timed to overshadow Max Verstappen’s likely championship win.

Reports emerged yesterday claiming the FIA has found two teams were not in compliance with the new financial regulations which were introduced last year, and Red Bull could be one of them.

Verstappen beat Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 drivers’ championship in a controversial finale last year. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said yesterday that if Red Bull over-spent in 2021, it could give them a development advantage this year and next.

‘Red Bull demand rivals withdraw ‘fictitious, defamatory’ claims’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/01/red-bull-demand-rivals-withdraw-fictitious-defamatory-claims-they-broke-cost-cap/

[Fortitude]

F1 2022 Singapore GP Qualifying Results.
Charles Leclerc qualified for the F1 2022 Singapore GP on pole position just ahead of Sergio Perez in the Red Bull.
October 1, 2022
By John Smith

Charles Leclerc pulled out a sensational lap at the end of the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix to take pole position in a thrilling end to the session at Marina Bay, just beating out Sergio Perez in the Red Bull.

The damp conditions in Singapore meant qualifying initially started on intermediate tyres, but as we moved into Q3 the Marina Bay surface started drying and we had a sensational final few minutes on slick tyres as the track evolved.

Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and finally Leclerc had their cars in top spot, with the Ferrari man eventually taking pole. Max Verstappen strangely aborted his penultimate flying lap, then on his last, he was ordered into the pits, which resulted in a tirade of abuse towards his Red Bull team.

‘Charles Leclerc on pole’

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-2022-singapore-gp-qualifying-results/


Qualifying Results – 2022 Singapore Grand Prix
Marina Bay, Singapore
01/10/2022, 14:28
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Q3
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:49.412
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.022
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.054
4. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.171
5. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.554
6. Lando Norris McLaren +1.172
7. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.799
8. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +1.983
9. Kevin Magnussen Haas +2.161
10. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +2.571

‘Singapore Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying-results-2022-singapore-grand-prix-80128


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix
01 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

First and foremost - the weather. If you weren't around for FP3, final practice was run in wet conditions on a mixture of the full wet and intermediate tyres. No signs of any slicks, no sign of a fully dry racing line.

While the radars showed the heaviest rain had passed and the session did dry up, there is still a chance of more rain today and even a possibility of a wet race tomorrow.

All of which has played havoc with the teams' chosen programmes and data gathering and leaves far more questions than answers heading into qualifying. It's dry as it stands - but will it stay that way?

‘As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-qualifying-in-singapore-2022.4jenY1raSmW8hRS3NnDq5v.html


Esteban Ocon's Alpine was 'pulling to the right' during Singapore GP qualifying
01 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Esteban Ocon reveals that Alpine "had some issues with the brakes on the last lap and the car pulling to the right" during qualifying for the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

‘Pulling to the right';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.esteban-ocons-alpine-was-pulling-to-the-right-during-singapore-gp-qualifying.1745493192192553588.html


Hamilton called to F1 stewards for potential jewelry breach
Published: 14:14, 1 October 2022
By Associated Press

SINGAPORE (AP) - Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton was summoned to appear before the stewards for a potential jewelry breach ahead of qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday.

‘Potential jewelry breach’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-11269835/Hamilton-called-F1-stewards-potential-jewelry-breach.html


Formula 1: Charles Leclerc facing elimination in Singapore
01/10/2022, 15:03
by Asher Fair
Beyond the Flag (Weblog)

Charles Leclerc can be mathematically eliminated from winning the 2022 Formula 1 world championship in the Singapore Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc may still be sitting in second place in the Formula 1 driver standings, which is where he has been for much of the time since losing the lead with his Spanish Grand Prix retirement back in May, but he could be eliminated with five races remaining on the 22-race 2022 schedule.

Leclerc is one of five drivers still in championship contention following the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, and he is one of four who could be eliminated in the season’s next race, the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay Street Circuit this Sunday, October 2.

Following his runner-up finish in the 53-lap race around the 11-turn, 3.6-mile (5.794-kilometer) road course in Monza, Italy, Leclerc trails points leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull by 116 points.

‘Charles Leclerc facing elimination in Singapore;

https://beyondtheflag.com/2022/10/01/formula-1-charles-leclerc-facing-elimination-singapore/


Formula 1: Sergio Perez facing elimination in Singapore
01/10/2022, 15:03
by Asher Fair
Beyond the Flag (Weblog)

Sergio Perez can be mathematically eliminated from winning the 2022 Formula 1 world championship in the Singapore Grand Prix.

Following the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, there are five drivers who still mathematically have a chance to win the 2022 Formula 1 world championship, and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who sits in third place in the driver standings through 16 of 22 races on the schedule, is one of them.

But after a sixth place finish in this 53-lap race around the 11-turn, 3.6-mile (5.794-kilometer) road course in Monza, Italy, Perez sits 125 points behind points leader and teammate Max Verstappen. As a result, Perez could be eliminated as early as the next race on the schedule, which is the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay Street Circuit this Sunday, October 2.

‘Sergio Perez facing elimination in Singapore’;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1/Grands+Prix/Singapore+GP

[Fortitude]

Verstappen fumes over Red Bull’s “really bad” fuel error which cost him shot at pole.
Max Verstappen says the fuel miscalculation by his Red Bull team that forced him to abandon an almost certain pole lap is “never acceptable”.
2022 Singapore Grand Prix
Posted on 1st October 2022, 16:11
Written by Will Wood

The world championship leader – who has a slim chance of clinching his second world title tomorrow – will start from eighth on the grid for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix. He looked on course to clinch pole position on his final lap of qualifying as he was almost a second faster than eventual pole winner Charles Leclerc through two sectors before his team told him to abandon his lap.

Verstappen was furious on the radio after being called into the pits, demanding an explanation for why he had to abandon his lap. He had also backed off from his penultimate lap in the final sector under instruction from his team. This was done in order to give himself more space on the track to Pierre Gasly ahead of him, and allow Verstappen to complete a final flying lap when the track conditions were at their best.

Asked by Sky whether he believed he would have been on pole position had he not abandoned his final lap, Verstappen said he “already felt [that] the lap before as well. Then they told me to abort,” Verstappen explained, “so I was like ‘okay, we’ll do that’. But then on the final lap they told me to box and then I realised what was going to happen – we ran out of fuel.”

‘Verstappen fumes fuel error’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/01/verstappen-fumes-over-red-bulls-really-bad-fuel-error-which-cost-him-shot-at-pole/


Horner explains Red Bull miscalculation and why Verstappen aborted final qualifying lap at Singapore GP
Max Verstappen was odds on to take 2022 Singapore GP pole position, but was ordered into the pits at the end of his final flying lap in Qualifying
October 1, 2022
By John Smith

A furious Max Verstappen had to abort his final run in qualifying for the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix, with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner explaining it was due to a fuel sample needing to be taken after the session. Verstappen was 0.9s up on Charles Leclerc’s eventual pole position time, but was ordered into the pits by Red Bull, as he would now have had one litre of fuel remain if he had completing his final run. “I think it was a miscalculation on our side,” Horner told Viaplay.

“I think we fuel the car for five laps and because the track was ramping up so quick we got an extra lap so he [Verstappen] was perfectly placed. “But obviously it’s critical to give the fuel sample, so the hardest call in the world when you’re two and a half seconds up on his lap time. I think we just made it harder for ourselves by qualifying in P8.

“Obviously if you don’t give the [fuel] sample you’re starting from the pit lane. So frustrating but great pace in the car and phenomenal performance by Checo [Perez]. Just to miss out by two hundreds was really tight for him.” If Verstappen was unable to provide the FIA with the required sample of fuel after qualifying, he could have had to start the race from the back of the grid due to disqualification from the session.

‘Disqualification would have resulted, if Verstappen had been unable to provide the FIA with the required sample of fuel’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-horner-red-bull-miscalculation-verstappen-aborted-final-qualifying-lap-2022-singapore-gp/


Sergio Pérez 'will try everything I possibly can' to win Singapore GP
01 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Sergio Pérez "will try everything I possibly can" to win the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, with the Red Bull driver set to start Sunday's race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit from P2 on the grid.

'Will try everything I possibly can';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.sergio-perez-will-try-everything-i-possibly-can-to-win-singapore-gp.1745497589021614191.html


Leclerc relieved to take pole after late switch to slicks and error on final lap
2022 Singapore Grand Prix
Posted on 1st October 2022, 15:451st October 2022, 15:46
Written by Keith Collantine

Charles Leclerc said he was very happy to take pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix after a series of problems during the first two days. The Ferrari driver endured a disrupted day of running yesterday. The qualifying session was complicated by rain which left the track surface wet and it was slow to dry.

After completing the first two phases of qualifying on intermediates, Leclerc was set to continue using them in the final phase, but decided at the last moment to join Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jnr in running slicks. “It’s been a very tricky qualifying,” said Leclerc. “Q1, Q2 with the inters then in Q3 we didn’t really know what to do. We went with the soft at the very last minute and it paid off.”

Leclerc thought he had ruined his final qualifying effort after making a mistake at turn 16. “It was really tricky,” he said. “I did a mistake in the last lap so I thought we wouldn’t get pole but it was just enough so I’m really, really happy.” He was especially pleased with the result after a series of problems with his car limited his running on the first day.

‘Relieved to take pole’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/01/leclerc-relieved-to-take-pole-after-late-switch-to-slicks-and-error-on-final-lap/


Leclerc: Ferrari have to do 'perfect execution' to win Singapore GP
01/10/2022, ‎15‎:‎23
Author Rory Mitchell

Ferrari driver took pole by 0.022s from Sergio Perez, after a dramatic end to qualifying in changing conditions at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari will have to do a "perfect execution" to win the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver was happy with his effort that took pole by 0.022s from Red Bull's Sergio Perez, describing the session as 'tricky' and having gambled on the Soft slick tyres at the last minute.

"It's been a very, very tricky qualifying: Q1 and Q2 with the Intermediates, then hitting Q3 we don't really know what to do," Leclerc told media. We went for the soft at the very last minute and it paid off. I did a mistake in my last lap, so I thought we wouldn't get pole, but it was just enough."

‘Ferrari have to do 'perfect execution' to win’;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-ferrari-have-to-do-perfect-execution-to-win-singapore-gp

[Fortitude]

Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz kicked out of interview area at Singapore Grand Prix.
The controversy and drama continued at the Singapore Grand Prix after qualifying as shocked Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz was asked to leave an interview area during a live broadcast
19:00, 1 OCT 2022
BY Mark Whiley

With the camera fixed on Leclerc, Kravitz spluttered “what, hello” before asking the official “are you chucking us out?” The camera turns and the official, wearing an F1 branded uniform, cheerily replies “I am” while a shocked Kravitz reluctantly leaves the area. Incredulous, he can’t resist looking back and asking for an explanation.

“Aren’t we normally in here?,” he asks. “No? Has the rule changed?” He receives an inaudible response before adding “oh right, sorry everyone” before continuing with the programme. He then asks his cameraman “don’t we normally do that in the [media] pen? Maybe there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Kravitz did at least have plenty of F1 issues to take his mind off his unexpected ejection, including the Red Bull fuel error which led to Max Verstappen abandoning his final Q3 lap as he looked set to take pole position from Leclerc. There was also the budget cap saga which is engulfing the same team to get his teeth into.

‘Kravitz reluctantly leaves the area’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/ted-kravitz-sky-sports-f1-28131784


Ted explains WHY Max had to box on his final lap! �� | Ted's Quali Notebook | Singapore
Oct 1, 2022

ManCave Hobbies
lol poor TED getting kicked out from the boys club lol

Deao Satori
Probably the politest "chucking out" ever, from both parties.

Mr Cheetah
hahaha, kicked :D

David 777
Ted isn’t an official pen interviewer so she chucked him out

Coded Fotography
ted's humour is so funny

The Thrawn Scotsman
Why are people complaining about the lass at 02:40? It looked like they know each other and she was just messing about. They probably see each other in the press office. Ted should get her on next time and have a chat with her.

Knight Lautrec
Why did they get kicked out? How odd.

James Bond
Chucking ted out ,f1 is bucked ???

Fast_Car 1000
I hope sky sports bosses read this and speak with this lady boss cause that was bloody rude, Ted brings the best news and coverage for fans. Absolutely disgusted at the way Ted was treated and talked too, F1 should ashamed of themselves and embarrassed, not Ted because I bet he feels it.

Harley B
That women dared to interrupt Teds GOATbook.. I'm shocked...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AKZWbuoKh8


Singapore GP: Post Qualifying press conference
01/10/2022
NEWS STORY
Parc Ferme Interviews - Conducted by Naomi Schiff

Q: Congratulations, Charles, incredible lap there in front of this incredible crowd here in Singapore. For everyone here and for everyone at home, take us through that lap.
Charles Leclerc: I didn't hear the end. But yeah, definitely an amazing crowd. And it's great to see so many people attending the event. It's been a very, very tricky qualifying - Q1, Q2 with the inters, then in Q3, we didn't really know what to do. We went for the soft at the very last minute. And it paid off. I mean, it was really, really tricky. I did a mistake on my last lap, so I thought we wouldn't get pole, but it was just an off. So really, really happy.

Q: Thank you very much. Congratulations. Checo, your first front-row start here in Singapore. What are you looking forward to the most tomorrow?
Sergio Perez: To that start. I think there's a good opportunity tomorrow already from the start to attack Charles and go for the win. It's quite disappointing to miss out on pole by two hundredths. But at the end of the day this is a great team result. My team did a fantastic job - the right calls out there and yeah, pretty happy and a solid job.

Q: Congratulations, Lewis, you kept us on your toes in that session. There was a moment when we thought you might have pole position, but it wasn't to be today. Talk us through what this track is like for you and how special it is.
Lewis Hamilton: Well, firstly, hi everyone in Singapore. I was pushing so hard, it was so, so close. I was trying so hard. These guys are always so quick. But I really thought maybe just with a perfect lap, it was really hard to get that, we could be fighting for first place. But I just didn't have the grip on the last lap. But nonetheless, I'm grateful to be on a second row and I'm grateful to the team for continuing to push and you know, we just keep our heads down and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

‘Post Qualifying press conference’;

https://www.pitpass.com/73742/Singapore-GP-Post-Qualifying-press-conference


Charles Leclerc happy with tyre gamble after ‘we didn’t really know what to do’
Saturday 1st October 2022 7:45 PM
Henry Valantine

Charles Leclerc took a “special” pole position in Singapore after switching to dry tyres in Q3 – but admitted there had been indecision at Ferrari in doing so. Intermediate tyres were used throughout the field in both Q1 and Q2, with only three drivers attempting laps on dry rubber in the second part of qualifying, although it proved to be the wrong decision at that moment.

Leclerc had called on Ferrari to ask for soft tyres in Q2 – the first driver to ask to do so – but they eventually opted to stay on inters, which got them through to Q3. The intermediates stayed on Leclerc’s F1-75 as Q3 started, but he opted to go onto slicks as the track gradually dried – with each of the top 10 drivers eventually able to set times in drier conditions.

The Ferrari driver managed to pip Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton to pole position with only 0.054s separating all three drivers. World Championship leader Max Verstappen had been on for what appeared to be a near-certain pole lap, but was forced to abort it due to concerns about the lack of fuel in his Red Bull.

‘We didn’t really know what to do’

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charles-leclerc-singapore-tyre-gamble/


Perez: Chance to attack Charles and go for the win
2 October, 2022
Paul Velasco

Sergio Perez will start the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix from the front row where he intends to attack pole winner Charles Leclerc, the Red Bull driver sniffing a chance of fourth Formula 1 victory for his CV. With teammate Max Verstappen victim of bad ‘fuel maths’ and only good for eighth, Perez will be looked on to fly the flag for Red Bull, harass Leclerc and go for victory while his teammate finds his way to the sharp end, as he tends to do.

A mere 0.22s was the difference between Perez and Leclerc’s top times in qualifying at Marina Bay Circuit, which clearly inspired the Red Bull man: “It is a chance from the start to attack Charles and go for the win. “I was quite disappointed to miss out on pole by two hundredths but it is a great team result and they did a fantastic job with the right calls out there so very happy. It was so tricky to learn the conditions. It could be wet again so it will be crucial not to make any mistake, that will be critical for us,” explained Perez.

Later in the team report, he added: “I think we have done a solid job today, the Team made great calls and we managed to get an excellent result in the end after our worst Friday of the season yesterday; we didn’t have any mileage and we had issues with set-up too, so we didn’t have a read on things, but we went back over things and have come out strong. “I will try everything I possibly can to win, I think the start will be very important so I will try everything but if that doesn’t work, I have 61 laps more, then it is a long race ahead, let’s see what happens,” concluded Perez.

‘A chance from the start to attack Charles and go for the win’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/02/perez-opportunity-to-attack-charles-and-go-for-the-win-singapore-qualifying/


‘We should have finished the penultimate lap’: How Verstappen’s Q3 went wrong
2022 Singapore Grand Prix
Posted on 1st October 2022, 20:542nd October 2022, 1:00
Written by Keith Collantine

Max Verstappen looked on course to claim a vital pole position in Singapore when he sensationally aborted his final lap. That left him only eighth on the grid in a car which was clearly quick enough for pole position. But as team principal Christian Horner explained later, the team faced a choice between that or starting from the pit lane.

As the final seconds of qualifying on the damp-but-drying Marina Bay circuit ticked down, the realisation had dawned on the Red Bull pit wall that they hadn’t put enough fuel in Verstappen’s car. He likely had sufficient fuel to make it to the finishing line, but not enough to make it back to the pits and provide the required one-litre sample.

Crossing the line and running dry on track isn’t an option, as the rules state “if a car has not been driven back to the pits under its own power, it will be required to supply the […] sample plus the amount of fuel that would have been consumed to drive back to the pits.”

‘We should have finished the penultimate lap’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/01/we-should-have-finished-the-penultimate-lap-how-verstappens-q3-went-wrong/

[Fortitude]

Perez wins Singapore GP after rain delayed race.
October 2, 2022
By Matt Neill

Sergio Perez navigated a series of safety cars and treacherous conditions to take his first victory at the Singapore GP for Red Bull following a delayed start due to torrential rain. The forecast had suggested that the race would be affected by rain, and that turned out to be the case as the start was delayed by one hour to allow the track time to dry out, with all drivers eventually getting going on intermediate tyres.

Perez, starting from second on the grid behind the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, had the better launch once the lights went out and managed to take the lead immediately, eventually stretching his advantage to nearly 2 seconds by the end of Lap 7. A series of incidents throughout the race brought out the safety car, neutralising Perez’s lead at the front, but each time the Mexican was able to fend off the chasing Leclerc to maintain his lead and cross the chequered flag around 4 seconds clear.

Leclerc threw everything at the Red Bull as he chased him down following a late safety car caused by the retirement of Yuki Tsunoda, but was ultimately unable to get the move done. There were questions around whether Perez maintained the mandatory 10-car distance to the safety car ahead of the various restarts, with the matter referred to the stewards for judgement once the race finished, and Perez could yet face a time penalty.

‘Sergio Perez wins Singapore GP’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-perez-wins-singapore-after-rain-delay/


Race Results – 2022 Singapore Grand Prix
Marina Bay, Singapore
02/10/2022, 16:17
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing -60 laps
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +7.595
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +15.305
4. Lando Norris McLaren +26.133
5. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +58.282
6. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +61.330
7. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +63.825
8. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +65.032
9. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +66.515
10. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +74.576

‘Singapore Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship race around the Marina Bay Street Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-results-2022-singapore-grand-prix-80144


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix
02 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

Well, where even to begin to start with that one?

‘As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-formula-1-singapore-airlines-singapore-grand-prix-2022.6qMhbIbL2vDoQGPiZG0Iu8.html


Singapore GP: Sergio Perez takes victory in eventful wet/dry race
02 October 2022
Ben Issatt
Formula 1

Sergio Perez led every lap to claim an impressive victory at the rain-hit Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday. The Mexican took the lead at the start and didn't look back to cross the finish line 7.5s clear of Charles Leclerc, though does face an investigation for a Safety Car infringement.

A heavy rainstorm caused a one-hour delay to the start but conditions had dried enough for all drivers to choose intermediate tyres. When the lights went out, a good start allowed Perez to take the lead from second into Turn 1.

But unable to attempt a move, the race evolved into the Monegasque trying to stay within five seconds of the Mexican, who was put under investigation for a potential Safety Car infringement. Ahead, Perez was able to stretch ahead of Leclerc in the closing laps, taking the chequered flag 7.5s clear of the Ferrari to take the win provisionally.

‘Sergio Perez takes victory’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16400-singapore-gp-sergio-perez-takes-victory-in-eventful-wet-dry-race


Why Singapore Grand Prix ended early after dramatic race included five Safety Cars
Sergio Perez won a dramatic Singapore Grand Prix which didn't complete the full 61 scheduled laps.
16:35, Sun, Oct 2, 2022
By Stuart Ballard

For the second time this season, an F1 race failed to complete the full scheduled laps in what proved to be an eventful evening at the Singapore Grand Prix. Torrential rain an hour before the scheduled start of the race saw the Singapore Grand Prix delayed until 2:05pm BST.

Once the race got underway, there was just two hours for the Grand Prix to be completed. The Singapore Grand Prix is usually seen as one of the longest races in the F1 calendar and every race in it's short history had included at least one Safety Car. It soon became clear that the Singapore Grand Prix wouldn't be able to finish the allotted 61 laps. Instead, there was a timer in the virtual leaderboard on the side of the screen counting down to the end of the race.

That timer was due to sporting regulations which prevent races from running over two hours long. At that point, Perez had 26 minutes to hold off a fast-charging Leclerc in the closing stages with DRS also now enabled.

‘Sporting Regulations’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1677264/Singapore-Grand-Prix-time-limit-two-hour-rain-delay-Sergio-Perez-win-Safety-Cars

[Fortitude]

Perez handed 5-second post-race penalty for Safety Car infringement – but holds onto Singapore Grand Prix win
02 October 2022
Formula 1.

Sergio Perez’s elation after crossing the line in P1 at the end of a tough Singapore Grand Prix was kept in check by a post-race investigation hanging over him for an alleged Safety Car infringement – with Perez ultimately handed a five-second penalty that meant he held onto his fourth career victory.

Perez was actually investigated for two occurrences of failing to keep within 10 car lengths of the Safety Car during a pair of caution periods. However, the Mexican driver was handed a reprimand for the first of these, which occurred on Lap 10 after Zhou Guanyu and Nicholas Latifi made contact – Perez claiming that his brakes and tyres hadn’t been warm enough in the damp conditions to keep pace with the Safety Car.

‘Sergio Perez holds onto Singapore Grand Prix win’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.perez-handed-5-second-post-race-penalty-for-safety-car-infringement-but.2vdA3PWzdwePdNgObHpLr4.html


Stewards ‘took their time over a non-issue’ with Perez penalty decision – Horner
2022 Singapore Grand Prix
Posted on 2nd October 2022, 19:34
Written by Keith Collantine

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner criticised the length of time taken by the stewards to confirm Sergio Perez as the winner of the Singapore Grand Prix. The stewards announced before the race was over they would rule on an investigation into Perez’s driving after the chequered flag. Red Bull duly warned him he could face a penalty, and Perez pulled out a seven-and-a-half second margin over second-placed Charles Leclerc at the flag, to reduce the impact of any penalty.

However Horner doesn’t believe the Perez’s infringement was serious enough to deserve a penalty. “The Safety Car could have been a real stumbling block but how many times have we had to deal with a Safety Car lap and how many precedents are there?” he said. “For us, this time, it really was a non-issue. The stewards took their time with it, but they reached the right decision. It would have been a incredible shame to have taken that victory away from Checo.”

Horner praised Perez’s performance on his way to his second victory this year. “It was a massive result for him and we are super-proud of him,” he said. “That was world class from Checo,” he added, “it is right up there as one of his best drives. He was always fighting and even though he had a lot thrown his way he managed to stay on top.”

‘Took their time over a non-issue’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/02/stewards-took-their-time-over-a-non-issue-with-perez-penalty-decision-horner/


Sergio Pérez 'knew I was going through a bad patch' before Singapore GP victory
02 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Red Bull's Sergio Pérez is "super happy" with victory in the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, especially because he was "going through a bad patch" in recent races.

‘Going through a bad patch' before Singapore GP victory’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.sergio-perez-knew-i-was-going-through-a-bad-patch-before-singapore-gp-victory.1745594878029368263.html


Sergio Perez responds to media doubters after Singapore GP victory
Sunday 2nd October 2022 7:45 PM
Henry Valantine

Sergio Perez was pleased to silence any doubters against him in the media after taking victory in the Singapore Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver’s fourth career F1 victory came with a consummate drive that saw him lead from lights out to chequered flag around Marina Bay, overtaking pole-sitter Charles Leclerc before Turn 1 and not looking back from there.

He held the Ferrari driver at arm’s length for most of the race and with an inquiry hanging over him for multiple Safety Car infringements, opened up a seven-second gap to Leclerc before the end of the race. It was a gap he needed too, with a lengthy investigation by the stewards resulting in a reprimand and a five-second penalty for the 32-year-old after dropping too far behind the Safety Car on multiple occasions – but he was able to keep his victory as a result.

“It means a lot to me,” Perez said to Formula1.com after the race. “Every win is special but I’m the type of guy that is always working under the radar and not making big noises out there. I knew I was going through a bit of a bad patch. There’s been two races I haven’t been on the podium, but obviously the media makes a big thing, probably because I’m Mexican, and they start to make all these comparisons, [like] the biggest mistake Red Bull has made to bring me here. So I’m super-happy to get this victory under my belt, and with such a strong performance out there today.”

‘Media makes a big thing, probably because I’m Mexican’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio-perez-media-doubters-singapore/


Singapore Grand Prix: Sergio Perez hails 'best performance' after overtaking and holding off Charles Leclerc
Last Updated: 02/10/22 7:17pm
SKY

Sergio Perez won the fourth Grand Prix of his career in Singapore, surviving a post-race stewards' investigation; F1 returns next weekend with the Japanese Grand Prix and all sessions are live on Sky Sports F1 including the race at 6am on Sunday October 9

Sergio Perez celebrated "the best drive of his career" as he dominated a gruelling Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday.

Perez is one of only two men who can still mathematically deny Max Verstappen this season's drivers' championship and overtook the other - Ferrari's Charles Leclerc - on the opening lap before controlling the rest of the race to secure his fourth career victory.

‘Sergio Perez hails 'best performance' after overtaking and holding off Charles Leclerc’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/14047/12710086/singapore-grand-prix-sergio-perez-hails-best-performance-after-overtaking-and-holding-off-charles-leclerc

[Fortitude]

F1 Singapore Grand Prix: What we learned from Sergio Perez’s street circuit supremacy to useless wet tyres.
Sergio Perez took a thoroughly impressive victory in difficult conditions at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday to secure the fourth win of his career and delay team-mate Max Verstappen‘s inevitable coronation as a two-time Formula One world champion.
October 3, 2022 7:01 am
By Daniel Austin
Sports writer

The Mexican took the lead from Charles Leclerc off the start line and led all the way to the end from there in a race which was delayed by a torrential downpour, with drivers spending the majority of the gruelling two-hour grand prix on intermediate tyres before switching to slicks in the final stages. Try as he might, Leclerc could not overtake Perez and ultimately dropped back from the Red Bull’s gearbox.

‘Thoroughly impressive victory in difficult conditions’;

https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-one/f1-singapore-grand-prix-what-we-learned-sergio-perez-max-verstappen-red-bull-weather-rain-1890018?ITO=newsnow


Perez feels ‘rough patch’ exaggerated but he must build on win
Oct 3 2022
By Scott Mitchell-Malm

Singapore Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez thinks Formula 1 media made his “rough patch” in recent races into a “lot bigger” problem than it really was and even suggested that could relate to his nationality. Perez started the 2022 season strongly but has struggled as the RB18’s development has increased its rear instability, which has led to fluctuating form but a consistent deficit to Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.

“This win is really special for me, because I’ve had a bit of a rough patch in the last few races,” said Perez. “The media in Formula 1 makes it a lot bigger, maybe because I’m just Mexican. And if I’m not two races in a row in the podium, then I’m having the worst season ever and Red Bull should drop me and all that sort of stuff that you get to see. It’s just nice to get that win. It’s not a reminder to anyone of how good I am. But it’s just always good to be able to put together this sort of performance.”

‘Must build on win’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/perez-feels-rough-patch-exaggerated-but-he-must-build-on-win/


Conclusions from a rollercoaster of a Singapore Grand Prix
Monday 3rd October 2022 6:00 AM
Oliver Harden

The real Sergio Perez finally stands up. After celebrating his Red Bull contract extension with victory in Monaco back in May, Perez has spent the last few months on the missing list. Another street circuit made up of slow corners and traction zones, Singapore was the perfect place for Perez to finally wake from his mid-season slumber even before the heavens opened and put an even greater value on his feather-light touch of the throttle. That skill won him the lead at the start and – in sweltering conditions on a track treacherously wet in places yet close to dry in others, negotiating multiple Safety Car interruptions and managing an engine driveability issue – was his greatest strength in keeping Leclerc far enough behind.

A weekend to learn from, not forget, for Verstappen. When a competitor starts to relax or sees no further room for improvement, they put themselves on the path towards failure. Go easy, then, on Verstappen for his harsh – some might argue misguided – reaction to Red Bull’s fuel misjudgement at the end of qualifying in Singapore. As he berated his own team both over the radio in the media pen – describing the mistake as “never acceptable” and repeating that it simply “shouldn’t happen” – there was a temptation to grab Max by the shoulder and remind him of his lead in the Championship.

Hamilton’s 2022 frustrations are increasingly evident on track. Hamilton keeps smiling through the pain and keeps saying all the right things as he nears the end of the most difficult season of his F1 career. He sees 2022 not as a disaster from start to finish, but a valuable lesson for both him and Mercedes. He’s really proud of the progress the team has made, he tells us, and he’s certain they will get there in the end. But since F1’s summer break, have the frustrations of this season – or, possibly, his desperation to force a breakthrough result with the temperamental W13 – started to manifest themselves on track?

‘Rollercoaster of a Singapore Grand Prix’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/conclusions-2022-singapore-grand-prix/


Singapore Grand Prix: Top Three Press Conference
2 October, 2022
FIA
Track Interviews conducted by Paul Di Resta.

Q: Carlos, obviously on the podium today, third, looked a pretty tough race. How was it for you?
Carlos Sainz: Yeah, very tough out there and never really got into a rhythm in the wet and then, yeah, couldn’t challenge the top two guys because I was always struggling a bit more with the rear, with the car. So, in the end, in these conditions, when you don’t have that extra bit of confidence I had to settle a bit for P3. The good thing is I didn’t’ do any mistakes, I could bring the car home and I could be quick towards the end of the race when I managed to build a bit of confidence – but yeah, good result for the team for the Constructors’ Championship. A shame that we couldn’t get the win.

Press Conference
Q: Checo, what a race, you’ve just led every lap of the Singapore Grand Prix. How good does that feel?
SP: It felt great. It was such a good start, first of all, which really, was great, you know, to really do the first… I basically felt that I had the race on the first section, on the Inters, under control. I could really do what Charles was doing, and open-up the gap. If was important to make sure we had good tyre life. I honestly was expecting the track to dry-up earlier than it did. I think if George wasn’t out there, there will be a lot more people going earlier. But at the same time, I mean, it was such a tricky race. I think the keys to the race today was to control the pace on the Inter, have good pace when we need it, and the second one was to survive on the slicks in the beginning, because we were with extremely poor conditions. I think sometimes people, when they’re looking at you, underestimate how hard it is, and how easy it is for us to make a mistake. We basically were going to few places where it was properly damp, properly wet and it was super, super tricky, to make a mistake. I had a lot of moments, so first of all, I’m really happy I finished the race. But secondly, to win this race. It’s super special.

Press Conference
Q: Charles, brilliant job by you as well, though I’m sure you’re feeling a little frustrated. Does this feel like 2019 all over again?
CL: No, no, every race has a different feeling. But the frustration is there, obviously. I mean, the pace was really good today. Unfortunately, we had a bad start and from that moment onwards we were a little bit on the backfoot. I tried to put quite a lot of pressure on Checo. But yeah, you overheat the tyres pretty quickly, and then you drop a little bit. So it was very difficult to stay always on the gearbox of Checo. But the performance was there. I also think that the choices we’ve made today were the right ones. And as I’ve said before this weekend, no, I want to use these last few races for us to get better on the execution of the race, especially, and I feel like it’s a step forward this weekend. We need to do other steps forward. But it’s a good step in the right direction. And on that I’m happy. But of course frustrated with the second place today.

‘FIA hosted top three press conference after the Singapore Grand Prix;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/02/singapore-grand-prix-top-three-press-conference-5/


WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM F1’S 2022 SINGAPORE GP
20:16 Sun, 02 Oct 2022.
By Josh Suttill and Matt Beer
The Race

WINNERS
SERGIO PEREZ: Each of Sergio Perez’s three previous F1 wins have had some element of Perez triumphing through the chaos and ending up as the surprise victor each time.
MCLAREN: If McLaren manages to finish fourth in the 2022 F1 constructors’ championship despite rarely having the fourth-fastest car and effectively being a one-driver team for much of the year given the performance gulf between Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, it’ll be a remarkable result.
ASTON MARTIN: Aston Martin’s 2022 season has lacked a big points haul and Singapore finally delivered one.

LOSERS
MAX VERSTAPPEN: “Incredibly messy” was a great way for Verstappen to summarise how the first weekend when he could’ve clinched the 2022 title turned out.
FERRARI: This isn’t a race that Leclerc or Ferrari threw away. In the rare instance where 2022 dominator Verstappen had an off day, Ferrari and Leclerc will feel like losers.
ALPINE: Another chance for Alonso to add to (and repeatedly refer to!) his rolling tally of how many points he’s lost to reliability problems on his side of the Alpine garage this year.
HAAS: This was a big missed opportunity for a Haas team that was leapfrogged by Aston and had its one-point advantage over AlphaTauri eliminated in the constructors’ championship.
MERCEDES: Mercedes had identified Singapore as potentially one of its strongest races of the second half of the season…
ALPHATAURI: Pierre Gasly was furious with his AlphaTauri after a race where he dropped from a potential fifth (or at least seventh) to the final points-paying position.

SINGAPORE GP WINNERS AND LOSERS

https://the-race.com/formula-1/winners-and-losers-from-f1s-2022-singapore-gp/

[Fortitude]

Charles Leclerc’s fitness questioned after he admits he ‘degraded’ during Singapore GP.
Having been on the Red Bull’s gearbox for most of the race, Charles Leclerc fell 7.5 seconds behind race-winner Sergio Perez, who was subsequently hit with a five-second penalty.
09:40, 3 OCT 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc had to settle for second place following a long and punishing Singapore Grand Prix. The Ferrari man was jumped at the start by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who went on to win the race despite later being hit with a five-second penalty for falling too far behind the safety car.

Singapore is regarded as the most physical and draining race on the calendar, with drivers losing around three kilos during the two-hour affair. But it seemed to take its toll on Leclerc more than most. As he chatted with fellow podium finishers Perez and Carlos Sainz in the cool-down room after the race, Leclerc admitted: “Those last 15 laps, I degraded myself!”

Normally such an eloquent speaker in several languages, Leclerc looked drained during his post-race interview with Paul di Resta and could only manage short answers. His condition was spotted by Sky Sports pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz, who remarked during his post-race Notebook programme: “Did you hear in the cool-down room? Was there a moment where Charles Leclerc said I didn’t have degradation on my tyres, I had degradation on myself? Did Leclerc get knackered and lose speed in himself? Just an open question, I’m wondering.”

‘Charles Leclerc’s admits he ‘degraded’ ’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/charles-leclerc-ferrari-singapore-gp-28139013


LECLERC ADMITS MISTAKES IN CHASING DOWN PEREZ IN SINGAPORE.
Charles Leclerc admits he made mistakes in the final minutes of the Singapore Grand Prix that potentially cost him the victory.
08:30, 03/10/2022
Lena Ferle
FormulaNerds

Sergio Perez had a phenomenal start, so Charles Leclerc had to work hard in the heat to get close to the Mexican. Leclerc’s overtaking woes. Perez was locking up his tyres several times, especially in turn 14, but Leclerc still couldn’t get past. According to racefans.net, Leclerc commented: “I wasn’t close enough unfortunately whenever he had those lock-ups. I don’t think it was especially down to how ready his tyres were, I think he did few mistakes at the beginning which is again normal in those conditions.”

“But I wasn’t close enough to actually attempt an overtake, unfortunately.” Leclerc’s chances to get closer to Perez were challenging to assess on the track, which was partly wet and then dry again. The Monegasque was at the limit: “Everything was really on the limit. I mean, with the dirty air in conditions like this, the slightest mistake, you pay it big time.”

“So I did few mistakes, I was just trying to be as close as possible because I had to make, basically, the overtake on the straight. I couldn’t really go on the braking zone and brake later because I didn’t really know how was the track in the inside and I didn’t want to take that risk. I had one lap where I was really close and I actually thought about going in the inside and braking later, but for me it was not worth it so I was just waiting for the right opportunity. That unfortunately didn’t arrive at the end.”

‘Charles Leclerc admits he made mistakes’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/leclerc-admits-mistakes-in-chasing-down-perez-in-singapore/?nowprocket=1


Charles Leclerc’s blunt reply after Ferrari told him about Sergio Perez penalty
Charles Leclerc was just two seconds short of claiming victory at the Singapore GP.
3 October 2022
by Nick Golding

Charles Leclerc didn’t quite have what it took to win the first Singapore Grand Prix since 2019, as the Ferrari driver was beaten comfortably in the end by Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez.

He was told by his race engineer towards the end of the two-hour long Grand Prix that the leader had been “told to push”. Leclerc demanded silence from his team, as he tried to keep up with the blistering late pace set by the race winner.

“Pérez is told to push for the penalty,” said Leclerc’s race engineer. “Stop speaking to me…” the Monegasque bluntly replied. The result means just two points now separate Leclerc and Pérez for second in the Drivers’ Championship, something they’ll both be pushing to achieve.

“Stop speaking to me…”;

https://formula1news.co.uk/charles-leclercs-blunt-reply-after-ferrari-told-him-about-sergio-perez-penalty/


Charles Leclerc: “It’s a shame to finish second”
October 3, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

Despite achieving his third consecutive podium of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the Singapore Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc has been left ruing his poor start to the race, which the Monegasque driver stated put him on the back foot for the remainder of the race.

Putting the disappointment of once again failing to convert pole position into the race victory to the side, Leclerc stated that he felt the team had taken a step forward in terms of their race execution.

“Our pace was really good today so it’s a shame to finish second. We had some wheel spin at the start and didn’t get away as well as Checo (Perez). That put us on the back foot. I pushed to put pressure on Checo but my front tyres got a bit too warm and he started pulling away. As I’ve already said, I want to use these last races to improve our execution of races and I think that we made a step in the right direction today.”

‘Shame to finish second’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/charles-leclerc-its-a-shame-to-finish-second/


Binotto: We have been brave
3 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto hailed his team’s performance and strategy decisions during the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix describing them as brave. Truth be said, Ferrari did not commit any errors on Sunday in Singapore, and keeping aside Charles Leclerc losing the start to Sergio Perez – ultimately costing him the race win – the Scuderia were on their best behaviour in terms of strategy and pit wall decisions.

Binotto believed that timing his team chose to switch from Intermediate tyres to Mediums was the correct one and bold. “In the end [of the race] we have been fast in the dry in the switch to slicks,” he told Sky Sports F1. “We have been brave to be the first to switch to slicks, between us and Sergio. We went well on the wet and the dry and that’s the biggest positive of the weekend.”

Speaking of the start of the race he said: “At first our start was not great, we lost a position at the start and that has affected the rest of the race. We could have got a better start, finally, we could have got a better result today. “Now, on the start itself Charles had a good reaction time, the procedures on the car worked but later Charles had wheelspin because he didn’t have enough grip,” the Ferrari boss clarified. “We will review it but that has effected the rest of the race.”

‘We have been brave’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/03/binotto-we-have-been-brave/


Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto: “We are disappointed with the result of today’s race”
October 3, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

While disappointed to not claim the race victory, Binotto was still pleased with the team’s response in Singapore across the weekend following a tough triple-header for the Maranello-based team.
“We are disappointed with the result of today’s race. It’s been quite a while that we have been chasing a win and today we came close. Having said that, we picked up a good number of points thanks to a second and a third place. Overall, it was a difficult weekend to manage, but the car worked well in both the wet and the dry.”

“Here in Singapore, Ferrari showed that it had got over the difficulties of Spa and Zandvoort and we were able to get our performance back on track, which bodes well for the coming races.”

‘Picked up a good number of points’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/ferraris-mattia-binotto-we-are-disappointed-with-the-result-of-todays-race/

[Fortitude]

McLaren: Singapore F1 swing showcases "open battle" for P4 with Alpine.
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says the team isn't getting carried away by jumping Alpine in the standings after Formula 1's Singapore Grand Prix, as the recent points swings show the fight for fourth remains an "open battle".
Oct 3, 2022, 7:23 PM
By: Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com

In a wet-to-dry race, Lando Norris produced an error-free display to move up from sixth to fourth following a duel with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who both slipped up. Starting from 16th, Daniel Ricciardo also had a strong race to finish behind Norris in fifth, after delaying a switch from intermediates to slicks until a lap 36 safety car.

In stark contrast to McLaren's 22-point haul, both Alpines of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon retired due to power unit failures, allowing McLaren to suddenly jump the Enstone team for fourth in the constructors' championship and lead by four points.

When team boss Seidl was asked by Motorsport.com if he was surprised to be leading Alpine after generally struggling to match it on pace in recent months, he said the points swing simply shows the fight for fourth will remain an "open battle" until the last lap in Abu Dhabi, with Alpine's huge score in Belgium now undone by McLaren's Singapore success.

‘Open battle’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mclaren-singapore-swing-showcases-open-battle-for-p4-with-alpine/10378775/


Andreas Seidl on McLaren Overtaking Alpine: We’re “back in the game!”
October 2, 2022
By Nick Golding

McLaren F1 Team Principal Andreas Seidl couldn’t have been happier at the outcome of the first Singapore Grand Prix since 2019, as Lando Norris finished fourth and Daniel Ricciardo fifth, to seal a first double top five finish of the season for the Woking-Based Team. Seidl knows full well that his team are now “back in the game”, with the pressure seemingly now on their French rivals to comeback.

“Twenty-two points. Back in the game! Thanks to the entire team for delivering an excellent result this weekend, in hot, humid conditions here at the track in Singapore, back at the MTC and our colleagues at Mercedes HPP. Daniel and Lando both had superb drives today in tricky conditions.”

“They did not put a wheel wrong on a day when many of their peers went off – but equally they benefitted from great teamwork and clear communication from their strategists, engineers and the pit crew, who once again delivered.”

‘We’re “back in the game!’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/andreas-seidl-on-mclaren-overtaking-alpine-were-back-in-the-game/


“The whole team did a great job” – Lando Norris
October 2, 2022
By Nick Golding

Lando Norris‘ run of finishing in seventh-place finally came to an end, as the McLaren F1 Team driver crossed the line in a brilliant fourth-place, after a strategically flawless performance. The British driver made a strong start to the Singapore Grand Prix and quickly found himself all on his own in fifth.

With conditions being treacherous, Norris was told that he’d be extending his opening stint on the Intermediates by as long as possible, something which worked perfectly for both him and the Woking-based team. Norris was very happy with his performance at the Marina Bay Circuit, and was quick to say “well done to the entire team”.

“A very good day, with both cars in the top five. It was a tough race, especially with the conditions, but the whole team did a great job today. We scored a lot of points which was so important for the Constructors’ Championship. Well done to the entire team. I’m very happy.”

‘Whole team did a great job’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/the-whole-team-did-a-great-job-lando-norris/


‘Hardest race of my career!’ – McLaren’s Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo react to Singapore Grand Prix
Monday 3 Oct 2022 12:31 pm
Callum McAvoy

Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo both admitted they were too exhausted to celebrate McLaren’s best result of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix. While many drivers and cars fell victim to the conditions, Norris and Ricciardo kept calm and collected throughout and thanks to great strategy calls from the team, and a dash of luck, they recorded McLaren’s best result since their 1-2 in Italy last year.

‘We needed this, and as much as I’m looking forward to Japan, I want to enjoy this one,’ said Ricciardo post-race. ‘Finally, everyone is in good spirits. But I’m definitely too tired to party so I’ll just have a little drink here with the team and celebrate what’s been a good day.’

‘I certainly feel good – it’s been a long time. My last top five was a year ago in Saudi Arabia so yeah, I hadn’t had one this year, which is kind of sad, but we know the year it’s been, and I feel like I was certainly due some good fortune.’

‘Too exhausted to celebrate’;

https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/03/f1-mclarens-lando-norris-and-daniel-ricciardo-react-to-singapore-gp-17493069/?ito=newsnow-feed


Daniel Ricciardo rumour mill in overdrive after best friend's cryptic social media post
Ricciardo could miss out on a Formula 1 seat for next season after his McLaren axing, with Haas the only realistic option remaining for the eight-time race winner
11:02, 3 Oct 2022
Daniel Moxon
F1 Writer

Rumours surrounding Daniel Ricciardo's future in Formula 1 have been sent into overdrive again after a cryptic social media post from one of his closest friends.

Nothing is yet certain, but fans have been gossiping once again thanks to a TikTok post from Ricciardo's close friend Scotty James. The snowboarding star, a double Olympic medallist and three-time halfpipe world champion, posted a short video clip with his partner Chloe Stroll.

Considering she is sister to F1 driver Lance Stroll, and James' close relationship with Ricciardo, it is reasonable to assume they both have access to insider knowledge when it comes to the inner workings of the F1 paddock. So fans were left curious as they mimicked a scene from popular TV show Friends in which they hinted that they were in possession of some juicy gossip.

‘Rumour mill overdrive’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/daniel-ricciardo-2023-seat-haas-28139950

[Fortitude]

Two-place rise in championship a “welcome reward” for Aston Martin.
Aston Martin scored their best result of the season so far in Singapore and moved up two places in the championship, which team principal Mike Krack said was a “welcome reward” for their efforts.
2022 Singapore Grand Prix
Posted on 3rd October 2022, 12:13
Written by Keith Collantine

Lance Stroll equalled the team’s highest finishing position of the season with sixth place. Team mate Sebastian Vettel added to their points haul in eighth, having been overtaken by Max Verstappen on the final lap. Lance Stroll equalled the team’s highest finishing position of the season with sixth place. Team mate Sebastian Vettel added to their points haul in eighth, having been overtaken by Max Verstappen on the final lap.

Krack praised his drivers’ efforts as both finished five places higher than they started. “Lance drove fast yet patiently to sixth place, scoring an excellent eight world championship points for us,” he said. “Sebastian, finishing eighth, added four more, pipped for seventh on the final lap by a hard-charging Verstappen. On a very slippery track surface, both our drivers handled an extremely tricky task superbly. As a result, we have climbed a couple of places in the constructors’ world championship, which is a welcome reward for the steady progress we have been making recently.”

Aston Martin moved past Haas and AlphaTauri into seventh place in the constructors’ championship. They are 15 points behind Alfa Romeo with five races left. “Formula 1 is a team effort, and in particular I want to pay tribute to our mechanics, who have worked long and hard in very humid conditions over the past few days, and executed our pit stops brilliantly this evening,” Krack added. “I also want to thank the team back home at Silverstone, who also did a fantastic job.”

‘Welcome reward’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/03/two-place-rise-in-championship-a-welcome-reward-for-aston-martin/


Aston Martin’s Mike Krack: “Both our drivers handled an extremely tricky task superbly”
October 3, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

Mike Krack, the Team Principal of Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team, has heaped the praise on both of his drivers after both Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel were able to work their way through the tricky conditions of the Singapore Grand Prix to claim the team’s second double points finish of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

Both Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel were able to make their way up into the top ten on the opening later, with Vettel particularly enjoying a remarkable start to the race with the German climbing five places to eighth by the end of the opening lap. The Aston Martin duo had taken advantage of Max Verstappen’s poor start to the race but the Dutchmen would soon be passing Lance Stroll on the second lap and would eventually make his way past Sebastian Vettel at the safety-car restart on the eleventh lap of the race.

A mistake from Yuki Tsunoda on lap twenty-one would allow Stroll to rejoin the point-paying positions and just moments later both Aston Martin drivers would be moving up a place in the order as Fernando Alonso’s race came to an abrupt end. The Aston Martin pitwall followed the rest of the grid in electing to pit both drivers onto a set of medium tyres on lap thirty-four, with Sebastian Vettel coming in first, followed by Lance Stroll a lap later. A slow out-lap from Vettel would subsequently allow Stroll to execute an overcut on his teammate and rejoin the grid in seventh place.

‘Both our drivers handled an extremely tricky task superbly’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/aston-martins-mike-krack-both-our-drivers-handled-an-extremely-tricky-task-superbly/


Lance Stroll 'happy to pick up a bunch of points' in Singapore GP
02 Oct 2022

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll is "happy to pick up a bunch of points" with a P6 finish in the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, after things "went our way" in a chaotic race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

"Happy to pick up a bunch of points";

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.lance-stroll-happy-to-pick-up-a-bunch-of-points-in-singapore-gp.1745591207132500780.html


Lance Stroll: “It feels so good to pick up sixth place tonight”
October 3, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

Speaking after the race, Stroll was left delighted after achieving his best result of the season, which has also helped Aston Martin climb two positions in the Constructor’s Standings.

“It feels so good to pick up sixth place tonight, which is my best result of the season. It was also a good day for Seb, so we have come away with a big bunch of points. That is great for everybody in the team who is working so hard. It was a tricky race: the track surface was very slippery for the whole race, and it was not easy to stay out of trouble.”

“It took a very long time to dry, just as it did yesterday. It was just a case of waiting for the areas with the new asphalt to dry out before the switch to slicks, which we timed really well. We have moved up in the teams’ championship, which is important and a nice boost as we enter the final part of the season.”

“It feels so good to pick up sixth place tonight”;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/lance-stroll-it-feels-so-good-to-pick-up-sixth-place-tonight/


‘Things just went our way’ – Aston Martin drivers thrilled with biggest points haul of 2022 in Singapore
03 October 2022
Formula 1.

Aston Martin picked up their second double-points finish of the season and jumped Haas and AlphaTauri in the standings as Lance Stroll finished sixth and Sebastian Vettel eighth in the Singapore Grand Prix – both drivers leaving the Lion City delighted with the outcome.

The team in green had Stroll start 11th and Vettel 13th, but both drivers kept their noses clean in a race of attrition that saw six drivers retire, plus mistakes from Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Five-time Singapore GP winner Vettel said his start was the key to a P8 finish.

“I knew I had to be aggressive at the start,” he said, “so after the initial bit of patience across the line, I knew I had to push, which I did. I was checking out some lines on the lap to the grid and it worked, so happy with that. And after that, I think we got a bit unlucky; I would have liked to stay out longer – we’ll have a look – but I think it wasn’t great that the Safety Car just came out, which just then banked the positions.”

‘Things just went our way’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.things-just-went-our-way-aston-martin-drivers-thrilled-with-biggest-points.2vravrsCXW5mhNnIS4QROC.html


Watch: Onboard Sebastian Vettel’s lightning start at Singapore
Sebastian Vettel has claimed five victories at the Marina Bay Circuit in his F1 career.
3 October 2022
by Nick Golding

Sebastian Vettel rolled back the years in his final Singapore Grand Prix, after achieving an excellent eighth place finish at a circuit he has such a special relationship with. The German driver made an astonishing start in conditions which probably reminded him of 2017, where himself, Max Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen all collided after launching from the line.

The retiring 35-year-old who started P14, worked his way through to ninth by the exit of Turn Five, after appearing to have substantially better grip than those around him. The German explained the importance of being “aggressive at the start” and revealed how he knew he could make rapid progress on the opening lap.

“I knew I had to be aggressive at the start,” Vettel said. “First patience, then I started pushing. In the formation lap I looked at different lines and that worked well.” Vettel quickly settled into the race towards the bottom of the points, at the circuit where he’s achieved eight podiums, including, an unmatched five victories.

‘Sebastian Vettel’s lightning start’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/watch-onboard-sebastian-vettels-lightning-start-at-singapore/


ONBOARD: Vettel gains five places in brilliant start to 2022 Singapore Grand Prix
02 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Ride onboard with Sebastian Vettel at the Marina Bay Street Circuit as the Aston Martin driver gains five places in a brilliant start to the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.

‘ONBOARD with Sebastian Vettel’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.onboard-vettel-gains-five-places-in-brilliant-start-to-2022-singapore-grand-prix.1745604097660154490.html


Sebastian Vettel Wasn't Raised Like Other F1 Champions and He Isn't Retiring Like One, Either!
Motorsports A to Z: Sebastian Vettel, ‘A’ is for agitator.
Oct 3, 2022
By Mike Guy

CAYCE CLIFFORD
“What is an activist?” asks Sebastian Vettel. He’s scratching his scruffy face and grimacing, bristling at the accusation that he has become one. It’s hard to argue against it: Over the past couple of years, even as he’s struggled to find top-10 finishes with the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team, Vettel has become the sport’s loudest voice on topics many racing fans won’t appreciate: civil rights, boycotting Russia, the plight of underprivileged children, the burdens placed on the Global South, and, most significantly, climate change, which he believes is linked to everything.
This story originally appeared in Volume 13 of Road & Track.

‘A’ is for agitator

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a41351989/sebastian-vettel-profile/

[Fortitude]

Alonso slates "unacceptable" Alpine loss.
Fernando Alonso has vented his frustration after a double DNF for Alpine at the Singapore Grand Prix allowed McLaren to jump the French team in the F1 constructors' standings.
Sunday 2 October 2022 18:29
Sam Hall & Ewan Gale

After starting the race with an 18-point advantage over its main rival in the fight for fourth, Alpine left the Marina Bay Street Circuit trailing by four. Both Alonso, making an F1 record 350th start, and team-mate Esteban Ocon retired within six laps of one another on 21 and 27 respectively with suspected power unit issues.

Explaining how many points he feels he has lost this year, a frustrated Alonso said: “I think I was around minus 50, so now we add another eight so it is minus 58 or minus 60 in a year which is unacceptable on my car, on car 14. “If you put me 60 points more in the standings and you reduce obviously 10 or something from the others, because you take points from the others as well, my championship would look much better and close even to the Mercedes.

“That probably is more accurate of the performance that we have put in this year of which I am very proud, even today. Another top five, top six we were fighting for. But the standings don’t translate the true performance.”

"Unacceptable";

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/92878/singapore-grand-prix-fernando-alonso-alpine-retirement/


Fernando Alonso now 'minus 60 points' due to 'mechanical issues'
02 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Fernando Alonso feels that he is now "minus 60 points" due to "mechanical issues" this season, following the Alpine driver's forced retirement from the 2022 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

'Minus 60 points'

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.fernando-alonso-now-minus-60-points-due-to-mechanical-issues.1745587066601605259.html


Alonso rues huge loss of points after Singapore DNF: It hurts
04/10/2022, ‎13‎:‎25
Author Anna Francis

"It's a pity to retire early from today’s race, and it means we've missed out on some decent points in the championship," Alonso said after the Grand Prix. "I think we can look at the positives and we can be very proud of our performance this weekend again. We were fighting for the top five and six positions on Saturday and similar in today’s race.”

"It was a very tricky race in difficult conditions, and it was hard to see the dry line appearing on the track. We have another race coming next weekend, so at least we can shift focus immediately to Japan and getting back into the points there."

Despite being able to take the positives from the weekend, Alonso has been reflecting on the amount of points he has lost through recording four retirements during the season. Latest DNF "hurts" for Alonso. Taking to social media after the race, Alonso reiterated that the deficit of points has been difficult to accept, but thanked fans for continuing to show their support.


‘It hurts’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-rues-huge-loss-of-points-after-singapore-dnf-it-hurts


Alpine believe ‘similar issue’ caused their Singapore double DNF
Monday 3rd October 2022 8:00 PM
Jon Wilde

Alpine have indicated the problems that forced Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon’s retirements from the Singapore Grand Prix were related. Within seven laps of each other and before the halfway mark, both Alpine drivers had stopped by the side of the Marina Bay circuit which was drying out after heavy rain and a 65-minute delay to the race start.

It was a desperately poor weekend for Alpine as their arch-rivals this season, McLaren, capitalised on their double DNF by taking fourth and fifth places respectively through Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. That meant Alpine are down to fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, now trailing McLaren by four points.

“A pity as we’ve been very competitive all weekend,” was Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer’s take on events. “It looks like we suffered a similar power unit issue on both cars which we will investigate in detail. It’s important we identify the root cause of what happened and put preventative measures in place to avoid a repeat.”

‘Similar issue caused their Singapore double DNF’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine-similar-issue-singapore-dnf/


‘Put Fernando Alonso in other people’s cars, and he would’ve won more titles’
Tuesday 4th October 2022 11:00 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Max Verstappen said that if it had been Fernando Alonso in the world title-winning cars, then he would have won more than his current two. Alonso muscled his way to the pinnacle of Formula 1 back in 2005, winning his first World Championship to end the dominant streak of Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher, who had won five titles in a row between 2000-2004.

Verstappen is now on the verge of crowning himself a two-time champ, which would also be achieved in back-to-back seasons like Alonso did. Discussing that topic in Singapore, Alonso would bring up his own stats in reference to the upcoming achievement which now seems like a formality for Verstappen.

“He’s 24 or 25, no? So there’s still a lot in front of him, but I wish him more luck than me because I was also 26 with those stats and still have the same stats at 40!” Alonso stated. In response, Verstappen said that looking back, Alonso would have won further titles if he was in the dominant cars that have taken drivers to the Formula 1 summit in past years.

‘Would’ve won more titles’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-verstappen-fernando-alonso-more-titles/


Pierre Gasly deal with Alpine inching closer with Nyck de Vries teed up by AlphaTauri as F1 driver market takes shape
4 Oct 2022
James Dielhenn

Pierre Gasly could finalise his move to Alpine ahead of the F1 Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, says Helmut Marko. The F1 2023 driver line-up is nearing completion and Gasly’s expected switch from AlphaTauri to Alpine is one of the few remaining major changes.

Nyck de Vries is teed up by AlphaTauri as his replacement and the whole saga could be closed within days. “There are talks,” Red Bull consultant Marko told the Austrian TV ORF. “And we hope to have a clear situation by next weekend. I assume that should be decided by Suzuka. Then can we say what’s the deal.

“First the Gasly thing has to be clarified then it will be decided who comes to AlphaTauri. “For AlphaTauri, it must not be a deterioration. That means it must be a high-profile and fast driver.”

‘Pierre Gasly deal with Alpine inching closer’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1013764/1/gasly-s-alpine-deal-inches-closer-driver-market-dominoes-fall

[Fortitude]

Russell: Mercedes definitely had a car capable of winning.
The Mercedes driver thinks the world champions let the chance for a first victory of the season slip through their fingers at the 2022 Singapore GP
October 3, 2022
By Andrew Wright

Despite finishing last of the 14 drivers who crossed the line at the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix, George Russell insists Mercedes had a car that could have won on merit around the Marina Bay circuit.

The world champions arrived in Singapore with cause for optimism but Russell‘s hopes of a first F1 victory went up in smoke after a brake issue in qualifying and a new engine meant he started from the pit lane, while Lewis Hamilton could only manage ninth after he locked up in pursuit of Carlos Sainz and ended up hitting the barrier at Turn 7.

“Firstly, confidence restored that we fixed the car today and we had our normal pace,” Russell told reporters. “We definitely had a car this weekend that was capable of winning.

‘The chance for a first victory of the season slipped through their fingers’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-russell-mercedes-definitely-car-capable-winning-2022-singapore-gp/


‘We had a car to win’ – Russell admits he and Mercedes missed a golden opportunity in Singapore.
George Russell reckons Mercedes could have claimed their first victory of the 2022 F1 season on merit at the Singapore Grand Prix, had he and his team executed a cleaner weekend.
03 October 2022
Formula 1.

Russell suffered a surprise Q2 exit at the Marina Bay Street Circuit as brake issues – which followed several off-track excursions in practice – scuppered his efforts, with Mercedes electing to turn his P11 grid spot into a pit lane start by fitting a host of new power unit elements.

Working his way up the order from the back of the field, Russell was the first driver to make the switch from intermediates to slicks as the wet-dry race developed, but any hopes of a points finish were dashed when he clashed with Haas driver Mick Schumacher and picked up a puncture.

After crossing the line as the final finisher in 14th, with the fastest lap to his name, Russell said: “We were in no man’s land, to be honest. Potentially it was [worth switching to slicks], because at the restart we were flying – I overtook three people on one lap after the Safety Car.”

‘We had a car to win’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.we-had-a-car-to-win-russell-admits-he-and-mercedes-missed-a-golden.mdSvotNVPI3m33FnW8oRD.html


George Russell: Mercedes driver confident over 2023 car design philosophy
Last Updated: 04/10/22 9:40am
SKY Sports.

George Russell has revealed a new "philosophy" Mercedes are working towards on their 2023 car design has left him confident of a return to contention next season.

Mercedes have endured, by their extremely-high standards, a dismal 2022 campaign, failing to challenge Max Verstappen and Red Bull for both the drivers' and constructors' world championships.

A series of performance issues with the W13 has left Mercedes without a win going into the final five races of the season, while a poor weekend in Singapore saw them fall away from Ferrari in the battle for second in the constructors' standings.

‘Confident over 2023 car design philosophy’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12711239/george-russell-mercedes-driver-confident-over-2023-car-design-philosophy


Wolff reflects on 'tough lesson' for Mercedes in Singapore.
As they look to challenge Ferrari for P2 in the Constructors' Championship, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits that the team's hopes have taken a knock following a challenging weekend for them at the Singapore Grand Prix.
‎03‎ ‎October‎ ‎17‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Wolff was left frustrated that Mercedes were unable to utilise the pace that the car had displayed during the weekend. "This season has given us several tough lessons – and today was another one," Wolff explained after the race.

"We started from opposite ends of the grid with our two cars, but we couldn't capitalise on the car's race pace with either of them, when it came to an end result. Lewis was fighting for the podium for much of the race – but also battling a car balance that was on a knife edge today, in difficult conditions and on the bumpy surface.”

"After he locked up and damaged the wing, the stop to change tyres and the nose cost him position – then he lost out even more when cars ahead pitted under Safety Car and jumped ahead. That left him stuck in a train of cars on very similar aged tyres, and he couldn't make up any ground.”

'Tough lesson';

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-reflects-on-tough-lesson-for-mercedes-in-singapore


Mercedes dealt "tough lessons" in Singapore slip - Wolff
Monday 3 October 2022 18:10
Ewan Gale

After a power unit change triggered a pit lane start, Russell struggled to make progress in the wet opening stages of the race. A gamble in switching early to slicks failed to pay off before contact with Mick Schumacher's Haas left Russell outside of the points.

"We rolled the dice on dry tyres when he was running out of the points," said Wolff. "In hindsight, it was clearly too early, but he had nothing to lose, so we were prepared to take the gamble. "Even so, as the race unfolded, he was still on course to make it back to the points until the collision with Mick, which put him last on the road.”

"The biggest frustration is that we couldn't build on the signs of competitive performance we saw in FP2 and in qualifying." With Ferrari securing a double podium, Mercedes' hopes of clinching second in the constructors' championship is now a steep climb as it trails the Scuderia by 67 points.

‘We rolled the dice on dry tyres’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/92927/singapore-grand-prix-mercedes-toto-wolff/


Toto Wolff offers excuse for Lewis Hamilton’s shocking performance
Sir Lewis Hamilton finished ninth in Singapore, while George Russell slumped to P14.
4 October 2022
by James Clifford

Hamilton lost third off the start to Carlos Sainz and, in his haste to pass the Spaniard, locked up at Turn Seven, sailing off into the barrier. Somewhat remarkably, he was able to continue with some damage to his front wing, but he later had a sideways moment while trying to leapfrog Sebastian Vettel.


Toto Wolff: “Lewis was fighting for the podium for much of the race – but also battling a car balance that was on a knife edge today, in difficult conditions and on the bumpy surface. After he locked up and damaged the wing, the stop to change tyres and the nose cost him position, then he lost out even more when cars ahead pitted under Safety Car and jumped ahead.”

“That left him stuck in a train of cars on very similar aged tyres, and he couldn’t make up any ground. The biggest frustration today is that we couldn’t build on the signs of competitive performance we saw in FP2 and in qualifying.”

‘Toto Wolff offers excuse’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-offers-excuse-for-lewis-hamiltons-shocking-performance/

[Fortitude]

Honda logo to return to Red Bull and AlphaTauri cars from Japanese GP onwards.
Honda will feature their logo on the AlphaTauri AT03 and Red Bull RB18 from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards as they ramp up their partnership with their former F1 engine customers.
05 October 2022
Formula 1.

Although the Japanese marque officially left F1 at the end of 2021, having powered Max Verstappen to his maiden title with Red Bull, Honda still have a presence in the sport. In August they extended their support deal with Red Bull Powertrains and have admitted an interest in the new-for-2026 power unit regulations.

And starting with this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, and continuing until at least the end of the season, the Honda logo will return to the cars of both AlphaTauri and Red Bull. Furthermore, Singapore Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez will become an ambassador for the Suzuka-based Honda Racing School, which mentors those aged 15-21.

“Honda has invested significantly in hybrid technology over the course of our partnership,” began Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner. “This has ensured the supply of competitive power units to both teams, for which we are very grateful. Our combined goal is to continue to deliver dominant engines and achieve the most success possible in the following three years. To mark this, we look forward to welcoming the Honda logo back on to the car from Suzuka onwards.”

‘Honda logo to return’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.honda-logo-to-return-to-red-bull-and-alphatauri-cars-from-japanese-gp.4YmufSIEOYyjOtGGaVJ6Jq.html


Japanese Grand Prix weather: Rain forecasted during Suzuka race weekend
Wednesday 5th October 2022 5:30 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Formula 1 returns to Suzuka for the first time since 2019 to contest the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, and you probably need an umbrella. Like Singapore where Formula 1 revisited last weekend, the Japanese Grand Prix also had been absent from Formula 1 for the past couple of years due to the global pandemic, but now makes its much-anticipated return to the schedule.

Formula 1 will come armed with challengers looking far different to their 2019 predecessors, while the 2022 World Champion could well be crowned at Suzuka. It was a messy weekend for Max Verstappen in Singapore, who had an against-the-odds chance of sealing his second title there and then. Finishing the race P7, it meant moving on to Japan with Charles Leclerc and Singapore victor Sergio Perez just about still in contention.

For the first time though it is all now in Verstappen’s hands. If he wins the Japanese Grand Prix, which he is yet to do in his career, and takes the bonus point for fastest lap, then there is nothing Leclerc nor Perez can do, Verstappen will be a two-time World Champion. Japan is of course the preferred destination for Red Bull to see Verstappen crowned champion, as it is the home race for their power unit supporter Honda, who it was announced ahead of the race weekend have ramped up their partnership with the Red Bull teams with the return of their logos, plus some further initiatives.

‘Japan is of course the preferred destination for Red Bull’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/2022-japanese-grand-prix-weather/


Japanese Grand Prix: 5 dramatic moments from the F1 archive
05 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Check out five of the most dramatic moments at the Japanese Grand Prix, from a three-wheeled Jacques Villeneuve to a Daniil Kvyat flip.

‘5 dramatic moments’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.japanese-grand-prix-5-dramatic-moments-from-the-f1-archive.1745862165197176660.html


Alfa Romeo ‘need to score’ at Suzuka after ‘stupid incident’ last weekend
2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Posted on 5th October 2022, 12:17
Written by Ida Wood and Will Wood

Alfa Romeo’s head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar says the team “need” to score points in this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, having taken a single point from the last eight races.

“We just need to make sure that we score some points in Suzuka, and need to keep pushing,” said Pujolar. “I think it’s more tough for Haas and AlphaTauri. But for sure we cannot back off.” The team expects to make some development gains before the end of the season, said Pujolar. “We will have some upgrades in the next events.

“We just need to make sure that we qualify stronger than what we did here, and still [make sure the] start, lap one improves, and we should be then fighting with the guys in the top 10 as well, as several times this year. What we expect is we want to be fighting for the Q3 on Saturday, and from there we want to fight for the points with both cars. That’s what I want, the expectation.”

‘Alfa Romeo need to score’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/05/alfa-romeo-need-to-score-at-suzuka-after-stupid-incident-last-weekend/


Verstappen's title charge and Suzuka's return – 5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the Japanese GP
05 October 2022
Chris Medland
Special contributor

Fresh from a dramatic race in Singapore, it’s the return of another exciting venue as Formula 1 heads to Japan for the first time since 2019. Here are a few of the topics we expect to be doing the rounds when the paddock reconvenes in Suzuka…
1. Title permutations for Verstappen
2. The budget cap
3. Midfield fights
4. Driver market movement
5. Stunning Suzuka

‘5 Storylines’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappens-title-charge-and-suzukas-return-5-storylines-were-excited-about.nkIqnbNjrcstyuWc6API9.html

[Fortitude]

Yuki Tsunoda back home for Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
“Yuki is a faster driver than I am,” Verstappen says in Japanese in a funny Twitter post. It’s unclear if the Red Bull driver— who can clinch his second straight season title on Sunday — knew what he was saying.
October 05, 2022 11:50 PM
By STEPHEN WADE AP Sports Writer

SUZUKA, JAPAN
There's no place like home for Yuki Tsunoda, Japan's only Formula One driver who will be an overwhelming fan favorite in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix. Tsunoda will be wearing a special helmet designed by a fan, he's all over social media because of a karaoke session in Japan with AlphaTauri teammate Pierre Gasly, and he has even taught defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen a few words of Japanese.

Images of Tsunoda's face are also up on posters all around the track area. “It's definitely cool,” Tsunoda said Thursday “Currently, I don't feel like it's pressure. It really makes me feel supported and gives me extra energy.” Tsunoda isn't yet in Verstappen's class, but he's a rising talent and one of only two Asian drivers in F1 along with China's Zhou Guanyu. Tsunoda has earned 11 points this season — all in the first six races. Zhou has six points with Alfa Romeo,

Verstappen has 341 points, 104 ahead of Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, and 106 clear of his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. Five races remain in the season, including the Japanese GP. “I think, realistically that Max is going to be a champion — if not this weekend it's going to be very, very soon,” Leclerc said. Tsunoda should have an advantage at Suzuka. He learned racing there as a graduate of the so-called Suzuka Racing School, and said he's driven on the track in central Japan since 2016. “I drove here like more than 10,000 laps or whatever,” he said. “So I know a lot of tricks.”

Max: “Yuki is a faster driver than I am,”;

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/sports/article266890556.html#storylink=mainstage_lead


How Max Verstappen can pip Charles Leclerc to F1 title this Sunday at Japanese Grand Prix.
For the first time this season Verstappen has the chance to bag the championship, irrespective of what any other driver does. The 25-year-old just needs to win the Japanese race and cement the fastest lap to get his hands on the trophy for a second time.
Max Verstappen looks certain to get his hands on his second consecutive F1 world title this year.
05:15, Thu, Oct 6, 2022
By Tom Parsons

Max Verstappen currently leads the F1 Drivers’ Championship by a whopping 104 points. The Red Bull ace, whose nearest rival is Ferrari star Charles Leclerc, is closing in on title glory despite finishing a lowly seventh at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday. And he looks set to win his second consecutive world championship trophy after getting his hands on it for the first time last December.

If Verstappen wins the Suzuka race but doesn’t secure the fastest lap point, he will need Leclerc to finish third or lower to become champion. Perez will be out of the running for the title if Verstappen crosses the line in first position.

While Verstappen will be focused on his own race at the Japanese Grand Prix, he doesn’t necessarily need to win it to become champion. The Dutchman only needs to bag eight more points than Leclerc and six more points than Perez to get this hands on the title.

‘Second consecutive F1 world title’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1678792/Max-Verstappen-Charles-Leclerc-Red-Bull-Ferrari-F1-news-Japanese-Grand-Prix-Lewis-Hamilton


Max Verstappen has chance to end six-year Mercedes stronghold at Japanese Grand Prix
Max Verstappen is within touching distance of winning his second world championship.
By Sam Smith
18:08, Wed, Oct 5, 2022

Max Verstappen can give himself the best chance of winning the world championship at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix by overcoming the huge stronghold Mercedes have had on the event over the last decade. The Red Bull ace hopes to have the title wrapped up soon to avoid a late comeback from Charles Leclerc or even team-mate Sergio Perez.

Verstappen remains 104 points ahead of Leclerc and will surely win the championship in the coming weeks, if not in Japan. Among several permutations this weekend, the simplest is for Verstappen to win the Grand Prix while securing an extra point for the fastest lap.

‘Within touching distance of winning his second world championship’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1678739/Max-Verstappen-Mercedes-Japanese-Grand-Prix-Red-Bull-Lewis-Hamilton-F1-news


Lando Norris and McLaren 'back in the fight' for Japan GP
06 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

McLaren's Lando Norris says it's "good to be back'" in Japan and hopes to extend their lead against Alpine during the 2022 Formula 1 Japanese GP.

'Back in the fight';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.lando-norris-and-mclaren-back-in-the-fight-for-japan-gp.1745912360871088303.html


Valtteri Bottas has 'high expectations' with new upgrades for the Japan GP
06 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Hoping to "fight for some good points" in Japan, Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas is feeling hopeful in his first return since his 2019 win at Suzuka.

'High expectations';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.valtteri-bottas-has-high-expectations-with-new-upgrades-for-the-japan-gp.1745913001942154444.html


Magnussen on Suzuka Return: “I think it should be alright, it could be good for us”
By Paul Hensby
October 6, 2022

The Dane says coming back to the historic circuit, which has hosted many memorable races across the years, is good, and he is hoping to return to the points this weekend for the first time since the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

“I have memories of watching Formula 1 and it was one of those tracks where, as a kid, it made me want to try it that much more,” said Magnussen. “It has a lot of history – obviously with [Ayrton] Senna and [Alain] Prost, and Honda of course – but for me we’ve scored a few points, and I’m hoping to score more on our return.”

“I think it should be alright, it could be good for us. It’s not a low downforce track so we should be able to run the optimal package for the track. With these cars, Japan is going to be easier to overtake on because it always used to be following.”

‘It could be good for us’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/magnussen-on-suzuka-return-i-think-it-should-be-alright-it-could-be-good-for-us/

[Fortitude]

Leclerc expecting 'very very strong' Red Bull at Suzuka.
Charles Leclerc is bracing for a strong weekend by Red Bull at Suzuka, but the Ferrari driver vows to focus on his own performance and on executing a good race on Sunday.
06/10/2022 at 14:53
Phillip van Osten

"Red Bull will be very strong here," Leclerc said on Thursday. "It’s a track where you run the car in a similar position to Spa and I expect them to be very, very strong. So hopefully we learned well in Spa and we will be stronger than we were there."

"I think, realistically, Max is going to be champion – if it’s not this weekend, it’s going to be very, very soon," said Leclerc. "But we need to focus on ourselves, try to execute well this Sunday. Because the performance is not what we lacked this year.”

"If we look from the first race through to now, we’ve always been strong and the performance was always good enough to actually fight for wins – apart from some offs, but there weren’t many. I think it’s mostly about trying to put everything together coming into Sunday – strategy, tyre management, that’s where we are focussing on at the moment.”

‘Expecting 'very very strong' Red Bull’;

https://f1i.com/news/456158-leclerc-expecting-very-very-strong-display-by-red-bull-at-suzuka.html


Why Ferrari are expecting an intense test for tyres at Suzuka
06/10/2022, ‎07‎:‎00
Author Michael Butterworth

With high tyre wear expected during the Japanese Grand Prix, Ferrari's Head of Tyre Science explains how the Scuderia plan to approach the weekend. Ferrari are expecting high tyre wear at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit. "It's a very high energy track, characterised by its high speed sections with frequent changes of direction," said Galbally.

"It is an anomaly in the season in terms of left-to-right energy distribution, being the most symmetric track of the year (with as much energy turning left as you have turning right). Due to the high energy content, Pirelli brings the three hardest compounds available (C1/C2/C3), which is actually the least common combination, only used at five races, with Japan being the last of them.”
"Tyre wear rates are on the high side, because of the long combined corners, while the track abrasion level is typically on the medium to high side. The combination of all these factors, along with the unpredictable weather, makes Suzuka an intense test for every aspect of tyre management."

‘An intense test for tyres at Suzuka’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-ferrari-are-expecting-an-intense-test-for-tyres-at-suzuka


Leclerc Exclusive: "That's when I realised I wasn't going to win the F1 title"
06/10/2022, ‎18‎:‎30
Author Dieter Rencken
Co-author Rory Mitchell

In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365, Charles Leclerc opens up about the title fight with Max Verstappen and the moment when he realised that he lost the championship battle. On the eve of the Japanese Grand Prix, where Verstappen can clinch his second title, RacingNews365.com sat down with Leclerc to look back on his season.

The Monagasque says it took a long time before he realised that it would be an impossible task to take the lead back from the Dutchman. "After the Belgian Grand Prix I realised that I was not going to win the world championship," said Leclerc.

"We came back just after the summer break and then of course you think back to the first part of the year, but I still believed in the title! Then we saw that gap in performance between us and Red Bull at Spa, a gap we had never seen in the first part of the year, so I knew it was going to be very difficult."

‘We saw that gap in performance between us and Red Bull at Spa’;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-exclusive-thats-when-i-realised-i-wasnt-going-to-win-the-f1-title


Sainz demands Ferrari 'gather momentum' with strong run of results in final races of 2022
05 October 2022
Formula 1.

Carlos Sainz says Ferrari must end the season on a high to set themselves up for a renewed championship fight in 2023. The Scuderia arrive in Japan having outscored Red Bull and Mercedes last Sunday in Singapore, with Charles Leclerc having finished second and Sainz third at Marina Bay.

“Personally, I would like… a bit of gathering momentum before next year,” said Sainz in Singapore. “Because this year, for me, has been characterised by never getting more than two or three consecutive good races, always have a reliability issue, bad pit-stop, a strategy issue that comes into play.”

“When you're about to get in a good run of races, you know, that is so important in Formula 1 to gather a bit of momentum and get the confidence for the team and for myself building.” Sainz added that he would like to stop Red Bull breaking the record for victories in a season, with Max Verstappen two away from his 13th Grand Prix win of 2022 – a record set by Michael Schumacher in 2004 and equalled by Sebastian Vettel in 2013.

‘Sainz demands Ferrari 'gather momentum' ’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.sainz-demands-ferrari-gather-momentum-with-strong-run-of-results-in-final.pvQckPQytXeCXmTl8F5Do.html


Leclerc confident poor Singapore start won’t be repeated at Suzuka
2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Posted on 6th October 2022, 13:22
Written by Will Wood

Charles Leclerc is confident he will make a better start at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix after losing the lead off the line in Singapore. The Ferrari driver started on pole position but was beaten to the first corner by Sergio Perez, who started second and went on to win the race. Perez led every lap while Leclerc chased the Red Bull and finished second.

“I think we’ve been pretty strong with starts all year long,” Leclerc said. “Looking back at Singapore, I don’t think we did anything bad. “Myself, Lewis and Fernando all had bad starts going on the patch on the right-hand side. That was a little bit unfortunate. I’m confident that the start will be fine this weekend.

Suzuka’s starting grid is unusual due to the slight downhill gradient the pit straight sits on. Leclerc said it makes little difference to drivers’ starting techniques. “You just need to remember to stay on the brakes until the lights are out, otherwise, you roll and it’s a stupid penalty,” he explained. “But apart from that it doesn’t change much.”

‘Leclerc confident poor Singapore start won’t be repeated’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/06/leclerc-confident-poor-singapore-start-wont-be-repeated-at-suzuka/


RACE WEEKEND: FORMULA 1 HONDA JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2022
Formula 1.

Get up to speed with everything you need to know about the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, which takes place over 53 laps of the 5.807-kilometre Suzuka International Racing Course on Sunday, October 9.
Using the links above you can find the full weekend schedule, including details of practice and qualifying sessions, support races, press conferences and special events, plus the latest news headlines, circuit information and F1 race results.
You can also find broadcast information, with details of how and where you can watch the race on TV, or download the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix schedule to your mobile device.

‘Get up to speed with everything you need to know’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2022/Japan.html

[Fortitude]

Alonso fastest in wet first Japanese Grand Prix practice at Suzuka.
Alonso's 1m:42.268s effort was good enough to secure P1 - the first time he has done so since FP3 at the Canadian Grand Prix in June.
07/10/2022, ‎05‎:‎00
Author Jake Nichol

Fernando Alonso was quickest at Suzuka as F1 returned to Japan for the first time since 2019 in a wet first practice session. Alonso's 1m:42.268s effort was good enough to secure P1 - the first time he has done so since FP3 at the Canadian Grand Prix in June.

Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc slotted in behind, with Alonso's Alpine teammate Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen of Haas rounding out the top five. Max Verstappen was sixth for Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton 13th for Mercedes.

In the dying embers of the session, Mick Schumacher hit the barriers hard on the exit of Dunlop, destroying the front end of his Haas and preventing him from taking to the track in FP2.

‘Alonso fastest’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-fastest-in-wet-first-japanese-grand-prix-practice-at-suzuka


(FP1) First Practice Results – 2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka, Japan
07/10/2022, 05:10
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Fernando Alonso Alpine -1:42.248
2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.315
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.386
4. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.774
5. Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.010
6. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +1.114
7. Mick Schumacher Haas +1.513
8. Lando Norris McLaren +1.641
9. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.721
10. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.986

‘Japanese Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from a wet first practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Suzuka’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-practice-results-2022-japanese-grand-prix-80167


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from first practice for the Japanese Grand Prix
07 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula1.

‘As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-first-practice-in-japan-2022.4t6rC9Wi8879YsQisLNHu2.html


Formula 1: Yuki Tsunoda given hero's welcome ahead of Japanese Grand Prix
Tsunoda is in his second season in Formula One with Alpha Tauri and will make his long-awaited Japanese Grand Prix debut when the race returns from a three-year absence because of the pandemic
October 07, 2022 09:21:50 IST
Agence France-Presse

Suzuka: Four years ago Yuki Tsunoda was watching the Japanese Grand Prix from the stands – now giant pictures of his face welcome him to the Suzuka circuit as he prepares to drive in Sunday’s race. Tsunoda is in his second season in Formula One with Alpha Tauri and will make his long-awaited Japanese Grand Prix debut when the race returns from a three-year absence because of the pandemic.

The 22-year-old says he feels no pressure despite three huge pictures of his face adorning the grandstand. Instead he is looking forward to the “extra energy” he says the home fans will bring him. “It’s just hard to imagine I’m driving there because four years ago I was one of the spectators watching these guys here, and now I’m driving in front of the Japanese fans,”

Tsunoda, who has already agreed to stay with Alpha Tauri next season, said Thursday. “I didn’t expect the huge pictures at the grandstand. It feels really supportive and gives me extra energy.” Tsunoda said he has been mobbed on his return to Japan, with fans welcoming him at the airport and waiting outside his hotel.

‘Yuki Tsunoda given hero's welcome ahead of Japanese Grand Prix’;

https://www.firstpost.com/sports/formula-one-yuki-tsunoda-given-heros-welcome-ahead-of-japanese-grand-prix-11401471.html


2022 Japanese GP FP1: Tsunoda makes Formula 1 debut at Suzuka
07 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda makes his Formula debut at his home race during first practice for the 2022 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

‘Tsunoda makes Formula 1 debut’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2022-japanese-gp-fp1-tsunoda-makes-formula-1-debut-at-suzuka.1745999944405130614.html


Max Verstappen manages only four laps in Japanese Grand Prix first practice before torrential rain turned the Suzuka racetrack into a river... but Fernando Alonso puts in a masterful drive to set the pace
• Championship leader was taking no chances as the heavens opened in Suzuka
• Red Bull driver went four laps in first practice before returning to the pit lane
• Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell managed 10 laps combined
• That left Alonso, soon to leave Alpine, the star of the show as he set the pace
Published: 06:13, 7 October 2022
By Nathan Salt For Mailonline

‘Fernando Alonso puts in a masterful drive’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11290301/Japanese-Grand-Prix-Max-Verstappen-manages-four-laps-heavy-rain-practice.html


2022 Japanese GP FP1: Schumacher crashes after ‘huge aquaplaning’
07 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Haas Mick Schumacher experiences “huge aquaplaning” before spinning and crashing into the Suzuka barriers at the end of first practice for the 2022 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.

“Huge aquaplaning”;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2022-japanese-gp-fp1-schumacher-crashes-after-huge-aquaplaning.1746003473038482807.html


Mick Schumacher wrecks Haas in Japanese Grand Prix crash as he fights for F1 future.
Mick Schumacher destroys Haas in Japanese Grand Prix crash as he fights for F1 future Daily and Sunday Express.
Mick Schumacher's Japanese Grand Prix weekend got off to the worst possible start.
06:18, Fri, Oct 7, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Mick Schumacher was involved in another accident as pressure continues to mount on the German over his F1 future. The Haas star lost control in Japanese Grand Prix practice after appearing to clip a puddle in the difficult conditions.

Team boss Guenther Steiner has already criticised Schumacher for two previous accidents this season. The young German cost the team millions of pounds after accidents at the Saudi Arabian and Monaco Grands Prix.

Last month, Steiner confirmed he didn't know whether Schumacher would stay with the team for next season. It is believed the former F2 champion still has a chance to keep his drive with more consistent performances over the last five races.

‘Mick Schumacher wrecks Haas’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1679435/mick-schumacher-haas-japanese-grand-prix-crash-news-latest

[Fortitude]

Japanese GP: Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in wet second F1 practice.
George Russell headed a Mercedes 1-2 in a sodden second practice ahead of Formula 1's 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen was eighth tenths adrift and Charles Leclerc struggled.
Oct 7, 2022, 8:32 AM
By: Matt Kew
Motorsport.com

The Silver Arrows duo looked strong on the intermediate compound to lead FP2 and showed few signs of the usual W13 struggle of generating sufficient tyre temperature.

Verstappen, who could win his second title this weekend, was some eight tenths in arrears as Leclerc took a visit to the gravel in his Ferrari to lap only 110th fastest.

With the 3.6-mile circuit still sodden, no one ventured out initially for the 90-minute session - FP2 having been extended by half an hour to theoretically accommodate a Pirelli test run.

‘Mercedes 1-2 in wet’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/japanese-gp-russell-leads-mercedes-1-2-in-wet-second-f1-practice/10380669/


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Japanese Grand Prix.
Suzuka, Japan
07/10/2022, 08:34
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. George Russell Mercedes -1:41.935
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.235
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.851
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.899
5. Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.252
6. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +1.269
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.598
8. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.798
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.949
10. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +2.590

‘Japanese Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Suzuka’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second-practice-results-2022-japanese-grand-prix-80170


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from second practice for the Japanese Grand Prix
07 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

‘As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-second-practice-in-japan-2022.7zs1jRniCOXHPi8r7yHCpr.html


Russell fastest in practice around soggy Suzuka
Suzuka, Japan
07/10/2022, 08:44
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Japanese Grand Prix – George Russell put in the fastest time of the day as the Mercedes were the best in the rain as F1 made it’s return to Japan. The second practice of the Japanese Grand Prix had been scheduled for an extended 90 minute session to allow for Pirelli to run a test of their 2023 prototype tyres however with a wet circuit the test was postponed but, for some reason, the additional time would stay on the clock.

Russell’s remained as the only driver to set a sub-1:42 lap with a 1:41.935 as the best of the day, Hamilton ended FP2 in P2 just over two tenths slower than his teammate’s time and the only other driver to set a time faster than Fernando Alonso’s best in FP1.

The two Red Bulls slotted in over eight tenths behind the Mercedes with Verstappen just quicker than Sergio Perez. A late fast lap by Magnussen saw him move up into the top ten, the Haas driver slotting into P5 just 0.017 ahead of Sainz.

‘Soggy Suzuka’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/russell-fastest-in-practice-around-soggy-suzuka-80177


Rain forces Pirelli’s planned Japanese GP tyre test to be moved to Mexico weekend
07 October 2022
Formula 1.

Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli have been forced to reschedule the 2023 dry tyre testing they had arranged for second practice at the Japanese Grand Prix due to poor weather conditions.

In a bid to help the Italian manufacturer with their preparations for next season, teams had agreed to extend Friday’s FP2 session at Suzuka from 60 to 90 minutes, with unmarked development rubber set aside for use.

However, heavy rain overnight and into Friday morning soaked the figure-of-eight circuit, with the inclement weather expected to continue for the remainder of the day, before clearing up as the weekend develops.

‘Pirelli’s tyre test to be moved to Mexico weekend’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.rain-forces-pirellis-planned-japanese-gp-tyre-test-to-be-moved-to-mexico.1FwmhU7pM5mVQLo6GzT2F6.html


Mick Schumacher wrecks Haas with crash after practice at Japanese GP as F1 hopes fade.
08:34, 7 OCT 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Mick Schumacher suffered a bizarre crash after a practice session at the Japan Grand Prix at Suzuka, ruling him out of the second session and denying him crucial running as he looks to secure his F1 future

The chequered flag had been thrown to mark the end of the session and the cars were making their way back to the grid to do practice starts or to return to the pits. However, Schumacher never made it as he suffered a high-speed crash on what should have been a cool-down lap, spinning and slamming into the barriers at high speed, wrecking the front of his car and damaging his floor and chassis.

As a result, Schumacher was ruled out of the second practice session as Haas started rebuilding his car ahead of Saturday’s running. The lack of running will rob the German of both confidence and preparation time ahead of a crucial race as he fights to save his F1 career. The former Formula 2 champion has endured a difficult second season at the sport’s top table, suffering several heavy crashes in the first half of the campaign.

‘Bizarre crash after a practice session’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/mick-schumacher-crash-f1-japan-28175864

[Fortitude]

Schumacher crash damage “quite frustrating” for Haas – Steiner.
“Tomorrow morning the car will be there. The guys will have a late evening but they will fix the car again and we have got all the parts, that is not an issue. So it will be there.”
Posted on 7th October 2022, 9:01
Written by Keith Collantine
2022 Japanese Grand Prix

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner said it is “quite frustrating” the team had to change Mick Schumacher’s chassis again following his crash in practice for the Japanese Grand Prix.

“It’s disappointing because we just went out to do a race start so we get data for Sunday,” Steiner told the official F1 channel, “and then on the way in from the race start Mick crashed the car, aquaplaned and crashed into the barrier and damaged the car quite heavily.” The crash meant Schumacher was unable to take part in the second practice session as the team decided to replace his chassis as a precaution. “The whole front end is broken,” Steiner explained. “But we have to change also the chassis because we are not sure if there is a crack in it or not and you cannot take any risk with the chassis.”

“It’s the third time now that we have potential chassis damage,” he acknowledged. “I say potential because we need to X-ray it and see if it is cracked or not. But it is quite frustrating.” Schumacher’s car will be back on track for final practice tomorrow, Steiner confirmed. “Tomorrow morning the car will be there. The guys will have a late evening but they will fix the car again and we have got all the parts, that is not an issue. So it will be there.”

‘Crash damage “quite frustrating” for Haas’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/07/schumacher-crash-damage-quite-frustrating-for-haas-steiner/


Mick Schumacher aquaplanes and crashes in Practice One
07/10/2022, 05:40
Sky Sports

Haas’ Mick Schumacher aquaplanes and crashes in the barrier after the end of Practice One at the Japanese F1.

‘Aquaplanes’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12714134/mick-schumacher-aquaplanes-and-crashes-in-fp1


Mick Schumacher crashes OUT of first practice for Japanese Grand Prix after collision with the barriers in Suzuka rain as the German’s miserable F1 season hits another low with his Haas future uncertain
• Mick Schumacher crashed out of the first practice ahead of Japanese Grand Prix
• The German lost control at the exit of turn 7 and smashed into the barriers
• Schumacher is out of contract at the end of the season and may not be retained
Published: 08:47, 7 October 2022
By Nathan Salt In Sazuka

Mick Schumacher’s miserable season delivered its latest low in Suzuka as the under-pressure German crashed out in first practice.

Schumacher was heading back to the pit-lane after the first session but lost control at the exit of Turn 7, sending him gliding across the gravel and smashing into the barriers.

Pieces of his car were strewn across the gravel but Schumacher was able to get out the car unharmed as he trudged back to the paddock, fuming at his latest mistake.

‘Mick Schumacher’s miserable season delivered its latest low’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11290565/Mick-Schumacher-crashes-practice-session-Japanese-Grand-Prix.html


Mick Schumacher suffers blow to Haas seat chances with huge smash in Japanese GP practice
Schumacher is currently driving to save his F1 career with Haas considering their options for next season, and this crash will not have done the German any favours
08:40, 7 Oct 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Mick Schumacher suffered a crash at the end of first practice on Friday which could prove to be another nail in the coffin for his Formula 1 prospects. The German has these final five race weekends of the season to save his F1 career, with Haas considering replacing him from next year. With that in mind he needs to produce some good displays, starting this weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix.

But he got off to the worst possible start by crashing his Haas at the end of the first practice session on Friday morning. He span off in the wet conditions, slamming hard into the barrier and causing significant damage to his VF-22. In fact, it was so extensive that Haas were forced to change the chassis of his car for the rest of the weekend. That meant he missed out on FP2, and in turn surrendered some vital track time at a venue where he has never raced in F1.

Schumacher sounded somewhat surprised by what had happened in the moments after the crash, which took place on the cool down lap on the way back to the pits. "Ah, I... just had a huge aquaplaning. Wow," he told his race engineer, before responding again to confirm that he was uninjured.

‘Span off in the wet conditions, slamming hard into the barrier and causing significant damage to his VF-22’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/mick-schumacher-crash-practice-suzuka-28175945


Steiner frustrated by Schumacher’s Suzuka F1 shunt after FP1
07/10/2022, 08:14
by Ashley Hambly
Motorsport Week

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner admits that he was left frustrated by Mick Schumacher’s crash that occurred after the chequered flag on Friday afternoon in Suzuka.

“In FP3 the car will be there tomorrow morning, the car will be there. The guys will have a late evening, but they will fix the car again and we’ve got all the parts, that’s not an issue.”

‘Guenther Steiner : In FP3 the car will be there’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/10/07/steiner-frustrated-with-schumachers-shunt-after-fp1-practice-start/

[Fortitude]

Guenther Steiner fuming at £450k Mick Schumacher crash "like on the motorway".
Haas boss' anger: "When driving back to the pits, you're not allowed to fly off... the water was already there on the previous lap," said Steiner.
15:50, 7 Oct 2022
By Daniel Moxon
F1 Writer
The Mirror

Schumacher's crash at the end of the first practice session at Suzuka on Friday was not his first costly smash of the year – and did little to boost his chances of keeping his Haas seat. Guenther Steiner: "The guys will have a late evening, but they will fix the car again and we've got all the parts, that's not an issue. So it will be there. It's the third time now [Schumacher has crashed in 2022]. The potential damage is only potential because we need to X-ray it and see if it's cracked enough – but it is quite, as you say, frustrating."

In a separate interview with Auto Motor und Sport, the Haas boss' anger was perhaps more clear as he revealed the likely cost of fixing all the damage caused in what he felt was an avoidable incident. "When driving back to the pits, you're not allowed to fly off... the water was already there on the previous lap," said Steiner.

"It was like aquaplaning on the motorway. The car floated up at the front and spun in one direction at the back. It was already standing sideways." With damage to the front wheel suspension on both sides, the wheel carriers, the underbody, the nose and the front wing, he estimated the cost of the fix to be around "half a million dollars".

“The guys will have a late evening”;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/guenther-steiner-fuming-mick-schumacher-28180880


Steiner: Another half a million euros of scrap!
No surprise then that Steiner did not mince his words when he told F1TV: “Another half a million euros of scrap! That simply mustn’t happen on the last lap back to the pits.
7 October, 2022
Paul Velasco

Mick Schmacher’s future in Formula 1 took a hard knock after he crashed heavily in FP1, of the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, ensuring a hefty repair job and big bucks bill for Haas, which infuriated team boss Guenther Steiner.

Conditions were tricky at Suzuka today – a venue where Mick’s father F1 legend Michael Schumacher won a record six times – especially for a driver who had never driven at Suzuka. And as was the case of young Schumacher.

Late into FP1, the Haas aquaplaned viciously giving its driver little chance as it speared the wall, breaking lots of bits and pieces at the front. “The whole front is broken, but we also have to change the whole chassis because we are not sure if there is a crack in it or not and you cannot take any risks with the chassis. It’s better to be 100% safe that the car is in good shape,” added Steiner.

‘Another half a million euros of scrap!’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/07/steiner-another-half-a-million-euros-of-rubbish-schumacher-fp1-crash-suzuka/


Steiner insists Schumacher crash "self-inflicted"
Friday 7 October 2022 14:05 - Updated: 14:12
Ewan Gale

Guenther Steiner has insisted Mick Schumacher's end-of-FP1 crash at the Japanese Grand Prix was "self-inflicted". The 23-year-old put the crash down to a lack of visibility, tyre temperatures and the aquaplaning, though team principal Steiner was less forgiving.

"There is nothing good in that crash," said Steiner. On whether he had spoken to his driver over the incident, Steiner replied: "Less is more, I didn't speak with him but less is more.”

"At some stage, in the spray you can't see but there was water before. I wouldn't doubt a driver saying how difficult it is but in the end, it is self-inflicted. There was water, we all know that."

‘Less is more’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93178/japanese-grand-prix-practice-guenther-steiner-mick-schumacher-crash/


Steiner: Schumacher’s Suzuka FP1 crash ‘self-inflicted’
07/10/2022, 13:49
• Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Read Motorsport

Mick Schumacher’s crash that ruled him out from taking part in second practice for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix was “self-inflicted”, says Haas Formula 1 boss Gunther Steiner. After setting the seventh-fastest time in a rain-soaked FP1 at Suzuka, Schumacher crashed on his in-lap back to the pits at the Dunlop Curve.

The damage was severe enough to force the German to sit out the afternoon session while the team changed the chassis on his VF-22.

Schumacher suffered two costly crashes in Saudi Arabia and Monaco earlier in the year that left him feeling the wrath of the team, as he fights to retain his seat alongside team-mate Kevin Magnussen for 2023.

‘Self-inflicted’;

https://readmotorsport.com/2022/10/07/steiner-schumachers-suzuka-fp1-crash-self-inflicted/


‘Little aquaplane moment’ eliminated Mick Schumacher from Friday practice
Friday 7th October 2022 1:15 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Mick Schumacher said a “little aquaplane moment” was the cause of his FP1 crash that meant his Friday at the Japanese Grand Prix went no further. Keeping it short and sweet when explaining to the media what happened, Schumacher said: “It was quite rainy, had a little aquaplane moment.” Schumacher admitted he and Haas now have more work to do tomorrow, but he is confident about the pace in the VF-22.

His team-mate Kevin Magnussen ended both FP1 and FP2 up in P5, while Schumacher was P7 at the end of the first practice session. “Of course it’s not amazing, we lost some time, especially in the FP2 session because we didn’t get to drive, mainly for safety reasons and the chassis,” said Schumacher.

“So now we’ve got to do more jobs tomorrow, but I think the track is great, the car felt great today, so I’m sure we will be hopefully in a good position and tomorrow should be dry, so we’ll see what we can do there.”

‘Little aquaplane moment’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mick-schumacher-fp1-crash-japan/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen leads Ferrari pair in final Japanese GP practice.
Max Verstappen set the fastest lap in Saturday's final practice at Suzuka, the Red Bull driver edging Ferrari's Carlos Sainz by 0.294s in the first dry session of the race weekend.
08/10/2022 at 05:17
Michael Delaney

After Friday's rain drenched day at Suzuka, teams were finally facing drier prospects on Saturday for the final dress rehearsal before qualifying.

After a lull in the track activity, qualifying sims became the norm and as the front-runners ramped up the pace, Verstappen knocked Sainz off the top spot with a 1m30.671s that put the Dutchman conclusively out of reach inthe closing stages of the session.

FP3 thus concluded with a Red Bull-Ferrari top three followed by Alonso and Perez who completed the top-five. Thereafter followed Russell and Hamilton while McLaren's Lando Norris, Ocon and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll rounded off the top ten.

‘Verstappen leads Ferrari pair’;

https://f1i.com/news/456375-verstappen-leads-ferrari-pair-in-final-japanese-gp-practice.html


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka, Japan
08/10/2022, 05:07
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:30.671
2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.294
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.309
4. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.649
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.843
6. George Russell Mercedes +0.859
7. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.918
8. Lando Norris McLaren +1.076
9. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.079
10. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.167

‘Japanese Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the only dry practice of the weekend, FP3, ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Suzuka’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-practice-results-2022-japanese-grand-prix-80186


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from third practice for the Japanese Grand Prix
08/10/2022, 03:51
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula One - Official Site

Hello and welcome back to a much drier Japan...
What a difference a day makes. Gone are yesterday's overcast skies spewing droplets of rain all over the track and creating rivers and puddles aplenty. Instead, the sun is out, the track is dry and FP3 is going to be jam-packed with action as a result.

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-third-practice-in-japan-2022.7wLAmywwYncjMDDx8PpC3j.html


Everything that happened in final Japanese GP F1 practice
08/10/2022, 05:18
The Race

Max Verstappen beat the Ferraris by three tenths of a second in the first dry running of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend at Suzuka.
________________________________________
Key moments
> Verstappen sets immediate rapid pace
> Ferraris on top in middle of session
> But Verstappen 0.294s clear in the end
> Session fully dry after Friday rain

‘Everything that happened’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/everything-that-happened-in-final-japanese-gp-f1-practice/


F1 – Verstappen quickest in final practice for Japanese Grand Prix
08.10.22
FIA (Press Release)

F1 Drivers’ World Championship leader Max Verstappen topped the final practice ahead of qualifying for the 2022 FIA Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix beating Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz by almost three tenths of a second in the first dry practice session of the sport’s return to Suzuka.

After heavy rain on Friday led to two sessions run on full wet or intermediate tyres, Saturday presented teams with more favourable conditions and led to a bust final hour as driver attempted to get a read on the C1-C3 slick tyres on offer in Suzuka.

Verstappen then returned the action, this time on medium tyres, and he demonstrated the superior pace of the Red Bull by jumping to P2, 0.351 off Sainz on the less grippy tyres. In the final ten minutes the session, with new softs for most, improvements came thick and fast. Leclerc used moved back to second, crossing the line just 0.015 off Sainz’s existing pace. Sainz then went for his qualifying simulation but couldn’t improve.

That left the door open for Verstappen and with purple times in all three sectors he jumped back to first place courtesy of a lap of 1:30.671s, 0.294 ahead of Sainz and just over three tenths clear of Leclerc.

‘Verstappen quickest’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-verstappen-quickest-final-practice-japanese-grand-prix


Max Verstappen reveals why his dad isn’t attending the Japanese GP
Max Verstappen could win his second world championship at the Japanese GP, but his dad won't be there to celebrate with him.
8 October 2022
by James Clifford

A win with the fastest lap will take the Red Bull man over the line, and Jos has previously stated his intent to be present at every race so that he can see the second championship come home.

However, Max has since confirmed that his dad is not going to be in Suzuka this weekend, and will instead be spending some quality time at home. “It’s also important to spend time with the family at home, that’s why he can’t be with everyone. But of course, we talk on the phone every day,” said Verstappen.

Jos has been competing in the Belgian Rally Championship this year, embarking on a new racing challenge having scored two podiums with Benetton in 1994.

‘Dad isn’t attending’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/max-verstappen-reveals-why-his-dad-isnt-attending-the-japanese-gp/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen on pole for Japanese GP but under investigation after Norris near-miss.
Max Verstappen secured a crucial pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix but now faces an anxious wait to see if he will retain top spot on the grid at Suzuka.
Saturday 8 October 2022 08:03
Ian Parkes

Verstappen, who can become a two-time champion by winning the race and claiming the point for the fastest lap, is under investigation following a hair-raising incident in Q3.

At one stage during the first runs of the session, McLaren's Lando Norris had to take to the grass out of the high-speed 130R to avoid Verstappen weaving in his Red Bull and travelling slowly in the middle of the circuit.

Verstappen's first lap in the top-10 shoot-out was good enough to clinch his fifth pole position of the season, finishing just 0.010secs ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, and his team's first at this track since 2013.

‘Verstappen on pole, but under investigation’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93267/japanese-grand-prix-2022-max-verstappen-pole-under-investigation-lando-norris/


Qualifying Results – 2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka, Japan
08/10/2022, 07:29
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Q3
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:29.304
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.010
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.057
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.405
5. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.861
6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.957
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.018
8. George Russell Mercedes +1.085
9. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.250
10. Lando Norris McLaren +1.699

‘Japanese Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship race in Suzuka’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying-results-2022-japanese-grand-prix-80208


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix
08 October 2022
08/10/2022, 06:44
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula One - Official Site

‘As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-qualifying-in-japan-2022.69YEdf9l8S40a0KjVtfmmR.html


Pierre Gasly in huge meltdown at Japanese Grand Prix hours after AlphaTauri exit confirmed
Pierre Gasly announced his AlphaTauri exit at the Japanese Grand Prix hours before qualifying.
07:35, Sat, Oct 8, 2022
By Joe Krishnan

Pierre Gasly vented his frustration with AlphaTauri after failing to make it out of the first qualifying session at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Frenchman had announced his exit from the Red Bull-owned team just hours before on Saturday morning and he was left fuming with his car's performance after only qualifying in 17th for Sunday's race at Suzuka.

Things did not get off to the best start in Q1 at Suzuka after failing to make it out of the bottom-five elimination zone after struggling with issues with his brakes. The 25-year-old was seen locking up into the hairpin and that mistake was costly as he failed to make it into Q2.

‘Pierre Gasly in huge meltdown’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1679941/Pierre-Gasly-radio-Japanese-Grand-Prix-AlphaTauri-Alpine-F1-news


Pierre Gasly to join Alpine for 2023
Published: 8 Oct 2022, 06:38
By George Dagless

Pierre Gasly’s expected move to Alpine for 2023 has been confirmed ahead of Japanese Grand Prix qualifying this morning, with him leaving AlphaTauri.

The Formula 1 driver market this year has really captured the imagination, and we’re now one step closer to knowing the full line-up on the grid for 2023.

Indeed, Gasly had signed a contract earlier this year to stay with AlphaTauri for at least one more season but after it was revealed Fernando Alonso would be leaving Alpine for Aston Martin, speculation quickly grew that Gasly was the team’s first pick for Esteban Ocon’s new partner.

‘Pierre Gasly to join Alpine’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88068742-pierre-gasly-to-join-alpine-for-2023

[Fortitude]

Max Verstappen crowned world champion as Charles Leclerc penalised after Japanese GP.
Sergio Perez was gifted P2 after Leclefc was handed a five-second penalty for running wide at the final chicane. It gives Verstappen a 113 point lead in the championship meaning he is above the 112 he needed.
09:24, Sun, Oct 9, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Max Verstappen has secured his second world title at the Japanese Grand Prix. Max Verstappen has clinched his second F1 crown after taking victory at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Red Bull star took the championship with four races remaining after a post-race penalty for Charles Leclerc.

It’s the first time the championship has been decided at Suzuka since 2011 when Sebastian Vettel secured his second title. Poetically, Suzuka is also the circuit where the 25-year-old made his F1 debut with Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso eight years ago.

Verstappen has enjoyed a dominant campaign with 12 vistories already to his name. The champion can still beat Vettel and Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 wins in one season if he finishes on the top-step at two of the four races remaining.

‘Max Verstappen crowned world champion’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1680245/max-verstappen-champion-title-japanese-grand-prix


Race Results – 2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka, Japan
09/10/2022, 09:15
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -29 laps
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +27.066
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +31.763 *
4. Esteban Ocon Alpine +39.685
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +40.326
6. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +46.358
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine +46.369
8. George Russell Mercedes +47.661
9. Nicholas Latifi Williams Racing +70.143
10. Lando Norris McLaren +70.782

‘Japanese Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s rain delayed and shortened 2022 F1 World Championship race at Suzuka.;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-results-2022-japanese-grand-prix-80223


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix
09 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula One - Official Site

‘As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-formula-1-honda-japanese-grand-prix-2022.5a4iPU3u7nIwPThFoadfp1.html


Verstappen secures championship in rain-affected Japanese GP win
Max Verstappen claimed the 2022 Drivers' Championship after taking a dominant win at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix
October 9, 2022
By Rahul Sharan

Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez would claim second after forcing Leclerc to make a mistake on the final lap at the final corner, which ultimately penalized the Monegasque driver.

Verstappen the champion: Leclerc would ultimately receive a five-second penalty, meaning that Verstappen is now the 2022 Drivers’ Champion. The Dutchman now joins the likes of Mika Hakkinen and Alonso in securing back-to-back championships with Verstappen in dominant form this year.

Verstappen will now focus on securing the most wins in a single campaign with the Red Bull needing two more wins to break the record.

‘Max Verstappen secures championship’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/verstappen-secures-championship-rain-affected-japanese-gp-win/


Japanese GP: Verstappen crowned F1 champion after cruising to victory
Max Verstappen has been crowned the 2022 Formula 1 world champion in bizarre circumstances after Charles Leclerc copped a late penalty in a heavily delayed and wet Japanese Grand Prix.
Oct 9, 2022, 9:26 AM
By: Matt Kew
Motorsport.com

The Red Bull driver dominated a time-limited and controversial event at Suzuka to win by close to half a minute, but not scoring the bonus point for the fastest lap looked to leave him one point short of the title.

However, a post-race 5s penalty for runner-up Leclerc - adjudged to have squeezed Sergio Perez excessively out of the last corner - dropped the Ferrari racer behind the Mexican to hand Verstappen the championship.

The ever-changing weather forecast for the Suzuka weekend culminated in the rain shower that was originally predicted to hit after the race instead of dousing the grid in the build-up.

‘Crowned the 2022 Formula 1 world champion in bizarre circumstances’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/japanese-gp-verstappen-crowned-f1-champion-after-cruising-to-victory/10382004/


Confusion as Verstappen declared champion after shortened Suzuka race
Verstappen clinched the championship once it was confirmed his rival Charles Leclerc had been given a five-second time penalty for leaving the track on the final lap, which demoted him to third place.
2022 F1 season
Posted on
9th October 2022, 9:36
Written by Keith Collantine

Formula 1 has declared Max Verstappen has clinched the world championship for a second time in confusing circumstances following today’s Japanese Grand Prix. The driver cast doubt on claims he’d won the world championship after taking victory in today’s Japanese Grand Prix. The race only ran to 28 of the scheduled 53 laps – 52% of the scheduled distance.

F1 introduced new rules for 2022 which state reduced points will be awarded if less than 75% of the race distance is completed. However the FIA confirmed full points would be handed out for the race.

“The rules regarding the reduced points allocation (article 6.5) only apply in the event of race suspension that cannot be resumed,” an FIA spokesperson told RaceFans in a statement. “Therefore full points are awarded and Max Verstappen is world champion.”

‘The FIA confirmed full points would be handed out for the race.’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/09/confusion-as-verstappen-declared-champion-after-shortened-suzuka-race/

[Fortitude]

Confusion at Japanese GP as Johnny Herbert confirms Max Verstappen as F1 champion.
Max Verstappen discovered he had become Formula 1 world champion for a second time at the Japanese Grand Prix after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was hit with a time penalty.
09:32, 9 OCT 2022
BY Mark Whiley

The news that the drivers’ championship had been confirmed even surprised Red Bull and Verstappen himself. The news was bizarrely broken to Verstappen by Johnny Herbert, who was conducting the post-race interviews. The Dutchman seemed confused, asking officials if he was indeed world champion.

"It's a pretty crazy feeling as I did not expect it as I crossed the line," said Verstappen. "I didn't know if it was going to be half points. I didn't know how many points I was going to get."

Verstappen won the shortened wet race, with Charles Leclerc crossing the line second just ahead of Sergio Perez. At the final corner on the final lap, the Ferrari left the track and gained an advantage as he tried to defend from the Red Bull driver. As a result, he was hit with a five-second penalty, dropping him to third behind Perez. The confusion emanated from the lack of clarity over how many points would be awarded given the race only saw 28 laps, having been red-flagged amid torrential rain earlier in the day.

‘Johnny Herbert confirms Max Verstappen as F1 champion’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/breaking-verstappen-world-champion-f1-28190777


Ted Kravitz explains how Max Verstappen sealed world title
09/10/2022, 09:51
Sky Sports

Ted Kravitz explains how the confusing finish to the Japanese Grand Prix led to Max Verstappen becoming two-time world champion.

‘Ted Kravitz explains’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/f1/12716301/ted-explains-how-verstappen-won-world-championship


Max Verstappen learns of F1 title win in most chaotic way possible
Sunday 9th October 2022 9:33 AM
Jon Wilde

Confusion reigned at the end of the Japanese Grand Prix over whether Max Verstappen was confirmed as 2022 World Champion or not.

In a race that was essentially condensed to around 40 minutes because of heavy rain at Suzuka, Verstappen’s 12th win of the season was never in doubt as he pulled further and further clear of his rivals.

The only question was whether the Red Bull driver could clinch a second World Championship with four races to spare, Charles Leclerc the only man who could stop him if he held off Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez for second place.

‘Most chaotic way possible’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-verstappen-confirmed-2022-champion/


Max Verstappen: It's crazy! What a year!
09/10/2022, 10:01
Sky Sports

Max Verstappen was as confused as everyone else at being told he was confirmed as world champion and says it's been a very special year.

‘It's crazy! What a year!’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/f1/12716293/world-champ-verstappen-its-crazy


Verstappen wins Japanese GP and 2022 F1 title amid confusion
09/10/2022, 09:38
By Matt Beer
The Race

Max Verstappen took victory in the interrupted, delayed and shortened Japanese Grand Prix and claimed his second Formula 1 world title as full points were awarded in unusual circumstances. Initially, it looked like there would be reduced points distribution due to the truncated race distance, plus the fastest lap going to Zhou Guanyu, which would mean Verstappen couldn’t celebrate the title in this wet and strange Suzuka race.

But after his parc ferme interview, Verstappen was declared to be the 2022 F1 champion with full points seemingly awarded because the race was restarted following a red flag – a situation that appears to circumvent the reduced points for less than 75% of race distance completed rule under which the win would have only earned 19 points.

Charles Leclerc narrowly beat Sergio Perez to second place on the road, but lost the place to a five-second penalty for going off at the chicane on the last lap and rejoining still ahead – a penalty that allowed Verstappen to take the title on Sunday instead of having to wait until Austin.

COMMENT made on THE RACE Message Board:
• Just Another Day
"So for all the journalists blaming Masi making mistakes on the interpretation of the rules please have a look at yourself a little as well, we are all only human, merci. Congratulations to Max and Redbull frighteningly dominant this year."

‘Title amid confusion’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/verstappen-wins-japanese-gp-and-2022-f1-title-amid-confusion/

[Fortitude]

‘F1 looked farcical’ – Our (The Race) verdict on controversial Japanese GP.
Farce overshadowed Verstappen’s triumph.
F1 wasn’t fit for Suzuka in the rain.
F1 can’t afford to keep taking risks like this.
Sky’s response was tone-deaf.
09/10/2022, 11:30
The Race

Farce overshadowed Verstappen’s triumph
Scott Mitchell-Malm
On what should be Max Verstappen’s day of days, F1 looked farcical at times.

F1 wasn’t fit for Suzuka in the rain
Matt Beer
From a ‘clock’ rule that cancels out a reduced points rule, to wet tyres that have to be used in certain situations but aren’t really good enough to be used, to the fundamental issue of recovery vehicles on track in heavy spray being a bad idea, F1 just didn’t seem prepared for Suzuka rain today.

F1 can’t afford to keep taking risks like this
Glenn Freeman
The fuss around full points being awarded and Verstappen being crowned world champion is inconsequential. Max was always going to win the title at some point. It’s perhaps a shame for him and Red Bull that they didn’t get that euphoric moment as he crossed the finish line, but it’s not a huge deal.

Sky’s response was tone-deaf
Josh Suttill
For those of us watching Sky’s coverage of the Japanese GP, it was disappointing to see their reaction to Gasly’s near-miss with the recovery vehicle.
Without the benefit of social media, you’d have been forgiven for thinking you were totally wrong to believe the deployment of the recovery vehicle while the drivers were on track in horrendous conditions was a terrible decision.

‘The Race: F1 looked farcical’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/f1-looked-farcical-our-verdict-on-controversial-japanese-gp/


Verstappen Wins 2022 World Championship! | 2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Oct 9, 2022 After an action-packed race in Suzuka Max Verstappen was crowned world champion for a second time after Charles Leclerc was handed a five-second penalty.

‘Verstappen Wins’;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8nfEFvi5TA


Race Highlights | 2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Oct 9, 2022 Watch all the key moments from a pivotal race in the championship in Suzuka.

5Oblivion
Massive respect to the Japanese fans I had the honour of watching the race live with, hours waiting in the pouring rain for a race that looked like it might not happen, and yet they never wavered in their determination, best fans in the world! ����

‘Race Highlights’;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J7cmh3MLp4


Max FINDS OUT he is the WORLD CHAMPION - Japanese GP 2022 Cooldown Room
Oct 9, 2022 Max is champion due to a 5s penalty to Leclerc. He wasn't sure until the cooldown room.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eicmgODyBDw


Japanese GP 2022 Podium Celebrations #formula1
Oct 9, 2022

‘Podium Celebrations’;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjkizVFtZKA


Leclerc accepts penalty which ended his championship hopes was “correct”
2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Posted on 9th October 2022, 11:32
Written by Keith Collantine

Charles Leclerc does not disagree with his Japanese Grand Prix penalty, which ended his chances of winning the world championship.

After crossing the line in second place ahead of Sergio Perez, Leclerc was demoted to third place behind his rival by a five-second time penalty. The stewards ruled he gained an advantage by going off the track at the chicane on the final lap while trying to out-run the Red Bull.

Leclerc admitted he wasn’t aware at the time that he was on the last lap of the race. “I did a mistake and tried to minimise it obviously by trying to go straight,” he explained. “I was not aware this was the last lap but a five seconds penalty was the right thing to do to be honest.”

‘Leclerc accepts penalty’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/09/leclerc-accepts-penalty-which-ended-his-championship-hopes-was-correct/

[Fortitude]

‘I find it actually quite funny’ – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen not put out by confusion over second world title.
“What can I say? Incredible!” Verstappen said after hugging his pit crew who had simultaneously learnt the news. “It’s mixed emotions, very special to do it here, in front of the Honda people and the Japanese fans.”
October 10 2022 02:30 AM
Tom Cary

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was finally crowned world champion for a second time at Suzuka but only after an utterly bizarre finish to a rain-drenched, shortened Japanese Grand Prix. In extraordinary scenes, the Dutch driver, who had already given an immediate post-race interview to Johnny Herbert in which he denied he was disappointed to have missed out on the title, had to be called back and be told he was, in fact, a two-time world champion.

Verstappen won the race impressively by more than 25 seconds, but because only 28 of the scheduled 53 laps had been completed due to horrendous weather and multiple delays, almost everyone in the sport, including Verstappen, was under the impression he had only been awarded half points, which would not have been enough to see him again crowned champion.

It was only after the FIA confirmed that the regulations regarding reduced points allocations (Article 6.5) had been tweaked following the Spa debacle last year – when half points were controversially awarded for a “one-lap” race – and that they now only applied “in the event of race suspension that cannot be resumed”, that it became clear Verstappen had gained enough championship points to seal the title.

‘I find it actually quite funny’;

https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/motor-sport/i-find-it-actually-quite-funny-red-bulls-max-verstappen-not-put-out-by-confusion-over-second-world-title-42053352.html


Marko: Our strategist said we were one point behind
10 October, 2022
Reuters

Dr. Helmut Marko spoke of the confusion when Max Verstappen was announced as the 2022 Formula 1 World Champion revealing Red Bull’s data showed they were one point short.

Max Verstappen needed convincing he was a double Formula 1 World Champion on Sunday as even his Red Bull team were caught in the confusion that reigned after a delayed and shortened Japanese Grand Prix. Rivals Ferrari were also unsure the title battle was over as a sport full of data experts and technical boffins wrestled with new scoring rules introduced after a farcical wash-out in Belgium last year.

“We only found out when the speaker was saying congratulations for the world championship because our strategist said we were one point behind (the tally needed),” said Red Bull’s motorsport head Helmut Marko. “So big surprise, but a very nice surprise,” the Austrian admitted.

‘A sport full of data experts and technical boffins wrestled with new scoring rules’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/10/marko-our-strategist-said-we-were-one-point-behind/


Max Verstappen's coronation day at Suzuka in pictures
09/10/2022 at 17:15
Phillip van Osten

The 2022 Japanese Grand Prix left us with many talking points, but at the end of the day all the attention was on one man: race winner and freshly crowned F1 World Champion Max Verstappen.

The 25-year-old Dutchman joined six other drivers in the sport's annals who have two world titles to their name – Alberto Ascari, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mika Hakkinen and Fernando Alonso – and he did it with four races to spare.

But beyond the stats, it's perhaps Max's veritable stampede in the championship over the summer, which he resumed in Japan this weekend, and his unwavering momentum and will to achieve, race in and race out, that have elevated the Red Bull driver to 'legend' status in F1 well ahead of time.

‘Here's our recap in pictures of Max Verstappen's red-letter day at Suzuka’;

https://f1i.com/news/456814-max-verstappens-coronation-day-at-suzuka-in-pictures.html


In terms of raw performance… Max Verstappen is the best ever F1 driver
Max Verstappen became a two-time world champion after his victory at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, but how good is the Red Bull driver and is he on his way to becoming one of the all-time greats?
October 9, 2022
By Nigel Chiu

Before you start laughing or post a comment after only reading the headline, let’s be clear – Max Verstappen is not the greatest Formula 1 driver ever, at least not yet.

Greatness requires longevity at the top of your sport for over a decade, doing things that can make your sport bigger off the track. Verstappen is getting there, but still has to prove himself over the next couple of years to join the conversation.

What we can argue is, in terms of raw, natural talent and speed, Verstappen is the best F1 driver the sport has seen. Hear me out.

‘Hear me out’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/max-verstappen-raw-performance-best-f1-driver-ever/


Verstappen on "perfect" Red Bull-Honda vindication - "People told us we were crazy"
Monday 10 October 2022 04:00
Ewan Gale

Max Verstappen believes his second world title being wrapped up at Honda's home in Japan feels "perfect" after the criticism faced by the manufacturer when joining Red Bull. Honda returned to F1 from a five-year sabbatical in 2015 with McLaren but endured a miserable three-year stay that dramatically lowered its reputation, with Fernando Alonso's constant barbs about its power and reliability becoming quotable moments amongst followers.

But after the McLaren partnership ended, however, Honda linked with Red Bull and AlphaTauri and since then has not looked back, surpassing the performance of Mercedes' all-dominant engine of the turbo-hybrid V6 era. Verstappen joined a list of legends to have won two titles with his 12th victory of the season at Suzuka in front of the adoring Japanese fans and the Dutchman conceded: "It does feel perfect.

"Because it's not only because of just, you know, that we are driving with Honda, you know, we've been really working together with them now for a few years, and with all the Japanese fans around. It's also where we came from together, because I think everyone, or most people, told us we were crazy when we started to work with them back in the day, is it going to work out, you know, because they had a tough time at that time. But you see, never give up and full dedication to make it work, and that's what happened."

"People told us we were crazy";

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93430/max-verstappen-champion-red-bull-honda/


Why Perez is 'very proud' of Verstappen after early-season battle
10/10/2022, ‎17‎:‎25
Author Anna Francis

Sergio Perez has been left feeling "very proud" of Max Verstappen's drive to the title in 2022, despite missing out on fighting for the championship himself. After a difficult start to the season for Red Bull – in which they suffered reliability issues during the opening races – the team bounced back as the campaign progressed, with Perez looking particularly strong after winning the Monaco Grand Prix.

However, despite seeming to be on course to battle with Verstappen, Perez's own title bid slipped away as the Dutchman became increasingly dominant throughout the rest of the season. This culminated in Verstappen clinching his second World Championship at the shortened Japanese Grand Prix, while Perez finished the race in P2, having been promoted due to second-placed Charles Leclerc being handed a five-second time penalty for cutting a chicane on the final lap as he tried to hold off Perez.

"I am very proud of what Max has done this season; he has stepped up as a driver," Perez explained. "I was fighting with him in the beginning but then halfway through the year he moved into another gear, the way he drove in some races was unbelievable."

'Very proud of Verstappen’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-perez-is-very-proud-of-verstappen-after-early-season-battle


Mark Hughes: Ambiguity made F1 look amateur – but not Verstappen
10/10/2022,05:40
By Mark Hughes
The Race

Ambiguity about regulations made Formula 1 look amateur on Sunday at Suzuka. But there was zero ambiguity about Max Verstappen’s performance as he took apart the opposition to win his second world title in the most emphatic way imaginable.

The weather meant only 27 of the Japanese Grand Prix’s scheduled 53 laps were completed within the remaining two hours of the permitted three-hour window – after the initial two-lap race was red-flagged. Which was widely expected – even by Red Bull – to mean that the race winner would get only 19 points rather than 25. In which case Verstappen’s crown would not have been mathematically secure.

When the FIA announced that full points would be applied, virtually every sporting director in the pitlane checked and re-checked the relevant section of the regulations (which had been rewritten after the debacle at Spa last year). Yes, it was true. The regulation, as written, stipulates only what happens when a red-flagged race doesn’t run the full distance. Not what happens when a time-limited race runs to the chequered flag, such as this.

‘Yes, it was true’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/mark-hughes-ambiguity-made-f1-look-amateur-but-not-verstappen/

[Fortitude]

‘He’s raised it to another level’ – Horner hails ‘truly, truly dominant’ Verstappen.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner heaped praise on Max Verstappen and the rest of the squad after the Dutchman sealed a “truly special” 2022 championship win at the Japanese Grand Prix.
09 October 2022
Formula One - Official Site

Verstappen took the crown with four races to spare as victory at Suzuka – and Charles Leclerc’s dramatic time penalty – gave him a points lead that cannot be overturned across the final four races.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Horner said: “It’s beyond all our dreams. Max has been truly, truly dominant [this season]. We came back from some difficulties in the first couple of races, but honestly, he and the team have just raised it to another level.

“I’m incredibly proud of everything he’s done, everything the team [has done] – all the men and women back in Milton Keynes have gone way and beyond under massive pressure. To achieve this championship is truly special.”

Horner went on to share some words of praise for Honda on their home soil, with the Japanese manufacturer and Red Bull recently extending their power unit support arrangement through 2025 – the final year before new engine regulations come into place. “It’s an amazing thing for Honda to win this here as well. That’s why we sent Asaki-san (Yasuaki Asaki), a long-time member of the Honda group, to go and get the constructors’ trophy for us today,” said Horner.

‘Asaki-san (Yasuaki Asaki) of the Honda group got the constructors’ trophy for us today’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.hes-raised-it-to-another-level-horner-hails-truly-truly-dominant-verstappen.5wwJv9gKGH43uqZDfa0c5J.html


Horner: Max has grown from that first Championship
10 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Christian Horner commended his star driver Max Verstappen who he claims has grown from his first Formula 1 Championship in 2021 to win his second in succession at Suzuka on Sunday.

“We thought it wasn’t going to be full points awarded,” Horner reflected , speaking to the media after the race on Sunday. We thought we’re a one point short. We were looking at pitting him for the fastest lap and so on. But wow, that is beyond all our dreams.”

Verstappen has won 12 races this season, and with Sergio Perez’s wins at Monaco and Singapore, that means Red Bull’s 2022 tally of wins is 14, a record for Milton Keynes.

‘Max has grown’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/10/horner-max-has-grown-from-first-championship/


Horner hails Verstappen title dominance after Suzuka success
Sunday 9 October 2022 11:35 - Updated: 11:39
Will Gray

But when Verstappen crossed the line, Red Bull did not believe he was a point short of the title as less than 75 per cent of the race distance had been completed. As the race had been able to resume after a two-hour red flag interruption, however, it transpired that full points could be awarded.

Asked how that compared to last year, Horner admitted: “A lot less stressful, less controversial. We thought it wasn’t going to be full points awarded. We thought we were one point short, so we were looking if we pit him for the fastest lap. That’s beyond all our dreams. What a script."

“It needs everything to come together to achieve the kind of results that we have and we have done that, we’ve achieved it and it was unexpected. We didn’t think that we would be able to achieve the necessary points today but it’s phenomenal.”

‘Horner hails Verstappen title dominance’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93394/japanese-grand-prix-max-verstappen-christian-horner-champion/


Red Bull boss explains Max Verstappen’s post-race confusion.
Max Verstappen won his second championship in Japan on Sunday in confusing and bizarre circumstances.
9 October 2022
by James Clifford

“We thought it wasn’t going to be full points awarded, so that’s obviously what swung it,” Horner told Sky Sports. “Because we thought we were one point short, we were looking at, ‘do we pit him for the fastest lap?’ and so on. But wow, that’s beyond all our dreams.”

It is victory number 12 for the now double world champion in a phenomenal title defence. “Max has been truly, truly dominant,” explained Horner. “That’s our 14th victory, that’s a record for us as a team. The way he’s driven from the first race – we came back from some difficulties in the first couple of races.”

“But honestly, he and the team have just raised it to another level. I’m incredibly proud of everything that’s done, everyone at the team, all the men and women back in Milton Keynes have gone way beyond under massive pressure.”

‘Phenomenal title defence’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/red-bull-boss-explains-max-verstappens-post-race-confusion/


Helmut Marko pinpoints two moments when he saw a changed Max Verstappen
Sunday 9th October 2022 2:00 PM
Sam Cooper

Helmut Marko highlighted the two moments from this season he saw a change in Max Verstappen after the Dutchman secured his second World Championship. Marko was instrumental in the early career of Verstappen, being part of the decision-making team in first bringing him into Toro Rosso and then promoting him to the Red Bull seat.

It has been six years since Verstappen first made his winning debut with the team and he has now added two world titles to his name. But this season, the Dutchman has been praised for his maturity and Marko has picked two moments from the 2022 campaign when he realised a change had occurred in Verstappen.

“I always remember him saying [when he was] 46 [points] behind, he needs 33 or 36 races to catch up,” he told Sky Sports F1. “It didn’t take so long fortunately, but he’s far more relaxed. He’s a much more mature driver. Like in Budapest or Spa in the first corner, first lap. I thought ‘who is in this car?’ The lead car passes and once he is in free air, he shows his guts. So it’s a big step and I think it’s not the end what I’ve seen from his performance.”

‘Two moments pinpointed’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut-marko-pinpoints-two-moments-change-max-verstappen/


Max Verstappen reveals details of private phone calls with dad Jos after securing F1 title
Max Verstappen secured his second world title at the Japanese Grand Prix.
14:50, Mon, Oct 10, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Max Verstappen has revealed details of two phone calls with dad Jos at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Dutchman revealed he spoke to his father during the red flag stoppage and again once he had been crowned champion in dramatic circumstances.

Verstappen told Channel 4 F1: “I just talked to him. He’s very proud. Nobody would have ever, within the family, would have thought we would ever achieve anything like this. Because you cannot imagine things like this. That’s why it is always really nice to try and share the moment together.

“I had him on the phone during the break, during the red flag and he’s like it doesn’t look like we are starting. And I said ‘yeah I think so, it’s not looking great’. But then luckily we started and we could do a race.”

‘Max Verstappen reveals details of private phone calls with Dad’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1680744/max-verstappen-jos-japanese-grand-prix-title-news

[Fortitude]

Red Bull overspend due to “free staff lunch every day”.
Daily free lunch for many of their 1,000 members of staff at their Milton Keynes headquarters is a key contributor to Red Bull’s overspend, the report states.
10 Oct 2022
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net

Red Bull were $1m-$2m in excess of the cost cap, a report from Dutch newspaper Telegraaf says.

They will be fined as their punishment, similarly to how Williams were fined $25,000 earlier this season for a procedural error, the same report says.

Costs over absent staff, due to illness, also contributed alongside catering fees. Red Bull expect a fine as their punishment, the report concludes. The FIA also found Aston Martin guilty of a procedural breach.

‘Daily free lunch a key contributor to Red Bull’s overspend’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1014387/1/red-bull-overspend-due-free-staff-lunch-every-day


‘Surprised’ Red Bull still adamant it was below F1 cost cap
17:11 Mon, 10 Oct
By Matt Beer
The Race

Red Bull has expressed “surprise and disappointment” at the FIA’s ruling that it breached the cost cap regulations during Max Verstappen’s 2021 Formula 1 title-winning season.

The FIA officially announced on Monday that it did not consider this to be the case and that Red Bull was guilty of what it terms a “minor” overspend, which could equate to something up to $7.25million.

A statement issued by Red Bull insisted it was still confident of its innocence, and again hit out at rivals’ “conjecture and positioning” on the matter in the build-up to the FIA announcement.

‘Surprised Red Bull’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/surprised-red-bull-still-adamant-it-was-below-f1-cost-cap/


Red Bull stand their ground on FIA cost cap revelations – "Surprised and disappointed"
The FIA said on Monday Red Bull had been found guilty of a "minor" overspend during the 2021 campaign, but the Milton Keynes-based team does not appear to accept that conclusion
17:07, 10 Oct 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

In a statement released on social media shortly after the FIA's announcement, the team said: "We note the findings by the FIA of 'minor overspend breaches of the financial regulations' with surprise and disappointment.

"Our 2021 submission was below the cost cap limit, so we need to carefully review the FIA's findings as our belief remains that the relevant costs are under the 2021 cost cap amount. Despite the conjecture and positioning of others, there is of course a process under the regulations with the FIA which we will respectfully follow while we consider all the options available to us."

The team's reaction fits in with earlier statements made by Horner, in which he appeared adamant that he did not expect his team to be implicated in any breach of the rules despite rumours to the contrary. "I'm absolutely confident in our submission," he said in Singapore.

‘Absolutely confident in our submission’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/breaking-red-bull-reaction-fia-28202436


Gary Anderson: Where Red Bull might gain from cost cap breach
17:52 Mon, 10 Oct
By Gary Anderson
The Race

The financial regulations that set out the budget cap are 56 pages long and contain plenty of grey areas for teams to exploit. There are plenty of exemptions including driver costs, the three highest-paid executives, heritage activities, various taxes, non-F1 activities, electricity and gas bills, bonuses, staff benefits, legal activities etc etc. If you were so minded, there are plenty of places to hide a few thousand, and probably a few million, dollars.

This is why I have always argued it would be simpler to make it cover everything as it would mean it’s all cut and dried. A team’s normal accounting declaration would cover it without question. But this is F1 and perhaps that’s too simple.

For a minor breach (anything less than 5%), this can be a deduction of drivers’ and/or constructors’ championship points, suspension from one or more stages of a competition (but not races), limitations on the ability to conduct aerodynamic or other testing, reduction of the cost cap. For a material breach, so 5% or more, those penalties are still available plus suspension from an entire competition and exclusion from the championship.

‘Where Red Bull might gain from cost cap breach’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-anderson-where-red-bull-might-gain-from-cost-cap-breach/


Red Bull 'surprised and disappointed' by FIA's budget cap ruling
10/10/2022 at 17:42
Phillip van Osten

"We note the findings by the FIA of ‘minor overspend breaches of the financial regulations’ with surprise and disappointment," read a statement from Red Bull Racing.”

"Our 2021 submission was below the cost cap limit, so we need to carefully review the FIA’s findings as our belief remains that the relevant costs are under the 2021 cost cap amount.”

"Despite the conjecture and positioning of others, there is of course a process under the regulations with the FIA which we will respectfully follow while we consider all the options available to us."

'Surprised and disappointed';

https://f1i.com/news/456920-red-bull-surprised-and-disappointed-by-fias-budget-cap-ruling.html

[Fortitude]

Alonso calls out Alpine: 'What are you doing this year to me?'
A frustrated Fernando Alonso had an unequivocal radio message for his Alpine crews after finishing seventh in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, with the Spaniard hitting out at his team's strategy calls.
10/10/2022 at 10:49
Phillip van Osten

Crossing the line just 0.011s behind Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel, Alonso chastised his team over the radio on his slow down lap. "What a mistake, eh? I mean strategically, what are you doing this year to me?" he quipped. In the media pen, while taking a more cold-headed look at how events had unfolded for him, Alonso still rued his belated pitstops.

“I mean, it was difficult to read today, the conditions, and also the visibility was the biggest topic,” said the Spaniard. "We stopped very late every time that we decided to pit. At the beginning, I was alone with the full wets and I lost a couple of places and then at the end, we made an extra stop, but only six laps to the end, so there was no time really to make a difference, so we ended up in the same position."

Nevertheless, Alonso said the eventful race had given him so good fun. "Yeah, some fun out there, very chaotic for everyone. Even the last lap we didn’t know if it was the last lap or not. So I think it was difficult for everybody."

'What are you doing this year to me?';

https://f1i.com/news/456861-alonso-calls-out-alpine-what-are-you-doing-this-year-to-me.html


Alpine believe Japanese GP chequered flag was waved too early
Tuesday 11th October 2022 8:00 AM
Jon Wilde

Alpine believe Fernando Alonso should have had one more lap to try and get past Sebastian Vettel in the Japanese Grand Prix. The team’s sporting director, Alan Permane, has expressed the opinion that the chequered flag was waved a lap too early at Suzuka.

That is because the race was truncated by the three-hour window in which a grand prix must be completed after it has begun, notwithstanding any stoppages such as occurred in Japan.

Starting on time even though rain was falling, the race was red-flagged before the end of the first lap after fourth-placed Carlos Sainz had crashed and Alex Albon also retired as a result of contact at the rear of the field.

‘Chequered flag was waved too early’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine-japanese-gp-early-chequered-flag/


Sebastian Vettel & Fernando Alonso battle looks unreal in helmet cam & fan footage
Published: 9 Oct 2022, 13:38
By Christian Wilson

Incredible footage showing Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel’s battle to cross the Suzuka circuit finish line has surfaced and it’s absolutely superb to watch.

The footage was taken from Alonso and Vettel’s onboard cameras near the end of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, which saw Max Verstappen claim his second Formula 1 World Championship title after winning the race.

The video begins with Alonso gaining on Vettel in the final lap. In heavy rain, he attempts to overtake him and the two have a battle around the chicane, both trying to gain the lead while avoiding a collision.

‘Fernando Alonso battle looks unreal in helmet cam’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88069127-sebastian-vettel-fernando-alonso-battle-looks-unreal-in-helmet-cam-fan-footage


Sebastian Vettel believes Fernando Alonso ‘was a bit aggressive’ in last-gasp Japan GP battle
Tuesday 11th October 2022 10:45 AM
Michelle Foster

Taking the chequered flag by 0.011s ahead of the charging Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel acknowledges it was “very, very close”. Vettel was voted ‘Driver of the Day’ at his favourite circuit, Suzuka, the Aston Martin driver hoping for a good result in his final Japanese Grand Prix.

Qualifying P9, he found himself fighting his former title rival Alonso on the opening lap and again at the very end of the timed grand prix. The latter was a thrilling battle between two World Champions, sadly one the TV coverage missed as the cameras focused on other drivers. Vettel started the last lap of the grand prix over two seconds ahead of Alonso but with the Spaniard on fresher intermediate tyres.

Alonso easily chased him down, before making a move down the inside into the first part of the chicane with barely an inch of space between the two cars. Vettel stayed firm, the two then accelerating down the hill to the finish line as they ran side-by-side.

‘Bit aggressive’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sebastian-vettel-fernando-alonso-bit-aggressive-japan/


Fernando Alonso welcomes Max Verstappen to the two-time World Champion club
Monday 10th October 2022 11:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

“Congratulations to Max and Red Bull,” said Alonso in an Alpine social media video. “It was outstanding, the job that they have been doing this year. When you win a championship [with] four races to the end, it means that you did something exceptional. Congratulations, welcome to the club!”

Alonso won his titles with Renault back in 2005 and 2006, coming close in 2007, 2010 and 2012 to adding further success, but ultimately falling narrowly short. The Spaniard then jokingly wished Verstappen “more luck than what I had” in that regard, though not too much luck as Alonso is eyeing a challenge for the title in his own right come next season as he waves goodbye to Alpine and hello to Aston Martin.

“Next year, hopefully you will have more competition than this year, and I’m [hoping to be] on that spot as well,” Alonso stated. By joining Aston Martin, Alonso will be linking up with a team very much intent on joining the battle for title glory in Formula 1, though 2023 will very likely be too early for the Silverstone outfit.

‘Fernando Alonso: “Congratulations to Max and Red Bull” ’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernando-alonso-max-verstappen-title-congrats/

[Fortitude]

Daniel Ricciardo may only have one option in a 2024 Formula 1 return.
Ricciardo’s reluctance to take a ‘lesser’ drive to maintain his presence on the grid could well backfire.
Tuesday 11th October 2022 6:00 PM
Henry Valantine

Daniel Ricciardo effectively confirmed he will not be on the Formula 1 grid next season, after Pierre Gasly took the vacant Alpine seat for 2023. This saw the most competitive drive available for next season taken up, with only backmarking Haas and Williams now holding an opportunity for a 2023 drive for Ricciardo.

We should make it clear now that losing a driver of Ricciardo’s pedigree, talent and popularity in Formula 1 is very much the sport’s loss, but there cannot be an automatic assumption that a seat will be there waiting for him in 2024. In a similar vein to how Sebastian Vettel’s continuation in Formula 1 partly hinged on having a seat which would see him fight at the front, Ricciardo’s reluctance to take a ‘lesser’ drive to maintain his presence on the grid could well backfire.

As could his additional reluctance to open himself up to racing opportunities elsewhere, insisting that Formula 1 is very much ‘Plan A’ for him. Ultimately, there is no way of knowing whether or not driving for Haas or Williams next year would see Ricciardo work out the problems he faced at McLaren and get back to his best, or a year on the sidelines could be good for him to clear his head – ‘one step back for two steps forward’, as he put it.

‘May only have one option in a 2024 Formula 1 return’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/daniel-ricciardo-2024-f1-return/


‘I hated it’: F1 boss ‘tried everything’ before Ricciardo axe ... but one claim doesn’t add up
'Huge disappointment' Brown talks Dan | 02:28
October 12th, 2022 11:00 am
Jacob Polychronis from Fox Sports

McLaren boss Zak Brown has spoken in-depth about axing Daniel Ricciardo, saying he “hated” an experience he describes as the “toughest thing” he’s faced in motorsport. In an exclusive interview with Kayo Sports at the Bathurst 1000, Brown opened up on McLaren’s failed partnership with Ricciardo, whose F1 future is now in limbo after he was paid out of the third and final year of his contract.

Ricciardo will be replaced at McLaren in 2023 by fellow Australian Oscar Piastri, who Brown snapped up after conceding defeat in the battle to get the former up to speed. Brown said that, ultimately, McLaren felt like it had “tried everything” to help Ricciardo, who remained significantly slower than teammate Lando Norris after one-and-a-half seasons.

Amid a dispute between McLaren and Alpine over Piastri’s signature, the FIA’s contract recognition board revealed that the former lodged paperwork for the Australian signed on July 4. Ricciardo wasn’t told about his axing until after the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 31. Speaking weeks later, Ricciardo said he didn’t know Piastri was already signed by McLaren before the mid-season break.

‘I hated it’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/f1-2022-us-grand-prix-daniel-ricciardo-news-future-zak-brown-opens-up-on-mclaren-axe-oscar-piastri/news-story/a1ea66f5fae9761aab5aec8ae5a87276


McLaren boss Zak Brown refutes claims Daniel Ricciardo was blindsided by sacking and says it was the hardest moment of his career: 'I'm still a huge Daniel fan'
• Zak Brown reveals that sacking Daniel Ricciardo was hardest moment of career
• McLaren boss says 'we tried everything', but poor results forced the decision
• Brown says despite the sacking he will always be a huge fan of Daniel Ricciardo
Published: 07:24, 12 October 2022
By James Cooney For Daily Mail Australia

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has scotched suggestions that Daniel Ricciardo was blindsided by his sacking from the F1 team, and said the decision was the hardest thing he's had to do in his motorsports career.

Ricciardo, who finished 11th in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on Sunday, will likely be without a drive in 2023 and at 33 years of age, his F1 career may be at an end rather than just 'hitting pause' as he had said.

The eight-time Grand Prix winner was under contract with McLaren until the end of the 2023 campaign but after two underwhelming seasons, the team opted to part ways ahead of schedule.

‘Claims Daniel Ricciardo was blindsided refuted’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11306041/McLaren-boss-Zak-Brown-reveals-sacking-Daniel-Ricciardo-hardest-moment-F1-Piastri-Formula-One.html


Alpine boss reveals why he snubbed Daniel Ricciardo for Pierre Gasly
Daniel Ricciardo is set to become Mercedes' reserve driver next season, replacing Nyck de Vries.
by Nick Golding
11 October 202211 October 2022

Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer actually confirmed whilst announcing Gasly for 2023 that they had spoken with Ricciardo, but that they opted for the Frenchman due to him being “fast and young”.

“At the beginning we discussed with a few drivers, including Daniel, and Pierre meets the criteria that I had to a tee – he’s experienced, fast and young,” said Szafnauer.

With a reserve role for 2023 the only option for the 33-year-old in Formula 1, he’s already setting his sights on a return to a full-time F1 seat in 2024.

‘Daniel Ricciardo is set to become Mercedes' reserve driver’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/alpine-boss-reveals-why-he-snubbed-daniel-ricciardo-for-pierre-gasly/


Daniel Ricciardo risks missing out on his Las Vegas F1 dream by dropping off 2023 grid
Ricciardo told reporters in Japan at the weekend that he expects to be left without a race seat in 2023, meaning he will miss out on the trip to Las Vegas he has been craving for years
21:16, 10 Oct 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Daniel Ricciardo looks set to miss out on one of his biggest Formula 1 wishes after admitting he will most likely drop off the grid next season. Instead of a race seat, he appears set to join Mercedes as a reserve – the role vacated by de Vries as he joins his new team. But unless one of Lewis Hamilton or George Russell is forced to miss a session for whatever reason, he will not be racing next year when his F1 dream becomes a reality.

Ricciardo has long spoken of his desire to see F1 make its way to Las Vegas. And that will happen for the first time in his career next year, with a street race along the famous Strip planned as the penultimate round of the 2023 championship. Back in 2017, at a press conference ahead of that year's Australian Grand Prix, Ricciardo was asked what his wish would be from Liberty Media, who had just completed their purchase of F1.

He did not hesitate in answering: "Race in Vegas," but he is almost certain to miss the first trip to Nevada. And he may never experience it as a driver at all. He has not given up on his F1 career – the Aussie made it clear he is hoping to have race seat options in 2024 – but it can be difficult for those who fall off the grid to get back on it again.

‘Ricciardo asked, in 2017, what his wish would be from Liberty Media… "Race in Vegas"’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/ricciardo-2023-seat-las-vegas-28204011


Alpine paid eye-watering sum to sign Pierre Gasly as Ricciardo follows Alonso example
Gasly was the Enstone team's top choice for their 2023 driver vacancy, but he still had a year left on his AlphaTauri contract so they had to open their chequebook
16:37, 11 Oct 2022
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
The Mirror

Alpine paid almost £9m to persuade Red Bull to allow Pierre Gasly to rip up his AlphaTauri contract a year early to join the Enstone team, according to a report. That figure suggests Alpine were keen to finally get a top driver tied down to a contract. And that is no surprise, considering Fernando Alonso chose to leave rather than renew his deal and their preferred replacement, junior Oscar Piastri, preferred a switch to rivals McLaren.

While several other drivers were considered, it was clear that Gasly was their preferred option after they lost their legal battle for Piastri's signature. The stumbling block was whether or not AlphaTauri would allow him to leave, after already announcing he would honour the final year of his Red Bull deal before considering other options.

The deal looked to be in danger after Red Bull's attempts to sign IndyCar racer Colton Herta were thwarted by his ineligibility for an FIA superlicence. But then they turned their attention to Nyck de Vries, and beat Williams to the Dutchman's signature after his impressive F1 debut at Monza.

‘Alpine paid almost £9m’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/alpine-pierre-gasly-ricciardo-alonso-28211786

[Fortitude]

Mattia Binotto declares Ferrari’s 2022 upgrades are done for this season.
While one could say that pride is still at stake, so too is P2 in the championships, Ferrari are right to switch their focus to 2023.
Wednesday 12th October 2022 2:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Ferrari’s upgrades for the 2022 season ended with the new floor they ran at the Japanese Grand Prix, says team boss Mattia Binotto. The big prize is gone, Max Verstappen has won the Drivers’ Championship title, and the money prize, the Constructors’ Championship, is also going to Red Bull barring a complete meltdown from the Milton Keynes squad.

It’s simply a case of try again next year. But in order to get it right Ferrari have a lot of ground to make up on Red Bull. The F1-75, which will be the basis for next year’s car, has fallen behind the RB18 in recent weeks. Not so much because of its pace but because of tyre wear that’s impacting the overall performance. Ferrari have, somewhere in their spate of upgrades, got something wrong, something that is abusing their tyres.

It was evident at Suzuka when Sergio Perez reeled in Charles Leclerc in the final laps, the Mexican driver able to attack while Leclerc was barely hanging on with his intermediates that had turned to slicks. In the end he couldn’t hang on, the driver off the track and penalised five seconds which dropped him behind Perez in the results – and gave Verstappen the extra points he needed to secure the title.

‘Upgrades are done for’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mattia-binotto-ferrari-2022-upgrades-are-done/


Ferrari explain 'big conundrum' they faced at Japanese GP
12/10/2022, ‎12‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff

The wet conditions of the Japanese Grand Prix posed several challenges. In their post-race analysis, Ferrari have outlined one of the key dilemmas they were confronted with. Ferrari have explained the "big conundrum" they were faced with at the Japanese Grand Prix in terms of tyre choices.

"When we came in on Sunday morning, we saw that all the dry tyres that we had saved for the race were good for nothing," Rueda said in the Scuderia's post-race analysis. "Why? Because we had a forecast that was very damning. We expected rain to start at noon, and to not finish until late at night."

'Big conundrum';

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-explain-big-conundrum-they-faced-at-japanese-gp


Gary Anderson: The balancing act behind Ferrari’s new F1 floor
12/10/2022, 07:49
By Gary Anderson
The Race

Ferrari introduced a modified floor at the Japanese Grand Prix as it continues work on its four-time race winning F1-75. If you take the underfloor as a complete unit, the diffuser can only increase the speed of the airflow that comes in through the leading edge, plus any leakage along the sides of the floor.

The expansion – and more importantly the expansion rate – of this flow coming along the underfloor is what creates the low pressure under the car and increases the overall downforce. It’s not like a wing, where it’s all about accelerating the airflow over its lower surface. The underfloor works in conjunction with the track surface, so in effect, it’s more like half of a venturi.

Try to expand the flow too quickly or too much and you lose control of it with the flow separating somewhere along the underbody surface. So, in effect, the balancing act is the detail of the leading edge along with the leading-edge splitter positions.

‘The balancing act’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-anderson-the-balancing-act-behind-ferraris-new-f1-floor/


'What are you doing?!' | Ferrari's biggest strategic blunders of 2022
12/10/2022, 10:25
Sky Sports

‘Ferrari Strategy’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12718123/ferraris-biggest-strategic-blunders-of-2022


Jacques Villeneuve: Ferrari blunders have started to rub off on Charles Leclerc
Jon Wilde Tuesday 11th October 2022 7:00 AM

Jacques Villeneuve believes Charles Leclerc’s latest mistake in Japan was a knock-on effect of the blunders that have littered Ferrari’s season. Even though it would have merely delayed the inevitable, Leclerc had the chance to take the World Championship chase on to the United States Grand Prix when he looked all set to finish second to Max Verstappen in Japan.

Villeneuve thinks Ferrari’s blunders have rubbed off on Leclerc, his biggest faux pas having been when he crashed out while leading the French Grand Prix. “The championship for Max Verstappen is obviously well deserved,” said the Canadian in his post-race column for Formule1.nl. “Except for the first three races, Red Bull have been almost perfect. Ferrari collapsed after that, the team went wrong far too often which also increased the pressure on Charles.”

“He also started making mistakes and the question will always remain ‘would that have happened without the team’s blunders?’ His mistake when leading at Paul Ricard was ultimately crucial to the championship. And in Japan, it happened again in the final corner.”

‘Ferrari blunders have started to rub off’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jacques-villeneuve-ferrari-blunders/


Sainz hints Japanese GP "impossible" start caused by F1 public pressure
Tuesday 11 October 2022 09:12
Will Gray

Carlos Sainz believes public pressure calling for F1 to create high drama led to a “dangerous” situation at the start of the Japanese Grand Prix after crashing out on the opening lap. Despite heavy rain, the race got underway from a traditional standing start at Suzuka, quickly resulting in Sainz losing control of his Ferrari at the Spoon corner, spinning to the inside of the right-hander before crossing across the track and into the barriers.

With visibility poor, there were numerous other incidents on the first lap and after the safety car was called, red flags were eventually thrown at the end of the second lap. Asked whether a standing start was the right decision in the conditions, Sainz said: “Maybe the best would have been a rolling start on extremes, but anyway it was going to get worse... just to avoid any dangerous situation.

“But then if we start in a rolling start on extremes then everyone complains that Formula 1 doesn’t race in the wet. "When you see the situation, how can you drive an F1 car at 300mph without visibility?”

‘Japanese GP "impossible" start’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93355/japanese-grand-prix-carlos-sainz-start/

[Fortitude]

Latifi “extremely happy” as pit stop gamble leads to first points of season.
“Nicky did an excellent job in tricky conditions,” said Robson (Williams Head of Vehicle Performance). “He was part of the decision to make the early switch to intermediates and this paid handsomely as he soon got into a potential points scoring position.
2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Posted on 9th October 2022, 15:13
Written by Keith Collantine

A delighted Nicholas Latifi scored his first points of the season in the Japanese Grand Prix after he successfully gambled on making an early switch to intermediate tyres. The Williams driver, who has already learned he will be dropped by the team at the end of the season, worked his way forward from 19th on the grid. He moved up to 14th place at the start, then was one of the first drivers to pit to replace their full wet weather tyres.

He ran as high as eighth at one stage but was unable to keep George Russell behind him and finished ninth. However that delivered his first points score for more than a year. He said the early pit stop was key to his result. “We made the right decision to pit straight away for the inters which was critical in jumping the cars ahead of us,” said Latifi.

“I struggled at the end with the front tyres but I’m extremely happy to hold on and get my first points of the season. Overall, I’m really happy for the team and it’s a nice morale boost.” Latifi took the chequered flag narrowly ahead of Lando Norris’s McLaren. The team’s head of vehicle performance Dave Robson said the driver played a role in the decisive tactical call. “Nicky did an excellent job in tricky conditions,” said Robson. “He was part of the decision to make the early switch to intermediates and this paid handsomely as he soon got into a potential points scoring position.

‘Pit stop gamble’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/09/latifi-extremely-happy-as-pit-stop-gamble-leads-to-first-points-of-season/


Williams’ Dave Robson: Latifi ‘did an excellent job in tricky conditions’ to score Points in Japan
October 12, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Williams Racing scored two points during Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix thanks to Nicholas Latifi, and Dave Robson, the Head of Vehicle Performance, praised the Canadian for performing an ‘excellent job’ in difficult conditions.

Robson said it was an enjoyable race at the Suzuka International Racing Course once conditions allowed the cars to properly race, and it was pleasing to see the team score points for only the fourth time in 2022.

“Today was hectic and enjoyable, and in the end provided a very good race,” said Robson. “Track conditions were fine at the initial race start but the visibility made it incredibly difficult for all but the leader.

‘Excellent job in tricky conditions’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/williams-dave-robson-latifi-did-an-excellent-job-in-tricky-conditions-to-score-points-in-japan/


‘Points a nice reward for everybody’ says Latifi after first top-10 finish of the season
09 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Williams driver Nicholas Latifi finally got off the mark at the Japanese Grand Prix, scoring two points for ninth place – and the Canadian says his switch to intermediate tyres was the key to ending his duck.

‘Points a nice reward for everybody’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.points-a-nice-reward-for-everybody-says-latifi-after-first-top-10-finish-of-the-season.1746199368408330154.html


Latifi welcomes 'morale boost' after scoring first points of the season
‎11‎ ‎October‎ ‎12‎:‎50
Author Anna Francis

Nicholas Latifi admits that scoring his first points of the season at the Japanese Grand Prix delivered a "morale boost". The Canadian – who will leave Williams at the end of the campaign following a three-year stint with the team – had been the only full-time driver in the field yet to claim a point in 2022 ahead of the race at Suzuka.

However, after lining up at the back of the grid, Latifi made a strong start in the wet conditions before the race was then delayed for two hours due to the heavy rainfall. When the event was restarted, a well-timed switch to the Intermediate tyres helped Latifi to move into the top 10.

Williams praise Latifi's performance in Japan. Latifi's drive at Suzuka has been praised by Williams' Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson. "Both Alex [Albon] and Nicholas had excellent starts and made places initially but were unable to capitalise fully due to poor visibility at T1," Robson said. "When the race finally restarted, Nicky did an excellent job in tricky conditions.”

'Morale boost'

https://racingnews365.com/latifi-welcomes-morale-boost-after-scoring-first-points-of-the-season


Nicholas Latifi: “I’m extremely happy to hold on and get my first points of the season”
October 12, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Nicholas Latifi felt his ninth place finish in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix was a ‘nice morale boost’ both for him and his team as he scored his first points of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season amid tricky weather conditions at the Suzuka International Racing Course.

The Williams Racing driver was one of two drivers – the other being Sebastian Vettel – to pit immediately at the end of the safety car period to switch from the full wet tyre to the intermediate compound, and he gained many positions on track as a result of this.

“The beginning was quite tricky with the red flag and the delays,” said Latifi. “We made the right decision to pit straight away for the Inters which was critical in jumping the cars ahead of us. I struggled at the end with the front tyres but I’m extremely happy to hold on and get my first points of the season. Overall, I’m really happy for the team and it’s a nice morale boost.”

‘Extremely happy to hold on’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/nicholas-latifi-im-extremely-happy-to-hold-on-and-get-my-first-points-of-the-season/


Japan points finish would not have saved my F1 career - Latifi
Monday 10 October 2022 15:50
Will Gray

Nicholas Latifi believes his ninth-place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix would not have spared him the axe from Williams even if the team had yet to make a decision on his F1 future.

The 27-year-old is now exploring his future options, with a potential move to Indycar on the cards. Despite his points finish in Japan, he conceded: “It’s a points finish so it’s a positive, a nice moral booster.

“But if a decision hadn’t already been made up to this point about my future, I don’t think a race like this would have changed much because it was always going to be about consistency across the year, not one good result here and there.”

‘Japan points finish would not have saved my F1 career’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93429/japanese-grand-prix-nicholas-latifi-williams-f1-career/


Williams super fan honours Nicholas Latifi tattoo pledge as F1 driver breaks points duck
The much-criticised Nicholas Latifi secured his best result of the season at Sunday’s chaotic Japanese Grand Prix, forcing a Williams fan to get a new piece of body art
15:13, 12 OCT 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Latifi was then staring at the ignominy of going through the whole season without scoring a single point. However, he avoided that fate with an excellent drive to ninth in treacherous conditions at Suzuka, finishing ahead of the McLarens of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo. That came after a rather embarrassing start to the weekend when he went the wrong way before a corner during practice on Friday.

As a result, a US-based Williams fan has seemingly got himself a tattoo to mark the occasion, having previously promised to do if the driver scored points this season.

The fan, posting under the name @Williams_F1_USA (Latifi Points Enjoyer), tweeted an imagine of his new piece of body art. The fan is now hoping to meet Latifi at the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

‘Nicholas Latifi tattoo’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/nicholas-latifi-williams-tattoo-f1-28221040

[Fortitude]

Haas call a press conference ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
While the conference could be linked to a driver announcement, another possibility could be a sponsorship deal – given that the race at COTA is a home race for the American squad, a commercial link-up is a very valid possibility.
Thursday 13th October 2022 1:30 PM
Thomas Maher

Speculation regarding the second cockpit at Haas continues to float, with team boss Guenther Steiner making it clear the team have been in no rush coming to a decision regarding their choice.

“We’re not in a hurry. And there’s not a lot of things moving. So why should I be in a hurry?” he said at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Asked about what the team are looking for in their second driver signing to go alongside the experienced Kevin Magnussen, he said: “What do we need to do to get the team better, to help ourselves? What kind of drivers? We just want to see how Mick is doing. There’s a lot we are watching.

‘Haas call a press conference’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/haas-call-press-conference-united-states-grand-prix/


Haas set up special US Grand Prix press conference with Mick Schumacher decision imminent
MICK SCHUMACHER'S future with Haas remains up in the air following a tough time with the constructors.
17:03, Thu, Oct 13, 2022
By Matthew Cooper

Haas have set up a special press conference ahead of the US Grand Prix, with the team still yet to make a decision on Mick Schumacher's future. The race, held in Austin, takes place next Sunday.

The press conference is set to take place on October 20th and Planet F1 report Haas have not yet revealed who will be at the press conference, suggesting the team could be ready to reveal whether or not Schumacher will still be partnering Kevin Magnussen next season.

Schumacher's current contract is due to expire at the end of this year and Haas could opt to either re-sign him or replace him with another driver such as veteran Nico Hulkenberg, who has not raced full-time in F1 since 2019 but has been heavily linked with a move to the team.

‘Haas set up special US Grand Prix press conference’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1682364/Haas-US-Grand-Prix-Mick-Schumacher-Guenther-Steiner-F1-Formula-One-news


'Points were up for grabs' – Schumacher and Magnussen disappointed with point-less outing in Suzuka
13 October 2022
Formula 1.

Haas are now on a run of seven races without a top-10 finish after another point-less outing for the team in Japan, as Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher finished 14th and 17th respectively, leaving both drivers to reflect on another “disappointing” Sunday.

Lining up in 15th place on the grid, Schumacher made a quick start, getting up to 10th before the race was red flagged. After it was restarted, many of the drivers came into the pit lane early to switch from the wet tyres to the intermediates, but Haas opted to keep Schumacher out on track in the hopes of gaining an advantage under a possible Safety Car.

While the German briefly led the race, he was then quickly overtaken by those on faster tyres, meaning that when he did pit for the intermediates, he came out at the back of the field. And while disappointed with the outcome, he was able to see the positives in the team’s performance.

'Points were up for grabs';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.points-were-up-for-grabs-schumacher-and-magnussen-disappointed-with-point.2D6LMAPc16iVXqUcYQxM9G.html


Ralf Schumacher: Haas strategy deprived Mick of a better result
11 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Ralf Schumacher criticized for their questionable strategy during the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, that deprived his nephew Mick of a better result. Mick Schumacher is currently fighting for his Formula 1 career and seat at Haas, as the US team has been openly critical about the young German’s performances so far, and they cannot be blamed for that.

Schumacher has been error-prone and consistently beaten by his teammate Kevin Magnussen who came back after one year away from F1 and hit the road running in a car he has never driven before. In Japan however, Schumacher came back after a crash in FP1 – requiring a chassis change – and put his VF-22 on Q2, albeit 15th place only, but beat Magnussen this time around.

After the race was restarted, the German made progress up the grid, and was running third at some point and even leading for a few laps as other drivers pitted for Intermediate tyres, but Haas kept him out on full Wets hoping for a Safety Car that did not come.

‘Ralf Schumacher criticized HAAS for their questionable strategy’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/11/ralf-schumacher-haas-strategy-deprived-mick-of-a-better-result/


STEINER: SCHUMACHER HAS “HOME ADVANTAGE” AS NEW CONTENDER EMERGES AT HAAS F1
The Haas team principal alludes to Schumacher having an edge over competitors for the second Haas seat
13/10/2022, 07:05
Rhiannon Temporal
FormulaNerds

Guenther Steiner discusses Mick Schumacher’s future at Haas F1, coinciding with Fittipaldi’s announcement. The excitement surrounding the Formula One driver’s market is coming to a close, with only two seats remaining for 2023. But, there are still question marks surrounding the future of the current Haas driver, Mick Schumacher.

Haas’s alternative options. Regarding the most significant rivals that may stand in Schumacher’s way, Hulkenberg and Antonio Giovinazzi are regularly discussed. With the latter driving for Haas at the upcoming United States Grand Prix in FP1. One of these three drivers is more than likely to get the open Haas 2023 seat.

‘STEINER: SCHUMACHER HAS “HOME ADVANTAGE” ’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/steiner-schumacher-has-home-advantage-as-new-contender-emerges-at-haas-f1/?nowprocket=1


Fittipaldi handed F1 outings with Haas in Mexico and Abu Dhabi
11/10/2022 at 16:12
Phillip van Osten

Haas reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi will take part in Friday's opening practice with the US outfit in Mexico City and in Abu Dhabi. The Brazilian driver's nomination for the two sessions is part of Formula 1's mandatory rule that calls for teams to field a 'young driver' in at least two practice sessions this season.

The Brazilian also saddled Haas' VF-22 car during pre-season testing earlier this year in Bahrain. "I’m excited to announce that I will be doing FP1 in Mexico and Abu Dhabi," Fittipaldi said.

"I want to thank the Haas F1 team for the opportunity. I drove the car at the beginning of the year in Bahrain, but to get another chance to drive the VF-22, it’s going to be pretty amazing. It’s a very fast car and I’m looking forward to driving in Mexico and Abu Dhabi."

‘Pietro Fittipaldi will take part in Friday's opening practice’;

https://f1i.com/news/456977-fittipaldi-handed-f1-outings-with-haas-in-mexico-and-abu-dhabi.html

[Fortitude]

McLaren Will Have a Hard Time Keeping Up with Alpine in the Standings, Says F1 Team Boss.
While McLaren’s P4 and P5 result in Singapore was a very strong one, Alpine finishing P4 and P7 at Suzuka gave the French outfit a 13-point advantage with just four races remaining.
14 Oct 2022, 08:39 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose

According to McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl, it could prove “very tough” for the Papaya Orange outfit to stay in the fight until the very end.

“It’s important now for us really to focus on ourselves, make sure that we execute clean weekends, extract every single session the maximum that we have at the moment in our car,” he said, as quoted by Motorsport. “Only then do we have a chance to stay in the battle with a very strong Alpine team.”

“We have to acknowledge they did a great job so far this season. It will be very tough for us to stay in this battle until the last lap in Abu Dhabi, but that’s what we’re here for.”

‘McLaren Will Have a Hard Time’;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/mclaren-will-have-a-hard-time-keeping-up-with-alpine-in-the-standings-says-f1-team-boss-201244.html


Norris sets McLaren target of winning F1 races by 2024
14/10/2022, 11:52
• Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Read Motorsport

Lando Norris says he is prepared to be patient until McLaren is in a position to win Formula 1 races, hoping the team can contend for victories by 2024. Norris is yet to register his first victory in F1, coming closest at last year’s Russian Grand Prix when he led from a maiden pole position before a late rain shower saw him slip down the order.

The British driver had hoped McLaren would use the major overhaul of the technical regulations to forge itself as a front-running outfit, but the team has instead slipped into the midfield. Norris, who is contracted to McLaren until 2025, is the only driver outside Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes to stand on the podium this season, with limited opportunities to score bigger results.

Analysing the team’s prospects in the long-term, Norris believes McLaren can realistically work towards the aim of winning races within two to three years. “I would say even between 2022 to 2023 I’m not expecting realistically a win or a couple of wins,” said Norris, as quoted by Motorsport Week. “For me my confidence is in 2024 and 2025, and until then I need to play a little bit of the patience game.”

‘Prepared to be patient’;

https://readmotorsport.com/2022/10/14/norris-sets-mclaren-target-of-winning-f1-races-by-2024/


Brown: Making McLaren the most exciting racing team in the world
13 October, 2022
Paul Velasco
Grand Prix

McLaren is famous for its legendary Formula 1 team, but now under boss Zak Brown the focus is to go beyond that, namely to become the best race team in the world, hence their rapid expansion into other series.

Speaking to Road & Track, Brown was enthusiastic about the current state of F1 and what the future holds: “I’ve never seen Formula 1 so hot, ever. I’ve been running McLaren for six years, but I’ve been around the sport for 25. That’s a fact, not opinion.

“TV ¬ratings are up; record number of grands prix; more people want more grands prix than we can put out; teams want to enter the sport, new manufacturers on the doorstep: Porsche, Audi; Digital numbers are through the roof. Corporate partnerships with the biggest brands in the world are on fire, brands that have historically not been in this sport: Google, Goldman Sachs, Cisco, Dell, and Coca-Cola. All the races are sold out. The sport is on fire.”

‘Making McLaren the most exciting racing team in the world’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/13/brown-creating-the-most-exciting-racing-team-in-the-world-mclaren-f1/


Teams share responsibility for F1’s confusing rules – Seidl
CONFUSING RULES – SEIDL
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 14th October 2022,
Written by Will Wood

Last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix saw confusion at the finish when the race appeared to end one lap too early, then full championship points being awarded despite the race only just covering half of its original scheduled distance. Seidl says teams take some responsibility over the confusing rules due to failing to foresee problems arising during discussions with the FIA.

“I feel responsible for this as well, because in the end, we do this review each winter and each team has the opportunity to bring up points that are not clear, for example,” Seidl said. In the round-up: McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl says F1 teams share responsibility for some of the sport’s confusing and unclear rules.

“And I didn’t go into the full details yet with the team, what exactly the loophole was. We understood everything we have defined together with the FIA in Formula 1 – after Spa, it’s only valid if the race doesn’t finish normally and that’s clearly something we have all overlooked is that’s the case. Therefore, we are responsible for trying to do a better job over the winter and to close the loopholes if there are any left.”

‘F1’s confusing rules’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/14/racefans-round-up-14-10-5/


Norris criticisms suggest he's "rattled", reckons Alpine.
Alpine suspects that the swipes that Lando Norris is taking against it this season must be because he is "rattled" by the pace of the French Formula 1 manufacturer.
Oct 14, 2022, 11:23 AM
By: Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com

Norris has said several times in recent races that he believes Alpine has made heavy weather of the fight that his McLaren squad and its closest rival are having over fourth place in the constructors' championship.

The Briton reckons that considering the pace that Alpine has shown with its A522 car this season, it should have wrapped things up long ago.

Speaking at the Japanese GP, where Alpine retook fourth spot, Norris said: "They are so much quicker than us. I have no clue how we are still fighting them in the championship.

‘He's rattled’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/norris-criticisms-suggest-hes-rattled-reckons-alpine/10384413/

[Fortitude]

Mercedes: Final W13 upgrade in Austin also about learning for 2023.
Mercedes will head to Austin next week with one final upgrade for its W13 in its crates, to hopefully produce performance gains but also to accumulate more learnings for next season.
13/10/2022 at 16:09
Phillip van Osten

The aerodynamic complexities of Mercedes’ 2022 car and the troubles they spawned threw a massive curve ball to the Brackley squad’s engineers who have spent their year tirelessly trying to understand and solve their design’s problematic and often erratic behaviour.

The hope of achieving a step forward in the wake of an update or fundamental set-up change was often followed by two steps backward. Nevertheless, each passing race has delivered its share of knowledge, most of which has been canvassed and channeled towards next year’s contender.

“It’s our final step of aero development and that will hopefully give us a bit more performance but importantly with every step, we are learning more and more and that learning we can carry into next year,” said Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director

‘Final W13 upgrade’;

https://f1i.com/news/457077-mercedes-final-w13-upgrade-in-austin-also-about-learning-for-2023.html


Mercedes plan final W13 upgrade package for Austin
14 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Mercedes are planning to introduce a final aero upgrade package for their 2022 Formula 1 car, the W13, at the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin. Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin said of the W13 upgrade; he said: “It’s our final step of aero development and that will hopefully give us a bit more performance.

“But importantly with every step, we are learning more and more and that learning we can carry into next year,” he added. “So that’s part of it, also there is a few bits where we have taken some weight out of components that will hopefully get the car closer to the weight limit.”

“It’s very difficult for us to predict where we are going to be,” he said. “In Singapore Lewis was awfully close to pole position, yet in Suzuka both cars had a big gap to the front. Now, our race pace has been reasonably strong, so, if we can make a step hopefully, we can get into the fight with the Ferraris and the Red Bulls but qualifying for us is the really difficult one to predict at the moment.”

‘Mercedes plan final W13 upgrade’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/14/mercedes-plan-final-w13-upgrade-package-for-austin/


Mercedes see light at the end of the tunnel after W13 "experiments"
Friday 14 October 2022 12:38
Sam Hall

Mercedes technical director Mike Elliott believes the team can now finally see light at the end of the tunnel after a difficult year. The Silver Arrows face ending the season without a win for the first time since 2011 after failing to adapt as well as Red Bull and Ferrari to the new technical regulations.

The team has been open with regard to its struggles despite a number of promising performances that have included 13 podium finishes, a number greatly aided by faultless reliability. Asked if Mercedes has improved the W13 as much as it can without making "fundamental changes", Elliott said: “I think we never have.”

"We probably got about halfway through the season and realised - probably not even halfway - that we were not fighting for the championship and I think your aims then change. While we want to do well this year, what we are really aiming to do is to get back fighting at the front.”

‘Light at the end of the tunnel’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93748/mercedes-w13-experiments/


Mercedes explain why W13 was so slow on straights at Suzuka
Thursday 13th October 2022 4:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Lacking straight line at Suzuka, which cost Lewis Hamilton in his battle with Esteban Ocon, Andrew Shovlin says Mercedes paid the price for running “our highest downforce level” in a race without DRS.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, Hamilton and George Russell were tied for 19th and 20th place at the two measuring points, the first on the home straight and the second on the straight after the Spoon curve. Their deficit to the Red Bull was ‘eight to ten km/h, to the Ferrari and Alpine six to eight km/h’.

Mercedes’ problem on the day was that they ran a large rear wing, bigger than that used by Red Bull, Ferrari or Alpine, and with no DRS in play on the wet track the drivers found it difficult to overtake. “We decided to stay at our highest downforce level,” explained Shovlin, the team’s trackside engineering director.”

‘Mercedes explain why W13 was so slow on straights’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mercedes-explain-w13-slow-straights-suzuka/


Mercedes admit to mid-season ‘kick in the teeth’ with W13 development
Wednesday 12th October 2022 7:30 AM
Jon Wilde

Mercedes have admitted they suffered a “kick in the teeth” with the W13, just when it looked like their worst problems were behind them. An underlying problem remains and, says Mercedes technical director Mike Elliott, will need to be resolved during the winter if the team are to have a stronger 2023 campaign, still seeking a first victory of this term.

“The issues we’ve built into the car we couldn’t see because of the bouncing,” said Elliott, quoted by Motorsport.com. “The bouncing was just dominating everything. And once we’d got on top of that in Barcelona – we got a package that made quite a substantial difference there – we thought ‘we’re in, we’re going in the right direction’, and then got a proper kick in the teeth in the next two races.”

“You peel the next layer off the onion, if you like, and you’ve got another problem. That was the one we’d really baked into the car in the winter. Since then, we’ve brought various steps to try and move us in the right direction, but to really undo that will take the winter.”

‘Mid-season ‘kick in the teeth’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mercedes-mid-season-kicked-teeth/

[Fortitude]

RB18 is officially Adrian Newey’s most successful car design ever.
As Max Verstappen took the chequered flag at the Japanese Grand Prix, the RB18 became Red Bull design guru Adrian Newey’s most successful car ever.
Wednesday 12th October 2022 4:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Sunday’s victory at the Suzuka circuit brought Red Bull’s win tally for this season up to 14, 12 for Verstappen and two for Sergio Perez. That’s one more than the team achieved in 2013 when Sebastian Vettel won 13 times on his way to a fourth Drivers’ title.

The most wins previously for a Newey-designed car was 12 with the Williams FW18 in 1996, a feat matched in 2011 by Red Bull. Told of his success by Sky Sports, the official F1 website quotes Newey as having replied: “I’m not very good [with] numbers, but that’s very rewarding to know. We’ve obviously had a good run.”

‘RB18 is officially Adrian Newey’s most successful car design’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/rb18-adrian-newey-most-successful-car/


F1: Mika Hakkinen lauds Adrian Newey over Verstappen title win
Published: 14 Oct 2022, 12:26
By George Dagless

Mika Hakkinen has praised Adrian Newey for his role in Max Verstappen’s title-winning season this year. Red Bull are once again top of the tree with them on course to win the Constructors’ championship to go alongside the Drivers’ title Max Verstappen won at the Japanese Grand Prix last time out. Indeed, it’s been a phenomenal year for the Bulls and, naturally, praise has been afforded to Adrian Newey, who has once again led a team of designers to produce a truly brilliant car, with him getting a very good handle of the 2022 rules and regulations changes.

When someone like Newey is in your team you've always got a chance of winning titles, as he did with Williams and McLaren in the past, and it was with McLaren that Hakkinen got to work alongside Newey to pick up two Drivers' titles, as Max has now done with Red Bull. The Finn, then, was full of kind words for Newey in his latest column for Unibet: "I am very happy for Red Bull's technical boss Adrian Newey. It was thanks to his work at McLaren that I had great cars with which to win both my World Championship titles and he is still winning at Red Bull all these years later.”

"He really is the most successful designer in F1 history, and although I know he has a great team of design engineers working with him, his technical leadership is just brilliant. Even during Mercedes' dominant years , Red Bull remained competitive and it's amazing to see Adrian's team take advantage of this year's new regulations to win another title. Congratulations to him."

‘It was with McLaren that Hakkinen got to work alongside Newey to pick up two Drivers' titles’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88071155-f1-mika-hakkinen-lauds-adrian-newey-over-verstappen-title-win


[B]Red Bull: The RB18 design process was ‘potentially a disaster’
Thursday 13th October 2022 5:45 PM
Thomas Maher

Some of Red Bull’s prominent technical staff have admitted they were unsure of the RB18’s potential until pre-season testing got underway. Until the cars actually hit the track to begin testing in the real world, Red Bull’s leading technical crew have admitted they also had some concerns about the RB18 during the design process.

Red Bull: ‘There wasn’t a carryover part on the car’ “I guess, under new regulations, it’s always difficult to know whether you’ve done the right thing or not,” Red Bull’s chief engineering officer Rob Marshall explained on the F1 Nation podcast after the Japanese Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen wrapped up the 2022 Drivers’ Championship.

“I think we got to the first test, and we found that, actually, what we had done wasn’t too far off the pace. We didn’t seem to be struggling on certain issues that other people were clearly having problems with, and many have continued to. I don’t think it was a great triumph of design. But we certainly avoided some design banana skins, and whatever the other people slipped on. There wasn’t a carryover nut or bolt on the car.”

‘RB18 design process was ‘potentially a disaster’ ’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bull-rb18-design-potential-disaster/


‘It’s very rewarding’ – Newey reflects on Red Bull RB18 becoming his most victorious design
11 October 2022
Formula 1.

While Max Verstappen made the headlines in Japan by securing a second F1 world title, Red Bull technical chief Adrian Newey claimed his own special record – the Red Bull RB18 becoming his most successful car design in terms of race wins.

Verstappen’s 12th victory of the season, added to team mate Sergio Perez’s brace, gave Red Bull 14 victories from the 18 races held so far, with four rounds left to run. That number surpasses the 13 wins the RB9 achieved at the hands of Sebastian Vettel across 19 Grands Prix back in 2013.

As it stands, in addition to the most wins outright, the RB18 holds the highest victory percentage of Newey’s F1 designs at 77.77% (for 14 out of 18 races), with the potential for that to increase to 81.81% if Red Bull can win the remaining rounds in the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

‘It’s very rewarding’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.its-very-rewarding-newey-reflects-on-red-bull-rb18-becoming-his-most.4JUcz56GhzAuTGZMm5JBuZ.html


Horner: The RB18 is potentially our most successful car
26 September, 2022
Jad Mallak

Christian Horner believes the Red Bull RB18 is potentially the most successful car ever produced at Milton Keynes despite starting late with its development. Red Bull were locked in an intense and bitter fight with Mercedes in 2021, as Max Verstappen sought to win is maiden Formula 1 Title while Lewis Hamilton aimed for his eighth.

The fight went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi’s controversial season finale where Verstappen prevailed, but that meant Red Bull had to keep on developing their 2021 car, the RB16B till the last minutes with a risk of compromising this year’s RB18. Speaking to F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, Christian Horner responded “I would say so” when asked if 2022 saw his team perform at their highest level.

“In 2021, we were operating at an incredible level and we finally got a sniff of putting a challenge together for a world championship and that was a 22-race championship bout, a heavyweight fight from race one to race 22,” he said. “What has been particularly pleasing about this year is despite colossal regulation changes we had to undergo coming into this year – and we honestly thought we had compromised this year by putting everything we had into last year – the team came up with an amazing car, a super car,” the Briton hailed.

‘We honestly thought we had compromised this year by putting everything we had into last year’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/09/26/horner-the-rb18-is-potentially-our-most-successful-car/


How RB18 diet helped Verstappen step it up in F1 2022
Max Verstappen's charge to being on the cusp of his second Formula 1 title has been pretty smooth, but that's not to say there were no bumps in the road.
Sep 22, 2022, 9:19 AM
By: Jonathan Noble
Motorsport.com

Amid all the current dominant form that means he could capture the crown at next weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, it is easy to forget the dramas that overshadowed the start of the campaign.

In fact, early on in the year, it appeared that his championship challenge could be over before it started, as a spate of reliability dramas allowed main rival Charles Leclerc to open up a pretty hefty advantage in the drivers' championship.

Then, once Red Bull had finally got its RB18's reliability sorted, Verstappen found himself battling against some car characteristics that were not to his liking.

‘Easy to forget the dramas that overshadowed the start of the campaign’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/how-rb18-diet-helped-verstappen-step-it-up-in-f1-2022/10372673/


Red Bull: Development path of RB18 not to Perez's benefit
16/09/2022 at 17:03
Michael Delaney

Red Bull admits that the development this season of its RB18 has come to the detriment of Sergio Perez whose confidence has declined with the winning car's evolution. But the onslaught of the Dutchman's dominance was gradual in the first part of the season during which Perez was very much a match for Verstappen, with the Mexican snatching a pole in Jeddah and winning outright after a brilliant race in Monaco. However, as the season unfolded, and Red Bull's 2022 car evolved, Verstappen came into his own while Perez helplessly lost ground relative to his teammate.

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache says the development path chosen by the Milton Keynes-based outfit, as much as it has benefitted Verstappen by producing a more 'pointy' car, clearly hasn't suited Perez. "It is multiple factors, but the main factor is clearly the car balance and the confidence with the car compared to the beginning of the year when the car was a little bit more balanced for him and a little bit less for Max," Wache explained at Monza last weekend.

"After the potential of development we put on the car during the season, [the car] moved away from that. "And after, finding a right set-up for him is quite difficult [and makes it hard] to put him as confident as he could be to beat, or to fight with, Max."

‘Development path of RB18 not to Perez's benefit’;

https://f1i.com/news/454554-red-bull-development-path-of-rb18-not-to-perezs-benefit.html

[Fortitude]

De Vries was once McLaren’s ‘next Hamilton’ – so why did he end up elsewhere?
With Nyck de Vries, McLaren sought to replicate the success they enjoyed with Hamilton. But De Vries will make his debut as a full-time driver with a different team next year, long after parting with McLaren. So what led the team and their promising young talent to part ways?
2022 F1 season
Posted on 15th October 2022, 11:0015th October 2022, 10:57
Written by Ida Wood

Although McLaren were unwilling to fund De Vries in Formula 2, they wanted him to still do paid simulator work at their Woking headquarters. De Vries, believing on-track results were now more critical than ever to his F1 hopes, made F2 his focus instead.

De Vries reunited with ART GP for 2019 and won the Formula 2 championship, with some exemplary performances in the wet and dry and being rapid in qualifying and races. A few days after charging from 17th to third at Monza, De Vries was announced as Mercedes’ first driver for Formula E. In F1’s eyes, De Vries’ high standard that season was devalued by a failure to win the title earlier. No matter how dominant the 2019 campaign was going to be, the ship had already sailed on it turning into an F1 opportunity.

His Formula E crown was followed up by an erratic title defence, but his F1 test performances since 2020 and now his starring race debut in the recent Italian Grand Prix has convinced multiple teams of his calibre. But De Vries is probably the best case study for why F1 teams plotting out paths for prodigal talents from a very young age can actually do more harm than good and lead to a longer route to F1 rather than the rapid rise (which it was for its time) of Hamilton and even more extreme examples since. In the end, De Vries did get his F1 chance, and he made it count.

‘Next Hamilton’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/15/de-vries-was-once-mclarens-next-hamilton-so-why-did-he-end-up-elsewhere/


Verstappen told de Vries to call Marko after Monza F1 debut
09:30 Fri, 14 Oct 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Max Verstappen has revealed that he pushed Nyck de Vries to call Dr Helmut Marko over a 2023 Formula 1 seat following his debut at Monza. De Vries stood in at Williams for an unwell Alexander Albon at the Italian Grand Prix, and impressed en route to a ninth-place finish.

“This is incredible for him,” Verstappen said. “He’s been pushing hard for it for a long time and to finally get that opportunity is amazing for him. But also, I think after Monza, there was no real discussion anymore. Helmut is the guy, when he likes something he is daring enough to then put him in the car, right, whereas maybe other teams are a bit more careful. That’s great news. We are good friends as well. We had a dinner the day after Monza and I told him, like, just give him [Dr Marko] a call.”

‘Max Verstappen has revealed that he pushed Nyck de Vries to call Dr Helmut Marko’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/10/14/verstappen-told-de-vries-to-call-marko-after-monza-f1-debut/


Tost: Easy decision to take De Vries after Monza
14 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Franz Tost, team principal of AlphaTauri, revealed Nyck de Vries’ performance during his debut over the 2022 Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, made the decision to sign him for 2023 an easy one. Nyck de Vries impressed when he substituted for the ill Alex Albon at Williams over the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, making it into Q2 in qualifying, and finishing the race ninth after a fine drive.

De Vries was announced over the course of the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix weekend, and facing the media, AlphaTauri boss was asked why they chose the 27-year-old. “Because he’s fast,” Tost said. “I know his history. I saw him in karting, he won, I think it was 2010 and ’11, the European and the World Championship in karting, and then he was really successful in all the categories where he raced.”

“He won in Formula Renault, he won in GP3, he won in Formula 2 and also he won the Formula E World Championship, and therefore I think he is a very high-skilled driver, and he deserves to be in Formula 1, and we are really looking forward to having him in our car,” he explained. Asked how much De Vries’ Monza performance affected the team’s decision, Tost admitted: “This had a great influence because it showed his potential. He drove a fantastic race, did not make any mistakes. And therefore, it was an easy decision to take him,” he insisted.

‘“Because he’s fast,” Tost said’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/14/tost-easy-decision-to-take-de-vries-after-monza/


De Vries spotted early at AlphaTauri factory
14/10/2022, ‎17‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Nyck de Vries has been at the AlphaTauri factory in Faenza, Italy this week to do his first seat fit for the team. Images of De Vries on AlplhaTauri's social media with the post "Welcome to Faezna" were accommodated with images showing the driver getting comfortable in the seat fit.

"Currently it's not planned to do an FP1 session with Nyck, and I think that we will do another F1 session with Liam Lawson, in America or in Mexico," he explained to media.

‘De Vries spotted early’;

https://racingnews365.com/de-vries-spotted-early-at-alphatauri-factory


De Vries visits Faenza - undergoes first seat fitting with AlphaTauri
15/10/2022 at 10:28
Phillip van Osten

AlphaTauri welcomed its recently signed new driver Nyck de Vries to Faenza this week. As for the Dutchman's prospects for 2023, Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko believes de Vries could assume a leading role at AlphaTauri even despite Tsunoda's greater experience. "Yuki is still young and doesn't have that experience technically, so Nyck can lead the team," said Marko, quoted by Motorsport.com.

"We'll see how it goes next year in practice, but judging by his experiences and personality, Nyck should be the team leader. Nyck may not be the youngest anymore, but he has gained a lot of experience," said the Austrian. "He had to work very hard to come back after that period with McLaren, and that shows that he is very determined. He had to fight back after a kind of a break in his career, which means he can fight, and that's an important quality for us.”

‘Had to work very hard to come back’;

https://f1i.com/news/457140-de-vries-visits-faenza-undergoes-first-seat-fitting-with-alphatauri.html


AlphaTauri 'can't wait' for De Vries to join
15/10/2022, ‎10‎:‎30
Author Rory Mitchell

After his successful debut with Williams at the Italian Grand Prix, AlphaTauri Team Principal Franz Tost says that he "can't wait" for De Vries to join the team citing his recent accomplishments as reason for the anticipation.

"He is fast. I know what he has accomplished," said Tost. "I've seen him go karting in 2011 or 2012 and he was already very successful at that time. "Actually in all categories where he has raced: Formula Renault, GP3, Formula 2 and also Formula E where he was world champion."

After getting points in the Williams on his debut, something that took regular driver Nicholas Latifi 18 races to achieve, Tost says the race at Monza had a big influence on whether they went with De Vries. "This has been very influential as it showed his true potential," said Tost. "He drove a fantastic race and made no mistakes. So it was an easy choice to go for him."

‘ 'Can't wait' for De Vries to join’;

https://racingnews365.com/alphatauri-cant-wait-for-de-vries-to-join


The unusual F1 record de Vries and Tsunoda will set in 2023
by Ashley Hambly
15/10/2022, 09:24
Motorsport Week

After the announcement of Nyck de Vries replacing the outbound Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri, the new partnership of de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda is set to break a Formula 1 record. That is, of course, the shortest-ever F1 driver line-up.

With Davidson and Sato measuring up at 166cm and 164cm respectively, their average height of 165cm looms over de Vries and Tsunoda’s average of 163cm after measuring the Dutchman at 167cm and the Japanese driver at 159cm.

‘The shortest-ever F1 driver line-up’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/10/15/the-unusual-f1-record-de-vries-and-tsunoda-will-set-in-2023/


How to turn a weird career into a late F1 chance
15/10/2022, 13:40
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

If a list were drawn up of the drivers in the last 10 years who deserved a shot at F1 and didn’t get one, then De Vries would have been one of the first names on it. Although one of the most impressive things is that De Vries never held a grudge against that.

“There are a lot of racing drivers who would be very keen to be in the position I was before moving to Formula 1,” he says.

“It’s easy to be frustrated by what you don’t have, but it’s harder to be grateful for what you actually have.”

‘De Vries never held a grudge’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/how-to-turn-a-weird-career-into-a-late-f1-chance/


AlphaTauri expects De Vries to be ‘very competitive’ from the get-go in 2023
15:56 Wed, 12 Oct 2022.
Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Read Motorsport

AlphaTauri says it expects new-for-2023 signing Nyck de Vries to be “very competitive” from his first outing for the team in Bahrain next year.

“I expect that this learning period for Nyck will be reduced to a couple of tests,” Tost said after De Vries was confirmed alongside Yuki Tsuonda at last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.

“That means I expect him to be very competitive from the first race onwards in 2023.”

‘Very Competitive’;

https://readmotorsport.com/2022/10/12/alphatauri-expects-de-vries-to-be-very-competitive-from-the-get-go-in-2023/

[Fortitude]

Esteban Ocon v Pierre Gasly: Will they bury the hatchet or re-open old wounds?
The strained relationship between the two has been highlighted as a potential sticking point in their time as Formula 1 team-mates.
Saturday 15th October 2022 6:00 AM
Henry Valantine


The pair know each other extremely well – for 20 of their 26 years, in fact – but the strained relationship between the two has been highlighted as a potential sticking point in their time as Formula 1 team-mates. Having grown up near each other in Normandy and being the same age, their lives and motorsport careers have been closely intertwined all the way through the junior categories – and Ocon and Gasly were very close friends until their teenage years, before on-track incidents began to cast a cloud over their off-track rapport.

It is worth noting that Ocon has rarely publicly commented on how the two have got on over the years, whereas Gasly has been more vocal on the subject as time has passed.

An episode of the Beyond the Grid podcast featuring Gasly back in his debut season in 2018 saw the then-Toro Rosso driver open up about how he and Ocon grew up together, but things slowly started to deteriorate when fights on track began to get more serious.

‘The strained relationship’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/esteban-ocon-pierre-gasly-relationship/


Gasly and Ocon “will work well together” at Alpine despite past tensions
2022 Japanese Grand Prix
Posted on 12th October 2022, 7:1511th October 2022, 23:47
Written by Ida Wood

Alpine team management are sure Esteban Ocon and new team mate Pierre Gasly will put their past differences aside and be productive rather than obstructive when they join forces at the team next year. Gasly was chosen as Ocon’s new team mate for next year after Alpine lost their first two choices for the seat. Incumbent Fernando Alonso will leave to join Aston Martin while reserve driver Oscar Piastri stunned the team by switching to McLaren.

Gasly’s current employer Red Bull has agreed to release him from his 2023 contract with AlphaTauri to join Alpine. He and Ocon – both from Normandy in France – had closely aligning careers as youngsters in karting, but their on-track rivalry intensified as they made their way into single-seaters. “I started to beat him and he didn’t like it so we’re not friends any more,” Gasly said of their relationship in 2018.

Gasly beat Ocon to the 2013 Formula Renault Eurocup, then they did not race each other again until both were on the F1 grid in 2017. However Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer is confident the pair will have a constructive relationship next year. “They’ve known each other for a very long time and they’ve raced together,” he said. “They’re about equally experienced, they’re both very fast, both ambitious. So I think they’ll work well together.”

“Will work well together”

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/12/gasly-and-ocon-will-work-well-together-at-alpine-despite-past-tensions/


Pierre Gasly ‘definitely not worried’ about partnering Esteban Ocon at Alpine
Friday 14th October 2022 10:00 AM
Michelle Foster

Pierre Gasly is not at all worried about tension between himself and Esteban Ocon next season, adamant they are mature enough to put the team first. After seven years in Formula 1 with the Red Bull family, Gasly is off to Alpine next season having signed a multi-year deal to replace Fernando Alonso.

It is a move that a year or two ago, nobody would have thought possible such was the rumoured animosity between Gasly and his 2023 team-mate, Ocon. Although they were boyhood friends, coming through the junior motor racing ranks together, a rivalry began to grow – and so did the acrimony.

Neither has ever revealed the exact cause, or moment, their friendship broke down but Gasly is not worried it will be a problem next season. “I think it’s more than talking about the relationship,” he told Motorsport.com. “It’s talking about the odds of us being team-mates when we were six years old and racing in karting on a small track next to our hometown.

‘Definitely not worried’

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre-gasly-not-worried-esteban-ocon/


Pierre Gasly Says He and Esteban Ocon are “Mature Enough” to Work Together at Alpine
14 Oct 2022, 09:11 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose

Gasly and Ocon used to be childhood friends during their karting days in Normandy, but as various personal issues manifested themselves through adulthood, many believed that they could never work together well as teammates.

Well, the pair will be put to the test next year as Gasly will be joining Ocon at Alpine to form an all-French driver lineup. “I think it’s more than talking about the relationship,” said Gasly during an interview with Motorsport. “It’s talking about the odds of us being teammates when we were six years old and racing in karting on a small track next to our hometown.”

"We have had our ups and downs in our relationship, but I do believe this is also an opportunity for us to clear a bit what's happened in the past, and I'm definitely not worried. We are mature enough and intelligent enough to know what is best for us, and mainly most important for the team.”

“Mature Enough”;

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/pierre-gasly-says-he-and-esteban-ocon-are-mature-enough-to-work-together-at-alpine-201249.html


Esteban Ocon: “To finish fourth is a fantastic result for us”
October 10, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

Esteban Ocon was left delighted with what he called a ‘fantastic result’ at the Japanese Grand Prix, which helped his BWT Alpine F1 Team reclaim fourth-place from the McLaren F1 Team in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship Constructors Standings.

Ocon would come home for a fourth-place finish with Hamilton just over five tenths of a second behind in fifth-place. Ocon’s twelve-point haul from Suzuka has helped the Enstone-based team overtake McLaren in the tightly contested battle for fourth in the Constructors and Ocon was left delighted with his day’s work in Japan.
“To finish fourth is a fantastic result for us, especially in these conditions. It was a difficult start with the rain and poor visibility, so we had to be fully focused to get through the early stages. I’m glad we managed to race and reward the fans who have been so good in their support all weekend. Racing Lewis [Hamilton] is always a pleasure and I was having to drive while looking in my mirrors the whole time. Congratulations to Max for winning the world championship. He deserves it after dominating and driving brilliantly at every race. We leave Japan with a great haul of points, claiming back fourth in the Constructors’ Championship.”

‘Fantastic result for us’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/esteban-ocon-to-finish-fourth-is-a-fantastic-result-for-us/


Ocon explains how he managed a race-long battle with Hamilton
‎11‎ ‎October‎ ‎14‎:‎50
Author Anna Francis

Esteban Ocon scored his best finish of the season so far by claiming P4 at the Japanese Grand Prix, but was tasked with holding off Lewis Hamilton en route to the result. In terms of how he managed his lengthy duel with Hamilton at Suzuka, Ocon explained: "Racing Lewis is always a pleasure and I was having to drive while looking in my mirrors the whole time."

Alpine pleased with result for Constructors' battle. With the team continuing to battle McLaren for fourth place in the Constructors' Championship, Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer was thrilled to secure a double-points finish thanks to Ocon and teammate Fernando Alonso's efforts. "As a team, we can be pleased with our points collection from this race, with Esteban delivering a fantastic result in fourth place after a supremely well managed race and Fernando in seventh to score 18 points," Szafnauer commented.

"We've been strong all weekend here across every session, so we are deserving of the points we scored today and we move back into fourth in the Constructors' Championship. "It's been a busy two weeks for the team across both Singapore and Japan, and the hard work will continue as we look ahead to the next double header in Austin and Mexico in a fortnight."

‘Managed a race-long battle with Hamilton’;

https://racingnews365.com/ocon-explains-how-he-managed-race-long-battle-with-hamilton

[Fortitude]

Aston Martin on a ‘good progession’ but realistic over P6 chance.
P6 in the Constructors’ standings now seems very much on for Aston Martin, but team boss Mike Krack is stressing the need to stay realistic.
Saturday 15th October 2022 2:15 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Aston Martin are one of Formula 1’s most intriguing outfits in terms of their potential for growth, the team having brought in key personnel such as Martin Whitmarsh, the ex-McLaren Racing CEO, to take over that position at Aston Martin, as well as snatching Red Bull’s aero chief Dan Fallows.

Having languished in P9 for much of the campaign, Aston Martin have scored 20 points across the most recent rounds in Singapore and Japan, a P6 each for Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel, the latter also finishing P8 in Singapore. This has brought Aston Martin right back into play against the struggling Alfa Romeo, Haas and AlphaTauri teams.

Aston Martin are now up to P7, with Alfa Romeo only seven points further up the road with four races of the season remaining. Alfa Romeo have scored only one point in their last nine races, so the form book dictates that Aston Martin should be claiming a P6 finish this season. Krack, though, is urging that his team cannot get carried away by such thoughts.

‘Good progession’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/aston-martin-realistic-p6-chance/


Aston Martin boss staying realistic in championship battle
16/10/2022 at 08:08
Andrew Lewin

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack is determined not to get carried away about the squad's chances of overhauling Alfa Romeo in this year's constructors championship.

The team was down in ninth place in the standings following the Italian Grand Prix, after a problematic start to the season. But a new rear wing design has helped them revive their fortunes in recent outings.

Double points finishes for Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll in Singapore followed by a strong sixth for Vettel in Japan mean the team is now back in seventh and just seven points behind Alfa Romeo.

‘Aston Martin boss staying realistic’;

https://f1i.com/news/457174-aston-martin-boss-staying-realistic-in-championship-battle.html


Aston Martin Need to be Honest with Alonso to Keep Him Happy – Pedro de la Rosa
October 15, 2022
By Paul Hensby

The Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team can keep Fernando Alonso happy by just being honest with him, according to the new Team Ambassador, Pedro de la Rosa. De la Rosa has previous experience of working alongside his fellow Spaniard after being test driver at both the McLaren F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari whilst Alonso was racing for those teams.

And with Alonso joining Aston Martin in 2023 to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel, it will be another opportunity for the two Spaniards to work together. Alonso holds a reputation, perhaps unjustifiably, of being difficult to handle and sometimes abrupt with his opinions, but de la Rosa says this is far from the truth, and the fact that English is not his first language makes him sound harsher than he is.

“I don’t think that Fernando is a difficult guy to handle,” said de la Rosa to Motorsport.com. “He’s just very genuine, very honest. The fact that English is not his native tongue sometimes make him a bit harsh when he tries to describe things. But he’s very honest. And what he tells you is what he feels about the car, about the team, about how to be competitive.”

‘Need to be Honest’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/aston-martin-need-to-be-honest-with-alonso-to-keep-him-happy-pedro-de-la-rosa/


Fernando Alonso set for Pedro de la Rosa reunion as ex-Ferrari test driver joins Aston Martin
13 October 2022
Formula 1.

Fernando Alonso will be reunited with his former McLaren and Ferrari colleague Pedro de la Rosa when he joins Aston Martin next season, after the Spaniard was appointed as an ambassador for the British team. De la Rosa, now 51, started 104 Grands Prix for teams such as Arrows, BMW Sauber and HRT, and worked with Alonso as test driver at McLaren and later at Ferrari.

He also scored a memorable podium when he took P2 at the Hungaroring in 2006, after he replaced McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya for the second half of the season. The Spaniard will undertake media, PR and advisory duties and serve as a consultant to Aston Martin's new Driver Development Programme – which has already signed F2 champion Felipe Drugovich.

"I am delighted to be joining Aston Martin as team ambassador," he said. I already know many faces within the team, having worked extensively with [2023 race driver] Fernando Alonso during my time at McLaren and Ferrari, and I look forward to getting to know everyone within the organisation.

‘Ex-Ferrari test driver joins Aston Martin’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.fernando-alonso-set-for-pedro-de-la-rosa-reunion-as-ex-ferrari-test-driver.7HBB39mUZtoTAD7n48Mchi.html


Pedro de la Rosa insists Lance Stroll is an ‘underrated’ driver
Saturday 15th October 2022 8:00 PM
Sam Cooper

New Aston Martin team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa believes Lance Stroll is an “underrated” driver as the two begin to work with each other. De La Rosa’s arrival at the team was announced last week with Aston Martin creating a new role for the 51-year-old which, among other duties, will see him work with the team’s Driver Development Programme.

Felipe Drugovich became the first signing to the new driver academy and while Stroll is much further along in his career, he will no doubt be looking to draw on both De La Rosa’s and Fernando Alonso’s experience for the 2023 season. De La Rosa has been complimentary of Stroll’s ability and said he saw him as an “underrated” driver.
“I’m just looking forward to working with them [Alonso and Stroll],” De La Rosa said, as reported by the Race.

“One is 23 years old, and the other one is 41. The combination will be fantastic. “Fernando will work very well with Lance, because there is this age gap and Fernando is so mature now that they will help each other to become stronger as team-mates.”

‘Lance Stroll is an ‘underrated’ driver’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pedro-de-la-rosa-lance-stroll-underrated/

[Fortitude]

VIDEO: Alfa Romeo track down young fan who sent generous donation.
The team embarked on a search effort to find a loyal fan that sent in the donation in 2019.
15/10/2022, ‎08‎:‎40
Author RacingNews365 Staff

In 2019 Alfa Romeo team principal Fred Vasseur received an envelope from a young fan containing €19 along with the message: "Sorry I couldn't save more to help the team forward."

The letter was just signed 'Goto' without any last name, address, phone, or email details. The team embarked on a search to find their generous 'contributor' and at the last race weekend in Japan, they finally found Goto.

Along with showing him around the garage, Goto also got his name as a sticker on the car - much like the other sponsors!

‘Loyal fan’;

https://racingnews365.com/video-alfa-romeo-track-down-young-fan-who-sent-generous-donation


Alfa Romeo gives its youngest sponsor a special day in Suzuka.
15/10/2022 at 13:42
Phillip van Osten

The young fan wished to help the Swiss outfit improve its fortunes during a season of struggles, hence the money - or Goto's hard-earned savings - included in the envelope. "Sorry that I could not save more money for the improvement of the team," he wrote.

Vasseur was overwhelmed by the missive and donation and wished to express his gratitude towards his team's biggest fan, but unfortunately there was no surname, email or return address on the envelope. The Hinwil outfit then set about tracking down Goto through its social media channels, an operation that proved successful.

Upon Formula 1's return to Japan for the first time in three years, Goto and his family were invited to Suzuka as special guests of Vasseur and the Alfa Romeo team. And as you'll see in the video below, Alfa gave young Goto "the place he deserved" as one of the team's sponsors...

‘Youngest sponsor a special day’;

https://f1i.com/news/457150-alfa-romeo-gives-its-youngest-sponsor-a-special-day-in-suzuka.html


Improving poor starts “critical” to keeping ahead of Aston Martin, says Alfa Romeo
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on
16th October 2022, 0:0115th October 2022, 20:10
Written by Will Wood

In the round-up: Alfa Romeo’s head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar says that improving the team’s start performance will be “critical” to their efforts to keep Aston Martin behind them in the constructors’ championship. Alfa Romeo’s head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar says that improving the team’s start performance will be “critical” to their efforts to keep Aston Martin behind them in the constructors’ championship.

The team have struggled from poor starts relative to their rivals, with both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu losing multiple positions off the line and over the opening lap during many races this season. Alfa Romeo remain in sixth position in the constructors’ championship, but now are only eight points ahead of Aston Martin, who have outscored them by 29 points to one over the last nine rounds.

“The starts and lap one is something that for us is getting a bit critical,” admitted Pujolar. “We need to get out of these positions, losing places at the start on lap one. We’ll have some new parts coming at the next event again in Austin and the plan is, okay, another step in performance. Let’s see if we can have both cars in Q3 – and from there, we saw early in the season that then it’s easier starts on lap one – and fight for the points with both cars. That’s what we want to do. We want to increase the gap to Aston Martin again because they’re getting too close. That’s our the main target and our main worry in the next few races.”

‘Improving poor starts critical’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/16/racefans-round-up-16-10-5/


Alfa Romeo: Pourchaire one of the most promising young drivers
14 October, 2022
Paul Velasco

Highly-rated young Formula 1 wannabes will be in action for FP1 during the 2022 United States Grand Prix, in Austin, with 23-year-old Robert Schwartzmann in action for Ferrari and 19-year-old Théo Pourchaire in an Alfa Romeo.

Grasse-born Frenchman, Pourchaire said of his opportunity: “I am thrilled to be making my Free Practice debut in Austin; it will be my second time behind the wheel of a F1 car, but in some ways, it will feel like it’s the first time, as this time it will be during an official Grand Prix session.

“It feels like a dream coming true, and I want to thank Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN for putting their trust in me and granting me this amazing opportunity: I am looking forward to being on track, and I will make sure to get the most out of it and to do my best to support the team as they prepare for the United States Grand Prix.”

‘Promising young driver’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/14/alfa-romeo-pourchaire-one-of-the-most-promising-young-drivers-f1-austin-fp1/


Zhou ponders what might have been after ‘lost gamble’ at Suzuka, as Bottas eyes more Alfa Romeo updates
11 October 2022
Formula 1.

Zhou Guanyu felt more was possible for himself and Alfa Romeo during the Japanese Grand Prix after an alternate strategy amid the wet conditions failed to pay off.

Zhou was one of several drivers, along with Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher, to extend an initial stint on wet tyres in the restarted, rain-shortened encounter at Suzuka – Zhou having spun on his own at the original start – while the rest of the field jumped into the pits for intermediates and instantly lapped quicker.

Eventually stopping four laps later than the first drivers who made the switch, Zhou dropped from a temporary top-three position to the foot of the order, before pitting again in the closing stages for a fresh set of intermediates, which saw him wind up as the 16th of 18 finishers.

‘Zhou ponders what might have been’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.zhou-ponders-what-might-have-been-after-lost-gamble-at-suzuka-as-bottas-eyes.1bGdBi3SV6VzOXPCILjjUm.html


Alfa Romeo’s Frédéric Vasseur: “There was no top ten finish for us, despite a quick car”
October 13, 2022
By Ashley Cline

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur said that the team’s pace advantage against rival teams was no match for the tough conditions at the Japanese Grand Prix, where Valtteri Bottas finished in fifteenth and Zhou Guanyu finished sixteenth after struggling to overtake.

“Today was a difficult day in which the team performed under very tough conditions. In the end, there was no top ten finish for us, despite a quick car: overtaking turned out to be very difficult, even with a pace advantage, and we couldn’t make the progress we wanted after a challenging start.”

Vasseur is confident in the team’s ability to work hard over the next weeks to prepare for the United States Grand Prix and fight for points positions against the midfield’s frontrunners. “It’s a shame to leave Japan with no points: we now have to regroup and make sure we hit the right note in Austin, in two weeks. We know our car and our team are capable of battling towards the front of the midfield, but we need to get our work done to be there.”

‘Alfa Romeo’s Frédéric Vasseur’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/alfa-romeos-frederic-vasseur-there-was-no-top-ten-finish-for-us-despite-a-quick-car/

[Fortitude]

Mick Schumacher accused of 'wrecking cars' by Haas boss and costing F1 team millions.
F1 star Mick Schumacher was on the receiving end of some strong words by Gene Haas - the owner of Haas F1 following his underwhelming second season in the sport.
18:58, 17 Oct 2022
By Liam Llewellyn
Sports Trends Writer
The Mirror

F1 star Mick Schumacher has been lambasted by Haas boss Gene Haas as the German was accused of 'wrecking cars', costing the team millions of pounds.

Haas says that the crashes have been costly for his team, who operate on a limited budget compared to some rival teams. “In this sport, being kind of a rookie driver, the sport just doesn’t allow it – it’s just too expensive,” he said.

The pressure continues to mount as Haas has urged Schumacher to produce some more top-10 finishes between now and the end of the season.

'Wrecking cars';

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/f1-mick-schumacher-wrecking-cars-28262110


Haas: Mick Schumacher 'costs a fortune' and lacks 'consistency'
17 October 2022
Ben Issatt
Formula 1

Mick Schumacher has received the opposite of a ringing endorsement from Haas, as speculation over his future continues. The German is out of contract after 2022 and compatriot Nico Hulkenberg has been linked to his seat for next year in what would be another Formula 1 return.

But speaking to the Press Association, Haas owner Gene Haas was pretty blunt in his criticism of Schumacher. “If he wants to stay with us, he’s got to show us that he can score some more points. That’s what we are waiting for," he said.

“I think Mick has got a lot of potential, but you know he costs a fortune and he’s wrecked a lot of cars that have cost us a lot of money that we just don’t have.

'Costs a fortune';

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16435-haas-mick-schumacher-costs-a-fortune-and-lacks-consistency


Haas make Schumacher demand after costly wrecks
Monday 17 October 2022 14:00
Sam Hall

Haas F1 team owner Gene Haas has conceded the cost of Mick Schumacher's "wrecked" cars could force the team to change its driver lineup. But far from writing off Schumacher's chances of remaining with the team into a third season, Haas claimed the driver's future remains squarely in his own hands.

"Mick’s future is going to be decided by Mick," added Haas. "We’re just waiting. We need Mick to bring some points and we’re trying to give him as much time as possible to see what he can do.”

"If he wants to stay with us, he’s got to show us that he can score some more points. That’s what we are waiting for."

‘Schumacher demand’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93898/gene-haas-mick-schumacher/


Gene Haas: Schumacher crashes 'have cost team a fortune'
17/10/2022 at 16:33
Phillip van Osten

As the U.S. outfit debates its line-up for 2023, or the identity of the driver that will race alongside Kevin Magnussen next year, Gene Haas suggests Schumacher can save his year. But points are now paramount.

"We need Mick to bring some points and we’re trying to give him as much time as possible to see what he can do," said Haas.

"If he wants to stay with us, he’s got to show us that he can score some more points. That’s what we are waiting for."

‘Crashes 'have cost team a fortune';

https://f1i.com/news/457271-gene-haas-schumacher-crashes-have-cost-team-a-fortune.html


GENE HAAS ASSESSES MICK SCHUMACHER’S CURRENT SITUATION
What does the team owner say?
17/10/2022, 08:09
Lena Ferle
FormulaNerds

Gene Haas has stated that Mick Schumacher’s future with the American team is in his own hands.

Asked what exactly needs to happen in the final four races of the F1 season for Schumacher to stay, Haas explained:

“Well, if he wins the next one, he’s in. Somewhere in between there is a grey area.”

‘Assessment of Mick Schumacher’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/gene-haas-assesses-mick-schumachers-current-situation/?nowprocket=1

[Fortitude]

Lewis Hamilton landed Red Bull with '£1.6m bill' as FIA mull penalty for budget cap breach.
Lewis Hamilton played his own part in Red Bull's final spend, which was allegedly over the limit set by the FIA.
07:00, Sat, Oct 15, 2022
By Charlie Gordon

An incident involving Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen last season reportedly landed Red Bull with a hefty £1.6million bill, which naturally contributed to their 'minor' budget cap breach. Christian Horner and co are still waiting to discover their punishment after the FIA released their verdict earlier this week.

Speculation has circulated on how Red Bull managed to exceed the £114m spending cap imposed by the FIA last season. They were found to be in 'minor' breach of the limit, which could mean anything up to £5.7m. Reports put their overspend at just under the £2m mark and Hamilton's crash with Verstappen at Silverstone in 2021 certainly won't have helped Red Bull's efforts to stay under the permitted amount.

In a frantic opening lap, the Brit sparked fury in the Red Bull camp by trying an audacious move up the inside of Verstappen at Copse Corner, only to make contact with the Dutchman and send him flying into the barriers at high speed. According to Crash.net, the Red Bull write-off would have cost the team in the region of £1.6m. Reports suggest that Red Bull's alleged breach is also due to differences of interpretation regarding sick pay and catering.

‘Lewis Hamilton landed Red Bull with £1.6m bill';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1682615/lewis-hamilton-red-bull-fia-budget-cap-mercedes-silverstone


Red Bull Broke Formula 1 Cost Cap By Eating Too Much.
We're not joking. Catering put Red Bull over the FIA's budget cap.
Oct. 10, 2022 6:06 PM ET
Chase Bierenkoven
CarBuzz

Building a Formula 1 car isn't the same as building a Honda Civic. It takes money and lots of it. The FIA introduced cost caps last year to keep big-budget teams and the little guys on more or less the same level. It has released findings showing that two teams were over the cost cap. Aston Martin fell into what the FIA called a "procedural breach," which likely means they filed the paperwork a little late. But we're here to talk about how Red Bull managed to exceed it. If you ask the FIA, the team's catering budget is part of that.

It appears someone ordered a few too many lobster rolls during last year's championship celebrations. That, combined with some other factors, has put the team over the line, says the FIA. Per the FIA's report, Red Bull committed two breaches of the 2021 cost caps, one Procedural Breach and one "Minor Financial Overspend," amounting to less than 5% of the cost cap. That puts the sum somewhere south of $7 million.

The amount is unknown, meaning the overspent can be between $100 and $7 million. Jokes aside, it wasn't lobster rolls or championship celebrations that set Red Bull over. Instead, it was much more kindhearted: free lunches for the team's 1,000+ staff members at the company's Milton Keynes headquarters. In addition to catering costs, the report found that costs associated with absent staff also contributed to the breach. Perhaps this explains some of Red Bull's apparent anger over the findings.

‘We're not joking’;

https://carbuzz.com/news/red-bull-broke-formula-1-cost-cap-by-eating-too-much


Is Newey at the center of Red Bull's cost cap breach?
18/10/2022 at 09:41
Phillip van Osten

Speculation has emerged that Red Bull chief technology officer Adrian Newey could be at the center of Red Bull's cost cap breach. Following the FIA's audit of teams' accounts, Red Bull was found guilty of breaching Formula 1's financial regulations in 2021. However, the governing body has classified Red Bull's transgression as "minor", meaning it represents less than 5% of the team's $145 million maximum budget, or less than $7.5 million.

A report last week from Dutch outlet De Telegraaf claimed that the bulk of Red Bull's overspend – estimated at between $1m and $2m – was linked to catering fees, free lunch for its over 1,000 members of staff, as well as to illness and absent employees. But a new report from Ziggo Sport suggests the financial over-run could rooted in a dispute between Red Bull and the FIA over Newey's professional relationship with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

"It probably has to do with Adrian Newey," said Ziggo. "Newey is one of the top three earners in the team and the debate is over whether Newey is a Red Bull employee or a name on loan through his own company. Red Bull says ‘he is employed by us’ so he’s not included in the budget cap because he’s one of the three highest-paid names. The FIA said: ‘No, he was hired through his company, so he comes from outside, so he should be included in the budget cap’."

‘Ziggo Sport Speculation’;

https://f1i.com/news/457284-is-newey-at-the-center-of-red-bulls-cost-cap-breach.html


Red Bull doesn’t actually need to breach F1’s cost cap to win
Oct 17 2022
By Ben Anderson

For so many years Red Bull toiled in the wake of Mercedes’ ascent to the pinnacle of hybrid-engined Formula 1, yet it rides high again having restored what Christian Horner will no doubt think is the natural order of things.

Debates now rage – and rightly so – about F1’s cost cap and the extent to which Red Bull transgressed this during its return to the top. It is possible the beginning of this new era of Red Bull success in F1 will forever be tainted by technical arguments concerning bean-counting.

But there’s also a wider point here that’s easy to overlook in the midst of all this heated political wrangling. And that is, would Ferrari and/or Mercedes actually be beating Red Bull right now if they were spending the same, or even more money than Red Bull?

‘Debates now rage’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/red-bull-doesnt-actually-need-to-breach-f1s-cost-cap-to-win/


‘Surprised’ Red Bull still adamant it was below F1 cost cap
Oct 10 2022
By Matt Beer

Red Bull has expressed “surprise and disappointment” at the FIA’s ruling that it breached the cost cap regulations during Max Verstappen’s 2021 Formula 1 title-winning season. “We note the findings by the FIA of ‘minor overspend breaches of the financial regulations’ with surprise and disappointment,” it read.


“Our 2021 submission was below the cost cap limit, so we need to carefully review the FIA’s findings as our belief remains that the relevant costs are under the 2021 cost cap amount.

“Despite the conjecture and positioning of others, there is of course a process under the regulations with the FIA which we will respectfully follow while we consider all the options available to us.”

“Surprise and disappointment”;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/surprised-red-bull-still-adamant-it-was-below-f1-cost-cap/

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff: There is ‘nothing mystical’ about Mercedes’ W13 issues.
Mercedes, it has been suggested, may be forced to scrap their zero-pods and adopt something closer to the Red Bull design if they want to get back to winning ways.
Tuesday 18th October 2022 11:00 AM
Michelle Foster

The Brackley squad has struggled in the new ground effect aerodynamic era, the W13 bouncing more than any other car in the first half of the season.

The team managed to resolve that, or best to say minimise it, only to find fundamental issues with the car that they have been working on ever since.

Technical director Mike Elliot likened it to an onion, “you peel the next layer off the onion and you’ve got another problem.”

‘Nothing mystical about peeling onions!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-wolff-mercedes-physics-wrong/


Wolff: Austin upgrade won’t change our fortunes.
“Our final update package of the year will be brought to Austin,” Wolff pointed out. “It won’t drastically change our fortunes but we’re hopeful it will bring us a step forward and closer to the front runners.”
18 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is realistic regarding the team’s upgrade package planned for the 2022 United States Grand Prix in Austin, admitting it won’t change their fortunes.

“The double-header in Singapore and Japan was a frustrating one for the team, as we didn’t put ourselves in the clean air we needed to maximise the race pace of the car,” he said.

“We want to end this season strongly and the results of the last two races only make us more determined to do so,” he added. “We need to use the limited track time available to make strides forward for this season and generate as much learning as we can in the development race for 2023 – those two aims are one and the same.”

‘We’re hopeful’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/18/wolff-austin-upgrade-wont-change-out-fortunes/


Wolff sets out Mercedes end-of-year aims
Tuesday 18 October 2022 16:56
Ewan Gale

Whilst the race pace of the W13 has been a match for at least the Scuderia, qualifying has left both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell with too much to do too often this year, the duo forced to duel with the Alpines and McLarens on occasion.

"We want to end this season strongly and the results of the last two races only make us more determined to do so.

"We need to use the limited track time available to make strides forward for this season and generate as much learning as we can in the development race for 2023... those two aims are one and the same."

‘Toto Aims’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93989/toto-wolff-mercedes-aims/


Mercedes uncover step needed for Red Bull-Ferrari fight
Tuesday 18 October 2022 11:36
Ewan Gale

Addressing what the team is expecting from the final update, Shovlin explained: “It's our final step of aero development and that will hopefully give us a bit more performance. But importantly, with every step, we are learning more and more and that learning we can carry into next year.”

"So that's part of it, also there are a few bits where we have taken some weight out of components that will hopefully get the car closer to the weight limit. It's very difficult for us to predict where we are going to be."

‘Step needed uncovered’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/93955/mercedes-red-bull-ferrari-fight-upgrades/


Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff on the same page over Mercedes' 2023 hopes vs Max Verstappen
Mercedes have a significant gap to close if they are to challenge Red Bull next season.
06:38, Tue, Oct 18, 2022
By Alex Turk

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton share the same optimism about reclaiming their F1 throne from Red Bull and Max Verstappen in the 2023 season. However, both are wary of their chances of challenging on the back of heavily contrasting campaigns this year

He told Channel 4: "Obviously, we have missed a lot of development time to find out about bouncing and purposing and all these things. So it's clear that Red Bull is in a very favourable position, not only for this year but also for the start of next year. But having said that, if we were to continue our understanding and development of the car, I think we can catch up quickly."

‘Same page’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1683816/Lewis-Hamilton-Toto-Wolff-Mercedes-Max-Verstappen-Red-Bull-F1-news

[Fortitude]

How brake designs could explain Red Bull/Ferrari F1 tyre differences.
Ferrari started the current Formula 1 season as the car to beat, with Charles Leclerc winning two of the opening three grands prix of the campaign.
Oct 18, 2022, 2:47 PM
By: Matt Somerfield
Co-author: Franco Nugnes
Motorsport.com

However, rival Red Bull quickly hit its stride and since the summer break has stepped even further clear, especially in race pace, as the RB18 appears to have a clear edge with its tyre management characteristics.

A lot of the focus for the swing in performance has inevitably focused around aero development, as it's an area where all teams make a lot of changes throughout the year.

However, there are other aspects of car design and setup that can play just as important a role in overall package performance, and this is why Ferrari's tyre headaches may not just be an aero thing.

‘Brake designs could explain Red Bull/Ferrari F1 tyre differe’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/the-contrasting-brake-designs-could-explain-the-red-bull-ferrari-tyre-differences/10385930/


Charles Leclerc gives frank assessment of two crucial errors in Max Verstappen title fight.
CHARLES LECLERC was comfortably beaten by Max Verstappen in the battle for this year's Drivers' Championship title.
20:19, Tue, Oct 18, 2022
By Archie Griggs

Charles Leclerc has opened up on his season-defining mistakes at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and the French Grand Prix after he was beaten to this year's Drivers' Championship title by Max Verstappen.

The Ferrari man led Verstappen by 34 points after the first three rounds but quickly saw his Drivers' Championship hopes go up in flames, with a combination of poor strategy calls and individual mistakes derailing his title charge. Leclerc has since admitted that he was at fault for his glaring errors at Imola and Paul-Ricard but also pointed to the deficiencies within the team as another area in need of improvement.

"I don't think when I did the mistakes, I had to compensate for anything," Leclerc told RacingNews365. "It was just obviously motivation to do in [Ferrari's home race at] Imola, and then in France, yes, I did the mistake, but I think that could have happened anywhere in the season. For me, it's not this. I try to push the limits all the time, and then there was this big mistake in France and smaller one in Imola. I cannot change it. I feel like it is being talked [about] much more than it should be.”

‘Frank assessment of two crucial errors’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1684600/Charles-Leclerc-frank-assessment-two-crucial-errors-Max-Verstappen-F1-news


Damon Hill torn: Is this Max Verstappen’s brilliance or Ferrari’s failure?
Tuesday 18th October 2022 11:45 AM
Michelle Foster

Damon Hill can’t decide if Max Verstappen’s 2022 title was down to his own brilliance or Ferrari’s ineptitude, or a combination of the two. Hill reckons the Scuderia made it easier for the Dutchman to secure his second title in as many seasons. Speaking on the latest F1 Nation podcast, he said:

“I think it’s very difficult to actually decide whether it’s Red Bull and Max’s brilliance this season, an almost perfect performance, or whether it was Ferrari shooting themselves in the foot.”

“It was a lamentable at times performance from them because they showed so much promise at the beginning and between the team strategy and a few driver errors and basically lacking the ability to move forward with that car they didn’t provide a challenge to Max.” Max Verstappen was ‘the difference’ But that doesn’t take away from Verstappen who Hill says was “sublimely brilliant” this season.

‘Ferrari shooting themselves in the foot’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/damon-hill-max-verstappen-brilliance-ferrari-failure/


What Ferrari learned from its vital F1 development inquest
Oct 18 2022
By Scott Mitchell-Malm

The upgraded floor Ferrari will use for the rest of the 2022 Formula 1 season is the result of a “crucial” inquest into whether it had lost its way with the development of its car. Ferrari has not won since the Austrian Grand Prix in July, a run of seven races that triggered concerns within the team that some upgrades had inadvertently made the F1-75 worse in race trim.

Though Ferrari has continued to be competitive in qualifying during its winless run it has failed to convincingly fight for victory since the summer break. Back-to-back floor tests in Friday practice at the Italian Grand Prix in September were part of Ferrari’s process of investigating its drop-off in performance since July’s French Grand Prix, where a new floor had been introduced.

However, Ferrari’s analysis indicates that the new floor was indeed an improvement, which gave the team confidence it could pursue its development direction – leading to another floor upgrade in Japan. “It’s been crucial to confirm that we’re going in the right direction,” senior performance engineer Jock Clear said. “And as soon as you have these question marks over ‘OK, have we gone the wrong way in set-up?’, you have to be quite brave and say ‘OK, you’ve got to understand where you are, you can’t afford to carry on [in the direction you were going]’.

‘Vital F1 development inquest’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-ferrari-learned-from-its-vital-f1-development-inquest/


Christian Klien feels Ferrari are guilty of underestimating Red Bull
Tuesday 18th October 2022 1:15 PM
Michelle Foster

Former F1 driver Christian Klien has spoken of Ferrari’s litany of errors in this year’s championship, but believes underestimating Red Bull is what cost them the most. He told F1 Nation podcast after Japan: “I think they just have to come together more as a team. Stop making mistakes on the strategy side. It feels like technical issues hurt them as well a little bit, there were a few mistakes from the drivers as well.”

With Red Bull having fought for and won the title last season, Klien believes they showed they were more fit for the fight. “Ferrari for the first time in a long time they were actually fighting for a World Championship, and I think in this area Max was just more calm,” he said, adding that “Red Bull was more ready to fight for the championship”.

“And if it’s that close, you can’t afford all these little mistakes. If you think beginning of the season, it almost felt like it’s a clear run for Ferrari this year because they were that dominant with the car but they underestimated how quickly Red Bull were turning it around and how complete they are as a team.”

‘Underestimating Red Bull’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christian-klien-ferrari-guilty-underestimating-red-bull/

[Fortitude]

The US Grand Prix used to be a tough sell, now COTA can't make grandstands fast enough: Medland.
The Circuit of the Americas hosted its first United States GP in 2012 and, after keeping the faith for a rocky few years, it has become a huge success story that F1 can learn from.
October 19th 2022
Author Chris Medland

Ten years ago, Lewis Hamilton stalked Sebastian Vettel for 41 laps before finally being able to use a backmarker to force his way into the lead and secure victory at the United States Grand Prix. Over 117,000 people watched the race, and it felt like a big moment.

Circuit of the Americas nearly went the same way. From a weekend attendance of 265,000 for that inaugural race in Austin, it was down to 224,000 three years later, and it took until 2019 – the first year that Drive to Survive aired – for that initial number to be exceeded and keep growing.

The 2021 race saw 400,000 come through the gates. This year is poised to see the crowd increase by 10%. The hype train has well and truly left the station and so many people want to be on board. But Austin was buying into F1 even before there was any of that hype.

‘Can't make grandstands fast enough’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/the-us-grand-prix-used-to-be-a-tough-sell-now-cota-cant-make-grandstands-fast-enough-medland?nowprocket=1


US Grand Prix: 5 big questions that need answers in Austin
Published: 19 Oct 2022, 17:12
By George Dagless

The second US-based Formula 1 race of the season takes place this weekend as we head back to Austin for a 10th straight year. The Circuit of the Americas has proven a really popular destination since its arrival on the grid in 2012 and it’s an event that has really helped F1 grow in the States in terms of popularity.
It’ll be pulling out all of the stops for this 10th running of the United States Grand Prix, then, but what on-track action should we be focusing on most of all this weekend? We look now… Red Bull have got one title in the bag already this year and will be aiming for another this weekend.

If Max Verstappen wins this weekend's race in Austin he will join Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel in holding the record of most Grand Prix victories in a single F1 season with 13. And, with three races still to come after Austin, there is a good chance that that incredible record is going to be broken before the campaign is out, especially with the form Verstappen finds himself in right now.

‘Second US-based Formula 1 race of the season’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88073173-us-grand-prix-5-big-questions-that-need-answers-in-austin


Austin renames final turn after F1 icon ahead of US Grand Prix
‎17‎ ‎October‎ ‎16‎:‎10
Author Jake Nichol

The final turn at the Circuit of the Americas circuit is to be renamed in honour of Formula 1 legend Mario Andretti ahead of the United States Grand Prix. Andretti - who recently tested a 2013-spec McLaren - is one of only two American drivers to have won the F1 World Championship, doing so in 1978, 17 years after Phil Hill.

Already a winner in NASCAR and IndyCar by the time he transitioned across to Grand Prix racing, Andretti picked up 12 wins - with his 1978 Dutch success the last for an American driver in F1. In his long career, Andretti became the only driver to win the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, US Open-wheel title (now IndyCar), and the F1 title. He also finished second overall in the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Turn 20, to be known as 'The Andretti' after a ceremony on Thursday, is a medium-speed left-hander at the end of the Austin lap, which feeds onto the DRS-assisted start/finish straight before the climb up to Turn 1. Both IndyCar and NASCAR have also raced on the purpose-built Grand Prix circuit, with MotoGP also heading to the state capital of Texas for events.

‘Turn 20, to be known as 'The Andretti' ’;

https://racingnews365.com/austin-renames-final-turn-after-f1-icon-ahead-of-us-grand-prix


F1 NATION: Rivals to catch and records to match – it's our US Grand Prix preview podcast
17 October 2022
Formula 1.

Championship places still to be decided, team battles with millions of dollars at stake, and more records for Max Verstappen – the drivers' title may already be wrapped up, but there’s still lots to race for in the remaining races of the 2022 F1 season.

And to chew through it all, Tom Clarkson, Damon Hill and Natalie Pinkham are back together for the latest episode of the F1 Nation podcast ahead of the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas.

In this week's show the gang chat through all the big talking points around this weekend's race, as Max Verstappen heads into the event aiming to match F1's all-time single season wins record, while Red Bull can clinch the constructor's championship in Austin.

‘Millions of dollars at stake’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.f1-nation-rivals-to-catch-and-records-to-match-its-our-us-grand-prix-preview.1sGS05DQWgZUJJUqYJuZEn.html


US Grand Prix: How to watch, schedule, weather forecast and all the key info
Published: 19 Oct 2022, 16:28
By George Dagless

Formula 1 is back in the United States for the second time this season as the popular Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, welcomes the sport back for a 10th year.

It’s one of the most exciting events of the season with the US city always putting on a great show and they’ll be eager to double down on that this weekend with the anniversary in mind. After a couple of rain-hit race weekends, we're set for dry, clear conditions over the course of the entire US Grand Prix event.

Indeed, the weather is looking pretty predictable at the moment for the three days of action, with highs of 30C forecast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As it stands, then, we're set for some late October sunshine here in Texas with 0% chance of rain across the three days also being predicted.

‘Key Info’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88073177-us-grand-prix-how-to-watch-schedule-weather-forecast-and-all-the-key-info

[Fortitude]

Former F1 champion outlines what Haas need in 2023 driver lineup.
Team owner Gene Haas came out and said Schumacher costs the team "a fortune" after the German had two big crashes at the start of the season, prompting a verbal warning from Team Principal Gunther Steiner.
20/10/2022, ‎10‎:‎44

Damon Hill believes Haas should look at a more experienced driver lineup for next year, after Mick Schumacher's expensive crashes this year. With his future not secured for 2023, Hill believes that Haas should look at drivers that have proven to bring results home for the team and draws on the comparison with Sergio Perez and Red Bull.

"Sometimes with a team like Haas, you need someone who can deliver for you," he told the F1 Nation podcast. "Think about what Perez did for Force India and Racing Point, and then eventually got his chance up at the sharp end. "What a solid performer; this is what these teams need, they need someone who performs can bring the car home, get the best of the opportunities.

"Maybe for a team like Haas, that's actually what they would prefer rather than trying to find a 'hot shoe' driver." In terms of who that driver might be for Haas, there is speculation that Nico Hulkenberg could make a return to the team - something Hill says might be the right call if they want more consistency.

‘Costs the team a fortune’;

https://racingnews365.com/former-f1-champion-outlines-what-haas-need-in-2023-driver-lineup


'He costs a fortune' - Mick Schumacher given brutal warning by Haas owner with his F1 future in serious doubt
Published 15:13, 18 October 2022 BST
Rory O'Callaghan

Haas F1 owner Gene Haas has warned Mick Schumacher he "needs to bring some points" or will lose his seat for next season after costing the team "a fortune".

Schumacher, the son of legendary seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, has raced for Haas for the last two seasons but is out of contract for 2023.

He is currently 16th in the driver standings going into this weekend's United States Grand Prix, having picked up just 12 points this season – almost half of what his Haas teammate Kevin Magnussen has managed (22).

'He costs a fortune';

https://www.sportbible.com/football/mick-schumacher-haas-f1-formula-one-20221018


Warning for Mick Schumacher: Cannot keep crashing without being ‘blindingly fast’
Wednesday 19th October 2022 10:45 AM
Henry Valantine

The multiple crashes for Mick Schumacher this season have rubbed team principal Guenther Steiner up the wrong way on financial terms, but 1996 World Champion Damon Hill believes being “blindingly fast” has made crashes more “forgivable” for other drivers in the past.

Schumacher is under pressure to perform as he looks to keep his seat in Formula 1 next season, with only Haas and Williams left with seats to fill for 2023. The German has had several large offs so far this season, being unable to start the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after a big qualifying crash, as well as splitting his Haas in two in Monaco, before significant repairs were required last time out after a crash during practice at a wet Suzuka. Coupled with struggles to match team-mate Kevin Magnussen’s pace in the early part of the season, Schumacher’s place in Formula 1 has come under threat as a result.

“The balancing act you have to be able to resolve as a racing driver and as a team is how fast you want to go and how much damage do you want to do? Because you want someone who’s quick, but you don’t want someone [who crashes]. I mean, you know, Gilles Villeneuve used to crash a lot, you know, but he was so fast when he wasn’t crashing that he kind of was forgiven.”

‘Rubbed team principal Guenther Steiner up the wrong way’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mick-schumacher-crash-blindingly-fast/


Mick Schumacher should move to ‘better team’ Williams, says Emerson Fittipaldi
Wednesday 19th October 2022 4:00 PM
Michelle Foster

With Nyck de Vries off to AlphaTauri and Nicholas Latifi out of Formula 1, Emerson Fittipaldi says Mick Schumacher should snap up the vacant Williams seat instead of staying with Haas. Although Haas team boss Guenther Steiner said there was a “50-50” chance for Schumacher to retain his seat for a third successive season, Haas’ comments this week are hinting at anything but.

Team owner Gene Haas told the Associated Press the driver’s crashes are outweighing his points, three crashes to two top-10 finishes. “I think Mick has a lot of potential,” said the American. “But you know he costs a fortune and he’s wrecked a lot of cars that have cost us a lot of money that we just don’t have.”

A day later, Steiner spoke of his appreciation for Daniel Ricciardo as a driver, adding he would be a “big hit” at Haas and that if the Australian is “interested in us, he’s not shy to call me up”. None of that makes good reading for Schumacher, but that does not necessarily mean he is out of Formula 1. Williams team boss Jost Capito recently talked up the German, saying he is “definitely an option” for their vacant seat.

‘Mick Schumacher should move to ‘better team’ Williams’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/emerson-fittipaldi-mick-schumacher-move/


Why Daniel Ricciardo should be banging on the door for a Haas drive
Wednesday 19th October 2022 7:30 AM
Jon Wilde

When Daniel Ricciardo walks into the paddock for the United States Grand Prix, should he shorten his stride passing the Haas motorhome and hope to catch Guenther Steiner’s eye?

Steiner, the Haas team principal, has hinted he would be open to partnering Ricciardo with Kevin Magnussen next year. But he will not be banging on McLaren’s door to try and convince the 33-year-old to join his squad.

“If he’s interested in us, he’s not shy to call me up. I’m not going to chase him down,” said Steiner. “I want him to decide what he wants to do for himself first, before being talked into something.”

‘Banging on the door for a Haas drive’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/daniel-ricciardo-haas-opportunity/

[Fortitude]

How the USA fell in love with Formula 1.
After years of trying, it seems Formula 1 has finally struck gold in the USA.
October 19, 2022
By Ed Spencer


The sport suffered grave damage to its image in the states when only six Bridgestone shod cars started the 2005 United States Grand Prix after a slew of punctures forced the 14 Michelin shod runners to withdraw, infuriating the fans who threw beer cans onto the track.

Motorsport fan Tavo Hellmund sketched out his idea of what a dream Grand Prix circuit in Austin would look like incorporating some of the sport’s finest corners into one circuit. Although there had been teething problems, the circuit passed FIA inspections two months before the sport’s arrival. The inaugural race was a sporting and commercial success, attracting 265,000 spectators throughout the weekend.

The growth of the series was felt most in America as the first United States Grand Prix since COVID-19 restrictions were eased was attended by 400,000 fans during the weekend, making it one of the highest attended Grand Prix weekends in the sport’s history.
Austin’s success helped pave the way for expansion in the United States, with Miami hosting its first Grand Prix the following year, whilst Las Vegas will return to the calendar in mid-November 2023 for a much-lauded street race held around the city’s biggest landmarks.

‘In love with Formula 1’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/how-usa-fell-in-love-formula-1/


Haas secures 2023 F1 title sponsorship from MoneyGram
Reuters
20 October, 2022

The Haas Formula 1 team will have money transfer company MoneyGram as their title sponsor from 2023 in a multi-year deal that will provide a welcome cash infusion for the sport’s only American team. The backing was officially announced at a coffee shop in downtown Austin on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s U.S. Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas.

Haas entered F1 in 2016 and have spent much of that time without a title sponsor other than Haas Automation, the company of machine-tools industrialist and team owner Gene Haas. The Ferrari-powered team are eighth out of 10 teams in the constuctors’ standings, level on points with ninth-placed AlphaTauri.

‘Haas Formula 1 MoneyGram’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/20/haas-secures-f1-title-sponsorship-from-moneygram/


Charles Leclerc lays down gauntlet for Ferrari with coy response to second place hope
Charles Leclerc is battling with Red Bull's Sergio Perez to secure P2 in the drivers' championship.
16:17, Thu, Oct 20, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Charles Leclerc has warned he is “not in a position” to ask for team orders from Ferrari despite his battle to hold onto P2 in the drivers’ championship. The Ferrari star said he was not able to make decisions over the position of their cars with team boss Mattia Binotto firmly in charge.

Speaking last month, Ferrari’s Laurent Mekies admitted team orders could be “the right thing” towards the end of the season. He explained: “We have always been very clear. We target to have the best result for the team; Ferrari comes first.

“And then of course there will be a point where we will need to focus more on a driver compared to the other one if the championship position is requiring. So, it does not mean waiting for the mathematical difference but it means being at the point of the season where you think it is the right thing to do so.”

‘Second place hope’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1685594/charles-leclerc-ferrari-f1-news-latest


FIA fine-tune rules on roll hoops and grid penalties ahead of United States Grand Prix
20 October 2022
Formula 1.

Formula 1’s governing body the FIA have made changes to the technical regulations for 2023 that require a strengthening of roll hoops, following an investigation into Zhou Guanyu’s huge Lap 1 crash at Silverstone this year.

The Alfa Romeo driver was flipped upside down and sent flying into the catch fencing at the first corner just moments after the start of the British Grand Prix – and was later declared fit by the medical centre. Following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in London, the FIA have adjusted Article 12.4.1 of their technical rules, which centre around the principal roll structure, including a rewording of the text to state it must be able to support a 15g vertical impact.

The dictated size of a chassis’ rear-view mirrors have also been increased for “better blindspot visibility” and “improvement of brake circuit definition”. Regarding the sporting regulations, the procedure to determine grid positions after multiple penalties have been applied has now been clarified.

‘FIA fine-tune rules’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.fia-fine-tune-rules-on-roll-hoops-and-grid-penalties-ahead-of-united-states.2D2oTDNAcc5PakhwE6Ps54.html


F1 - 2022 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
20.10.22
FIA

‘Preview’

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2022-united-states-grand-prix-preview


Lewis Hamilton tipped to quit F1 early or 'roll the dice' and leave Mercedes for Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton has one more year on his contract at Mercedes with talks ongoing over a new deal.
13:31, Thu, Oct 20, 2022
By Stuart Ballard

Lewis Hamilton has indicated that he plans to continue driving in F1 beyond his current contract, but John Watson has explained what would make the seven-time world champion walk away from the sport altogether. Hamilton is on course for his worst-ever finish in an F1 season as he currently sits sixth in the Drivers' Championship with four races remaining.

Watson feels Hamilton may wait to see how the car performs next year and whether Russell "hammers" him.
The five-time F1 race winner believes Hamilton could still "roll the dice" and force a switch to Ferrari, or walk away from the sport altogether. “Whether Hamilton wants to continue doing it for another two, three or four years I don’t know, that’s up to him,” he told PlanetF1.

“If he finds himself being overwhelmed by Russell – let’s say Russell went on and won two or three Grands Prix this year and Lewis was unable to compete against Russell, that I would suspect would be the end of Lewis as a Grand Prix driver. Or maybe he’d like to roll the dice one more time and see if there’s a seat for him at Ferrari or, very unlikely, at Red Bull.

‘Quit F1 early or roll the dice';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1685486/Lewis-Hamilton-F1-retirement-Ferrari-Mercedes-George-Russell

[Fortitude]

Austin and its booming crowds an F1 favorite for drivers.
The U.S. Grand Prix has been the foothold for F1 in the U.S. since the first surprise announcement that a $300 million racetrack was being cut through the rocky soil a dozen miles from the state Capitol.
Published: 07:39, 21 October 2022
By Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Fernando Alonso remembers the quiet times in Austin. Back when the two-time Formula 1 champion could jog the city streets without being noticed, move through a hotel lobby with ease, and drive to the Circuit of the Americas for the U.S. Grand Prix without planning for traffic well ahead of time.

No more. If anything demonstrates the explosive growth of F1 in the U.S., it's the projections of more than 400,000 fans expected to pack the city and the circuit this weekend for the 10th anniversary of the Texas race that put the series' footprint back on American soil.

"In the last four years or three years, there´s a lot of fans. It has changed everything. It changed the traffic, it changed the hotel," Alonso said this week. I ran this morning in the city and everyone recognized us now."

‘Projections of more than 400,000 fans expected’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-11339493/Austin-booming-crowds-F1-favorite-drivers.html


How Austin and COTA became drivers’ and fans’ F1 favorite
21 October, 2022
Associated Press

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Austin and the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), so how has this event become a favourite for fans and drivers?

The U.S. Grand Prix has been the foothold for F1 in the U.S. since the first surprise announcement that a $300 million racetrack was being cut through the rocky soil a dozen miles from the state Capitol. The series’ explosive growth in America has led to an additional race in Miami that started this season, and another coming in Las Vegas next year.

“I spent most of my adult life putting the pieces together for F1 to come to my hometown,” said Tavo Hellmund, the founder of the Texas race and its initial promoter. “My vision was for F1 to be the success it was the inaugural year in 2012 and last year in 2021. My wife used to say to me, ‘Gosh, when Americans get to see F1 the way you do, they’ll be hooked.’”

‘Tenth anniversary of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Austin’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/21/how-austin-and-cota-became-drivers-and-fans-f1-favorite/


10 Years and Counting: How the F1 US Grand Prix Aims to Be ‘F1’s Largest Ever Event’
Circuit of the America boss Bobby Epstein's vision is to make this year's Formula 1 race in Austin 'the biggest sporting event in the world this year.'
Oct 17, 2022
By Phillip Horton

Did COTA ever feel that it would get to this stage of being considered a cornerstone of the current schedule?

“We thought it would get to this point because when we built a track specifically to host Formula 1, it’s not an undertaking that’s inexpensive or something done lightly, so you hope it’s going to have a home for more than 10 years,” COTA chairman Bobby Epstein told Autoweek.

“The drivers have received it well, the fans have received it well, and I think it’s (course designer Hermann) Tilke’s greatest design. That’s led to the longevity that I think we’re seeing.

F1 US Grand Prix Aims to Be ‘F1’s Largest Ever Event’;

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/a41627224/10-years-f1-us-grand-prix-largest-ever-event/


After two rain-affected races, F1 can expect a sunny weekend in Austin
2022 United States Grand Prix weather
Posted on 20th October 2022, 8:1019th October 2022, 23:47
Written by Ida Wood

After two race weekends of rain and timetable disruption, the Formula 1 paddock will enjoy a hot and dry trip to Austin, Texas for the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.

There is no chance of rain hitting the 5.51-kilometre track while F1 is there, and near-consistent weather conditions across all of the sessions should help teams with set-up choices although of course the track will evolve over the weekend as rubber is laid down.

Both of Friday’s practice sessions will take place in ambient temperatures of 29C. The track temperature is likely to be higher in the second session due to it being later in the day. This session will be extended from 60 to 90 minutes so teams can do tyre tests for Pirelli.

‘A sunny weekend in Austin’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/20/after-two-rain-affected-races-f1-can-expect-a-sunny-weekend-in-austin/


Formula 1: The decision that lifted a weight off Sergio Perez’s shoulders
21/10/2022, 12:35
by Asher Fair
Beyond the Flag (Weblog)

Sergio Perez has had a career year in the 2022 Formula 1 season, his second with Red Bull, and signing an extension early has certainly helped. Perez has played a role in making the RB18 the most successful car that Red Bull — and chief technical officer Adrian Newey — have ever produced, but it hasn’t been easy.

“Certainly, working all through it with the time we have, with the amount of hours we had to invest in, that was really crucial and important to make sure we got the right package in the car, that we could exploit the maximum out of it,” he explained. “That was really important.”

Of course, if he had to pick one to win, that would be the Mexico City Grand Prix. In six career starts at the 17-turn, 2.674-mile (4.303-kilometer) road course in Mexico City, Mexico, the 32-year-old Mexican owns a top finish of third place, that coming in his first season with Red Bull. “Yeah, that would be a massive dream for me!” he remarked.

‘Exploit the maximum out of it’;

https://beyondtheflag.com/2022/10/21/formula-1-decision-lifted-weight-sergio-perez-shoulders/

[aankhka]

I don’t think the first test in Barcelona will be enough, but in Bahrain we’ll have some certain information,” he admitted.

mobdro 2022 (https://get-mobdro.com/home/)

[Fortitude]

Sainz ahead of Verstappen in US FP1.
United States Grand Prix – Carlos Sainz beat Max Verstappen to the top of the timesheets in the first practice at the Circuit of the Americas.
21/10/2022, 21:09
by Emer Hedderman
Austin, Texas
FormulaSpy

Halfway through the session Max Verstappen had set the best time, a 1:37.462 on the softs while Carlos Sainz was the closest but still over eight tenths further back on the same compound. Palou was the best of the rookies at that stage, sitting in P12, with Shwartzman six tenths slower in P14.

The Red Bull driver’s time was closed in on in the following ten minutes with Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Esteban Ocon all slotting in between the Dutch driver and Sainz, Hamilton getting closest just 0.183 off. Just inside the final twenty minutes though it was Stroll who managed to demote the newly-crowned champion. The Aston Martin racer managed a 1:37.460, to shave 0.002 seconds off Verstappen’s time.

With fifteen minutes to go Sainz had taken control at the top of the times, the Ferrari driver was the first into the 1:36s with a 1:36.857. The Spaniard’s time stood until the end, Verstappen only getting to within 0.224 seconds with his final flyer.

‘Sainz ahead of Verstappen

https://formulaspy.com/f1/sainz-ahead-of-verstappen-in-us-fp1-80273


(FP1) First Practice Results – 2022 United States Grand Prix
Austin, Texas

Results (Classification):
1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -1:36.857
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.224
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.475
4. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.603
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.658
6. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.856
7. George Russell Mercedes +0.945
8. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +0.953
9. Lando Norris McLaren +0.999
10. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.184

‘United States Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from first practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at COTA’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-practice-results-2022-united-states-grand-prix-80266


F1 2022 United States Grand Prix - Free Practice Results (1)
21 Oct 2022
Connor McDonagh

2022 F1 United Grand Prix - FREE PRACTICE RESULTS (1)
Pos Driver Nat. Team Time
1 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari 1m36.857s
2 Max Verstappen NED Oracle Red Bull Racing 1m37.081s
3 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m37.332s
4 Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team 1m37.460s
5 Sergio Perez MEX Oracle Red Bull Racing 1m37.515s
6 Fernando Alonso ESP BWT Alpine F1 Team 1m37.713s
7 George Russell GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team 1m37.802s
8 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri 1m37.810s
9 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team 1m37.856s
10 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team 1m38.041s

‘Results from the first practice session at the F1 United States Grand Prix, Round 19 of the 2022 F1 world championship’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/results/1015041/1/f1-2022-united-states-grand-prix-free-practice-results-1


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from first practice for the United States Grand Prix
21 October 2022
Becky Hart
Special Contributor
Formula 1.

As it happened;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-first-practice-in-the-united-states-2022.fbVjg1vdFM4SZHc94ZSXC.html


'This is not a good return to F1!' - Antonio Giovinazzi crashes the Haas
21/10/2022, 20:34
Sky Sports

Antonio Giovinazzi caused a red flag just 7 minutes into first practice after hitting the barrier and damaging the car.

‘Crashes the Haas’;

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12726708/this-is-not-a-good-return-to-f1-antonio-giovinazzi-crashes-the-haas


2022 United States GP FP1: Giovinazzi's Haas opportunity cut short after spin into the wall.
21 Oct 2022
Formula 1.

Ferrari reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi spins his Haas and hits the wall at Turn 6 during first practice for the 2022 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, which brings out the Red Flag at the Circuit of The Americas.

‘Giovinazzi's Haas opportunity cut short’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2022-united-states-gp-fp1-giovinazzis-haas-opportunity-cut-short-after-spin-into-the-wall.1747326974012794876.html


Steiner sets podium target for Haas after landmark MoneyGram sponsorship deal
21 October 2022
Formula 1.

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner is confident that the squad will be able to take the fight to F1’s top teams – and challenge for their first-ever podium finish – in the not-too-distant future, following confirmation of a major new sponsorship deal.

Ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Haas announced that payment company MoneyGram will act as their title sponsor from the 2023 season onwards – the arrangement between the two US-led operations set to include team naming rights and a livery change.

‘Podium target for Haas’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.steiner-sets-podium-target-for-haas-after-landmark-moneygram-sponsorship.7ijijbPKnuIF1JfPtxyJS5.html


F1 United States GP: Engine penalties confirmed for Sergio Perez and Zhou Guanyu, both Ferraris likely to follow
21 Oct 2022
Lewis Larkam

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu will each serve a grid penalty at the F1 2022 United States Grand Prix due to engine changes.

Both drivers have taken on a new internal combustion engine (ICE) - their fifth of the season - and are set to be hit with a subsequent five-place grid drop for now.

Red Bull and Alfa Romeo may yet decide to add further components into Perez and Zhou’s respective engine pools later in the weekend, which would trigger a bigger penalty.

‘Engine penalties’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1015029/1/engine-penalties-confirmed-perez-and-zhou-both-ferraris-likely-follow

[Fortitude]

F1 – Leclerc quickest in Austin in second practice session defined by tyre testing.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the timesheet in a second practice session for the 2022 FIA United States Grand Prix in which lap times were rendered largely meaning as drivers tested 2023 tyre compounds.
22.10.22
• FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
•
Leclerc, along with second-placed Valtteri Bottas and third-placed Daniel Ricciardo sat out the earlier session to make way for rookie drivers and therefore were allowed to run 2022 tyres as well as next year’s test tyres as they got their first taste of the track this weekend in the second session. The regular running for 35 minutes of the 90 specified allowed the trio to claim the session’s top spots.

Bottas, on 2022 medium tyres, set the early pace with a lap of 1:40.655 before Ricciardo moved to P1 with a lap of 1:40.474 also set on mediums. Leclerc then went quicker still, on this year’s soft tyres, to take top sport with a lap of 1:38.856. The Monegasque driver then topped his own P1 time with a lap of 1:37.614. The Ferrari driver headed back to the pit lane, switched to medium tyres and posted the session’s quickest lap of 1:36.810s as the 15-minute mark arrived.

‘Second practice session defined by tyre testing’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-leclerc-quickest-austin-second-practice-session-defined-tyre-testing


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 United States Grand Prix
Austin, Texas
22nd October 2022.
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):

1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:36.810
2. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.715
3. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.817
4. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +1.422
5. Mick Schumacher Haas +2.697
6. Lando Norris McLaren +2.737
7. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +2.765
8. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +2.888
9. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +3.030
10. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +3.042

‘United States Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at COTA’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second-practice-results-2022-united-states-grand-prix-80280


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from second practice for the United States Grand Prix
21 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-second-practice-in-the-united-states-2022.4n9nFRb3QFpkeXAAxm2tu0.html


HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from the second practice session at the United States Grand Prix
22 October 2022
Formula 1.

Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets of the second practice session at this weekends United States Grand Prix – which was extended from 60 to 90 minutes for Pirelli’s prototype 2023 tyre test.

Returning for FP2 – after sitting FP1 so their teams could run rookie drivers – Leclerc, Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo ran personalised programmes for the first part of the session.

And it was the Ferrari driver who set the quickest lap of FP2, with a time of 1m 36.810s on the medium tyre to lead Bottas, in second, by 0.715s. Ricciardo rounded out the top three, finishing 0.817s off Leclerc’s time.

‘Watch the action’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.highlights-watch-the-action-from-the-second-practice-session-at-the-united.5SBoaxcIassx9k4YFikqzU.html


Ricciardo goes third-fastest in shock F1 boilover...but there’s a catch
October 22nd, 2022 2:20 pm
AFP with staff writers from Afp

Daniel Ricciardo Ricciardo in strong position after P2 claimed a surprise third-place finish in second practice for the United States Grand Prix - but the fantastic result came with a catch. Having sat out the first practice session with five teams giving guest drivers a chance to strut their stuff, Ricciardo returned for the second session and impressed, finishing behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas.

Leclerc clocked a 1m 36.810s, with Bottas 0.715s behind and Ricciardo 0.817s back on the leader. But those three drivers, who all sat out in first session, were the only drivers not testing out prototype tyres for next season. Every other driver was gathering data for Pirelli under specific conditions, including fuel loads and a set number of laps per stint.

Ricciardo’s 1:37.627s was the eight-fastest overall for the day, but conditions were faster in his afternoon session. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was the fastest of the drivers doing tyre tests, having topped the first practice session on 2022-spec tyres.

‘There’s a catch’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/f1-2022-us-gp-practice-one-max-verstappen-times-results-news-daniel-ricciardo/news-story/88a509572ee696c0e25f893823da0a93


Red Bull suffer blows at US Grand Prix with grid penalty and Max Verstappen complaints
Red Bull can secure the teams' championship this weekend but have already reported some issues.
21:38, Fri, Oct 21, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Red Bull have suffered a double blow ahead of the United States Grand Prix in a weekend the team can wrap up the Constructors’ Championship. Sergio Perez was handed a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race as Max Verstappen complained over team radio in FP1.

The issues could derail the team’s bid to secure its first teams’ title since 2013. Perez was handed a five-place grid drop after taking on a new internal combustion unit for the fifth time this season.

The new champion was still quick enough for P2 in the session but took to team radio to admit he was not comfortable with the package. He said: “I think there is something wrong with the car because I don't have a front end in slow corners.”

‘Double blow’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1686230/red-bull-united-states-grand-prix-max-verstappen-sergio-perez


Hundreds will skip F1 crowds by instead arriving by private jet at Austin's airport.
Friday, October 21st 2022, 23:43
by Fred Cantu
CBS Austin

Austin's airport is expecting as many as 30,000 passengers to go through the terminal every day through the long Formula 1 weekend, but one small sector of air passengers will be arriving in style on their private jets. For many Formula 1 fans one of the first views they get of Austin is the baggage pickup area at the airport. Still Kevin Roseboom from Orlando is thrilled to be here. He explained, “This is actually my first race. It’s here in the United States so it’s easier to come to and a good time of the year so I figured I’d come out.”

Roseboom admits the trip was pricy... but you only live once. “It’s a big weekend so that’s to be expected,” he said. But if you’re flying all the way to Austin for Formula 1 maybe the baggage carousel scene isn’t the entrance you want to make to the city. Hundreds of high rollers from around the world will be flying into Austin on their private jets... And many will be docking at Million Air Austin.

Ryan Korsgard is the general manager for the local operation. He explains, “We’re kind of like a yacht club for private jets. We take care of everything that they need when they get into town whether it’s hanger space, fuel, they need food, transportation.”

‘Hundreds will skip F1 crowds’;

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/hundreds-will-skip-f1-crowds-by-instead-arriving-by-private-jet-at-austins-airport-formula-one

[Fortitude]

Austin FP3: Verstappen means business.
The 2022 Formula 1 Champion finished FP3 on top with a 1:35.825, and was over three tenths of a second ahead of Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc.
22 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Max Verstappen topped the final practice session for the 2022 United States Grand prix ahead of qualifying, by a big margin from Charles Leclerc.

Carlos Sainz was third fastest in the sister Ferrari, as Sergio Perez – who had a close call with Fernando Alonso in the dying moments of practice – was fourth fastest.

‘Verstappen means business

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/22/austin-fp3-verstappen-means-business/


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2022 United States Grand Prix
Austin, Texas
22/10/2022
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:35.825
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.320
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.446
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.572
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.576
6. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.103
7. George Russell Mercedes +1.239
8. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.326
9. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.390
10. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.465

‘United States Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the final practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at COTA’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-practice-results-2022-united-states-grand-prix-80291


Everything that happened in final F1 US GP practice in Austin
22/10/2022.

By Josh Suttill

Newly-crowned 2022 Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen was fastest in the final practice session before qualifying in Austin.
________________________________________
Key moments
– Verstappen pulls out margin on final lap
– Schumacher loses drive but returns to track
– Zhou sits out most of FP3 with technical issue

Verstappen was quickest after the initial qualifying simulations with a 1m36.223s on the soft tyres which was just 0.010s quicker than his former title rival Charles Leclerc. Leclerc improved to jump into the top spot but Verstappen was able beat him and pull clear with his final lap – a 1m35.825s, some 0.320s faster than Leclerc.

‘Final F1 US GP practice action’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/everything-that-happened-in-final-f1-us-gp-practice-in-austin/


Verstappen leads the Ferraris in final practice
Austin, Texas
22/10/2022.
by Emer Hedderman

United States Grand Prix – Max Verstappen topped the times in final practice with the Ferraris the only ones within half a second of the Red Bull driver.

After five drivers sat out the opening practice to allow rookies/reserve drivers take their places and then the second practice taken over by Pirelli as a tyre test, today’s third practice session will be the first proper look at how the grid might look in qualifying later on.

The Alfa Romeos and Aston Martins were all quick off the mark and straight out onto the windy circuit when the session got going. Zhou Guanyu was the first to set a time, a 1:39.735, but after the first ten minutes Charles Leclerc was fastest with a 1:37.471, 0.065 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen but there were only nine drivers with times on the board at that point.

‘Max Verstappen topped the times’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/verstappen-leads-the-ferraris-in-final-practice-80295


F1 United Grand GP: Max Verstappen sets impressive pace ahead of Charles Leclerc in final practice
22 Oct 2022
Lewis Larkam

Max Verstappen set an impressive pace to put his Red Bull at the top of the timesheet ahead of Charles Leclerc in final practice at the F1 United States Grand Prix.

The qualifying simulations had been incredibly tight until the newly-crowned world champion blitzed his rivals with a late effort to finish 0.320s clear of Leclerc and head into qualifying as the man to beat and the only driver to dip into the 1m35s.

With gusty conditions proving tricky and catching the drivers out at COTA, Leclerc admitted his best lap - which at the time was within 0.010s of Verstappen - was “very, very messy”.

‘Verstappen sets impressive pace’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1015282/1/verstappen-sets-impressive-pace-final-us-gp-practice

[Fortitude]

F1 US Grand Prix LIVE: Shock pole-sitter trying to spoil Red Bull’s double title clincher.
“I knew it was coming boys, I knew it,” said Sainz after taking his third pole of the season.
October 23rd, 2022 5:08 pm
AFP from Fox Sports

Carlos Sainz outpaced team-mate Charles Leclerc to take pole position as Ferrari dominated the tense qualifying for Monday morning’s United States Grand Prix. Live from 6am AEDT! The Spaniard delivered a final flying lap in one minute and 34.356 seconds to beat his Monegasque partner by 0.065 seconds, leaving world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull third, on the day his team’s founder and co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz died aged 78.

With Leclerc taking a grid penalty, Dutchman Verstappen will start second on Sunday alongside Sainz on the front row as he bids for a record-equalling 13th win of the season to help Red Bull clinch their fifth constructors’ title. His Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who also faces a grid penalty, was fourth ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes team-mate George Russell, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Lando Norris of McLaren.

“I knew it was coming boys, I knew it,” said Sainz after taking his third pole of the season. “It was a lot of fun, very tricky with the gusts of wind, but I managed to put together a good lap without mistakes. This pole was a long time coming in the dry - Red Bull is still favourite as they have more race pace,” he added.

‘Shock pole-sitter’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/f1-2022-united-states-grand-prix-race-live-updates-start-time-in-australia-stream-starting-grid-daniel-ricciardo/news-story/75212ccb42fdff70dabf35d88c53830f


Qualifying Results – 2022 United States Grand Prix
Austin, Texas
23/10/2022
by Emer Hedderman

Q3
1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -1:34.356
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.065
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.092
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.289
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.591
6. George Russell Mercedes +0.632
7. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.242
8. Lando Norris McLaren +1.334
9. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.520
10. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.963

‘United States Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at COTA’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying-results-2022-united-states-grand-prix-80303


FORMULA 1 ARAMCO UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX 2022 - STARTING GRID
21 23 Oct 2022
Circuit of The Americas, Austin
Formula 1.

POS NO DRIVER CAR TIME
1 55 Carlos Sainz SAI Ferrari 1:34.356
2 1 Max Verstappen VER Red Bull Racing RBPT 1:34.448
3 44 Lewis Hamilton HAM Mercedes 1:34.947
4 63 George Russell RUS Mercedes 1:34.988
5 18 Lance Stroll STR Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 1:35.598
6 4 Lando Norris NOR McLaren Mercedes 1:35.690
7 77 Valtteri Bottas BOT Alfa Romeo Ferrari 1:36.319
8 23 Alexander Albon ALB Williams Mercedes 1:36.368
9 11 Sergio Perez PER Red Bull Racing RBPT 1:34.645
10 5 Sebastian Vettel VET Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 1:36.398

‘Starting Grid’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2022/races/1135/united-states/starting-grid.html


HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the qualifying action as Sainz grabs pole position in Austin
22 October 2022
Formula 1.

Carlos Sainz will start the United States Grand Prix on pole position after getting the better of Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in a close qualifying session.

Sainz pulled out a time of 1m 34.356s on his final Q3 run to edge out Leclerc by 0.065s, with Verstappen 0.092s back, meaning the Spaniard will start from the front of the grid for the third time this season.

Leclerc will drop 10 places on the grid for power unit changes, with fourth-placed Sergio Perez also losing five spots after taking on a new engine – promoting a chasing pack of drivers headed by Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

‘Qualifying Action’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.highlights-watch-the-qualifying-action-as-sainz-grabs-pole-position-in.Z5v5c95TgBzuiCQ7mLy59.html


Verstappen pays tribute to Mateschitz after US Grand Prix qualifying – ‘without him I wouldn’t be sitting here today’
23 October 2022
Formula 1.

Max Verstappen secured a front-row start in qualifying for the 2022 United States Grand Prix, but the reigning champion’s attention was on the passing of late Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz who, on Saturday, passed away at the age of 78. The 25-year-old, who made his F1 debut with Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso in 2015 and won his first Grand Prix having been called up to Red Bull in 2016, paid his respects to Mateschitz after qualifying in Austin.

“Yeah of course, for us it was I think a tough entry to qualifying and then you don’t really care about the result as well – it doesn’t matter – because we’re more about what happened today and also what he has meant to everyone within the team, the whole team, what he has built up, the company itself, Red Bull and personally to me.”

“Because, without him, I wouldn’t be sitting here today, and I wouldn’t have had the success I’ve had, so it’s incredibly tough for everyone in the team. Luckily, I got to see him a couple of weeks back so we could spend a little bit of time together. But it’s still a tough day.”

‘Without him I wouldn’t be sitting here today’

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappen-pays-tribute-to-mateschitz-after-us-grand-prix-qualifying-without.2STno8iB2i8RZ2zDWU1AHO.html


Sainz believes US Grand Prix pole has eradicated 2022 weakness.
23/10/2022, ‎07‎:‎55
Author Jake Nichol

Carlos Sainz believes his US Grand Prix pole is just reward after having previously failed to secure a dry-weather Pole Position in 2022. Carlos Sainz was relieved to take Pole Position for the United States Grand Prix, believing the result is just reward for his Formula 1 efforts.

Sainz was the only driver of the four to have taken a pole in 2022 not to have done so in dry-weather conditions, with his two previous poles being in the wet at Silverstone and a promotion from P2 on the grid at Spa. The Ferrari driver has felt that his one-lap pace has been strong throughout the season, but has not been able to convert that into regular Pole Positions, and is often pipped by teammate Charles Leclerc.

However, at Austin, Sainz beat Leclerc by 0.065s to take P1 outright, with Leclerc carrying a grid penalty. Sainz believes that taking this Pole Position - the third of his career - was long overdue.

‘US Grand Prix pole has eradicated 2022 weakness’;

https://racingnews365.com/sainz-believes-us-grand-prix-pole-has-eradicated-2022-weakness


Lewis Hamilton disagrees with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff ahead of US Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will start the United States Grand Prix on the second row.
06:01, Sun, Oct 23, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Lewis Hamilton has disagreed with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff over the German manufacturer's new upgrade package for the United States Grand Prix. Hamilton admitted he was “expecting a bit more” from the new parts after claiming he struggled for performance in qualifying.

Hamilton said: “It was a really, really difficult qualifying session. I felt so optimistic all weekend, the car had been feeling good. Everyone back at the factory had worked so hard to bring an upgrade.

“I was really hopeful that we were going to be much much closer than we were. Once we got to qualifying, I don’t know if it’s because the temperatures dropped or the wind, but the car was such a handful all of a sudden. I was expecting a bit more. I think in pure pace they are just [too quick]. Whatever upgrades we bring, the gap stays the same.”

‘Expecting a bit more’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1686527/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-toto-wolff-united-states-grand-prix-upgrades

[Fortitude]

Verstappen and Red Bull seal perfect tribute to late co-owner at US Grand Prix.
13th race win of the season for Verstappen, Red Bull finally crowned Constructors’ champions in the process as they sealed a very fitting tribute to their late co-owner.
21:55 Sun, 23 Oct 2022.
Evening Standard

A tribute to the late Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz took place on the grid with the F1 Constructors’ Championship leaders set to claim their first team title in almost a decade so long as they could prevent Ferrari from outscoring them by 19 points. That task became significantly easier on the first lap as Verstappen glided past pole-sitter Carlos Sainz off the line.

Problems waited around the corner as Red Bull called their man in but struggled to reattach the front-left wheel, eventually grabbing a second wheel gun to do the trick before Verstappen departed from an 11-second wait with the lead gone and even Leclerc, who pitted at the same time, leapfrogging him.

By Lap 50, Verstappen was on Hamilton’s rear and got the job done with DRS assistance despite a valiant fightback from the seven-time world champion. It was enough to bag a 13th race win of the season for Verstappen, Red Bull finally crowned Constructors’ champions in the process as they sealed a very fitting tribute to their late co-owner.

‘Perfect tribute to Dietrich Mateschitz’;

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/formula-one/f1-united-states-grand-prix-verstappen-red-bull-b1034671.html


Race Results – 2022 United States Grand Prix
Austin, Texas
23/10/2022.
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -56 laps
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +5.023
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +7.501
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +8.293
5. George Russell Mercedes +44.815
6. Lando Norris McLaren +53.785
7. Fernando Alonso Alpine +55.078
8. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +65.354
9. Kevin Magnussen Haas +65.834
10. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +70.919

‘United States Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Circuit of the Americas’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-results-2022-united-states-grand-prix-80324


HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action unfold from Austin as Verstappen beats Hamilton to victory
23 October 2022
Formula 1.

Max Verstappen recovered from a slow pit stop in Sunday’s race at Austin to seal his 13th victory of the season at the United States Grand Prix, securing Red Bull’s first constructors’ title since 2013.

Verstappen made a quick getaway from second to lead at the first corner before a slow pit stop forced the Dutch driver to overtake Charles Leclerc and then Lewis Hamilton to seal his second consecutive win in Austin.

Hamilton took the chequered flag in second place ahead of Leclerc in third and a charging Sergio Perez in fourth. George Russell finished fifth after serving a five-second time penalty for his part in a collision with Carlos Sainz – who retired from the race with water leak damage.

‘HIGHLIGHTS’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.highlights-watch-the-action-unfold-from-austin-as-verstappen-beats-hamilton.6Ei72FJCWiVRPppDxNbxOc.html


Verstappen seals Red Bull Constructors' Championship with record-equalling US GP win
23/10/2022, ‎22‎:‎00
Author Jake Nichol

Max Verstappen made a late pass on Lewis Hamilton to secure victory in the United States Grand Prix to seal the 2022 Constructors' Championship for Red Bull. Max Verstappen recovered from a botched Red Bull pitstop to win the United States Grand Prix, sealing the 2022 Constructors' Championship as he equalled the all-time wins record in a single season.

Verstappen pitted from the lead for the second time on Lap 36, responding to Lewis Hamilton's stop the lap before. However, an 11.1 second pit stop from Red Bull dropped the World Champion down behind Charles Leclerc, with Hamilton enjoying a seven second lead at the time.

After clearing Leclerc, Verstappen hunted down Hamilton, slicing past at Turn 12 on Lap 50 of 56. Despite some late track limits drama involving the top two, Verstappen took his 13th win of the season - equalling Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel's tally from the 2004 and 2013 seasons.

‘Verstappen seals Red Bull Constructors' Championship’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-seals-red-bull-constructors-championship-with-record-equalling-us-grand-prix-win


Max Verstappen earns record-tying 13th win at US Grand Prix
The champ passed Lewis Hamilton with 6 laps remaining
Oct 23rd 2022 at 5:17PM
ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN, Texas — Max Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton late to earn a record-tying 13th win of the season at the United States Grand Prix on Sunday, and delivered a victory to honor the memory of Red Bull team founder and owner Dietrich Mateschitz. Verstappen’s race was nearly undone by a rare slow pit stop by Red Bull midway through the race that dropped him well behind Hamilton. But Verstappen fought back to pass last season’s rival for the championship on lap 50 of 56.

Verstappen then had to hold off the pestering Hamilton through the final laps as his team warned him not to exceed track limits that would draw a penalty. The win as a relief for Red Bull. The team had announced shortly before qualifying on Saturday that Mateschitz had died at age 78. Verstappen vowed he’d give everything to get the win to honor him.

The win continued Verstappen’s run of dominance in 2022. He had already clinched the season championship in Japan two weeks earlier. Sunday’s win tied him with Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel for most in a season with three races still to go. Since its founding, Red Bull has won six driver championships and five constructors' titles. Verstappen's win clinched this season's team championship

‘Max Verstappen earns record-tying 13th’;

https://www.autoblog.com/2022/10/23/max-verstappen-wins-2022-f1-us-grand-prix/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9jLm5ld3Nub3cuY28udWsv&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHl56bsejwI-O9wQ-WfXTefuAJaALPTD3p7Tu7yWFUmkwONd-i6TAAKVME5WlcCJ_mID8FQlqrPLi7i85G29DBYUK9hUsq-lfEFJS0UvU9ZMHnWplxgKSDuoyJpOF9f49DiPrs2XweqidhrSr LZUiic8Z2kCwdghiZTy6poZwqIj


Verstappen dedicates record-equalling victory and constructors' title to late Red Bull co-founder Mateschitz
23 October 2022
Formula 1.

Max Verstappen cut an emotional figure in Texas after Red Bull secured their fifth-ever constructors’ championship, with the Dutchman taking a record-equalling 13th win of the season.

“It was not made easy for us but in the end of course, extremely happy to win in this difficult weekend for us. I think this was actually a race that he [Mateschitz] would have loved to see,” said Verstappen.

“Of course I’m sad, but I’m also incredibly proud of the whole team of the way they’ve operated the whole weekend – apart from the pit stop, but that was a gun failure and these things can unfortunately happen. But we kept it together and we won also the constructors’ [title], so I’m very proud of everyone.”

‘Verstappen dedicates record-equalling victory to Dietrich Mateschitz’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.verstappen-dedicates-record-equalling-victory-and-constructors-title-to-late.2p4wkX6HPDmR4Lp9RVb6iy.html


Dietrich Mateschitz ‘would have been very proud’ says Horner, as Red Bull seal first constructors’ title since 2013
23 October 2022
Formula 1.

Christian Horner believes the manner in which Max Verstappen won the United States Grand Prix was a fitting tribute to Red Bull co-founder and owner Dietrich Mateschitz, who passed away on Saturday.

Verstappen had controlled much of the race after clearing pole-sitter Carlos Sainz off the line, but was forced to fight back from a slow pit stop that dropped him behind Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Following a thrilling battle with Leclerc, Verstappen hunted down Hamilton and reclaimed P1 with six laps remaining – earning a 13th win of the season and securing Red Bull’s first constructors’ title since 2013.

‘Dietrich Mateschitz would have been very proud’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.dietrich-mateschitz-would-have-been-very-proud-says-horner-as-red-bull-seal.6yg3KofsesXC5rNp6e7S43.html

[Fortitude]

Mercedes’ victory chance ended when Verstappen passed Leclerc – Wolff.
Hamilton said there was no way he could keep Verstappen behind once the Red Bull driver got within DRS range.
2022 United States Grand Prix
Posted on 24th October 2022, 12:5224th October 2022, 14:52
Written by Keith Collantine and RJ O'Connell

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says he knew Lewis Hamilton’s chances of winning the United States Grand Prix were over before Max Verstappen caught and passed him.

Wolff felt the team had a chance to win their first race of the season. “When they were six seconds behind him, and it felt like they can’t really eke out enough, I felt that [we could win],” he said.

But there were still 17 laps to go once Verstappen passed Leclerc. The Red Bull driver was within five seconds of Hamilton and on medium compound tyres to the race leader’s hards. Wolff said from that moment he expected Verstappen would catch and pass Hamilton.

‘Mercedes’ victory chance ended’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/24/mercedes-victory-chance-ended-when-verstappen-passed-leclerc-wolff/


Wolff questions Russell penalty after 'massive damage'.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed George Russell suffered 'massive damage' in his opening lap contact with Carlos Sainz at the United States Grand Prix while questioning the penalty handed out.
Monday 24 October 2022 09:20
Sam Hall & Will Gray

Russell collided with the Ferrari driver as the Spaniard swung across the apex of turn one when battling Max Verstappen's Red Bull for the lead. The resulting contact saw the Mercedes driver slapped with a five-second penalty after Sainz retired from the race.

Although Russell was able to continue, he was unable to impact the top four after serving his sanction during a pit stop. “We've just seen the front wing, it's massively damaged," said Wolff.

“Not only the front wing endplate but also below and that's the aero critical part, so he had a car that was not capable of doing more.”

‘Wolff questions Russell penalty’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/94441/united-states-grand-prix-toto-wolff-george-russell-damage/


F1 fans vote on whether Lewis Hamilton should retire or not after Toto Wolff comments
Thousands of Formula One fans have claimed Lewis Hamilton should not retire from F1 even if Mercedes continue to struggle next season. 11:11, Mon, Oct 24, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Wolff predicted Red Bull will still go into next season as favourites to replicate their success after a dominant 2022 campaign. The Austrian has also claimed Mercedes “got the physics wrong” with their new ground-effect package which has allowed other teams to gain an advantage. Earlier this month Wolff stressed the Silver Arrows were now just the third fastest car on the road at race weekends.

Speaking to Channel 4, he added: "Obviously, we have missed a lot of development time to find out about bouncing and purposing and all these things. So it's clear that Red Bull in a very favourable position, not only for this year, but also for the start of next year.

"I'm feeling good. I love what I'm doing. We have a lot of work to do, a lot to achieve still. I'm not planning on going anywhere, any time soon." Wolff admitted he had spoken to Hamilton about the Briton’s future in the sport, suggesting a new long-term partnership could be on the cards.

‘F1 fans vote on whether Lewis Hamilton should retire or not’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1686937/f1-lewis-hamilton-retire-toto-wolff-mercedes-news


Toto Wolff reveals what was holding Mercedes back
23:40 Sun, 23 Oct 2022.
ByAdriano Boin
Total Motorsport

Toto Wolff is encouraged by what he saw from Mercedes at the 2022 United States GP in Austin, stating the team are now much closer to Red Bull. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff knows what development decision held them back in 2022 after delivering another encouraging performance at the United States GP.

The Silver Arrows haven’t been at their best this season, with both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell having failed to win a race so far. The team’s early season struggles quickly ruled them out of a title challenge, but those issues look to be a thing of the past.

Now in a fight with Ferrari for third in the Constructors’ Championship, the team delivered another solid performance in Austin, with Hamilton and Russell crossing the line second and fifth respectively.

‘What was holding Mercedes back’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-toto-wolff-reveals-what-holding-mercedes-back/


Wolff: I was proud to wear Red Bull colours
24 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Toto Wolff paid tribute to the late Dietrich Mateschiz, revealing he wore Red Bull colours proudly when he was a GT driver sponsored by the energy drinks company. The Austrian billionaire passed away after a serious illness, the news broken to the Formula 1 paddock and the world on Saturday of the 2022 United States Grand Prix.

After the race on Sunday, as Red Bull honoured their late founder by winning the 2022 F1 Constructors’ Title, Toto Wolff faced the media and was asked about his memories about Mateschitz when he sponsored the Mercedes boss’ earlier racing career. Wolff began: “It was on a car that was sponsored by Red Bull but I was proud to wear those colours as a junior driver, GT driver back in the day, and being a Red Bull driver was something prestigious and I was proud to wear the overalls and the team kit.

“Energy drinks didn’t exist and from then on it got stronger and stronger, and I also remember the price policy,” the Austrian added. “He would never budge when the big supermarket chains would say we can make it cheaper and they would delist him, and he said delist him and then they took him back. Then always the large chunks of profits from that was invested in sport, the guy was just bigger than life,” Wolff said of Mateschitz. “What he has done in Austria for football, for ice hockey, for Leipzig, the racing programme, it is incredible.”

‘Proud to wear Red Bull colours’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/24/wolff-i-was-proud-to-wear-red-bull-colours/

[Fortitude]

Carlos Sainz blames George Russell for ‘coming out of nowhere and bumping into me’.
The Ferrari man was caught by Russell as he exited Turn 1 and was sent spinning around the track, sinking from P2 to last.
Sunday 23rd October 2022 11:30 PM
Sam Cooper

Carlos Sainz cut a frustrated figure after once again seeing his race over in the first lap following a collision with George Russell. Sainz lamented the actions of Russell, who received a five-second penalty, and told Sky Sports F1 that “one guy that wasn’t in the battle came out of nowhere and bumped into me.”

“I don’t think you need many words, I think you need images to see exactly what happened and the images speak for themselves,” he said. “I was in the middle of a fight with Max into Turn 1 and suddenly one guy that wasn’t in the battle came from nowhere and bumped into me so that’s it.”

“Our starts haven’t been great because we have an inherent problem with this car, normally P2 in Austin is better than P1. We’ve seen that in many, many years here. My start wasn’t too bad if you compare it to the Mercs, it was Max [Verstappen] that got out really good.”

‘Coming out of nowhere’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos-sainz-blames-george-russell-usgp-crash/


Sainz "extremely frustrated" by costly Russell error
Monday 24 October 2022 12:50
Ewan Gale

Asked for his impression on the incident, Sainz replied: "No impression, I think driver mistakes are driver mistakes. The problem is, I pay the price again and it follows the trend of the whole year with a lap one that doesn't allow me to do the race and doesn't allow me to go for the win and doesn't allow me to keep learning from the car which is extremely frustrating and disappointing.”

"It has been so many races where I don't even complete one lap. It makes it so difficult to make steps forward on race days, which shows how frustrated I am and how my year has been. The speed is there, it is just a very poor year in terms of luck and things happening."

"Extremely frustrated";

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/94483/united-states-grand-prix-carlos-sainz-george-russell-error/


Carlos Sainz expected better from a ‘top-four driver’ in George Russell
Monday 24th October 2022 8:04 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Carlos Sainz has said the hit from George Russell that eliminated him at Turn 1 in Austin was a mistake a driver of that level should not make.

Sainz claimed his second Formula 1 pole position at the United States Grand Prix, and so with his team-mate Charles Leclerc taking a 10-place grid drop it meant Sainz was leading the Ferrari charge against Max Verstappen and Red Bull, who just needed a win to eliminate Ferrari and claim the Constructors’ title.

Verstappen got away better and had taken the lead from Sainz, but the Spaniard never got the chance to fight back as he was hit by Russell’s Mercedes at the exit of Turn 1, sending him into a spin.

‘Expected better from a top-four driver’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos-sainz-disappointed-george-russell-austin/


Toto Wolff fires ‘quite brutal’ accusation at Carlos Sainz after George Russell crash
Toto Wolff has claimed that both drivers have to take an element of blame following George Russell and Carlos Sainz’s Turn 1 collision.
by Jack Devonport
24 October 202224 October 2022

The Spaniard would have been hoping to challenge Verstappen for the win and was distraught to have to retire because of the damage to his car caused by the Mercedes, however Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff thinks the blame should be shared.

“If I was a steward, I would look at it and it’s maybe, George had a late brake, maybe had a little understeer moment. Then Carlos cut in quite brutally. I don’t know if Max had an energy thing, so yeah it’s a shame, but we need to take it on the chin the five seconds and then the wat he t-boned him, we were surprised that it was not a DNF,” said Wolff.

As alluded to in those comments, Russell was given a five-second penalty for the incident and sustained damage to his front wing, which severely limited the Brit’s capability to fight for significant points in the remainder of the race.

‘T-boned him’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-fires-quite-brutal-accusation-at-carlos-sainz-after-george-russell-crash/


Russell: Contact with Sainz 'inevitable' as expectation goes wrong
24/10/2022, ‎07‎:‎00
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

George Russell believes his first corner collision with United States Grand Prix pole-sitter Carlos Sainz was "inevitable" as he misjudged the Ferrari's intentions. Russell started fourth at Austin, but rammed Sainz broadside at Turn 1 after a poor getaway for the Spaniard left him trying to re-pass Max Verstappen.

Sainz cut back to straight-line the exit of Turn 1, hoping to gain momentum on Max Verstappen in the run through the esses, but was spun 360 by Russell. Ferrari were then forced into retiring Sainz on the opening lap as the contact created a water leak on the F1-75 machine.

Russell was issued a five-second time penalty for the collision and finished a lowly fifth, but also banked the fastest lap bonus point. After the race, he felt there was nothing he could have done to avoid Sainz.

'Inevitable';

https://racingnews365.com/russell-contact-with-sainz-inevitable-as-expectation-goes-wrong

[Fortitude]

'That was some driving' – Magnussen applauds Vettel's last gasp overtake as Haas finally get back in the points
25 October 2022
Formula 1.

Haas started their home race weekend on a high thanks to a new title sponsorship deal for next season, and they ended it in the ascendency too after scoring their first points since Austria courtesy of Kevin Magnussen’s stellar drive to P8.

The Dane had started 13th and found himself running last after being baulked by the spinning Ferrari of Carlos Sainz on the first lap. He then put in a superb stint as he climbed back through the field, being the only driver to gamble on a one-stop strategy. Although he lost out to the more freshly shod Sebastian Vettel on a thrilling last lap, he was pretty satisfied with how his afternoon went.

“I’m super happy. For us as a team, it’s very important to get these points at our home race in the US – and it’s very big on the weekend that we announce a great title sponsor with MoneyGram – it couldn’t come at a better time,” he said afterwards.

'That was some driving';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.that-was-some-driving-magnussen-applauds-vettels-last-gasp-overtake-as-haas.2dur3HXfNuwtQEEYU6FFpJ.html


The ‘unusual’ moves behind Vettel’s exquisite recovery drive
25/10/2022.
By Scott Mitchell-Malm

Sebastian Vettel’s mighty charge back into the points relied on some “unusual” overtakes after a jack alignment problem wrecked his final pitstop in Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix.

The Aston Martin driver was on course for a top-six finish at Austin and even led two laps as the pitstops played out in arguably the team’s most competitive weekend of the year. But Vettel plunged down the order because of a lengthy pitstop due to a problem getting the front left on.

His car was slightly offset on the front jack, which meant it slipped out of alignment and the front left was slightly difficult to remove and much harder to get on and tighten the nut properly.

‘Exquisite recovery drive’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/the-unusual-moves-behind-vettels-exquisite-recovery-drive/


Sebastian Vettel: “Without the slow stop, I think we had sixth place easily in the bag”
October 25, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Sebastian Vettel admitted his adrenaline was pumping hard in the closing stages of Sunday’s United States Grand Prix as he climbed back through the field after a slow pit stop cost him a certain sixth place finish.

“In the end it was a good recovery drive to score four points today,” Vettel said prior to being promoted to seventh. “I really enjoyed the last few laps, especially the final-lap fight with Kevin [Magnussen]. When I crossed the finish line, the adrenaline was really pumping.”

“Without the slow stop, I think we had sixth place easily in the bag so we should focus on the positives of our competitive car pace today. We were strong all race; the start was great and I was up in fifth place early on. It was also nice to lead the race for a while because it has been a while since I was in that position.”

‘Sixth place easily in the bag’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/sebastian-vettel-without-the-slow-stop-i-think-we-had-sixth-place-easily-in-the-bag/


Jenson Button makes big claim about Sebastian Vettel’s COTA overtake
Jenson Button was left amazed by Sebastian Vettel’s late overtake on Kevin Magnussen, claiming it was one of the best moves that he had ever seen.
25 October 2022
by Jack Devonport

F1 legend Jenson Button was left stunned by the late overtake, telling Sky Sports how impressed he was. “That last move Seb did on Kevin was one of the best moves I have seen, not just in this race, but that I have ever seen,” he exclaimed.

Vettel himself has expressed how much he will miss moments like this, with only three races left in his illustrious racing career. “I definitely had some fun and I had tight battles, especially with Kevin at the end.”

‘Best moves I have seen’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/jenson-button-makes-big-claim-about-sebastian-vettels-cota-overtake/


Aston Martin impressed by Vettel: He's got his mojo back
25/10/2022, ‎13‎:‎25
Author Anna Francis

Despite being only a few races away from F1 retirement, Sebastian Vettel secured his third consecutive top 10 result at the United States Grand Prix, as well as earning the Driver of the Day accolade for a second race in a row.

Aston Martin have praised Sebastian Vettel's performance following the United States Grand Prix, with the team suggesting that the German has "got his mojo back". McCullough believes that Vettel – who announced in September that he will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 season – is enjoying himself in his final races.

"He really had it hooked up well [during the United States Grand Prix]," McCullough told the F1 Nation podcast. "The car's performing, and then you notice, it made the car a little bit more competitive. "[Both] drivers had great pace at the start of the race, so it was nice to be up there at the front. But yeah, overall, he's got his mojo back and he's enjoying himself. He's relaxed. Hopefully he's [like this] to the end of the year."

‘Mojo back’;

https://racingnews365.com/aston-martin-impressed-by-vettel-hes-got-his-mojo-back

[Fortitude]

Opinion: Why Alonso's US Grand Prix penalty sets a worrying precedent.
Fernando Alonso's penalty in the United States Grand Prix means the FIA has boxed itself in should cars be able to continue after suffering damage in future races.
26/10/2022, ‎12‎:‎30
Author Jake Nichol

The very fact that Fernando Alonso was able to continue in the United States Grand Prix after his high-speed shunt with future Formula 1 teammate Lance Stroll was astonishing. After getting airborne for a few seconds, Alonso thankfully landed wheels-side-up and after catching his breath, was able to limp home to the pits for repairs.

He originally believed his race was over, but after the tyres and front wing were changed by his Alpine crew, he returned to the track. In typical Alonso fashion, he then stormed back through the field to claim a strong seventh place and six crucial points for Alpine in their battle for fourth in the Constructors' with McLaren.

However, post-race, Haas lodged an appeal with the stewards against both Alonso and Sergio Perez of Red Bull. The team were unhappy and wanted consistency after both drivers were not given the black and orange flag for an unsafe car as Kevin Magnussen had been given multiple times in the 2022 season.
Alonso's right mirror support was broken in the impact with Stroll, while Perez was carrying a broken front-wing end plate – as Magnussen had – but neither were called in to fix the problems. Perez's case was thrown out by the stewards, but Alonso was slapped with a 10 second stop/go penalty for having a car in an "unsafe condition", which was translated into a 30 second time penalty and dropped him to 15th.

‘A worrying precedent’;

https://racingnews365.com/opinion-why-alonsos-us-grand-prix-penalty-sets-a-worrying-precedent


F1’s new controversy is odd, but has major implications.
The Alpine-Haas protests have created Formula 1’s strangest controversy of the season and Fernando Alonso is right to suggest this is an important case for the championship.
10:21 Tue, 25 Oct 2022.
The Race

Haas’s position is entirely understandable given it stems from frustration about the treatment it has received from race control on three occasions this year. Kevin Magnussen has thrice been hit with a black-and-orange mechanical warning flag – which requires a driver to stop and have a problem with the car rectified – because the front wing endplate has been left flapping after sustaining minor damage.

Haas has effectively sought clarification and consistency as three of its races have been badly compromised by a strict application of the regulations on the grounds of the car’s safety being questioned, and it felt this was not the case for Alonso in the US.

It also protested Sergio Perez’s Red Bull for continuing with front wing endplate damage early in the race although that was thrown out as the endplate broke off and the FIA was satisfied that the wing was completely safe without it. That was hardly the most convincing argument. In the Alonso judgement the stewards stressed the responsibility the teams have to ensure their cars are safe.

‘Effectively sought clarification and consistency’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/f1s-new-controversy-is-odd-but-has-major-implications/


A ‘lesser driver’ than Fernando Alonso would have retired at COTA
Tuesday 25th October 2022 5:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Airborne in a crash that left him with a feeling of “fear” in his stomach, David Coulthard says that Fernando Alonso continued at the United States GP speaks to his “mindset” and commitment. The double World Champion suffered a scary high-speed crash at the Circuit of The Americas.

Bunched up and accelerating after a Safety Car restart, he clipped the rear of Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin as the Canadian made a late defensive move. With his A522 pointing towards the sky, Alonso made a hard landing in which he also hit the Armco barrier as he touched down.

“When I was in the air, I was a bit scared because it was very dangerous,” said the Spaniard. “When I landed on the asphalt, I thought it was race over.” Amazingly it wasn’t, his A522 able to continue.

‘A ‘lesser driver’ than Fernando Alonso would have retired’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/david-coulthard-a-lesser-driver-than-fernando-alonso-would-have-retired-at-cota/


Why disproportionate Fernando Alonso penalty shows FIA must reverse course
Tuesday 25th October 2022 9:00 AM
Henry Valantine

To put it mildly, the two penalties given to Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso at the United States Grand Prix appear pretty disproportionate. Criticism for Stroll over his jink to the left while defending from his future Aston Martin colleague has been widespread, with his late move as Alonso looked to draw alongside causing the two to collide at high speed.

Alonso’s car went airborne as a result, and he even said himself he was “amazed” he could keep going afterwards. Notwithstanding the quite remarkable drive he then put in to go from P17 to P7 come the chequered flag, the fact he was penalised himself after the race for a factor beyond his control is what will have irked Alpine most about the incident.

Not least because of how sizeable the punishment was. For context, Jacques Villeneuve called for Stroll to be given a race ban for his “pathetic and extremely dangerous” move, while four-time former IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti has urged the FIA to take strong action against such moves before one ends fatally.

‘Disproportionate Fernando Alonso penalty’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/disproportionate-fernando-alonso-penalty/


Villeneuve blasts Stroll for 'dangerous driving' in US GP
25/10/2022 at 14:23
Phillip van Osten

Jacques Villeneuve says Lance Stroll should be hit with a one-race ban for his "unacceptable" defensive maneuver against Alpine's Fernando Alonso in last Sunday's US Grand Prix. Stroll was leading Alonso down COTA's back straight on lap 22 when the Spaniard got a run on the Canadian. But as Alonso pulled out of the Aston Martin's slipstream, Stroll veered slightly left in a bid to defend his position.

Contact ensued and Alonso's Alpine briefly went airborne before it crashed to the ground and brushed the barriers. However, it miraculously survived any terminal damage while Stroll retired on the spot and was handed a three-place grid drop for next weekend's Mexican Grand Prix. But Villeneuve, writing in his usual column for Formule1.nl, believes the punishment levied upon his countryman doesn't fit the crime.

"We had a pretty exciting race in America but not always for the right reasons," commented the 1997 F1 world champion. "We saw a bit of everything. Masterful driving but also dangerous actions and drivers who drove badly. It was a mix of anything and everything, but that’s what this show is all about. When I talk about dangerous driving, I’m talking about Lance Stroll. He should be suspended for one race for the Fernando Alonso incident.”

‘Calls for one-race ban’;

https://f1i.com/news/458348-villeneuve-blasts-stroll-for-dangerous-driving-in-us-gp-prix.html


Lance Stroll’s defence of Fernando Alonso collision dismissed as ‘absolute nonsense’
Tuesday 25th October 2022 10:00 PM
Sam Cooper

Stroll was explaining his actions to the media and said he believed he had given Alonso plenty of room. However, that reasoning has been described as utter nonsense by BBC commentator Jack Nicholls and former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer. “Stroll said he left Alonso plenty of space, which I get what he’s saying because there were three car lengths to the left Alonso could have gone to, but it’s absolute nonsense from Stroll to say that,” Nicholls said on the Chequered Flag podcast.

“He jinked out at the last minute as Alonso was breezing past. So fully on Stroll and I presume he’ll get some kind of grid penalty for Mexico surely.” Indeed, Stroll was given a three-place penalty by the stewards for the Mexican Grand Prix.

Palmer agreed with his co-host’s assessment and said it was something he was seeing more and more of. “Alonso kept his foot in and I think Fernando didn’t hesitate for a moment in going to the left, which made the impact a lot bigger,” said Palmer. “Obviously Stroll’s argument is nonsense. It’s not about having space to the left, it’s about not moving impossibly late that it can’t be avoided.”

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lance-stroll-defence-nonsense/

[Fortitude]

Alonso: Thursday penalty hearing 'an important day' for F1.
Alonso: "A samurai must remain calm at all times even in the face of danger."
25/10/2022 at 09:42
Phillip van Osten

The Spaniard also captioned a picture of himself after the race with the words: "A samurai must remain calm at all times even in the face of danger."

Alonso was unimpressed with the FIA's handling of his case in Austin, and the two-time world champion took to social media on Monday to thank his fans for their many messages received in the wake of his demotion on Sunday.

Fernando Alonso says Thursday's hearing in Mexico by the FIA to decide whether Alpine's US Grand Prix counter protest is admissible or not "will be an important day for the sport".

‘A samurai must remain calm’;

https://f1i.com/news/458323-alonso-thursday-penalty-hearing-an-important-day-for-f1.html


Fernando Alonso sends warning to the FIA ahead of key penalty ruling.
Fernando Alonso: “Therefore Thursday is an important day for the sport that we love so much, as the decision will dictate if we are going in the right direction for the future.”
26 October 2022
by Jack Devonport

The FIA is due to rule on Alpine’s appeal surrounding Fernando Alonso’s 30-second penalty on Thursday. “For me, it’s all about consistency, the FIA is the regulator and they must be consistent,” Haas boss Guenther Steiner said about the controversy.

Alonso has taken to social media to stress the importance of the FIA making the right call. “It’s one of those rare times in sport that I feel we are all on the same page and share the same opinion towards the rules and regulation,” he posted.

“Therefore Thursday is an important day for the sport that we love so much, as the decision will dictate if we are going in the right direction for the future.”

‘Thursday is an important day’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-alonso-sends-warning-to-the-fia-ahead-of-key-penalty-ruling/


Alonso Warns FIA’s Decision on Alpine’s Protest Will Impact F1’s Future
Updated October 25, 2022 6:50 PM
By Madeline Coleman Sports Illustrated

The two-time world champion wrote, “It is an important day for the sport as this decision will dictate if we are going in the right direction.” Fernando Alonso warned that the FIA’s decision on Alpine’s protest would have implications on Formula One’s future.

The Spaniard was dealt a post-race penalty stemming from a Haas protest that dropped him from a seventh-place finish to 15th at the U.S. Grand Prix this weekend. Despite being sent airborne from a collision with future teammate Lance Stroll, Alonso was able to finish the race, but his car was damaged. His right-wing mirror ended up falling off his car several laps later.

‘FIA’s Decision on Alpine’s Protest’;

https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/article267860497.html#storylink=sectionheadlines


Penalty Protest Decision with ‘Dictate’ if Formula 1 is ‘Going in the Right Direction’ – Alonso
October 26, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Fernando Alonso feels the outcome of his BWT Alpine F1 Team’s protest over his post-race time penalty in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix will determine whether the FIA Formula 1 World Championship is heading in the right direction when it comes to officiating and regulations.

Prior to receiving his penalty, Alonso had been delighted with seventh place at the Circuit of the Americas, particularly after his collision with Stroll that could have easily seen him retire on the spot.

Not only did he momentarily be launched onto two wheels by the clash, but he also brushed the barrier on the inside of the circuit, luckily without damaging his suspension.

‘Going in the Right Direction’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/penalty-protest-decision-with-dictate-if-formula-1-is-going-in-the-right-direction-alonso/


Alonso explains 'scary' US GP crash with Stroll before being handed penalty that dropped him out of points
25 October 2022

Fernando Alonso admits he was "amazed" that he was able to continue racing after his “scary” collision with Lance Stroll which saw him briefly air bound in his Alpine.

Starting in 14th – after taking a five-place grid penalty for exceeding his allocation of engine components – Alonso made a steady start on the hard tyre, making it up to seventh in the first stint before a Safety Car – caused by Valtteri Bottas’ spinning onto the gravel – allowed him to get a cheap pit stop.

The Spaniard came out in ninth place, overtaking Pierre Gasly at the restart, before attempting to go past Lance Stroll for P7. However, the two came together resulting in Stroll – who has been handed a three-place grid penalty in Mexico for the incident – retiring from the race while Alonso, much to his surprise, was able to continue, despite his car rearing up into the air and then hitting the barriers.

"Amazed";

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.alonso-explains-scary-us-gp-crash-with-stroll-before-being-handed-penalty.59IhdJ1VieHcKo3B6DcGXK.html

[Fortitude]

Martin Brundle criticises ‘injustice’ of Fernando Alonso US GP penalty.
Martin Brundle said the stewards should have more “racers’ common sense” after Fernando Alonso was handed a 30-second penalty.
Tuesday 25th October 2022 3:30 PM
Sam Cooper

Brundle has sympathy for Alonso saying it reminds him of an incident involving the two-time World Champion in 2006. “This reminds me of when Fernando did an outstanding job with a damaged car after a puncture in qualifying at Monza in 2006,” he wrote in his Sky Sports column.

“He was very dubiously penalised five grid places for ‘blocking’ Felipe Massa’s distant Ferrari at which point he angrily said he no longer considered F1 a sport. Sixteen years later he obviously still does but the injustice feels about the same to me. “Rules are rules and overall I support that they are being applied more rigidly, but they need some racers’ common sense to go with them.

“Deciding whose front wing is safe when partly broken and whose isn’t is rather subjective I would have thought, and Felipe Massa for example knows very well what it’s like to be hit by discarded parts.” Alonso made his feelings known, stating that the future integrity of the sport depends on the outcome.

“Racers’ common sense”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/martin-brundle-criticises-injustice-fernando-alonso-us-gp-penalty/


TREMAYNE: Alonso’s Austin fightback proved F1 drivers are not the same as us mere mortals
26 October 2022
David Tremayne
Hall of Fame F1 Journalist

That great commentator Toby Moody refers to the stars of MotoGP as ‘aliens’. And he’s spot-on. Racing drivers are an unusual breed, and they don’t always think like normal human beings. There’s a classic bit of black and white film of Manfred von Brauchitsch at the Nurburgring, losing the lead of the German GP when during a pit stop on the 16th lap a dramatic conflagration occurs as the engine spits back as it is restarted and ignites some spilt fuel.

He is physically dragged clear of his flaming Mercedes W154 by team members, and manager Alfred Neubauer beats out the flames on one sleeve of his overalls. Then, when the fire is quelled, the aristocratic Prussian bravely clambers back aboard his foam-smeared car and rejoins the race. Last Sunday one of the most spectacular aspects of a great US GP was the serious shunt between Lance Stroll and his 2023 team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Fernando, meanwhile, made it back to the pits, much to his own surprise. Asked by his race engineer in the immediate aftermath if he was okay, he had replied, “Yes, it’s fine. Very late move.” If you ever wanted to know why drivers are worth so much money, that was a good indication. But even more so was what came next. After he had pitted under the Safety Car he got a set of new hard tyres and a new nose and, despite initial scepticism, rejoined the race. It was that scepticism that made it all so impressive.

‘F1 drivers are not the same as us mere mortals’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.tremayne-alonsos-austin-fightback-proved-f1-drivers-are-not-the-same-as-us.61o4swHKAlGZaXjiIll0Di.html


PALMER: Alonso’s remarkable COTA recovery was the drive of the season – but was the penalty fair?
26 October 2022
Jolyon Palmer
Former F1 driver

Fernando Alonso had a busy Grand Prix in Austin, surviving a dramatic crash to put in a stunning recovery drive, only to have his points taken away from him in the stewards room. With so much going on in the Spaniard’s race, let’s dissect it bit by bit.

‘Bit by Bit’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.palmer-alonsos-remarkable-cota-recovery-was-the-drive-of-the-season-but-was.43jYJNdRqUtAjWceSyNvh3.html


Date set for Alpine’s protest of Haas-requested Alonso penalty
Oct 24 2022
By Josh Suttill

Alpine’s protest of Fernando Alonso’s hefty 30-second penalty at the United States Grand Prix will be assessed on the Thursday before Formula 1’s Mexico GP. Alonso initially finished the race in Austin in seventh place after a strong recovery from a clash with Lance Stroll that sent him airborne.

This Thursday at 6pm local time (Mexico City) there will be a video conference to decide if it’s admissible with a team representative from both Haas and Alpine present. If the protest lodged by Alpine is deemed admissible then there will be a separate hearing that will take place at a later date.

‘6pm local time (Mexico City)’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/date-set-for-alpines-protest-of-haas-requested-alonso-penalty/


Alpine’s Otmar Szafnauer: “This weekend has been far from our best”
October 26, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Otmar Szafnauer admitted the United States Grand Prix saw an under par BWT Alpine F1 Team, and after a penalty for Fernando Alonso, the team left the Circuit of the Americas with only a single point for Esteban Ocon.

Alonso was lucky to see the chequered flag at all after briefly going onto two wheels following a high-speed collision with Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team’s Lance Stroll midway through the race in Austin, but he recovered superbly to finish inside the points in seventh.

However, a protest from the Haas F1 Team about a potential unsafe car saw the stewards hand Alonso a thirty-second time penalty that relegated him outside of the top ten, but at the same time promoting Ocon into tenth place, the Frenchman having recovered from a pit lane start.

‘Far from our best’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/alpines-otmar-szafnauer-this-weekend-has-been-far-from-our-best/

[Fortitude]

Revised F1 United States GP result after penalty reversed.
Fernando Alonso's post-race penalty at the United States Grand Prix dropped him out of the points. However, with the stewards now overturning the punishment, the results of the race have changed again.
28/10/2022, ‎08‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff

The result of the United States Grand Prix has been revised following the reversal of Fernando Alonso's post-race penalty. Following the event in Austin, Alonso was handed a 30-second time penalty after a protest from Haas over the damage to the Spaniard's car in the aftermath of a collision with Lance Stroll.

As a result, the stewards deemed that Alonso's car had not been in a safe condition during the race, dropping him down from the points-paying position of P7 to P15. However, on Thursday 27 October ahead of the upcoming Mexican Grand Prix, a further stewards' hearing was held after Alpine argued that Haas had submitted their protest after the given deadline.

Alpine's right to review appeal resulted in Alonso's penalty being overturned and his original P7 result being reinstated.

‘Revised F1 United States GP result’;

https://racingnews365.com/revised-f1-united-states-gp-result-after-penalty-reversed


Alonso regains seventh place in US GP as stewards cancel his penalty
2022 Mexican Grand Prix
Posted on 28th October 2022, 8:4828th October 2022, 9:07
Written by Keith Collantine

The penalty Fernando Alonso received after the United States Grand Prix has been cancelled, and the driver restored to his originally finishing position of seventh, after his team successfully petitioned the stewards to review their decision.

Alonso was highly critical of the decision to penalise him by adding 30 seconds to his race time, which dropped him to 15th place in the race’s classification. Following a protest brought by rivals Haas, the stewards originally judged Alpine had run his car in an unsafe condition after it was damaged in a collision with Lance Stroll, leading to its right-hand mirror falling off.

pine succeeded in overturning the decision by showing the stewards they had been wrong to accept the protest by Haas because it had been submitted too late. The decision was reached following two hearings involving the teams and the stewards on Thursday, the first of which saw Alpine’s initial protest quashed by the stewards on the grounds it was inadmissible.

‘Alonso regains seventh place in US GP’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/28/alonsos-us-gp-penalty-cancelled-as-stewards-accept-haas-submitted-protest-too-late/


Alonso gets US GP seventh place back as penalty overturned
Oct 28 2022
By Josh Suttill

As part of its response to the decision, Alpine said it would work with the FIA to maintain the quality of the “racing spectacle” of the championship.

“BWT Alpine F1 Team thanks the FIA stewards for convening and reaching a positive conclusion on the matter involving Car #14 from last weekend’s United States Grand Prix,” a statement from Alpine read. “The team welcomes the decision made by the aforementioned stewards, whereby Car #14 reinstates its seventh place finish and six points from the race.

“We look forward to continuing our collaborative work alongside the FIA to ensure the racing spectacle is maintained to the highest quality. “The team now looks forward to competing this weekend at the Mexico City Grand Prix.”

‘Work with the FIA to maintain the quality of the “racing spectacle” of the championship’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/alonso-gets-us-gp-seventh-place-back-as-penalty-overturned/


#JusticeforAlonso trends ahead of ‘important’ FIA ruling
Alpine's appeal of Fernando Alonso's US Grand Prix penalty will commence on Thursday ahead of the Mexican GP.
27 October 2022
by Nick Golding

Fernando Alonso is certainly feeling the love from his fans currently, as #JusticeforAlonso became trending on Twitter ahead of Alpine’s appeal to the FIA that the Spaniard was wrongly awarded a penalty at the United States Grand Prix.

After last weekend’s race at the Circuit of the Americas, Alonso was awarded a 30-second time penalty for driving a car on the circuit which was deemed ‘unsafe’ after the race by FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer.

It is a miracle that Alonso managed to finish the race, following his airborne collision with Lance Stroll down the main straight. The double World Champion’s A522 hit the rear of Stroll’s car at over 180 mph, as a result of a late move to the left by the Canadian.

‘#JusticeforAlonso’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/justiceforalonso-trends-ahead-of-important-fia-ruling/


FIA overturns Austin penalty – Alpine and Alonso given back P7
28/10/2022 at 08:18
Michael Delaney

The FIA has overturned Fernando Alonso's penalty in the US Grand Prix after a two-stage process on Thursday that didn't start well for Alpine. Haas lodged a protest after the race at the Circuit of the Americas claiming that Alonso's Alpine had been driven in an "unsafe" state given that it had lost a rear-view mirror.

The stewards accepted the complaint and subsequently hit Alonso with a post-race 30-second time penalty that dropped the Spaniard out of the points from P7 to P14. But Alpine filed a counter-protest based on the fact that Haas had filed its complaint 24 minutes after the legal deadline. A hearing late on Thursday afternoon with all parties at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez initially resulted in Alpine's protest being rejected.

It was judged that a protest cannot by lodged against a decision made by the stewards. The initial ruling also stated that Alpine’s counter-protest was made 68 minutes after the decision on the original protest was published, therefore it was outside of the prescribed time limit and was rejected.

‘FIA overturns Austin penalty’;

https://f1i.com/news/458540-fia-overturns-austin-penalty-alpine-and-alonso-given-back-p7.html

[Fortitude]

Perez eyes home win but Verstappen wants record 14th victory.
Sergio Perez walked into the Formula One paddock Thursday and was quickly surrounded by adoring fans so hopeful he'll become the first Mexican to win on his home track.
23:38 Thu, 27 Oct 2022.
FOX Sports
MEXICO CITY (AP)

The reception was nothing like the one he received earlier this week when the Red Bull driver did a demonstration run in Guadalajara in front of “about 140,000 people, so for Mexico, not that much.” Perez called it an emotional memory that will stick with him forever. What would bump it down a notch on his list of accomplishments?

A victory on Sunday in the Mexico City Grand Prix. Perez finished a career-best third at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez a year ago and was celebrated as if he'd won the actual race. “Of course I want to win this weekend, that is my target,” Perez said.

“But it has already been such a special week for me taking the Red Bull Showrun to my hometown, it’s a memory that will live with me forever. I don’t want to stop there with creating moments this week though, my aim is to win my home Grand Prix and I know I have the car and the team to do it. I will give 100% to win for these fans in Mexico.”

‘Surrounded by adoring fans’;

https://www.foxsports.com/articles/f1/perez-eyes-home-win-but-verstappen-wants-record-14th-victory


Why Checo fever will make this year’s Mexico City Grand Prix unmissable
28 October 2022
Lawrence Barretto
F1 Correspondent & Presenter

Driving from the airport to our hotel on arrival in Mexico City, I saw a staggering 22 billboards featuring home hero Sergio Perez’s face advertising an array of products. The Red Bull driver is big time in his home country, and you’ll struggle to find a soul who doesn’t want to see him upgrade his third-place last year to victory this time around.

Fortunately for his loyal faithful, Perez arrives in Mexico not only with a car that has just won Red Bull their first constructors’ championship in close to a decade but with some impressive momentum to boot, having won Singapore, finished second in Japan and crossed the line fourth in Austin.

I sat down with him for an extended interview that will run on Sunday in F1 TV’s Pre-Race Show and the overwhelming takeaway is that Checo is a man oozing with confidence, loving life at a top team and absolutely convinced that he can fight for the world championship – and by default beat Max Verstappen – next season. It’s a huge ask, of course, but it’s clear he’s in a much better place mentally after an up-and-down mid-season, where the development of the car moved away from his style.

‘Checo fever’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.why-checo-fever-will-make-this-years-mexico-city-grand-prix-unmissable.6cvrDVcESmmSk9KoZ6t07S.html


Perez knows he needs ‘perfect weekend’ to beat Verstappen for home win
2022 Mexican Grand Prix
Posted on 28th October 2022, 14:23
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham

Sergio Perez knows he will need to be “perfect” this weekend in order to beat team mate Max Verstappen and win his home grand prix in Mexico. Verstappen – who has already secured this year’s drivers’ championship – has taken 13 victories over the first 19 rounds, equalling the record of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel for most wins in a single season.

Asked if he would consider allowing his team mate to win if the Red Bull drivers were first and second heading into the final laps of Sunday’s race in Mexico City, Verstappen said he was “here to win. At the end of the day, the fastest driver will win the race.” Just two points separate Perez from Charles Leclerc, who lies second in the standings. Verstappen says he does not believe his team mate needs his assistance in order to beat the Ferrari driver.

“I think as long as he finishes ahead of Charles, that’s the main target every race,” said Verstappen. “I don’t think he needs any advice. He knows very well what he’s doing. He’s super experienced. As a team, we just want to have a good weekend.”

‘Perfect weekend’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/28/perez-knows-he-needs-perfect-weekend-to-beat-verstappen-for-home-win/


Sergio Perez felt he was on verge of F1 exit before Red Bull chance
Published: 28 Oct 2022, 12:18
By George Dagless

Sergio Perez has revealed he felt as though his F1 career was going to end at the conclusion of 2020, before being offered a Red Bull drive.

The Mexican is on home turf this weekend as F1 heads to Mexico and he’ll be looking to put in a top performance to send his fans home happy on Sunday.

Indeed, he has every chance of delivering them the prize they want most; a home win, with the Red Bull proving the strongest car by some chalk this year in terms of race pace on a Sunday.

‘Felt he was on verge of F1 exit’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88076913-sergio-perez-felt-he-was-on-verge-of-f1-exit-before-red-bull-chance


Perez constantly dreaming of historic Mexico City GP victory
Friday 28 October 2022 11:10
Sam Hall

Sergio Perez has revealed he has had numerous dreams of winning the Mexico City Grand Prix ahead of his home F1 race on Sunday. The Red Bull driver has scored four wins in his career, with two of those this season.

But should Perez top the podium on Sunday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, he would become the first Mexican driver to win their home race. The 32-year-old would also join Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen in an exclusive club of current drivers to do so.

Asked if he had dared to dream of victory, Perez said: "Yeah, I've dreamt a few times already about it. "It will be massive for me. Obviously, that's the target for Sunday [but] but will not be easy. We need to be perfect throughout the weekend. "So all the focus will be now on the racing stuff, to try to maximise a weekend. "At the end of the day, it's another weekend with the same amount of points but it's the most special one for me."

‘Dreaming of historic Mexico City GP victory’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/94774/mexico-city-grand-prix-sergio-perez/

[Fortitude]

Sainz quickest as top three separated by a tenth of a second in Mexican GP FP1.
The Ferrari driver was just 0.046s quicker than teammate Charles Leclerc, while both Red Bull drivers set identical times.
20:11 Fri, 28 Oct 2022.
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

Carlos Sainz set the quickest time at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on a 1:20.707 ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Sergio Perez. The top three were separated by just 0.120s, with Leclerc's best effort 0.046s off Sainz's time on the Soft tyres.

Max Verstappen was the early pacesetter having gone out for a lap on the Hard tyres, with an early time of 1:22.291. He later went out on the Soft tyres, but spun at Turn 11 on his first attempt. In the end his quickest lap was only good enough for fourth, 0.120s off the pace having set the same time as Perez. As the Mexican was the first to set the time, he finished ahead.

Leclerc managed to go quicker midway through the session, despite picking up a puncture that put him in the garage for an extended period at the start. After Ferrari checked over his car, he was sent back out on a set of Softs to set a lap that was over half a second quicker than Verstappen's initial effort.

‘Sainz quickest’;

https://racingnews365.com/sainz-quickest-as-top-three-separated-by-a-tenth-of-a-second-in-mexican-gp-fp1


(FP1) First Practice Results – 2022 Mexican Grand Prix
Mexico City, Mexico
20:06 Fri, 28 Oct 2022.
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -1:20.707
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.046
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.120
4. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.120
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.142
6. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.192
7. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.376
8. Lando Norris McLaren +0.413
9. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +0.603
10. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +0.818

‘Mexican Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from first practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-practice-results-2022-mexican-grand-prix-80348


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from first practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix
28 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

It's one of the most colourful race weekends of the year, clashing as it always does with the Día de los Muertos festivities. Mexico City is a riot of costumes, masks and flowers - but soon it will all be about the cars on track.

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-first-practice-in-mexico-city-2022.1PJox9YcorcbpEaYSwLXNO.html


Everything that happened in first Mexican GP F1 practice
20:24 Fri, 28 Oct 2022.
By Matt Beer
The Race

Carlos Sainz led a Ferrari 1-2 in a twice red-flagged first practice session for Formula 1’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Key moments
– Sainz leads Leclerc in Ferrari 1-2
– Verstappen has a spin
– Fittipaldi and Lawson cause red flags
– Problems for Doohan too

‘Everything that happened’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/everything-that-happened-in-first-mexican-gp-f1-practice/


Ted Kravitz apologises as he steps in to commentate amid Sky technical issues at Mexico GP
Sky Sports F1 were hit with technical issues moments before the start of FP1.
19:16, Fri, Oct 28, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Ted Kravitz was forced to apologise after Sky Sports F1 were hit with a technical glitch ahead of free practice at the Mexican Grand Prix. David Croft started the broadcast but then his microphone was cut minutes before the start of the session.

Kravitz quickly intervened to avoid confusion as the session started. He said: "I must apologise for the loss of commentary. Just as David Croft and all the rest were getting ready and into the swing of things it seems like we've lost commentary but we will work extremely hard to get that back for you."

Kravitz then continued to fill Sky's coverage, speaking to Haas team boss Guenther Steiner about F1’s cost cap saga. Sky Sports then quickly cut back to presenter Simon Lazenby and pundits Danica Patrick and Martin Brundle.

‘Ted Kravitz apologises’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1689190/ted-kravitz-sky-sports-f1-mexican-grand-prix

[Fortitude]

Russell quickest, Leclerc crashes in Mexico FP2 tyre test.
Mercedes' George Russell was quickest in second free practice for the Mexican Grand Prix in Mexico City, which was extended to 90 minutes to allow for another Pirelli tyre test of 2023 prototype compounds.
28/10/2022 at 23:33
Andrew Lewin

Russell was one of a small number of drivers in FP2 allowed to run this year's regular tyres. Others included Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon, who were second and third quickest respectively, with Lewis Hamilton leading those running exclusively on the prototypes.

The session saw a lengthy 20 minute red flag after Charles Leclerc crashed at turn 8 just over half an hour in, giving the Ferrari mechanics plenty of work to do overnight to get him ready for final practice on Saturday.

‘Russell quickest’;

https://f1i.com/news/458626-russell-quickest-leclerc-crashes-in-mexico-fp2-tyre-test.html


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Mexican Grand Prix
Mexico City, Mexico
23:29 Fri, 28 Oct 2022.
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. George Russell Mercedes -1:19.970
2. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +0.828
3. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.207
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.539
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +1.609
6. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +1.618
7. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +1.648
8. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +1.723
9. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +2.023
10. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +2.134

‘Mexican Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second-practice-results-2022-mexican-grand-prix-80367


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from second practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix
28 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

Following hot on the heels of Austin, the drivers and team have headed to Mexico for the 20th round of a frenetic season that's been non-stop in terms of action. And there is more coming your way momentarily, with second practice about to begin.

‘Follow all the action’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-second-practice-in-mexico-city-2022.2QRhUxKmqwi4XwfOrNhP5z.html


Russell tops FP2 tyre test as Leclerc crashes
Mexico City, Mexico
23:33 Fri, 28 Oct 2022.
by Emer Hedderman
F1i.com

Mexican Grand Prix – George Russell topped the times in another double Red Flagged session, as Pirelli completed another tyre test. For the third event in a row FP2 will run for 90 minutes to allow for a Pirelli tyre test, while the test was cancelled in Suzuka due to the wet weather the session did run for the full extended time and Mexico was chosen to hold the rescheduled test.

Max Verstappen was the first out at the start of FP2 on the mystery tyres and set a 1:22.464. After sitting out first practice to allow rookies take their cars for a ride, George Russell, Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon would all be allowed to run a regular session with dry tyres for the first half of the practice.

Magnussen, Tsunoda and Ocon’s cars all needed their power units changed after issues for the young drivers in the opening session and while the latter two were out near or at the start of the session, Haas needed longer to work on their car so Magnussen missed the opening half hour.

‘Russell tops FP2 tyre test’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/russell-tops-fp2-tyre-test-as-leclerc-crashes-80371


2022 Mexican Grand Prix practice in pictures
F1 Pictures
Posted on
28th October 2022, 23:4429th October 2022, 2:54
Written by Keith Collantine

‘2022 Mexican Grand Prix practice pictures’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/28/2022-mexican-grand-prix-practice-in-pictures/


Leclerc crash disrupts F1’s Mexican GP tyre test session
23:57 Fri, 28 Oct 2022.
By Matt Beer
The Race


Second practice for Formula 1’s Mexican Grand Prix was expected to be uneventful as it was the second of the sessions devoted to testing Pirelli’s 2023 prototype tyres rather than teams’ own work.

But it was interrupted for nearly 20 minutes by Charles Leclerc crashing his Ferrari heavily. The erstwhile title contender lost control heading into the esses section in the middle of the lap, spinning across the run-off area and into the barriers.

Leclerc’s car sustained damage to its entire rear end, and a long red flag period was required to reconstruct the barriers. Asked on team radio if he was OK as his Ferrari came to rest, Leclerc replied: “Yeah, I am. But the car is not.”

‘Leclerc crash disruption’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/leclerc-crash-disrupts-f1s-mexican-gp-tyre-test-session/

[Fortitude]

Mexico GP: George Russell leads a Mercedes 1-2 in Practice 3.
George Russell went fastest as Mercedes set a strong pace in final practice at the Mexican Grand Prix.
29 October 2022
Ben Issatt
Formula 1

In a session of big gains compared to Friday, the Briton posted a 1m18.399s on soft tyres, 1.4s faster than his best time in FP2 and a tenth-and-a-half clear of teammate Lewis Hamilton in second.

The key to Mercedes' performance is in the slow-speed corners, while the thin air at high altitude negates their usual lack of top speed on the straights.

Max Verstappen was almost half a second behind in third, after struggling over the kerbs and failing to get a clean lap when the tyres were at their best.

‘Mercedes 1-2 in Practice 3’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16473-mexico-gp-george-russell-leads-a-mercedes-1-2-in-practice-3


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2022 Mexican Grand Prix
Mexico City, Mexico
29/10/2022, 19:11
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. George Russell Mercedes -1:18.399
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.144
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.477
4. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.724
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.842
6. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.902
7. Lando Norris McLaren +0.918
8. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.991
9. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +1.483
10. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.518

‘Mexican Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the final practice ahead of the 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-practice-results-2022-mexican-grand-prix-80384


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from final practice for the Mexico City Grand Prix
29 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

It's qualifying day in Mexico, but first there is one more hour of practice, which the teams desperately need. They are all playing catch up after FP2 yesterday was given over to a Pirelli tyre test, but some are further behind than others.

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-third-practice-in-mexico-city-2022.6UID5gqOCw94GJCQnn466Y.html


Charles Leclerc is unhurt after crashing in the second practice for the Mexican GP following a one-two finish for Ferrari in the first, while Mercedes' George Russell sets the pace
• Times were close as Carlos Sainz bested Charles Leclerc in the first practice
• Lewis Hamilton finished a little over a tenth of a second off the leaders in fifth
• Home favorite Sergio Perez grabbed third place - recording the same time as teammate and drivers world champion Max Verstappen
Published: 22:26, 28 October 2022
By PA Media and Jake Fenner For Dailymail.Com

Charles Leclerc crashed his Ferrari backwards into the barriers in the second practice for the Mexican Grand Prix on Friday, with teams testing next year's Pirelli Formula One tires.

George Russell set the pace for Mercedes as one of three drivers on standard soft tires for part of the 90 minute session after handing their cars to reserve drivers and juniors for practice one.

The Briton lapped with a best time of one minute 19.970 seconds, 0.828 quicker than AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda and 1.207 faster than Alpine's Esteban Ocon.

‘Charles Leclerc is unhurt’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11367003/Ferrari-finish-second-FP1-Mexican-Grand-Prix-Lewis-Hamilton-finishing-fifth.html


F1- Russell quickest in final practice for Mexico City Grand Prix as Mercedes take 1-2
29.10.22
FIA

George Russell beat Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes finished 1-2 in final practice for the 2022 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix with Red Bull’s third ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Russell posted a lap of 1:18.399 to finish 0.144s clear of Hamilton as Mercedes capitalised on what Russell yesterday called the team’s best Friday of the season.

Verstappen was next on the timesheet, albeit almost half a second off the pace of the lead Mercedes. The 2022 F1 champion might have got closer but a “terrible” first sector during a lap on soft tyres set him back and a similar issue on his second run compromised his chances.

‘Russell quickest’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-russell-quickest-final-practice-mexico-city-grand-prix-mercedes-take-1-2

[Fortitude]

Verstappen takes pole ahead of the Mercedes.
It was close up until the end when Max Verstappen blew the competition away. Mercedes took P2 and P3 while Ferrari floundered.
29/10/2022
Mexico City, Mexico
by Emer Hedderman

Q3: Perez led the return to the track for the pole shootout and set the fastest lap of the weekend so far, a 1:18.153. Not bad for an opening effort but the two Mercedes and his teammate managed better. The Dutch driver was the first into the 1:17s with a 1:17.947 while Hamilton’s time was deleted for track limits at T3.

All but Fernando Alonso were out to try again in the final few minutes, but Verstappen need not have bothered, no one else got into the 1:17s but the double-champion did improve on his time to bring it down to a 1:17.775.

‘Verstappen takes pole’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/verstappen-takes-pole-ahead-of-the-mercedes-80405


Qualifying Results – 2022 Mexican Grand Prix
Mexico City, Mexico
29/10/2022, 21:24
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Q3
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:17.775
2. George Russell Mercedes +0.304
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.309
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.353
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.576
6. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.626
7. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.780
8. Lando Norris McLaren +0.946
9. Fernando Alonso Alpine +1.164
10. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.235

‘Mexican Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying-results-2022-mexican-grand-prix-80399


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix
29 October 2022
Formula 1.
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]

Hello and welcome back to Mexico...

It's nearly time for qualifying and what a session it could be. Three top teams all in contention, a packed house and a tight track that could cause all sorts of traffic chaos. Excited?!

‘As It Happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-qualifying-in-mexico-city-2022.78PZCxAIHzO42tgpX4aS2U.html


Mexico City GP: Max Verstappen sees off strong Mercedes challenge to take pole.
Max Verstappen takes pole for Red Bull at the Mexico City GP; Lewis Hamilton had topped the timesheet for Mercedes in Q1 and Q2, but could only finish third behind team-mate George Russell
Last Updated: 29/10/22 10:09pm
SKY

Max Verstappen overcame a strong challenge from Mercedes to beat George Russell to pole position for Red Bull at the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheet in Q1 and Q2 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez to continue the strong form Mercedes had shown throughout the weekend, but it was the world champion who was able to find extra performance when it mattered most.

Verstappen's 1:17.775 put him 0.3s clear of Russell, with Hamilton just a fraction behind his team-mate in third, while the other Red Bull of Sergio Perez finished fourth at his home circuit.

‘Max Verstappen takes pole for Red Bull’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12733716/mexico-city-gp-max-verstappen-sees-off-strong-mercedes-challenge-to-take-pole


Verstappen beats Mercedes duo in close-fought Mexican GP qualifying
29/10/2022, ‎22‎:‎00
Author Luke Murphy

Max Verstappen took his seventh Pole Position of the season to deny Mercedes qualifying honours in Mexico City. The Red Bull driver's lap time of 1:17.775 was enough to claim P1 ahead of George Russell, who finished three tenths of a second off Pole after completing an untidy final lap.

Hamilton, who had his opening lap time deleted for marginally cutting Turn 3, took third, just 0.005s off his teammate. Home favourite Sergio Perez was another half-tenth behind the Mercedes pair, and was unable to match his teammate's pace in front of an expectant home crowd.

The Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were unable to compete with the pace of Mercedes and Red Bull, with the pair finishing the session in fifth and sixth.

‘Verstappen beats Mercedes duo’;

https://racingnews365.com/verstappen-beats-mercedes-duo-in-close-fought-mexican-gp-qualifying

[Fortitude]

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff 'annoyed' ahead of Mexican GP despite George Russell apology.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admits that he is 'annoyed' neither George Russell nor Lewis Hamilton managed to snatch pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday.
07:46, Sun, Oct 30, 2022
By Charlie Gordon

Toto Wolff has spoken out on Mercedes' qualifying performance in Mexico. Mercedes introduced an upgrade in the United States last weekend but, according to the drivers, Circuit of the Americas didn't have the right characteristics to show what the new and improved car was made of. Many in the Silver Arrows garage had their sights set on the trip south to Mexico instead.

When asked if Mexico represents Mercedes' best chance of scooping up a win in 2022, Wolff responded: "I think so. The good thing is that, in our simulations, we had [this track] on the radar as being the best race, so that is good that the virtual world correlates with the real world.”

"I feel like it was our pole to have but it was just a terrible lap from my side," Russell told Sky Sports. "But it's great to be back on the front row. I'll be going for it at the start tomorrow for sure. Let's see what's possible. In Q3, my last lap, I went around the first three corners and the car felt great.”

‘Toto Wolff 'annoyed' ahead of Mexican GP’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1689559/mercedes-toto-wolff-mexican-grand-prix-george-russell-f1-news


Sergio Perez says hunt for Mexican Grand Prix pole descended into ‘a mess’
Sunday 30th October 2022 1:30 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Sergio Perez thought he was in the hunt to claim pole position in front of his home crowd, but his Red Bull was seemingly not up to the task. If the fans truly can give drivers that extra shot of pace they need on home soil, then a raucous crowd in Mexico City was pulling out all the stops to get their hero on pole. Sadly that plan did not work out, Perez trying to hang on for much of qualifying, including using a new set of soft tyres just to make Q3 when his team-mate Max Verstappen had cleared that hurdle on a used set.

Perez dragged himself somewhere closer to the pole fight in Q3 but was forced to settle for P4, 0.353s down on Verstappen who will lead the pack away on Sunday. That troublesome qualifying was not all down to the driver though, Perez assured, as an electrical issue he had carried through the sessions, plus a DRS fault, got in the way of his pole pursuit. “It was a big shame. We had an electrical issue throughout qualy, with DRS we were struggling and so on,” Perez told Sky Sports F1.

“It was just important to make sure we got everything right but I was pretty much blind through qualy. I had no reference lap time, I had no information of my brake balance at times, so it was just a mess. “And when I look back at my qualy, I nearly got knocked out in Q1 and Q2, so to be P4 is not the end of the world – but I really believe today we could have fought for pole position.”

‘An electrical issue he had carried through the sessions, plus a DRS fault’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio-perez-electrical-drs-issue-mexico/


Gasly calls for more respect from fans after bag was ‘opened’ in paddock twice
2022 Mexican Grand Prix
Posted on 30th October 2022, 7:1530th October 2022, 3:31
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

The AlphaTauri driver feels some fans who have been allowed into the paddock are not conducting themselves correctly. “I think letting people in is fine, but it’s true that I feel like some guests sometimes are not really respecting the space that we need,” he said in response to a question from RaceFans.

“People coming in garages before qualifying and asking for pictures when they are not even from our team. We are working here and obviously we give time for the fans when we can. this weekend I didn’t dare come out of the hospitality because otherwise you just know that you get mobbed and sometimes it gets quite hectic.”

Gasly said the problem is not confined to this weekend’s race, pointing out that his bag has been opened twice in the last two rounds. “I had my bag – which I arrived at the hospitality yesterday morning with, it had my passport – opened and I didn’t even feel it,” he said. “Clearly it wasn’t me and it wasn’t my manager. When he saw that, he closed it straight away. But the same thing happened in Austin when I came out of the paddock.”

‘Gasly calls for more respect’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/30/gasly-calls-for-more-respect-from-fans-in-paddock-after-finding-his-bag-open-again/


[B]Verstappen beats Mercedes pair to Mexican GP pole
22:19 Sat, 29 Oct 2022.
By Matt Beer
The Race

Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen stayed safely clear of a surprise Mercedes challenge to take pole for the Mexican Grand Prix. Mercedes had been 1-2 in final practice then topped both Q1 and Q2 with Lewis Hamilton.

Q2 had been extraordinarily close – just 0.063 seconds covering the top five – but Verstappen raised the bar in Q3. He was helped by the final segment being a messy one for Mercedes. Hamilton had his first flying lap, which was only good for third at that point anyway, deleted for a track limits breach, while George Russell made an error on his last lap.

That meant Verstappen’s 1m17.775s for Red Bull gave him pole by 0.304s over Russell and 0.309s over Hamilton. Home hero Sergio Perez wasn’t a pole threat and starts fourth. Ferrari struggled throughout, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc only fifth and seventh, split by Valtteri Bottas’s Alfa Romeo.

‘Verstappen beats Mercedes pair’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/verstappen-beats-mercedes-pair-to-mexican-gp-pole/


Max Verstappen looking to repeat Mexican Grand Prix feat Lewis Hamilton has never achieved
MAX VERSTAPPEN is hoping to claim yet another victory at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday.
05:00, Sun, Oct 30, 2022
By Matthew Cooper

The Dutchman, who has already won this year's F1 World Championship, has previously won the 2017, 2018 and 2021 editions of the Mexican Grand Prix. Although British driver Jim Clark won the 1962, 1963 and 1967 races, the 1962 Grand Prix was a non-championship event and Clark shared the drive with Trevor Taylor.

As a result, Verstappen is the only driver to have won back-to-back championship Grand Prix races at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and also the only driver to have won the race three times. Rival Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, won the race in 2016 and 2019 after the venue returned to the F1 calendar in 2015 after a 23-year absence.

And Verstappen could also break the record for the highest number of race wins in a single season, having equalled Michael Schumacher and Sebastien Vettel's record of 13 with his victory in the United States Grand Prix.

‘MAX VERSTAPPEN is hoping to claim yet another victory’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1689451/Max-Verstappen-Mexican-Grand-Prix-Lewis-Hamilton-Red-Bull-Mercedes-F1-Formula-One-news

[Fortitude]

Verstappen claims record 14th win of season with Mexico GP triumph.
Verstappen has now beaten the record previously held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel for the most wins in a single season.
Issued on: 30/10/2022 - 23:12
France 24.

Mexico City (AFP) – Red Bull's Max Verstappen claimed a record 14th victory of the Formula One season by winning the Mexico Grand Prix on Sunday.

World champion Verstappen finished a comfortable 15.186 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes while Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished third on home soil.

It was the second win inside a week for Dutchman Verstappen, who also triumped at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

‘Beaten the record’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20221030-verstappen-claims-record-14th-win-of-season-with-mexico-gp-triumph


Race Results – 2022 Mexican Grand Prix
Mexico City, Mexico
03/10/2022, 21:51
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -71 laps
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +15.186
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +18.097
4. George Russell Mercedes +49.431
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +58.123
6. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +68.774
7. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1 lap *
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1 lap
9. Lando Norris McLaren +1 lap
10. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1 lap

‘Mexican Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-results-2022-mexican-grand-prix-80414


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix
30 October 2022
Becky Hart [Special Contributor]
Formula 1.

It's race day in Mexico City with blue skies overhead and the fans pouring into the grandstands, with an hour to go under the lights go out and twenty cars head at breakneck speed down the long run to Turn 1.

‘As it happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.live-coverage-formula-1-gran-premio-de-la-ciudad-de-mexico-2022.3EzSWpHQj0UdeM1ilIXQBH.html


2022 Mexican Grand Prix in pictures
F1 Pictures
Posted on
30th October 2022, 21:24
Written by Keith Collantine

‘Grand Prix in pictures’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/30/2022-mexican-grand-prix-in-pictures/


F1 fans cringe over 'awkward' Mexican GP cooldown room with Hamilton, Verstappen and Perez
Max Verstappen has broken the record for the most wins in a single F1 season after he edged out Lewis Hamilton.
22:16, Sun, Oct 30, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Formula One fans have claimed a private post-race interaction, or lack of, between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen was “awkward”. Hamilton sat and watched highlights of the race in F1’s cooldown room as Verstappen spoke to team-mate Sergio Perez.

Hamilton and Verstappen didn’t speak, with the Mercedes driver not even looking at the two Red Bull men. The incident was analysed on social media as many highlighted the lack of conversation between the drivers.

@TheBrigitteEdit commented: “Hamilton and Verstappen still not talking with each other if they don’t have to. The cool down room shows that. Doubt they will ever repair their relationship in this lifetime.”

‘F1 fans cringe’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1689781/f1-mexican-grand-prix-cooldown-room-lewis-hamilton-max-verstappen

[Fortitude]

Conclusions from Max Verstappen’s record-breaking win at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen made history at the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix by becoming the first Formula 1 driver to win 14 races in a single season, breaking a record previously shared by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.
Monday 31st October 2022 6:00 AM
Oliver Harden

Max was never going to take it easy after clinching the title
When the title is sealed with weeks to spare, it is during the collection of ‘non-championship’ races to conclude a season when the true depth of a driver’s ambition and application becomes apparent.

When the competition has lost all hope, don’t let them see even the faintest glimmer of light. Having won his first title on the final lap of last season, Verstappen is in new territory as 2022 comes to a close, facing that age-old challenge of maintaining his standards even though his work for the year is already done.

Should it come as a surprise to anyone that he is attacking these final races with his usual relentlessness and commitment?
Unbelievable, what a season, and what a fantastic race!
To achieve 14 wins in a season is down to all the hard work by everyone in the team, let’s keep this going @redbullracing @HondaRacingGLB pic.twitter.com/nG6uMggIPA
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) October 30, 2022

‘Don’t let them see even the faintest glimmer of light’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/conclusions-2022-mexican-grand-prix/


Perez: Good to be on the podium, but I wanted more
31 October, 2022
Jad Mallak

Sergio Perez wanted to give his home fans more than his third place at the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix, and wanted more despite feeling good about the podium.

The Red Bull Formula 1 driver was targeting becoming the first Mexican to win his home grand prix this weekend, but a troubled qualifying where he finished fourth put him on the back foot, not to mention his dominant teammate on pole position, Max Verstappen. However a decent start meant he overtook George Russell and set on chasing Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes, but finally had to settle for third especially with his tardy pitstop in mind.

Perez said after the race: “It feels good to be on the podium but I wanted more today, I am a little bit disappointed. We could have finished second definitely but we had a poor pitstop, which really prevented us doing the undercut and being closer to Lewis,” he added.

‘Good to be on the podium’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/10/31/perez-good-to-be-on-the-podium-but-i-wanted-more/


Most Dominant F1 Season Ever? Max Verstappen Wins F1 Mexican Grand Prix
Win is a record 14th of the season, smashing previous mark held by Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton.
Oct 31, 2022
By Phillip Horton

Max-ico again! Verstappen was undoubtedly the favorite heading into the weekend in Mexico, having taken three victories in 2017, 2018 and 2021, and he duly delivered. But the high-altitude nature of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, located 2,250 meters above sea level, masked some of the deficiencies within Mercedes’ W13, propelling the team into contention up front against Red Bull.

The result—with Verstappen comfortably beating Hamilton, and Hamilton just about keeping Perez at bay—was near-identical to 2021’s Mexico City race. “We left (the strategy) open to see how the degradation would be, and the (soft) tire was holding on surprisingly well, until 4-5 laps from the end of the stint, but I never felt that I was under pressure,” said Verstappen. “We had questions on the mediums but after a few laps it was really good and we felt like we could go to the end.”

‘Max-ico again!’;

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/a41812980/most-dominant-f1-season-ever-max-verstappen-wins-f1-mexican-grand-prix/


‘Constant digging’ – Verstappen explains Sky F1 boycott
23:56 Sun, 30 Oct 2022.
By Josh Suttill and Edd Straw
The Race

Max Verstappen and Red Bull boycotted interviews with Formula 1 broadcaster Sky Sports over the Mexican Grand Prix weekend as the world champion believes Sky has been “disrespectful” throughout his second title-winning season in 2022.

Sky exclusively broadcasts every F1 race live in key markets including the UK, Germany and Italy and recently signed an extension to broadcast F1 in the UK until the end of 2029.

But freshly-crowned two-time champion Verstappen said he won’t ‘tolerate’ what he regards as the ‘disrespect’ that Sky has shown him during 2022.

‘Constant digging’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/constant-digging-verstappen-explains-sky-f1-boycott/


Horner defends Sky snub due to 'derogatory' and 'sensationalised' comments
31/10/2022, ‎00‎:‎00
Author Luke Murphy
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Christian Horner has defended Red Bull's decision to turn down Sky interviews this weekend, believing their 'unfair' commentary was 'sensationalised'. Christian Horner has defended Red Bull's decision to reject all media interviews for Sky TV at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Earlier in the weekend, RacingNews365 learned that Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and the entire Red Bull Racing team were refusing to be interviewed on any of the Sky Sports channels.

It was understood from Red Bull sources that this was mostly related to comments made by a Sky broadcaster, believed to be Ted Kravitz, related to the controversial conclusion to last season's championship.

'Unfair' commentary was 'sensationalised';

https://racingnews365.com/horner-defends-sky-snub-due-to-derogatory-and-sensationalised-comments

[Fortitude]

Wolff on Mercedes Mexico GP tyre strategy: 'We just got it wrong'.
Toto Wolff expressed his regret at Mercedes' decision to put their drivers on a Medium-to-Hard tyre strategy in the Mexican Grand Prix.
31/10/2022, ‎07‎:‎00
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff says the team got their strategy wrong at the Mexico Grand Prix, after starting both their cars on the Medium tyres and switching to the Hards during the pit stops. Wolff explains how Red Bull's Sergio Perez being the first of the leaders to pit for Mediums meant that Mercedes were pressured into covering him to preserve Hamilton's place on the podium.

The team were banking on the Red Bull drivers having to pit again towards the end of the race, or for their tyres to lose performance, but both Max Verstappen and Perez managed to hold on until the end. We were pressured with Lewis to do that [pit early]," he told Sky Sports F1. "We didn't think that the medium would go until the end.”

"[It was] totally surprising the way Perez hammered the tyre and it was still holding on. So, we just got it wrong. We discussed whether the Soft-Hard [combination] was a viable one-stop strategy and we thought it's never going to go [that far], so the Soft-Medium wasn't even on the radar."

'We just got it wrong';

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-on-mercedes-mexico-gp-tyre-strategy-we-just-got-it-wrong


Toto Wolff & George Russell eye second in Constructors - 'Lets see what happens in Brazil'
22:50 Sun, 30 Oct 2022.
Sky Sports

Toto Wolff and George Russell look ahead to Brazil, where Mercedes will be hoping to eat into the 40 point gap between themselves and Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship.

'Lets see what happens in Brazil';

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/12734722/toto-wolff-finishing-2nd-in-constructors-would-be-great-george-russell-we-can-beat-ferrari


Cashgate Scandal: Toto Wolff takes back threat he sent to the FIA.
Toto Wolff believes that the reputational damage is significant, alongside the sporting and financial penalties.
30 October 2022
by Jack Devonport

With Red Bull being found guilty of a minor breach of the 2021 budget cap, the team have been fined $7m and given a 10% reduction in aerodynamic testing time for next year. The reduction in testing time especially will hurt Red Bull, with the championship winners already set to receive less time than their rivals Ferrari and Mercedes due to their finishing order of the championship.

Toto Wolff had previously claimed that if the punishment was not harsh enough then his Mercedes team would not hesitate to breach the cap themselves in order to get back to winning ways, but he has now gone back on this suggestion, with the Austrian discussing the reputational damage for the breach as a major part of the punishment.

“I think what you see beyond the sporting penalty and the financial fine, it is also the reputational fine,” he said. “In a world of transparency and good governance, that is just not on anymore. Compliance-wise, whatever team you are, you are responsible for representing your brand, your employees, your sponsors. That is why, for us, it wouldn’t be a business case.”

‘Reputational damage is significant’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/cashgate-scandal-toto-wolff-takes-back-threat-he-sent-to-the-fia/


Toto Wolff denies FIA leak claim after Red Bull accusation
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has rejected claims and denied any wrongdoing by his team amid the cost cap scandal.
31 October 2022
by Jack Devonport

The Red Bull cost cap scandal has been the topic on everyone’s lips for a number of weeks now, with the new constructors’ championship winners recently being punished for exceeding the 2021 budget cap of $145m. While the FIA only announced their findings about Red Bull’s wrong doing recently, the rumours around the breach have been spreading like wildfire since the Singapore Grand Prix, weeks before any official statement.

While there was obviously a leak, it is yet to be known where exactly it stemmed from, with Shaila-Ann Rao, the FIA’s secretary general for motorsport, who was previously a lawyer and associate for Toto Wolff’s Mercedes team being one of the main suspected culprits.

Wolff has denied suggestion that Rao is the source of the leak, claiming that Red Bull are just trying to stir the pot in an attempt to shift some blame off of themselves.

‘Toto Wolff denies FIA leak claim’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-denies-fia-leak-claim-after-red-bull-accusation/


Toto Wolff moans over Red Bull penalty but sympathises with Christian Horner
Red Bull have been penalised for breaking F1's budget cap rules last season.
16:38, Sat, Oct 29, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Toto Wolff has claimed Red Bull’s sporting penalty for breaching F1’s budget cap rules was “too little”. However, the Mercedes team principal said for Red Bull the penalty would be “too much” and would definitely hurt their rivals next season. Red Bull have been hit with a 10 per cent reduction in wind tunnel time and CFD testing next season.

They have also been slapped with a £6.4million ($7mil) fine after they were found guilty of a minor breach. Speaking to Motorsport.com, Wolff said: “I think as for any penalty, for us, it’s too little. For them, it will be too much. I think any reduction in wind tunnel time is going to be detrimental. How detrimental is difficult to judge at this stage.

“I think in absolute terms, $7m is a lot of money. But maybe in the bigger scheme of things for Red Bull, considering the investment they do on the power unit side and on the team, it’s not.” The FIA confirmed Red Bull had breached the budget cap by £1.8million ($2.2mil).

‘Toto Wolff moans’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1689432/toto-wolff-mercedes-red-bull-budget-cap-penalty-christian-horner

[Fortitude]

Christian Horner claims F1 is a ‘nasty business’ amid cheating scandal.
“It’s a competitive business and Formula One sometimes can be a nasty business, and the problem is, the higher you rise, the sharper the knives,” he explained when discussing the negative attention his team have received.
31 October 2022
by Jack Devonport

Christian Horner has accepted the FIA’s punishment after a long spell of negotiation, but still refuses to accept any wrongdoing by his team. He claims that all of the overspend was down to his team interpreting the rules differently to the FIA, which can be reinforced by the findings noted by the governing body, refusing to accuse the team of any deliberate attempt to deceive or cheat.

Horner has now addressed the negative affect that the FIA’s verdict can have on his team’s reputation, suggesting that the other teams are choosing to cause such a stir in the paddock because Red Bull’s success has made them unpopular amongst their rivals. The more you win, the less popular you are, and we’ve done a lot of winning.”

“That sits uncomfortably with some of the brands that belong to large automotive companies, historic brands, or historic Formula One brands. Therefore, it’s very easy to have a go at Red Bull.” It is not uncommon for the Red Bull brand to become unpopular because of their success, with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga becoming one of the villains of German football due to their rapid rise to success and lack of pedigree in the sport.

‘F1 is a nasty business’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/christian-horner-claims-f1-is-a-nasty-business-amid-cheating-scandal/


Red Bull budget cap row is over “a couple of hundred thousand dollars” – Horner
2022 United States Grand Prix
Posted on 22nd October 2022, 19:32
Written by Keith Collantine and RJ O'Connell

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is adamant they gained no advantage last year or in any subsequent seasons by exceeding Formula 1’s budget cap. The FIA announced last week Red Bull had not kept within the $145 million spending limit during 2021, the first year the budget cap was enforced. The sport’s governing body accused it of a “minor” over-spend, which under the rules means as much as 5%, which is $7.25m.

However Horner indicated the sum involved at the heart of the dispute was considerably less than that. “The 5% window I think is part of the regulations that potentially need to be looked at,” he said. “Because the ranging suite of penalties again are totally subjective.” Possible sanctions for a “minor” breach of the regulations include a fine, a reduction of Red Bull’s future cost cap, points deductions.

“I think this is what’s contributed to a concerted campaign for there to be a draconian penalty on Red Bull for what at the end of the day, we’re talking probably what is in contention with the FIA of a couple of hundred thousand dollars,” said Horner. “As I say I will explain later why we have a different opinion within that submission of what our position was versus another.”

‘Concerted campaign for there to be a draconian penalty on Red Bull’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/10/22/red-bull-budget-cap-row-is-over-a-couple-of-hundred-thousand-dollars-horner/


Christian Horner suggests SIX teams could break cost cap rules in 2022 – but not Red Bull.
The Red Bull chief made the comment in a press conference, during which he reacted to the punishment handed down to the team by the FIA for breaking cost cap rules in 2021.
20:16, 28 Oct 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer
The Mirror

Red Bull chief Christian Horner warned Formula 1 fans to expect a tidal wave of cost cap drama next year as he predicted more than half the grid could overspend in 2022. He suggested up to six teams may end up being in breach of the rules, as costs spiral through inflation and rising energy costs, among other things. The claim came as Horner was reacting to the punishment his team received for their own overspend during the 2021 campaign.

The FIA found they have overspent had by just over £1.8m, which equated to 1.6% of the cap. The governing body acknowledged that a significant proportion of that had come from a tax credit which was not applied correctly – had that not been the case, the figure would have come down to £432k, or 0.37%. For their rule breach, Red Bull were fined £6m and had 10% of their aerodynamic testing time over the next 12 months taken away from them.

Horner said the punishment has now set a precedent for the future, and suggested he will be watching closely if any of the other teams go over the cap this year. "The danger for 2022 is that there could be six teams in breach of the cap," said Horner. "Energy prices have been increasing exponentially, but thankfully we've been protected from that. "There is that chance that several teams, many of which have stated it during F1 commission meetings, will break the cap this year. We do not believe that we will break the cap in 2022.

‘The FIA found they have overspent had by just over £1.8m’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/2022-cost-cap-teams-breach-28356135


Red Bull boss Christian Horner receives budget cap backing from unlikely source.
Red Bull have come under heavy scrutiny for breaching last season's budget cap.
22:06, Mon, Oct 31, 2022
By Charlie Gordon

Red Bull's controversial budget cap breach has been shrugged off as 'not a huge deal' by ex-F1 star Romain Grosjean. The 36-year-old teamed up with Christian Horner's Mercedes rival, Toto Wolff, last year in an attempt to organise a test for the Silver Arrows.

The FIA's 2021 end-of-season audit revealed that Red Bull had overshot the £114million limit. That angered the likes of Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari, who felt that Max Verstappen had a significant advantage as he edged a narrow world-title win last season.

Eventually, F1's governing body slapped Red Bull with a £6m fine and a 10 per cent reduction in wind tunnel time over the next 12 months. Many of their rivals felt that Horner and co got off lightly, considering a reduced 2021 points tally was one of the options at the FIA's disposal. Speaking to Any Driven Monday, Grosjean saw no reason to blow the saga out of proportion and even chalked it down as 'not a huge deal'.

‘Backing from unlikely source’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1690248/red-bull-boss-christian-horner-romain-grosjean-f1-news


Horner says he settled Red Bull F1 dispute to end sniping
Updated October 30, 2022 4:14 PM
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

Horner used a nearly 50-minute media session Friday to go over the 13 points the FIA found in violation during an audit of more than 75,000 line items — clerical errors, Horner said — that drew a $7 million fine and reduction in 10% of wind tunnel time next season.

To recap the past month:
— Verstappen won his second F1 world title on Oct. 9.
— Nineteen minutes later, Horner says, the FIA informed him Red Bull was in breach of last year's spending cap.
— Rival teams challenged Red Bull's reputation and called for the harshest of penalties.
— Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of the F1 team, died on Oct. 22 in Austria.
— The very next day, Red Bull won the constructor's championship at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Horner had already reached a settlement with the FIA, but the decision was held until Friday out of respect for Mateschitz.

Horner doesn't discount public perception and said despite all the winning and on-track success, he could physically see the effect cheating allegations were having on Red Bull employees, "particularly to people in parts of the business that are never exposed to accusations, to suddenly have the accusation of cheating, it's a very big statement that goes to the core. “We did not cheat," he added. "We feel that we've been publicly chastised by fellow members in the paddock, and I think that's not right."

‘Settled Red Bull F1 dispute to end sniping’;

https://www.macon.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/article268037732.html#storylink=mainstage_card

[Fortitude]

Lando Norris tells Ted Kravitz 'you just try driving' during shirty exchange at Mexican GP.
After being snubbed by Max Verstappen, Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz appeared to upset another F1 driver following the Mexican Grand Prix.
10:52, 1 NOV 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Ted Kravitz, fresh from upsetting Max Verstappen and Red Bull, received a terse response when he questioned Lando Norris' slow to the Mexican Grand Prix which saw him lose two places on the opening lap.

Verstappen and the rest of his Red Bull team decided to duck interviews with the broadcaster’s UK, German and Italian channels following comments made by Kravitz following the United States Grand Prix the previous weekend.

In his Notebook show after the race, won by Verstappen, Kravitz referred to Lewis Hamilton being “robbed” by the manner of his defeat to the Dutchman at last year’s title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

‘Ted Kravitz 'you just try driving'!’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/lando-norris-kravitz-verstappen-sky-28377794


The last time a Formula 1 team fell out with a TV broadcaster
Tuesday 1st November 2022 11:45 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Max Verstappen and Red Bull pressed mute on broadcaster Sky Sports in Mexico, although it was not the first example of a media spat in Formula 1. With Red Bull said to have joined in Verstappen’s silence, multiple occurrences during Sky’s Mexican Grand Prix race coverage suggested that was true, starting with Martin Brundle’s grid walk when he had the opportunity to approach Red Bull’s design chief Adrian Newey but did not.

But fall-outs with the media are not unheard of – just ask Renault. In 2020, Ziggo Sport’s Jack Plooij issued an apology after he called Renault driver Esteban Ocon a “French f***” on live television while he was interviewing Lando Norris.

Ocon accepted the apology, although that was not the first time Ziggo Sport had found themselves in hot water with Renault. Renault had previously blocked the Dutch broadcaster from one-to-one access with Daniel Ricciardo as they reportedly wanted to ask the Australian if Verstappen was better than him.

‘Falling out with a TV broadcasters’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/formula-1-team-tv-broadcaster-fallout/


Ted Kravitz's text to Dutch colleague over Max Verstappen boycott saga comes to light
Red Bull ace Max Verstappen and his colleagues boycotted Sky Sports over Ted Kravitz's comments a week earlier.
06:33, Tue, Nov 1, 2022
By Sam Smith

Sky Sports Formula One reporter Ted Kravitz sent a WhatsApp message to Dutch journalist Jack Plooij defending his comments that prompted Red Bull to boycott the broadcaster last week, Plooij has revealed. Team principal Christian Horner, driver Max Verstappen and their colleagues refused to speak to Sky at the Mexico City Grand Prix after Kravitz suggested Lewis Hamilton had been “robbed” of the world championship in 2021.

Kravitz made the comments at the US Grand Prix a week earlier, suggesting that it would have been a great ‘script’ had Hamilton finished ahead of Verstappen. Red Bull considered the comment to be the final straw, with Verstappen claiming that Sky’s coverage of him since the 2021 finale had been largely negative.

‘Boycotted Sky Sports over Ted Kravitz's comments’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1690190/Ted-Kravitz-Max-Verstappen-Sky-Sports-Mexican-Grand-Prix-Formula-One-F1-news


Red Bull reveal deadline to end Sky Sports boycott - “It won’t have done Sky any harm”
1 Nov 2022
F1 Desk

Red Bull intend to accept interviews with Sky Sports TV again at the F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen, Christian Horner and the entire team boycotted the UK broadcaster at the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix due to comments from Sky journalist Ted Kravitz. But team principal Horner has updated about their stance: “There were some derogatory comments made so we took a break from Sky for this race.”

“Max was upset. We were upset and we made the decision to stand together as a team. It won’t have done Sky any harm for us to lay down a marker.”

“Some of the commentary is fair but some pieces are sensationalist, and saying we robbed anyone of the championship, as was said in Austin, is going too far. It is not impartial or fair or balanced. We have said our piece and will go back to normal next race.”

‘Red Bull reveal deadline’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1016121/1/red-bull-reveal-deadline-end-sky-sports-boycott


Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz goes ‘nowhere near’ interview pen after being ejected
Ted Kravitz was kicked out of an area near an interview pen in the paddock during a live broadcast after qualifying at the Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday night
15:20, 3 OCT 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Sky Sports pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz unsurprisingly gave the interview pen a wide berth following the Singapore Grand Prix in the wake of his brush with a paddock official the night before. The veteran F1 broadcaster was presenting his Notebook show live from the paddock after qualifying when he was told to leave an area near where driver interviews were being conducted.
Kravitz asked an official wearing an F1 branded uniform “are you chucking us out?” The official cheerily replied “I am” before a perplexed Kravitz eventually did as he was told, but not without querying the decision.

“Aren’t we normally in here?,” he asks. “No? Has the rule changed?” He receives an inaudible response before adding “oh right, sorry everyone”. He then asks his cameraman “don’t we normally do that in the [media] pen? Maybe there’s been a misunderstanding”.

‘Ted Kravitz was kicked out of an area near an interview pen’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/ted-kravitz-sky-sports-f1-28142719

[Fortitude]

Perez 'missed out on P2 in Mexico after slow pit stop'.
If he'd been propelled from the energy of his adoring fans in the grandstand, Sergio Perez would have won Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix by a lap or more.
30/10/2022 at 23:17
Andrew Lewin

Unfortunately in the end he had to settle for a 'mere' podium. Having started from fourth on the grid, he made an early gain by passing George Russell on the opening lap, but he could do nothing about Lewis Hamilton. Perez hoped to undercut the Mercedes by being the first to pit on lap 24 to trade in soft tyres for mediums, but there was a problem with the right-front wheel, which more than doubled the time he was stationary in the pit box.

As a result, He came out behind the two Ferrari drivers who were having a poor race. It took time to get past them and resume his third place spot, opening the door for Hamilton to make a later pit stop and retain second. Perez kept the pressure on Hamilton for the rest of the race, but in the end he wasn't able to find a way past before the chequered flag came out.

"I did my best today and pushed really, really hard," he told the media after the race, while being cheered by the passionate Mexican fans. “It was a very big opportunity. Mercedes was sliding quite a lot with the hard, especially at the beginning. They have very poor warm-up.

‘Cheered by the passionate Mexican fans’;

https://f1i.com/news/459163-perez-missed-out-on-p2-in-mexico-after-slow-pit-stop.html


'I obviously wanted more' – Perez disappointed to miss out on home victory in Mexico after P3 finish.
Home favourite Sergio Perez was left with mixed emotions following the Mexico City Grand Prix, as while he was revelling in a “special” podium finish at his home race, the Red Bull driver bemoaned a slow pit stop that hurt his chances of getting second place.
30 October 2022
Formula 1.

Perez made a good start from fourth on the grid, getting ahead of George Russell for third on Lap 1. However, the Mexican struggled to keep up with the pace of Lewis Hamilton, in second, as his team decided to switch from the soft tyre to mediums to undercut the Briton.

However, a slow pit stop saw Perez come out in sixth, behind Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. And while he was able to get past the Ferrari pair, Hamilton kept track position, with Perez once again struggling to make his way past, forcing him to settle for P3 – for the second consecutive year in Mexico.

“It’s always nice to be standing on [the podium]. Such a special podium in front of the Foro Sol,” said Perez. “I obviously wanted more, and I am a bit disappointed with the result to be honest, because I felt that we could have finished second.”

‘Home favourite Sergio Perez was left with mixed emotions following the Mexico City Grand Prix’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.i-obviously-wanted-more-perez-disappointed-to-miss-out-on-home-victory-in.3qvUMouOBrFLSGzl1IB4Bb.html


Sergio Perez confident he would’ve beaten Lewis Hamilton
Red Bull's Sergio Perez secured his second successive Mexico Grand Prix podium with a P3 finish on Sunday
31 October 2022
by Jack Devonport

Sergio Perez went into the Mexican Grand Prix weekend dreaming of a potential win in front of his home fans, with the Mexican crowd wanting nothing more than to see their home hero on the top step of the podium. It was not to be however, with a slow pit stop costing the Mexican time in the race to catch up to Lewis Hamilton, who was struggling to get in groove with the hard compound tyres.

Red Bull are usually the pit stop kings, with the team regularly completing sub two second stops prior to the regulation changes, so this was out of character for the team. Perez was frustrated by the result, not happy with his P3 finish with an overtake on the Mercedes seeming a realistic target before the stop.

After watching his teammate win back to back races in Zandvoort, and the spectacle that the home fans produce when Max Verstappen does win at home, Perez will have to continue to dream of what it would be like to win in Mexico City until next year.

‘Continue to dream’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/sergio-perez-confident-he-wouldve-beaten-lewis-hamilton/


Sergio Perez thinks he is "getting closer" to Max Verstappen and plans 2023 title tilt.
Perez now sits in second place in the drivers' championship and could help Red Bull secure their first ever 1-2 finish, with the next natural step a push for the title in 2023.
20:21, 31 Oct 2022
By Daniel Moxon
F1 Writer
The Mirror

Sergio Perez opened up on the "great challenge" of being team-mate to Max Verstappen as he pledged to fight him for the title in 2023. This is Checo's second season in a Red Bull car, having finished fourth in the standings last year which yielded one race win. In 2022 he has taken another step, winning twice and regularly stepping onto the podium on the way to a personal best points finish.

Despite those positives, there is a feeling he is still very much the sidekick to Verstappen's superhero at Red Bull. The Dutchman has romped to his second drivers' title this year, and has a gap of 136 points over anyone else in a season he has dominated. After finishing third at his home race in Mexico on Sunday, a race won by Verstappen, Perez was asked about what it is like to partner the double champion at Red Bull.

"It's a great challenge to be his team-mate," he replied. "Max is operating at a very high level from FP1 through the whole weekend so just had a little learning and trying to beat him and trying to do the stuff he is doing. So it's obviously not an easy task. I don't believe there's anyone that can come and just beat him straightaway. He's very solid with the team. He's been here a while so I think I'm just getting closer and closer with the year so yeah, I will give another shot for next year and see what happens."

‘I'm just getting closer and closer’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/perez-verstappen-red-bull-title-28374899


Lewis Hamilton: Sergio Perez's reaction to fans heavily booing F1 star at Mexican GP
Published: 31 Oct 2022, 09:54
By Harneet Singh Sethi

Lewis Hamilton could quite possibly be the biggest modern-day sporting icon who gets hated and slated for no real reason. The Mexican Grand Prix was the latest in a long line of instances where he’s been on the receiving end of abuse, as the Briton got treated with resounding boos from the crowd during his post-race interview.

However, in what was a moment of true sporting integrity, Sergio Perez, who finished third on the day, signalled the crowd to stop with the boos. It wasn’t needed, of course, and he could have easily stood there doing nothing, but the fact he asked his own people to stop it has got to be appreciated.

‘Sergio Perez showed true class with reaction to crowd heavily booing Lewis Hamilton [video]’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88077813-lewis-hamilton-sergio-perezs-reaction-to-fans-heavily-booing-f1-star-at-mexican-gp

[Fortitude]

Binotto points to Mercedes: 'They are making mistakes as well'.
Team Principal Mattia Binotto pointed to the error saying that "it's not only down to us" making the wrong choices on strategy when challenging Red Bull.
02/11/2022, ‎07‎:‎00
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

With Ferrari coming under fire for their approach to strategy during the 2022 season, Team Principal Mattia Binotto pointed to the error saying that "it's not only down to us" making the wrong choices on strategy when challenging Red Bull. "In Hungary we have been criticised and it's normally when we are doing things which are not completely right," he told media, including RacingNews365.com.

"Mercedes maybe have lost the last race as well, by not choosing the right tyres in Austin. "So, it's not only down to us somehow to make different choices or making mistakes." Binotto believes the fastest strategy would've always been a one-stop, starting on the Soft and then running the Medium until the end, contrary to Pirelli's advice which was to run a two-stop.

This did require a lot of tyre management however, which Binotto says is what contributed to Ferrari's slow pace among the other power unit-related issues. He explained: "We came to the conclusion before race that the optimal strategy is starting on Soft and then [switching to] Medium was the best choice. [This] is because having tested them on Friday, we saw that there was not much degradation on the Soft [and it was] sufficient to run a one stop; Soft-Medium.”

'They are making mistakes as well';

https://racingnews365.com/binotto-points-to-mercedes-they-are-making-mistakes-as-well


Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto dismisses Mercedes revival with blunt 'not concerned' verdict.
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto is not concerned about a potential Mercedes revival following last weekend's Mexico Grand Prix
14:00, Tue, Nov 1, 2022
By Ben Parsons

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto insists that he is ‘not too concerned’ over a possible Mercedes revival after a poor race weekend for the Scuderia at the Mexican Grand Prix. While Mercedes made further leaps forward in Mexico, Ferrari were unusually uncompetitive and failed to even threaten the podium positions.

“Certainly, if I look at the last few races, it’s not always been great, but in Singapore, I thought we were competitive,” Binotto told reporters. “In Japan in the wet, we were not as fast as Max [Verstappen], but there was no drama. In Austin in qualifying we were competitive but not as much as we would have expected in the race, I think here it’s a lot worse.”

“Now Mercedes is coming back because they developed the car more than we did; we know ourselves that we stopped developing this car quite early, focusing on 2023, so somehow I am not too concerned about the rate of development.”

'Not concerned';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1690534/Ferrari-Mattia-Binotto-Mercedes-Formula-One-news


Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto Labels Mexican Grand Prix a “very difficult weekend”
October 31, 2022
By Joe Briley

Team Principal and Managing Director Mattia Binotto labelled the race as difficult, and has demanded that the team improve heading into the final two races, with Mercedes mounting a late challenge for second in the Constructors’ Championship.

“It was a very difficult weekend for us and it was clear that we were already struggling yesterday in qualifying and that was accentuated even more in today’s race. There is a lot that needs to improve, but when faced with a difficult weekend like this, it is essential to bring the cars home and pick up as many points as possible.”

“Charles and Carlos did the best they could and the way they tackled the first few corners after the start was exemplary. It is vitally important that we improve in the last two races so as to end the season to the best of our ability.“

“Very difficult weekend”;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/ferraris-mattia-binotto-labels-mexican-grand-prix-a-very-difficult-weekend/


‘I’m hoping it’s not a trend’ says Binotto after Ferrari’s lacklustre performance in Mexico
01 November 2022
Formula 1.

Carlos Sainz predicted a six-way fight for the win in Mexico, but come race day Mercedes and Red Bull were the ones contesting the victory while Ferrari fell off the pace and finished nearly a minute behind their rivals, with Sainz fifth and Charles Leclerc in sixth.

But team boss Mattia Binotto was keen to take some positives from the race, especially concerning strategy, which has been an Achilles’ heel for the team at times this season.

“Mercedes is coming back, they’ve looked more competitive than we did [here],” Binotto said after the race. “We know we stopped development on our car quite early, focussing on 2023 and somehow I’m not too… let me say concerned by the rate of development because I know when we stopped developing it.”

‘I’m hoping it’s not a trend’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.im-hoping-its-not-a-trend-says-binotto-after-ferraris-lacklustre-performance.742BKVgS7q55tOB51tG36X.html


Ferrari: Engine weakness in Mexico only 'part of the equation'
31/10/2022 at 16:48
Phillip van Osten

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says there was more to the Scuderia's low-key performance in Mexico City than the relative weakness of its engine. The Italian outfit found itself unable to run its power unit at full capacity at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, due to the track's high-altitude environment and thin air conditions.

However, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc had led the field in opening practice on Friday, which initially augured well for the rest of the weekend. But as performance dwindled, neither driver was in the mix in qualifying and on race day which they concluded fifth and sixth and well adrift from the top three front-runners.

"It was incredibly difficult, we were just so slow, so yeah, we need to look into it," said Leclerc after last Sunday's event. "We were in the middle of nowhere. With Carlos, we were way slower compared to the Mercedes and Red Bull, [but] much quicker than the midfield. So we were on our own, just a very lonely race. There wasn't much we could have done more to be honest today."

‘Engine weakness’;

https://f1i.com/news/459265-ferrari-engine-weakness-in-mexico-only-part-of-the-equation.html

[Fortitude]

"It's always car 14 (that retires)," says Alonso.
Fernando Alonso openly questions why his car appears to suffer more than its fair share of issues.
02/11/2022
NEWS STORY
Pitpass

Sunday witnessed another determined performance from Fernando Alonso, however his quest for points was ended when he slowed up and pulled off track on the 69th lap. At the time he had been running in seventh, having been as high as fifth at one point.

"Unbelievable, mate. What a season, what a season," he moaned as he slowed to a crawl, moments after being passed by Daniel Ricciardo, who was now hunting down the Spaniard's teammate, Esteban Ocon. Alonso's comment of "what a season" wasn't one of praise for his team however, rather one of questioning what is happening.

"For car 14, there is always reliability issues," he subsequently told reporters. "With 20 laps to the end I lost one cylinder, so I was running with five cylinders, 20% less power. I was 20 seconds in front of the McLarens and my team mate. "I think the race until that point it was exceptional," he said of his own performance. "Austin and here I rate my best two races in terms of pace. "It was better when we blew up at the end like this, we stopped the car and we stop doing those laps," he added.

‘Always car 14’;

https://www.pitpass.com/74039/Its-always-car-14-that-retires-says-Alonso


Alonso slams Alpine's unreliability after Mexico failure.
Fernando Alonso was left unimpressed by yet another Alpine reliability drama in the Mexican Grand Prix.
‎31‎ ‎October‎ ‎14‎:‎20
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

Fernando Alonso believes Alpine unreliability in 2022 has now cost him over 60 points after yet another F1 retirement in the Mexican Grand Prix. "Car #14 stops and it always seem like there is reliability issues for Car #14," Alonso told media, including RacingNews365.com.

"20 laps before the end, I lost one cylinder, so I was running with five cylinders, so I had 20% less power. I was 20 seconds in front of the McLaren and my teammate [Esteban Ocon] - so I think until that point, the race was exceptional. Here and Austin, I did my best races in terms of pace.”

"I think I lost 60 points [already] this year, so we add another six [for seventh place], so it is 66. Obviously everyone else then scores two more points than what they should."

‘Alonso slams Alpine's unreliability’;

https://racingnews365.com/alonso-slams-alpines-unreliability-after-mexico-failure


Alonso: Bad luck not behind Alpine F1 reliability woes
13:26 Mon, 31 Oct 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Fernando Alonso says that bad luck is not the reason for his lack of reliability throughout the 2022 Formula 1 season. Alonso suffered yet another mechanical problem at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday when he appeared to be on course for a top-10 finish. The Spaniard has often spoken about the number of points that he has lost this year due to his car having a fault prior to the chequered flag.

Alonso retired from the race in Saudi Arabia with an issue, while he was also forced early into the Alpine garage at the recent races in Italy and Singapore. “It’s just amazing that only one or two cars retire at every race, and there is always car 14,” said Alonso.

“I blew up five engines this year, I think. The problem in the qualifying in Australia, in Austria, I didn’t even start the race because of the blackout. So I think in 19 races, more or less 50 per cent of the races, we haven’t scored the points we deserve. But there’s nothing we can do now.“ When asked if bad luck was responsible for his reliability concerns, Alonso replied: “No, I think we are unprepared.”

‘Bad luck not behind Alpine F1 reliability woes’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/10/31/alonso-bad-luck-not-behind-alpine-f1-reliability-woes/


Alpine boss responds to Fernando Alonso’s favouritism insinuation.
Fernando Alonso picked up his fifth DNF of the season in Mexico.
3 November 2022
by Jack Devonport

Fernando Alonso was visibly frustrated with his DNF in Mexico, lashing out at the air as he exited his car in the run off area down by Turn 1. The Spaniard was sat in a very respectable seventh place when his engine began to fail, eventually causing him to have to stop the car and retire from the race for the fifth time this season.

Team principal Otmar Szafnauer insists that there is no bias within his team, even though Alonso has already announced that he will be joining Aston Martin for 2023.

“We don’t always have the same people preparing Alonso and Ocon’s engines,” he explained. “But the probability that the problem is always on one side is not zero.”

‘Alpine boss responds’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/alpine-boss-responds-to-fernando-alonsos-favouritism-insinuation/


Fernando Alonso can’t wait to leave Alpine and join Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso once again experienced reliability issues with his Alpine, retiring from the Mexican Grand Prix.
1 November 2022
by Jack Devonport

Fernando Alonso is looking forward to joining Aston Martin next year, after reportedly becoming tired of the car problems he has experienced this year with Alpine.

Alonso will be joining Aston Martin next year, replacing the retiring Sebastian Vettel, and will be hoping that alongside new teammate Lance Stroll, he will experience better luck next year and bring hope a more consistent haul of points.

With only two races to go, Alonso’s final task will be to ensure that Alpine finish fourth in the constructor’s championship, with the result in Mexico seeing the gap to McLaren behind slashed to only seven points, following a stellar driver from Daniel Ricciardo.

‘Can’t wait to leave’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-alonso-cant-wait-to-leave-alpine-and-join-aston-martin/

[Fortitude]

‘I was in the fight, which hasn’t been often this year’: Ricciardo’s Mexican GP transcript.
The Mexican Grand Prix was a rare bright spot in an otherwise forgettable 2022 campaign for Daniel Ricciardo.
2022 Mexican GP team radio transcript
Posted on 3rd November 2022, 14:43
Written by Keith Collantine

The McLaren driver is marking time until the end of the season following the announcement he will not return to the team again in 2023 as planned.

He qualified outside the top 10 again in Mexico, but on race day tyre strategy fell in his favour. Despite being penalised for a tangle with Yuki Tsunoda, he picked up a badly-needed points finish for McLaren, which moved them closer to rivals Alpine in the constructors championship.

Ricciardo freely admitted afterwards he had been able to jump ahead of team mate Lando Norris thanks to a mid-race change in strategy. Both drivers started the race on the medium rubber, but after Norris pitted for the hard tyres, McLaren realised the soft tyres would work for the second stint, and Ricciardo took a set of those.

‘I was in the fight’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/03/i-was-in-the-fight-which-hasnt-been-often-this-year-ricciardos-mexican-gp-transcript/


‘Driver Of the Day’ Daniel Ricciardo “very happy” After a “rollercoaster of a race”
October 31, 2022
By Joe Briley

It was a good weekend for McLaren F1 Team, who gained more ground on BWT Alpine F1 Team at the 2022 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix.

Daniel Ricciardo, who is looking likely to not be on the grid next year, put in his best performance of the season as he managed to charge through the midfield into seventh, and finish in that position despite being given a ten-second penalty for an incident with Yuki Tsunoda.

The Australian started eleventh on the grid and fell back a few places in the first half of the race into thirteenth, after a poor start. That didn’t stop Ricciardo battling away, though, as he managed to climb back and get himself into twelfth ahead of Zhou Guanyu. The McLaren driver stayed out much longer than the rest of the grid and extended his Medium tyre stint, before diving into the pit-lane, where the team put in the fastest stop of the season, that was only 1.98 seconds.

‘Driver Of the Day’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/driver-of-the-day-daniel-ricciardo-very-happy-after-a-rollercoaster-of-a-race/


Daniel Ricciardo set for Mercedes or Red Bull reserve driver role
Daniel Ricciardo was voted ‘Driver of the Day’ for his efforts at the Mexican Grand Prix and revelled in the attention he earned.
November 01, 2022 09:38:15 IST
Agence France-Presse

Mexico City: Daniel Ricciardo, who lost his McLaren seat as his career fell into the doldrums this year, looks set to join Red Bull or Mercedes as a reserve driver next season when he takes a year out of racing. The Australian hinted at his brightening future prospects after storming to seventh with a reinvigorated performance in Sunday’s Mexico Grand Prix, but he declined to confirm his plans.

“I won’t be on the grid next year, but I will be here (in F1) because I have ambitious plans for 2024,” he said. “Discussions are ongoing, but nothing has been signed. Nothing has been guaranteed for 2024, but I will do everything I can to return." Ricciardo, 33, revived his prospects and his smile on Sunday when he rose from the near-anonymous mediocrity of finishing among the also rans to finish behind the top six – made up of both Red Bulls, both Mercedes and the two Ferraris.

He made light of a harsh 10-second penalty for colliding with Yuki Tsunoda’s Alpha Tauri to romp back with several thrilling passing moves to finish ahead of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris. His revival delighted most paddock observers who believed he was set to join Mercedes as replacement for reserve driver Nyck de Vries who is joining Alpha Tauri next season. Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff confirmed that talks between them have been taking place, but he added that he thought Ricciardo was talking to other teams.

‘Reserve driver role’;

https://www.firstpost.com/sports/daniel-ricciardo-set-for-mercedes-or-red-bull-reserve-driver-role-11547601.html


Daniel Ricciardo: ‘Two groups got me into F1 – my parents and Dietrich Mateschitz’
Thursday 27th October 2022 11:59 PM
Sam Cooper

Daniel Ricciardo has heaped praise on Dietrich Mateschitz for helping him get into F1 after the Red Bull co-founder passed away recently. The 78-year-old died on Saturday shortly before qualifying of the American Grand Prix and there are few who have had such an impact on the sport with such a small public presence.

Six drivers currently on the grid drove for either Red Bull or AlphaTauri at some point during their career and as Formula 1 continues onto Mexico, some of them have been looking back at Mateschitz’s legacy. Ricciardo, who was involved with Red Bull for seven years, is one of them and said that Mateschitz was just as impactful as his parents at getting him where he is.

“I think there was so much about Dietrich, in terms of the way he carried himself,” he said during the press conference ahead of Mexico. “He was always happy to be out of out of the limelight. What he did for so many Red Bull athletes was phenomenal but he never really looked for too much praise. [He] gave so many of us an opportunity to really achieve our dreams. Honestly there’s two groups of people in my life that put me in this position, it’s my parents and it’s Dietrich and Red Bull.”

‘Daniel Ricciardo has heaped praise on Dietrich Mateschitz’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/daniel-ricciardo-f1-dietrich-mateschitz/


Button fears Ricciardo F1 return unlikely after reputational blow
Thursday 3 November 2022 08:12
Ewan Gale
GPFans

Former F1 champion Jenson Button has conceded it is unlikely that Daniel Ricciardo will return to the sport after his impending sabbatical. "The move by McLaren is the right move," Button told Sky Sports F1's Any Driven Monday.

"For most of the season, Daniel hasn't been on the pace of Lando, quite a bit off it at times, so it is the right move for the team. For Daniel, it is a tricky situation. I guess he didn't want to drop too far down the grid and work with a team that's more towards the rear.”

"It's difficult for a driver coming from a team that is almost winning races at times to suddenly know you're fighting for points. It is tough. But I still think it would have been a better move for him. Go into a team, work hard, show people what you can do, in a car that maybe suits you a bit more, and then people forget what happened the year before."

‘F1 return unlikely’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/95195/jenson-button-daniel-ricciardo-f1-return/

[Fortitude]

George Russell antics questioned by Jenson Button after Mexican GP - 'It's a toughy'.
George Russell was animated during the Mexican Grand Prix with Mercedes expected to perform well.
06:42, Tue, Nov 1, 2022
By Charlie Gordon

Former F1 world champion Jenson Button has questioned George Russell's complaints over the team radio in Mexico after a troublesome Mercedes tyre strategy left him unable to compete with Red Bull star Sergio Perez for third place. The youngster made his feelings known but eventually followed his team's orders, finishing just shy of the podium in fourth.

Although the Grand Prix was uneventful on the whole, a game of tyre-compound chess saw Red Bull come out on the winning side as Hamilton took P2 and Russell P4. The latter complained about the change to the hard-compound tyre midway through the race and suggested to those on the team radio that he could come in once more to adopt a more aggressive strategy. Speaking to Any Driven Monday, Button suggested that his focus should have been solely on the track.

"George was really happy on the medium tyre, he wanted to go longer, the team put the hard tyre on and it just didn’t work for him," he said. "It is a tough one. You can shout as much as you want on the radio but there’s no other direction from there. You’ve just got to work it hard and see if you can get the tyres working. It’s a toughy. Maybe they should have gone for the even longer medium tyre and stick on the soft at the end, which we saw work really well for Daniel Ricciardo."

‘George Russell antics questioned’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1690225/george-russell-jenson-button-mexican-grand-prix-f1-news


George Russell criticised for radio rant as F1 champion questions Mercedes star.
As Mercedes took a gamble during the Mexican Grand Prix with their tyre strategy, British racer Russell was heard several times questioning the team's tactics over the radio.
22:02, 31 Oct 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer
The Mirror

Jenson Button questioned George Russell over his irritable radio messages to his team during the Mexican Grand Prix. While the race was devoid of much overtaking action, a tactical battle was playing out at the front. Red Bull had started their drivers on soft tyres, while Mercedes opted for the more durable but slower mediums.

In the early stages it looked like the Silver Arrows had picked the best strategy. The Red Bulls struggled to pull away despite their faster tyres, and pitted for fresh mediums at a point which made it seem unlikely they would be able to reach the end of the race without at least one more visit to the pit lane.

So Mercedes gambled on hard tyres to make sure they could make it to the end, planning to take track position when Red Bull did pit again. But they never did, as they looked after their tyres well and both Russell and Lewis Hamilton powerless to get close enough to attempt an overtake.

‘Criticised for radio rant’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/russell-radio-mercedes-mexican-gp-28375436


Jenson Button delivers verdict on Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ending season winless.
Mercedes have not won a single race this season while Lewis Hamilton could end the campaign without a podium finish for the first time ever.
11:02, Tue, Nov 1, 2022
By Liam Prenderville

Jenson Button fears Mercedes may have missed their opportunity to get a race win this season following the Mexico Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton appeared on course to get off the mark last weekend but had to settle for second as world champion Max Verstappen powered past him to claim victory.

Jenson Button: “Mercedes doesn’t have the straight-line speed, whether it’s engine power or the efficiency of the way they have designed their car. I think Abu Dhabi, in terms of the circuit and the mechanical grip you need, they do have that in the car.”

“It is going to be tricky for them to fight for victory. Smoother circuits are best for them. There is hope but Mexico was probably their best chance. They will definitely be in the mix for the next couple.”

‘Ending season winless’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1690420/Lewis-Hamilton-George-Russell-Jenson-Button-F1-news


‘You can shout’: George Russell questioned by ex-F1 champion for radio outburst.
George Russell argued over the radio that the Hards were the wrong tyre during the Mexican Grand Prix.
2 November 2022
by Nick Golding
Formula1News

Russell was very frustrated with his team for fitting the Hard compound for his second stint, after complaining several times over the radio that it wasn’t the right choice. The Brit wanted to run his opening stint as deep as possible before switching late on for a set of Softs; however, would’ve most likely found himself well behind the top three by the time he emerged from the pits.

2009 World Champion Jenson Button labelled the team’s decision as a “tough one”, but that ultimately Russell just had to “work it hard” rather than “shout”. Russell explained after the race that the team should’ve opted to start himself and Hamilton on the Softs, but that actually he probably wouldn’t have been able to switch to the softest compound late on due to his Mediums being “quite damaged”.

“In hindsight, starting on the softs and going to the medium was the right thing to do,” said the Brit. “Starting on the medium and going to the softs was a bit more difficult because my medium was already quite damaged from the early couple of laps.”

‘To Shout, or not to Shout?’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/you-can-shout-george-russell-questioned-by-ex-f1-champion-for-radio-outburst/


Lewis Hamilton and George Russell told what to 'sacrifice' in final races by Toto Wolff
Mercedes are still searching for their first win of the season after struggling to beat Red Bull.
07:43, Thu, Nov 3, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have been told to sacrifice getting second in the Constructors’ Championship to focus on securing a victory for Mercedes before the end of the year. Hamilton has battled Max Verstappen for victory at the last two races but has been unable to get the better of the Dutchman.

When pushed on which he (Toto Wolff) would prefer, the Austrian said a victory was much more important. He said: “A win. The win would prove that our car is back in the fight for wins. P2 could also be because other just dropped the ball and you are scoring more points." Mercedes lies 40 points off the Prancing Horse in the standings after a resurgence from the Silver Arrows.

‘Win’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1691442/lewis-hamilton-george-russell-mercedes-toto-wolff


George Russell ‘didn’t receive same courtesy from Lewis Hamilton’ in Lap 1 tussle.
After the race, Russell said had it been anyone other than his team-mate, he would have run them off the track.
Tuesday 1st November 2022 5:07 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Ex-F1 racer turned pundit Martin Brundle says George Russell was very courteous in his opening-lap battle with Lewis Hamilton in Mexico, but the reverse was not true. It was Max Verstappen’s Red Bull on pole for the Mexico City Grand Prix, joined on the front row by Russell in the Mercedes, while Hamilton in the other Mercedes launched from P3, directly behind his 2021 title rival Verstappen.

The tow is an effective weapon at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez such is the monster start-finish straight, but with the help of Red Bull’s rapid pace in a straight line Verstappen saw off the Mercedes threat. That left Russell and Hamilton to battle behind, Russell affording his team-mate room through Turns 1 and 2, only to end up pushed out wide through Turn 3 as Hamilton powered onto the back straight, while Russell was left dealing with the threat of Sergio Perez behind, who duly demoted Russell to P4, the position where he finished.

After the race, Russell said had it been anyone other than his team-mate, he would have run them off the track – although Brundle argues the same courtesy was not shown by Hamilton.

‘Didn’t receive same courtesy’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george-russell-courtesy-lewis-hamilton-mexico/


Mexico City GP: Lewis Hamilton questions Mercedes strategy as team-mate George Russell reflects on first-lap battle
Lewis Hamilton finished second behind Max Verstappen at the Mexico City GP after Red Bull found a more efficient strategy than Mercedes; Hamilton says Mercedes made an error by starting on medium rather than soft tyres; George Russell reflects on first lap battle with team-mate Hamilton
Last Updated: 31/10/22 6:57pm
SKY

‘Russell: I could have ran him off’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/20876/12734758/mexico-city-gp-lewis-hamilton-questions-mercedes-strategy-as-team-mate-george-russell-reflects-on-first-lap-battle

[Fortitude]

Bottas was ‘hoping for more’ from Mexico despite ending 10-race scoring drought.
Valtteri Bottas scored for the first time in 10 rounds as he took the final point on offer in Mexico City – but the Alfa Romeo driver wasn’t completely satisfied with his Sunday.
31 October 2022
Formula 1.

The Finnish driver pulled off a stunning qualifying performance to split the Ferraris with P6 on the grid, but he lost out to Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso at the start. Running as high as sixth before pitting on Lap 37, Bottas lost places having opted for hard tyres on his second stint, and he finished 10th to bring home his first point since the Canadian Grand Prix.

“For sure I was hoping for more, from where we started but the race pace wasn’t quite there and especially, we had difficulties on the hard tyre just to keep it up in a good temperature, that was a tricky thing – Especially on the front axle – so just sliding around a bit, and it was not easy,” he explained.

“In the beginning, with the medium [compound], it felt like we were faster so for sure that helped, but I don’t know it was still a struggle towards the end with the hard tyre.”

‘Hoping for more’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.bottas-was-hoping-for-more-from-mexico-despite-ending-10-race-scoring.1jaIhkcoUANIRtTdBO9Gy4.html


Alfa Romeo’s Frédéric Vasseur Admits He Expected “more” From Mexico City GP
October 31, 2022
By Nick Golding

The Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN may look back on the Mexico City Grand Prix as an opportunity missed, after Valtteri Bottas could only claim one point after finishing tenth, whilst Zhou Guanyu claimed thirteenth.

After an unbelievably strong qualifying for the Finn, Bottas himself was expecting a strong haul of points at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez; however, it simply wasn’t to be. Bottas quickly slipped from sixth to eighth where he remained for a number of laps, before dropping to tenth late on as a result of struggling on the Hard compound tyres, something others also suffered from.

He did, nevertheless, claim a point, ending his run of races without a points finish, which dated all the way back to the Canadian Grand Prix.

‘Expected more’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/alfa-romeos-frederic-vasseur-admits-he-expected-more-from-mexico-city-gp/


Valtteri Bottas ‘planning to stick around’ for ‘huge opportunity’ with Audi
Monday 31st October 2022 11:00 PM
Sam Cooper

Valtteri Bottas has said he hopes to be part of Audi’s F1 plans after the German manufacturer’s link-up with the Finn’s current team was confirmed. After parent company Volkswagen announced earlier this year that both Audi and Porsche were looking to get into F1 from 2026, the former completed that goal when they announced a partnership with Sauber.

The two will work together as partners from 2026 which sees a regulation change in Formula 1 power units, a key aspect that originally attracted Audi to the sport. Given it is still a few years away, only small details are currently known about Audi’s exact operational plans and it has certainly not yet been said who will be lining up for them in their first race.

One man who hopes to fill that role is current Sauber driver Bottas. The Finn joined Sauber, who currently race under the name Alfa Romeo, in 2022 having spent five seasons with Mercedes and has been enjoying the rare benefit of a multi-year contract. At the age of 33, there are no suggestions Bottas would be looking to leave the sport when his contract ends in 2024 and he has now stated he hopes to be part of the Audi project.

‘Planning to stick around’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/valtteri-bottas-interest-audi-project/


Bottas: 'Audi needs to support Sauber as soon as possible'
01/11/2022 at 13:51
Andrew Lewin

Audi's announcement that they will partner with Sauber from 2026 was a major announcement last week, but that's still three years into the future. Valtteri Bottas - lead driver for the team currently operating under the Alfa Romeo name until the end of 2023 - says that Audi can't wait that long to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty if they want to hit the ground running.

“There’s big potential for Sauber with Audi," Bottas told the media in Mexico City. “For this team in the end, if you look at the big picture, I think it’s huge. No doubt they want to succeed in the future. They want to do well, they’re serious," he insisted. “ it depends how much Audi is going to support this team before they officially become the manufacturer.”

"Obviously nothing changes next year, we are still with Alfa Romeo, and of course we hope that we can have a better car than this year. But then I think it depends on the support from 2024 onwards, how much they’re willing to support.”

‘Support Sauber as soon as possible';

https://f1i.com/news/459295-bottas-audi-needs-to-support-sauber-as-soon-as-possible.html


[B]Valtteri Bottas addresses retirement plans and explains why he rewards himself with beers
The Finnish driver is in his first season with Alfa Romeo after ending a five-year spell with Mercedes and plans to stick around for the coming campaigns
12:34, Tue, Nov 1, 2022
By Benjamin Goddard

Valtteri Bottas has addressed any retirement rumours, stating that he would like to remain with Alfa Romeo until Audi joins the company in four years time - and says that having a beer after every race is a tradition. The 33-year-old had spent five years at Mercedes as number two driver to Lewis Hamilton before joining Alfa Romeo on a multi-year deal last year.

"I'm 33 years old, but if you look at Fernando's age, I don't really see any reason why I shouldn't still be there. I am open to everything." In his first season with Alfa Romeo the Finnish driver started strongly with a season's best fifth placed finish at Imola.

"There is now much less pressure from outside," Bottas added. "I can concentrate fully on my work. I have this security for the first time in my career. It's a very good feeling to know that next year you will also benefit from the work you put in.”

‘Rewards himself with beers’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1690485/Valtteri-Bottas-Alfa-Romeo-retirement-plans

[Fortitude]

The end of Mick Schumacher at Haas? Nico Hulkenberg “optimistic” about F1 return.
Nico Hulkenberg says he’s “relatively optimistic” about making a return to F1 amid rumours that he will join Haas for next year.
2 Nov 2022
Connor McDonagh

Hulkenberg is in the frame to replace fellow German Mick Schumacher at Haas for F1 2023. The current Aston Martin reserve driver hasn’t raced in F1 full-time since 2019 but has remained part of the F1 fold.

He drove for Racing Point during 2020 when Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll were forced to sit out due to coronavirus, impressing during his brief outings. Hulkenberg also got a taste of 2022 machinery when he deputised for Sebastian Vettel at the opening two rounds of this year.

Despite Schumacher’s improved form since the Austrian Grand Prix, Hulkenberg seems to be the favourite to take the seat alongside Kevin Magnussen. Haas owner Gene Haas hit out at Schumacher for the number of big shunts he’s had this year, stating “he’s wrecked a lot of cars that have cost us a lot of money that we just don’t have”.

‘Optimistic about F1 return’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1016163/1/end-schumacher-haas-hulkenberg-optimistic-about-f1-return


Haas will announce Mick Schumacher’s replacement in coming days
Mick Schumacher's Haas career is coming to an end after two seasons with the American team.
4 November 2022
by Nick Golding

In what has been one of the craziest ‘silly seasons’ in recent memory, the 2022 edition of it looks set to be on the verge of wrapping up, following reports that Haas are “close” to announcing their 2023 driver line-up. means Haas have the last available seat on the grid, which is looking increasingly likely to be taken by a former Williams driver.

Following Aston Martin’s announcement that reigning Formula E World Champion Stoffel Vandoorne would be joining the Silverstone-based side in 2023 as their reserve and test driver, many now believe that Nico Hulkenberg is set to partner Kevin Magnussen at Haas next season.

‘Haas are “close” to announcing their 2023 driver line-up’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/haas-will-announce-mick-schumachers-replacement-in-coming-days/


Stoffel Vandoorne to Aston Martin looks like bad news for Mick Schumacher
Tuesday 1st November 2022 10:00 AM
Mark Scott

Aston Martin may have just unlocked the final piece of the F1 2023 puzzle by announcing the arrival of Stoffel Vandoorne as a reserve driver. With Williams hoping rising US star Logan Sergeant can get the points he needs in the F2 season finale at Abu Dhabi to snap up a Super Licence to race in F1, all eyes have been on Haas to see who will partner Kevin Magnussen next season.

Somewhat of a false alarm was raised ahead of Haas’ home race in Austin, Texas when the announcement of a press conference turned out to be the marking of a brand new title sponsor for the team in the form of MoneyGram. Another two race weekends have passed with Guenther Steiner being pestered over who the mystery driver will be, but Aston Martin look like they have just given everyone a vital clue.

On Tuesday, 9am GMT, Aston Martin unveiled ex-McLaren driver and Formula E World Champion Vandoorne to the team as a reserve and development driver for the 2023 season. He will be sharing duties with another new recruit, Felipe Drugovich…it’s almost like Aston Martin have got themselves prepared for the imminent exit of current reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg.

‘Stoffel Vandoorne to Aston Martin’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/stoffel-vandoorne-aston-martin-bad-news-for-mick-schumacher/


Red Bull chief tips Haas to sack Mick Schumacher with 'no sign of trust' between them
Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has suggested Haas should look to replace Mick Schumacher at the end of the season.
16:18, Fri, Nov 4, 2022
By Andrew McLean

When a team publicly criticizes the driver so massively, as was sometimes the case, it shows that there is no sign of trust within the team," the 79-year-old told RTL News. "From the outside, it looked like the first half of the season wasn't good, there were serious accidents with a lot of material and money damage, which is of course serious for teams.

“The situation at Haas is that they have an experienced driver in Magnussen and if there was a great up-and-coming talent, I would bet on this one. But I don't see anyone at the moment who would have these requirements. From a team perspective, there's a lot of money at stake in the Constructors' World Championship - whether you're tenth or eighth, that's x million dollars difference, I assume Haas will bet on a veteran.”

‘No sign of trust'’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1692349/Red-Bull-chief-Haas-Mick-Schumacher-replacement-Nico-Hulkenburg-F1-news


Mick Schumacher to lose Haas seat as Nico Hulkenberg announcement is imminent
Nico Hulkenberg has been the favourite to replace Mick Schumacher for 2023.
2 November 2022
by Jack Devonport
Formula1News

Formula 1 fans were given their biggest indication who could be driving for Haas next season on Monday, with Aston Martin announcing that Stoffel Vandoorne will be joining the team as a test and reserve driver for 2023, a role currently held by Nico Hulkenberg.

If Vandoorne is coming into the team, it would indicate the Hulkenberg is on his way elsewhere, amidst strong rumours that he wants to take Mick Schumacher’s seat at Haas next season.

“So far, I can’t say anything specific,” said Hulkenberg when asked about the rumours. “In the end, I don’t make the decision. Negotiations are ongoing and I am relatively optimistic about the progress.”

‘Biggest indication’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mick-schumacher-to-lose-seat-as-haas-nico-hulkenberg-announcement-is-imminent/


Haas set to name 2023 driver before Brazil
05:27 Wed, 02 Nov 2022.
By GMM F1
Sports Mole

Gunther Steiner has all but confirmed rumours that Haas intends to finalise its 2023 driver lineup ahead of next weekend's Brazilian GP. Mick Schumacher's main rival for the race seat, his veteran German countryman Nico Hulkenberg, said after Mexico that he is "optimistic" of securing the deal.

"We're close now," team boss Steiner has now told the German broadcaster ntv. When asked what Schumacher's chances are, he said it's still "50-50" - admitting that the 23-year-old has "definitely gotten better" in recent races.

However, Steiner is no longer following team owner Gene Haas' line that points finishes might get Schumacher over the line. "For me it's no longer about one race, one lap," said Steiner. "For me, it's about what's best for the Haas team in the medium to long term.”

‘Haas set to name 2023 driver’;

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/formula-1/haas/news/haas-set-to-name-2023-driver-before-brazil_498593.html?newsnow

[Fortitude]

Why Pierre Gasly should aim to pick up a race ban for Abu Dhabi.
Gasly continues to lead the Drivers’ Penalty Point World Championship (which is definitely not an official name for it!) after the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Monday 31st October 2022 5:00 PM
Thomas Maher

AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly should seriously think about doing something to become the first F1 driver in over 10 years to pick up a race ban. It is hardly an ideal situation for Gasly, especially with the threat of a race ban influencing his driving for numerous races as he tries to settle in and show good form alongside Esteban Ocon at Alpine.

However, there may be an ‘out’ for Gasly to ensure he moves to his new team with a clean slate. But it would require him being willing to sit out the final race of 2022 and the rather draconian side effect of not being able to complete his final race with AlphaTauri after racing with the Faenza-based squad for the vast majority of his F1 career.

That is no small issue given the close bond Gasly has formed with the team with whom he rebuilt his career after the first half of 2019. Indeed, Gasly revealed after his Alpine deal was concluded that long-time team boss Franz Tost was “close to tears” about his departure.

‘Aim to pick up a race ban!!!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre-gasly-aim-race-ban-abu-dhabi/


Gasly’s near-ban shows absurdity of F1 penalty points system.
Formula 1’s superlicence penalty points system is a good idea but poorly-implemented, as the absurd situation Pierre Gasly finds himself in – of being potentially one incident away from an automatic race ban – proves.
Nov 3 2022
By Edd Straw

Formula 1’s superlicence penalty points system is a good idea but poorly-implemented, as the absurd situation Pierre Gasly finds himself in – of being potentially one incident away from an automatic race ban – proves.

Gasly has accrued 10 superlicence penalty points, just two away from the 12-point tally that automatically triggers a race ban. This will be hanging over him for the next nine races given the first of them won’t be wiped until after next May’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

What’s more, he only just evaded a ban for the upcoming Brazilian Grand Prix given the one-year lifespan for penalty points meant he lost two, earned for contact with Fernando Alonso at the first corner of last season’s Turkish Grand Prix, shortly before his latest run-in with the stewards.

‘Absurdity of F1 penalty points system’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gaslys-near-ban-shows-absurdity-of-f1-penalty-points-system/


“I’m just disappointed”: Pierre Gasly Two Penalty Points Away From First-Ever Race Ban
October 31, 2022
By Nick Golding

Pierre Gasly has entered incredibly dangerous territory following the Mexico City Grand Prix, as the Frenchman finds himself on the brink of becoming the first-ever Formula 1 driver to receive a race ban. The Scuderia AlphaTauri driver has amassed ten penalty points since May, meaning that if he is awarded two more, he’ll receive a race on the side-lines.

The Frenchman’s total isn’t set to reduce until May 2023, meaning that he’ll need to be on his best behaviour for the remaining two races of this season and the start of next season, to avoid an embarrassing ban. The BWT Alpine F1 Team, who Gasly is, of course, joining next season, will likely need to prepare a Reserve Driver to complete a race next season, with the odds certainly being against the French driver.

He endured a messy race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, despite finishing eleventh. Gasly was awarded a five-second time penalty during the race for forcing Lance Stroll off the circuit at Turn Four, where he then failed to relinquish the position. Gasly dived down the inside of the Canadian at the corner in question, but was out of control of his AT03. Stroll had nowhere to go but off the track, meaning that the AlphaTauri driver should’ve returned the position.

“I’m just disappointed”;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/10/im-just-disappointed-pierre-gasly-two-penalty-points-away-from-first-ever-race-ban/


Exclusive: Pierre Gasly on 'exciting' Alpine move, what he'll miss at Red Bull & future Karaoke antics with Yuki Tsunoda
Published: 2 Nov 2022, 17:00
By George Dagless

Pierre Gasly’s future, after weeks of speculation, finally became clear in October as his move to Alpine for 2023 from AlphaTauri was confirmed.

The Frenchman joins compatriot Esteban Ocon within the team, replacing the Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso, with one clear aim; helping them close the gap to the established top three and add to his three career podiums and one race victory in F1.

With Alpine in fourth in the Constructors’ standings after a positive campaign where they’ve shown great pace, and just the need for more reliability, they are arguably the best-placed team to join those right at the front and, clearly, Gasly is well aware of the potential the switch has.

‘Eexciting Alpine’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88078934-exclusive-pierre-gasly-on-exciting-alpine-move-what-hell-miss-at-red-bull-future-karaoke-antics-with-yuki-tsunoda


Pierre Gasly not sure Yuki Tsunoda can become AlphaTauri’s team leader
Pierre Gasly will be joining Alpine in 2023, leaving his good friend Yuki Tsunoda behind at AlphaTauri.
4 November 2022
by Jack Devonport

Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda have formed one of the most likeable bromances in Formula 1 in recent years, even rivalling ‘Carlando’, the old McLaren pairing of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, who became almost inseparable during their time together.

Gasly will be leaving his Japanese teammate behind at the end of the season however, as he leaves AlphaTauri for Alpine in his hunt to fight at the front of the grid once again.

“Everything that comes into his head flies out of his mouth instantly,” laughed Gasly, talking about the 22-year-old’s tendency to shout and swear over the team radio, often struggling to bite his tongue when aggravated by something. “He is a unique character, he has a great sense of humour, he’s unfiltered, which sometimes is amazing. But he’s a great guy.”

‘He’s unfiltered’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/pierre-gasly-not-sure-yuki-tsunoda-can-become-alphatauris-team-leader/

[Fortitude]

Mixed emotions at Williams as Mexico City GP leaves Albon feeling ‘pleasantly surprised’ and Latifi ‘very lonely’.
Alex Albon believes he and Williams executed a “very good” race at the Mexico City Grand Prix after narrowly missing out on a points finish with an encouraging rise from 19th at the end of the first lap to 12th at the chequered flag.
01 November 2022
Formula 1.

Meanwhile Nicholas Latifi started one place behind Albon but was unable to replicate his team mate’s charge, the Canadian left to rue unspecified car damage as he crossed the line as the final finisher, two laps down.

“I’m not sure exactly when we sustained [the damage] – it must have been very early on. We just had no pace, even at the end on brand new soft tyres compared to people who were on lap 25-lap old soft tyres, I was like two or three seconds a lap slower,” he explained.

“It would have been nice to hear that a bit earlier. We’ve had some times where it doesn’t affect the balance, depending on what you actually damage, so what exactly it is we don’t know yet. But it was just a very lonely and useless afternoon.”

‘Mixed emotions at Williams’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.mixed-emotions-at-williams-as-mexico-city-gp-leaves-albon-feeling-pleasantly.11gUe6S1siREMv7JL5p2gE.html


BEYOND THE GRID: Latifi on the F1 rollercoaster, dealing with adversity and what’s next
02 November 2022
Formula 1.

Nicholas Latifi is just two Grands Prix away from ending his F1 stint with Williams, but how does he feel about the last three years, and what might the future hold? In the latest episode of Beyond The Grid, the Canadian covers it all...

It’s been a whirlwind F1 journey for Latifi, who stepped up to the top echelon in 2020 as an F2 race winner and championship runner-up and went on to partner two highly-rated youngsters – namely George Russell and Alex Albon.

Going into detail with host Tom Clarkson, Latifi explains what life was like alongside ‘Mr Saturday’ Russell, whose efforts earned him promotion to Mercedes for 2022, and Albon, who was hungrier than ever to seize his second chance after being replaced at Red Bull.

‘The F1 rollercoaster’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.beyond-the-grid-latifi-on-the-f1-rollercoaster-dealing-with-adversity-and.7v63JNhhxa6n2jGIah0Lc9.html


NICHOLAS LATIFI REVEALS HIS BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE 2022 WILLIAMS
The Canadian will be leaving Williams at the end of the 2022 season.
16:39 Wed, 02 Nov 2022.
Cambridge Kisby
FormulaNerds

Nicholas Latifi’s F1 career hasn’t exactly been a showstopper, but the Canadian has had to cope with some serious adversity – both on the track and off it. “With all three cars I’ve driven, this one (the FW44) was definitely the biggest step backwards for me.”

“My driving style, I’ve always tended to attack the corners under braking and create my own front end. Because of this I often need a car that is stable on the entry of the corner…the Williams has never been stable on entry.”

“Then to make it even worse, the car is very weak at combining steering and braking. As soon as you start to do that, it’s almost instantaneous how quickly you lock up.”

‘BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THE 2022 WILLIAMS’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/nicholas-latifi-reveals-his-biggest-problem-with-the-2022-williams/?nowprocket=1


Nicholas Latifi reveals Lewis Hamilton message after fans’ abuse
Nicholas Latifi has revealed Lewis Hamilton reached out to him after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year.
6 November 2022
by Jack Devonport

The 27-year-old received abuse on social media, with fans of Hamilton accusing the Canadian of costing the Brit his record breaking eighth title by crashing out, but Latifi has now revealed that Hamilton messaged him in the off season to offer consolation despite having his own healing to do.

“Lewis did send me a message to reach out to me. He was kind of detaching from the whole world of social media and whatnot himself,” he said. He obviously had his own emotions to kind of deal with, what he was fighting with. But he did send me a very nice message, fully in support.”

“I even had messages from some other top Mercedes team members that reached out, along with countless visible ones from different team accounts, different drivers and whatnot.”

‘Hamilton messaged Nicholas Latifi in the off season to offer consolation’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/nicholas-latifi-reveals-lewis-hamilton-message-after-fans-abuse/


Jost Capito denies Logan Sargeant’s promotion to a Williams seat has come too fast
Monday 31st October 2022 11:59 PM
Michelle Foster

Joining the Williams academy last season and showing this year he can win in Formula 2, Jost Capito says there would be “something wrong” with the junior programme if he did not promote Logan Sargeant.
With Nicholas Latifi on his way out from both Williams and Formula 1 at the end of the 2022 campaign, the Grove team announced Sargeant as his replacement.

“It is good for Formula 1 to have an American driver,” he said. “But we didn’t pick Logan in the academy because he’s American, we picked him because of his success and his past in racing. If we take the kids, if we put them into the academy, it’s the objective to get them in the Formula 1 car.”

“And if you have a young driver who is ready for Formula 1, and you have the seat, you have to put the young driver into the seat – otherwise, you’ve done something wrong. That’s why we came to that conclusion, that it’s the right thing. And that Logan is American is just nice to have, but it’s not the initiation of the decision.”

‘Good for Formula 1 to have an American driver’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/jost-capito-logan-sargeant-williams-fast/

[Fortitude]

Brazilian Grand Prix not under threat confirms F1.
Reports speculated that the current political situation in Brazil might lead to the race being cancelled, after F1 cargo was pictured in traffic caused by Jair Bolsonaro supporters on the way to Interlagos.
‎02‎ ‎November‎ ‎16‎:‎48
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Dieter Rencken

F1 has confirmed the Brazilian Grand Prix will take place as planned following reports that it could be under threat, RacingNews365.com understands.

With the current political situation in Brazil leading to civil unrests following the defeat of incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the presidential elections, there was speculation that the Grand Prix might not take place.

Roads to Sao Paulo airport were also briefly closed by supporters of Bolsonaro, with pictures emerging of F1 cargo stuck in traffic. However, it is understood that this has arrived at Interlagos with no major problems.

‘Brazilian Grand Prix will take place’;

https://racingnews365.com/brazilian-grand-prix-not-under-threat-confirms-f1


F1 dismiss Brazilian GP cancellation fears
Wednesday 2 November 2022 16:18
Ian Parkes

F1 has dismissed fears the Brazilian Grand Prix will face a late cancellation due to political unrest in the country following Sunday's national elections.

The South American country elected a new president in Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on a narrow majority on Sunday from current incumbent Jair Bolsonaro who has yet to concede defeat.

As a result, there have been demonstrations and riots taking place in many areas of the country, with roadblocks also put in place, including around São Paulo. This has led to concerns the race may be called off at the 11th hour but F1 has delivered assurances it will go ahead.

‘F1 has dismissed fears’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/95217/f1-dismiss-brazilian-grand-prix-cancellation-fears/


F1 offers clarity after speculation Brazilian GP could be at risk over political unrest.
Speculation suggested F1 bosses were allegedly concerned about political unrest in Brazil ahead of the race in Sao Paulo next weekend, but Mirror Sport understands this to be untrue.
19:38, 2 Nov 2022
By Daniel Moxon
F1 Writer
GPFans

The Brazilian Grand Prix will go ahead as planned despite inaccurate rumours on social media that it might be at risk, Formula 1 chiefs have confirmed.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was named as the new president of Brazil after narrowly defeating the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. Demonstrations have been taking place across the country since, as supporters of the latter refuse to accept the result.

Bolsonaro is still yet to concede despite receiving two million votes fewer than his rival. Even when speaking to the media for the first time since the election, he avoided stating that he had lost and also refused to condemn those who have been protesting the result.

‘F1 offers clarity’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/brazilian-gp-protests-election-bolsonaro-28394024


Protest blockades threaten Brazilian GP
06:09 Wed, 02 Nov 2022
ANDREW MAITLAND
Grandpx.news

A cloud has moved above next weekend’s Brazilian GP in the shape of thousands of determined protesters.

In the wake of the country’s presidential election, in which incumbent Jair Bolsonaro was defeated by the left-wing and mononymously-known Lula, huge protests and civil unrest has broken out.

So far, it has been in the form of demonstrations, riots and over 200 roadblocks – including the roads surrounding Sao Paulo’s international airport.

‘EARLY REPORT: Now been explained by F1, that the Grand Prix is NOT under threat’;

https://grandpx.news/protest-blockades-threaten-brazilian-gp/


Hamilton Massa showdown anniversary: Cause revealed behind dramatic finale
Wednesday 2 November 2022 12:54
Ewan Gale

"So I came back to the pits, we stopped before the uphill section and funnily enough, Lewis stops in front of me. So what do I do? I go there, give him a handshake and say 'Well done man! Congratulations for your world championship' in front of I don't know how many thousand Brazilian spectators. Then I walk up to the gates and a whole bunch of journalists and photographers run down.”

"So I got to the side because, of course, they want to go to Lewis Hamilton, world champion. But they all come to me and ask me these questions like 'Was this on purpose? Did you help Lewis? You decided the championship'. I was like 'What the hell is going on here?' The physiotherapist comes to me and takes me, runs up to the scales with me, runs back with me to hospitality, locks me in the room and tells me what happened. “

"Then I understood what was going on. It was not just Glock under fire, however, as the whole Toyota team took flak. I still remember my mechanics, from the paddock people were throwing stuff down to everyone that had a Toyota shirt on," recalled Glock. "I got a police escort from the track to the hotel, from the hotel the next morning to the airport and into the plane, they walked with me into the plane." Glock didn't speak to Massa for 10 years. Massa and Glock would not speak to each other for a decade but made amends in a Sky TV interview at Interlagos last season, giving their perspectives on a dramatic day.

‘Police escort from the track’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/95187/f1-fia-lewis-hamilton-felipe-massa-time-glock-brazilian-grand-prix-2008/

[Fortitude]

Charles Leclerc ‘will do everything to become 2023 World Champion’.
Charles Leclerc has said he is ‘impatient’ to get started on preparation for 2023, as he intends a stronger championship bid after the disappointment of this season.
Saturday 5th November 2022 6:00 PM
Thomas Maher

Ferrari chairman John Elkann has outlined how he wants to see a Ferrari driver take the title by 2026, when the current engine regulations change, but Leclerc said he’s aiming to bring about championship glory well in advance of that date. “I know that the President (John Elkann) has said that it is a goal to be achieved by 2026 but, as a driver, I cannot think about this deadline,” Leclerc said in an interview with the Italian subsidiary of Motorsport.com.

“I am very impatient, I will prepare and do everything possible to be World Champion in 2023.” Leclerc will have two further attempts at the title following this year, before his current contract with Ferrari comes to an end. Asked whether he’s given any thoughts to life beyond ’24, Leclerc said he’s hopeful of being able to remain with the Scuderia.

“I have a contract until the end of the 2024 season, and today I see this deadline as a long way off,” he said. “I have always loved Ferrari, I want to win a world title with this team, and I want to do it as soon as possible. When the time comes to evaluate the future I’ll think about it, but I love this team.”

‘Will do everything to become 2023 World Champion’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charles-leclerc-everything-become-2023-world-champion/


Leclerc not fussed on Ferrari criticism: 'That will not help us improve'.
Ferrari have been under fire throughout 2022 for their strategical decisions and mistakes on track. But what effect did this have on Charles Leclerc? The Monegasque reveals how the team cope with intense scrutiny in an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.com.
‎05‎ ‎November‎ ‎17‎:‎00
Author Dieter Rencken
Co-author Rory Mitchell

After a tough few seasons falling behind Red Bull and Mercedes, Ferrari got back to their winning ways at the start of 2022. The team looked like they were going to be tough to beat in the opening few races, as Charles Leclerc took victory in two out of the first three.

Early on, the F1-75 seemed to be the car that would make Ferrari challenge for titles again but, as the season went on, problems started to occur. Mistakes with strategy, reliability issues, both drivers going over the edge and crashing out of races all caused a lot of negativity around the Scuderia.
Speaking exclusively to RacingNews365.com, Leclerc discusses his experiences in the team in light of this criticism. "I don't focus on that," he begins. "I'm pretty sure that there's a lot of negativity around us, but I don't think we should focus on that. This is not going to help us go anywhere. I think we just should focus on our things."

'That will not help us improve';

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-not-fussed-on-ferrari-criticism-that-will-not-help-us


Ex-Ferrari chief Maurizio Arrivabene gives telling reaction as fan shouts 'Binotto out'
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc failed to maintain their title bid despite early season success.
13:11, Fri, Nov 4, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Former Ferrari team principal, Maurizio Arrivabene, has appeared to support fans’ calls for Mattia Binotto to leave after the Prancing Horses' struggles this term. The 65-year-old was filmed reacting to fans who were demanding Binotto was sacked.

Fans can be heard saying “Binotto out, Binotto out” as Juventus CEO Arrivabene walks down the street. After hearing the comments the Italian turned around, nodded his head and gave a slight grin.

The fans immediately started laughing which forced Arrivabene to wave his hand to show he was only joking. The 65-year-old was team principal for three years before he was replaced by Binotto ahead of the 2019 season.

‘Maurizio Arrivabene gives telling reaction’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1692230/ferrari-maurizio-arrivabene-mattia-binotto-f1-news-latest


Charles Leclerc quizzed on widespread criticism of Mattia Binotto and Ferrari
Sunday 6th November 2022 1:00 PM
Sam Cooper

Charles Leclerc says Ferrari should not focus on the “negativity” that is circulating them as they look to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season. If you had told a Ferrari fan this time last year that they would win four races and be in P2 with just two races left, they would have snapped your hand off.

But, given their strong start and the performance level of F1-75, there has been a strong sense of disappointment as the campaign reaches its conclusion. It is the manner in which Ferrari have fallen away from Red Bull and Max Verstappen that has been the largest source of pain. There is a valid argument to say Ferrari had the quickest car this season but it is the unreliability, strategy decisions and driver errors that have seen them drop off massively.

The team have also gained a reputation for shooting themselves in the foot with any mistake now greeted on social media with memes of another ‘Ferrari moment’. That social media reaction has been growing ever stronger throughout the season but Leclerc has insisted he and the team pay no notice. “I don’t pay attention to that,” he told Motorsport-Magazin.

‘Ferrari should not focus on the “negativity” that is circulating them’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charles-leclerc-quizzed-on-widespread-criticism-of-mattia-binotto-and-ferrari/


LECLERC ON FP2 CRASH: “NO CONSEQUENCES FOR THE WEEKEND”.
The Ferrari driver admitted he believes the Mexican GP will turn out for the better.
12:02 Sat, 29 Oct 2022.
Dalila Zanardo
FormulaNerds

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc got an early end to his Friday at the Mexican Grand Prix following a crash during FP2. The Monegasque spun into the barriers causing a red flag but expects no consequences for the rest of the weekend.

The Mexican weekend started positively for the Ferrari drivers, who finished FP1 with Carlos Sainz leading the timing sheets and Charles Leclerc right behind in second. Although less representative due to the Pirelli tests, FP2 was less encouraging for Maranello. As a matter of fact, Leclerc crashed into the barriers causing a red flag and the pair ultimately ended the practice in seventh and eighth.

Ferrari Racing Director Laurent Mekies confirmed, as reported by Giuliano Duchessa, Maranello will change the gearbox on car 16 with one of those available in Ferrari’s pool following the crash but the Monegasque will avoid any penalties.

‘LECLERC ON FP2 CRASH’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/leclerc-on-fp2-crash-no-consequences-for-the-weekend/?nowprocket=1

[Fortitude]

F1's briefest World Champion: When Massa held the title for 39 seconds.
The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix is widely regarded as the most thrilling World Championship decider in modern Formula 1.
‎02‎ ‎November‎ ‎2021‎ ‎17‎:‎20

Lewis Hamilton's first World Championship was won in extraordinary circumstances, with the McLaren driver claiming the position he needed at the last corner of the last lap of the last race in the season.

The 2008 season had been hugely dramatic, with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen not quite able to keep up the form he'd shown to claim his title in 2007. As a result, the Ferrari title charge was led by Felipe Massa, with the Brazilian taking on McLaren and Hamilton.

Hamilton had led the championship table by seven points heading to Interlagos, but Massa was simply untouchable over the entire weekend at home in front of his fans.

‘Title for 39 seconds’;

https://racingnews365.com/f1s-briefest-world-champion-when-felipe-massa-was-champion-for-39-seconds


Is that Glock? Relive Hamilton’s dramatic F1 title win from 2008
On this day in 2008, Lewis Hamilton won the first of his seven F1 world championship titles, but in the most dramatic manner you could imagine. Here’s what happened...
02 November, 2020
Posted by Rob Watts

Is that Glock? With five laps to go, Hamilton elected to pit from fourth to take the intermediate tyre and was followed soon after fifth-place Sebastian Vettel; the driver who’d won that year’s rain-soaked Italian Grand Prix in a Toro Rosso.

Massa had a clear gap out in front, but a lap later he also felt the risk was too great to stay out and with the rain getting heavier he was in to change tyres. By now, all the frontrunners had abandoned their dry tyres, except for one; Timo Glock.

With those around him pitting, Glock had been elevated to fourth but Hamilton wasn’t thinking right now about catching the Toyota driver, but more about keeping Vettel behind.

‘Is that Glock?’;

https://f1experiences.com/blog/is-that-glock-relive-hamiltons-dramatic-f1-title-win-from-2008


13 years later, Massa and Glock discuss the 2008 GP that gave Hamilton his first WDC
r/formula 1

I think the Glock slowed down on purpose conspiracy is one of the laziest in the history of F1. The guy gambled on slicks, and when the track got wet at the end he had to go really slow to maintain his result.

Both he and his teammate did very similar lap times on their last few laps. The gamble paid of he finished a couple of positions higher off than when the rain came.

Simple and perfectly reasonable explanation, I honestly don’t know where the conspiracy came from.

‘Discussion thread’;

https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/qstrpp/13_years_later_massa_and_glock_discuss_the_2008/


Hamilton Massa showdown anniversary: Cause revealed behind dramatic finale
Wednesday 2 November 2022 12:54
Ewan Gale

Former F1 driver Timo Glock has revealed the dramatic final lap overtake from Lewis Hamilton at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix was caused by an F1-FIA procedural issue. The German enjoyed a successful stint with Toyota in the late 2000s but is widely remembered by Martin Brundle's now-immortal commentary line "Is that Glock?" after Hamilton made the move to snatch the title away from home hero Felipe Massa on the final lap of the last race of that season on November 2.

Addressing the dramatic end, Glock told the 'Beyond the Grid' podcast: "This cloud came over the track and I said three laps towards the end, 'Guys, I think it is going to end up in a disaster because this cloud will arrive two or one lap towards the end and if it is raining, it is going to be chaotic'. They said we were going to take the risk and stay out. We have nothing to lose.”

‘Nothing to lose!’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/95187/f1-fia-lewis-hamilton-felipe-massa-time-glock-brazilian-grand-prix-2008/


Felipe Massa and Timo Glock reunite for the first time since the epic finale of 2008
Miltiadis#19

Daniel Morris
Felipe Massa is THE example of sporting humility. A legend of Formula 1. Regardless of titles won and lost. He is the man

Amogh Garuda Dwajan
The way Massa got up out of the car, and the resolve and class he showed after a heartbreak title decider is very reminiscent of Lewis in Abu Dhabi. Legends all around.

Yorgos2007
Massa is a legend.

Benn87
I hope the unjustified accusations in Timo's direction will stop now and he won't have to listen to stupid comments every year when the Brazil race is coming up...

Roy Mwale
I feel so bad for Timo he said for 10 years he was scared to talk to Masa.

Jake Fimo
Imagine being scared talking to Felipe, He's so nice

AP
Fuel Rig debacle, Lapped Cars confusion, Rain Race and ofcourse Glock.. an eventful year for Massa it was. Great to see that big hug at the end!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg1dnv8YUSU

[Fortitude]

Toto Wolff hits back at 'hothead' Fernando Alonso after latest Lewis Hamilton dig.
“I have a lot of respect for Lewis, but it is different when you win seven world titles and you only had to fight with your teammate,” said Alonso in an interview with Dutch title De Telegraaf.
12:39, 7 NOV 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Fernando Alonso has been branded a “hothead” by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff following the Spaniard’s latest dig at Lewis Hamilton. The Spanish legend has questioned the worth of Hamilton’s seven world titles compared to Max Verstappen’s two.

Alonso argued that Hamilton has mostly only had to battle against his own team-mate in a dominant car. “A championship has less value when you have fewer titles but have had to fight against other drivers with equal or even better material.”

“He’s a hothead,” said Wolff of Alonso via Spanish outlet AS. “He creates headlines, and this sport is all about headlines. They are both great world champions. Alonso is like that but I don’t think he’s upsetting Lewis one millimetre.”

“He’s a hothead”;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/wolff-hamilton-alonso-mercedes-f1-28428133


Toto Wolff reveals if Fernando Alonso’s comments ‘upset’ Lewis Hamilton
Fernando Alonso has previously discredited Lewis Hamilton’s titles and his ability to race wheel to wheel.
8 November 2022
by Jack Devonport

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have had a few flash points this season, with the Spanish driver claiming over the team radio that Hamilton only knows how to drive fast from the front of the grid, after the pair collided in Spa.

“It’s different when you win seven world titles, when you’ve only had to fight your team-mate,” he said. “Then I think that a championship has less value than if you have fewer titles but you have had to compete against other drivers with equal or even better material.”

Hamilton responded to the comments in typical Hamilton fashion, simply posting a photo of himself stood on the top step of the podium, with Alonso, who was then his teammate stood below him in second place, accompanied by a thumbs up emoji, with the Brit later admitting that Alonso’s comments made him giggle a bit.

‘Thumbs up emoji’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-reveals-if-fernando-alonsos-comments-upset-lewis-hamilton/


Wolff labels Alonso 'a hot head' who creates headlines
07/11/2022 at 08:18
Michael Delaney

Toto Wolff says Fernando Alonso is "a hot head" who knows how to stir up a headline, the Mercedes boss reacting to the Spaniard's recent dig at the value of Lewis Hamilton's seven world titles.

Alonso claimed that Max Verstappen's two titles carried more "value" than Hamilton's achievements because the Red Bull driver has faced much tougher competition in his career than the Briton.

Queried on Alonso's controversial view, Wolff suggested that the Spaniard was a master in generating a good headline but that his words will have left Hamilton unmoved.

‘Hot Headlines’;

https://f1i.com/news/459568-wolff-labels-alonso-a-hot-head-who-creates-headlines.html


Mercedes will find ‘quiet time in winter’ to thrash out new Lewis Hamilton contract
Friday 4th November 2022 7:00 AM
Sam Cooper

Toto Wolff said Mercedes are waiting for a “quiet time over the winter” to sit down and discuss a new contract with Lewis Hamilton. The 2022 season is Hamilton’s 10th in Mercedes colours having joined the team in 2013 but his association with famous German brand stretches back even further.

“We haven’t started having talks,” Wolff said, as per Motorsport.com. “We want to definitely finish the season and then find some quiet time over the winter like we have done last time around, that literally started in the winter holidays and lasted over two months. We haven’t done that.

“But he’s much more than a driver to us now. Although we’re not talking about a career end, it’s also important to speak about his role as an ambassador for Mercedes and the many sponsors that we have, and the implication he can have in our wider audience.”

‘Quiet time in winter’

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mercedes-winter-lewis-hamilton-contract/


Toto Wolff reveals when Lewis Hamilton will extend his Mercedes deal
The seven-time world champion’s current contract with Mercedes expires at the end of next season
11:32 Fri, 04 Nov 2022.
Kieran Jackson
Formula 1 Correspondent
The Independent

Lewis Hamilton will extend his contract at Mercedes in a “quiet time over winter”, says team boss Toto Wolff.
The seven-time world champion’s current deal with the Silver Arrows - a team he has been with since leaving McLaren ahead of the 2013 season - expires at the end of the 2023 campaign.

‘Pay Wall Reading’;

https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-toto-wolff-b2217673.html


Formula 1’s Toto Wolff, accused of running his team remotely, leans into software even more
11:51 AM GMT•November 4, 2022
Connie Loizos@cookie /

Toto Wolff, the 50-year-old Austrian chief executive, team principal and part-owner of the Mercedes Formula 1 team who was recently described by The New Yorker as someone who might breeze “past you in the airport, smelling good, wearing loafers and no socks,” talked openly yesterday about his team’s terrible, no-good year. Sitting with Oliver Steil, the CEO of the German company TeamViewer, a popular maker of remote support software, Wolff also described how the troubled racing team is counting, in part, on TeamViewer’s tech to give it an edge in its bid to recapture its former glory.

Wolff immediately acknowledged the obvious, as he settled in. “We won the championship eight times in a row,” he said, “but that is the past.” Mercedes, he continued, “just got the physics wrong . . . and got the concept of the car not in the right place,” he said, referring to the design of its floor, which he has previously pointed to as the root of the team’s lackluster year. (Every few years, the F1 teams — there are currently 10 altogether — are forced by the body overseeing Grand Prix racing to redesign their cars.)

‘Lone Wolff: Running his team remotely’;

https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/04/formula-1s-toto-wolff-looks-for-fresh-edge-in-2023-through-remote-software/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9jLm5ld3Nub3cuY28udWsv&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKyromZd9bLV4rCXbkapTHHaEnBh dn46cpud_Ya-y325lFzwYWT_KfnNBM8YDklEU0-p6BZIEI9BIWxf-S_O8SH9SplWfOdAvWS1kUdzuUxp0z2pxpThmNL_pneYn7Gh0WS 7Hu-T5QorBzA49r26e2_x_JvKy3kre8e2kGTCGTDh

[Fortitude]

Mercedes estimate ‘up to 10 months’ of development lost due to W13 niggles.
George Russell has labelled the car a confidence-sapping diva while technical director Mike Elliott likened its layers of problems to an “onion”.
Tuesday 8th November 2022 12:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Conceding that championship winners Red Bull “certainly” have an advantage, he (Toto Wolff) continued: “We believe that we understand where the gap comes from.

“They will carry over some of their sweetness in the car, and we’ve maybe lost eight to 10 months in terms of development because we couldn’t figure out what was wrong. So there’s definitely a challenge.”

“But we’re playing the long game here, all of us, both drivers are playing the long game, the team. The judge around the team, of performance, is not based on a single year or weekend. It’s how we have been able to win championships over the long term.”

‘W13 niggles’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mercedes-10-months-development-lost/


Wolff pinpoints ‘single decision last October’ as the reason behind Mercedes’ 2022 performance
01 November 2022
Formula 1.

Toto Wolff believes a development call some 12 months ago was the moment Mercedes “got it wrong” with the development of their 2022 car, as he reflected on the team’s efforts to bring the W13 up to speed.

“I think we understand more now what it is where we got it wrong with the car. We can almost trace it back to a single decision last October,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1, as he assessed the W13’s difficult start to life and its development since.

Pushed on what that decision was, Wolff pointed to the car’s floor and ride height, saying: “We thought we could run on the deck, but you can’t! So it’s little hamster steps and, as long as the trajectory is going up, even with little backlashes, I think we’re on a good path.”

‘Little hamster steps’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.wolff-pinpoints-single-decision-last-october-as-the-reason-behind-mercedes.1kLKRTyZBApInVtk2Lh8bb.html


Wolff: No guarantee Mercedes will catch Red Bull in 2023
11:28 Thu, 03 Nov 2022.
• Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Read Motorsport

Toto Wolff says Mercedes is still a “long way” off from closing its performance deficit to Red Bull as it bids to return to Formula 1 championship contention next year. After eight consecutive constructors’ titles in a row, Mercedes is set to record its lowest finish of the V6 hybrid era after struggling to get on top of the 2022 regulations.

But having overcome teething problems with the W13 at the beginning of the season, Mercedes’ progress in recent races has revived hopes it can return to prominence in 2023. “The thing is, we are racers, and the moment we can kind of see it in front of us, we just want to grab it,” Wolf said.

“Therefore, there is always a sense of frustration. But we have come from such a long way, and here we are. We are racing for a win, racing for both cars on the podium, the Ferraris are behind us. So you need to stay humble and of what we achieved while still reaching for the stars.”

‘We are racers,’;

https://readmotorsport.com/2022/11/03/wolff-no-guarantee-mercedes-will-catch-red-bull-in-2023/


TOTO WOLFF: MERCEDES HAVE LOST “8-10 MONTHS” OF DEVELOPMENT
The Mercedes boss has said that the team must now play the “long game” in order to win titles
November 9, 2022
Rhiannon Temporal

Although the porpoising struggles suffered by Mercedes at the beginning of the season now seem to be a distant memory, the team is still feeling the ramifications. It took months for the team to understand the issues they were seeing on track, problems that did not appear during wind tunnel testing.

Now, Wolff has admitted how much time the porpoising issues have cost the team. The Mercedes boss said: “We’ve maybe lost eight to 10 months in terms of development because we couldn’t figure out what was wrong. So, there’s definitely a challenge.”

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff outlines how the team will become championship contenders once more. With their run of seven consecutive constructors’ world championships now over, Mercedes must rebuild to get back to their winning ways.

‘LOST “8-10 MONTHS” OF DEVEL’PMENT';

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/toto-wolff-mercedes-have-lost-8-10-months-of-development/?nowprocket=1


Don’t be fooled by Mexico, Mercedes is ‘months’ behind Red Bull
Nov 3 2022
By Ben Anderson

It’s obvious that Mercedes’ early struggles in misjudging its 2022 Formula 1 car concept severely compromised in-season development, but Toto Wolff has now quantified the loss to his team’s aerodynamicists.

Mercedes has still thrown new parts at the W13, including a recent front wing upgrade for Austin/Mexico that had to be modified before it was considered legal to race, and it has outscored Ferrari comprehensively over the past two races, suggesting Mercedes is slowly clawing its way back into the hunt.

But inherent weaknesses remain, particularly in regard to a rear suspension set-up that generally prevents the car from being run in the ideal ride-height range to produce decent downforce without the car bouncing too aggressively and then shedding that load over bumps and kerbs (and rattling its drivers’ brains and spines).

‘Inherent weaknesses remain’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/dont-be-fooled-by-mexico-mercedes-is-months-behind-red-bull/


Wolff reveals just how far Mercedes are behind Red Bull
‎04‎ ‎November‎ ‎07‎:‎00
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Toto Wolff believes Mercedes are "eight to 10 months" behind Red Bull in terms of Formula 1 development after their problematic 2022 season.
Mercedes' W13 design has proved troublesome this season with the car initially affected by porpoising in the early rounds.

"[Red Bull] certainly [have] an advantage, but we believe that we understand where the gap comes from," he (Toto Wolff) told media, including RacingNews365.com.

‘How far Mercedes are behind’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-reveals-just-how-far-mercedes-are-behind-red-bull


Mercedes chief Toto Wolff sends defiant message to Red Bull after disastrous F1 season
Mercedes are still yet to win a race this season as Red Bull's Max Verstappen sealed his second consecutive world championship.
11:33, Thu, Nov 3, 2022
By Ryan Taylor

Toto Wolff insists Mercedes are ready to embrace the difficult challenge ahead of them as they bid to wrestle back their stronghold over Red Bull following a calamitous campaign - vying to do everything within his power to ensure the Silver Arrows compete again next season.

Wolff claims Mercedes now have the grit between their teeth to turn things around, despite conceding that Red Bull now have an undeniable advantage heading into the 2023 season following a turbulent campaign that was plagued with issues with the W13 car.

"That will certainly be an advantage for them. They will take the positive aspects of that car into the next cars," Wolff told RacingNews365, before claiming the development backlog is now close to a year. "We may have lost eight to ten months in that development battle because we couldn't figure out what was wrong. So there's definitely a challenge ahead of us.”

‘Grit between their teeth/ embrace the difficult challenge ahead of them/ challenge ahead of us’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1691605/Mercedes-Toto-Wolff-sends-defiant-message-Red-Bull-disastrous-F1-season

[Fortitude]

Adrian Newey ‘surprised’ Red Bull’s rivals were caught out by porpoising cars.
Red Bull design guru Adrian Newey “was surprised” rival teams were caught out by porpoising cars, saying “everyone should have known” it was coming.
Wednesday 9th November 2022 12:00 PM
Michelle Foster

Studying ground effect aerodynamics before entering Formula 1, the Briton told Auto Motor und Sport: “I had a basic understanding of the ground effect principle and also of the phenomenon that we saw 40 years as porpoising bouncing. So I guessed what was in store for us. At most I was surprised by the extent. Actually, everyone should have known. It’s a phenomenon that’s in the genes of these cars.”

It has been suggested that the teams suffering with the phenomenon had a torrid time eradicating it as it cannot be replicated in a wind tunnel. Newey says that’s true, but Red Bull had already found their solution by the time the six days of pre-season testing was over.

“It’s difficult to translate this problem into a model,” he said. “The model is fixed in the wind tunnel, so you can’t simulate it. But there were ways to predict it and we got a handle on it relatively quickly with our upgrade on the last day. By the time the Bahrain test was over, we had contained it to the point where it wasn’t bothersome.”

‘Everyone should have known’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/adrian-newey-surprised-red-bulls-rivals-were-caught-out-by-porpoising-cars/


Adrian Newey surprised Mercedes were blindsided by porpoising
The RB18 is now officially Adrian Newey’s most successful car design.
8 November 2022
by Jack Devonport

Red Bull have had a scintillating season, recovering from their early reliability issues and not looking back as they made their way to both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships. The main problem for teams early on in the season was porpoising, a violent sort of bouncing that is caused by the aerodynamic design of the new era of Formula 1 cars.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at Mercedes struggled with this in particular problem, even suggesting that the FIA should look into the physics of the new cars to see if anything could be done to help the teams, as they would often end races with severe back pain.

Red Bull’s chief technical director Adrian Newey has suggested that the team overcame the porpoising issue before the first race even took place, claiming the it was easy to predict the problem.

‘RB18 is now officially Adrian Newey’s most successful car design’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/adrian-newey-surprised-mercedes-were-blindsided-by-porpoising/


Helmut Marko recalls his first meeting with design guru Adrian Newey
Thursday 3rd November 2022 8:00 PM
Henry Valantine

Helmut Marko admits Adrian Newey “gazed a little bit strange at me” when they first met, with the Red Bull motorsport advisor keen on bringing the prolific designer on board.

In Newey’s book, ‘How to Build a Car: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Formula 1 Designer’, his account of being approached by Red Bull came with something of a blunt approach from Marko, writing that his opening salvo went along the lines of: “I am Dr. Helmut Marko. I work for Red Bull. You will call me.”

“He gazed a little bit strange at me,” Marko admitted in an interview with Road & Track magazine. “Look, when Red Bull decided to go into F1, people thought we were just a fun company making bigger parties than the others. My approach was to be as competitive as possible. I am direct about what we expect, and in the end, it worked out.”

“You will call me”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut-marko-first-meeting-adrian-newey/


How Honda got Red Bull's top designer Adrian Newey sharp again
‎05‎ ‎November‎ ‎18‎:‎00
Author Rory Mitchell

Red Bull's switch to engine maker Honda in 2019 marked a new era for the team, which has so far successfully proven to bring them championships. It also reignited designer Adrian Newey's motivation.

After winning both the Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championships between 2010 and 2013 with Sebastian Vettel, it would take Red Bull another nine years before they repeated the same feat. At that time, the team's Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey, was the lead designer of the cars that propelled Vettel to success.

Despite the regulation change to hybrid engines that followed in 2014, Newey – speaking to Red Bull – admits that he was contemplating whether to stop after 2013. "We can count ourselves lucky that we had a really good run from 2009 to 2013," Newey says. "But to be honest, at the end of '13, I was quite tired."

‘Reignited designer Adrian Newey's motivation’;

https://racingnews365.com/how-honda-got-red-bulls-top-designer-adrian-newey-sharp-again


Helmut Marko reveals Adrian Newey’s complaints about Red Bull wind tunnel
Wednesday 9th November 2022 6:00 AM
Sam Cooper

Helmut Marko has been explaining why a wartime building has been proving a headache for Red Bull’s chief technology officer Adrian Newey. Newey has garnered a reputation as perhaps the greatest designer ever in the sport having been the architect of eleven Constructors’ Championship-winning cars.

With his senior position at one of the top teams in Red Bull, you would think he had everything at his disposal to make them a continued success but it appears that is not the case. The team are based in Milton Keynes, 50 miles outside of London, and took over the factory from previous occupants Jaguar Racing and, before that, Stewart Grand Prix.

But the wind tunnel which the team uses is not actually situated at their Milton Keynes base and is instead at an old RAF facility site which means it is a listed building. The tunnel, which was built shortly after WWII, has been described as a “relic of the Cold War” by team principal Christian Horner and is said to be drastically affected by the temperature outside.

‘Red Bull wind tunnel’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut-marko-reveals-adrian-newey-complaints-red-bull-wind-tunnel/


Red Bull chief Adrian Newey's wife laments 'a year of abuse' from F1 fans
Amanda Newey has spoken out on the difficulties faced by Red Bull after a series of controversies.
18:46, Wed, Nov 2, 2022
By Charlie Gordon

Ill feelings towards the 2021 triumph ramped up again in recent weeks when the FIA's end-of-season audit found that Red Bull had overshot last season's £114million budget cap by just under £500,000. They were consequently slapped with a £6m fine and a 10 per cent reduction in wind tunnel time over the next 12 months, adding to the narrative that Hamilton, according to F1 expert Ted Kravitz, had been 'robbed'.

A column released on Tuesday by The Times referred to Horner as 'delusional', 'graceless under pressure' and 'a loser' while criticising his decision to bring up mental health. Such strong words provoked an angry reaction from Amanda Newey.

What qualifies you to judge me, my husband's or any member or family member of Red Bull's mental state?" she queried on Twitter. "When you get a year of abuse, and you don’t even work for the team, it wears you down. Provoking the fans with toxic journalism adds to the problem."

‘Adrian Newey's wife laments 'a year of abuse' from F1 fans’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1691303/red-bull-adrian-newey-max-verstappen-title-christian-horner

[Fortitude]

Another thrilling sprint race? 2022 Brazilian GP what to watch for.
Formula 1’s titles may now be decided, but the grand prix world is still getting excited for a visit to one of the championship’s most charismatic and historic venues: Interlagos.
November 9th 2022
Author James Elson F1
Motor Sport Magazine

Rain storms, records and a sprint race steeplechase are all on the agenda at this weekend's Sao Paulo GP. From Ayrton Senna’s first home win in ’91 to Hamilton’s last-lap title-clinching pass in ’08, the home of Brazil’s GP seems naturally suited to hosting seismic events, always doing so with a carnival atmosphere. This weekend’s proceedings include a sprint race, likely held in adverse weather with much to play for up and down the championship table. Here’s what to watch for at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

2022’s last F1 sprint race – will it be any good? F1’s sprint races have largely disappointed since their introduction last year, essentially acting as an extra GP stint without much of the hoped-for overtaking – will Brazil finally satiate fans’ thirst for action? Imola did see certain amount of DRS-induced entertainment, whilst the Red Bull Ring’s midfield skirmishes whetted the appetite before Sunday, but perhaps the best ‘GP-lite’ offering so far was the corresponding fixture at Interlagos last year.

Can Verstappen extend record streak? F1’s new champion has already now won the most races in a season (14) and scored the most points in one too (416) but he will very likely extend both of these with sixty points still on offer in the last two events.

‘What to watch for’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/another-thrilling-sprint-race-2022-brazilian-gp-what-to-watch-for?nowprocket=1


Brazilian GP Weather: What's in store for the drivers at Interlagos?
‎08‎ ‎November‎ ‎12‎:‎30
Author Luke Murphy

Predicting the Interlagos weather is difficult, but the early forecasts suggest rain could play some part in the running of the 2022 Brazilian GP. The Interlagos Circuit has a host of classic wet F1 races to choose from, and the prospect of another rain-affected race cannot be ruled out.

According to our friends at WeerOnline.nl, the temperatures in Sao Paolo will gradually be increasing as we head towards the Grand Prix weekend, with temperatures in the mid-to-high twenties (Celsius) expected.

Early forecasts suggest that Friday could be the wettest day, which would have increased significance for this Grand Prix weekend. Due to the Sprint race format, qualifying will take place on the Friday, the day with the greatest chance of rain.

‘What's in store’;

https://racingnews365.com/brazilian-gp-weather-whats-in-store-for-the-drivers-at-interlagos


Brazilian GP: What has happened to Brazil’s F1 talent?
There are no Brazilians on the F1 grid, and even if interest in Formula 1 is still high in Brazil
November 9, 2022
By Ed Spencer

Brazil a nation that has produced more F1 world champions than any other non-Europe country and a nation that has hosted a race for 49 consecutive years, with the exception being 2020 when the race was cancelled because of Covid-19.

Thirty years ago, three Brazilians took the start of their home race, and for the following years, at least one or two Brazilians gave the local crowd someone to cheer for.

Fast forward 30 years, and there are no Brazilians on the F1 grid, and even if Brazilian interest in Formula 1 is still high, along with several juniors hoping to break that drought, their is still no sign of the next great Brazilian Formula 1 driver.

‘So how did Brazil go from three Grand Prix drivers to zero in over 30 years?’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/brazilian-gp-what-happened-brazil-f1-talent/


Palmer: If you don't get a chaotic race, Max will just win
Yesterday, ‎07‎:‎00
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Jolyon Palmer believes that the Interlagos Circuit will need to create one of its 'messy' races in order to stop another Red Bull F1 victory.

Jolyon Palmer is hoping for a 'messy' race in order to create a surprise result at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen is looking to challenge for a record-extended 15th Grand Prix victory of the season at the Brazilian GP.

With Red Bull, Ferrari and, eventually, Mercedes being the dominant frontrunners for most of the season, few other teams have had the opportunity to challenge for the podium positions. The Brazilian GP is one that has generated some entertaining races in previous seasons, something which ex-F1 driver Palmer is hoping to see.

‘Max will just win’;

https://racingnews365.com/palmer-if-you-dont-get-a-chaotic-race-max-will-just-win


How to watch Brazilian Grand Prix 2022: F1 race start time, TV channel, live stream, highlights and schedule.
The sprint is back for the penultimate round of the 2022 F1 season as the series heads to a fan favourite circuit.
November 7, 2022 3:14 pm
By Daniel Austin
Sports writer

Formula One heads to Brazil this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2022 season, and the final of three sprint weekends which shake up the action and aim to provide fans with an extra level of excitement.

As has already been the case in both Emilia Romagna and Austria this year, qualifying is switched to Friday night in order to accommodate the sprint race on Saturday, which will see drivers duke it out in a 24-lap dash to the finish around the Interlagos circuit.

Max Verstappen is of course already F1 world champion for the second time and became the most dominant title winner in history last time out in Mexico by taking victory for the 14th time in a single campaign, surpassing the previous record of 13 jointly-held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

‘How to watch Brazilian Grand Prix’;

https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-one/brazilian-grand-prix-2022-how-watch-f1-start-time-tv-channel-live-stream-schedule-highlights-1956593?ITO=newsnow

[Fortitude]

Norris hit with food poisoning ahead of São Paulo GP.
Lando Norris has been hit with food poisoning ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix weekend.
Thursday 10 November 2022 12:45 - Updated: 13:22
Ewan Gale

It is the second time this season that Norris will have been affected by illness during an F1 race weekend, having battled fever and tonsilitis at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Should the illness affect Norris badly enough to force his withdrawal from the event, it is understood McLaren has only Nyck de Vries available out of its pool of reserve drivers.

‘Hit with food poisoning’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/95672/lando-norris-illness-sao-paulo-gp/


Lando Norris suffering from food poisoning as McLaren say whether he'll race in Brazil GP
McLaren driver Lando Norris is suffering with suspected food poisoning ahead of the Brazil GP this weekend.
13:50, Thu, Nov 10, 2022
By Andrew McLean

Norris will stay in his hotel today with McLaren announcing that their driver is feeling unwell after being struck down with suspected food poisoning. He will take no part in his media duties at Interlagos today as Formula One star speak to journalists for the first time before the race weekend.

A statement released on the team's Twitter read: "Lando is feeling unwell with suspected food poisoning, so he will rest in the hotel today. We expect him back at track tomorrow. Get well soon, Lando!"

‘Suffering from food poisoning’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1694864/Lando-Norris-food-poisoning-McLaren-Brazil-GP-Formula-One-news


McLaren preparing De Vries as possible Norris replacement
10/11/2022, ‎14‎:‎18
Author Luke Murphy

Nyck de Vries will be the driver on standby to compete for McLaren should Lando Norris be unable to race at the Brazilian Grand Prix, McLaren has confirmed to RacingNews365.com. The Dutch driver is in Brazil and will be McLaren's go-to driver if Norris does not make a quick recovery from food poisoning.

Any McLaren outing would be the fifth team de Vries has driven for in 2022. On top of his Williams appearance, he participated in free practice outings for Mercedes and Aston Martin, and also trialled an older Alpine car earlier in the year.

His impressive performances have resulted in a drive with the AlphaTauri team in 2023, partnering Yuki Tsunoda.

‘Nyck de Vries on standby’;

https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-preparing-de-vries-as-possible-norris-replacement


Lando Norris hit by food poisoning ahead of Brazilian GP as McLaren prepare replacement.
Norris will miss the whole of media day ahead of the race in Sao Paulo this weekend, which will not be ideal preparation for McLaren amid their tight midfield battle in the standings.
14:39, 10 Nov 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Lando Norris has come down with suspected food poisoning on the eve of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend, McLaren have confirmed.

On Thursdays, drivers spend much of their time at the circuit fulfilling their media obligations ahead of a race weekend. But Norris is absent today having complained of feeling unwell, and so will remain in his Sao Paulo hotel.

McLaren confirmed the news to Mirror Sport, who had been in the process of arranging an interview with the Brit. The team also posted publicly, telling fans: "Lando is feeling unwell with suspected food poisoning, so he will rest in the hotel today. We expect him back at track tomorrow."

‘McLaren prepare replacement’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/lando-norris-food-poisoning-brazil-28458708


Norris unwell, McLaren puts de Vries on standby
10/11/2022 at 15:05
Phillip van Osten

Lando Norris was feeling under the weather on Thursday in Sao Paulo and was excused from media duties at Interlagos, while McLaren has reportedly put Mercedes reserve Nyck de Vries on standby, just in case.

A tweet from McLaren suggested that Norris was suffering from food poisoning, with doctors ordering the Briton to rest at his hotel on Thursday. However, the papaya squad expects Norris to be up and running on Friday as scheduled.

But should the McLaren charger remain ill, de Vries - who will race for AlphaTauri next season but who remains contracted to Mercedes as the German outfit's reserve driver - would sub for Norris this weekend.

‘Nyck de Vries on standby’;

https://f1i.com/news/459749-norris-unwell-mclaren-puts-de-vries-on-standby.html

[Fortitude]

6 big questions that need answers at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Interlagos is one of the most iconic venues in Formula 1 and you can’t help but be impressed by the sheer passion the Brazilians have for the sport.
Published: 10 Nov 2022, 10:38
By George Dagless

The Brazilian Grand Prix is here for another year as one of the most popular events of the season takes centre stage. They’ve had some great drivers over the years and, though they won’t have anyone native to cheer on this weekend, they’ll undoubtedly bring their special samba-infused atmosphere over the course of the next three days. Here, we take a look at the big questions that need answers this weekend…

Neither Sergio Perez or Charles Leclerc will have wanted to be fighting for P2 at this stage of the season, given they were both in the title race at points this year, but ultimately that is what has happened. Perez leads Leclerc by 5 points in the standings and will be looking to try and extend that over the course of the weekend, whilst Leclerc will be aiming to try and overhaul the Mexican driver.

Elsewhere in the Constructors’, the fights for P4, P6 and P8 in the standings continue to rumble on, with tight margins involved in all three. Seven points separate Alpine and McLaren for fourth, there are just four points between Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin, and Haas and AlphaTauri are separated by one point in the fight for eighth.

‘Special samba-infused atmosphere’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88082147-6-big-questions-that-need-answers-at-the-brazilian-grand-prix


First pictures from the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix weekend
F1 Pictures
Posted on 10th November 2022, 19:59
Written by Keith Collantine

‘Pictures from the build-up to the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/10/first-pictures-from-the-2022-brazilian-grand-prix-weekend/


Former F1 champion Nico Rosberg explains why the first corner of a race is always so chaotic, especially at the Brazilian Grand Prix
18:51 Thu, 10 Nov 2022.
INSIDER

Earlier this year at Formula One's British Grand Prix, Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu flipped upside-down, heading to the first turn of the race in one of the scarier scenes the sport has seen recently. While Zhou's wreck was the extreme, what is not unusual is to see chaos at the first corner of an F1 race.
In a recent video, 2016 F1 champion Nico Rosberg explained why the first corner of a race is so treacherous. While the traffic of 20 cars fighting for track position certainly plays a factor, Rosberg also notes that there is a mystery that requires a driver's instincts to take over, and some drivers are better than others.

‘First corner of a race is always so chaotic’;

https://www.insider.com/f1-brazilian-grand-prix-turn-1-chaos-nico-rosberg-2022-11


Brazilian GP: Thursday's build-up in pictures
10/11/2022 at 19:30
Michael Delaney

Twenty down, two more to go!
Check out our pictures from Formula 1's media day at Interlagos in Sao Paulo, the venue for the Brazilian Grand Prix, round 20 of the 2022 F1 world championship.

‘Build-up in pictures’;

https://f1i.com/news/459762-brazilian-gp-thursdays-build-up-in-pictures-3.html


Bernie Ecclestone is back in the F1 paddock for first time since saying he would 'take a bullet' for Vladimir Putin as mogul, 92, is accompanied by his wife Fabiana in Sao Paulo ahead of Brazilian Grand Prix
• Bernie Ecclestone returned to a Formula One paddock on Thursday
• Mogul, 92, was accompanied by his wife ahead of Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix
• Ecclestones own a coffee farm a 25-minute helicopter ride from Sao Paulo city
Published: 22:31, 10 November 2022
By Jonathan McEvoy for the Daily Mail

The sport's current owners, Liberty Media, who took over Ecclestone's creation in 2017, are wary of his presence, but made no attempt to void his paddock pass.

‘Bernie Ecclestone is back’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11414609/Ecclestone-F1-paddock-time-saying-bullet-Putin.html


Ecclestone: Schumacher needs to 'forget F1' and move on
09/11/2022 at 12:48
Phillip van Osten

Amid reports that Mick Schumacher is set to lose his seat at Haas to Nico Hulkenberg, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone advises the young German to "forget F1" , move on and focus on winning in another category.

Ecclestone admits that the 23-year-old's talent is hard to judge given that he's never driven a competitive car. But based on what he's seen, Mr. E believes that if Schumacher loses his seat with Haas, his skills would prove more productive if applied to a different category than F1.

"I don’t think he will be there," Ecclestone told RTL when asked about Schumacher's prospects. "People were disappointed with his performance. We don’t know whether it was because of him or the team, but of course it’s difficult to find someone to put him on a winning team. Because he’s not in one at the moment."

‘Bernie Ecclestone advise’;

https://f1i.com/news/459698-ecclestone-schumacher-needs-to-forget-f1-and-move-on.html

[Fortitude]

Brazil GP: Sergio Perez leads highly competitive Practice 1.
Sergio Perez set the pace as just six-tenths covered the top 10 in Practice 1 at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
11 November 2022
Ben Issatt
Formula 1.

With just an hour of running before qualifying later on Friday, teams had plenty on their to-do list under sunny skies at Interlagos. And Red Bull wasted little time going to the top of the timesheet as most opted for hard tyres for their first runs.

Then the soft compound was fitted and Perez pipped teammate Max Verstappen by just 0.008s to go fastest with a 1m11.853s. Though his deficit was in the final sector, understeer in the slow-speed corners was the main complaint from the reigning world champion.

Charles Leclerc later split the two Bulls in his Ferrari, just 0.004s slower than pacesetter Perez. A five-place grid penalty for a new ICE was confirmed for Carlos Sainz, who had a scare with Lando Norris en route to fourth, one-thousandth ahead of fifth-placed Lewis Hamilton.

‘Sergio Perez leads’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16486-brazil-gp-sergio-perez-leads-highly-competitive-practice-1


Brazilian Grand Prix Free Practice 1 - Results
11/11/2022 at 16:43
Michael Delaney

2022 Brazilian Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 results
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Sergio Pérez Red Bull 1:11.853s 28
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.857s + 0.004s 30
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:11.861s + 0.008s 27
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:12.039s + 0.186s 29
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:12.040s + 0.187s 24
6 George Russell Mercedes 1:12.055s + 0.202s 23
7 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 1:12.157s + 0.304s 29
8 Mick Schumacher Haas 1:12.314s + 0.461s 26
9 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:12.466s + 0.613s 30
10 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1:12.467s + 0.614s 31

‘Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos, round 21 of the 2022 Formula 1 world championship’;

https://f1i.com/news/459843-brazilian-grand-prix-free-practice-1-results.html


Everything that happened in first Brazilian GP F1 practice
11/11/2022, 17:03
By Ben Anderson
The Race

Sergio Perez narrowly beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to the fastest time in first practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix, as just two tenths of a second blanketed Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. FP1 represents the only meaningful practice session of this weekend, given Interlagos plays host to F1’s final sprint race of 2022 and so qualifying replaces the usual FP2 slot on Friday.

As such, the run programmes varied greatly across the teams, creating an unclear picture of relative form. Red Bull used the hard tyre to begin with, before making an early switch to softs for qualifying simulations. Mercedes used the softs much later in the session, when the track had improved significantly. Ferrari waited until the closing minutes, when the track was at its best, before fitting the softest (C4) tyre for the first time.

That means Perez’s 1m11.853s best lap was set much earlier than his main rivals, so it’s likely the Red Bull is capable of going much faster than the 0.004s gap to Leclerc’s Ferrari in FP1. World champion Max Verstappen set the pace in the early part of the session, using the hardest tyre, but he complained throughout the hour that his RB18 “just doesn’t turn at all”.

‘Brazilian GP F1 practice’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/everything-that-happened-in-first-brazilian-gp-f1-practice/


Carlos Sainz hit with five-place penalty for Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Friday 11th November 2022 5:17 PM
Sam Cooper

Carlos Sainz will start the Sao Paulo Grand Prix five places back from where he finishes in the sprint after having a new internal combustion engine fitted, his sixth of the season.

The penalty will be applied to the grand prix rather than Saturday’s sprint, which means he will start the shorter ‘race’ wherever he qualifies on Friday.

The FIA said Sainz was in breach of Article 28.2 of the FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations having used his sixth ICE of the season so far.

‘Five-place penalty’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/carlos-sainz-five-place-penalty-sao-paulo-grand-prix/


Carlos Sainz hits out at 'super dangerous' Lando Norris during Brazilian GP practice
Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris came close to colliding in FP1 at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
16:40, Fri, Nov 11, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Carlos Sainz has branded Lando Norris “super dangerous” after almost coming together with the McLaren driver in first practice in Brazil. Sainz was forced onto a strip of grass on the run-off at turn three as he started a new hot lap.

Norris had wandered onto the racing line on a cool-down lap which caused the Ferrari driver to dive onto the rumble strip and then the grass in a bid to avoid a collision. However, Sainz was critical of Norris’ position, claiming the 22-year-old was in a “dangerous” place.

'Super dangerous';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1695443/carlos-sainz-ferrari-lando-norris-mclaren-brazilian-grand-prix

[Fortitude]

Kevin Magnussen shocks F1 world with Brazilian GP pole as George Russell crashes out.
Kevin Magnussen secured the first pole position of his lengthy Formula 1 career after a George Russell spin played perfectly into the stunned Haas driver's hands.
11/11/2022, 20:13
By Daniel Moxon
F1 Writer
The Mirror

Kevin Magnussen secured the first pole position of his lengthy Formula 1 career after a George Russell spin played perfectly into the stunned Haas driver's hands. "I've never before felt like this," said the delighted but disbelieving Dane as he found out he was top of the timesheets, as the session was red-flagged after Russell's spin. The rain which then swept across the track meant no-one could match his time, and so Haas had their first ever pole position in F1.

As it dawned upon him, Magnussen stood on his car and punched the air while his engineers went ballistic around him. Team principal Guenther Steiner began to run across the pitlane with his hands in the air and a beaming smile on his face. So new is the Dane to all this, Haas' media chief had to explain what happens next as he made his way to the interview area.

In the end, the bottom five was made up of more familiar names. Mick Schumacher, Zhou Guanyu, Yuki Tsunoda and Nicholas Latifi were victims of Q1, though it was more surprising to see Valtteri Bottas also eliminated after looking strong in practice earlier in the afternoon – a victim of Alfa Romeo making the wrong decision to not move onto slicks.

‘Kevin Magnussen shocks F1 world’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/breaking-brazilian-gp-qualifying-result-28470548


2022 Brazilian Grand Prix - Qualifying results
11/11/2022 at 20:10
Andrew Lewin

2022 Brazilian Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:13.954s 1:11.410s 1:11.674s
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:13.625s 1:10.881s 1:11.877s
3 George Russell Mercedes 1:14.427s 1:11.318s 1:12.059s
4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:13.106s 1:11.377s 1:12.263s
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:14.680s 1:10.890s 1:12.357s
6 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:14.663s 1:11.587s 1:12.425s
7 Fernando Alonso Alpine 1:13.542s 1:11.394s 1:12.504s
8 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:13.403s 1:11.539s 1:12.611s
9 Sergio Pérez Red Bull 1:13.613s 1:11.456s 1:15.601s
10 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:14.486s 1:10.950s

‘Full results from qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos in Sao Paulo, round 21 of the 2022 Formula 1 season’;

https://f1i.com/news/459869-2022-brazilian-grand-prix-qualifying-results.html


F1 qualifying results: Brazilian Grand Prix starting grid as Kevin Magnussen shock takes pole for sprint race
The Haas team took its first ever pole in sensational circumstances at Interlagos
November 11, 2022 8:17 pm(Updated 8:29 pm)
By Daniel Austin
Sports writer

Kevin Magnussen took pole position for the first time in his Formula One career in qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix in sensational circumstances aided by the damp conditions at Interlagos.

The Dane was top of the standings early in Q3 when a red flag was put out to recover George Russell‘s Mercedes, and subsequent rain meant that no drivers were able to improve their times, leaving Magnussen at the top of the standings and Haas with their first ever pole position since joining F1 in 2016.

The 30-year-old pulled the fastest lap of the day out of the bag on his first run in the top ten shootout to beat second-placed Max Verstappen by 0.203 seconds, with Russell a further 0.385s behind in third.

‘Brazilian Grand Prix starting grid’;

https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-one/f1-qualifying-results-brazilian-grand-prix-starting-grid-kevin-magnussen-haas-sprint-race-sao-paolo-1967901?ITO=newsnow


Magnussen takes shock maiden F1 pole at Brazilian GP
11/11/2022, 20:28
By Matt Beer
The Race

Kevin Magnussen and Haas took an extraordinary pole position for Formula 1’s Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race in changeable weather at Interlagos.

Magnussen outpaced world champion Max Verstappen and the rest of the usual frontrunners in a straight fight on a slightly damp track at the start of Q3, having already impressed with seventh places in Q1 and Q2.

Then George Russell slewed his Mercedes into the Descida do Lago gravel and caused a red flag, during which the rain came down harder – cementing Magnussen’s astonishing pole.

‘Magnussen takes shock maiden F1 pole’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/magnussen-takes-shock-maiden-f1-pole-in-brazilian-gp-qualifying/


Kevin Magnussen seals first-ever F1 pole for Sprint at Brazilian GP
Published: 11 Nov 2022, 20:17
By George Dagless

Kevin Magnussen will start the Sprint from P1 at the Brazilian Grand Prix after making the most of the variable conditions at Interlagos.

Rain fell before qualifying and was on and off over the course of the session, with drivers moving to slicks through Q1 and throughout Q2, before drizzle fell in Q3 to cause some chaos and set us up for Magnussen to earn his first-ever pole position in Formula 1.

Indeed, a combination of worsening conditions after a red flag caused by George Russell in Q3, and Magnussen being first out onto the track at the start of the final session, meant that the Danish driver was able to set the quickest time initially, and it wouldn’t get beaten.

‘Kevin Magnussen seals first-ever F1 pole’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88083018-kevin-magnussen-seals-first-ever-f1-pole-for-sprint-at-brazilian-gp


Magnussen takes shock sprint race pole position in rain-hit qualifying session
2022 Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying
Posted on 11th November 2022, 20:22
Written by Will Wood

Kevin Magnussen secured a stunning pole position for the Interlagos sprint race after a fortunately-timed red flag ensured he beat Max Verstappen to the fastest time. In a qualifying hour affected by intermittent rain, Magnussen was the first driver onto the track in Q3 and set what would be the pole position time before George Russell spun into the gravel and trigged a red flag stoppage. Rain fell during the suspension, meaning none of the drivers could improve after the session resumed, securing a shock pole for Magnussen and Haas.

Max Verstappen will start alongside Magnussen on the front row for tomorrow’s sprint race, with George Russell lining up third. The Haas driver Mick Schumacher, whose future at the team is in serious doubt, was dismayed to learn he had failed to make the cut. “We didn’t get through, it was 15.1 to get through,” he race engineer informed him. Not only was Schumacher’s 1’16.361 well outside that, it was almost two-and-a-half seconds slower than his team mate.

‘Magnussen takes shock sprint race pole’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/11/magnussen-takes-shock-sprint-race-pole-position-in-rain-hit-qualifying-session/

[Fortitude]

Steiner: When it rains soup, you need to have a spoon ready.
Haas team boss Guenther Steiner savored a rare moment of success as his Formula 1 backmarkers pulled off an astonishing first pole position with Kevin Magnussen at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Friday.
12 November, 2022
Reuters

The Italian, whose direct approach and colorful language has made him a cult hero for millions through the popular Netflix ‘Drive to Survive’ docu-series, reacted in typical fashion. “When it rains soup, you need to have a spoon ready,” the Italian told Sky Sports television. “And we had the spoon ready today.”

Magnussen was first out of the pitlane in the final qualifying shoot-out for Saturday’s Sprint Race, benefiting from the best conditions before George Russell spun off in his Mercedes and brought a halt to the session. Rain then meant nobody else could go quicker than Magnussen’s time set on slick tyres. The pole was his first at the 140th attempt, but in his 100th race for Haas, and also the first by a Danish driver in F1.

“These are things that if you dream about it, you are scared to dream about it,” said Steiner, whose American team owner Gene Haas turns 70 on Saturday and has more often than not been presented with a fork when the occasion demands a spoon. “The whole team is trying hard since seven years and then circumstances let us pull this one off. I think it was not luck. It was well deserved from the driver and team being on the right tyres at the right time.”

‘When it rains soup, you need to have a spoon ready’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11/12/steiner-when-it-rains-soup-you-need-to-have-a-spoon-ready/


Kevin Magnussen vows maximum attack after landing first F1 pole
Published: 12 Nov 2022, 10:08
By George Dagless

Kevin Magnussen says he will bring maximum attack to today’s Sprint in Sao Paulo after sealing a first-ever F1 pole on Friday. The Danish driver nailed a flying lap at the start of Q3 in Brazil, that no-one else behind him on track could beat, before a George Russell-induced red flag and then increasing rain meant there was neither enough time nor the right conditions for someone else to get out there and beat him in the closing stages.

Indeed, that quickly sparked celebrations in the Haas garage as the team marked a first-ever pole position since their arrival on the grid in 2016, and Magnussen will now be looking to try and turn it into some kind of positive result both today in the Sprint and then tomorrow in the Grand Prix itself.

Speaking after the session, he reflected on what he had achieved before then vowing to be on the front foot from the off today: “In this sport, I do go up and down [with emotions]. It’s a lot of fun on days like this, that’s for sure,” he told Sky Sports F1.

‘Kevin Magnussen vows maximum attack’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88083097-kevin-magnussen-vows-maximum-attack-after-landing-first-f1-pole


Guenther Steiner praises entire Haas team after sealing first F1 pole
Published: 12 Nov 2022, 09:58
By George Dagless

Guenther Steiner could not hide his delight after Kevin Magnussen sealed his first-ever F1 pole in Brazil on Friday, and the first-ever for Haas as well. Qualifying took place on Friday at Interlagos with the third and final Sprint weekend upon us and it was a session to remember for Haas as they saw themselves take P1 via Kevin Magnussen for the very first time.

The Haas always goes well in damp conditions and that is what we had in qualifying yesterday, with the final 10 drivers standing all eager to get out on track as soon as possible before another rain shower came and ruined their chances of a competitive time.

Guenther Steiner: “Kevin deserves a lot. The whole team deserves this and he’s part of the team. We always work hard, we never give up and we keep on fighting.”

‘Steiner discusses Haas’ achievement in Brazil’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88083098-guenther-steiner-praises-entire-haas-team-after-sealing-first-f1-pole


'POLE BABY!': Kevin Magnussen hails 'incredible' first pole position of his career for the Brazilian GP sprint race... after an 'amazing journey' in which his time in F1 looked to be over before returning to Haas weeks before the start of the season
• Kevin Magnussen took a shocking first pole position of his career in Brazil
• The Haas driver set the fastest lap in Q3 before the red flag was brought out
• With rain coming down, nobody could knock the Haas driver off pole position
• Magnussen said he 'never felt like this' in his life before pole was secured
• It is also the first pole position for his Haas team since they arrived in 2016
Published: 00:47, 12 November 2022
By Kieran Lynch For Mailonline

Kevin Magnussen was left stunned after he claimed his and his Haas team's first ever pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Dane will head the grid in Saturday's sprint race after he set the fastest time in Friday's qualifying session - setting the quickest lap before a red flag was brought out just as rain began to fall.

'You are f***ing kidding me,' he said when informed he headed the order after George Russell's Mercedes temporarily brought out the red flag.

'You are f***ing kidding me';

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11419073/POLE-BABY-Kevin-Magnussen-hails-incredible-pole-position-career.html


An extreme example of the case against keeping Schumacher
23:41 Fri, 11 Nov 2022.
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Mick Schumacher starting the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race from last position when his team-mate Kevin Magnussen lines up on pole is an extreme manifestation of a key limitation. The outcome of qualifying clearly exaggerates the difference in performance between the two Haas drivers. But what happened early on to facilitate that end result is a good example of what has ultimately hurt Schumacher’s case to be retained by Haas and left his F1 future in question.

Schumacher was in a strong position before the late flurry of slick-tyre runs in Q1. He and Magnussen were on the same run plan, having used a second set of intermediates, which left them with a slightly rushed finish.

But they still had time for one preparation lap and one flat-out push to get through to Q2. Magnussen made that work but Schumacher didn’t. He was a long way off the pace after a very tentative prep lap led to a flying lap that was far too timid.

‘The outcome of qualifying clearly exaggerates the difference in performance between the two Haas drivers’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/an-extreme-example-of-the-case-against-keeping-schumacher/

[Fortitude]

Ocon fastest ahead of São Paulo sprint as Sargeant moves closer to F1 seat.
Esteban Ocon emerged quickest from the second practice session for the São Paulo Grand Prix and Logan Sargeant slowest albeit a step closer to a confirmed seat in F1 next season.
Saturday 12 November 2022 15:31
Ian Parkes

It was another of those unusual FP2 sessions, with qualifying completed on Friday and the sprint race to come. The focus, naturally, was on tyres and fuel-load evaluation ahead of Sunday's grand prix, particularly in high temperatures, with the track hitting 51 degrees Celsius, with times of no consequence.

This was underlined by the fact Alpine driver Ocon's leading time of one minute 14.604secs was almost four seconds off the pace of the quickest lap set on Friday from Red Bull's Max Verstappen in Q2 of 1:10.881s. As for Sargeant, who replaced Alex Albon in a Williams for this session, he completed over 100 kilometres, securing another point in his bid to obtain a super licence.

It means the 21-year-old American now has to finish in the top five of this year's F2 drivers' standings to guarantee himself a licence and a seat in F1 with the Grove-based team. He is currently with the final round in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

‘Ocon fastest ahead of São Paulo sprint’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/95841/sao-paulo-grand-prix-second-practice-esteban-ocon-logan-sargeant/


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Sao Paulo, Brazil
12 Nov. 2022
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. Esteban Ocon Alpine -1:14.604
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.184
3. George Russell Mercedes +0.312
4. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.445
5. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.494
6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.533
7. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +1.032
8. Mick Schumacher Haas +1.080
9. Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.211
10. Lando Norris McLaren +1.247

‘Sao Paulo Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from second practice ahead of this afternoon’s Sprint for the 2022 F1 World Championship race at Interlagos’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second-practice-results-2022-sao-paulo-grand-prix-80446


Ocon fastest in final practice before the Sprint
Sao Paulo, Brazil
12 Nov. 2022
by Emer Hedderman

Sao Paulo Grand Prix – Esteban Ocon finished in P1 ahead of Sergio Perez and George Russell in an uneventful FP2 session ahead of this afternoon’s Sprint.

The Aston Martins of Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll were the first to take to the track for a dry and sunny second practice, the two then pit at the end of their out lap so it was Zhou Guanyu who put the first time on the board, a 1:17.059 on the mediums.

Given FP1 was the only session before qualifying yesterday there weren’t any rookie drivers able to take part but as FP2 is the least important session on a Sprint weekend, Logan Sargeant was out on track for Williams taking over Alex Albon’s car for the hour and looking to complete at least 100km during the session in order to pick up another point for his super licence.

‘Ocon fastest’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/ocon-fastest-in-final-practice-before-the-sprint-80451


All you need to know about Alpine-led Brazilian GP practice two
Nov 12 2022
By Matt Beer

Alpine topped the least informative session of the current Formula 1 sprint weekend format as Esteban Ocon led practice two at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

KEY MOMENTS
– Ocon quickest after Perez and Russell lead earlier
– Latifi excursion is the session’s only incident
– Sargeant gets his superlicence point

‘All you need to know’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/all-you-need-to-know-about-alpine-led-brazilian-gp-practice-two/


Ocon quickest in final Sao Paulo GP practice
12th Nov. 2022, 16:44
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon set the fastest time during final practice ahead of Formula 1’s São Paulo Grand Prix.
Teams focused on longer runs, with no need to chase one-lap pace, meaning the quickest times were some way adrift of the ultimate pace.
Ocon used Soft tyres to set a time of 1:14.604s to finish almost two-tenths of a second clear of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.

‘Ocon quickest’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/11/12/ocon-quickest-in-final-sao-paulo-gp-practice/

[Fortitude]

F1 Brazilian GP 2022 Sprint Race Results.
George Russell took a stunning sprint race win and will start from the front of the Brazilian Grand Prix, after a hectic 24 laps in Sao Paulo that saw Max Verstappen drop from first to fourth.
November 12, 2022
By Adam Dickinson

Polesitter Kevin Magnussen led the first lap for Haas but was powerless to defend against Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes and finished eighth, still a very good starting position for Sunday.

Verstappen was the only top-ten driver to start on the mediums and looked comfortable after passing Magnussen but came under pressure from Russell around lap 10, losing the lead five laps later.

Carlos Sainz recovered to second after a disappointing qualifying session for Ferrari, but wasn’t able to challenge Russell for the win. However, he’ll start seventh due to a five-place penalty from an engine change.

‘Sprint Race Results’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-brazil-gp-2022-sprint-race-results/


Sprint Results – 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Sao Paulo, Brazil
12 Nov. 2022.
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. George Russell Mercedes -24 laps
2. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +3.995
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +4.492
4. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +10.494
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +11.855
6. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +13.133
7. Lando Norris McLaren +25.624
8. Kevin Magnussen Haas +28.768
9. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +30.218
10. Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri +34.170

‘Sao Paulo Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s Sprint to set the grid for tomorrow’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at Interlagos’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/sprint-results-2022-sao-paulo-grand-prix-80457


Russell wins the Sprint as Mercedes outpaced Verstappen
Sao Paulo, Brazil
12 Nov. 2022.
by Emer Hedderman

Sao Paulo Grand Prix – George Russell took his debut F1 win, though it only guarantees him P1 for the Grand Prix tomorrow.

After acing his lap in the damp conditions in qualifying, Kevin Magnussen lined up in pole position for both his and Haas’ first time in glorious sunshine at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. The pack was all set up to start as a Haas sandwich with Magnussen at the front while Mick Schumacher brought up the rear.

Eighteen of the twenty cars were lined up on the soft tyre for the 100 km Sprint race to set the grid for tomorrow’s Grand Prix, the oddities in the pack were Max Verstappen P2, and Nicholas Latifi P16 who had instead decided on the yellow-ringed medium tyres.

‘Russell wins the Sprint’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/russell-wins-the-sprint-as-mercedes-outpaced-verstappen-80463


F1 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix - Sprint results
12 Nov. 2022, ‎20‎:‎03
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Full results from the sprint race at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix as George Russell takes P1 for tomorrow's main race. George Russell will start the Brazilian Grand Prix from P1 after passing Max Verstappen for the lead in Sao Paolo.

The Mercedes driver used DRS to slipstream past the Red Bull driver to cement P1 at Interlagos. Carlos Sainz Jr finished second with Lewis Hamilton third, but Sainz is taking a five-place penalty meaning it will be a Mercedes one-two on the grid.

‘F1 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix’;

https://racingnews365.com/f1-2022-brazilian-grand-prix-sprint-results


Lewis Hamilton under investigation by FIA after Brazilian GP sprint race
Lewis Hamilton finished the sprint race in third but could be facing a penalty.
20:09, Sat, Nov 12, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Lewis Hamilton is under investigation by the FIA after an apparent start procedure reprimand in the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race. The FIA has confirmed the incident will be investigated after the sprint race in what could be a blow to Mercedes.

McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu have also been noted for the same issue. Hamilton's P3 finish could be good enough for the front row as Carlos Sainz will take a five-place grid penalty tomorrow.

Hamilton admitted Mercedes would work together tomorrow in a bid to secure the team's first win of the season. He said: "I'm so, so happy to be here. Difficult day yesterday, congratulations to George, this is for everyone at the factory who have been working so, so hard.

‘Could be facing a penalty’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1695802/lewis-hamilton-mercedes-fia-brazilian-grand-prix-sprint

[Fortitude]

Brazilian Grand Prix: George Russell sprint win sets up Mercedes vs Red Bull showdown at Interlagos.
Mercedes' George Russell started third on the grid behind maiden pole-sitter Kevin Magnussen of Haas and two-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, but powered to a thrilling triumph in a breathless 24-lap contest.
November 13, 2022 02:47:27 IST
Agence France-Presse

Sao Paolo: A delighted George Russell won Saturday’s breathless sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix to register his first Formula One race win and set up a thrilling Mercedes v Red Bull showdown in Sunday’s full distance contest.

Driving with aplomb and confidence, the 24-year-old Briton shrugged off his spin in the rain in Friday’s qualifying session to attack from the start, passing Red Bull’s two-time champion Max Verstappen on lap 15 to grab the lead.

He then took control to come home four seconds clear of Carlos Sainz of Ferrari with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton third and Verstappen, the only driver on medium tyres, fourth and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez fifth.

‘Mercedes vs Red Bull showdown’;

https://www.firstpost.com/sports/brazilian-grand-prix-george-russell-bosses-sprint-race-for-first-f1-win-11618181.html


F1 Sao Paulo GP: George Russell expects no team orders in Lewis Hamilton battle, Mercedes to split strategy
George Russell says he and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton will be free to race for victory without team orders in the F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Lewis Larkam
13 Nov 2022

Russell and Hamilton will share the front row of the Interlagos grid for Sunday’s grand prix after Russell caught and passed Max Verstappen to win the F1 sprint race, with Hamilton recovering to third behind Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who will drop five positions for an engine change.

The Briton said Mercedes find themselves in a “luxury position” and expects the team to split strategies in a bid to end their winless streak amid a challenging 2022 season.

‘George Russell expects no team orders’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1017026/1/russell-expects-no-team-orders-merc-split-strategy


“They look unbeatable” - Max Verstappen plays down chances of beating Mercedes in F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix
12 Nov 2022
Connor McDonagh

Max Verstappen doubts Red Bull will be able to compete with Mercedes after George Russell dominated the sprint race for the F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Verstappen led the early stages of the 24-lap F1 sprint after overtaking shock pole-sitter Kevin Magnussen into Turn 1 on Lap 3.

After initially breaking the one-second DRS gap to Russell, he was unable to break away from the British driver.

“They look unbeatable”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1017020/1/they-look-unbeatable-verstappen-plays-down-chances-beating-mercedes


Lewis Hamilton among drivers cleared by stewards over Interlagos sprint start
Saturday 12th November 2022 11:51 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Lewis Hamilton was one of three drivers to be cleared after the stewards noted potential infringements at the Interlagos sprint start. It had been noted by the stewards during the 24-lap event that Hamilton, Daniel Ricciardo and Zhou Guanyu had potentially failed to follow the start procedure correctly in Brazil.

The stewards would later clarify that the trio were not lined-up in positions which could have resulted in an advantage. As for why these drivers appeared slightly out of their grid box, the stewards cited poor visibility from the cars plus the fact that the grid boxes on the Interlagos track are slightly smaller than the norm.

“The stewards reviewed the start sequence, as it was observed that multiple cars were potentially out of their grid box in violation of Article 8.6.1.a) of the FIA International Sporting Code, being either to the left or right of the grid box,” the verdict read.

‘Lewis Hamilton among drivers cleared’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/driver-start-procedure-correct-interlagos/


Mercedes’ Toto Wolff: Brazil brought “a tricky qualifying session where each part had its own challenges”.
November 12, 2022
By Ashley Cline

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team had a challenging qualifying in the wet conditions of the Brazilian Grand Prix, with George Russell finishing third after causing a red flag during Q3 and Lewis Hamilton ending up in eighth place.

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff reflected on the session’s difficulties, from the tightly packed early stages to the questionable conditions they faced in the pole shoot-out.

‘Mercedes’ Toto Wolff’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/11/mercedes-toto-wolff-brazil-brought-a-tricky-qualifying-session-where-each-part-had-its-own-challenges/


How the F1 grid will line up for the Sao Paulo GP after the sprint
12 Nov 2022
Connor McDonagh

George Russell will start from pole position at the F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but how will the rest of the grid line up on Sunday?

2022 F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix - STARTING GRID
Pos. Driver Nat. Team
1 George Russell GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team
2 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team
3 Max Verstappen NED Oracle Red Bull Racing
4 Sergio Perez MEX Oracle Red Bull Racing
5 Charles Leclerc MON Scuderia Ferrari
6 Lando Norris GBR McLaren F1 Team
7 Carlos Sainz ESP Scuderia Ferrari
8 Kevin Magnussen DEN Haas F1 Team
9 Sebastian Vettel GER Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team
10 Pierre Gasly FRA Scuderia AlphaTauri

‘F1 grid ‘;line up

https://www.crash.net/f1/results/1017024/1/how-f1-grid-will-line-sao-paulo-gp-after-sprint

[Fortitude]

Russell wins Brazil GP to take maiden F1 victory.
Russell secures maiden grand prix winning after also claiming victory in the sprint race.
November 13, 2022
By Matt Neill

George Russell led from start to finish at the Brazilian GP to go one better than his sprint race win and take his maiden victory in F1. The Mercedes driver looked untouchable at the front as he led the entire race, fending off the challenge of Red Bull and Ferrari and finishing 1.5 seconds ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2nd.

The young Brit was in control throughout the race, and managed to survive a late safety car restart to reimpose his lead on Hamilton up front and take his first ever win in Formula 1. The result marks a long-awaited return to the top for Mercedes after the former champions’ struggles this season, with a 1-2 finish and a dominant performance for Russell, who has finally takes the first of what will likely be many victories for the team.

Meanwhile Ferrari, who had struggled in qualifying and the sprint race and a grid penalty for Carlos Sainz, managed to rally with the Spaniard overtaking Perez for third after the late safety car, while Charles Leclerc recovered from an early crash to finish 5th.

‘Maiden F1 victory’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-russell-wins-2022-brazil-gp-maiden-victory/


Race Results – 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Sao Paulo, Brazil
13 Nov. 2022.
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. George Russell Mercedes -71 laps
2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.529
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +4.051
4. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +8.441
5. Fernando Alonso Alpine +9.561
6. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +10.056
7. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +14.080
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +19.690
9. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +22.552
10. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +23.553

‘Sao Paulo Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship race at Interlagos’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-results-2022-sao-paulo-grand-prix-80473


Russell wins debut race with Mercedes 1-2 in Brazil
Sao Paulo, Brazil
13 Nov. 2022.

by Emer Hedderman

Sao Paulo Grand Prix – George Russell took a lights to flag victory for his first F1 victory as he led Mercedes to their first win and first 1-2 of the year.

After beating Max Verstappen and polesitter Kevin Magnussen in the Sprint yesterday, George Russell will be starting P1 for today’s race as he hopes to follow up his first F1 win yesterday with his first Grand Prix victory.

Alonso, having been unimpeded by his teammate used his fresher softs than those around him to move up to P5 and was just able to hold on from Verstappen at the end. Red Bull had asked the Dutch driver to give the position back to Perez if he wasn’t able to get past Alonso but Verstappen did end in P6 0.495 seconds behind the Alpine racer and four seconds ahead of his teammate.

‘Russell wins debut race’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/russell-wins-debut-race-with-mercedes-1-2-in-brazil-80475


‘100 per cent Daniel’s fault’: Ricciardo’s first-lap nightmare as Aussie’s race goes ‘horribly wrong’
November 14th, 2022 7:17 am
Andrew Jackson from Fox Sports

Daniel Ricciardo’s second-last race at McLaren ended in disastrous fashion on Monday morning [AEDT], with the Australian crashing out in the opening lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Ricciardo was attempting to overtake Kevin Magnussen up the inside at Turn 9 but ran into trouble, with the pair making contact as both cars suffered extensive damage.

It was enough to see both drivers ruled out of the race in what was a sad end to what had otherwise been a fantastic weekend for Magnussen, who claimed his first career pole position. Assessing the incident for Sky Sports, Martin Brundle said it was “100 per cent Daniel’s fault”.

“It’s all going to go horribly wrong... that is 100 per cent Daniel’s fault,” he said. “That was a shame. I’ve got to give that 100 per cent to Daniel I’m afraid.”

‘100 per cent Daniel’s fault’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/f1-2022-daniel-ricciardo-crash-with-kevin-magnussen-video-reaction-brazilian-grand-prix-punishment-stewards/news-story/4411f6cf6c46b68a0a934cc9cd2c7c4d


“It shows who he really is”: Verstappen refuses order to let Perez past
2022 Brazilian Grand Prix
Posted on 13th November 2022, 20:07
Written by Keith Collantine

Red Bull apologised to Sergio Perez after Max Verstappen refused to obey an order to let his team mate overtake him at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix. Verstappen moved past Perez following a Safety Car period towards the end of the race. The pair were chasing Fernando Alonso’s Alpine at the time.

As the final lap began, Verstappen hadn’t been able to catch and pass Alonso. His race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase told him he should let Perez past if he didn’t pass Alonso at the final corner. As Verstappen approached the line without backing off, Lambiase repeatedly told him to let Perez by. Verstappen did not, and Lambiase asked “what happened?” after he took the chequered flag in sixth place ahead of Perez.

“I told you already last time guys, don’t ask that again to me, okay,” said Verstappen. “Are we clear about that? I gave my reasons and I stand by it.” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner came on Perez’s radio to apologise for the fact he hadn’t been given his position back. “It shows who he really is,” Perez said.

“It shows who he really is”;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/13/it-shows-who-he-really-is-verstappen-refuses-order-to-let-perez-past/

[Fortitude]

Sergio Perez and Christian Horner stunned by Max Verstappen's refusal of team orders.
Verstappen was told by the team on the final lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix to let Perez, who is fighting for second place in the championship, move past – but he refused.
21:06, 13 Nov 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer
The Mirror

Christian Horner asserted that Max Verstappen will "fully support" Sergio Perez's push for second place in the championship after the Dutchman's refusal to let his teammate pass at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The Mexican had allowed Verstappen past earlier in the race to try to chase down Fernando Alonso ahead of them. But on the final lap, after it became clear he would not be able to catch the Alpine, the champion was told by his team to give the place back to Perez.

But he refused, instead crossing the line sixth with the Mexican, who needs all the points he can get in the fight for second place in the standings, one place behind. The result means Perez is level on points with Charles Leclerc heading into the Abu Dhabi season finale.

‘Stunned by Max Verstappen's refusal’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/verstappen-perez-team-orders-horner-28481137


Perez: Verstappen 'showed who he really is' in team order refusal.
Sergio Perez was left furious after Max Verstappen refused a team order in Brazil, costing him points.
13/11/2022, ‎20‎:‎16
Author Jake Nichol

On the cool down lap Perez, who finished seventh to Leclerc's fourth, characterised Verstappen as showing his true colours.

Perez was told "Max will let you through," before adding "Yeah, thank you for that, guys," after Verstappen's refusal. Team boss Christian Horner apologised to Perez, saying "we'll debrief after", before Perez responded "Yeah, it shows who he really is".

He later added that “I don’t understand what his reaction was; if he has two championships it is thanks to me."

'Showed who he really is';

https://racingnews365.com/perez-verstappen-showed-who-he-really-is-in-team-order-refusal


Red Bull chief Helmut Marko fires stern warning to Max Verstappen after defying orders
Max Verstappen refused to follow Red Bull team orders at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
22:56, Sun, Nov 13, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Red Bull boss Helmut Marko has claimed Max Verstappen “must do everything” to help Sergio Perez in the world championship after the Dutchman defied team orders.

After the race, Marko was surprised at Verstappen’s decision to not follow the team and gave the 25-year-old clear instructions for Abu Dhabi.

He said: “Red Bull's goal is to take second place in the championship with Checo, and Max must do everything he can to help him with that. That's all I want to say about it.”

‘Helmut Marko fires stern warning to Max Verstappen’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1696159/red-bull-helmut-marko-max-verstappen-team-orders-brazilian-grand-prix


Spiteful or valid defiance? – Verstappen’s team orders snub
13/11/2022, 22:20
The Race

Max Verstappen’s refusal to let Red Bull Formula 1 team-mate Sergio Perez past in the Brazilian Grand Prix just made the battle for second in the 2022 F1 world championship far more contentious than the contest for a runner-up spot would ever normally be.
Red Bull asked Verstappen to hand sixth place back to Perez – who is fighting Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for second in the standings – if he could not pass Fernando Alonso for fifth on the final lap at Interlagos. But Verstappen ignored the order and then referenced a past grievance against Perez when defending his decision. Perez said it “shows who he really is”.

A lack of class from Verstappen (Jack Benyon) Even the feuding Alpine drivers supercharged by the fact they will no longer be team-mates next year managed to see the bigger picture and swap positions correctly and fairly in the Brazilian Grand Prix.

‘Spiteful or valid defiance?’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/spiteful-or-valid-defiance-verstappens-team-orders-snub/


Perez: After all I’ve done for him, it’s disappointing
13 November, 2022
Jad Mallak

Sergio Perez expressed disappointment after Max Verstappen refused to give him back sixth place at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, admitting he doesn’t understand his teammate’s actions.

Max Verstappen refused to obey team orders by Red Bull to give his sixth place back to teammate Sergio Perez who is locked in a fight with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for the runner up position in the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship. Ferrari also refused Leclerc’s request to be switched with teammate Carlos Sainz who finished third, and as things stand the Monegasque – fourth in the race – and the Mexican – seventh – head into the Abu Dhabi season finale tied on points.

Naturally Perez was at loss trying to explain why his teammate refused to help him; he said: “I was told to let him by and that I was going to get back the position. “I don’t know what the complications where on his side. No idea, maybe you should ask him about it. Nothing to say really,” he added speaking to Sky Sports F1.

‘After all I’ve done for him;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11/13/perez-after-all-ive-done-for-him-its-disappointing/


Christian Horner gives view on Verstappen/Perez flashpoint in Brazil
Published: 13 Nov 2022, 21:18
By George Dagless

Christian Horner has said Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have shaken hands and are focused on Abu Dhabi after what happened at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was asked by his team to let Sergio Perez through on the final lap in order to help the Mexican get extra points in his fight for P2 in the championship.

Max, though, did not oblige and instead, when asked why he hadn’t, said on the radio that the team knew his reasons for the decision.

‘Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have shaken hands’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88083458-christian-horner-gives-view-on-verstappen-perez-flashpoint-in-brazil


Verstappen clears the air, ready to help Perez in Abu Dhabi
13/11/2022 at 21:27
Phillip van Osten

Max Verstappen says he cleared the air with his Red Bull team after his blatant dismissal of a team order in the Brazilian Grand Prix and will help teammate Sergio Perez in Abu Dhabi if necessary.

Verstappen was running in sixth position in the closing laps of the race, just ahead of Perez when he was instructed to hand the position to his teammate to allow him to score an extra point and maintain his runner-up spot in the Drivers' championship versus Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who finished fourth.

But Verstappen ignored the call, much to the surprise of Perez, his loyal teammate who has lent him a helping hand in many races in the past. Verstappen justified his attitude on the radio to his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase: "I told you already last time, you guys don't ask that again to me, OK? Are we clear about that? I gave my reasons and I stand by it."

‘Verstappen clears the air’;

https://f1i.com/news/460393-verstappen-clears-the-air-ready-to-help-perez-in-abu-dhabi.html

[Fortitude]

Wolff reveals Russell in the dark over potential race-ending drama.
Toto Wolff has revealed Mercedes kept George Russell in the dark over a reliability problem that threatened to derail his bid for a maiden F1 victory.
Sunday 13 November 2022 21:07
Sam Hall

Russell scored a dominant win at the São Paulo Grand Prix to end Mercedes' drought and ensure the team did not register its first season without topping the podium since 2011.

The 24-year-old had come close to a win two years ago with Mercedes when deputising for Covid-struck Lewis Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain, only for a blunder in the pits and a puncture to deny him. Asked if this victory was redemption for the previous near-miss, Wolff said:

"I don't know if it's redemption. I think he deserved to win in Bahrain and we let him down with the car. And that's why this victory makes us happy because he could have had one on the clock two years ago and he didn't, and now he has that first victory. As an aside, we had a water leak on the car throughout the race and it wasn't clear whether we could actually make it to the end."

‘Wolff reveals Russell in the dark’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96000/sao-paulo-grand-prix-george-russell-toto-wolff-reliability-problem-win/


Mercedes feared water leak could have denied George Russell first F1 race win
Sunday 13th November 2022 11:05 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Toto Wolff revealed that George Russell was not told about a water leak which threatened to rip away his Sao Paulo win. Russell was on mighty form in the Mercedes at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, taking an impressive victory in the sprint, before delivering a dominant display during the Grand Prix.

It meant that after taking the chequered flag for the first time in Formula 1 on Saturday, Russell followed that up with his first Grand Prix victory. Russell of course had flirted before with victory as a Mercedes driver, having led back in 2020 at the Sakhir Grand Prix as he stood in for the ill Lewis Hamilton.

On that day it was a Mercedes tyre mistake and puncture which took that potential achievement away from Russell. And Mercedes team boss Wolff revealed that a different gremlin was lurking in Sao Paulo, opting not to tell Russell so that he could maintain focus on the driving.

‘Mercedes feared water leak’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mercedes-water-leak-george-russell-brazil/


Wolff: Russell escaped DNF during Brazilian GP
14 Nov. 2022
Author Luke Murphy
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Toto Wolff has revealed that George Russell's race-winning car had developed a water leak partway through the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Toto Wolff has conceded that Mercedes had concerns over a water leak that occurred on George Russell's race-winning car. Russell converted his Sprint victory into a first F1 Grand Prix victory with a measured drive at Interlagos.

The Briton fended off a late threat from teammate Lewis Hamilton to secure Mercedes' first win of the 2022 season. However, Mercedes Team Principal Wolff has opened up about mid-race concerns over the reliability of Russell's car.

‘Russell escaped DNF’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-reliability-concerns-almost-cost-russell-brazil-gp-win


Wolff reveals problem that almost cost Russell his first F1 victory.
George Russell led from start to finish at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix and took his maiden win in Formula 1
November 13, 2022
By John Smith

After coming away from the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix with his first victory in F1, things could have been very different for George Russell after Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed his car had an issue which compromised his race.
Russell took victory in Saturday’s F1 Sprint Race at Interlagos, then led from start to finish in the main Grand Prix, to claim his maiden F1 win and Mercedes’ first of the 2022 F1 season. That said, Wolff indicated that the race could have gone the way of the 2020 Sakhir GP, when Russell, who was deputising for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, suffered a late puncture and had a near certain win taken away.

“He deserved to win in Bahrain (Sakhir), and we let him down with the car,” Wolff told reporters after the Brazilian GP. “That’s why this victory makes us happy because he could have won two years ago and now he has that first victory.

‘This victory makes us happy’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-wolff-mercedes-problem-almost-cost-russell-brazilian-gp-win/


Wolff recalls 2017 Lauda prediction after Russell win
13 Nov. 2022, ‎22‎:‎30
Author Jake Nichol

Toto Wolff remembered a Niki Lauda prediction from 2017 after George Russell claimed his maiden victory in Brazil. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed a prediction made by the late Niki Lauda back in 2017 when Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix winner George Russell was in GP3.

"Something that I remember is that during George's [title winning campaign in] F3, it was the only podium that Niki ever visited. He said: 'He's going to become a good one'.”

Russell claimed his maiden F1 win at Interlagos after fending off pressure from teammate Lewis Hamilton after a late race Safety Car restart. It made Russell the 113th driver to win in F1 and snapped Mercedes' winless run in the 2022 season.

'He's going to become a good one';

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-recalls-2017-lauda-prediction-after-russell-win

[Fortitude]

Karun Chandhok critical of Max Verstappen’s ‘short-sighted decision’ in Sao Paulo.
“Honestly, I don’t understand it because he’s won the World Championship. I think it’s a little bit short-sighted as well because you know he might need Checo’s help next year in the World Championship battle,” Chandhok told Sky Sports F1.
Monday 14th November 2022 6:45 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Ex-F1 racer Karun Chandhok believes Max Verstappen made a “short-sighted decision” by not helping Sergio Perez in Brazil. With a late Safety Car period not doing Perez any favours, the Mexican racer struggling at the restart on medium tyres, Red Bull told Perez to let his team-mate Verstappen through.

“He needed him last year in Abu Dhabi, he needed him at other times this year, so for me that’s a little bit of a short-sighted decision. I go back to someone like Ayrton Senna. He gave up a win in Japan in 1991 to his team-mate because he knew he wanted that loyalty, he wanted [Gerhard] Berger on-side. And I think that’s a slightly short-sighted move there.”

“He needed him last year in Abu Dhabi, he needed him at other times this year, so for me that’s a little bit of a short-sighted decision. I go back to someone like Ayrton Senna. He gave up a win in Japan in 1991 to his team-mate because he knew he wanted that loyalty, he wanted [Gerhard] Berger on-side. And I think that’s a slightly short-sighted move there.”

“Max Verstappen’s ‘short-sighted decision’ ”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-verstappen-short-sighted-decision/


‘You guys don’t ask that again to me’: Max Verstappen on being asked to let Sergio Perez to overtake
“If there's a chance to help him in Abu Dhabi, then I will be there, and I will of course support him,” Verstappen said, according to a statement shared by Red Bull.
Updated: November 14, 2022 10:49:29 am
By: Sports Desk
Indian Express

Verstappen and his Red Bull team have already been crowned F1 champions. But tension embroiled the Red Bull camp during Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday. Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez seemed to be in disagreement at the end of the race.

Perez, who is still fighting for second place in the drivers’ championship, was sixth when he was overtaken by Verstappen near the end of the race and finished behind him.

Team radio shows Verstappen was ordered to allow Perez to finish ahead of him to score more points, but the champion disagreed. Perez will enter the final race of the season tied on points with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth at Interlagos.

‘You guys don’t ask that again to me’;

https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/motor-sport/you-guys-dont-ask-that-again-to-me-max-verstappen-on-being-asked-to-let-sergio-perez-to-overtake-8267050/


'Don't ask that again to me -- are we clear about that?' Max Verstappen refuses Red Bull order to help Sergio Perez
November 13, 2022, 8:39 PM
By NATE SAUNDERS
ABC News

Newly crowned champion Max Verstappen refused a Red Bull team order at the Brazilian Grand Prix to help teammate Sergio Perez in his fight for second in the title race. Perez dropped down the order after a late safety car restart, with nearest championship rival Charles Leclerc one of the cars to get by. Verstappen soon caught and passed Perez, with Red Bull encouraging him to go and snatch points away from Fernando Alonso in fifth and Leclerc in fourth.

There appeared to be an understanding that Verstappen would let Perez back through if he could not catch either driver, but despite still finishing sixth, Verstappen did not let Perez back past. At the finish, Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, asked him: "Max, what happened?"

Verstappen replied over radio: "I told you already last time. Don't ask that again to me -- are we clear about that? I gave my reasons and I stand by it." On his own radio channel, Perez said: "Thank you for that, guys. Thank you." Team boss Christian Horner then spoke, saying: "I'm sorry about that, Checo ..." To that, Perez replied: "It shows who he really is."

Team boss Christian Horner: "I'm sorry about that, Checo ..."

https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/dont-clear-max-verstappen-refuses-red-bull-order/story?id=93238427


"Don't Ask Again": On Team Radio, Max Verstappen Refuses To Help Teammate
An irritable Max Verstappen refused to give up sixth place to Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez on the final laps of Sunday's Sao Paulo Grand Prix with a rasping rebuke on team radio.
• Updated: November 14, 2022 11:53 AM IST
• Agence France-Presse
NDTV.com

An irritable Max Verstappen refused to give up sixth place to Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez on the final laps of Sunday's Sao Paulo Grand Prix with a rasping rebuke on team radio. The world champion, who collided with his 2021 title rival seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton on lap seven of a stormy race, told his race engineer not to ask him to concede position again in stern fashion. "I told you already last time - you guys don't ask that again to me, ok? Are we clear about that?

"I gave my reasons and I stand by it."

"Don't Ask Again";

https://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/max-verstappen-refuses-to-help-team-mate-sergio-perez-in-sao-paulo-grand-prix-watch-3517331


2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix: Verstappen refuses to let Pérez through on last lap in Brazil
13 Nov 2022
Formula 1.
Formula One - Official Site

Sergio Pérez is aiming to beat Charles Leclerc to P2 in the championship this year, but his team mate Max Verstappen refused a team order to let the Mexican through at the end of the race.

‘Verstappen refuses to let Pérez through’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.2022-sao-paulo-grand-prix-verstappen-refuses-to-let-perez-through-on-last-lap-in-brazil.1749422699588807780.html


Testy Verstappen refuses to help Red Bull team-mate
Issued on: 13/11/2022 - 23:24
France 24

Sao Paulo (AFP) – An irritable Max Verstappen refused to give up sixth place to Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez on the final laps of Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix with a rasping rebuke on team radio.

The world champion, who collided with his 2021 title rival seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton on lap seven of a stormy race, told his race engineer not to ask him to concede position again in stern fashion.

The Dutchman, who clinched his second drivers’ title at last month’s Japanese Grand Prix, was disappointed and frustrated at his fate in an incident-filled race that saw Red Bull miss out on a podium finish for the first time since the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

‘Testy Verstappen refuses’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20221113-testy-verstappen-refuses-to-help-red-bull-team-mate


Horner adamant Verstappen will support Perez in Abu Dhabi after talks
14 Nov. 2022, ‎08‎:‎50
Author RacingNews365 Staff

After Max Verstappen ignored a team order to let Sergio Perez by on the last lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has given his reaction to what happened. Christian Horner insists that Max Verstappen will support Red Bull's effort to help Sergio Perez at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Verstappen's team order refusal in Brazil.

Verstappen – who had slipped back in the field earlier in the race following a clash with Lewis Hamilton – was allowed to overtake Perez in the latter stages in an attempt to attack Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc ahead, with the Mexican struggling on his Medium tyres.

While Verstappen was told by his engineer to let Perez by on the final lap if he could not pass Alonso, the World Champion refused the direct order, claiming he had his reasons for doing so. Perez later voiced his disappointment at his teammate's actions, and Red Bull boss Horner has since given his reaction to what happened.


‘Horner adamant Verstappen will support Perez’;

https://racingnews365.com/horner-adamant-verstappen-will-support-perez-in-abu-dhabi-after-talks

[Fortitude]

ALPINE’S BRAZIL BASH EXPOSES TENSIONS.
Firm radio messages and on track antics leave Alpine in precarious position for Abu Dhabi.
22:19 Sun, 13 Nov 2022.
James Phillips

Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon’s incident-fraught weekend has exposed tensions at Alpine. With just one race left, and P4 at the constructors’ title at stake, has the team handicapped itself? Alpine’s race weekend has been beset by problems between Alonso and Ocon. The sprint race saw two high-profile collisions. Ocon forced Alonso off the track at turn three on the opening lap, leaving his teammate no room.

The cars collided but continued. Alonso then attempted to pass him a lap later. In doing so he hit his rear right tyre, losing his front wing in the process. The resulting pit stops and penalties for both cars saw both drivers finish down the order. This compromised the starting places for the race on Sunday. Its rivals McLaren started in P5 and P11.

Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer criticised the drivers after the race, stating: ” Frankly both Esteban and Fernando must do a better job to compliment the fantastic efforts of everyone in the team by avoiding on track incidents”. Tensions rising within the team, Alonso said after the sprint “One more race and its over, finally”. The battle within the team for supremacy began to show after simmering beneath the surface.

‘ALPINE’S BRAZIL BASH’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/features/alpines-brazil-bash-exposes-tensions/?nowprocket=1


Alpine boss: Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon ‘let the team down’
Tensions have flared up between Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon once again.
14 November 2022
by Nick Golding

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer was left bitterly disappointed by both of his drivers following the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race, after the duo decided to put themselves before the “tirelessly working” Alpine employees.

Tensions have been building between Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon all season, with the duo having fought one another incredibly hard at certain races in 2022. Previously, the duo have stated their enjoyment at battling with each other; however, a line has certainly been crossed between the two.

The duo collided not once, but twice on the opening lap of the sprint race at Interlagos, with neither appearing prepared to budge for the other.

‘Let the team down’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/alpine-boss-fernando-alonso-and-esteban-ocon-let-the-team-down/


Fernando Alonso says he won’t speak to Esteban Ocon as he fires Alpine jibe
Fernando Alonso and team-mate Esteban Ocon have endured a number of close calls this season.
by Nick Golding
14 November 2022

It appears to very much be advantage McLaren in the fight against Alpine for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, with the French side’s drivers appearing more intent on battling each other rather than the Woking-based outfit.

Fernando Alonso’s and Esteban Ocon’s relationship has been a heated one at times, with the water having finally boiled over at the Brazilian Grand Prix following a costly collision between the two. The pair have come close to contact on a concerning number of occasions this season alone, with the Brazilian sprint race having finally seen impact between the two.

On the opening lap of the sprint, Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer would’ve presumably had his eyes closed after the pair initially almost made contact on the exit of Turn Four.

‘Won’t speak’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-alonso-says-he-wont-speak-to-esteban-ocon-as-he-fires-alpine-jibe/


FERNANDO ALONSO’S DIVORCE FROM ALPINE IS NOT ENDING ON GOOD TERMS
The Spaniard will be moving to Aston Martin at the end of the 2022 season
16:52 Sun, 13 Nov 2022.
Cambridge Kisby
FormulaNerds

Fernando Alonso is having a frustrating end to his time at Alpine, and his latest sprint race in Brazil was no different. The Spaniard made contact twice with teammate Esteban Ocon in the opening laps of the final sprint race of the season, causing him to take damage that impacted his performance.

Alonso also received a 5-second time penalty. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he said “(It’s) far from ideal when you touch on the first lap of the sprint race because it’s too short to come back,

“On a positive side, the pace was very good today, close to the leaders actually. P15 we start tomorrow and if we have this pace. We can score points tomorrow.” Tensions were high between the pair after the race, which saw Alonso finish in P18 and Ocon in P17.

‘DIVORCE NOT ENDING ON GOOD TERMS’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/fernando-alonsos-divorce-from-alpine-is-not-ending-on-good-terms/?nowprocket=1


Fernando Alonso thrilled after 'very good weekend' for Alpine in Interlagos.
13 Nov 2022
Formula 1.

‘Alpine driver Fernando Alonso 'had fun' in Brazil and is pleased with P5 finish at 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.fernando-alonso-thrilled-after-very-good-weekend-for-alpine-in-interlagos.1749413664183492710.html

[Fortitude]

Leclerc frustrated, but Ferrari defends team order rebuff.
Ferrari says that swapping its drivers in the closing stages of the Brazilian Grand Prix at the request of Charles Leclerc was deemed "too risky" as the team was being investigated for a potential incident involving Carlos Sainz.
14/11/2022 at 08:51
Phillip van Osten

Leclerc's request for Sainz to hand over third place to help the former's chances of finishing runner-up in the championship came through the air waves multiple times.

Eventually, the Ferrari pitwall responded to its driver, telling Leclerc that there would be no change of positions as it was "too risky".

Leclerc was initially frustrated with the decision and its reason, telling his race engineer "good joke" over the radio.

“Good joke";

https://f1i.com/news/460525-leclerc-frustrated-but-ferrari-defends-team-order-rebuff.html


Villeneuve: It would be embarrassing for Ferrari to lose second
Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has blasted the Ferrari outfit despite the team's third and fourth place finish at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix
November 14, 2022
By Rahul Sharan

Former Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes something in Ferrari’s current structure isn’t working and it would be embarrassing for the team to lose second in the Constructors’ Championship. It’s easy to forget that Ferrari started the year as the favorite to win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.

However, the team has utterly failed to build on that early season promise, and now face the ignominy of losing second place in the Constructor Standings to a resurgent Mercedes outfit. In fact, it was Mercedes who broke Red Bull’s run of nine consecutive race wins at this past weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix further highlighting the opposing trajectories the teams seem to be heading in.

Villeneuve, who won the 1997 Drivers’ Championship believes that it something needs to change at the Maranello-based outfit following another year of disappointment. “Should Ferrari lose the second spot in the Constructors’ Championship, that would be embarrassing,” Villeneuve wrote on his blog for Formule1.nl.

‘Villeneuve: It would be embarrassing for Ferrari to lose second’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/villeneuve-embarrassing-ferrari-lose-second-f1-2022/


Binotto explains why Ferrari didn’t swap Leclerc and Sainz in Brazil
Ferrari recovered to finish third and fourth at the 2022 Brazilian GP
November 14, 2022
By Ed Spencer

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has explained why the Scuderia did not make Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz swap positions towards the end of the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix. Sainz had been running in a comfortable third when Leclerc closed in the remaining few laps but, despite calls to the pit wall to let him through in order to help close the gap between himself and Sergio Perez in the battle for second in the 2022 Drivers’ Championship the team stood their ground with Sainz finishing third and Leclerc fourth.

Later in a media session in which Total Motorsport was in attendance, Binotto explained that they didn’t tell Sainz to move over for Leclerc because of the fact that their was a danger that Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso could overtake.

“Swapping the two cars on the back straight was tricky because Charles got Fernando and Max behind,” Binotto told the media after the race, including Total-Motorsport.com. “It certainly would have been tricky and somehow dangerous, but more than that, we know that we were under investigation for what happened behind the Safety Car with Tsunoda.”

‘Binotto explains why Ferrari didn’t swap Leclerc and Sainz’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-binotto-ferrari-swap-leclerc-sainz-2022-brazilian-gp/


Binotto reveals Ferrari fear as key reason why Sainz kept podium
14/11/2022, ‎10‎:‎35
Author Jake Nichol

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has revealed what influenced the team's decision to allow Carlos Sainz to keep third place in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Ferrari's fear of a potential time penalty was a key reason why they elected to keep Carlos Sainz ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Mattia Binotto has revealed.

Leclerc pleaded with the team in the closing laps to be waved through from fourth place and inherit Sainz's podium spot in his bid to gain extra points over Sergio Perez in their battle for second place in the Drivers' Championship.

However, the Scuderia refused the request, meaning Leclerc hauled 12 points for fourth, which, when coupled with Perez's six for seventh place, has the two drivers locked on 290 points heading to the season-finale in Abu Dhabi. Post-race, boss Binotto explained how confusion with Yuki Tsunoda meant the team did not feel comfortable in swapping the places amid Ferrari's own fight with Mercedes in the Constructors'.

‘Binotto reveals Ferrari fear’;

https://racingnews365.com/binotto-reveals-ferrari-fear-as-key-reason-why-sainz-kept-podium


Ferrari’s unusual logic for rejecting Leclerc’s team orders request
14/11/2022, 08:19
By Matt Beer and Mark Hughes
The Race

Ferrari would probably have asked Carlos Sainz to hand his Brazilian Grand Prix podium to Formula 1 team-mate Charles Leclerc had it not been worried about the potential for Sainz to be penalised for a safety car incident involving Yuki Tsunoda.

Sainz and Leclerc ran third and fourth on the final laps as Leclerc completed an impressive comeback drive having been sent into the barriers by Lando Norris when fighting for third at the race’s first safety car restart.

Leclerc urged Ferrari to “please think about the championship” on team radio, given he had gone into the race six points behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in their fight to be world championship runner-up this year. But Leclerc was told a position swap with Sainz would be “too risky” so stayed fourth.

‘Ferrari’s unusual logic’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/ferrari-unsual-logic-for-rejecting-leclercs-team-order-request/

[Fortitude]

Bottas delighted with ‘really important’ points in Sao Paulo as Alfa Romeo edge clear of Aston Martin for P6.
Valtteri Bottas expressed his satisfaction after a determined drive to P9 at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix put Alfa Romeo five points ahead of Aston Martin in the battle for sixth position in the constructors’ standings.
14 November 2022
Formula 1.

Bottas displayed strong pace as he rose from 14th on the grid to fifth position over the course of Sunday’s encounter, only for a late Safety Car to leave him exposed on older tyres and open the door for a handful of rivals.

Nonetheless, the Finn held on to claim ninth and bag two valuable points, giving his team a solid numerical advantage over Aston Martin – who took P10 with Lance Stroll – ahead of this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Reflecting on his afternoon at the wheel, Bottas said: “It was good – a good race, good battles. I really enjoyed it! Obviously, it’s always more enjoyable when you have the pace. Starting 14th and ending up ninth is good. We’re happy, because we again scored more than Aston. For us, it’s really important [to secure P6 in the standings]. At least the last two events we’ve been a bit stronger again, so that’s good to see. One more to go and we need to seal it in Abu Dhabi.”

‘Bottas delighted with ‘really important’ points’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.bottas-delighted-with-really-important-points-in-sao-paulo-as-alfa-romeo.1ujva1wlHbrLZ5qCOLp4uK.html


Valtteri Bottas coaches Alpha Romeo team-mate during Brazil GP in unseen footage
Valtteri Bottas finished ninth at the Brazil GP three places in front of team-mate Guanyu Zhou and offered some coaching to the 23-year-old
14:44, Mon, Nov 14, 2022
By Benjamin Goddard

Valtteri Bottas had time to give some coaching to his Alpha Romeo team-mate Guanyu Zhou during this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix. The 33-year-old, who has 10 Grand Prix victories to his name, is in his first year with the team after five years with Mercedes.

During the Brazilian GP, the Finnish driver found himself behind team-mate Zhou who was locked in a battle with Canadian driver Nicholas Latifi. Speaking to his team Bottas said: "Tell Zhou to attack him into turn 10. Latifi is breaking early."

‘Valtteri Bottas coaching’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1696391/Valtteri-Bottas-Alpha-Romeo-Brazil-GP


2022 Brazilian Grand Prix - Sunday
November 13th, 2022
Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN
Motorsport

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN produced a strong display to bring home two points at the Brazilian Grand Prix, courtesy of Valtteri Bottas’s ninth place. Team-mate, Zhou Guanyu, also had a good race and ran in the points for a majority of the afternoon, before closing in 12th position.

It was a convincing performance by the team, despite a late safety car that prevented an even better result. The two points claimed extend to five points the advantage to the closest rivals for sixth place in the constructors’ championship ahead of next week’s finale in Abu Dhabi.

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal: “The team did a really good job today and we were able to turn the weekend around and leave with a good result. Both yesterday and today we have shown good pace and made up a lot of ground and we can be satisfied to leave Brazil with an increased gap over our closest rivals. We had a good start and were able to run as high as fifth during the race: it’s a shame the late Safety Car nullified our advantage and put us within range of other cars, but we still brought home the points we wanted.

‘Convincing performance by the team’;

https://www.sauber-group.com/motorsport/f1-news/2022-brazilian-grand-prix-sunday/


Valtteri Bottas opens up on being 'harsh on myself' after losing Lewis Hamilton battle
Valtteri Bottas failed to get the better of Lewis Hamilton while the pair were team mates at Mercedes.
16:06, Tue, Nov 8, 2022
By Andrew McLean

Valtteri Bottas has admitted he was ‘really harsh’ on himself as he struggled to get the better of Lewis Hamilton during his spell at Mercedes. The Finnish driver could not match the standard set by his team mate while at the Silver Arrows and often had to content himself with a wingman role in order to help maximise the team’s points.

“Especially the first couple of years – I was so, so hard on myself,” he told RaceFans. “I wanted everything ‘now’ and then it was difficult to deal with it when it didn’t happen, that I couldn’t win the title in the first couple of years. It was just hard to accept. I was really harsh on myself, and definitely sometimes being a bit more chilled would have helped.”

‘Valtteri Bottas opens up’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1693881/Valtteri-Bottas-harsh-Lewis-Hamilton-battle-Mercedes-Formula-One-news


Valtteri Bottas Looking to Remain with Sauber Through to Audi Arrival in 2026
November 9, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Valtteri Bottas hopes to be in the long-term plans for the Sauber F1 Team and wants to be there when their alliance with Audi Sport begins in the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

Bottas feels there is big potential for the team when they link up with Audi, and he hopes that he can do enough to keep himself in with a chance of staying with them all the way up to 2026 and beyond. “Why not? I’m 33 years old, so I hope that I’m going to be there,” Bottas is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com. “If you look at the big picture, I think it’s huge. There’s big potential for Sauber with Audi.”

“No doubt they want to succeed in the future. They want to do well and show they’re serious. So, I think for any driver on the grid, especially for me now being already part of Sauber, it would be very interesting to be part of that project. I definitely think it’s possible.”

‘Looking to Remain with Sauber’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/11/valtteri-bottas-looking-to-remain-with-sauber-through-to-audi-arrival-in-2026/

[Fortitude]

Nico Hulkenberg Replacing Mick Schumacher at Haas F1 in 2023: Report.
The beloved super sub hasn’t raced full-time in F1 since 2019, but at 35 years old, he may be making a comeback.
PUBLISHED Nov 14, 2022 10:44 AM
By Caleb Jacobs

lthough he hasn't raced full-time in Formula 1 since 2019, Nico Hulkenberg never stopped popping up around the paddock. He's been a super sub of sorts, filling in three times for Racing Point in 2020 and twice more this year as he covered for Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. That's how he's stayed in the mind of F1 fans and teams alike, and the 35-year-old looks set to run the entire 2023 season with Haas in place of Mick Schumacher.

A report by Germany's Bild labeled Hulkenberg as the frontrunner for the seat, supposedly edging out former Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi. This comes after talk in August that Schumacher was looking to part ways with Ferrari, Haas' engine supplier, in hopes of getting a seat elsewhere. Now, rumors claim he'll land somewhere in the Mercedes organization.

‘Nico Hulkenberg Replacing Mick Schumacher Report’;

https://www.thedrive.com/news/nico-hulkenberg-replacing-mick-schumacher-at-haas-f1-in-2023-report


Hulkenberg signing 2023 Haas contract on Tuesday
15/11/2022, 05:51
Sports Mole
By GMM F1

Nico Hulkenberg is signing on the dotted line of his 2023 race contract on Tuesday, according to multiple authoritative sources including Bild newspaper.
According to the reports, which include Italy's leading sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport and the German broadcasters Sky and RTL, the 35-year-old German's return to Formula 1 will then be announced on Wednesday.

Mick Schumacher was reportedly given the bad news in Brazil last weekend, where his uncle - former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher - sounded resigned about his 23-year-old nephew's fate. "Mick has shown that there is potential," he told Sky Deutschland. "But no matter what he did, the team and Gunther Steiner were never satisfied with him.”

‘Signing on the dotted line of his 2023 race contract on Tuesday’;

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/formula-1/haas/news/hulkenberg-signing-2023-haas-contract-on-tuesday_499741.html?newsnow


Mick Schumacher is 'set to be without a drive at Haas for next season with Nico Hulkenberg expected to replace him'... but the son of seven-time champion Michael 'could get reserve role' to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at Mercedes
• Haas are set to announce who will join Kevin Magnussen at the team next year
• Mick Schumacher is expected to lose his seat after two difficult seasons
• Nico Hulkenberg is set to get the seat after three years without a full-time drive
• Mercedes would be interested in approaching Schumacher over a reserve role
• Michael Schumacher finished his legendary career with Mercedes back in 2012
Published: 13:15, 15 November 2022
By Kieran Lynch For Mailonline

Mick Schumacher could be left without a place on next year's Formula One grid with Haas reportedly set to replace him with Formula One veteran Nico Hulkenberg.

Haas are expected to announce their second driver to partner Magnussen in the coming days, and BILD have reported that Schumacher will be replaced by German countryman Hulkenberg.

‘Mick Schumacher is 'set to be without a drive at Haas’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11430357/Mick-Schumacher-set-replaced-Nico-Hulkenberg-Haas.html


Ralf Schumacher blasts Guenther Steiner for ‘personal’ vendetta against Mick
Tuesday 15th November 2022 10:45 AM
Michelle Foster

Ralf Schumacher has taken aim at Guenther Steiner, accusing the Haas team boss of having “something personal” against his nephew Mick Schumacher. According to the latest reports on Mick’s future, the driver has already been informed by Steiner that he won’t have a Haas race-seat for next season.

He was reportedly told of this at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend where, perhaps with that in mind, he said: “Sometimes it’s your year and sometimes it’s not – and this year was probably not mine.”

He went onto declare “we still have one race left”, the 23-year-old expected to be replaced by Nico Hulkenberg with an announcement coming as early as Wednesday.

‘Ralf Schumacher blasts Guenther Steiner’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ralf-schumacher-blasts-guenther-steiner-personal-vendetta/


Mick Schumacher to Mercedes? Toto Wolff opens door to following Michael Schumacher’s path
15 Nov 2022
James Dielhenn

Mick Schumacher could take advantage of his family ties to secure a role with Mercedes next season. The son of Michael Schumacher will reportedly lose his Haas seat to Nico Hulkenberg in 2023.

That would leave him without a full-time drive because Haas have the sole remaining spot in the F1 2023 driver line-up. A role as a reserve driver with Mercedes remains vacant.

"I make no secret of the fact that the Schumacher family belongs to Mercedes and that we appreciate Mick very much," team principal Toto Wolff said to Bild.

‘Schumacher family belongs to Mercedes’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1017170/1/schumacher-family-belongs-mercedes-mick-join-merc


Schumacher doesn't want Ecclestone's advice
15/11/2022, 13:28
Pitpass

Mick Schumacher says there are only a few select people whose opinion he values... and Bernie Ecclestone isn't one of them.

"His name is his biggest burden," Ecclestone told German broadcaster RTL, "but he is trying to live up to it as best he can. And that's what brings him all the problems. "That's why, I think he should forget about it and win in another category," he added.

Told of Ecclestone's suggestion, the German youngster, who has been tipped for a reserve role at Mercedes, was in no mood to listen. "It's hard to forget Formula 1," he told Bild. "I love it too much so I won't do that.

‘Ecclestone's Advice Unwanted’;

https://www.pitpass.com/74149/Schumacher-doesnt-want-Ecclestones-advice

[Fortitude]

Lance Stroll given Fernando Alonso warning after ‘life-threatening’ Sebastian Vettel move.
Lance Stroll was hit with a 10-second penalty after running Aston Martin teammate Sebastian Vettel off the track as they battled for position during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race
12:02, 15 NOV 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Lance Stroll has been slammed for his latest dicey manoeuvre by former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve. The Canadian was hit with a 10-second penalty for forcing Aston Martin teammate Sebastian Vettel off the track at high speed as they battle for position during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race. In-car footage showed that Vettel, who will retire following this weekend’s season-ending race in Abu Dhabi, took to the grass at almost 190mph.

A similar incident occurred at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. However, on that occasion Alpine’s Fernando Alonso, who will be Stroll’s teammate next season, hit the Aston Martin and rode up into the air before brushing the barrier. Incredibly, the Spaniard managed to continue while Stroll, whose race was ended on the spot, was handed a three-place grid penalty for the next round in Mexico.

Jacques Villeneuve: “The FIA doesn't punish this hard enough, not even in the step-up classes, and then it keeps happening. Sebastian Vettel, his teammate and the victim of the incident, is a true gentleman. But I don't think Fernando Alonso will be so calm next year.”

‘Lance Stroll given Fernando Alonso warning’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1/lance-stroll-vettel-alonso-f1-28495037


Tensions between Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll at Aston Martin
Lance Stroll was penalised for a near miss with Sebastian Vettel in Brazil.
by Jack Devonport
14 November 202214 November 2022

Sebastian Vettel will be retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the season and will be hoping to end on a high, which was nearly not the case as he came scarily close to a collision with his teammate Lance Stroll in the sprint race in Brazil.

Vettel responded by simply saying “OK” over the team radio, as he was clearly confused and frustrated by his teammates defensive techniques. Stroll was given a ten-second penalty for his actions, which will be very frustrating for Aston Martin who will now see their chances of scoring points reduced for the race on Sunday, as their driver will now start from 17thon the grid.

The Canadian driver was involved in an almost identical incident with next season’s teammate Fernando Alonso in Austin, as the Spaniard attempted to overtake him down the back straight of the Circuit of the Americas, which also saw him slapped with a penalty.

‘Tensions’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/tensions-between-sebastian-vettel-and-lance-stroll-at-aston-martin/


‘I had the wrong tyres at the end’ says Vettel after just missing out on points in Brazil.
13 Nov 2022
Formula 1.

Sebastian Vettel started the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in ninth, but dropped out of the top 10 during the course of the race to end P11 at the flag, just missing out on points.

‘Wrong tyres’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.i-had-the-wrong-tyres-at-the-end-says-vettel-after-just-missing-out-on-points-in-brazil.1749412252707974458.html


Sebastian Vettel publicly criticises Aston Martin after 2022 Brazil Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel finished in P11 in his final Brazilian Grand Prix, and the German criticised his team after the race.
by Jack Devonport
15 November 202215 November 2022

The four-time world champion has suggested that pit stop timing at tyre choice was what cost his team a chance to score more points, claiming that the medium tyres just did not have to pace to allow him to compete at the end of the race.

“I think we were a bit late coming in and lost the positions, then we were a bit in traffic which didn’t help, didn’t have the free air and then had the wrong tyres at the end,” said Vettel in his post-race interview. “So not much we could have done and therefore just fell out of the points.”

‘Publicly criticises Aston Martin’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/sebastian-vettel-publicly-criticises-aston-martin-after-2022-brazil-grand-prix/


Fernando Alonso’s ‘heart’ remains with Alpine despite Aston Martin move
Fernando Alonso matched his best result of the season at the 2022 Brazilian GP, despite having started 18th.
15 November 2022
by Nick Golding

Fernando Alonso endured an incredibly mixed Brazilian Grand Prix, where he had to deal with multiple collisions with his team-mate, a penalty and an 18th place start, yet still managed to fight his way through the field to claim fifth.

It was a truly challenging weekend for Alonso, who was incredibly vocal about Alpine after the sprint race on Saturday at Interlagos, where the two incidents with Esteban Ocon occurred. The pair’s relationship has been questionable at times, with Ocon having a record of battling Alonso beyond the limit at times, most notably in Saudi Arabia and Hungary.

Both were at it again on the opening lap of the sprint, with the first incident having come after Ocon went down the inside of Alonso at Turn Four, which forced the Spaniard wide and over the kerbs.

‘Heart’ remains with Alpine’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-alonsos-heart-remains-with-alpine-despite-aston-martin-move/

[Fortitude]

Ferrari deny Formula 1 team chief Mattia Binotto sacking.
Mattia Binotto has come under fire after a season in which Ferrari's quest to end a lengthy title famine began encouragingly only to falter in the second half of the year.
November 16, 2022 09:12:57 IST
Agence France-Presse

Ferrari on Tuesday dismissed as “totally without foundation” media reports that team principal Mattia Binotto was to be sacked. Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport claimed Binotto had paid the price for a series of strategic errors that saw the wheels come off the team’s world championship challenge. The newspaper suggested Alfa Romeo’s French team principal Frederic Vasseur was lined up to replace Binotto in 2023 from January 1.

But Ferrari rejected the report outright in a post on social media.
“In relation to speculation in certain media regarding Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto’s position, Ferrari states that these rumours are totally without foundation.”

Scuderia Ferrari Statement:
In relation to speculation in certain media regarding Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto’s position, Ferrari states that these rumours are totally without foundation.
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 15, 2022

“Totally without foundation”;

https://www.firstpost.com/sports/ferrari-deny-formula-1-team-chief-mattia-binotto-sacking-11635341.html


Mark Hughes: If Ferrari’s learned anything, it will back Binotto
16/11/2022, 07:29
By Mark Hughes
The Race

So it comes around again; the latest speculation on whether the Ferrari boss, in this case Mattia Binotto, keeps his job. It was last rumoured about around the Monza grand prix weekend; this time Italian media has been briefed (but not by Ferrari) that Binotto is to be replaced for next year by current Alfa team principal Frederic Vasseur.

It’s clear that there is some smoke and that Vasseur has been in discussions with John Elkann (Binotto’s ultimate boss). But any claims that the decision has been made known to Binotto – ether at Monza or more recently – are described by one who should know as “pure bulls**t”.

It may be significant that Ferrari put out a company statement on Tuesday: “In relation to the speculations that appeared in some press organs reporting the position of the Team Principal of the Scuderia, Mattia Binotto, Ferrari announces that these are totally unfounded rumours.” When the end of Maurizio Arrivabene’s time there (and before him, Marco Mattiacci) was being heavily speculated about, there was only silence from Ferrari.

‘If Ferrari’s learned anything, it will back Binotto’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/mark-hughes-if-ferraris-learned-anything-it-will-back-binotto/


Ferrari stopped 2022 development as it 'couldn't afford' upgrades
RacingNews365
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has revealed how the budget cap forced them into switching development on the 2022 car off. Ferrari was forced into halting development on its 2022 Formula 1 car as it "couldn't afford" new upgrades, according to boss Mattia Binotto.

The team started the season with the quickest package, but have fallen back from runaway leaders Red Bull after winning two of the opening three races. Since the Austrian Grand Prix in July, Ferrari have not won a race as a potential title challenge has morphed into a fight for second with Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship.

However, while the eight-time champions have been developing their car to try and mask the problems with it, Binotto has revealed that the development tap was switched off as the budget cap struck.

'Couldn't afford upgrades’;

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-stopped-2022-development-as-it-couldnt-afford-upgrades


Binotto: Ferrari was 'in the fight' for win without Perez
16/11/2022, 07:10
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

Carlos Sainz was in a position to challenge for the win at Brazil after pitting for fresher tyres during a late Safety Car, according to the Ferrari Team Principal. Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto believes it would've been "difficult" for Carlos Sainz to pass Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The team took advantage of a late Safety Car to pit Sainz for a set of used Soft tyres, which put him behind Sergio Perez at the restart. Given Perez was on Mediums that were several laps older, it meant that he was a lot slower at the restart and resulted in him dropping down from P3 to P7 by the chequered flag.

Even though it only took Sainz three laps to get past him, he was ultimately not able to keep up with the pace of Mercedes after using up his fresher tyres to pass Perez.

‘Ferrari was in the fight';

https://racingnews365.com/binotto-ferrari-was-in-the-fight-for-win-without-perez


Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto: “Our race immediately got much harder right from the early stages”
November 16, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

A third and fourth place finish for Scuderia Ferrari at the São Paulo Grand Prix has been credited to a “aggressive strategy” by Team Principal Mattia Binotto, after the Scuderia was able to recover from a number of set backs to take away a substantial points haul from the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

Ferrari’s race would get off to a disrupted start after Charles Leclerc attempted to overtake Lando Norris around turn six before contact from the McLaren F1 Team driver would send the Monegasque driver into the barriers. Able to avoid any terminal damage to his F1-75, Leclerc was able to continue, but a pit-stop for a new front wing would send the Ferrari driver to the back of the running order.

Carlos Sainz had in turn become the benefactor of Leclerc and Norris’ coming together. Sainz, who had been running behind Leclerc before the incident, would then pass his former McLaren teammate a lap later as they both headed into turn one.

‘Harder right from the early stages’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/11/ferraris-mattia-binotto-our-race-immediately-got-much-harder-right-from-the-early-stages/

[Fortitude]

Haas confirm Schumacher will leave team at end of 2022.
Haas have confirmed Mick Schumacher will leave the team following this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Posted on 17th November 2022, 5:1117th November 2022, 5:26
Written by Ida Wood

In his two seasons with the team he has scored 12 points so far, with his best qualifying result – sixth place at this year’s Canadian Grand Prix – immediately being followed by his only points finishes in F1 at the British and Austrian grands prix. In the latter he achieved his best race result, a sixth place.

Since then he has largely been out-performed by team mate Kevin Magnussen. This was illustrated dramatically in qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix six days ago where Magnussen scored a shock pole position in the rain-affected session after Schumacher took last place on the grid.

“I would like to thank Mick Schumacher for his contribution to the team over the past couple of years,” Haas team principal Guenther Steiner. “Mick’s pedigree in the junior categories was well-known and he has continued to grow and develop as a driver in his time with Haas F1 Team – culminating in his first Formula 1 points-scoring successes earlier this season. While choosing to go in separate directions for the future the entire team wishes Mick well for the next steps in his career path and beyond.”

‘Schumacher will leave team at end of 2022’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/17/haas-confirm-schumacher-will-leave-team-at-end-of-2022/


Haas confirms Schumacher exit after Abu Dhabi GP
17/11/2022, 05:07
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Haas has confirmed that Mick Schumacher will exit the team after the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Schumacher has spent two seasons competing for Haas and scored points in Britain and Austria this year.
He is to be replaced by compatriot Nico Hulkenberg, with an announcement confirming the 35-year-old expected imminently.

‘Haas confirms Schumacher exit’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/11/17/haas-confirms-schumacher-exit-after-abu-dhabi-gp/


Mick Schumacher reacts to Haas axe after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hints at F1 lifeline
Toto Wolff has declared the Schumacher family "belongs to Mercedes" after Haas chose to part company with Mick Schumacher.
07:54, Thu, Nov 17, 2022
By Ryan Taylor

Mick Schumacher has detailed his disappointment after being ditched by Haas and replaced by Nico Hulkenberg as he prepares to embark on his final race with his current team in Abu Dhabi. Despite a troublesome two-year reign behind the wheel, the young German has found it hard to come to terms with the decision that leaves him out of the F1 picture for the 2023 season.

"This will be my last race for Haas," Schumacher confirmed in a brief statement. "I will not hide the fact that I am deeply disappointed by the decision not to renew my contract. Despite that, I would like to thank Haas and Ferrari for this opportunity. The years together have helped me mature and also grow technically. Especially in the difficult moments I realised how much I love this sport."

Unfortunately for Schumacher, there are virtually no immediate options available with Williams the only team that currently has an open seat within their ranks. Logan Sargeant is due to step up to the plate, however, as he awaits gratification on his super licence following the conclusion of the F2 season.

‘Mick Schumacher reacts to Haas’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1697733/Mick-Schumacher-reacts-Haas-axe-Mercedes-Toto-Wolff-F1-lifeline


Is Haas right to drop Schumacher for Hulkenberg? Our verdict
17/11/2022, 06:33
The Race

Nico Hulkenberg’s return to Formula 1 at Haas in place of Mick Schumacher has been mooted for several months and is now official. Hulkenberg undoubtedly impressed during his ‘first’ F1 spell, but is he really the most convincing option for Haas after three years on the sidelines.

Here are our writers’ takes on Haas’s decision, covering everything from Haas’s approach to running young drivers, where Schumacher went awry, Hulkenberg’s merits and even why a certain Formula E champion ought to have the seat instead.

Scott Mitchell-Malm: “Will midfield reality temper Hulkenberg’s enthusiasm?”
Gary Anderson: “Magnussen showed Haas what was possible”
Megan Cantle: “It’s another snub for another deserving star”
Edd Straw: “It’s simple: Hulk will score more points”
Mark Hughes: “Schumacher didn’t do enough”
Glenn Freeman: “Another move that reflects a shallow driver pool”
Matt Beer: “A KNOWN QUANTITY – BUT IS HE ENOUGH?”
Josh Suttill: “This shouldn’t put Haas off young drivers”

‘Our verdict’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/is-haas-right-to-drop-schumacher-for-hulkenberg-our-verdict/


Schumacher 'disappointed' with Haas exit, but 'fire still burns for F1'
17/11/2022 at 08:06
Phillip van Osten

Mick Schumacher admitted to being disappointed by Haas' decision not to renew his contract for 2023, but the young German says F1 "is anything but closed for me".

A string of costly crashes during the first part of his 2022 campaign coupled with unsatisfactory results in the back-half of the season ultimately sealed Schumacher's fate. On Thursday, Haas confirmed the 23-year-old's exit and his replacement alongside Kevin Magnussen by F1 veteran Nico Hulkenberg.

Regardless of what the future holds for the young German, F1 is by no means off his radar. "The subject is anything but closed for me," Schumacher added. "Setbacks only make you stronger. My fire burns for Formula 1 and I will fight hard to return to the starting grid."

‘My fire burns for Formula 1’;

https://f1i.com/news/460736-schumacher-disappointed-with-haas-exit-but-fire-still-burns-for-f1.html

[Fortitude]

Millions on the line and an F1 legend’s last hurrah – 5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP.
The final race of a thrilling 2022 is here as the season comes to a close with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The championship winners may already have been decided but there’s still plenty to play for, so here are some of the key talking points heading to Yas Marina...
16 November 2022
Chris Medland
Special contributor

1. The fight for second
A dramatic race in Brazil left two drivers unhappy that they finished directly behind their team mates, but it has set up the final round beautifully when it comes to the battle for second place overall.

2. Millions up for grabs
Elsewhere, the final constructors’ championship positions are anyone’s guess due to a number of extremely tight battles still to be decided. Alpine moved comfortably clear of McLaren in Brazil, but even that fight could still turn around with 19 points between them.

3. Farewell to Seb
A remarkable career for one of Formula 1’s greatest drivers comes to a close this weekend, as Sebastian Vettel makes his 299th and final start in Grand Prix racing.

‘Millions on the line’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.millions-on-the-line-and-an-f1-legends-last-hurrah-5-storylines-were-excited.C1rVqpP1v2bu3ztOIhuYA.html


FORM GUIDE: Who's set to end the season on a high in Abu Dhabi?
16 November 2022
Samarth Kanal
Staff Writer

It’s the final round of the 2022 Formula 1 season, with Red Bull holding both titles – and the cards – going into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Let's take a look at who might be in for a good weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit, and see who the fans are backing on F1 Play, the official predictor game of F1.

Vying for pole. Kevin Magnussen ripped up the script last time out in Brazil as a well-timed and well-executed lap in Q3 got the Haas driver his and the team’s first Formula 1 pole position. Abu Dhabi doesn’t generally deliver the same sort of shocks.

In the last five years, Max Verstappen has taken two poles here, Lewis Hamilton has taken two, and Valtteri Bottas has taken one. In fact, since the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009, only McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes – and only six different drivers – have taken pole position here.

‘FORM GUIDE’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.form-guide-whos-set-to-end-the-season-on-a-high-in-abu-dhabi.1kGJCP3kKmTKu3vIeCWNjM.html


Abu Dhabi GP: 5 big questions that need answers this weekend
Published: 17 Nov 2022, 10:53
By George Dagless

F1 is back in Abu Dhabi this weekend as the final race of the campaign takes place at the Yas Marina circuit.

The 2022 season has been a fascinating one, with the new rules and regulations introduced at the start of the year and providing the teams with plenty to contend with.

As the months have passed, Red Bull and Max Verstappen have proven to be the combination to beat, with the Dutchman storming to a second world title.

‘5 big questions that need answers’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88084751-abu-dhabi-gp-5-big-questions-that-need-answers-this-weekend


What Formula 1 will be saying goodbye to in Abu Dhabi
16/11/2022, ‎16‎:‎10

Like every other that has gone before, the final race of the 2022 Formula 1 season in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a time for reflection. A time to think reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the campaign coming to a close or perhaps left with the dreams of what might have been had X, Y or Z gone slightly differently.

However, for some, they are bidding goodbye to the F1 paddock for what could - and in the case of at least one will, be the final Grand Prix of their racing career. The headline act is Sebastian Vettel. 15 years after his full-time debut, Vettel takes his last dance at Yas Marina, 12 years after he won his first world title at the same venue.

Elsewhere, Nicholas Latifi is also leaving F1 after three seasons. It is unfortunate that the affable Canadian and decent pedaller will only be remembered for one thing during his F1 career. Ricciardo bows out. Despite having an option for an extra year on his McLaren contract, Daniel Ricciardo has accepted a payoff to leave early.

‘What Formula 1 will be saying goodbye to’;

https://racingnews365.com/what-formula-1-will-be-saying-goodbye-to-in-abu-dhabi


Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weather: Three-day outlook for the F1 2022 season finale
Thursday 17th November 2022 10:45 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

On Friday, the opening day of action as the FP1 and FP2 format returns, drivers can expect to encounter the peak temperature of the day during FP1, 33 degrees Celsius, with zero chance of rain and only a gentle breeze. As the floodlights begin to take effect for FP2, the temperature is set to drop to 31c and then below the 30 mark by the end of the session, still with a zero per cent risk of rain, while humidity climbs from 30 per cent to the mid 40s.

Come FP3 on Saturday, the temperature will have ramped up again to 32c, while the winds will also strengthen with a very slight chance of rain, only two per cent. That session will be more humid with a figure in the high 40s, while come qualifying after sunset, the temperature will drop once more just below 30, humidity climbing to around 60% as the very slight threat of rain totally goes away.

Then, it is race day, where the drivers can expect slightly cooler conditions, but not much cooler. With a temperature just below 30c come lights out, that is expected to drop to around 27c by the time of the chequered flag which will bring an end to the 2022 season.

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weather’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/abu-dhabi-grand-prix-2022-weather/

[Fortitude]

Nico Hülkenberg Makes Full-Time F1 Comeback By Signing With Haas For The 2023 Season.
Just moments after it was announced that Mick Schumacher would be leaving the Haas F1 Team, his successor within the American team was announced as Nico Hülkenberg was confirmed to be making his full-time return racing and partnering Kevin Magnussen at Haas for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.
November 17, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

Hülkenberg, who since his departure from the Renault F1 Team at the end of the 2019 season, has been officially operating as the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team reserve driver since the beginning of the 2021 season and despite his three year break from full-time racing, the German has still since official Grand Prix action as he was called upon by the Silverstone-based team numerous times across the last three years.

The thirty-five year old German made quite the impression on his reserve duties when he qualified third at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, where he would come home for a eventual seventh-place finish after having to pit from fourth-place late on due to a high level of tyre wear. Also when called upon on the Saturday of the Eifel Grand Prix, Hülkenberg was able to claim an eight-place finish despite starting last on the grid, a drive that netted him the honour of being crowned the driver of the day.

‘Nico Hülkenberg Makes Full-Time F1 Comeback’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/11/nico-hulkenberg-makes-full-time-f1-comeback-by-signing-with-haas-for-the-2023-season/


Hulkenberg 'thought he was done' in F1 before Haas call
17/11/2022, ‎14‎:‎40
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Jolyon Palmer has recalled conversations he had with F1 2023 returnee Nico Hulkenberg prior to the German's Haas announcement. Jolyon Palmer has provided an insight into his conversations with Nico Hulkenberg, ahead of his announcement at the Haas F1 team.

Ex-F1 driver Palmer claims that Hulkenberg 'thought he was done' in Formula 1, after a period of uncertainty around his F1 future. Hulkenberg had been rumoured to be a candidate for the second Haas seat for much of the season, but endured a frustrating wait for confirmation as Mick Schumacher fought to retain his seat.

'Thought he was done';

https://racingnews365.com/hulkenberg-thought-he-was-done-in-formula-1


Why Haas F1 Team Gave up on Mick Schumacher after Just Two Seasons
Michael Schumacher's son frankly did not have any 'wow' moments that showed he deserved more time to develop.
Nov 17, 2022
By Phillip Horton

Mick Schumacher will not be racing in Formula 1 next season after Haas opted to sign the experienced Nico Hulkenberg in his place. Schumacher has been a tricky driver to judge throughout his two seasons with Haas.

The erudite 23-year-old has shown enough to suggest he has the potential to become a solid midfield driver—maybe in a similar vein to Hulkenberg—but it is equally not a travesty that he will be left off the grid.

His scoreless rookie season in 2021 was spent stymied by lackluster machinery, and while he comfortably got the better of then-teammate Nikita Mazepin, Mazepin was not exactly a stellar benchmark. It nevertheless bought Schumacher a little more time to show what he could do, which was a positive situation given his illustrious surname.

‘Why Haas F1 Team Gave up’;

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/a41990882/why-haas-f1-gave-up-mick-schumacher/


Ralf Schumacher rages at Haas over Mick Schumacher axe: “That’s not how to deal with an employee”
17 Nov 2022
James Dielhenn

Ralf Schumacher has criticised Haas for the manner of Mick Schumacher’s exit - saying “you have to hug him from time to time”. The younger Schumacher will be without a seat in the F1 2023 driver line-up after Haas confirmed they would replace him with Nico Hulkenberg for next season.

It brings to an end the tumultuous saga of his time at Haas, and the multiple times he has been criticised by team principal Guenther Steiner. "Of course, this is a disappointment for such a young racing driver," his uncle Ralf Schumacher said to Sky.

"The fact that it took so long made it clear that it would not be quite so easy. They obviously approached the matter with different standards. You have to give a driver two or three years. We see, for example, Yuki Tsunoda who sits in a supposedly better car and also has difficulties."

‘Ralf Schumacher rages at Haas’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1017278/1/ralf-schumacher-rages-mick-dumping-s-not-how-deal-employee


Sebastian Vettel takes swipe at Haas chiefs as he reacts to Mick Schumacher axe
The two German drivers have a close friendship, and Vettel appeared to be bemused by his compatriot's treatment after Haas announced they would be replacing him
16:16, 17 Nov 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Speaking to Sky Germany, Vettel made clear his belief that Haas have made a mistake. More than that, he appeared to question team principal Guenther Steiner's leadership as he criticised the decision-making process.

"Obviously it's bitter for him and I am sorry for him," said the four-time world champion. "I believe the team leadership at Haas is sometimes... yeah... I don't want to say but sometimes difficult to understand.”

"I think Mick absolutely deserves a seat. The season was certainly not easy for him, here and there, maybe he did a mistake but I think the team was also not blameless or innocent, at least from the outside. Now I think he is concentrating on the new task, the next steps that will come, I believe and hope he gets a chance because he has the potential.”

‘Sebastian Vettel takes swipe at Haas chiefs’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/vettel-schumacher-haas-seat-reaction-28518239

[Fortitude]

Horner hints at Verstappen grudge over Hamilton crash.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has warned Max Verstappen has a "memory like an elephant" after the Dutchman's clash with Lewis Hamilton at the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Tuesday 15 November 2022 06:00
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Asked if the ability to hold a grudge Verstappen seemingly has could lead to a future flare-up, Horner replied: "He has a memory like an elephant.” Verstappen was penalised five seconds for his part in the incident, with Horner adding: "Which I thought was a bit harsh, to be honest. "For me, I thought he'd earned a bit more space than he was given, that Lewis could have given him a bit more to work with because he [Verstappen] was ahead going into the left-hander.”

Verstappen was quick to place blame at Mercedes driver Hamilton's door post-race, suggesting that Hamilton had no intention of leaving space. Asked if he believed Hamilton was unable to let go of the contentious title battle from a year ago, Horner conceded: "That's a big question. More one for Lewis than for me.

"Unfortunately, the only contact we've had this year has been in turn two. As I said, I felt Max had earned a bit more space than he was given. We were surprised by the penalty because at best we thought it was a racing incident."

‘Verstappen grudge’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96065/max-verstappen-lewis-hamilton-christian-horner/


VERSTAPPEN WILL HELP PEREZ IN ABU DHABI SAYS HORNER
Verstappen disobeyed team orders and did not let Perez through in Brazil
16:09 Wed, 16 Nov 2022.
Selena Abu-Ras
FormulaNerds

Christian Horner of Red Bull has said despite what happened in Brazil, Max Verstappen will help Sergio Perez if he can at Abu Dhabi. Last weekend was a drama frenzy in the F1 community as Max Verstappen disobeyed team orders to let Sergio Perez through. On the team radio and in post-race interviews Verstappen stated that he has his reasons.

Perez said that after everything he had done to help Verstappen, it’s disappointing his teammate did not do the same. This caused a social media stir about what was happening at Red Bull. Red Bull Racing Boss, Horner, spoke about what had happened and what this meant for Red Bull at Abu Dhabi. Horner assured that all has cleared between the teammates and that both Verstappen and Perez are committed to the team. He said:

“It’s something we discussed obviously, behind closed doors, the drivers have discussed it. As a team, our focus very much going into Abu Dhabi with Charles and Checo tied on points is to do our best that we can to support Checo to achieve second place. Max has obviously made that commitment as well. So as far as we’re concerned, it’s about looking forward not looking backwards.”

‘VERSTAPPEN WILL HELP PEREZ’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/verstappen-will-help-perez-in-abu-dhabi-says-horner/?nowprocket=1


Helmut Marko draws a line under Sao Paulo, ‘everything has been clarified internally’
Monday 14th November 2022 10:45 AM
Michelle Foster

Max Verstappen “will” work for Sergio Perez at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, that’s the word from Helmut Marko after the Dutchman ignored team orders at the Sao Paulo race.

What on the surface seemed to be a harmonious relationship between Verstappen and his latest Red Bull team-mate, Perez, that went up in smoke in Sunday’s grand prix at the Interlagos circuit. Marko has made it abundantly clear to his driver it is definitely a “will” help.

“From his point of view Max will do everything possible there so that Checo can achieve second place in the World Championship,” said the Red Bull advisor. “That here in Brazil has been ticked off and clarified and we’re going to Abu Dhabi with this premise. Everything has been clarified internally, we will work as a team there.”

‘Helmut Marko draws a line’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut-marko-draws-a-line-under-sao-paulo/


Christian Horner: “We need to understand why we gave away performance this weekend”
November 16, 2022
By Olivia Dellar

Horner commented on the issues the team battled with for the entire weekend: “We haven’t often left a Grand Prix weekend this season feeling disappointed. Coming away from Brazil with P6 and P7 is far from the standards we have set for ourselves this season. The main issue for us was our pace.”

With the final race of the season approaching, Horner is eager for the team to resolve the issues with pace and avoid giving away any more performance to the competitive teams, despite Red Bull having bagged both major prizes of the season.

“George drove very well all weekend and the various updates Mercedes have been bringing throughout the year has seen them get quicker and quicker. We need to understand why we gave away performance this weekend and will come out firing on all cylinders in Abu Dhabi.”

‘We need to understand why we gave away performance’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/11/christian-horner-we-need-to-understand-why-we-gave-away-performance-this-weekend/


Who holds the power at Red Bull? Verstappen or Horner?
Max Verstappen dictating to his team his actions on track has shone a light on the intra-team dynamic at Red Bull – who is in charge?
November 16th 2022
By Chris Medland

A pretty remarkable sight presented itself following the São Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. After the penultimate race of one of Red Bull’s most dominant seasons, and a year in which Max Verstappen has already set the record for the most victories in a campaign, the team’s hospitality unit was a key location for the row unfolding inside.

And not just inside private offices. As much as Christian Horner wanted to sidestep questions about Verstappen’s decision to ignore team orders and not return a position to Sergio Perez on the final lap of the race – saying “I’m not going to go into what we discussed behind closed doors” – the tension was clear to see.

Unfortunately for Horner, despite the fact that the doors were open to the hospitality units anyway, the offerings at Interlagos are completely glass-fronted, so you can perfectly see the entire communal area of the unit. Teams are then free to use temporary dividers to create specific offices and rooms as they like. And the team had done exactly that, but wasn’t making use of any of them once an initial meeting involving both drivers had ended.

“I’m not going to go into what we discussed behind closed doors”;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/who-holds-the-power-at-red-bull-verstappen-or-horner?nowprocket=1#

[Fortitude]

Hamilton leads Russell and Leclerc in Abu Dhabi FP1.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Lewis Hamilton topped the times, a couple of tenths ahead of his teammate and Charles Leclerc in the sunny opening practice.
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
18th Nov. 2022
by Emer Hedderman

Just inside the final fifteen minutes the Mercedes drivers finally showed their pace around the track with Lewis Hamilton taking over in P1 with a 1:26.633 and was soon joined by Russell who was a couple of tenths slower than his teammate and that’s where the two remained for the rest of the session.

Felipe Drugovitch, this season’s F2 champion, was the first to take to the track as he gave Lance Stroll a lazy start to the day by taking over his car for the opening practice. Stroll wasn’t the only full-time driver with the opportunity to sleep in today, ideal for them after all the drivers were out for dinner last night to celebrate Sebastian Vettel, as there were eight young or reserve drivers taking over cars for FP1.

Aside from Drugovitch in the Aston Martin, Liam Lawson was in Max Verstappen’s car, Robert Shwartzman replacing Carlos Sainz, Jack Doohan was in Fernando Alonso’s machine, while Robert Kubica, Alfa Romeo’s reserve once again in the car, this time in Zhou Guanyu’s.

‘Lewis Hamilton topped the times’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/hamilton-leads-russell-and-leclerc-in-abu-dhabi-fp1-80488


(FP1) First Practice Results – 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
18th Nov. 2022, 11:08
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes -1:25.633
2. George Russell Mercedes +0.220
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.255
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.334
5. Liam Lawson Red Bull Racing +0.568
6. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +0.635
7. Robert Schwartzman Scuderia Ferrari +0.796
8. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.986
9. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.022
10. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.207

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from first practice for the 2022 F1 World Championship finale at the Yas Marina Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-practice-results-2022-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-80484


Formula 1 2022 results – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: FP1
Friday 18th November 2022 11:03 AM
Thomas Maher

Mercedes have followed up on their 1-2 finish in Brazil by topping the times in first practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton set the quickest time of the first practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, keeping Mercedes at the top of the results following on from their first win of the season last time out in Brazil.

Hamilton clocked a 1:26.633 with 20 minutes remaining in the session, pipping Mercedes teammate George Russell by almost quarter of a second. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third, ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson – the Kiwi taking Max Verstappen’s car for the session as Red Bull fulfil their junior driver obligations this weekend.

There were plenty of new and unusual names taking part in the session, with Lando Norris handing over his McLaren to Pato O’Ward, while Felipe Drugovich drove Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin. Robert Shwartzman drove Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari en route to seventh place, while Logan Sargeant was in at Williams in place of Nicholas Latifi.

‘Formula 1 2022 results’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/formula-1-2022-results-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-fp1/


Abu Dhabi GP: FIA Drivers Press Conference
NEWS STORY
17/11/2022
Group 1: Yuki Tsunoda, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Nicholas Latifi.

Q: Sebastian, if we could start with you, please. The moment has arrived, your last weekend as a Formula 1 driver? How are you feeling at this stage?
Sebastian: I don't know. Maybe I should ask Fernando, he went through it already! He will go through it again, I guess, at some point. But yeah, I feel okay. I mean, obviously, I guess after so many years and races, there's the routine of Thursday. But I think it's difficult in a way to grasp but I'm aware of what's happening and I'm happy about it, as far as I can be.

Q: Fernando, you too, have enjoyed many great battles with the man on your left. What will you miss about Sebastian?
Fernando Alonso: Yeah, I mean, it's going to be strange to don't have him in next year and the first race. But yeah, I mean, we share, as you said, so many things. Over the last 15 years, sometimes we fought for championships, sometimes for seven places, even in Japan to the finish line, and we still obviously always enjoy every single battle and, and respect each other as much as we could. So yeah, I think my career is going to be linked to Sebastian in a way because we fought for many great things and in the best seasons of our life, probably, and even though it was on his side, the outcome always. I think it's going be very linked, our two names - or my name in Sebastian's career, and vice versa.

‘FIA Drivers Press Conference’;

https://www.pitpass.com/74169/Abu-Dhabi-GP-FIA-Drivers-Press-Conference

[Fortitude]

Abu Dhabi GP: Max Verstappen tops FP2.
Max Verstappen quickly got into his stride in Abu Dhabi as he topped the FP2 session by over 0.3 tenths of a second.
Published: 18 Nov 2022, 14:18
By George Dagless

Verstappen is looking to finish this brilliant season of his with a flourish and would surely like nothing more than to take victory at the Yas Marina circuit to cap off his campaign.

Certainly, he looks in a decent position to do so with him setting the quickest time of all on Friday evening, with him 0.341 clear of next fastest driver George Russell in the Mercedes.

What made his effort even more impressive was that this was his first session of the weekend, with him one of eight drivers to sit FP1 out earlier in the day to allow Red Bull, alongside seven other teams, to help fulfil their rookie driver obligations.

‘Max Verstappen tops FP2’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88085483-abu-dhabi-gp-max-verstappen-tops-fp2


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
18/11/2022, 14:11
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:25.146
2. George Russell Mercedes +0.341
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.453
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.615
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.706
6. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.786
7. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.892
8. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.897
9. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.978
10. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.154

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from second practice for the 2022 F1 World Championship finale at the Yas Marina Circuit’;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1/Grands+Prix/Abu+Dhabi+GP


Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Max Verstappen tops George Russell in Practice Two as world champion halts Mercedes' flying start
Mercedes topped first practice but Max Verstappen hits back in P2, 0.341s ahead of George Russell; Charles Leclerc third and Lewis Hamilton a distant fourth; Watch Abu Dhabi GP final practice at 10.30am on Saturday, qualifying at 2pm
Last Updated: 18/11/22 2:16pm
By Matt Morlidge at Yas Marina

Max Verstappen halted Mercedes' flying start to the final weekend of the Formula 1 season by comfortably topping the timesheets in Practice Two for the Abu Dhabi GP for Red Bull.

The world champion, surprisingly off the pace last weekend in Brazil as Mercedes sealed their first win of 2022, missed first practice at Yas Marina after sitting out for young driver Liam Lawson but didn't take long to find his rhythm in P2, the more representative floodlit practice session.

Verstappen posted a 1:29.146 and appeared to have more in the locker as he beat closest challenger George Russell by 0.341s, with Charles Leclerc a tenth further back in the Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton, who led a Mercedes one-two earlier in the afternoon, was a distant fourth, and almost had a coming together with Haas' Kevin Magnussen in Abu Dhabi, the scene of his title heartbreak last year.

‘Max Verstappen tops George Russell’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12750354/abu-dhabi-grand-prix-max-verstappen-tops-george-russell-in-practice-two-as-world-champion-halts-mercedes-flying-start


Formula 1 2022 results – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: FP2
Friday 18th November 2022 2:04 PM
Jon Wilde

Max Verstappen’s first action of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend ended with him in his familar position at the top of the timesheet. Unlike in the first hour’s running of the weekend, all 20 regular drivers of the 2022 season were out on track after several of them had sat out FP1 to make way for inexperienced and test drivers, most of which had been brought in to fulfil the rookie requirement introduced this year.

One of those to spend the morning watching on in the garage was Verstappen, who stepped aside for Liam Lawson, but in FP2 he was straight on the pace as Red Bull hit back at Mercedes. Mercedes had finished 1-2 in FP1 for the second consecutive track session, having achieved that feat at the Brazilian Grand Prix five days earlier when Russell scored his maiden F1 victory ahead of Hamilton.

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: FP2’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/formula-1-2022-results-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-fp2/


Ricciardo will return to Red Bull as ‘third driver’ next year, says Marko
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Posted on 18th November 2022, 12:4518th November 2022, 12:46
Written by Keith Collantine

Daniel Ricciardo will rejoin Red Bull next year as a third driver, the team’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko has said.

Marko told Sky Germany Ricciardo will return to the team but Liam Lawson will continue in the role of reserve driver for both Red Bull and AlphaTauri. Lawson drove Max Verstappen’s RB18 in first practice at Yas Marina today and has also appeared twice for AlphaTauri in practice sessions this year.

Ricciardo was backed by Red Bull on his way to Formula 1. He joined the team in 2014, winning three races, and added four more victories before leaving at the end of 2018.

‘Ricciardo will return to Red Bull’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/18/ricciardo-will-return-to-red-bull-as-third-driver-next-year-says-marko/

[Fortitude]

STEINER: NOT EVEN AN F1 POLE POSITION WOULD HAVE SAVED SCHUMACHER’S HAAS SEAT.
Haas announced that fellow German Nico Hulkenburg would replace Mick Schumacher at Haas for 2023 to partner Kevin Magnussen, meaning the young German doesn't have a Formula 1 seat for 2023.
19:10 Thu, 17 Nov 2022.
Nathan Hartley
FormulaNerds

Guenther Steiner reveals that “not even a pole position” would have saved Mick Schumacher’s seat. Meanwhile, Schumacher is determined to “prove everyone wrong” after losing his Haas seat to Nico Hulkenburg. Schumacher currently sits 16th in the drivers’ championship with only 12 points. The German last scored points at Austria where the 23-year-old finished in a career-best sixth.

His teammate Kevin Magnussen has 13 more points than the German as the Dane sits three places higher in 13th. The most recent race in Sao Paulo saw Kevin Magnussen take pole position in qualifying whilst Schumacher qualified in 20th. The Haas driver has had two tough seasons with the American team. The first season saw the German not being able to compete as Haas had by far the worst car in 2021. However, 2022 saw Haas provide a good car. This was proven by Kevin Magnussen getting into Q3 and finishing fifth in the season-opener at Bahrain.

Despite Haas’ step-up, Schumacher was still struggling. The 23-year-old suffered heavy crashes in Saudi Arabia, Monaco and, most recently, Japan. All of the crashes have resulted in Haas boss Guenther Steiner warning the German about the amount of crashes, costing the team to spend on upgrades. Haas only brought significant upgrades once throughout the entire season in Hungary. The amount of money spent on repairs could have been a factor that limited the American team from spending money to improve the car.

‘NOT EVEN AN F1 POLE POSITION’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/steiner-not-even-an-f1-pole-position-would-have-saved-schumachers-haas-seat/?nowprocket=1


Guenther Steiner responds to ‘self-promoting’ criticism from Ralf Schumacher
Friday 18th November 2022 6:00 AM
Sam Cooper

Guenther Steiner has hit back at Ralf Schumacher who critcised the Haas boss for being a “self-promoting person”. Steiner has responded directly to this criticism by denying that he is focused on getting all the attention but instead said his main objective is to help the team be successful. “I try to do a good job,” Steiner told Sky Sports News.

“It’s not about attention, it’s not about my attention it’s about doing a good job. If people take attention off it, I cannot say, don’t look at me. I’m not doing it on purpose. I don’t think I need to defend myself here. Everybody can do and say what they want and I do what I think is best for the team and leave it at that.”

During the media rounds ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Steiner did elaborate on what his reasons were for letting Schumacher go and said it came down to experience. “I think that the experience of multi-years in Formula 1 that never have been with another team than us,” Steiner told media, including PlanetF1, when asked what Schumacher was missing.

‘Guenther Steiner responds’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenther-steiner-responds-self-promoting-criticism-ralf-schumacher/


“Haas got fed up of Mick Schumacher’s entourage”, says Martin Brundle at F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
18 Nov 2022
James Dielhenn

Mick Schumacher brought “pressures” to Haas due to the people surrounding him which contributed to his exit, says Martin Brundle. Haas confirmed that the final vacant seat in the F1 2023 driver line-up would go to Nico Hulkenberg, replacing Schumacher and forcing him off the grid next season.

Sky’s Brundle said: “They have gone for the security of experience. Mick crashed too many cars. I think the team were fed up of Mick’s entourage and all the pressures that came with that. He has been dropped by Ferrari as well, so it’s difficult times for him.”

Mick’s uncle Ralf Schumacher has repeatedly criticised Haas team principal Guenther Steiner throughout the season.

‘Fed up of Mick Schumacher’s entourage’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1017406/1/haas-got-fed-mick-schumacher-s-entourage


Ralf Schumacher says Haas were lacking in ‘encouragement and hugs’ for Mick
Friday 18th November 2022 8:15 AM
Michelle Foster

Ralf Schumacher says it is probably a good thing Mick Schumacher and Haas will part ways at the end of this season as a driver needs a team that “stands behind” him.

“Of course it’s a disappointment for such a young racing driver,” Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland. “Because it took so long, it was clear it wasn’t that easy.”
The German, not for the first time, says blame belongs to Steiner who instead of giving Mick a “hug”, publicly criticised him and made it known his seat was on the line.
“That’s not how you treat an employee, so the result wasn’t a big surprise,” he said.
“You have to encourage such a young driver, you have to hug him from time to time.”

‘Lacking in encouragement and hugs’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ralf-schumacher-haas-lacking-encouragement-hugs-mick/


Guenther Steiner admits delaying Mick Schumacher decision on purpose in 'psychology' test.
The Haas chief made it clear on several occasions he would not be rushing the decision to make sure they got it right, and now Steiner has revealed another reason why he delayed.
18:13, 17 Nov 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Guenther Steiner admitted he delayed his 2023 driver decision "on purpose" to test how much Nico Hulkenberg really wanted the seat. The 35-year-old will hold a Formula 1 race seat for the first time since 2019 when he joins Haas next year. He replaces his fellow German Mick Schumacher, whose own F1 future is now uncertain after only two years in the sport.

Steiner took a long time to make a decision, sparking criticism from some fans and pundits for making Schumacher wait to find out what his future holds. Speaking to The Race in the wake of the announcement, he revealed he did it on purpose. I spoke to [Hulkenberg] for a pretty long time, then maybe not speaking, just seeing how he reacted," he said. "With some people, when you want something, you get high and then you lose interest. It's a psychology thing.”

"But he always kept on pushing, always asking. I left that seat on purpose there to see. But he always came back, 'What is happening? What is happening?'. I don't think he believed that this could happen until a few days ago. I think he didn't believe it's just going to happen.”

‘Guenther Steiner admits delaying Mick Schumacher’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/steiner-schumacher-hulkenberg-decision-delay-28519775

[Fortitude]

Yas Marina ‘suits Red Bull to a tee’ but Mercedes are giving chase.
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Friday practice analysis
Posted on 18th November 2022, 20:24
Written by Will Wood
Race Fans

After knocking on the door of a possible first win of the season a handful of times after the summer break, Mercedes finally tore door off its hinges last weekend in Brazil by winning the sprint race and backing that up with a one-two victory in the grand prix.

As well as a reward for months of intense development, Mercedes’ victory was also strong evidence that they had finally overtaken Ferrari as Red Bull’s closest rivals at the front of the field, even if they still sit behind them in the championship.

But after Red Bull and Max Verstappen pointed to their set-up choice in Interlagos being a crucial factor in their defeat to Mercedes as they were locked into their setup from the end of the first practice, the question heading into the first day of practice in Abu Dhabi was how much would Verstappen be compromised this weekend by having to miss out on the first hour of running.

‘Suits Red Bull to a tee’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/18/yas-marina-suits-red-bull-to-a-tee-but-mercedes-are-giving-chase/


Leclerc targeting race pace improvement after P3 in both Friday sessions at Abu Dhabi GP
18 Nov 2022
Formula 1.

Charles Leclerc was third quickest in both Friday practice sessions at the Yas Marina Circuit, and though he was happy with his one-lap pace, he said Ferrari still need to improve their performance for the race itself.

‘Targeting race pace improvement’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.leclerc-targeting-race-pace-improvement-after-p3-in-both-friday-sessions-at-abu-dhabi-gp.1749853875927328934.html


Abu Dhabi GP: Friday's action in pictures
18/11/2022 at 19:00
Michael Delaney

F1 teams got down to business on Friday at Yas Marina, with the usual suspects at the front dominating proceedings.

Check out our recap in pictures of Friday's action at the Abu Dhabi GP at Yas Marina , round 22 of the 2022 F1 World Championship.

'Picture Action';

https://f1i.com/news/460921-abu-dhabi-gp-fridays-action-in-pictures-5.html


2022 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview
17:01 Fri, 18 Nov 2022.
Motor Authority

The final round of the 2022 Formula One World Championship takes place this weekend in Abu Dhabi, and even though Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen was named champion at the previous Japanese round, the battle for second place is still very much alive. Fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc both sit on 290 points going into this final round.

And either Ferrari or Mercedes-Benz AMG could end up in second place in the Constructors' Championship, depending on the outcome of the race. Abu Dhabi is where Verstappen took his controversial first title a year ago. The race takes place annually at the Yas Marina Circuit, a Hermann Tilke-designed circuit that is one of the newer locations on the calendar, having been opened in 2009.

The track layout stretches 3.23 miles and consists of 16 corners as well as some fast sections. The first corner is the start of a flowing sequence of bends, where cars and drivers are subjected to lateral acceleration of up to 4 g and speeds in excess of 155 mph. There are then two very long straights in the middle section and the last sector is tight and

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview’;

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1137893_2022-f1-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-preview


Red Bull quicker in Abu Dhabi but Mercedes are “right there” – Hamilton
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Posted on 18th November 2022, 14:54
Written by Keith Collantine

Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes face stronger competition from Red Bull in Abu Dhabi than they did in Brazil, but believes they can compete with their rivals. Mercedes locked out the front row of the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix one week ago and scored a one-two in the race. But Hamilton says “it’s a little bit closer” between them and the champions this weekend.

“I think the Red Bull look a little bit quicker here, which was expected, we didn’t expect this to be our strongest race. So we’ll work hard overnight. We’re generally right here so hopefully we can put on a good fight.”

Hamilton was quickest in the first practice session but ended the second session fourth in the times. “P1 felt pretty good,” he said. “In P2 the balance was quite a bit off.

“It’s a little bit closer”;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/18/red-bull-quicker-in-abu-dhabi-but-mercedes-are-right-there-hamilton/

[Fortitude]

Abu Dhabi GP: Sergio Perez leads a Red Bull 1-2 in final practice.
Sergio Perez led a Red Bull one-two in the final practice session of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
19 November 2022
Insider Racing.

Though conditions were unrepresentative of qualifying later on Saturday, the Mexican set the pace with a 1m24.982s on the soft tyre.

Teammate Max Verstappen was second, but it was a scruffy lap from the reigning champion, who also exceeded track limits twice en route to setting his best time.

The two Mercedes' followed in third and fourth as Lewis Hamilton, on a higher downforce setup, finishing almost two-tenths ahead of George Russell with a lower downforce approach.

‘Sergio Perez leads a Red Bull 1-2’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula-1/16492-abu-dhabi-gp-sergio-perez-leads-a-red-bull-1-2-in-final-practice


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
19/11/2022, 11:41
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy


Results (Classification):
1. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing -1:24.982
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.152
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.240
4. George Russell Mercedes +0.413
5. Lando Norris McLaren +0.536
6. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.589
7. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.623
8. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.968
9. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.030
10. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.069

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from final practice for the 2022 F1 World Championship finale at the Yas Marina Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-practice-results-2022-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-80505


Formula 1 2022 results – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: FP3
Saturday 19th November 2022 11:32 AM
Sam Cooper

Sergio Perez ended the final practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on top of the timesheets as he beat out his team-mate Max Verstappen.

In what is a very important weekend for the Mexican as he aims for P2 in the Drivers’ Championship, he got off on the front foot as he set a time of 1:24.982.

He ended the session 0.152 seconds ahead of Verstappen followed by the two Mercedes as the Silver Aroows continued to show their pace.

‘Formula 1 2022 results’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/formula-1-2022-results-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-fp3-2/


Perez heads Red Bull one-two over Mercedes in final Abu Dhabi practice
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix third practice
Posted on 19th November 2022, 11:48
Written by Will Wood

Sergio Perez headed a Red Bull one-two ahead of Mercedes in final practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit. Perez’s best time of a 1’24.982 saw him head into qualifying a tenth-and-a-half quicker than Max Verstappen, with Lewis Hamilton almost a quarter of a second behind in third. However the Mercedes driver is under investigation for failing to reduce his speed sufficiently when the red flag was shown.

It was a typically bright, warm start to Saturday in Abu Dhabi as the final practice hour of the 2022 season began. With the track hotter than it likely would be for any further session in the weekend, very few drivers chose to head out in the early part of the session.

The two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jnr and Charles Leclerc enjoyed the track to themselves in the early minutes, with Sainz setting the initial benchmark of a 1’27.821 on medium tyres before Leclerc beat his team mate by half a second on his first flying lap.

‘Perez heads Red Bull one-two’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/19/perez-heads-red-bull-one-two-over-mercedes-in-final-abu-dhabi-practice/


Perez leads Red Bull 1-2 in final Abu Dhabi GP practice
19/11/2022, 11:45
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Sergio Perez led a Red Bull 1-2 during the final Formula 1 practice session of the year in Abu Dhabi. Perez set a time of 1:24.982s in the hot daytime session to wind up 0.152s clear of team-mate Max Verstappen.

Verstappen went wide through Turn 5 on his hot lap and was warned by his race engineer that a replication of that line during qualifying would result in the time being deleted for track limits.

Mercedes wound up third and fourth respectively, with Lewis Hamilton in front of George Russell, though Hamilton faces a post-session investigation after appearing to pass two cars under red flag conditions.

‘Sergio Perez led a Red Bull 1-2 during the final Formula 1 practice session of the year’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/11/19/perez-leads-red-bull-1-2-in-final-abu-dhabi-gp-practice/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen beats Perez to Abu Dhabi pole ahead of Ferraris.
Max Verstappen beat Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez to take pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ahead of the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr.
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying
Posted on 19th November 2022, 15:2019th November 2022, 15:21
Written by Will Wood

Verstappen secured the final pole of the season by just over two tenths of a second, while Perez secured an all-Red Bull front row. Both Ferraris locked out the second row of the grid, ahead of the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Ferrari were the first out for their second and final flying lap of the session, with the Red Bulls behind them and the two Mercedes last across the line. Leclerc improved across all three sectors but could not beat Verstappen, moving up to second place. Sainz was unable to match his team mate’s time and remained in third position.

Verstappen was next across the line and improved his own provisional pole time to a 1’23.824, with Perez failing to beat his team mate but moving up into second place. Only the Mercedes could deny Verstappen pole, but neither Hamilton nor Russell even matched the Ferraris. That clinched pole position for Verstappen, with Perez securing an all-Red Bull front row.

‘Verstappen beats Perez to Abu Dhabi pole’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/19/verstappen-beats-perez-to-abu-dhabi-pole-ahead-of-ferraris/


Qualifying Results – 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
19/11/2022, 14:24
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Q3
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:23.824
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.228
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.268
4. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.418
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.684
6. George Russell Mercedes +0.687
7. Lando Norris McLaren +0.945
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.006
9. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.137
10. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.221

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship finale at the Yas Marina Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying-results-2022-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-80512


Abu Dhabi GP: Sergio Perez praises Max Verstappen for 'great job' in Qualifying as Red Bull seal one-two
Max Verstappen led Sergio Perez as Red Bull sealed a one-two in Qualifying; Verstappen provided Perez with a tow in Q3 to help his team-mate beat Charles Leclerc to second; Watch Abu Dhabi GP live on Sky Sports F1 at 1pm on Sunday, with build-up from 11.30am
Last Updated: 19/11/22 6:09pm
SKY

Sergio Perez praised team-mate Max Verstappen for doing a "great job" of helping him in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qualifying, as they put a turbulent week behind them to seal a Red Bull one-two.

Perez was critical of world champion Verstappen last weekend in Brazil after his team-mate refused to let him through to take sixth place on the final lap of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to aid the Mexican in his battle with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for second in the drivers' championship.

"Great job";

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12751177/abu-dhabi-gp-sergio-perez-praises-max-verstappen-for-great-job-in-qualifying-as-red-bull-seal-one-two


“Bouncing is back” admits Hamilton after Mercedes’ qualifying struggle
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Posted on 19th November 2022, 16:1119th November 2022, 16:22
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

Lewis Hamilton said Mercedes’ bouncing problem has returned after he could only manage fifth on the grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The team scored its first victory of the season in Brazil last week having consistently improved the performance of its W13 since the season began. Mercedes started 2022 suffering problems caused by its car bouncing at high speed.

Hamilton qualified fifth, almost seven-tenths of a second off pole-winner Max Verstappen. George Russell will share the third row of the grid with his team mate having qualifying was just three-thousandths of a second slower. “Bouncing is back, so that’s not that easy,” he told media including RaceFans after today’s session.

Although Mercedes predicted Red Bull would be stronger at Yas Marina, Hamilton admitted he “definitely wasn’t expecting to see such a big gap” in qualifying. “We’re losing six-tenths on the straight. It was reminiscent of some of the previous races before, kind of, Austin.”

“Bouncing is back”;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/19/bouncing-is-back-admits-hamilton-after-mercedes-qualifying-struggle/


Max Verstappen details Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 'scare' after taking F1 pole
Max Verstappen has secured pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
15:21, Sat, Nov 19, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Max Verstappen admitted he faced a “scare” moments before his final qualifying run at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Dutchman admitted the team had to “reboot everything” moments before Q3 in what was almost a major problem for Red Bull.

Perez questioned why Verstappen wasn’t beside him on track at the start of the session to choreograph a slipstream. But the team confirmed there was an issue with the reigning champion’s car which saw him delayed in the pit box. After the chequered flag, Verstappen said: “Q2 was a little bit messy. I don’t know why but on those tyres I couldn’t get the grip together. But then in Q3 it all felt a bit more normal.”

“We had a bit of a scare, the car turned off before the first run, so we had to reboot everything. Then we went out and both of the laps were good enough.”

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix scare';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1698823/max-verstappen-red-bull-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-qualifying

[Fortitude]

Wolff: Our qualifying is one to put in the toilet.
“Today, I just heard, is World Toilet Day so I think that is one to put in the toilet,” Wolff told Sky sports television.
20 November, 2022, 06:33
Grand Prix 247

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff dismissed his team’s final qualifying session of the Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi on Saturday as “one to put in the toilet”.

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth at Yas Marina, dimming hopes that he might avoid a first season without a win, while teammate and last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix winner George Russell will line up sixth on Sunday.

Toto Wolff: “I think we didn’t get the job done. I think we went backwards and they (Ferrari) did a little step forward,” added the Austrian. We went on a high-downforce, high-drag concept in order to have a good race car tomorrow and that was just so slow on the straights.”

‘World Toilet Day’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11/20/wolff-our-qualifying-is-one-to-put-in-the-toilet/


Wolff on Mercedes qualifying performance: One to put in the toilet.
After a stellar showing in Brazil, Toto Wolff admits the team had a qualifying session to forget at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
November 19, 2022
By Adriano Boin

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says the team must quickly move on from their disappointing performance in qualifying for the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, though he’s confident their pace will improve on race day.

Just one week after finishing 1-2 in Brazil, the Silver Arrows never really posed a threat to Red Bull at Yas Marina. The Milton Keynes outfit were the class of the field as Max Verstappen took pole ahead of Sergio Perez, with both Ferrari cars slotting in behind them on row two.

As for Mercedes, they had to settle for fifth and sixth. After the session Wolff admitted they failed to deliver after focusing more on the setup for Sunday’s Grand Prix. “That’s one to put in the toilet,” Wolff told Sky Sports. “I think we just didn’t get the job done.”

‘Wolff on Mercedes qualifying performance’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-2022-wolff-mercedes-abu-dhabi-qualifying-performance-toilet/


Wolff explains why Mercedes went 'backwards' in qualifying
20/11/2022, ‎17‎:‎55
Author RacingNews365 Staff

After seemingly displaying good pace during the weekend's practice sessions, Mercedes lost out to both Red Bull and Ferrari in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Team boss Toto Wolff was left disappointed by the outcome.

Toto Wolff has explained why Mercedes "went backwards" in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after looking stronger earlier in the weekend. The team set the pace during Friday's opening practice session, having arrived at the Yas Marina Circuit off the back of their 1-2 victory last time out in Brazil.

However, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell slipped behind both Red Bull and Ferrari in Saturday's qualifying, with the pair set to line up in P5 and P6 respectively. Wolff couldn't hide his disappointment following the session, having told Sky Sports F1: "I think that's one to put in the toilet."

‘Mercedes went 'backwards' in qualifying’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-explains-why-mercedes-went-backwards-in-qualifying


Toto Wolff reveals ‘table of doom’ as Mercedes aim to snatch P2 from Ferrari
Saturday 19th November 2022 1:02 PM
Thomas Maher

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed where Abu Dhabi lies on his team’s “table of doom” as the Brackley squad bid to topple Ferrari from P2. “So we have this internal table of doom, which kind of forecasts whether we are good at the track or not in terms of our simulations,” he told media, including PlanetF1, on Saturday.

“Mexico was, we thought, the best track in the season. And we were performing well. Brazil was right there, like with Austin, but came in better than we thought. Abu Dhabi, in the table of doom, is pretty much in the middle. It’s not Spa or Monza. So if we correlate with the table of doom, it means we understand where we are going to.”

“If we outperform the table of doom I’m obviously happy, but also questioning what happened to getting it right with our forecasts. So the truth is, I don’t know where we are lacking – straight-line speed, particularly against the Red Bull when they turn on the engine. But I would never say we are not in the mix but rationally, probably not right there.”

‘Table of doom’

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-wolff-mercedes-table-doom/


Wolff: Schumacher fits at Mercedes, we need to make it happen
20 November, 2022, 05:32
Grand Prix 247

Mick Schumacher would be a good fit as a Formula 1 reserve for Mercedes but a deal had yet to be agreed, team boss Toto Wolff said on Saturday. The 23-year-old Schumacher, son of seven-time World Champion Michael, is without a drive next year after American team Haas opted to replace him with the returning Nico Hulkenberg.

Schumacher, whose father raced sportscars for Mercedes as part of their young driver programme early in his career and then made a three-year Formula 1 comeback with them, has been linked to a reserve role with the Brackley-based team. His uncle Ralf also drove for Mercedes in his post-F1 DTM career while Ralf’s son David currently races a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in the touring car series.

“Mick is someone that has always been close to our heart because of Michael or the whole Schumacher family,” Wolff told reporters at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “We believe that we can look after him if the situation were to happen… but we haven’t really put pen to paper, we haven’t really come anywhere close to any terms.”

‘Schumacher fits at Mercedes’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11/20/wolff-schumacher-fits-at-mercedes-we-need-to-make-it-happen/


Schumacher keen on accepting Wolff’s offer
20 November 2022, 06:09
Grandpx.news

Mick Schumacher seems keen to take up Toto Wolff’s offer of a role with the Mercedes team next year. Amid rumours his contract with the Ferrari driver academy will also not be renewed for 2023, Mattia Binotto said he won’t block Schumacher’s move to Mercedes.

German Schumacher, 23, admitted that Mercedes is “one of” his options for next year. “Mercedes is a great brand, their achievements in Formula 1 are incredible,” he said. “I’m looking at my options and Mercedes is one of them.

“My father switched from Ferrari to Mercedes too so I see no reason why not. I have time now so will look at all the options and hopefully make the decision,” Schumacher added. “But it’s very nice to hear what Mercedes and especially Toto have said.”

‘Schumacher keen on accepting Wolff’s offer ‘;

https://grandpx.news/schumacher-keen-on-accepting-wolffs-offer/

[Fortitude]

Verstappen dominates Abu Dhabi GP as Leclerc resists Perez for runner-up spot.
Max Verstappen expertly managed his pace to turn a one-stop strategy into victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Charles Leclerc.
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix summary
Posted on 20th November 2022, 14:4520th November 2022, 14:55
Written by Will Wood

Verstappen and Leclerc managed their tyres to secure the top spots on the podium while Sergio Perez only just failed to catch Leclerc on the final lap, taking third place after pitting a second time.

Perez fell away from his leading team mate and into the clutches of Leclerc behind. As soon as Leclerc was within DRS range at the end of lap 15, Red Bull called Perez into the pits, switching him to hard tyres. Russell also pitted for hards but after a slow stop was released in front of Lando Norris, receiving a five second time penalty as a result.

Verstappen made his pit stop at the end of lap 20, moving onto the hard tyres and rejoining in second place, less than a second ahead of team mate Perez. Leclerc was the final of the front runners to make his stop a lap after Verstappen, rejoining the track just ahead of team mate Sainz in third.

‘Verstappen dominates Abu Dhabi GP’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/20/verstappen-dominates-abu-dhabi-gp-as-leclerc-resists-perez-for-runner-up-spot/


Race Results – 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
20/11/2022, 14:40
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing – 58 laps
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +8.771
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +10.093
4. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +24.892
5. George Russell Mercedes +35.888
6. Lando Norris McLaren +56.234
7. Esteban Ocon Alpine +57.240
8. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +76.931
9. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +83.268
10. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +83.898

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship finale race around Yas Marina’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-results-2022-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-80528


Champion Verstappen ends F1 season with 15th win
20/1//2022, 14:49
FOX Sports

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Max Verstappen won a record-extending 15th race of the year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday to conclude one of the most dominant seasons in Formula One history.

A year on from Verstappen's tense and controversial win over Lewis Hamilton to seal his first title, there was little drama at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Verstappen stayed ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez at the start and was never seriously challenged after that on his way to the win.

‘15th win’;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1/Grands+Prix/Abu+Dhabi+GP


Verstappen wins as Leclerc takes P2 over Perez
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
20/11/2022
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Max Verstappen had an easy run to the flag as Red Bull just miss out on championship 1-2 as Charles Leclerc beat Sergio Perez.

After the top three had celebrated on the grid and were parking up, Vettel was able to perform doughnuts himself on the start-finish straight before he was also interviewed with the top three. The German will leave the sport after 299 starts, 53 wins, 122 podiums, 57 poles and was also celebrated by the public who voted him Driver of the Day to show their appreciation.

The other drivers who won’t be on the grid next year, Schumacher and Latifi – who got a little bit of coverage on the race broadcast thanks to their collision – the Haas racer ended P16 ahead of his teammate despite his five second penalty, while the Williams driver retired a few laps before the end.

‘Leclerc takes P2 over Perez’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/verstappen-wins-as-leclerc-takes-p2-over-perez-80531


Max Verstappen heavily booed after winning Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in F1 season finale
Max Verstappen romped to his 15th win of the season in the last race of the year in Abu Dhabi.
By Stuart Ballard
14:46, Sun, Nov 20, 2022

Max Verstappen faced a barrage of boos after his triumph at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday - nearly 12 months removed from the dramatic season finale last year. Verstappen put his car on pole on Saturday ahead of Sergio Perez with most of the focus for Sunday's race being on the Mexican securing second in the championship.

But Verstappen was powerless to help his team-mate as he soon raced off into the distance after just a few laps. Nobody came close to challenging Verstappen for the race win as the two-time world champion picked up his 15th victory of the year.

There were cheers for Perez and Leclerc as they stepped up for their post-race interview with Jenson Button. But Verstappen wasn't given the same reception with the 25-year-old facing loud boos as he began talking with Button.

‘Max Verstappen heavily booed’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1699086/Max-Verstappen-booed-Abu-Dhabi-Grand-Prix-F1-season-finale

[Fortitude]

Perez says he ‘gave it all’ in Abu Dhabi GP despite coming up short in fight for P2 with Leclerc.
20 November 2022
Formula 1.

Sergio Perez narrowly missed out on P2 in the constructors’ championship after finishing in third place at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, despite the result, the Mexican believes he and his team can still be “pleased” by their performance this season.

Perez started the race in second, alongside his team mate Max Verstappen on the front row of the grid. The two Red Bull drivers ran in first and second for most of the evening, before Perez was forced to pit for a second time as Charles Leclerc closed in from behind.

Perez then looked to chase down Leclerc but ran out of laps in the end, forcing him to settle for third in the race and in the championship. Speaking after the Grand Prix, Perez believed his race was compromised by a less than ideal second stint.

‘Gave it all’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.perez-says-he-gave-it-all-in-abu-dhabi-gp-despite-coming-up-short-in-fight.1kAQ0ZOQMOU35B5tAxsmKg.html


Our verdict on Ferrari’s surprise mini-win over Red Bull
20/11/2022, 16:19
The Race

Given Red Bull’s pace advantage over Ferrari, Sergio Perez’s momentum lately and the way much of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix appeared to be unfolding, Charles Leclerc’s hopes of at least keeping second in the 2022 Formula 1 world championship appeared slender.

But that’s exactly what he managed in the end, as he stayed just far enough ahead of the closing Red Bull on the final lap at Yas Marina. Here are our writers’ thoughts on how the final significant fight of the 2022 F1 season was resolved:

Gary Anderson: “This went sour for Red Bull in Brazil”
Glenn Freeman: “Ferrari got it right today – regardless of the outcome”
Jack Cozens: “FORGET RELYING ON VERSTAPPEN – PEREZ/RED BULL HAD PACE TO SEAL THIS”
Jack Cozens: “FORGET RELYING ON VERSTAPPEN – PEREZ/RED BULL HAD PACE TO SEAL THIS”
Valentin Khorounzhiy: “Could this be decisive in Binotto’s future?”

‘Verdict on Ferrari’s surprise mini-win’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/our-verdict-on-f1-2022s-final-surprise-twist/


Perez on P2 championship loss: That’s how it is sometimes
20/11/2022, 15:16
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

Sergio Perez failed to secure second in the Drivers' Championship and the first Red Bull 1-2, after finishing behind Charles Leclerc at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Red Bull elected to put Perez on a two-stop strategy, which meant he had to pass several cars at the end of the race, while Leclerc had to manage his pace in P2.

It looked like the Mexican could catch up but Leclerc held on to outscore him by three points, with 308 points to Perez's 305 at the chequered flag. "Thats how it is sometimes, everything can be really close. But at the end of the day, I'm happy," Perez said after the race. "I gave it all, the team gave it all through the season and I'm sure we will come back stronger for next year."

Perez revealed that he's struggled with managing the tyres all season, which is why they went with two pit stops over the one. He added: "I think I did struggle a bit with these tyres, managing the tyres in the race. So hopefully will be something that we will improve for next year."

‘That’s how it is sometimes’;

https://racingnews365.com/perez-on-p2-championship-loss-thats-how-it-is-sometimes


'Spoiled, entitled brat!' Jeremy Clarkson brands Formula 1 star Max Verstappen a 'b***ard'
Jeremy Clarkson has branded Formula 1 star Max Verstappen a "b***ard" following the events of last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.
13:37, Sat, Nov 19, 2022
By Hannah McGreevy

Clarkson’s Farm star Jeremy Clarkson has called Max Verstappen a “spoiled, entitled brat” in his latest column. The former Top Gear presenter’s scathing remarks come after Max refused to let teammate Sergio Perez pass even after he had already become world champion.

Jeremy noted that at first Formula 1 fans were won over by the racing driver’s “exuberant style and his get-out-of-my-way yobbery” but that the tables have since turned. The presenter then went on to describe how the sports star had gone from “hero to zero” at lighting speed in his eyes.

“Despite the controversy, we were all thrilled when he won his first world championship. And even more thrilled when he won his second,” Jeremy admitted. “But then, during one brief radio message in the closing stages of last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, everyone suddenly decided that actually he was a b***ard.”

'Spoiled, entitled brat!';

https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1698785/Jeremy-Clarkson-Max-Verstappen-formula-1


‘Is it fair racing?’ Verstappen on not blocking Leclerc for Perez
20/11/2022, 16:39
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race

Max Verstappen isn’t convinced it would’ve been a valid for his Red Bull team to ask him to back Charles Leclerc towards Sergio Perez in the closing stages of the 2022 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Perez needed to beat Leclerc to finish second in the championship behind Verstappen, and was reeling in his Ferrari rival on fresher tyres in the final laps.

Last year Perez had mounted a very spirited and very targeted defence against Verstappen’s F1 title rival Lewis Hamilton in the Abu Dhabi decider, backing him up to the tune of nearly eight seconds over two laps.

‘Is it fair racing?’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/is-it-fair-racing-verstappen-on-not-blocking-leclerc-for-perez/


Damon Hill feels Christian Horner ‘lost control’ of Max Verstappen in Brazil
Sunday 20th November 2022 8:15 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Damon Hill believes Red Bull boss Christian Horner lost control of Max Verstappen as he went against team orders in Brazil. Perez had followed team orders when he let Verstappen through in the closing stages of the Sao Paulo GP to attack Fernando Alonso ahead, but with the deal being that Verstappen must return the position if he was not successful, which proved to be the case, he refused to yield to Perez.

That was particularly damaging for Perez who would have gone into the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP P2 in the standings if Verstappen had let him through, Red Bull chasing their first ever one-two finish in the Drivers’ Championship.

Understandably that caused friction with Perez particularly critical of his team-mate, and although all parties are now claiming to have moved on for Abu Dhabi, there is still a feeling of uneasiness from the outside looking in.

‘Lost control of Max Verstappen’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christian-horner-lost-control-max-verstappen-brazil/

[Fortitude]

Leclerc reveals Ferrari trickery that fooled Perez in Abu Dhabi.
Charles Leclerc has revealed how Ferrari trickery fooled Sergio Perez into losing P2 in the Drivers' Championship in Abu Dhabi.
21/11/2022, 16:28
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Charles Leclerc has revealed how Ferrari dummied Formula 1 rival Sergio Perez into making a second pit-stop, which secured the Monegasque P2 in the Drivers' standings in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Leclerc and Perez were locked level on points going into the final race, with whoever finished ahead set to take the runners-up spot in the championship behind runaway champion Max Verstappen.

After the first round of pit-stops, Perez was holding second on the road as both teams were trying to decide whether a one or two-stop strategy would be best. On Lap 34 came the crucial moment when Leclerc was told to "box, opposite Perez".

‘Ferrari trickery’;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-reveals-ferrari-trickery-that-fooled-perez-in-abu-dhabi


Leclerc praises Ferrari for “step forward” with strategies after snatching second
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Posted on 20th November 2022, 20:2320th November 2022, 20:41
Written by Keith Collantine

Charles Leclerc says taking second place off Sergio Perez through the pits shows Ferrari have improved their strategies in recent races. He ran third in the opening stages of the race but moved into second place as Perez made one more pit stop than he did. Leclerc was able to hold on to his advantage over Perez, claiming second place by 1.3 seconds.

“The plan was always to do a one-stop,” said Leclerc after the race. “But we managed to push them into doing two stops.” Leclerc said the strategy hinged on not taking too much life out of his first set of tyres at the start of the race. He was relieved to see Lewis Hamilton drop back from fourth place behind him when the Mercedes driver was told to let Carlos Sainz Jnr past to avoid collecting a penalty.

“On the medium tyres obviously you do the first part of the race trying not to fight too much,” said Leclerc. “But obviously in the first few laps Lewis was quite close. After that I don’t know what happened, I think he had to give the position back to Carlos. “Then at that point, I could manage my tyres a little bit better. It gave me a little bit of breathing space. And then from that moment onwards, then I think we did a great job.”

“Step forward”;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/20/leclerc-praises-ferrari-for-step-forward-with-strategies-after-snatching-second/


Charles Leclerc: 'I'm really, really happy' after P2 finish in Abu Dhabi
20 Nov 2022
Formula 1.

Charles Leclerc reflects on his "perfect race" at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which not only saw him finish P2 but also help Ferrari to claim second place in the Constructors' Championship.

'I'm really, really happy';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.charles-leclerc-im-really-really-happy-after-p2-finish-in-abu-dhabi.1750037585735904359.html


CHARLES LECLERC “WAS AT 110%” TO FINISH SECOND IN ABU DHABI
The Monagesque hopes that Ferrari can pick up the pace in 2023 and seriously be a threat to win the championship
21/11/2022, 19:36
Catherine Micallef
FormulaNerds

The Ferrari driver was focused and made sure not to make a single mistake in this race. He knew what was at stake if there was a single slip-up, but the team came together to deliver a good result. Leclerc said,

“I was [at] 110% from the first lap to the last lap. Honestly, we had the perfect race for us, there was not much more [we could do] today.”

He added, “I knew that the only possibility for us to beat Checo was with a different strategy and playing with tyre management, which we did really well today, and we managed to make the one stop work, so [I’m] really happy.”

“WAS AT 110%”;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/charles-leclerc-finish-second-abu-dhabi/?nowprocket=1


Max Verstappen blames Red Bull as Sergio Perez misses out to Charles Leclerc
Max Verstappen secured his 15th win of the season to cap off a dominant 2022.
18:53, Sun, Nov 20, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Max Verstappen has pointed the finger at Red Bull as to why Sergio Perez failed to beat Charles Leclerc to the runners-up spot in the Drivers’ Championship. The Dutchman admitted the team could have done more for the Mexican during the race to help him beat the Ferrari.

Verstappen said: “In hindsight, probably, as a team, we could have pushed a bit more on that on that middle stint for Checo but that’s always easy to say afterwards. “At the time, we thought that we had to be a little bit careful on the tyres but again, we’ve had a lot of great weekends but even in great weekends [there is] always things that you can learn.” Verstappen made the comments a week after a team orders feud at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

‘Max Verstappen blames Red Bull’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1699174/max-verstappen-red-bull-sergio-perez-news-ferrari


Perez makes Red Bull vow after Leclerc defeat
Sunday 20 November 2022 17:50
Sam Hall

Sergio Perez has vowed to "come back stronger" after falling to defeat in his battle for second in this season's F1 drivers' standings. The Mexican ended the year third overall after also finishing third behind runner-up Charles Leclerc and race-winning team-mate Max Verstappen in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The key moment saw Red Bull switch Perez to a two-stop strategy, while Ferrari left Leclerc to nurse his F1-75 through one stop, with the former missing out by 1.3secs. Reacting to the outcome, Perez conceded: "It is how it is.”

"Sometimes everything can be really close but at the end of the day, I've got to be happy. I gave it my all and as a team, we gave it our all through the season and I'm sure we will come back stronger for next year."

"It is how it is”;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96516/abu-dhabi-grand-prix-sergio-perez-red-bull/

[Fortitude]

Lewis Hamilton makes W13 contract revelation.
“I don’t even plan to drive this one (W13) again. It won’t be one of the ones I request to have in my contract,” he said.
by Jack Devonport
20 November 2022

Lewis Hamilton experienced a late hydraulic issue that prevented him from finishing the final race of the 2022 season. The 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended on a sour note for Lewis Hamilton, who was forced to retire from the race on lap 56 of 58, after experiencing a hydraulic issue. While disappointing for Mercedes to have to retire their driver from the race, they will perhaps be pleased that it is stunningly their first retirement of the season due to a mechanical failure.

With 22 races taking place in 2022, and the team running two cars in every Grand Prix, experiencing only one retirement is very impressive, especially when you consider that Fernando Alonso alone has failed to finish six races this year. “I don’t even plan to drive this one again. It won’t be one of the ones I request to have in my contract,” he said.

“We have some downforce. We just need a much more efficient car and everybody in the team knows exactly what are the problems are where we have gone wrong so I’m pretty confident they are not going to build the next car with any of those characteristics.”

‘Don’t even plan to drive this one (W13) again’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/lewis-hamilton-makes-w13-contract-revelation/


Hamilton looking forward to never driving Mercedes W13 again.
Lewis Hamilton says he’s looking forward to not having to drive the troubled Formula 1 Mercedes W13 again after next week’s Pirelli test.
Motorsport.com
Nov 20, 2022, 7:17 AM
By: Adam Cooper

Hamilton will handle the car for the final time on Tuesday, when teams have a chance to sample the 2023 spec tyres ahead of next season.

The W13 has been problematic since its first proper test in Barcelona, and the team has spent the season fighting porpoising and ride issues.

While the car has been competitive in recent weekends, and George Russell led Hamilton in a one-two in Brazil, it still has issues, which resurfaced in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

‘Looking forward to not having to drive the troubled Formula 1 Mercedes W13 again after next week’s Pirelli test’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/hamilton-looking-forward-to-never-driving-mercedes-w13-again/10402612/


George Russell admits Mercedes W13 ‘just not efficient enough’ in Abu Dhabi
Saturday 19th November 2022 7:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Russell capped off a spell of strong form from Mercedes by winning the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in impressive fashion last time out, that coming the day after he had claimed victory in the sprint. But Abu Dhabi is proving to be a different story, Max Verstappen and Red Bull outperforming Mercedes over a single lap with Lewis Hamilton and Russell almost seven tenths of a second adrift of the pole-sitter.

Asked whether it is just the straights where Mercedes are suffering from being too draggy, Russell said truthfully the W13 is “just not efficient enough” at tracks like Yas Marina, which features slow, medium and fast corners along with the straights.

“We are just not efficient enough is the long and short of it,” said Russell. “Every time we come to these kinds of circuits, where you have a full range of corners and long straights, Spa being another example, we really struggle and we just lose so much speed to Red Bull on the straights.”

‘W13 just not efficient enough’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george-russell-mercedes-inefficiency/


Mercedes’ Toto Wolff: “We didn’t get the job done right and went backwards in terms of our performance”
November 20, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

oto Wolff has stated that his Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team “didn’t get the job done right” in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as the Brackley-based team failed to build on the success of the São Paulo Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell qualifying in fifth and sixth-place respectively.

The W13 struggled to match the straight line speed of Scuderia Ferrari and Oracle Red Bull Racing throughout the qualifying session, the Yas Marina Circuit also re-presented the issue of porpoising for Mercedes as both Russell and Hamilton struggled with the levels of bouncing experienced on the W13.

“We didn’t get the job done right…”;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/11/mercedes-toto-wolff-we-didnt-get-the-job-done-right-and-went-backwards-in-terms-of-our-performance/


Wolff: We’ll display the W13 in the factory as a reminder
21 November, 2022
Jad Mallak

Toto Wolff said Mercedes will display their disappointing W13 in the team’s factory as a reminder of their bitter season after a frustrating conlusion at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Keeping in mind the high standards Mercedes hold themselves to, their 2022 Formula 1 season can only be considered a failure.

Starting with a viciously slow and bouncy car, the team was on the back foot from race one, and despite improving over the course of the season, picking up a pole position and a win with George Russell – the pole in Hungary, the win in Brazil – the eight-time Constructors’ Champions were hit with a nasty reality check in Abu Dhabi’s season finale.

Lacking pace with both Lewis Hamilton and Russell, the former breaking down two laps before the finish line, the latter suffering from a wrong strategy to finish fifth, the race at Yas Marina Circuit was simply a disappointing conclusion to a bitter season. “Today we really didn’t perform well,” Toto Wolff said after Sunday’s race. “We did all the mistakes we could possibly have made tonight: we didn’t have the pace, one driver breaking down and the other one running out of tyres.”

‘Mercedes will display their disappointing W13 in the team’s factory as a reminder of their bitter season’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11/21/wolff-well-put-the-w13-on-display-in-the-factory-as-reminder/

[Fortitude]

Mercedes’ Toto Wolff: “We did all the mistakes we could possibly have made tonight”.
“We cooked the tyres in the first few laps because we attacked.”
November 20, 2022
By Joe Briley

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team had a disappointing last weekend of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 Season in Abu Dhabi, where their pace woes returned. Unfortunately for Team Principal Toto Wolff, his team could only have one car finish and that was in fifth. Mercedes struggled for pace throughout and made multiple errors in the last race of 2022.

“Today we really didn’t perform well. We did all the mistakes we could possibly have made tonight: we didn’t have the pace, one driver breaking down and the other one running out of tyres – it’s a good summary of the challenges this season for us.”

“We cooked the tyres in the first few laps because we attacked. The car seemed strong at the start, but then the front right just gave out and maybe that’s something we should’ve predicted. We knew that Abu Dhabi was going to be a difficult one for us so at least that prediction was accurate but then unfortunately we made mistakes we could’ve avoided.”

“We did all the mistakes we could possibly have made tonight”;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/11/mercedes-toto-wolff-we-did-all-the-mistakes-we-could-possibly-have-made-tonight/


Mercedes made "all the mistakes we can make" - Wolff
Sunday 20 November 2022 15:30 - Updated: 15:33
Ewan Gale

Toto Wolff suggested Mercedes made "all the mistakes we can make" during a disappointing Abu Dhabi season finale. The Silver Arrows had its optimism raised with a first victory of the season in Brazil only for past issues to reemerge at Yas Marina.

Poor drag efficiency and porpoising left Lewis Hamilton and George Russell trailing in qualifying, securing only fifth and sixth on the grid, whilst Red Bull and Ferrari were both able to hold Mercedes at arm's length in the race. To make matters worse, Mercedes suffered a first mechanical failure of the season when Hamilton retired three laps from the end with a suspected hydraulics issue.

"That was really not good, all the mistakes we can make," Wolff told Sky Sports F1. "The car was not at the pace it should have been, third quickest and one breaking down and the other one running out of tyres. We knew that Abu Dhabi was going to be difficult for the car, certainly the correlation is good."

"All the mistakes we can make";

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96531/abu-dhabi-grand-prix-mercedes-mistakes-toto-wolff/


Wolff: 2022 a 'character building' year for Mercedes
20/11/2022, ‎15‎:‎45
Author Jake Nichol

Toto Wolff believes Mercedes will bounce back in 2023 after a chastening '22 season, which ended with a poor Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Toto Wolff has described 2022 as a "character-building year" for Mercedes after a poor Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended the Formula 1 season.

Mercedes only secured one race win – through George Russell in Brazil – as Lewis Hamilton's streak came to an end after 15 seasons of at least one race win. The W13 machine has been affected by porpoising and a fundamental floor issue while also battling being too draggy.

Mercedes finished in third place in the Constructors', their worst result since sixth in 2012, and Wolff was keen to use the lessons learned from the year going forward.

‘The W13 machine’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-2022-a-character-building-year-for-mercedes


Toto Wolff opens up on George Russell regret
George Russell was brought in to replace Valtteri Bottas for the 2022 season, partnering Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
17 November 2022
by Jack Devonport

Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ showed how difficult a decision it was for Wolff to choose between Bottas and Russell, with the Austrian eventually waiting until he knew Bottas had found a new team before announcing Russell as a part of his 2022 line-up.

The Mercedes boss has now suggested that he should have made the change a year earlier, as he believes that the extra year at Williams may have stunted the young driver’s development. “We’ve always set hard targets. You’ve got to win GP3, you’ve got to win F2, and he did that in his rookie seasons.”

“I guess at Williams, it was the best schooling he could have had, maybe a year too long. But in any case, today the most relevant [thing] is that he’s a Grand Prix winner and a deserving Grand Prix winner.”

‘Difficult a decision it was for Wolff’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolff-opens-up-on-george-russell-regret/


'We are back' Toto Wolff makes 2023 promise to Lewis Hamilton after worst F1 season
Lewis Hamilton ended up sixth in the Drivers' Championship for his worst-ever finish in an F1 season.
00:03, Mon, Nov 21, 2022
By Stuart Ballard

Toto Wolff has promised Lewis Hamilton that he won't have to worry about a repeat of his worst-ever season in F1 heading into 2023 after the Brit ended the championship in a career-low sixth. Hamilton's retirement at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was Mercedes' first of the year, but summed up how their season had been in general. Mercedes were once again off the pace to Ferrari and Red Bull at the Yas Marina circuit.

"First of all, we're gonna put these cars in reception at Braxley and in Brixworth to remind us every single day how difficult it can be," Wolff told Sky Sports. "But thank you everyone, this is a character-building season. Not a blip for a race but a full season.”

"You keep pushing so hard, the engine came along really well and I'm proud of what we achieved there. On the chassis side there were more bad moments than good ones but the good ones were spectacular like a week ago. It made us feel how good it can be and now we're just pushing forward for next year. It's raw, it's bad and it's okay to feel like this but next year we are back."

'We are back';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1699097/Lewis-Hamilton-F1-retirement-Toto-Wolff-Abu-Dhabi-Grand-Prix-F1-standings


Toto Wolff makes Mercedes F1 vow: In 2023, we are back at the front
20th Nov 2022, 3:57 PM GMT
Nate SaundersGeneral Editor, F1

Mercedes will put its troublesome 2022 car in the receptions of its two F1 factories as a reminder how difficult it is to win in Formula One, after Toto Wolff declared: "Next year, we are back." Mercedes F1 boss Wolff said the team's W13 car must serve as motivation for it to return to the front.

"To everyone watching today in HPP [High Performance Powertrains] and MGP... this is a character building season. Not a blip for a race but a full season. You keep pushing so hard, the engine came on so well and I'm proud what we achieved there.”

"On the chassis side there were more bad moments than good ones, but the good ones were spectacular, like a week ago. It made us feel how good it can be and now we are pushing for next year. It's raw, it's bad and it's OK to feel like that... but next year, we are back."

‘Toto Wolff makes Mercedes F1 vow’;

https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/35067034/toto-wolff-makes-mercedes-f1-vow-2023-back-front

[Fortitude]

2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"This was a nice way to finish a long, tough season".
20 Nov 2022 18:55 (UTC)
McLaren Formula 1.

As it happened
• After lights out, Lando has a good launch, gaining one position. Daniel drops one to P14
• Lando is passed by Russell for P7
• Lando pits for Hard tyres, responding to Ocon's pit-stop
• Daniel follows suit a few laps later, fitting the Hard tyres. He comes out in P18
• Lando slots back into P7, overtaking Vettel
• Daniel fights his way back up to P11, overtaking Zhou, Albon, and Tsunoda
• The second round of pit-stops begin, with Lando boxing for a fresh set of Medium tyres
• Lando slots back into P7, with Daniel in P9
• The fastest lap of the race is set by Lando with 1:28.391
• Daniel is passed by Stroll but holds off strong pressure from Vettel. Hamilton retires
• The chequered flag waves, with Lando in P6, and Daniel P9

‘As it happened’;

https://www.mclaren.com/racing/2022/abu-dhabi-grand-prix/2022-abu-dhabi-grand-prix/


Daniel Ricciardo breaks down in final radio message to McLaren
November 21st, 2022 4:25 pm
Tyson Otto from News.com.au

New Video shows Daniel Ricciardo appearing to be overcome with emotion during his final radio message as a McLaren driver. The Australian was visibly emotional after the race as he heads into 2023 without a drive and without any certainty of ever returning to Formula 1.

He is leaving McLaren on a high after pulling off some overtakes to finish ninth in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Monday morning, while teammate Lando Norris finished sixth. Ricciardo celebrated with a burnout on the Yas Marina circuit as his race engineer told the 33-year-old it had been an “honour” to work together.

The emotion was running even higher when Ricciardo parked his MCL36M in parc ferme and prepared to exit the car for the final time. His voice appeared to break up in delivering his final message. “Alright guys, thank you,” he said. “I think you know how much I appreciate your efforts over the last two years, so thank you.”

‘Breaks down in final radio message’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsport/formula-one/daniel-ricciardo-breaks-down-in-final-radio-message-to-mclaren/news-story/2df54d6075ed94c067a58429cbb2511a


Daniel Ricciardo makes emotional exit from McLaren after admitting he might have starred in an F1 grand prix for the last time - as Aussie reveals details about his plans for next year
• Daniel Ricciardo makes emotional exit from McLaren with impressive finish
• Ricciardo finished in an impressive ninth for his last race with McLaren
• The Aussie signed off in style with a burnout on the Yas Marina circuit
By James Cooney For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 04:08, 21 November 2022

Following the race, he penned an emotional letter to his fans and also to McLaren. 'When you've been racing with a team, you're connected for life,' Ricciardo wrote.

'Sure, you switch teams, you move on, you change, but those connections you make are forever, whether it be with the mechanics, the engineers or any other team members I've worked with.”

'These people have poured everything in over this two-year period, and I won't ever lose the connections I've made here. There is a part of McLaren that I'll always hold close to me.'

‘Emotional exit from McLaren’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-11450753/Daniel-Ricciardo-details-2023-plans-emotional-exit-possibly-F1-race-ever.html


Daniel Ricciardo reveals message from ex-Red Bull teammate amid McLaren struggles
Daniel Ricciardo partnered Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull in 2014, in what was the German driver's last year at the Austrian side.
by Nick Golding
21 November 2022

Ricciardo revealed to the media that Vettel has called him “multiple times” this season to check-up on the Aussie, with the driver hailing Vettel as a “true friend”.

“I won’t go into detail in terms of what was said, but as a general comment, he’s picked up the phone multiple times this year and has just been a friend, shown care, checking in, as a true friend would do,” said Ricciardo. “To have friends like that is so important but it’s also not that common.”

“In terms of on the grid, we get on with drivers and you do build friendships, but to have that deeper level of friendship…some gestures he’s made this year and some of the kindness he’s shown towards me was in a way kind of unexpected. It’s just super nice of him.”

‘Vettel has called him multiple times’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/daniel-ricciardo-reveals-support-from-ex-red-bull-teammate-amid-mclaren-struggles/


Ricciardo confirms Red Bull return "close"
Monday 21 November 2022 14:16
Sam Hall

Daniel Ricciardo has confirmed only an "unforeseen" complication will prevent him from rejoining Red Bull for 2023. The Australian is now without a team after completing his last outing for McLaren at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

His desire to return to the sport in a competitive seat saw him consider reserve roles with both Mercedes and Red Bull, with Helmut Marko seeming to confirm a deal had been signed during the season-ending weekend.

But suggesting Marko had jumped the gun, team principal Christian Horner confirmed no deal had been signed with Ricciardo. Also denying any deal had been confirmed, Ricciardo said: "It’s getting close. I can honestly say unless something unforeseen happens, that’s what’s going to happen next year.”

‘Close’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96549/abu-dhabi-grand-prix-daniel-ricciardo-red-bull-return/

[Fortitude]

Alonso ‘sad’ to finish Alpine journey with Abu Dhabi DNF.
Fernando Alonso says that finishing his Alpine Formula 1 career with a non-finish is a “sad” way for it to come to an end.
09:28 Mon, 21 Nov 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Alonso was in the fight for points at Sunday’s race in Abu Dhabi, before he was forced to return to the pits after Alpine uncovered a problem. It marked yet another reliability issue that Alonso has had this year, with engine issues plaguing his 2022 campaign.

“Disappointed, for sure,” Alonso reflected after the race. “Millions of people are disappointed now, fans… it’s the way it is. It’s been a very unlucky season in terms of… well, not unlucky, we are not prepared reliability-wise. I think it’s the sixth or seventh DNF.”

“A couple of races they don’t count it as a DNF. In Australia we had trouble in qualifying, Austria the car didn’t start in the Sprint Race and some other races we were not ready to compete. I’m a little bit sad to finish like that, but it’s the way it is.”

‘Alonso sad’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/11/21/alonso-sad-to-finish-alpine-journey-with-abu-dhabi-dnf/


Ocon: Alonso a legend forever – but barbs ‘not so nice’
Nov 16 2022
By Scott Mitchell-Malm and Valentin Khorounzhiy

Alpine’s intra-team Brazilian Grand Prix controversy became a secondary consideration following its great performance on Sunday – but Esteban Ocon’s post-race comments suggest his displeasure with Fernando Alonso’s public comments has lingered.

The Brazilian GP Saturday sprint was a disaster for Ocon and the Aston Martin-bound Alonso, with team boss Otmar Szafnauer admonishing both in the aftermath for “having let the team down”.

Szafnauer believed Ocon could’ve given Alonso “a bit more room” as they entered Turn 4 side by side – Alonso tagged Ocon’s sidepod, which caused race-ruining damage – and indicated Alonso was at fault for subsequently running into the back of Ocon and damaging his own front wing on the main straight.

‘Legend forever – but barbs ‘not so nice’ ’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/ocon-alonso-a-legend-forever-but-barbs-not-so-nice/


'Happy to end Alpine chapter', declares frustrated Alonso
20/11/2022 at 17:47
Andrew Lewin

Fernando Alonso signed off his tenure with Alpine F1 with yet another DNF, which the driver himself said pretty summed up his 2022 season. "Six DNFs," he continued. "There are facts that this year they’ve been against us a bit in car 14, but also [others which] didn’t count as a DNF like Australia in qualifying. The sprint race in Austria, I didn’t even start the race. Things like that.”

"I think there are nine or ten reliability [issues] which at this level is already not acceptable and they all happened to my car," he continued. “It’s been a very unlucky season in terms of ... Not unlucky, I think we were not prepared reliability-wise. So I’m happy to happy to finish this chapter and start tomorrow the seat fit with Aston Martin, Tuesday the tyre test and hopefully a new project with more luck.”

‘Frustrated Alonso’;

https://f1i.com/news/461409-happy-to-end-alpine-chapter-declares-frustrated-alonso.html


Fernando Alonso: ‘Unacceptable’ Alpine reliability issues ‘all happened to my car’
Sunday 20th November 2022 6:00 PM
Jon Wilde

Fernando Alonso bemoaned yet another reliability problem as his time with Alpine drew to a disappointing close in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Spaniard’s second year back with the Enstone-based team took a major downturn in the final third of the campaign, partly due to issues with his car and also the internal dynamic since he announced at the start of the summer break he would be joining Aston Martin for 2023.

The first retiree from the season’s finale at Yas Marina, Alonso coasted into the pits under instruction from the team on lap 28 for his fourth retirement in the last seven races. But as the 41-year-old pointed out afterwards, the difficulties date back much longer, all the way back to Saudi Arabia in March, and he has ended 2022 ninth in the Drivers’ standings with 81 points, the same total as last year – and a much lower tally than would have reflected his competitiveness.

“Unfortunately, another engine problem,” Alonso told media including PlanetF1. “It has been a little bit the summary of the year. Unfortunately, in Car 14 always these things happen, so one more.

‘Always Car 14’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernando-alonso-alpine-reliability-issue/


Alonso switches focus to Aston Martin adventure after "unacceptable" end with Alpine
Sunday 20 November 2022 17:18 - Updated: 17:19
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

“There were nine or 10 reliability issues which at this level is obviously not acceptable and they all happened to my car. So, I am happy to finish and start on Monday the seat fit with Aston, the tyre test on Tuesday, and hopefully, a new project with more luck.”

Alonso was held up behind Sebastian Vettel in the opening exchanges and did not commit to overtaking manoeuvres when behind the German, who was making his final F1 start. "I didn’t want to attack Seb," revealed Alonso. "I just wanted to do a few laps behind him and enjoy it."

‘Alonso switches focus to Aston Martin adventure’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96541/abu-dhabi-grand-prix-fernando-alonso-alpine-retirement/


'Disappointed' Alonso looking forward to Aston Martin challenge
Issued on: 20/11/2022 - 19:28
France 24.

Abu Dhabi (AFP) – Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso said he was "disappointed" for himself and Alpine’s fans after being forced into a mechanical retirement in Sunday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Alonso is set to test for Aston Martin in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

“That’s the best thing today,” he added. “Tomorrow, starting with this project, with a seat fit, meeting a few people, then on Tuesday testing the car, will be hopefully a good chapter. All the bad luck of this year, hopefully, compensates next year!”

‘Aston Martin challenge’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20221120-disappointed-alonso-looking-forward-to-aston-martin-challenge


Alonso has first Aston Martin run in unbranded AMR22
22/11/2022, 05:47
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso has had his first outing with Aston Martin in Abu Dhabi. Formula 1 has stayed on at the Yas Marina Circuit for one day of post-season testing.

Each team is fielding two cars, with one car for regular racers as part of a Pirelli tyre test, and one for rookie drivers. Alonso appeared shortly after 09:00 local time for his first run with Aston Martin.
Alpine approved plans for Alonso to sample the AMR22 but the Spaniard appeared in an unbranded car.

Alpine is running its new recruit Pierre Gasly in the test, with his replacement Nyck de Vries testing the AlphaTauri AT03.

‘Alonso has first Aston Martin run’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/11/22/alonso-has-first-aston-martin-run-in-unbranded-amr22/


Tuesday run for Aston Martin vital due to short 2023 pre-season test – Alonso
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on
22nd November 2022, 0:0121st November 2022, 23:49 | Written by Keith Collantine

Tuesday test “gold” – Alonso. Alonso will make his debut as an Aston Martin driver in today’s test at the Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi. With only three days of pre-season testing per team allowed next year, he says it is a vital opportunity to adjust to his new surroundings.

“I think it’s going to be important, but it’s going to be more in terms of comfort. What the steering wheel, grip, buttons, pedals, these kind of things. “Next year we have only one day and a half in Bahrain and then you start a championship. So today, on Tuesday, it’s gold for these kind of things.

‘Tuesday test gold’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/22/racefans-round-up-22-11-5/

[Fortitude]

Post-season Abu Dhabi test: Ferrari end with 1-2-3; Alonso and Piastri debut.
The 2022 season may not have been kind to Ferrari, but their year did end on a high as they recorded a 1-2-3 finish in the post-season test.
Tuesday 22nd November 2022 2:04 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Carlos Sainz set the pace on Pirelli’s 2023 tyres at the end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi, leading the way from Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s young driver Robert Shwartzman who delivered an impressive display, recovering from an early spin.

We also saw Fernando Alonso in Aston Martin machinery for the first time, while Oscar Piastri put in his first laps in the McLaren.

The Yas Marina Circuit remained busy with Formula 1 action as the teams and drivers dived into a dual-purpose test, running Pirelli’s 2023 tyre compounds and also conducting the traditional end-of-season Young Drivers’ Test.

‘Ferrari end with 1-2-3’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/2022-post-season-test-abu-dhabi-report/


Ferrari 1-2-3 on final day of 2022 F1 running
22/11/2022, 14:37
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Ferrari ended 2022 by topping Formula 1’s post-season Abu Dhabi test with its cars first, second and third in the times. The unusual 1-2-3 feat was achieved by race drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz sharing the day in the nominated ‘tyre test’ car, while Robert Shwartzman fulfilled the ‘young driver’ test requirement.

Abu Dhabi test times
Pos Driver Car Time Laps
1 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1m25.245s 65
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1m25.383s 56
3 Robert Shwartzman Ferrari 1m25.400s 116
4 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1m25.689s 130
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1m25.845s 76
6 Alex Albon Williams 1m25.959s 118
7 Logan Sargeant Williams 1m26.063s 82
8 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 1m26.111s 151
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1m26.263s 70
10 Liam Lawson Red Bull 1m26.281s 111

• aelfwald (Poster Comment);
Mattia: "This time next year Rodney, we'll be world champions"

https://the-race.com/formula-1/abu-dhabi-f1-testing-2022-ferrari-1-2-3/


Alonso and Piastri make new team debuts as F1 testing begins
Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri enjoyed their first outings with their new Formula 1 teams on Tuesday as the post-season test in Abu Dhabi got underway.
Nov 22, 2022, 5:57 AM
By: Luke Smith
Motorsport.com

Teams stayed on at the Yas Marina Circuit for Tuesday’s test, running from 9am to 6pm to give them a chance to complete some final runs with their 2022 cars.

Deals were struck for drivers to swap teams for the test, including two-time world champion Alonso, who appeared with Aston Martin for the first time ahead of his switch from Alpine in 2023.

Alonso was the first driver out of the pit lane on Tuesday morning, wearing blank overalls, a camo dazzle helmet design and a sponsor-less car livery due to his existing agreements with Alpine.

‘First outings’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/alonso-and-piastri-make-new-team-debuts-as-f1-testing-begins/10403536/


Carlos Sainz leads Ferrari 1-2-3 as five drivers debut for new teams in Abu Dhabi post-season F1 test
22 Nov 2022
Lewis Larkam

Carlos Sainz headed a Ferrari 1-2-3 on the final day of F1 2022 action in the post-season Abu Dhabi test.

All 10 teams ran two cars for the nine-hour test which took place two days after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit, with one car used to conduct Pirelli 2023 tyre testing and one for young drivers.

The Spaniard set a benchmark time with a 1m25.245s in the closing hours of Tuesday’s test, edging out his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc by 0.138s.

‘Abu Dhabi post-season F1 test’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1017883/1/sainz-leads-ferrari-123-abu-dhabi-postseason-f1-test


Sainz spearheads Ferrari 1-2-3 as F1 season concludes
Tuesday 22 November 2022 13:38 - Updated: 13:49
Ian Parkes

Carlos Sainz spearheaded a Ferrari one-two-three in the F1 season-ending test in Abu Dhabi. The nine-hour session at the Yas Island circuit, that just two days previously staged the final race of the year, was a two-fold exercise.

Each of the 10 teams fielded two cars - one for young drivers and the other to further aid Pirelli's assessment of its tyres for 2023. By the conclusion, Sainz was quickest with a lap of one minute 25.245secs, 0.138s ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, while Academy driver Robert Shwartzman was a further 0.117s adrift.

By comparison, two-time F1 champion Max Verstappen's pole lap in his Red Bull on Saturday was 1:23.824s. It was also a day for the teams to run their new drivers for next season following rare widespread agreement to allow them to switch to their rivals.

‘Ferrari 1-2-3’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96674/abu-dhabi-test-ferrari-one-two-three/

[Fortitude]

'Red Bull swerved the hazard of Perez beating Verstappen': Abu Dhabi GP analysis.
Sergio Perez may have had a better chance of beating Charles Leclerc if Red Bull had told his team-mate to let him through in the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But the team may not been wary of the consequences after unrest in Brazil, writes Mark Hughes.
November 21st 2022
Author Mark Hughes

Red Bull would of course have liked to have got Sergio Perez ahead of Charles Leclerc in the points table as the team had never before got a 1-2 in the drivers world championship. But when push came to shove in Abu Dhabi they didn’t want it enough to put Max Verstappen’s 15th win of the season in jeopardy.

As Perez in his second stint caught up to Verstappen, who was still driving a one-stop pace, so he was becoming vulnerable to a Leclerc undercut all over again. Ideally for Perez, Verstappen would have moved aside, allowed Perez on his way in order to build up the necessary gap over the slower Ferrari. The hazard of that for Red Bull was that it may have allowed Perez to have also beaten Verstappen – by way of strategy. Because there was no calling whether this was ideally a one-stop race or a two. Particularly after the events of Brazil, that was perhaps a prospect no-one really relished.

Afterwards Perez seemed sanguine about how things had panned out in a way which saw him beaten by a slower car, partly as a result of the team prioritising the smooth running of Verstappen’s race. But he wasn’t shy of pointing it out. “Ferrari and Charles did a fantastic race. They have great tyre management. And they were stronger than us, especially on that first stint where [my tyre] died towards the end. That made it a little bit tricky, our strategy. It was that second stint, while I was behind Max, Max was on a one-stop, I was on a two-stop, and then I ended-up not being able to, to maximise this stint, and I couldn’t push as much as we should have pushed on that second stint.”

'Red Bull swerved the hazard of Perez beating Verstappen';

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/red-bull-swerved-the-hazard-of-perez-beating-verstappen-abu-dhabi-gp-analysis?nowprocket=1#


Perez felt Verstappen was hindrance at crucial point in Abu Dhabi
‎20‎ ‎November‎ ‎17‎:‎35
Author Jake Nichol

Sergio Perez believes that Max Verstappen inadvertently cost him time at a crucial stage of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Sergio Perez believes that Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen's pace in the middle stint of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a key reason why he lost out to Charles Leclerc.

Perez was locked on points with Leclerc in the fight for P2 in the standings, with whoever finished ahead set to claim the runner-up spot. After the initial round of pit-stops, Perez was tucked up behind Verstappen thanks to the powerful undercut, sitting about two seconds behind.

He radioed into the team to ask them to tell the Dutchman to speed up, seeing as he was to employ a two-stop strategy. "I think it's how this sport really works, sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose," Perez explained to media, including RacingNews365.com, when asked about his feelings.

‘Perez felt Verstappen was hindrance’;

https://racingnews365.com/perez-felt-verstappen-was-hindrance-at-crucial-point-in-abu-dhabi


Sergio Perez claims Max Verstappen ‘held’ him up in Abu Dhabi.
Sergio Pérez was beaten to second in the Drivers' Championship by Charles Leclerc.
22 November 2022
by Nick Golding

Following the opening pit-stops, Pérez suddenly found himself under pressure from Leclerc, with Ferrari’s pace having been a real shock to Red Bull. The Red Bull driver perhaps had more pace in him than he was able to produce, after believing he was being held up by his team-mate.

“Yeah I’m being held up by Max [Verstappen],” Pérez told his team over the radio on Lap 29. Red Bull opted to put Pérez on to a two-stop strategy in the end, potentially so he could push to the maximum without someone ahead of him.

However, this strategy ultimately cost the driver second in the race and in the standings, as Verstappen and Leclerc both completed a one-stop strategy.

“Yeah I’m being held up by Max [Verstappen],”’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/sergio-perez-claims-max-verstappen-held-him-up-in-abu-dhabi/


Helmut Marko defends Max Verstappen amid team orders feud as Sergio Perez misses out
Max Verstappen ignored Red Bull team orders at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
10:18, Mon, Nov 21, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Helmut Marko has appeared to defend Max Verstappen despite his decision to ignore team orders at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Marko claimed Verstappen handing the place over would have been “useless” after Sergio Perez missed out on beating Charles Leclerc to P2 in the Drivers’ Championship.

The Red Bull chief hinted Perez made an error and stressed he had pushed too hard during his stint. He explained: "We have to be satisfied. We actually did everything right in terms of strategy too. It was very tight in the end, but Perez made a mistake in the first phase of the race, he pushed too hard with his tyres and we had to pit him earlier than planned.”

“Later he tried to overtake Hamilton, but was immediately overtaken back. That cost him 1.3 seconds. We were surprised that Ferrari was able to pull off the one-stop strategy with Leclerc. That wasn’t actually in our plan.” Perez suggested he left around “two seconds on the table” during his second stint as he was being careful on his tyres. The Red Bull star eventually finished just 1.3 seconds behind Leclerc and probably would have passed him if he had a couple more laps.

"We have to be satisfied”;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1699356/helmut-marko-max-verstappen-team-orders-sergio-perez-news


The factors that stopped Perez catching Leclerc in Verstappen's Abu Dhabi triumph
Nov 21, 2022, 9:19 AM
By: Alex Kalinauckas
Motorsport.com

Max Verstappen ended the 2022 Formula 1 season in fitting fashion with a dominant drive to victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But behind him, early season rival Charles Leclerc achieved his target of securing the runner-up spot with a well-executed a one-stop strategy to beat Sergio Perez, whose pursuit on a two-stop strategy was hampered by several critical factors

"It was all about tyre management." As dull a sentence as one can read about modern Formula 1, but with it dominant race winner Max Verstappen summed up the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix perfectly.

On his way to sealing a seventh 2022 pole, Verstappen had helped teammate Sergio Perez lockout the front row with faultless tow tactics. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc trailed in third and needed to head Perez in the race to beat the Mexican to second place in the drivers' championship.

‘The factors that stopped Perez catching Leclerc’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/the-factors-that-stopped-perez-catching-leclerc-in-verstappens-abu-dhabi-triumph/10403209/

[Fortitude]

Red Bull to celebrate record-breaking season in style.
To mark Red Bull's most successful season in F1, the team will host an event on December 10 in Milton Keynes, with Verstappen, Perez and team principal Christian Horner all in attendance.
Monday 21 November 2022 08:18 - Updated: 16:37
Sam Hall

The Red Bull 'MK Homerun' will take place between 12:00 and 15:00 GMT in the centre of the city with the Drift Brothers, a rare NASCAR demonstration and stunt riders Arunas Gibieža and Dougie Lampkin adding to the occasion.

“We are enormously proud to base our Technology Campus in Milton Keynes," said Horner. "Ever since we moved into the small factory that we started with in 2005, the local community has supported the team through all the highs and lows.”

"Red Bull has grown massively since then and this year’s phenomenal results wouldn’t have been possible without that support. It’s only fitting that we celebrate this record-breaking season with the community we cherish and in the heart of the city we are happy to call home.”

‘Red Bull 'MK Homerun' will take place between 12:00 and 15:00 GMT, on December 10, 2022’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96568/red-bull-max-celebration-max-verstappen/#comments_container_test


Horner: We went through pain of losing, never lost belief
23 November, 2022, 08:05
Jad Mallak
Grand Prix 247

Christian Horner revealed that despite the pain of losing Red Bull went through after 2013, the team did not lose belief in their ability to bounce back, and so they did! Red Bull, after their ultra successful spells between 2010 and 2013 with Sebastian Vettel when they won four consecutive Formula 1 Title doubles, suffered from a dry spell as Mercedes utterly dominated the sport for seven seasons.

The energy drinks outfit loosened Mercedes’ grip over the sport last year as Max Verstappen won the 2021 Drivers’ Crown, the Constructors’ remaining at Brackley. However in 2022, Red Bull went one better and won both Titles and in dominant fashion, Verstappen clinching his second Title in Japan with four races to spare, the team securing the Constructors’ one race later in Austin, Texas.

After also winning the Abu Dhabi season finale with Verstappen, and despite missing out on the runner up position in the Drivers’ standing with Sergio Perez, Christian Horner spoke of his team’s season. “Well, what a year,” he began. “Unbelievable. To be sitting here having won 17 races, two Sprint races, five one-two finishes, drivers’ championship, constructors’ championship, we came close to getting first and second in the drivers’. It’s been an amazing year, amazing year for the team. The hard work that goes in behind the scenes, all the people that you don’t get to see here that have put a Herculean effort into this championship. It’s been immense,” Horner added.

‘Pain of losing, never lost belief. Herculean effort’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11/23/horner-we-went-through-pain-of-losing-never-lost-belief/


Rosberg: Verstappen’s only getting started
23 November, 2022
Jad Mallak

Nico Rosberg hailed Max Verstappen for the season he delivered in 2022, claiming he’s only getting started and destined for more glory in the future. Max Verstappen won his second Formula 1 Title in 2022 after winning a record 15 races signing off and impressive campaign with a dominant win at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1‘s Any Driven Monday, 2016 F1 Champion Nico Rosberg hailed the Dutchman saying: “He is an incredible driver. “I think it’s easy to say even now that’s he’s going to be one of the best of all time, if you look at the statistics he actually even is now,” he claimed.

“He’s a double world champion with all of the race wins that he has, more than (Fernando) Alonso,” Rosberg added. “He’s already one of the best of all time and I think, he’s only getting started. He’s going to confirm that in the next decade, certainly. His level of driving is phenomenal and it’s great to witness that.”

‘Rosberg added. “He’s already one of the best of all time…”;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11/23/rosberg-verstappens-only-getting-started/


Max Verstappen 'destroyed' Lewis Hamilton and is "already one of the best of all time".
Verstappen produced one of the most dominant F1 seasons ever in 2022 and is now in sixth on the all-time list of drivers, which has former champion Nico Rosberg purring.
17:37, 22 Nov 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Max Verstappen has already cemented his place as one of the greatest Formula 1 racers ever, according to Nico Rosberg. The former Mercedes comments came on the back of a remarkable year for Verstappen. The Dutchman romped to his second drivers' title by winning 15 of the 22 races, which also played a major role in his team securing the constructors' championship crown for the first time in almost a decade.

Nico Rosberg purring: "It is easy to say now he is going to be one of the best of all time which, even now, he already is if you look at the statistics. A double world champion with all the race wins that he has, more than Alonso now as well, so he is already one of the best of all time. He is only getting started so he is going to confirm that in the next decade. It is just incredible, his level of driving is just phenomenal. It is great to witness that."

Nico Rosberg purring: "We need to remember also, it is not like from the get-go this year that his car was miles quicker than everybody else," he added. "Ferrari was the quickest car when we got going at the beginning of the season and still he got these incredible 15 wins and really destroyed the opposition in that way. If you look at the points he scored, he had 145, 150 points more than anyone else, it is unreal. It is one of the greatest driving seasons we have ever seen."

‘Nico Rosberg purring: Max Verstappen 'destroyed' Lewis Hamilton’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/verstappen-destroyed-hamilton-2022-rosberg-28558652


Why 'tyre whisperer' Perez has faced a new struggle in 2022
22/11/2022, ‎11‎:‎10
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Sergio Perez feels that he has struggled with tyre management in 2022, despite previously being known for his skill in this area. Red Bull boss Christian Horner has shed light on the possible reasons for the issue. Perez has often been referred to as a 'tyre whisperer' in the past thanks to his skills at preserving rubber in a race. However, the Mexican admitted after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that he hoped to improve on tyre management in 2023 after grappling with the problem throughout the campaign.

This follows on from the introduction of larger 18-inch tyres in 2022. "I think what we've seen this year is that the margins are so fine," Horner told media, including RacingNews365.com. "[You can make changes such as] a tiny bit of ride height or a small amount of mechanical balance, and it'll have a dramatic effect on your tyre life." Horner admits that Perez's struggles with his tyres during the opening stint affected the rest of his (Abu Dhabi Grand Prix) race.

"I think that Checo has driven so many races where he's been fantastic on the tyres," the team boss said. "In this race, it was just the first stint that compromised him where the front right [tyre] started to grain, and grain quite heavily compared to both Charles and Max. That then put him out of sync where we had to pit, and that was on a very compromised one-stop [strategy], so the two-stop was the more attacking race."

'Tyre whisperer' Perez has faced a new struggle’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-tyre-whisperer-perez-has-faced-a-new-struggle-in-2022

[Fortitude]

Leclerc not ruling out Ferrari exit.
Charles Leclerc is not ruling out a move from Ferrari in the future.
NOVEMBER 23, 2022, 06:07
Grandpx.news

But Leclerc, 25, told France's L'Equipe that "mistakes can happen when you push to the max" - even if those mistakes ultimately triggered rumours that team boss Mattia Binotto could be ousted. "I've learned not to think about it and not to comment," Leclerc said.

"It doesn't necessarily mean changing people, but it's about the way communication works between engineers, which needs to be clearer," he added. Binotto said the important thing is that Ferrari made progress between 2021 and 2022. "Yes, we made mistakes, but you can hide that better if you have a fast and reliable car," the Italian insisted.

"2024 is far away," said Leclerc, hinting at his current deal's duration. "I have some time left with Ferrari. This team has always been my dream. My goal for the moment is to win with Ferrari, then we'll see. I'm happy here and I want to win with them."

"2024 is far away";

https://www.grandprix.com/news/leclerc-not-ruling-out-ferrari-exit.html


Charles Leclerc refuses to rule out Mercedes move which could affect Lewis Hamilton
19:05, 22 Nov 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer
The Mirror

Charles Leclerc avoided giving a straight answer when asked if he would consider joining Mercedes in the future. Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff has previously said that he would not be against poaching Leclerc or Max Verstappen from their rivals if the opportunity presents itself. So far, such a move has been out of the question, but things might not remain that way forever.

Leclerc's current Ferrari contract expires at the end of the 2024 season and at the moment there is no obvious indication that a new deal will be struck any time soon. Lewis Hamilton looks likely to extend with Mercedes for now, but the fact remains he is in the twilight of his Formula 1 career.

With Mercedes forced to consider more long-term options, Leclerc's name has once again come up. Asked directly about his future in an interview with French outlet L'Equipe, the 25-year-old said he is happy with his current team for now – but did not directly say he would not consider moving elsewhere in the future.

‘Charles Leclerc refuses to rule out Mercedes move’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formula-1/charles-leclerc-mercedes-ferrari-2024-28559497


Charles Leclerc asked about potential switch to Mercedes at end of 2024
Wednesday 23rd November 2022 7:30 AM
Jon Wilde

Charles Leclerc has understandably reacted with surprise to a suggestion that Toto Wolff is interested in luring him to Mercedes for 2025. Links between Leclerc and Mercedes have not been reported recently, dating back the best part of three years, the Monegasque being the driver on whom Ferrari are pinning most of their hopes for the foreseeable future.

But that did not stop a reporter for L’Equipe from putting the prospect to Leclerc during an interview. The 25-year-old racer, who gained three of his five Formula 1 wins during the 2022 campaign, was told Wolff had said that if Leclerc was free at the end of 2024 he would be delighted to welcome him to Mercedes.

Asked whether that was a move he would angle for, a surprised Leclerc replied: “2024 is a long time away and there is still a little time left at Ferrari. This team has always been my dream. “My objective at the moment is to win with Ferrari and then we’ll see. I am very happy with Ferrari and I want to win with them.”

‘Charles Leclerc asked about potential switch’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charles-leclerc-mercedes-2024-question/


Charles Leclerc opens door to replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes after Ferrari disappointment.
Charles Leclerc failed to challenge Max Verstappen for the title after a disappointing season.
09:18, Tue, Nov 22, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Charles Leclerc has not ruled out ditching Ferrari for Mercedes in a hint he could replace Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has previously suggested he would be open for Leclerc to drive for the Silver Arrows.

Leclerc, whose contract expires in 2024, claimed he was happy at the Italian marque but left an air of uncertainty surrounding his long-term future. He told L’Equipe: “2024 is still a long time away and there is still a little time left at Ferrari. This team has always been my dream.

“My objective for now is to win with Ferrari. Then we'll see. I am very happy at Ferrari and I want to win with them.” His remarks come after Wolff assessed Mercedes could attract the best talent to their cars. In an interview ahead of the 2020 season, Wolff did not deny that he could be tempted to swoop for Leclerc or Max Verstappen.

‘Charles Leclerc opens door to replacing Lewis Hamilton’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-autosport/1699820/charles-leclerc-lewis-hamilton-mercedes-news-ferrari


Charles Leclerc Determined On “winning the title next year”
November 21, 2022
By Nick Golding

It was the perfect end to a mixed season for Charles Leclerc at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as a superb second-place finish sealed the Monegasque driver second in the Drivers’ Championship. As well as Leclerc claiming second, Ferrari sealed second in the Constructors’ Championship, something that was looking unlikely not too long ago.

It’s been an up and down year for Leclerc, who has arguably made too many errors to be a World Champion. However, he’s not entirely to blame after being the victim of several strategic blunders by his side. Work needs to be done ahead of 2023 to challenge for the “title next year”, something he’s determined to do after being “satisfied with out progress”.

“I want to thank the whole team, both back home at the factory at and at the track, for all their hard work and dedication. P2 in the Constructors’ means a lot and we don’t want to stop here. We have to keep our heads down and push as hard as we can this winter, with the target of winning the title next year.”

‘Determined On “winning the title next year” ’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2022/11/charles-leclerc-determined-on-winning-the-title-next-year/

[Fortitude]

Video: Binotto doubts – Baseless or no smoke without fire?
Ferrari hit back at speculation suggesting team boss Mattia Binotto could be replaced over the Formula 1 off-season last week, saying such rumours were “without foundation”. But is that the full story, or is something afoot?
24/11/2022, 08:08
The Race

In our (THE RACE) latest video, Glenn Freeman is joined by Ben Anderson and Scott Mitchell-Malm to explain the state of play and what could be gleaned in the paddock during last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale.

Frederic Vasseur, the Sauber-run Alfa Romeo squad’s team principal, was mentioned in connection with initial reports about a change at the top of Ferrari, but would he fit the bill?

The cases for and against sticking with Binotto, and who could replace him if Ferrari did decide to make a change – including some familiar faces from the past, as well as one current team principal who might be a better candidate – are also considered.

‘Baseless or no smoke without fire?’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/video-binotto-doubts-baseless-or-no-smoke-without-fire/


F1 Podcast: Is Binotto's position under threat?
‎Charles Leclerc managed to finish ahead of Sergio Perez in the 2022 Drivers' Championship, but with Ferrari having thrown away several potential victories with operational errors and questionable strategy, will Mattia Binotto be replaced?
22‎ ‎November‎ ‎08‎:‎50
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Dieter Rencken

The final race of the 2022 Formula 1 season followed a similar pattern to several others this year, with Max Verstappen leading away from his pole position to score a record-extending 16th win of the season.

Behind Verstappen, Charles Leclerc took advantage of a good strategy call from Ferrari to leapfrog Sergio Perez into second place, thereby finishing runner-up in the Drivers' Championship at the Mexican's expense. But with Ferrari having made several operational errors and questionable strategy calls throughout the season, is team boss Mattia Binotto's position under threat?

Joining Michael Butterworth to discuss the key issues from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend is Dieter Rencken, Editorial Director of RacingNews365. With Perez needing to finish ahead of Leclerc to bag second place in the Championship, should Verstappen have done more in Abu Dhabi to back Leclerc up into the path of the Mexican?

‘Discussing the key issues’;

https://racingnews365.com/f1-podcast-is-binottos-position-under-threat


F1 Debates: Should Ferrari axe Mattia Binotto for Frederic Vasseur?
Rumours have surfaced that Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto will be replaced in January
November 21, 2022
By Adam Dickinson

Red Bull were the centre of attention leading up to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but Ferrari shot back into the spotlight as reports surfaced that the team are planning to replace team principal Mattia Binotto with Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur.

What have Ferrari said? Mattia Binotto rubbished the rumours, saying they were baseless and weren’t consistent with the conversations he’s had with Ferrari‘s Executive Chairman John Elkann.

“When there is such a big passion around it there is always certainly the passion but always as well a lot of criticism and rumours,” Binotto told the press. “Those are speculations, totally, with no foundations.”

‘F1 Debates’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-debates-should-ferrari-axe-mattia-binotto-frederic-vasseur/


Secret Mattia Binotto meeting with rival team boss sparks fresh axe speculation.
Fans have been calling for Mattia Binotto to be sacked following a disappointing year for Ferrari.
23 November 2022
by Jack Devonport

The rumour mill in Formula 1 is not just for drivers, as team principals, engineers and designer all make moves up and down the paddock as part of an ever changing sport. Ferrari have been heavily rumoured by Italian media to be on the hunt for a replacement for current team principal Mattia Binotto, following an underwhelming year for the Scuderia.

Ferrari have denied rumours that they are looking to replace Binotto, but there appears to be no smoke without fire as the Ferrari boss was spotted with Guenther Steiner and Frederic Vasseur, both team principals of Ferrari associated teams, in the paddock in Abu Dhabi. It has been suggested the Vasseur will make the move from Alfa Romeo to Ferrari, while Steiner may be forced to reshuffle his team at Haas as Ferrari look to headhunt some of their key staff.

Steiner has been quick to shut down any rumours surrounding the trio’s rendezvous, claiming that they simply shared transport back from the F1 commission, where many new additions to F1 were discussed. “Mattia just gave us a lift on the return from the F1 commission, that’s all,” said Steiner when asked about their meeting.

‘Fresh axe speculation’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/secret-mattia-binotto-meeting-with-rival-team-boss-sparks-fresh-axe-speculation/


Mattia Binotto responds to sacking rumours as McLaren boss linked to Ferrari
Ferrari released a statement earlier this week to rubbish claims that the team are set to axe Mattia Binotto.
by Jack Devonport
22 November 202222 November 2022

The reason that Binotto is taking most of the flack for Ferrari’s shortcomings this season is the nature of their failures, with woeful strategy calls seeing the team shoot themselves in the foot more times that they were genuinely beaten for pace in the middle part of the season.

Binotto was asked about the rumours prior to the Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, and suggested that releasing a statement of support was agreed to have been the best course of action. “Obviously when these speculations were out I had a chat with my chairman John Elkann, together we discussed openly what was the best way to move forward and we decided to release a statement,” he explained.

“That was maybe the best way to close any speculations and clearly those are speculations that are totally with no foundation, totally, with no foundations.”

‘No foundation, totally’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-binotto-responds-to-sacking-rumours-as-mclaren-boss-linked-to-ferrari/

[Fortitude]

Fernando Alonso believes in Aston Martin project as he embarks on fresh challenge.
Fernando Alonso says he is ready to do something special with Aston Martin as he sets out on his latest F1 challenge.
Published: 23 Nov 2022, 13:03
By George Dagless

The Spaniard is now into his 40s but his passion and commitment for and to driving and competing is undiminished, with him still eager to taste the glory of race victories and championships once more.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Fernando on the top step, owing to a tough period at McLaren before his exit from the sport for a bit, during which he had good success in endurance racing, before he returned with Alpine in 2021.

Formula 1 is where he wants to be and where he wants to be winning, though, and he genuinely believes that Aston Martin will be able to provide that opportunity in time, which is some nod to their ambitions as a team.

‘Fernando Alonso believes in Aston Martin project’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88087177-fernando-alonso-believes-in-aston-martin-project-as-he-embarks-on-fresh-challenge


Fernando Alonso in positive mood after first Aston Martin running
Published: 23 Nov 2022, 14:05
By George Dagless

Fernando Alonso was evidently happy with the running he got in for Aston Martin on Tuesday at the post-season Abu Dhabi test. Tuesday was the first opportunity for several drivers to link up with their new teams ahead of the off-season, and ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Pierre Gasly joined up with Alpine, Nico Hulkenberg spent time with Haas, Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri drove the Williams and McLaren cars respectively and Fernando Alonso got his first chance to drive the Aston Martin, with the sponsors taken off of the car.

e Spaniard heads to Aston with the firm belief that their ambition and potential will make them race winners and eventual championship contenders before he hangs up his gloves, whenever that is, and it sounds as though he is happy enough with the start they have made together, though he was driving the 2022 car that finished P7 in the standings this season and certainly not a car capable of winning Grands Prix.

‘Fernando Alonso in positive mood’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88086585-fernando-alonso-in-positive-mood-after-first-aston-martin-running


Alonso appetite whetted after first taste of Aston Martin
Wednesday 23 November 2022 13:11
Ian Parkes

Fernando Alonso will head into the first season next year with his latest team with confidence soaring following a successful F1 test outing. Alonso completed 97 laps of the Yas Island circuit on his Aston Martin debut, and the two-time F1 champion could not have been happier with the experience, apart from considerable discomfort due to an ill-fitting seat.

But in terms of his initial feel with the car and getting to know the engineers and other race staff, the 41-year-old was enthusiastically happy.

"I'm much more optimistic now," said Alonso. "When I signed for Aston Martin, I was 90 percent happy. When they started improving and they finished the season on a high, I was 100 percent, now I'm 100 plus.”

‘Appetite whetted’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96688/fernando-alonso-abu-dhabi-test-aston-martin-appetite-whetted/


Alonso’s test oddity highlights quirk of F1 driver swap rules
Nov 23 2022
By Scott Mitchell-Malm

It’s always fun spotting drivers turn up in new places, especially when we’ve got used to them in certain colours, although Fernando Alonso took that to the extreme in Abu Dhabi this week with Aston Martin, which had to run him in a completely unbranded car.

This was a very rare sight, even though it’s something Alonso has had to do before, when he got some early testing in with McLaren in late 2006, and for totally different reasons is something we saw earlier this year when Haas stripped back its car livery on the final day of the Barcelona test to remove its Uralkali sponsorship.

Alonso drove Aston Martin’s 2022 car in the first five hours of the Abu Dhabi test on Tuesday, ahead of formally joining the team in 2023. And the first thing everybody noticed about his first Aston Martin run was that the AMR22 was seen purely in its base colour scheme, with no sponsor logos or even the little Union Jack that usually adorns the tip of the nose.

‘Alonso’s test oddity’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/alonsos-test-oddity-highlights-quirk-of-f1-driver-swap-rules/


Pedro de la Rosa astonished by Alonso’s career longevity: ‘Fernando is not normal!’
Thursday 24th November 2022 8:15 AM
Thomas Maher

Pedro de la Rosa has said Fernando Alonso’s unrelenting motivation to race is what impresses him most as the two-time World Champion switches teams. De La Rosa flew into Abu Dhabi on Monday in order to join Aston Martin for the one-day test at Yas Marina, having recently taken up a role as an ambassador and advisor for the British team. It’s not the first time De La Rosa has worked with Alonso, having served as a test driver for McLaren in 2007 when the two-time World Champion moved across to the Woking-based squad after his title-winning seasons, as well as being Ferrari’s test driver in 2013 and 2014.

“What I’m really surprised about him is that, for example, yesterday, I arrived here, and he was doing the seat fitting,” De La Rosa told media, including PlanetF1, when asked about Alonso’s career longevity. “And he smiled, he said he viewed his motivation as exactly the same as the first time I worked with him back in McLaren in 2007. Exactly the same approach – exactly the same. Preparation, motivation, attitude, expectations, he’s a natural born racer.”

“His motivation, I would say, is the same or more than when he was… we’re talking about 15 years ago. This is what impresses me most about Fernando, because we can argue about his speed and everything, but the motivation, attitude at the end is what really is the biggest differentiator in any sportsman, especially at this age.”

‘Fernando is not normal!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pedro-de-la-rosa-fernando-alonso-not-normal/