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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-verstapp...-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-...and-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/a...DDx8PpC3j.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/every...p-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-verstapp...ese-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-verst...e-japanese-gp/
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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/93...-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...and-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/a...0KjVtfmmR.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-a...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...lpine-for-2023
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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-a...ese-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-resul...and-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/a...ThFoadfp1.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/ver...panese-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/j...tory/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/...d-suzuka-race/
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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...on-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/vide...d-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-ve...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/vide...ppen-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/verst...mid-confusion/
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‘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-lo...l-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/...s-was-correct/
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‘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/oth...-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...-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-vers...-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...1-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/93...ed-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-...-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-...ot-verstappen/
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‘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/a...qZDfa0c5J.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...-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/93...rner-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-...ace-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...ax-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-a...rix-title-news
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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/101438...unch-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/surpr...w-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/formu...n-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-...st-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...ap-ruling.html
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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-c...ear-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...hequered-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...am-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/sebast...ressive-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/fernan...itle-congrats/
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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/da...024-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/motorsp...5aec8ae5a87276
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/fo...rmula-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-bo...-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/formu...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/formu...lonso-28211786
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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...ades-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-ex...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-...-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/vide...unders-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/jacque...rari-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/93...s-sainz-start/
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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/...nts-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/2...ints-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/v...408330154.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-wel...-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/2...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/93...ams-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...oo-f1-28221040
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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-c...es-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-a...rmula-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/a...qUcYQxM9G.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...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/st.../?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-fittipal...abu-dhabi.html
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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/m...ss-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/2022/10/1...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...ld-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/...nd-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/n...pine/10384413/
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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...-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...ge-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/93...3-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/merced...aights-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/merced...-kicked-teeth/
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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-a...uccessful-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 [between 2014 and 2021], 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...ppen-title-win
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-bu...tial-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/a...GZMm5JBuZ.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...uccessful-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/h...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...s-benefit.html
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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/...-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/...onza-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...s-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-s...atauri-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...lphatauri.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...-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/...l-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-t...ate-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/2022/10/1...et-go-in-2023/
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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/es...-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/...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...-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/p...ne-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/2...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-expla...-with-hamilton
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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-...tic-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-ma...ip-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/2...ro-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/a...D7n48Mchi.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-...ll-underrated/
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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...erous-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-rom...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/...nd-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...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/a...XPCILjjUm.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/2...e-a-quick-car/
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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/formu...-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...ks-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/93...ck-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-haa...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/ge.../?nowprocket=1
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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-a...es-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-br...ating-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...ap-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-b...st-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/surpr...w-f1-cost-cap/
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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-w...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...-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/93...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/93...ight-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-a...d-Bull-F1-news
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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/t...nces/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-a...tappen-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-...rrari-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-...pment-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/christ...ting-red-bull/
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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/a...d?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...wers-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-ren...-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/a...JUqYJuZEn.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...l-the-key-info
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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-...-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/...a-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-s...indingly-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/emerso...humacher-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/da...s-opportunity/
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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...ove-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...rom-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-a...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/a...khwE6Ps54.html
F1 - 2022 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
20.10.22
FIA
‘Preview’
https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2022-uni...d-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-a...George-Russell
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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...e-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...s-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/form...st-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/...end-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...rez-shoulders/
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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
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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-ahea...n-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-...and-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/101...tice-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/a...ZHc94ZSXC.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/vide...ashes-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/v...012794876.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/a...JfPtxyJS5.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/101502...-likely-follow
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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-...d-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...and-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/a...XAAxm2tu0.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/a...k4YFikqzU.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/motorsp...5f893823da0a93
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-a...n-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/hun...rt-formula-one
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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...eans-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-...and-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/every...ice-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...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/101528...us-gp-practice
-
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/motorsp...bf35d88c53830f
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...and-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....ting-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/a...iCQ7mLy59.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/a...2zDWU1AHO.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-beli...-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-a...-prix-upgrades
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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/for...-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-resul...and-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/a...ppDxNbxOc.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...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/...ghiZTy6poZwqIj
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/a...Lp9RVb6iy.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/a...rNp6e7S43.html
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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/...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/94...ussell-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-a...-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-...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...-bull-colours/
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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...ll-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/94...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...ussell-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-wolf...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-co...ion-goes-wrong
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'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/a...EEYU6FFpJ.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-u...ecovery-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/2...ly-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-bu...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-mart...-his-mojo-back
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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-wh...ying-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-n...-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-...tired-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/di...lonso-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-villeneu...s-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-...ence-nonsense/
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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-t...ay-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-...enalty-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/a...ctionheadlines
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/2...ection-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/a...o3B6DcGXK.html
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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...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/a...XjiIll0Di.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/a...WceSyNvh3.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-...lonso-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/2...from-our-best/
