2022 - A Look Ahead

ALPINE’S BRAZIL BASH EXPOSES TENSIONS.
Firm radio messages and on track antics leave Alpine in precarious position for Abu Dhabi.
22:19 Sun, 13 Nov 2022.
James Phillips

Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon’s incident-fraught weekend has exposed tensions at Alpine. With just one race left, and P4 at the constructors’ title at stake, has the team handicapped itself? Alpine’s race weekend has been beset by problems between Alonso and Ocon. The sprint race saw two high-profile collisions. Ocon forced Alonso off the track at turn three on the opening lap, leaving his teammate no room.

The cars collided but continued. Alonso then attempted to pass him a lap later. In doing so he hit his rear right tyre, losing his front wing in the process. The resulting pit stops and penalties for both cars saw both drivers finish down the order. This compromised the starting places for the race on Sunday. Its rivals McLaren started in P5 and P11.

Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer criticised the drivers after the race, stating: ” Frankly both Esteban and Fernando must do a better job to compliment the fantastic efforts of everyone in the team by avoiding on track incidents”. Tensions rising within the team, Alonso said after the sprint “One more race and its over, finally”. The battle within the team for supremacy began to show after simmering beneath the surface.

‘ALPINE’S BRAZIL BASH’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/feature.../?nowprocket=1


Alpine boss: Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon ‘let the team down’
Tensions have flared up between Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon once again.
14 November 2022
by Nick Golding

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer was left bitterly disappointed by both of his drivers following the Brazilian Grand Prix sprint race, after the duo decided to put themselves before the “tirelessly working” Alpine employees.

Tensions have been building between Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon all season, with the duo having fought one another incredibly hard at certain races in 2022. Previously, the duo have stated their enjoyment at battling with each other; however, a line has certainly been crossed between the two.

The duo collided not once, but twice on the opening lap of the sprint race at Interlagos, with neither appearing prepared to budge for the other.

‘Let the team down’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/alpine-bo...the-team-down/


Fernando Alonso says he won’t speak to Esteban Ocon as he fires Alpine jibe
Fernando Alonso and team-mate Esteban Ocon have endured a number of close calls this season.
by Nick Golding
14 November 2022

It appears to very much be advantage McLaren in the fight against Alpine for fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, with the French side’s drivers appearing more intent on battling each other rather than the Woking-based outfit.

Fernando Alonso’s and Esteban Ocon’s relationship has been a heated one at times, with the water having finally boiled over at the Brazilian Grand Prix following a costly collision between the two. The pair have come close to contact on a concerning number of occasions this season alone, with the Brazilian sprint race having finally seen impact between the two.

On the opening lap of the sprint, Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer would’ve presumably had his eyes closed after the pair initially almost made contact on the exit of Turn Four.

‘Won’t speak’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-...s-alpine-jibe/


FERNANDO ALONSO’S DIVORCE FROM ALPINE IS NOT ENDING ON GOOD TERMS
The Spaniard will be moving to Aston Martin at the end of the 2022 season
16:52 Sun, 13 Nov 2022.
Cambridge Kisby
FormulaNerds

Fernando Alonso is having a frustrating end to his time at Alpine, and his latest sprint race in Brazil was no different. The Spaniard made contact twice with teammate Esteban Ocon in the opening laps of the final sprint race of the season, causing him to take damage that impacted his performance.

Alonso also received a 5-second time penalty. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he said “(It’s) far from ideal when you touch on the first lap of the sprint race because it’s too short to come back,

“On a positive side, the pace was very good today, close to the leaders actually. P15 we start tomorrow and if we have this pace. We can score points tomorrow.” Tensions were high between the pair after the race, which saw Alonso finish in P18 and Ocon in P17.

‘DIVORCE NOT ENDING ON GOOD TERMS’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/fe.../?nowprocket=1


Fernando Alonso thrilled after 'very good weekend' for Alpine in Interlagos.
13 Nov 2022
Formula 1.

‘Alpine driver Fernando Alonso 'had fun' in Brazil and is pleased with P5 finish at 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...183492710.html

Leclerc frustrated, but Ferrari defends team order rebuff.
Ferrari says that swapping its drivers in the closing stages of the Brazilian Grand Prix at the request of Charles Leclerc was deemed "too risky" as the team was being investigated for a potential incident involving Carlos Sainz.
14/11/2022 at 08:51
Phillip van Osten

Leclerc's request for Sainz to hand over third place to help the former's chances of finishing runner-up in the championship came through the air waves multiple times.

Eventually, the Ferrari pitwall responded to its driver, telling Leclerc that there would be no change of positions as it was "too risky".

Leclerc was initially frustrated with the decision and its reason, telling his race engineer "good joke" over the radio.

“Good joke";

https://f1i.com/news/460525-leclerc-...er-rebuff.html


Villeneuve: It would be embarrassing for Ferrari to lose second
Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has blasted the Ferrari outfit despite the team's third and fourth place finish at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix
November 14, 2022
By Rahul Sharan

Former Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes something in Ferrari’s current structure isn’t working and it would be embarrassing for the team to lose second in the Constructors’ Championship. It’s easy to forget that Ferrari started the year as the favorite to win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.

However, the team has utterly failed to build on that early season promise, and now face the ignominy of losing second place in the Constructor Standings to a resurgent Mercedes outfit. In fact, it was Mercedes who broke Red Bull’s run of nine consecutive race wins at this past weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix further highlighting the opposing trajectories the teams seem to be heading in.

Villeneuve, who won the 1997 Drivers’ Championship believes that it something needs to change at the Maranello-based outfit following another year of disappointment. “Should Ferrari lose the second spot in the Constructors’ Championship, that would be embarrassing,” Villeneuve wrote on his blog for Formule1.nl.

‘Villeneuve: It would be embarrassing for Ferrari to lose second’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/vil...econd-f1-2022/


Binotto explains why Ferrari didn’t swap Leclerc and Sainz in Brazil
Ferrari recovered to finish third and fourth at the 2022 Brazilian GP
November 14, 2022
By Ed Spencer

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has explained why the Scuderia did not make Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz swap positions towards the end of the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix. Sainz had been running in a comfortable third when Leclerc closed in the remaining few laps but, despite calls to the pit wall to let him through in order to help close the gap between himself and Sergio Perez in the battle for second in the 2022 Drivers’ Championship the team stood their ground with Sainz finishing third and Leclerc fourth.

Later in a media session in which Total Motorsport was in attendance, Binotto explained that they didn’t tell Sainz to move over for Leclerc because of the fact that their was a danger that Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso could overtake.

“Swapping the two cars on the back straight was tricky because Charles got Fernando and Max behind,” Binotto told the media after the race, including Total-Motorsport.com. “It certainly would have been tricky and somehow dangerous, but more than that, we know that we were under investigation for what happened behind the Safety Car with Tsunoda.”

‘Binotto explains why Ferrari didn’t swap Leclerc and Sainz’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-brazilian-gp/


Binotto reveals Ferrari fear as key reason why Sainz kept podium
14/11/2022, ‎10‎:‎35
Author Jake Nichol

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has revealed what influenced the team's decision to allow Carlos Sainz to keep third place in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Ferrari's fear of a potential time penalty was a key reason why they elected to keep Carlos Sainz ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Mattia Binotto has revealed.

Leclerc pleaded with the team in the closing laps to be waved through from fourth place and inherit Sainz's podium spot in his bid to gain extra points over Sergio Perez in their battle for second place in the Drivers' Championship.

However, the Scuderia refused the request, meaning Leclerc hauled 12 points for fourth, which, when coupled with Perez's six for seventh place, has the two drivers locked on 290 points heading to the season-finale in Abu Dhabi. Post-race, boss Binotto explained how confusion with Yuki Tsunoda meant the team did not feel comfortable in swapping the places amid Ferrari's own fight with Mercedes in the Constructors'.

‘Binotto reveals Ferrari fear’;

https://racingnews365.com/binotto-re...nz-kept-podium


Ferrari’s unusual logic for rejecting Leclerc’s team orders request
14/11/2022, 08:19
By Matt Beer and Mark Hughes
The Race

Ferrari would probably have asked Carlos Sainz to hand his Brazilian Grand Prix podium to Formula 1 team-mate Charles Leclerc had it not been worried about the potential for Sainz to be penalised for a safety car incident involving Yuki Tsunoda.

Sainz and Leclerc ran third and fourth on the final laps as Leclerc completed an impressive comeback drive having been sent into the barriers by Lando Norris when fighting for third at the race’s first safety car restart.

Leclerc urged Ferrari to “please think about the championship” on team radio, given he had gone into the race six points behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in their fight to be world championship runner-up this year. But Leclerc was told a position swap with Sainz would be “too risky” so stayed fourth.

‘Ferrari’s unusual logic’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/ferra...order-request/

Bottas delighted with ‘really important’ points in Sao Paulo as Alfa Romeo edge clear of Aston Martin for P6.
Valtteri Bottas expressed his satisfaction after a determined drive to P9 at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix put Alfa Romeo five points ahead of Aston Martin in the battle for sixth position in the constructors’ standings.
14 November 2022
Formula 1.

Bottas displayed strong pace as he rose from 14th on the grid to fifth position over the course of Sunday’s encounter, only for a late Safety Car to leave him exposed on older tyres and open the door for a handful of rivals.

Nonetheless, the Finn held on to claim ninth and bag two valuable points, giving his team a solid numerical advantage over Aston Martin – who took P10 with Lance Stroll – ahead of this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Reflecting on his afternoon at the wheel, Bottas said: “It was good – a good race, good battles. I really enjoyed it! Obviously, it’s always more enjoyable when you have the pace. Starting 14th and ending up ninth is good. We’re happy, because we again scored more than Aston. For us, it’s really important [to secure P6 in the standings]. At least the last two events we’ve been a bit stronger again, so that’s good to see. One more to go and we need to seal it in Abu Dhabi.”

‘Bottas delighted with ‘really important’ points’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...5qCOLp4uK.html


Valtteri Bottas coaches Alpha Romeo team-mate during Brazil GP in unseen footage
Valtteri Bottas finished ninth at the Brazil GP three places in front of team-mate Guanyu Zhou and offered some coaching to the 23-year-old
14:44, Mon, Nov 14, 2022
By Benjamin Goddard

Valtteri Bottas had time to give some coaching to his Alpha Romeo team-mate Guanyu Zhou during this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix. The 33-year-old, who has 10 Grand Prix victories to his name, is in his first year with the team after five years with Mercedes.

During the Brazilian GP, the Finnish driver found himself behind team-mate Zhou who was locked in a battle with Canadian driver Nicholas Latifi. Speaking to his team Bottas said: "Tell Zhou to attack him into turn 10. Latifi is breaking early."

‘Valtteri Bottas coaching’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...omeo-Brazil-GP


2022 Brazilian Grand Prix - Sunday
November 13th, 2022
Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN
Motorsport

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN produced a strong display to bring home two points at the Brazilian Grand Prix, courtesy of Valtteri Bottas’s ninth place. Team-mate, Zhou Guanyu, also had a good race and ran in the points for a majority of the afternoon, before closing in 12th position.

It was a convincing performance by the team, despite a late safety car that prevented an even better result. The two points claimed extend to five points the advantage to the closest rivals for sixth place in the constructors’ championship ahead of next week’s finale in Abu Dhabi.

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal: “The team did a really good job today and we were able to turn the weekend around and leave with a good result. Both yesterday and today we have shown good pace and made up a lot of ground and we can be satisfied to leave Brazil with an increased gap over our closest rivals. We had a good start and were able to run as high as fifth during the race: it’s a shame the late Safety Car nullified our advantage and put us within range of other cars, but we still brought home the points we wanted.

‘Convincing performance by the team’;

https://www.sauber-group.com/motorsp...d-prix-sunday/


Valtteri Bottas opens up on being 'harsh on myself' after losing Lewis Hamilton battle
Valtteri Bottas failed to get the better of Lewis Hamilton while the pair were team mates at Mercedes.
16:06, Tue, Nov 8, 2022
By Andrew McLean

Valtteri Bottas has admitted he was ‘really harsh’ on himself as he struggled to get the better of Lewis Hamilton during his spell at Mercedes. The Finnish driver could not match the standard set by his team mate while at the Silver Arrows and often had to content himself with a wingman role in order to help maximise the team’s points.

“Especially the first couple of years – I was so, so hard on myself,” he told RaceFans. “I wanted everything ‘now’ and then it was difficult to deal with it when it didn’t happen, that I couldn’t win the title in the first couple of years. It was just hard to accept. I was really harsh on myself, and definitely sometimes being a bit more chilled would have helped.”

‘Valtteri Bottas opens up’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rmula-One-news


Valtteri Bottas Looking to Remain with Sauber Through to Audi Arrival in 2026
November 9, 2022
By Paul Hensby

Valtteri Bottas hopes to be in the long-term plans for the Sauber F1 Team and wants to be there when their alliance with Audi Sport begins in the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.

Bottas feels there is big potential for the team when they link up with Audi, and he hopes that he can do enough to keep himself in with a chance of staying with them all the way up to 2026 and beyond. “Why not? I’m 33 years old, so I hope that I’m going to be there,” Bottas is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com. “If you look at the big picture, I think it’s huge. There’s big potential for Sauber with Audi.”

“No doubt they want to succeed in the future. They want to do well and show they’re serious. So, I think for any driver on the grid, especially for me now being already part of Sauber, it would be very interesting to be part of that project. I definitely think it’s possible.”

‘Looking to Remain with Sauber’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...rival-in-2026/

Nico Hulkenberg Replacing Mick Schumacher at Haas F1 in 2023: Report.
The beloved super sub hasn’t raced full-time in F1 since 2019, but at 35 years old, he may be making a comeback.
PUBLISHED Nov 14, 2022 10:44 AM
By Caleb Jacobs

lthough he hasn't raced full-time in Formula 1 since 2019, Nico Hulkenberg never stopped popping up around the paddock. He's been a super sub of sorts, filling in three times for Racing Point in 2020 and twice more this year as he covered for Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin. That's how he's stayed in the mind of F1 fans and teams alike, and the 35-year-old looks set to run the entire 2023 season with Haas in place of Mick Schumacher.

A report by Germany's Bild labeled Hulkenberg as the frontrunner for the seat, supposedly edging out former Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi. This comes after talk in August that Schumacher was looking to part ways with Ferrari, Haas' engine supplier, in hopes of getting a seat elsewhere. Now, rumors claim he'll land somewhere in the Mercedes organization.

‘Nico Hulkenberg Replacing Mick Schumacher Report’;

https://www.thedrive.com/news/nico-h...in-2023-report


Hulkenberg signing 2023 Haas contract on Tuesday
15/11/2022, 05:51
Sports Mole
By GMM F1

Nico Hulkenberg is signing on the dotted line of his 2023 race contract on Tuesday, according to multiple authoritative sources including Bild newspaper.
According to the reports, which include Italy's leading sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport and the German broadcasters Sky and RTL, the 35-year-old German's return to Formula 1 will then be announced on Wednesday.

Mick Schumacher was reportedly given the bad news in Brazil last weekend, where his uncle - former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher - sounded resigned about his 23-year-old nephew's fate. "Mick has shown that there is potential," he told Sky Deutschland. "But no matter what he did, the team and Gunther Steiner were never satisfied with him.”

‘Signing on the dotted line of his 2023 race contract on Tuesday’;

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/formula...1.html?newsnow


Mick Schumacher is 'set to be without a drive at Haas for next season with Nico Hulkenberg expected to replace him'... but the son of seven-time champion Michael 'could get reserve role' to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at Mercedes
• Haas are set to announce who will join Kevin Magnussen at the team next year
• Mick Schumacher is expected to lose his seat after two difficult seasons
• Nico Hulkenberg is set to get the seat after three years without a full-time drive
• Mercedes would be interested in approaching Schumacher over a reserve role
• Michael Schumacher finished his legendary career with Mercedes back in 2012
Published: 13:15, 15 November 2022
By Kieran Lynch For Mailonline

Mick Schumacher could be left without a place on next year's Formula One grid with Haas reportedly set to replace him with Formula One veteran Nico Hulkenberg.

Haas are expected to announce their second driver to partner Magnussen in the coming days, and BILD have reported that Schumacher will be replaced by German countryman Hulkenberg.

‘Mick Schumacher is 'set to be without a drive at Haas’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...berg-Haas.html


Ralf Schumacher blasts Guenther Steiner for ‘personal’ vendetta against Mick
Tuesday 15th November 2022 10:45 AM
Michelle Foster

Ralf Schumacher has taken aim at Guenther Steiner, accusing the Haas team boss of having “something personal” against his nephew Mick Schumacher. According to the latest reports on Mick’s future, the driver has already been informed by Steiner that he won’t have a Haas race-seat for next season.

He was reportedly told of this at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend where, perhaps with that in mind, he said: “Sometimes it’s your year and sometimes it’s not – and this year was probably not mine.”

He went onto declare “we still have one race left”, the 23-year-old expected to be replaced by Nico Hulkenberg with an announcement coming as early as Wednesday.

‘Ralf Schumacher blasts Guenther Steiner’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ralf-s...onal-vendetta/


Mick Schumacher to Mercedes? Toto Wolff opens door to following Michael Schumacher’s path
15 Nov 2022
James Dielhenn

Mick Schumacher could take advantage of his family ties to secure a role with Mercedes next season. The son of Michael Schumacher will reportedly lose his Haas seat to Nico Hulkenberg in 2023.

That would leave him without a full-time drive because Haas have the sole remaining spot in the F1 2023 driver line-up. A role as a reserve driver with Mercedes remains vacant.

"I make no secret of the fact that the Schumacher family belongs to Mercedes and that we appreciate Mick very much," team principal Toto Wolff said to Bild.

‘Schumacher family belongs to Mercedes’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/101717...mick-join-merc


Schumacher doesn't want Ecclestone's advice
15/11/2022, 13:28
Pitpass

Mick Schumacher says there are only a few select people whose opinion he values... and Bernie Ecclestone isn't one of them.

"His name is his biggest burden," Ecclestone told German broadcaster RTL, "but he is trying to live up to it as best he can. And that's what brings him all the problems. "That's why, I think he should forget about it and win in another category," he added.

Told of Ecclestone's suggestion, the German youngster, who has been tipped for a reserve role at Mercedes, was in no mood to listen. "It's hard to forget Formula 1," he told Bild. "I love it too much so I won't do that.

‘Ecclestone's Advice Unwanted’;

https://www.pitpass.com/74149/Schuma...estones-advice

Lance Stroll given Fernando Alonso warning after ‘life-threatening’ Sebastian Vettel move.
Lance Stroll was hit with a 10-second penalty after running Aston Martin teammate Sebastian Vettel off the track as they battled for position during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race
12:02, 15 NOV 2022
BY Mark Whiley

Lance Stroll has been slammed for his latest dicey manoeuvre by former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve. The Canadian was hit with a 10-second penalty for forcing Aston Martin teammate Sebastian Vettel off the track at high speed as they battle for position during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race. In-car footage showed that Vettel, who will retire following this weekend’s season-ending race in Abu Dhabi, took to the grass at almost 190mph.

A similar incident occurred at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. However, on that occasion Alpine’s Fernando Alonso, who will be Stroll’s teammate next season, hit the Aston Martin and rode up into the air before brushing the barrier. Incredibly, the Spaniard managed to continue while Stroll, whose race was ended on the spot, was handed a three-place grid penalty for the next round in Mexico.

Jacques Villeneuve: “The FIA doesn't punish this hard enough, not even in the step-up classes, and then it keeps happening. Sebastian Vettel, his teammate and the victim of the incident, is a true gentleman. But I don't think Fernando Alonso will be so calm next year.”

‘Lance Stroll given Fernando Alonso warning’;

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...so-f1-28495037


Tensions between Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll at Aston Martin
Lance Stroll was penalised for a near miss with Sebastian Vettel in Brazil.
by Jack Devonport
14 November 202214 November 2022

Sebastian Vettel will be retiring from Formula 1 at the end of the season and will be hoping to end on a high, which was nearly not the case as he came scarily close to a collision with his teammate Lance Stroll in the sprint race in Brazil.

Vettel responded by simply saying “OK” over the team radio, as he was clearly confused and frustrated by his teammates defensive techniques. Stroll was given a ten-second penalty for his actions, which will be very frustrating for Aston Martin who will now see their chances of scoring points reduced for the race on Sunday, as their driver will now start from 17thon the grid.

The Canadian driver was involved in an almost identical incident with next season’s teammate Fernando Alonso in Austin, as the Spaniard attempted to overtake him down the back straight of the Circuit of the Americas, which also saw him slapped with a penalty.

‘Tensions’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/tensions-...-aston-martin/


‘I had the wrong tyres at the end’ says Vettel after just missing out on points in Brazil.
13 Nov 2022
Formula 1.

Sebastian Vettel started the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in ninth, but dropped out of the top 10 during the course of the race to end P11 at the flag, just missing out on points.

‘Wrong tyres’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...707974458.html


Sebastian Vettel publicly criticises Aston Martin after 2022 Brazil Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel finished in P11 in his final Brazilian Grand Prix, and the German criticised his team after the race.
by Jack Devonport
15 November 202215 November 2022

The four-time world champion has suggested that pit stop timing at tyre choice was what cost his team a chance to score more points, claiming that the medium tyres just did not have to pace to allow him to compete at the end of the race.

“I think we were a bit late coming in and lost the positions, then we were a bit in traffic which didn’t help, didn’t have the free air and then had the wrong tyres at the end,” said Vettel in his post-race interview. “So not much we could have done and therefore just fell out of the points.”

‘Publicly criticises Aston Martin’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/sebastian...il-grand-prix/


Fernando Alonso’s ‘heart’ remains with Alpine despite Aston Martin move
Fernando Alonso matched his best result of the season at the 2022 Brazilian GP, despite having started 18th.
15 November 2022
by Nick Golding

Fernando Alonso endured an incredibly mixed Brazilian Grand Prix, where he had to deal with multiple collisions with his team-mate, a penalty and an 18th place start, yet still managed to fight his way through the field to claim fifth.

It was a truly challenging weekend for Alonso, who was incredibly vocal about Alpine after the sprint race on Saturday at Interlagos, where the two incidents with Esteban Ocon occurred. The pair’s relationship has been questionable at times, with Ocon having a record of battling Alonso beyond the limit at times, most notably in Saudi Arabia and Hungary.

Both were at it again on the opening lap of the sprint, with the first incident having come after Ocon went down the inside of Alonso at Turn Four, which forced the Spaniard wide and over the kerbs.

‘Heart’ remains with Alpine’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-...n-martin-move/

Ferrari deny Formula 1 team chief Mattia Binotto sacking.
Mattia Binotto has come under fire after a season in which Ferrari's quest to end a lengthy title famine began encouragingly only to falter in the second half of the year.
November 16, 2022 09:12:57 IST
Agence France-Presse

Ferrari on Tuesday dismissed as “totally without foundation” media reports that team principal Mattia Binotto was to be sacked. Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport claimed Binotto had paid the price for a series of strategic errors that saw the wheels come off the team’s world championship challenge. The newspaper suggested Alfa Romeo’s French team principal Frederic Vasseur was lined up to replace Binotto in 2023 from January 1.

But Ferrari rejected the report outright in a post on social media.
“In relation to speculation in certain media regarding Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto’s position, Ferrari states that these rumours are totally without foundation.”

Scuderia Ferrari Statement:
In relation to speculation in certain media regarding Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto’s position, Ferrari states that these rumours are totally without foundation.
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) November 15, 2022

“Totally without foundation”;

https://www.firstpost.com/sports/fer...-11635341.html


Mark Hughes: If Ferrari’s learned anything, it will back Binotto
16/11/2022, 07:29
By Mark Hughes
The Race

So it comes around again; the latest speculation on whether the Ferrari boss, in this case Mattia Binotto, keeps his job. It was last rumoured about around the Monza grand prix weekend; this time Italian media has been briefed (but not by Ferrari) that Binotto is to be replaced for next year by current Alfa team principal Frederic Vasseur.

It’s clear that there is some smoke and that Vasseur has been in discussions with John Elkann (Binotto’s ultimate boss). But any claims that the decision has been made known to Binotto – ether at Monza or more recently – are described by one who should know as “pure bulls**t”.

It may be significant that Ferrari put out a company statement on Tuesday: “In relation to the speculations that appeared in some press organs reporting the position of the Team Principal of the Scuderia, Mattia Binotto, Ferrari announces that these are totally unfounded rumours.” When the end of Maurizio Arrivabene’s time there (and before him, Marco Mattiacci) was being heavily speculated about, there was only silence from Ferrari.

‘If Ferrari’s learned anything, it will back Binotto’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/mark-...-back-binotto/


Ferrari stopped 2022 development as it 'couldn't afford' upgrades
RacingNews365
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has revealed how the budget cap forced them into switching development on the 2022 car off. Ferrari was forced into halting development on its 2022 Formula 1 car as it "couldn't afford" new upgrades, according to boss Mattia Binotto.

The team started the season with the quickest package, but have fallen back from runaway leaders Red Bull after winning two of the opening three races. Since the Austrian Grand Prix in July, Ferrari have not won a race as a potential title challenge has morphed into a fight for second with Mercedes in the Constructors' Championship.

However, while the eight-time champions have been developing their car to try and mask the problems with it, Binotto has revealed that the development tap was switched off as the budget cap struck.

'Couldn't afford upgrades’;

https://racingnews365.com/ferrari-st...fford-upgrades


Binotto: Ferrari was 'in the fight' for win without Perez
16/11/2022, 07:10
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

Carlos Sainz was in a position to challenge for the win at Brazil after pitting for fresher tyres during a late Safety Car, according to the Ferrari Team Principal. Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto believes it would've been "difficult" for Carlos Sainz to pass Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The team took advantage of a late Safety Car to pit Sainz for a set of used Soft tyres, which put him behind Sergio Perez at the restart. Given Perez was on Mediums that were several laps older, it meant that he was a lot slower at the restart and resulted in him dropping down from P3 to P7 by the chequered flag.

Even though it only took Sainz three laps to get past him, he was ultimately not able to keep up with the pace of Mercedes after using up his fresher tyres to pass Perez.

‘Ferrari was in the fight';

https://racingnews365.com/binotto-fe...-without-perez


Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto: “Our race immediately got much harder right from the early stages”
November 16, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

A third and fourth place finish for Scuderia Ferrari at the São Paulo Grand Prix has been credited to a “aggressive strategy” by Team Principal Mattia Binotto, after the Scuderia was able to recover from a number of set backs to take away a substantial points haul from the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

Ferrari’s race would get off to a disrupted start after Charles Leclerc attempted to overtake Lando Norris around turn six before contact from the McLaren F1 Team driver would send the Monegasque driver into the barriers. Able to avoid any terminal damage to his F1-75, Leclerc was able to continue, but a pit-stop for a new front wing would send the Ferrari driver to the back of the running order.

Carlos Sainz had in turn become the benefactor of Leclerc and Norris’ coming together. Sainz, who had been running behind Leclerc before the incident, would then pass his former McLaren teammate a lap later as they both headed into turn one.

‘Harder right from the early stages’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-early-stages/

Haas confirm Schumacher will leave team at end of 2022.
Haas have confirmed Mick Schumacher will leave the team following this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Posted on 17th November 2022, 5:1117th November 2022, 5:26
Written by Ida Wood

In his two seasons with the team he has scored 12 points so far, with his best qualifying result – sixth place at this year’s Canadian Grand Prix – immediately being followed by his only points finishes in F1 at the British and Austrian grands prix. In the latter he achieved his best race result, a sixth place.

Since then he has largely been out-performed by team mate Kevin Magnussen. This was illustrated dramatically in qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix six days ago where Magnussen scored a shock pole position in the rain-affected session after Schumacher took last place on the grid.

“I would like to thank Mick Schumacher for his contribution to the team over the past couple of years,” Haas team principal Guenther Steiner. “Mick’s pedigree in the junior categories was well-known and he has continued to grow and develop as a driver in his time with Haas F1 Team – culminating in his first Formula 1 points-scoring successes earlier this season. While choosing to go in separate directions for the future the entire team wishes Mick well for the next steps in his career path and beyond.”

‘Schumacher will leave team at end of 2022’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/17/...t-end-of-2022/


Haas confirms Schumacher exit after Abu Dhabi GP
17/11/2022, 05:07
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Haas has confirmed that Mick Schumacher will exit the team after the upcoming Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Schumacher has spent two seasons competing for Haas and scored points in Britain and Austria this year.
He is to be replaced by compatriot Nico Hulkenberg, with an announcement confirming the 35-year-old expected imminently.

‘Haas confirms Schumacher exit’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...-abu-dhabi-gp/


Mick Schumacher reacts to Haas axe after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff hints at F1 lifeline
Toto Wolff has declared the Schumacher family "belongs to Mercedes" after Haas chose to part company with Mick Schumacher.
07:54, Thu, Nov 17, 2022
By Ryan Taylor

Mick Schumacher has detailed his disappointment after being ditched by Haas and replaced by Nico Hulkenberg as he prepares to embark on his final race with his current team in Abu Dhabi. Despite a troublesome two-year reign behind the wheel, the young German has found it hard to come to terms with the decision that leaves him out of the F1 picture for the 2023 season.

"This will be my last race for Haas," Schumacher confirmed in a brief statement. "I will not hide the fact that I am deeply disappointed by the decision not to renew my contract. Despite that, I would like to thank Haas and Ferrari for this opportunity. The years together have helped me mature and also grow technically. Especially in the difficult moments I realised how much I love this sport."

Unfortunately for Schumacher, there are virtually no immediate options available with Williams the only team that currently has an open seat within their ranks. Logan Sargeant is due to step up to the plate, however, as he awaits gratification on his super licence following the conclusion of the F2 season.

‘Mick Schumacher reacts to Haas’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ff-F1-lifeline


Is Haas right to drop Schumacher for Hulkenberg? Our verdict
17/11/2022, 06:33
The Race

Nico Hulkenberg’s return to Formula 1 at Haas in place of Mick Schumacher has been mooted for several months and is now official. Hulkenberg undoubtedly impressed during his ‘first’ F1 spell, but is he really the most convincing option for Haas after three years on the sidelines.

Here are our writers’ takes on Haas’s decision, covering everything from Haas’s approach to running young drivers, where Schumacher went awry, Hulkenberg’s merits and even why a certain Formula E champion ought to have the seat instead.

Scott Mitchell-Malm: “Will midfield reality temper Hulkenberg’s enthusiasm?”
Gary Anderson: “Magnussen showed Haas what was possible”
Megan Cantle: “It’s another snub for another deserving star”
Edd Straw: “It’s simple: Hulk will score more points”
Mark Hughes: “Schumacher didn’t do enough”
Glenn Freeman: “Another move that reflects a shallow driver pool”
Matt Beer: “A KNOWN QUANTITY – BUT IS HE ENOUGH?”
Josh Suttill: “This shouldn’t put Haas off young drivers”

‘Our verdict’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/is-ha...g-our-verdict/


Schumacher 'disappointed' with Haas exit, but 'fire still burns for F1'
17/11/2022 at 08:06
Phillip van Osten

Mick Schumacher admitted to being disappointed by Haas' decision not to renew his contract for 2023, but the young German says F1 "is anything but closed for me".

A string of costly crashes during the first part of his 2022 campaign coupled with unsatisfactory results in the back-half of the season ultimately sealed Schumacher's fate. On Thursday, Haas confirmed the 23-year-old's exit and his replacement alongside Kevin Magnussen by F1 veteran Nico Hulkenberg.

Regardless of what the future holds for the young German, F1 is by no means off his radar. "The subject is anything but closed for me," Schumacher added. "Setbacks only make you stronger. My fire burns for Formula 1 and I will fight hard to return to the starting grid."

‘My fire burns for Formula 1’;

https://f1i.com/news/460736-schumach...ns-for-f1.html

Millions on the line and an F1 legend’s last hurrah – 5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP.
The final race of a thrilling 2022 is here as the season comes to a close with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The championship winners may already have been decided but there’s still plenty to play for, so here are some of the key talking points heading to Yas Marina...
16 November 2022
Chris Medland
Special contributor

1. The fight for second
A dramatic race in Brazil left two drivers unhappy that they finished directly behind their team mates, but it has set up the final round beautifully when it comes to the battle for second place overall.

2. Millions up for grabs
Elsewhere, the final constructors’ championship positions are anyone’s guess due to a number of extremely tight battles still to be decided. Alpine moved comfortably clear of McLaren in Brazil, but even that fight could still turn around with 19 points between them.

3. Farewell to Seb
A remarkable career for one of Formula 1’s greatest drivers comes to a close this weekend, as Sebastian Vettel makes his 299th and final start in Grand Prix racing.

‘Millions on the line’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...3ztOIhuYA.html


FORM GUIDE: Who's set to end the season on a high in Abu Dhabi?
16 November 2022
Samarth Kanal
Staff Writer

It’s the final round of the 2022 Formula 1 season, with Red Bull holding both titles – and the cards – going into the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Let's take a look at who might be in for a good weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit, and see who the fans are backing on F1 Play, the official predictor game of F1.

Vying for pole. Kevin Magnussen ripped up the script last time out in Brazil as a well-timed and well-executed lap in Q3 got the Haas driver his and the team’s first Formula 1 pole position. Abu Dhabi doesn’t generally deliver the same sort of shocks.

In the last five years, Max Verstappen has taken two poles here, Lewis Hamilton has taken two, and Valtteri Bottas has taken one. In fact, since the first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009, only McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes – and only six different drivers – have taken pole position here.

‘FORM GUIDE’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...3vIeCWNjM.html


Abu Dhabi GP: 5 big questions that need answers this weekend
Published: 17 Nov 2022, 10:53
By George Dagless

F1 is back in Abu Dhabi this weekend as the final race of the campaign takes place at the Yas Marina circuit.

The 2022 season has been a fascinating one, with the new rules and regulations introduced at the start of the year and providing the teams with plenty to contend with.

As the months have passed, Red Bull and Max Verstappen have proven to be the combination to beat, with the Dutchman storming to a second world title.

‘5 big questions that need answers’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88084751...s-this-weekend


What Formula 1 will be saying goodbye to in Abu Dhabi
16/11/2022, ‎16‎:‎10

Like every other that has gone before, the final race of the 2022 Formula 1 season in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is a time for reflection. A time to think reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the campaign coming to a close or perhaps left with the dreams of what might have been had X, Y or Z gone slightly differently.

However, for some, they are bidding goodbye to the F1 paddock for what could - and in the case of at least one will, be the final Grand Prix of their racing career. The headline act is Sebastian Vettel. 15 years after his full-time debut, Vettel takes his last dance at Yas Marina, 12 years after he won his first world title at the same venue.

Elsewhere, Nicholas Latifi is also leaving F1 after three seasons. It is unfortunate that the affable Canadian and decent pedaller will only be remembered for one thing during his F1 career. Ricciardo bows out. Despite having an option for an extra year on his McLaren contract, Daniel Ricciardo has accepted a payoff to leave early.

‘What Formula 1 will be saying goodbye to’;

https://racingnews365.com/what-formu...o-in-abu-dhabi


Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weather: Three-day outlook for the F1 2022 season finale
Thursday 17th November 2022 10:45 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

On Friday, the opening day of action as the FP1 and FP2 format returns, drivers can expect to encounter the peak temperature of the day during FP1, 33 degrees Celsius, with zero chance of rain and only a gentle breeze. As the floodlights begin to take effect for FP2, the temperature is set to drop to 31c and then below the 30 mark by the end of the session, still with a zero per cent risk of rain, while humidity climbs from 30 per cent to the mid 40s.

Come FP3 on Saturday, the temperature will have ramped up again to 32c, while the winds will also strengthen with a very slight chance of rain, only two per cent. That session will be more humid with a figure in the high 40s, while come qualifying after sunset, the temperature will drop once more just below 30, humidity climbing to around 60% as the very slight threat of rain totally goes away.

Then, it is race day, where the drivers can expect slightly cooler conditions, but not much cooler. With a temperature just below 30c come lights out, that is expected to drop to around 27c by the time of the chequered flag which will bring an end to the 2022 season.

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weather’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/abu-dh...-2022-weather/

Nico Hülkenberg Makes Full-Time F1 Comeback By Signing With Haas For The 2023 Season.
Just moments after it was announced that Mick Schumacher would be leaving the Haas F1 Team, his successor within the American team was announced as Nico Hülkenberg was confirmed to be making his full-time return racing and partnering Kevin Magnussen at Haas for the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season.
November 17, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

Hülkenberg, who since his departure from the Renault F1 Team at the end of the 2019 season, has been officially operating as the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team reserve driver since the beginning of the 2021 season and despite his three year break from full-time racing, the German has still since official Grand Prix action as he was called upon by the Silverstone-based team numerous times across the last three years.

The thirty-five year old German made quite the impression on his reserve duties when he qualified third at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, where he would come home for a eventual seventh-place finish after having to pit from fourth-place late on due to a high level of tyre wear. Also when called upon on the Saturday of the Eifel Grand Prix, Hülkenberg was able to claim an eight-place finish despite starting last on the grid, a drive that netted him the honour of being crowned the driver of the day.

‘Nico Hülkenberg Makes Full-Time F1 Comeback’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...e-2023-season/


Hulkenberg 'thought he was done' in F1 before Haas call
17/11/2022, ‎14‎:‎40
Author RacingNews365 Staff

Jolyon Palmer has recalled conversations he had with F1 2023 returnee Nico Hulkenberg prior to the German's Haas announcement. Jolyon Palmer has provided an insight into his conversations with Nico Hulkenberg, ahead of his announcement at the Haas F1 team.

Ex-F1 driver Palmer claims that Hulkenberg 'thought he was done' in Formula 1, after a period of uncertainty around his F1 future. Hulkenberg had been rumoured to be a candidate for the second Haas seat for much of the season, but endured a frustrating wait for confirmation as Mick Schumacher fought to retain his seat.

'Thought he was done';

https://racingnews365.com/hulkenberg...e-in-formula-1


Why Haas F1 Team Gave up on Mick Schumacher after Just Two Seasons
Michael Schumacher's son frankly did not have any 'wow' moments that showed he deserved more time to develop.
Nov 17, 2022
By Phillip Horton

Mick Schumacher will not be racing in Formula 1 next season after Haas opted to sign the experienced Nico Hulkenberg in his place. Schumacher has been a tricky driver to judge throughout his two seasons with Haas.

The erudite 23-year-old has shown enough to suggest he has the potential to become a solid midfield driver—maybe in a similar vein to Hulkenberg—but it is equally not a travesty that he will be left off the grid.

His scoreless rookie season in 2021 was spent stymied by lackluster machinery, and while he comfortably got the better of then-teammate Nikita Mazepin, Mazepin was not exactly a stellar benchmark. It nevertheless bought Schumacher a little more time to show what he could do, which was a positive situation given his illustrious surname.

‘Why Haas F1 Team Gave up’;

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/form...ck-schumacher/


Ralf Schumacher rages at Haas over Mick Schumacher axe: “That’s not how to deal with an employee”
17 Nov 2022
James Dielhenn

Ralf Schumacher has criticised Haas for the manner of Mick Schumacher’s exit - saying “you have to hug him from time to time”. The younger Schumacher will be without a seat in the F1 2023 driver line-up after Haas confirmed they would replace him with Nico Hulkenberg for next season.

It brings to an end the tumultuous saga of his time at Haas, and the multiple times he has been criticised by team principal Guenther Steiner. "Of course, this is a disappointment for such a young racing driver," his uncle Ralf Schumacher said to Sky.

"The fact that it took so long made it clear that it would not be quite so easy. They obviously approached the matter with different standards. You have to give a driver two or three years. We see, for example, Yuki Tsunoda who sits in a supposedly better car and also has difficulties."

‘Ralf Schumacher rages at Haas’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/101727...-deal-employee


Sebastian Vettel takes swipe at Haas chiefs as he reacts to Mick Schumacher axe
The two German drivers have a close friendship, and Vettel appeared to be bemused by his compatriot's treatment after Haas announced they would be replacing him
16:16, 17 Nov 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Speaking to Sky Germany, Vettel made clear his belief that Haas have made a mistake. More than that, he appeared to question team principal Guenther Steiner's leadership as he criticised the decision-making process.

"Obviously it's bitter for him and I am sorry for him," said the four-time world champion. "I believe the team leadership at Haas is sometimes... yeah... I don't want to say but sometimes difficult to understand.”

"I think Mick absolutely deserves a seat. The season was certainly not easy for him, here and there, maybe he did a mistake but I think the team was also not blameless or innocent, at least from the outside. Now I think he is concentrating on the new task, the next steps that will come, I believe and hope he gets a chance because he has the potential.”

‘Sebastian Vettel takes swipe at Haas chiefs’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ction-28518239

Horner hints at Verstappen grudge over Hamilton crash.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has warned Max Verstappen has a "memory like an elephant" after the Dutchman's clash with Lewis Hamilton at the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Tuesday 15 November 2022 06:00
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Asked if the ability to hold a grudge Verstappen seemingly has could lead to a future flare-up, Horner replied: "He has a memory like an elephant.” Verstappen was penalised five seconds for his part in the incident, with Horner adding: "Which I thought was a bit harsh, to be honest. "For me, I thought he'd earned a bit more space than he was given, that Lewis could have given him a bit more to work with because he [Verstappen] was ahead going into the left-hander.”

Verstappen was quick to place blame at Mercedes driver Hamilton's door post-race, suggesting that Hamilton had no intention of leaving space. Asked if he believed Hamilton was unable to let go of the contentious title battle from a year ago, Horner conceded: "That's a big question. More one for Lewis than for me.

"Unfortunately, the only contact we've had this year has been in turn two. As I said, I felt Max had earned a bit more space than he was given. We were surprised by the penalty because at best we thought it was a racing incident."

‘Verstappen grudge’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96...istian-horner/


VERSTAPPEN WILL HELP PEREZ IN ABU DHABI SAYS HORNER
Verstappen disobeyed team orders and did not let Perez through in Brazil
16:09 Wed, 16 Nov 2022.
Selena Abu-Ras
FormulaNerds

Christian Horner of Red Bull has said despite what happened in Brazil, Max Verstappen will help Sergio Perez if he can at Abu Dhabi. Last weekend was a drama frenzy in the F1 community as Max Verstappen disobeyed team orders to let Sergio Perez through. On the team radio and in post-race interviews Verstappen stated that he has his reasons.

Perez said that after everything he had done to help Verstappen, it’s disappointing his teammate did not do the same. This caused a social media stir about what was happening at Red Bull. Red Bull Racing Boss, Horner, spoke about what had happened and what this meant for Red Bull at Abu Dhabi. Horner assured that all has cleared between the teammates and that both Verstappen and Perez are committed to the team. He said:

“It’s something we discussed obviously, behind closed doors, the drivers have discussed it. As a team, our focus very much going into Abu Dhabi with Charles and Checo tied on points is to do our best that we can to support Checo to achieve second place. Max has obviously made that commitment as well. So as far as we’re concerned, it’s about looking forward not looking backwards.”

‘VERSTAPPEN WILL HELP PEREZ’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ve.../?nowprocket=1


Helmut Marko draws a line under Sao Paulo, ‘everything has been clarified internally’
Monday 14th November 2022 10:45 AM
Michelle Foster

Max Verstappen “will” work for Sergio Perez at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, that’s the word from Helmut Marko after the Dutchman ignored team orders at the Sao Paulo race.

What on the surface seemed to be a harmonious relationship between Verstappen and his latest Red Bull team-mate, Perez, that went up in smoke in Sunday’s grand prix at the Interlagos circuit. Marko has made it abundantly clear to his driver it is definitely a “will” help.

“From his point of view Max will do everything possible there so that Checo can achieve second place in the World Championship,” said the Red Bull advisor. “That here in Brazil has been ticked off and clarified and we’re going to Abu Dhabi with this premise. Everything has been clarified internally, we will work as a team there.”

‘Helmut Marko draws a line’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut...der-sao-paulo/


Christian Horner: “We need to understand why we gave away performance this weekend”
November 16, 2022
By Olivia Dellar

Horner commented on the issues the team battled with for the entire weekend: “We haven’t often left a Grand Prix weekend this season feeling disappointed. Coming away from Brazil with P6 and P7 is far from the standards we have set for ourselves this season. The main issue for us was our pace.”

With the final race of the season approaching, Horner is eager for the team to resolve the issues with pace and avoid giving away any more performance to the competitive teams, despite Red Bull having bagged both major prizes of the season.

“George drove very well all weekend and the various updates Mercedes have been bringing throughout the year has seen them get quicker and quicker. We need to understand why we gave away performance this weekend and will come out firing on all cylinders in Abu Dhabi.”

‘We need to understand why we gave away performance’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-this-weekend/


Who holds the power at Red Bull? Verstappen or Horner?
Max Verstappen dictating to his team his actions on track has shone a light on the intra-team dynamic at Red Bull – who is in charge?
November 16th 2022
By Chris Medland

A pretty remarkable sight presented itself following the São Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. After the penultimate race of one of Red Bull’s most dominant seasons, and a year in which Max Verstappen has already set the record for the most victories in a campaign, the team’s hospitality unit was a key location for the row unfolding inside.

And not just inside private offices. As much as Christian Horner wanted to sidestep questions about Verstappen’s decision to ignore team orders and not return a position to Sergio Perez on the final lap of the race – saying “I’m not going to go into what we discussed behind closed doors” – the tension was clear to see.

Unfortunately for Horner, despite the fact that the doors were open to the hospitality units anyway, the offerings at Interlagos are completely glass-fronted, so you can perfectly see the entire communal area of the unit. Teams are then free to use temporary dividers to create specific offices and rooms as they like. And the team had done exactly that, but wasn’t making use of any of them once an initial meeting involving both drivers had ended.

“I’m not going to go into what we discussed behind closed doors”;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#

Hamilton leads Russell and Leclerc in Abu Dhabi FP1.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Lewis Hamilton topped the times, a couple of tenths ahead of his teammate and Charles Leclerc in the sunny opening practice.
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
18th Nov. 2022
by Emer Hedderman

Just inside the final fifteen minutes the Mercedes drivers finally showed their pace around the track with Lewis Hamilton taking over in P1 with a 1:26.633 and was soon joined by Russell who was a couple of tenths slower than his teammate and that’s where the two remained for the rest of the session.

Felipe Drugovitch, this season’s F2 champion, was the first to take to the track as he gave Lance Stroll a lazy start to the day by taking over his car for the opening practice. Stroll wasn’t the only full-time driver with the opportunity to sleep in today, ideal for them after all the drivers were out for dinner last night to celebrate Sebastian Vettel, as there were eight young or reserve drivers taking over cars for FP1.

Aside from Drugovitch in the Aston Martin, Liam Lawson was in Max Verstappen’s car, Robert Shwartzman replacing Carlos Sainz, Jack Doohan was in Fernando Alonso’s machine, while Robert Kubica, Alfa Romeo’s reserve once again in the car, this time in Zhou Guanyu’s.

‘Lewis Hamilton topped the times’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/hamilton-l...habi-fp1-80488


(FP1) First Practice Results – 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
18th Nov. 2022, 11:08
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes -1:25.633
2. George Russell Mercedes +0.220
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.255
4. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.334
5. Liam Lawson Red Bull Racing +0.568
6. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +0.635
7. Robert Schwartzman Scuderia Ferrari +0.796
8. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.986
9. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.022
10. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.207

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from first practice for the 2022 F1 World Championship finale at the Yas Marina Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-...and-prix-80484


Formula 1 2022 results – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: FP1
Friday 18th November 2022 11:03 AM
Thomas Maher

Mercedes have followed up on their 1-2 finish in Brazil by topping the times in first practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton set the quickest time of the first practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, keeping Mercedes at the top of the results following on from their first win of the season last time out in Brazil.

Hamilton clocked a 1:26.633 with 20 minutes remaining in the session, pipping Mercedes teammate George Russell by almost quarter of a second. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third, ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson – the Kiwi taking Max Verstappen’s car for the session as Red Bull fulfil their junior driver obligations this weekend.

There were plenty of new and unusual names taking part in the session, with Lando Norris handing over his McLaren to Pato O’Ward, while Felipe Drugovich drove Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin. Robert Shwartzman drove Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari en route to seventh place, while Logan Sargeant was in at Williams in place of Nicholas Latifi.

‘Formula 1 2022 results’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/formul...rand-prix-fp1/


Abu Dhabi GP: FIA Drivers Press Conference
NEWS STORY
17/11/2022
Group 1: Yuki Tsunoda, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Nicholas Latifi.

Q: Sebastian, if we could start with you, please. The moment has arrived, your last weekend as a Formula 1 driver? How are you feeling at this stage?
Sebastian: I don't know. Maybe I should ask Fernando, he went through it already! He will go through it again, I guess, at some point. But yeah, I feel okay. I mean, obviously, I guess after so many years and races, there's the routine of Thursday. But I think it's difficult in a way to grasp but I'm aware of what's happening and I'm happy about it, as far as I can be.

Q: Fernando, you too, have enjoyed many great battles with the man on your left. What will you miss about Sebastian?
Fernando Alonso: Yeah, I mean, it's going to be strange to don't have him in next year and the first race. But yeah, I mean, we share, as you said, so many things. Over the last 15 years, sometimes we fought for championships, sometimes for seven places, even in Japan to the finish line, and we still obviously always enjoy every single battle and, and respect each other as much as we could. So yeah, I think my career is going to be linked to Sebastian in a way because we fought for many great things and in the best seasons of our life, probably, and even though it was on his side, the outcome always. I think it's going be very linked, our two names - or my name in Sebastian's career, and vice versa.

‘FIA Drivers Press Conference’;

https://www.pitpass.com/74169/Abu-Dh...ess-Conference

Abu Dhabi GP: Max Verstappen tops FP2.
Max Verstappen quickly got into his stride in Abu Dhabi as he topped the FP2 session by over 0.3 tenths of a second.
Published: 18 Nov 2022, 14:18
By George Dagless

Verstappen is looking to finish this brilliant season of his with a flourish and would surely like nothing more than to take victory at the Yas Marina circuit to cap off his campaign.

Certainly, he looks in a decent position to do so with him setting the quickest time of all on Friday evening, with him 0.341 clear of next fastest driver George Russell in the Mercedes.

What made his effort even more impressive was that this was his first session of the weekend, with him one of eight drivers to sit FP1 out earlier in the day to allow Red Bull, alongside seven other teams, to help fulfil their rookie driver obligations.

‘Max Verstappen tops FP2’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88085483...appen-tops-fp2


(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
18/11/2022, 14:11
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:25.146
2. George Russell Mercedes +0.341
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.453
4. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.615
5. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.706
6. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.786
7. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.892
8. Fernando Alonso Alpine +0.897
9. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.978
10. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +1.154

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from second practice for the 2022 F1 World Championship finale at the Yas Marina Circuit’;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1...x/Abu+Dhabi+GP


Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Max Verstappen tops George Russell in Practice Two as world champion halts Mercedes' flying start
Mercedes topped first practice but Max Verstappen hits back in P2, 0.341s ahead of George Russell; Charles Leclerc third and Lewis Hamilton a distant fourth; Watch Abu Dhabi GP final practice at 10.30am on Saturday, qualifying at 2pm
Last Updated: 18/11/22 2:16pm
By Matt Morlidge at Yas Marina

Max Verstappen halted Mercedes' flying start to the final weekend of the Formula 1 season by comfortably topping the timesheets in Practice Two for the Abu Dhabi GP for Red Bull.

The world champion, surprisingly off the pace last weekend in Brazil as Mercedes sealed their first win of 2022, missed first practice at Yas Marina after sitting out for young driver Liam Lawson but didn't take long to find his rhythm in P2, the more representative floodlit practice session.

Verstappen posted a 1:29.146 and appeared to have more in the locker as he beat closest challenger George Russell by 0.341s, with Charles Leclerc a tenth further back in the Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton, who led a Mercedes one-two earlier in the afternoon, was a distant fourth, and almost had a coming together with Haas' Kevin Magnussen in Abu Dhabi, the scene of his title heartbreak last year.

‘Max Verstappen tops George Russell’;

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...s-flying-start


Formula 1 2022 results – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: FP2
Friday 18th November 2022 2:04 PM
Jon Wilde

Max Verstappen’s first action of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend ended with him in his familar position at the top of the timesheet. Unlike in the first hour’s running of the weekend, all 20 regular drivers of the 2022 season were out on track after several of them had sat out FP1 to make way for inexperienced and test drivers, most of which had been brought in to fulfil the rookie requirement introduced this year.

One of those to spend the morning watching on in the garage was Verstappen, who stepped aside for Liam Lawson, but in FP2 he was straight on the pace as Red Bull hit back at Mercedes. Mercedes had finished 1-2 in FP1 for the second consecutive track session, having achieved that feat at the Brazilian Grand Prix five days earlier when Russell scored his maiden F1 victory ahead of Hamilton.

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: FP2’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/formul...rand-prix-fp2/


Ricciardo will return to Red Bull as ‘third driver’ next year, says Marko
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Posted on 18th November 2022, 12:4518th November 2022, 12:46
Written by Keith Collantine

Daniel Ricciardo will rejoin Red Bull next year as a third driver, the team’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko has said.

Marko told Sky Germany Ricciardo will return to the team but Liam Lawson will continue in the role of reserve driver for both Red Bull and AlphaTauri. Lawson drove Max Verstappen’s RB18 in first practice at Yas Marina today and has also appeared twice for AlphaTauri in practice sessions this year.

Ricciardo was backed by Red Bull on his way to Formula 1. He joined the team in 2014, winning three races, and added four more victories before leaving at the end of 2018.

‘Ricciardo will return to Red Bull’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/18/...ar-says-marko/

STEINER: NOT EVEN AN F1 POLE POSITION WOULD HAVE SAVED SCHUMACHER’S HAAS SEAT.
Haas announced that fellow German Nico Hulkenburg would replace Mick Schumacher at Haas for 2023 to partner Kevin Magnussen, meaning the young German doesn't have a Formula 1 seat for 2023.
19:10 Thu, 17 Nov 2022.
Nathan Hartley
FormulaNerds

Guenther Steiner reveals that “not even a pole position” would have saved Mick Schumacher’s seat. Meanwhile, Schumacher is determined to “prove everyone wrong” after losing his Haas seat to Nico Hulkenburg. Schumacher currently sits 16th in the drivers’ championship with only 12 points. The German last scored points at Austria where the 23-year-old finished in a career-best sixth.

His teammate Kevin Magnussen has 13 more points than the German as the Dane sits three places higher in 13th. The most recent race in Sao Paulo saw Kevin Magnussen take pole position in qualifying whilst Schumacher qualified in 20th. The Haas driver has had two tough seasons with the American team. The first season saw the German not being able to compete as Haas had by far the worst car in 2021. However, 2022 saw Haas provide a good car. This was proven by Kevin Magnussen getting into Q3 and finishing fifth in the season-opener at Bahrain.

Despite Haas’ step-up, Schumacher was still struggling. The 23-year-old suffered heavy crashes in Saudi Arabia, Monaco and, most recently, Japan. All of the crashes have resulted in Haas boss Guenther Steiner warning the German about the amount of crashes, costing the team to spend on upgrades. Haas only brought significant upgrades once throughout the entire season in Hungary. The amount of money spent on repairs could have been a factor that limited the American team from spending money to improve the car.

‘NOT EVEN AN F1 POLE POSITION’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/st.../?nowprocket=1


Guenther Steiner responds to ‘self-promoting’ criticism from Ralf Schumacher
Friday 18th November 2022 6:00 AM
Sam Cooper

Guenther Steiner has hit back at Ralf Schumacher who critcised the Haas boss for being a “self-promoting person”. Steiner has responded directly to this criticism by denying that he is focused on getting all the attention but instead said his main objective is to help the team be successful. “I try to do a good job,” Steiner told Sky Sports News.

“It’s not about attention, it’s not about my attention it’s about doing a good job. If people take attention off it, I cannot say, don’t look at me. I’m not doing it on purpose. I don’t think I need to defend myself here. Everybody can do and say what they want and I do what I think is best for the team and leave it at that.”

During the media rounds ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Steiner did elaborate on what his reasons were for letting Schumacher go and said it came down to experience. “I think that the experience of multi-years in Formula 1 that never have been with another team than us,” Steiner told media, including PlanetF1, when asked what Schumacher was missing.

‘Guenther Steiner responds’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenth...lf-schumacher/


“Haas got fed up of Mick Schumacher’s entourage”, says Martin Brundle at F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
18 Nov 2022
James Dielhenn

Mick Schumacher brought “pressures” to Haas due to the people surrounding him which contributed to his exit, says Martin Brundle. Haas confirmed that the final vacant seat in the F1 2023 driver line-up would go to Nico Hulkenberg, replacing Schumacher and forcing him off the grid next season.

Sky’s Brundle said: “They have gone for the security of experience. Mick crashed too many cars. I think the team were fed up of Mick’s entourage and all the pressures that came with that. He has been dropped by Ferrari as well, so it’s difficult times for him.”

Mick’s uncle Ralf Schumacher has repeatedly criticised Haas team principal Guenther Steiner throughout the season.

‘Fed up of Mick Schumacher’s entourage’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/101740...er-s-entourage


Ralf Schumacher says Haas were lacking in ‘encouragement and hugs’ for Mick
Friday 18th November 2022 8:15 AM
Michelle Foster

Ralf Schumacher says it is probably a good thing Mick Schumacher and Haas will part ways at the end of this season as a driver needs a team that “stands behind” him.

“Of course it’s a disappointment for such a young racing driver,” Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland. “Because it took so long, it was clear it wasn’t that easy.”
The German, not for the first time, says blame belongs to Steiner who instead of giving Mick a “hug”, publicly criticised him and made it known his seat was on the line.
“That’s not how you treat an employee, so the result wasn’t a big surprise,” he said.
“You have to encourage such a young driver, you have to hug him from time to time.”

‘Lacking in encouragement and hugs’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/ralf-s...ent-hugs-mick/


Guenther Steiner admits delaying Mick Schumacher decision on purpose in 'psychology' test.
The Haas chief made it clear on several occasions he would not be rushing the decision to make sure they got it right, and now Steiner has revealed another reason why he delayed.
18:13, 17 Nov 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Guenther Steiner admitted he delayed his 2023 driver decision "on purpose" to test how much Nico Hulkenberg really wanted the seat. The 35-year-old will hold a Formula 1 race seat for the first time since 2019 when he joins Haas next year. He replaces his fellow German Mick Schumacher, whose own F1 future is now uncertain after only two years in the sport.

Steiner took a long time to make a decision, sparking criticism from some fans and pundits for making Schumacher wait to find out what his future holds. Speaking to The Race in the wake of the announcement, he revealed he did it on purpose. I spoke to [Hulkenberg] for a pretty long time, then maybe not speaking, just seeing how he reacted," he said. "With some people, when you want something, you get high and then you lose interest. It's a psychology thing.”

"But he always kept on pushing, always asking. I left that seat on purpose there to see. But he always came back, 'What is happening? What is happening?'. I don't think he believed that this could happen until a few days ago. I think he didn't believe it's just going to happen.”

‘Guenther Steiner admits delaying Mick Schumacher’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...delay-28519775

Yas Marina ‘suits Red Bull to a tee’ but Mercedes are giving chase.
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Friday practice analysis
Posted on 18th November 2022, 20:24
Written by Will Wood
Race Fans

After knocking on the door of a possible first win of the season a handful of times after the summer break, Mercedes finally tore door off its hinges last weekend in Brazil by winning the sprint race and backing that up with a one-two victory in the grand prix.

As well as a reward for months of intense development, Mercedes’ victory was also strong evidence that they had finally overtaken Ferrari as Red Bull’s closest rivals at the front of the field, even if they still sit behind them in the championship.

But after Red Bull and Max Verstappen pointed to their set-up choice in Interlagos being a crucial factor in their defeat to Mercedes as they were locked into their setup from the end of the first practice, the question heading into the first day of practice in Abu Dhabi was how much would Verstappen be compromised this weekend by having to miss out on the first hour of running.

‘Suits Red Bull to a tee’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/18/...-giving-chase/


Leclerc targeting race pace improvement after P3 in both Friday sessions at Abu Dhabi GP
18 Nov 2022
Formula 1.

Charles Leclerc was third quickest in both Friday practice sessions at the Yas Marina Circuit, and though he was happy with his one-lap pace, he said Ferrari still need to improve their performance for the race itself.

‘Targeting race pace improvement’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...927328934.html


Abu Dhabi GP: Friday's action in pictures
18/11/2022 at 19:00
Michael Delaney

F1 teams got down to business on Friday at Yas Marina, with the usual suspects at the front dominating proceedings.

Check out our recap in pictures of Friday's action at the Abu Dhabi GP at Yas Marina , round 22 of the 2022 F1 World Championship.

'Picture Action';

https://f1i.com/news/460921-abu-dhab...ictures-5.html


2022 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview
17:01 Fri, 18 Nov 2022.
Motor Authority

The final round of the 2022 Formula One World Championship takes place this weekend in Abu Dhabi, and even though Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen was named champion at the previous Japanese round, the battle for second place is still very much alive. Fellow Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc both sit on 290 points going into this final round.

And either Ferrari or Mercedes-Benz AMG could end up in second place in the Constructors' Championship, depending on the outcome of the race. Abu Dhabi is where Verstappen took his controversial first title a year ago. The race takes place annually at the Yas Marina Circuit, a Hermann Tilke-designed circuit that is one of the newer locations on the calendar, having been opened in 2009.

The track layout stretches 3.23 miles and consists of 16 corners as well as some fast sections. The first corner is the start of a flowing sequence of bends, where cars and drivers are subjected to lateral acceleration of up to 4 g and speeds in excess of 155 mph. There are then two very long straights in the middle section and the last sector is tight and

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix preview’;

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...d-prix-preview


Red Bull quicker in Abu Dhabi but Mercedes are “right there” – Hamilton
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Posted on 18th November 2022, 14:54
Written by Keith Collantine

Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes face stronger competition from Red Bull in Abu Dhabi than they did in Brazil, but believes they can compete with their rivals. Mercedes locked out the front row of the grid for the Brazilian Grand Prix one week ago and scored a one-two in the race. But Hamilton says “it’s a little bit closer” between them and the champions this weekend.

“I think the Red Bull look a little bit quicker here, which was expected, we didn’t expect this to be our strongest race. So we’ll work hard overnight. We’re generally right here so hopefully we can put on a good fight.”

Hamilton was quickest in the first practice session but ended the second session fourth in the times. “P1 felt pretty good,” he said. “In P2 the balance was quite a bit off.

“It’s a little bit closer”;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/18/...here-hamilton/

Abu Dhabi GP: Sergio Perez leads a Red Bull 1-2 in final practice.
Sergio Perez led a Red Bull one-two in the final practice session of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
19 November 2022
Insider Racing.

Though conditions were unrepresentative of qualifying later on Saturday, the Mexican set the pace with a 1m24.982s on the soft tyre.

Teammate Max Verstappen was second, but it was a scruffy lap from the reigning champion, who also exceeded track limits twice en route to setting his best time.

The two Mercedes' followed in third and fourth as Lewis Hamilton, on a higher downforce setup, finishing almost two-tenths ahead of George Russell with a lower downforce approach.

‘Sergio Perez leads a Red Bull 1-2’;

https://www.insideracing.com/formula...final-practice


(FP3) Third Practice Results – 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
19/11/2022, 11:41
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy


Results (Classification):
1. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing -1:24.982
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.152
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.240
4. George Russell Mercedes +0.413
5. Lando Norris McLaren +0.536
6. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.589
7. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.623
8. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +0.968
9. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.030
10. Alexander Albon Williams Racing +1.069

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from final practice for the 2022 F1 World Championship finale at the Yas Marina Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp3-third-...and-prix-80505


Formula 1 2022 results – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: FP3
Saturday 19th November 2022 11:32 AM
Sam Cooper

Sergio Perez ended the final practice session of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on top of the timesheets as he beat out his team-mate Max Verstappen.

In what is a very important weekend for the Mexican as he aims for P2 in the Drivers’ Championship, he got off on the front foot as he set a time of 1:24.982.

He ended the session 0.152 seconds ahead of Verstappen followed by the two Mercedes as the Silver Aroows continued to show their pace.

‘Formula 1 2022 results’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/formul...nd-prix-fp3-2/


Perez heads Red Bull one-two over Mercedes in final Abu Dhabi practice
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix third practice
Posted on 19th November 2022, 11:48
Written by Will Wood

Sergio Perez headed a Red Bull one-two ahead of Mercedes in final practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit. Perez’s best time of a 1’24.982 saw him head into qualifying a tenth-and-a-half quicker than Max Verstappen, with Lewis Hamilton almost a quarter of a second behind in third. However the Mercedes driver is under investigation for failing to reduce his speed sufficiently when the red flag was shown.

It was a typically bright, warm start to Saturday in Abu Dhabi as the final practice hour of the 2022 season began. With the track hotter than it likely would be for any further session in the weekend, very few drivers chose to head out in the early part of the session.

The two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jnr and Charles Leclerc enjoyed the track to themselves in the early minutes, with Sainz setting the initial benchmark of a 1’27.821 on medium tyres before Leclerc beat his team mate by half a second on his first flying lap.

‘Perez heads Red Bull one-two’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/19/...habi-practice/


Perez leads Red Bull 1-2 in final Abu Dhabi GP practice
19/11/2022, 11:45
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Sergio Perez led a Red Bull 1-2 during the final Formula 1 practice session of the year in Abu Dhabi. Perez set a time of 1:24.982s in the hot daytime session to wind up 0.152s clear of team-mate Max Verstappen.

Verstappen went wide through Turn 5 on his hot lap and was warned by his race engineer that a replication of that line during qualifying would result in the time being deleted for track limits.

Mercedes wound up third and fourth respectively, with Lewis Hamilton in front of George Russell, though Hamilton faces a post-session investigation after appearing to pass two cars under red flag conditions.

‘Sergio Perez led a Red Bull 1-2 during the final Formula 1 practice session of the year’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...i-gp-practice/

Verstappen beats Perez to Abu Dhabi pole ahead of Ferraris.
Max Verstappen beat Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez to take pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ahead of the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr.
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying
Posted on 19th November 2022, 15:2019th November 2022, 15:21
Written by Will Wood

Verstappen secured the final pole of the season by just over two tenths of a second, while Perez secured an all-Red Bull front row. Both Ferraris locked out the second row of the grid, ahead of the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Ferrari were the first out for their second and final flying lap of the session, with the Red Bulls behind them and the two Mercedes last across the line. Leclerc improved across all three sectors but could not beat Verstappen, moving up to second place. Sainz was unable to match his team mate’s time and remained in third position.

Verstappen was next across the line and improved his own provisional pole time to a 1’23.824, with Perez failing to beat his team mate but moving up into second place. Only the Mercedes could deny Verstappen pole, but neither Hamilton nor Russell even matched the Ferraris. That clinched pole position for Verstappen, with Perez securing an all-Red Bull front row.

‘Verstappen beats Perez to Abu Dhabi pole’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/19/...d-of-ferraris/


Qualifying Results – 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
19/11/2022, 14:24
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Q3
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -1:23.824
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.228
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.268
4. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.418
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.684
6. George Russell Mercedes +0.687
7. Lando Norris McLaren +0.945
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +1.006
9. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +1.137
10. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +1.221

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for this weekend’s 2022 F1 World Championship finale at the Yas Marina Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying...and-prix-80512


Abu Dhabi GP: Sergio Perez praises Max Verstappen for 'great job' in Qualifying as Red Bull seal one-two
Max Verstappen led Sergio Perez as Red Bull sealed a one-two in Qualifying; Verstappen provided Perez with a tow in Q3 to help his team-mate beat Charles Leclerc to second; Watch Abu Dhabi GP live on Sky Sports F1 at 1pm on Sunday, with build-up from 11.30am
Last Updated: 19/11/22 6:09pm
SKY

Sergio Perez praised team-mate Max Verstappen for doing a "great job" of helping him in Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Qualifying, as they put a turbulent week behind them to seal a Red Bull one-two.

Perez was critical of world champion Verstappen last weekend in Brazil after his team-mate refused to let him through to take sixth place on the final lap of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix to aid the Mexican in his battle with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for second in the drivers' championship.

"Great job";

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...l-seal-one-two


“Bouncing is back” admits Hamilton after Mercedes’ qualifying struggle
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Posted on 19th November 2022, 16:1119th November 2022, 16:22
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

Lewis Hamilton said Mercedes’ bouncing problem has returned after he could only manage fifth on the grid for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The team scored its first victory of the season in Brazil last week having consistently improved the performance of its W13 since the season began. Mercedes started 2022 suffering problems caused by its car bouncing at high speed.

Hamilton qualified fifth, almost seven-tenths of a second off pole-winner Max Verstappen. George Russell will share the third row of the grid with his team mate having qualifying was just three-thousandths of a second slower. “Bouncing is back, so that’s not that easy,” he told media including RaceFans after today’s session.

Although Mercedes predicted Red Bull would be stronger at Yas Marina, Hamilton admitted he “definitely wasn’t expecting to see such a big gap” in qualifying. “We’re losing six-tenths on the straight. It was reminiscent of some of the previous races before, kind of, Austin.”

“Bouncing is back”;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/19/...ying-struggle/


Max Verstappen details Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 'scare' after taking F1 pole
Max Verstappen has secured pole position for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
15:21, Sat, Nov 19, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Max Verstappen admitted he faced a “scare” moments before his final qualifying run at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Dutchman admitted the team had to “reboot everything” moments before Q3 in what was almost a major problem for Red Bull.

Perez questioned why Verstappen wasn’t beside him on track at the start of the session to choreograph a slipstream. But the team confirmed there was an issue with the reigning champion’s car which saw him delayed in the pit box. After the chequered flag, Verstappen said: “Q2 was a little bit messy. I don’t know why but on those tyres I couldn’t get the grip together. But then in Q3 it all felt a bit more normal.”

“We had a bit of a scare, the car turned off before the first run, so we had to reboot everything. Then we went out and both of the laps were good enough.”

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix scare';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rix-qualifying

Wolff: Our qualifying is one to put in the toilet.
“Today, I just heard, is World Toilet Day so I think that is one to put in the toilet,” Wolff told Sky sports television.
20 November, 2022, 06:33
Grand Prix 247

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff dismissed his team’s final qualifying session of the Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi on Saturday as “one to put in the toilet”.

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth at Yas Marina, dimming hopes that he might avoid a first season without a win, while teammate and last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix winner George Russell will line up sixth on Sunday.

Toto Wolff: “I think we didn’t get the job done. I think we went backwards and they (Ferrari) did a little step forward,” added the Austrian. We went on a high-downforce, high-drag concept in order to have a good race car tomorrow and that was just so slow on the straights.”

‘World Toilet Day’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11...in-the-toilet/


Wolff on Mercedes qualifying performance: One to put in the toilet.
After a stellar showing in Brazil, Toto Wolff admits the team had a qualifying session to forget at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
November 19, 2022
By Adriano Boin

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says the team must quickly move on from their disappointing performance in qualifying for the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, though he’s confident their pace will improve on race day.

Just one week after finishing 1-2 in Brazil, the Silver Arrows never really posed a threat to Red Bull at Yas Marina. The Milton Keynes outfit were the class of the field as Max Verstappen took pole ahead of Sergio Perez, with both Ferrari cars slotting in behind them on row two.

As for Mercedes, they had to settle for fifth and sixth. After the session Wolff admitted they failed to deliver after focusing more on the setup for Sunday’s Grand Prix. “That’s one to put in the toilet,” Wolff told Sky Sports. “I think we just didn’t get the job done.”

‘Wolff on Mercedes qualifying performance’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...rmance-toilet/


Wolff explains why Mercedes went 'backwards' in qualifying
20/11/2022, ‎17‎:‎55
Author RacingNews365 Staff

After seemingly displaying good pace during the weekend's practice sessions, Mercedes lost out to both Red Bull and Ferrari in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Team boss Toto Wolff was left disappointed by the outcome.

Toto Wolff has explained why Mercedes "went backwards" in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after looking stronger earlier in the weekend. The team set the pace during Friday's opening practice session, having arrived at the Yas Marina Circuit off the back of their 1-2 victory last time out in Brazil.

However, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell slipped behind both Red Bull and Ferrari in Saturday's qualifying, with the pair set to line up in P5 and P6 respectively. Wolff couldn't hide his disappointment following the session, having told Sky Sports F1: "I think that's one to put in the toilet."

‘Mercedes went 'backwards' in qualifying’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-expl...-in-qualifying


Toto Wolff reveals ‘table of doom’ as Mercedes aim to snatch P2 from Ferrari
Saturday 19th November 2022 1:02 PM
Thomas Maher

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed where Abu Dhabi lies on his team’s “table of doom” as the Brackley squad bid to topple Ferrari from P2. “So we have this internal table of doom, which kind of forecasts whether we are good at the track or not in terms of our simulations,” he told media, including PlanetF1, on Saturday.

“Mexico was, we thought, the best track in the season. And we were performing well. Brazil was right there, like with Austin, but came in better than we thought. Abu Dhabi, in the table of doom, is pretty much in the middle. It’s not Spa or Monza. So if we correlate with the table of doom, it means we understand where we are going to.”

“If we outperform the table of doom I’m obviously happy, but also questioning what happened to getting it right with our forecasts. So the truth is, I don’t know where we are lacking – straight-line speed, particularly against the Red Bull when they turn on the engine. But I would never say we are not in the mix but rationally, probably not right there.”

‘Table of doom’

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...es-table-doom/


Wolff: Schumacher fits at Mercedes, we need to make it happen
20 November, 2022, 05:32
Grand Prix 247

Mick Schumacher would be a good fit as a Formula 1 reserve for Mercedes but a deal had yet to be agreed, team boss Toto Wolff said on Saturday. The 23-year-old Schumacher, son of seven-time World Champion Michael, is without a drive next year after American team Haas opted to replace him with the returning Nico Hulkenberg.

Schumacher, whose father raced sportscars for Mercedes as part of their young driver programme early in his career and then made a three-year Formula 1 comeback with them, has been linked to a reserve role with the Brackley-based team. His uncle Ralf also drove for Mercedes in his post-F1 DTM career while Ralf’s son David currently races a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in the touring car series.

“Mick is someone that has always been close to our heart because of Michael or the whole Schumacher family,” Wolff told reporters at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “We believe that we can look after him if the situation were to happen… but we haven’t really put pen to paper, we haven’t really come anywhere close to any terms.”

‘Schumacher fits at Mercedes’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11...ake-it-happen/


Schumacher keen on accepting Wolff’s offer
20 November 2022, 06:09
Grandpx.news

Mick Schumacher seems keen to take up Toto Wolff’s offer of a role with the Mercedes team next year. Amid rumours his contract with the Ferrari driver academy will also not be renewed for 2023, Mattia Binotto said he won’t block Schumacher’s move to Mercedes.

German Schumacher, 23, admitted that Mercedes is “one of” his options for next year. “Mercedes is a great brand, their achievements in Formula 1 are incredible,” he said. “I’m looking at my options and Mercedes is one of them.

“My father switched from Ferrari to Mercedes too so I see no reason why not. I have time now so will look at all the options and hopefully make the decision,” Schumacher added. “But it’s very nice to hear what Mercedes and especially Toto have said.”

‘Schumacher keen on accepting Wolff’s offer ‘;

https://grandpx.news/schumacher-keen...-wolffs-offer/

Verstappen dominates Abu Dhabi GP as Leclerc resists Perez for runner-up spot.
Max Verstappen expertly managed his pace to turn a one-stop strategy into victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Charles Leclerc.
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix summary
Posted on 20th November 2022, 14:4520th November 2022, 14:55
Written by Will Wood

Verstappen and Leclerc managed their tyres to secure the top spots on the podium while Sergio Perez only just failed to catch Leclerc on the final lap, taking third place after pitting a second time.

Perez fell away from his leading team mate and into the clutches of Leclerc behind. As soon as Leclerc was within DRS range at the end of lap 15, Red Bull called Perez into the pits, switching him to hard tyres. Russell also pitted for hards but after a slow stop was released in front of Lando Norris, receiving a five second time penalty as a result.

Verstappen made his pit stop at the end of lap 20, moving onto the hard tyres and rejoining in second place, less than a second ahead of team mate Perez. Leclerc was the final of the front runners to make his stop a lap after Verstappen, rejoining the track just ahead of team mate Sainz in third.

‘Verstappen dominates Abu Dhabi GP’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/20/...unner-up-spot/


Race Results – 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
20/11/2022, 14:40
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing – 58 laps
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +8.771
3. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +10.093
4. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +24.892
5. George Russell Mercedes +35.888
6. Lando Norris McLaren +56.234
7. Esteban Ocon Alpine +57.240
8. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +76.931
9. Daniel Ricciardo McLaren +83.268
10. Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin +83.898

‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship finale race around Yas Marina’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-resul...and-prix-80528


Champion Verstappen ends F1 season with 15th win
20/1//2022, 14:49
FOX Sports

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Max Verstappen won a record-extending 15th race of the year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday to conclude one of the most dominant seasons in Formula One history.

A year on from Verstappen's tense and controversial win over Lewis Hamilton to seal his first title, there was little drama at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Verstappen stayed ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez at the start and was never seriously challenged after that on his way to the win.

‘15th win’;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1...x/Abu+Dhabi+GP


Verstappen wins as Leclerc takes P2 over Perez
Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi
20/11/2022
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Max Verstappen had an easy run to the flag as Red Bull just miss out on championship 1-2 as Charles Leclerc beat Sergio Perez.

After the top three had celebrated on the grid and were parking up, Vettel was able to perform doughnuts himself on the start-finish straight before he was also interviewed with the top three. The German will leave the sport after 299 starts, 53 wins, 122 podiums, 57 poles and was also celebrated by the public who voted him Driver of the Day to show their appreciation.

The other drivers who won’t be on the grid next year, Schumacher and Latifi – who got a little bit of coverage on the race broadcast thanks to their collision – the Haas racer ended P16 ahead of his teammate despite his five second penalty, while the Williams driver retired a few laps before the end.

‘Leclerc takes P2 over Perez’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/verstappen...er-perez-80531


Max Verstappen heavily booed after winning Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in F1 season finale
Max Verstappen romped to his 15th win of the season in the last race of the year in Abu Dhabi.
By Stuart Ballard
14:46, Sun, Nov 20, 2022

Max Verstappen faced a barrage of boos after his triumph at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday - nearly 12 months removed from the dramatic season finale last year. Verstappen put his car on pole on Saturday ahead of Sergio Perez with most of the focus for Sunday's race being on the Mexican securing second in the championship.

But Verstappen was powerless to help his team-mate as he soon raced off into the distance after just a few laps. Nobody came close to challenging Verstappen for the race win as the two-time world champion picked up his 15th victory of the year.

There were cheers for Perez and Leclerc as they stepped up for their post-race interview with Jenson Button. But Verstappen wasn't given the same reception with the 25-year-old facing loud boos as he began talking with Button.

‘Max Verstappen heavily booed’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-season-finale

Perez says he ‘gave it all’ in Abu Dhabi GP despite coming up short in fight for P2 with Leclerc.
20 November 2022
Formula 1.

Sergio Perez narrowly missed out on P2 in the constructors’ championship after finishing in third place at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. However, despite the result, the Mexican believes he and his team can still be “pleased” by their performance this season.

Perez started the race in second, alongside his team mate Max Verstappen on the front row of the grid. The two Red Bull drivers ran in first and second for most of the evening, before Perez was forced to pit for a second time as Charles Leclerc closed in from behind.

Perez then looked to chase down Leclerc but ran out of laps in the end, forcing him to settle for third in the race and in the championship. Speaking after the Grand Prix, Perez believed his race was compromised by a less than ideal second stint.

‘Gave it all’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...B5tAxsmKg.html


Our verdict on Ferrari’s surprise mini-win over Red Bull
20/11/2022, 16:19
The Race

Given Red Bull’s pace advantage over Ferrari, Sergio Perez’s momentum lately and the way much of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix appeared to be unfolding, Charles Leclerc’s hopes of at least keeping second in the 2022 Formula 1 world championship appeared slender.

But that’s exactly what he managed in the end, as he stayed just far enough ahead of the closing Red Bull on the final lap at Yas Marina. Here are our writers’ thoughts on how the final significant fight of the 2022 F1 season was resolved:

Gary Anderson: “This went sour for Red Bull in Brazil”
Glenn Freeman: “Ferrari got it right today – regardless of the outcome”
Jack Cozens: “FORGET RELYING ON VERSTAPPEN – PEREZ/RED BULL HAD PACE TO SEAL THIS”
Jack Cozens: “FORGET RELYING ON VERSTAPPEN – PEREZ/RED BULL HAD PACE TO SEAL THIS”
Valentin Khorounzhiy: “Could this be decisive in Binotto’s future?”

‘Verdict on Ferrari’s surprise mini-win’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/our-v...urprise-twist/


Perez on P2 championship loss: That’s how it is sometimes
20/11/2022, 15:16
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

Sergio Perez failed to secure second in the Drivers' Championship and the first Red Bull 1-2, after finishing behind Charles Leclerc at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Red Bull elected to put Perez on a two-stop strategy, which meant he had to pass several cars at the end of the race, while Leclerc had to manage his pace in P2.

It looked like the Mexican could catch up but Leclerc held on to outscore him by three points, with 308 points to Perez's 305 at the chequered flag. "Thats how it is sometimes, everything can be really close. But at the end of the day, I'm happy," Perez said after the race. "I gave it all, the team gave it all through the season and I'm sure we will come back stronger for next year."

Perez revealed that he's struggled with managing the tyres all season, which is why they went with two pit stops over the one. He added: "I think I did struggle a bit with these tyres, managing the tyres in the race. So hopefully will be something that we will improve for next year."

‘That’s how it is sometimes’;

https://racingnews365.com/perez-on-p...t-is-sometimes


'Spoiled, entitled brat!' Jeremy Clarkson brands Formula 1 star Max Verstappen a 'b***ard'
Jeremy Clarkson has branded Formula 1 star Max Verstappen a "b***ard" following the events of last weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix.
13:37, Sat, Nov 19, 2022
By Hannah McGreevy

Clarkson’s Farm star Jeremy Clarkson has called Max Verstappen a “spoiled, entitled brat” in his latest column. The former Top Gear presenter’s scathing remarks come after Max refused to let teammate Sergio Perez pass even after he had already become world champion.

Jeremy noted that at first Formula 1 fans were won over by the racing driver’s “exuberant style and his get-out-of-my-way yobbery” but that the tables have since turned. The presenter then went on to describe how the sports star had gone from “hero to zero” at lighting speed in his eyes.

“Despite the controversy, we were all thrilled when he won his first world championship. And even more thrilled when he won his second,” Jeremy admitted. “But then, during one brief radio message in the closing stages of last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, everyone suddenly decided that actually he was a b***ard.”

'Spoiled, entitled brat!';

https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-...ppen-formula-1


‘Is it fair racing?’ Verstappen on not blocking Leclerc for Perez
20/11/2022, 16:39
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race

Max Verstappen isn’t convinced it would’ve been a valid for his Red Bull team to ask him to back Charles Leclerc towards Sergio Perez in the closing stages of the 2022 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Perez needed to beat Leclerc to finish second in the championship behind Verstappen, and was reeling in his Ferrari rival on fresher tyres in the final laps.

Last year Perez had mounted a very spirited and very targeted defence against Verstappen’s F1 title rival Lewis Hamilton in the Abu Dhabi decider, backing him up to the tune of nearly eight seconds over two laps.

‘Is it fair racing?’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/is-it...erc-for-perez/


Damon Hill feels Christian Horner ‘lost control’ of Max Verstappen in Brazil
Sunday 20th November 2022 8:15 AM
Jamie Woodhouse

Damon Hill believes Red Bull boss Christian Horner lost control of Max Verstappen as he went against team orders in Brazil. Perez had followed team orders when he let Verstappen through in the closing stages of the Sao Paulo GP to attack Fernando Alonso ahead, but with the deal being that Verstappen must return the position if he was not successful, which proved to be the case, he refused to yield to Perez.

That was particularly damaging for Perez who would have gone into the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP P2 in the standings if Verstappen had let him through, Red Bull chasing their first ever one-two finish in the Drivers’ Championship.

Understandably that caused friction with Perez particularly critical of his team-mate, and although all parties are now claiming to have moved on for Abu Dhabi, there is still a feeling of uneasiness from the outside looking in.

‘Lost control of Max Verstappen’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...tappen-brazil/

Leclerc reveals Ferrari trickery that fooled Perez in Abu Dhabi.
Charles Leclerc has revealed how Ferrari trickery fooled Sergio Perez into losing P2 in the Drivers' Championship in Abu Dhabi.
21/11/2022, 16:28
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Charles Leclerc has revealed how Ferrari dummied Formula 1 rival Sergio Perez into making a second pit-stop, which secured the Monegasque P2 in the Drivers' standings in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Leclerc and Perez were locked level on points going into the final race, with whoever finished ahead set to take the runners-up spot in the championship behind runaway champion Max Verstappen.

After the first round of pit-stops, Perez was holding second on the road as both teams were trying to decide whether a one or two-stop strategy would be best. On Lap 34 came the crucial moment when Leclerc was told to "box, opposite Perez".

‘Ferrari trickery’;

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-re...z-in-abu-dhabi


Leclerc praises Ferrari for “step forward” with strategies after snatching second
2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Posted on 20th November 2022, 20:2320th November 2022, 20:41
Written by Keith Collantine

Charles Leclerc says taking second place off Sergio Perez through the pits shows Ferrari have improved their strategies in recent races. He ran third in the opening stages of the race but moved into second place as Perez made one more pit stop than he did. Leclerc was able to hold on to his advantage over Perez, claiming second place by 1.3 seconds.

“The plan was always to do a one-stop,” said Leclerc after the race. “But we managed to push them into doing two stops.” Leclerc said the strategy hinged on not taking too much life out of his first set of tyres at the start of the race. He was relieved to see Lewis Hamilton drop back from fourth place behind him when the Mercedes driver was told to let Carlos Sainz Jnr past to avoid collecting a penalty.

“On the medium tyres obviously you do the first part of the race trying not to fight too much,” said Leclerc. “But obviously in the first few laps Lewis was quite close. After that I don’t know what happened, I think he had to give the position back to Carlos. “Then at that point, I could manage my tyres a little bit better. It gave me a little bit of breathing space. And then from that moment onwards, then I think we did a great job.”

“Step forward”;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/20/...tching-second/


Charles Leclerc: 'I'm really, really happy' after P2 finish in Abu Dhabi
20 Nov 2022
Formula 1.

Charles Leclerc reflects on his "perfect race" at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which not only saw him finish P2 but also help Ferrari to claim second place in the Constructors' Championship.

'I'm really, really happy';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...735904359.html


CHARLES LECLERC “WAS AT 110%” TO FINISH SECOND IN ABU DHABI
The Monagesque hopes that Ferrari can pick up the pace in 2023 and seriously be a threat to win the championship
21/11/2022, 19:36
Catherine Micallef
FormulaNerds

The Ferrari driver was focused and made sure not to make a single mistake in this race. He knew what was at stake if there was a single slip-up, but the team came together to deliver a good result. Leclerc said,

“I was [at] 110% from the first lap to the last lap. Honestly, we had the perfect race for us, there was not much more [we could do] today.”

He added, “I knew that the only possibility for us to beat Checo was with a different strategy and playing with tyre management, which we did really well today, and we managed to make the one stop work, so [I’m] really happy.”

“WAS AT 110%”;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ch.../?nowprocket=1


Max Verstappen blames Red Bull as Sergio Perez misses out to Charles Leclerc
Max Verstappen secured his 15th win of the season to cap off a dominant 2022.
18:53, Sun, Nov 20, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Max Verstappen has pointed the finger at Red Bull as to why Sergio Perez failed to beat Charles Leclerc to the runners-up spot in the Drivers’ Championship. The Dutchman admitted the team could have done more for the Mexican during the race to help him beat the Ferrari.

Verstappen said: “In hindsight, probably, as a team, we could have pushed a bit more on that on that middle stint for Checo but that’s always easy to say afterwards. “At the time, we thought that we had to be a little bit careful on the tyres but again, we’ve had a lot of great weekends but even in great weekends [there is] always things that you can learn.” Verstappen made the comments a week after a team orders feud at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

‘Max Verstappen blames Red Bull’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...z-news-ferrari


Perez makes Red Bull vow after Leclerc defeat
Sunday 20 November 2022 17:50
Sam Hall

Sergio Perez has vowed to "come back stronger" after falling to defeat in his battle for second in this season's F1 drivers' standings. The Mexican ended the year third overall after also finishing third behind runner-up Charles Leclerc and race-winning team-mate Max Verstappen in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The key moment saw Red Bull switch Perez to a two-stop strategy, while Ferrari left Leclerc to nurse his F1-75 through one stop, with the former missing out by 1.3secs. Reacting to the outcome, Perez conceded: "It is how it is.”

"Sometimes everything can be really close but at the end of the day, I've got to be happy. I gave it my all and as a team, we gave it our all through the season and I'm sure we will come back stronger for next year."

"It is how it is”;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96...erez-red-bull/

Lewis Hamilton makes W13 contract revelation.
“I don’t even plan to drive this one (W13) again. It won’t be one of the ones I request to have in my contract,” he said.
by Jack Devonport
20 November 2022

Lewis Hamilton experienced a late hydraulic issue that prevented him from finishing the final race of the 2022 season. The 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended on a sour note for Lewis Hamilton, who was forced to retire from the race on lap 56 of 58, after experiencing a hydraulic issue. While disappointing for Mercedes to have to retire their driver from the race, they will perhaps be pleased that it is stunningly their first retirement of the season due to a mechanical failure.

With 22 races taking place in 2022, and the team running two cars in every Grand Prix, experiencing only one retirement is very impressive, especially when you consider that Fernando Alonso alone has failed to finish six races this year. “I don’t even plan to drive this one again. It won’t be one of the ones I request to have in my contract,” he said.

“We have some downforce. We just need a much more efficient car and everybody in the team knows exactly what are the problems are where we have gone wrong so I’m pretty confident they are not going to build the next car with any of those characteristics.”

‘Don’t even plan to drive this one (W13) again’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/lewis-ham...ct-revelation/


Hamilton looking forward to never driving Mercedes W13 again.
Lewis Hamilton says he’s looking forward to not having to drive the troubled Formula 1 Mercedes W13 again after next week’s Pirelli test.
Motorsport.com
Nov 20, 2022, 7:17 AM
By: Adam Cooper

Hamilton will handle the car for the final time on Tuesday, when teams have a chance to sample the 2023 spec tyres ahead of next season.

The W13 has been problematic since its first proper test in Barcelona, and the team has spent the season fighting porpoising and ride issues.

While the car has been competitive in recent weekends, and George Russell led Hamilton in a one-two in Brazil, it still has issues, which resurfaced in Abu Dhabi this weekend.

‘Looking forward to not having to drive the troubled Formula 1 Mercedes W13 again after next week’s Pirelli test’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...gain/10402612/


George Russell admits Mercedes W13 ‘just not efficient enough’ in Abu Dhabi
Saturday 19th November 2022 7:00 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Russell capped off a spell of strong form from Mercedes by winning the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in impressive fashion last time out, that coming the day after he had claimed victory in the sprint. But Abu Dhabi is proving to be a different story, Max Verstappen and Red Bull outperforming Mercedes over a single lap with Lewis Hamilton and Russell almost seven tenths of a second adrift of the pole-sitter.

Asked whether it is just the straights where Mercedes are suffering from being too draggy, Russell said truthfully the W13 is “just not efficient enough” at tracks like Yas Marina, which features slow, medium and fast corners along with the straights.

“We are just not efficient enough is the long and short of it,” said Russell. “Every time we come to these kinds of circuits, where you have a full range of corners and long straights, Spa being another example, we really struggle and we just lose so much speed to Red Bull on the straights.”

‘W13 just not efficient enough’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...-inefficiency/


Mercedes’ Toto Wolff: “We didn’t get the job done right and went backwards in terms of our performance”
November 20, 2022
By Jamie Partis-Nelson

oto Wolff has stated that his Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team “didn’t get the job done right” in qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as the Brackley-based team failed to build on the success of the São Paulo Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell qualifying in fifth and sixth-place respectively.

The W13 struggled to match the straight line speed of Scuderia Ferrari and Oracle Red Bull Racing throughout the qualifying session, the Yas Marina Circuit also re-presented the issue of porpoising for Mercedes as both Russell and Hamilton struggled with the levels of bouncing experienced on the W13.

“We didn’t get the job done right…”;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...r-performance/


Wolff: We’ll display the W13 in the factory as a reminder
21 November, 2022
Jad Mallak

Toto Wolff said Mercedes will display their disappointing W13 in the team’s factory as a reminder of their bitter season after a frustrating conlusion at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Keeping in mind the high standards Mercedes hold themselves to, their 2022 Formula 1 season can only be considered a failure.

Starting with a viciously slow and bouncy car, the team was on the back foot from race one, and despite improving over the course of the season, picking up a pole position and a win with George Russell – the pole in Hungary, the win in Brazil – the eight-time Constructors’ Champions were hit with a nasty reality check in Abu Dhabi’s season finale.

Lacking pace with both Lewis Hamilton and Russell, the former breaking down two laps before the finish line, the latter suffering from a wrong strategy to finish fifth, the race at Yas Marina Circuit was simply a disappointing conclusion to a bitter season. “Today we really didn’t perform well,” Toto Wolff said after Sunday’s race. “We did all the mistakes we could possibly have made tonight: we didn’t have the pace, one driver breaking down and the other one running out of tyres.”

‘Mercedes will display their disappointing W13 in the team’s factory as a reminder of their bitter season’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11...y-as-reminder/

Mercedes’ Toto Wolff: “We did all the mistakes we could possibly have made tonight”.
“We cooked the tyres in the first few laps because we attacked.”
November 20, 2022
By Joe Briley

Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team had a disappointing last weekend of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 Season in Abu Dhabi, where their pace woes returned. Unfortunately for Team Principal Toto Wolff, his team could only have one car finish and that was in fifth. Mercedes struggled for pace throughout and made multiple errors in the last race of 2022.

“Today we really didn’t perform well. We did all the mistakes we could possibly have made tonight: we didn’t have the pace, one driver breaking down and the other one running out of tyres – it’s a good summary of the challenges this season for us.”

“We cooked the tyres in the first few laps because we attacked. The car seemed strong at the start, but then the front right just gave out and maybe that’s something we should’ve predicted. We knew that Abu Dhabi was going to be a difficult one for us so at least that prediction was accurate but then unfortunately we made mistakes we could’ve avoided.”

“We did all the mistakes we could possibly have made tonight”;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-made-tonight/


Mercedes made "all the mistakes we can make" - Wolff
Sunday 20 November 2022 15:30 - Updated: 15:33
Ewan Gale

Toto Wolff suggested Mercedes made "all the mistakes we can make" during a disappointing Abu Dhabi season finale. The Silver Arrows had its optimism raised with a first victory of the season in Brazil only for past issues to reemerge at Yas Marina.

Poor drag efficiency and porpoising left Lewis Hamilton and George Russell trailing in qualifying, securing only fifth and sixth on the grid, whilst Red Bull and Ferrari were both able to hold Mercedes at arm's length in the race. To make matters worse, Mercedes suffered a first mechanical failure of the season when Hamilton retired three laps from the end with a suspected hydraulics issue.

"That was really not good, all the mistakes we can make," Wolff told Sky Sports F1. "The car was not at the pace it should have been, third quickest and one breaking down and the other one running out of tyres. We knew that Abu Dhabi was going to be difficult for the car, certainly the correlation is good."

"All the mistakes we can make";

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96...es-toto-wolff/


Wolff: 2022 a 'character building' year for Mercedes
20/11/2022, ‎15‎:‎45
Author Jake Nichol

Toto Wolff believes Mercedes will bounce back in 2023 after a chastening '22 season, which ended with a poor Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Toto Wolff has described 2022 as a "character-building year" for Mercedes after a poor Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended the Formula 1 season.

Mercedes only secured one race win – through George Russell in Brazil – as Lewis Hamilton's streak came to an end after 15 seasons of at least one race win. The W13 machine has been affected by porpoising and a fundamental floor issue while also battling being too draggy.

Mercedes finished in third place in the Constructors', their worst result since sixth in 2012, and Wolff was keen to use the lessons learned from the year going forward.

‘The W13 machine’;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-2022...r-for-mercedes


Toto Wolff opens up on George Russell regret
George Russell was brought in to replace Valtteri Bottas for the 2022 season, partnering Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
17 November 2022
by Jack Devonport

Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ showed how difficult a decision it was for Wolff to choose between Bottas and Russell, with the Austrian eventually waiting until he knew Bottas had found a new team before announcing Russell as a part of his 2022 line-up.

The Mercedes boss has now suggested that he should have made the change a year earlier, as he believes that the extra year at Williams may have stunted the young driver’s development. “We’ve always set hard targets. You’ve got to win GP3, you’ve got to win F2, and he did that in his rookie seasons.”

“I guess at Williams, it was the best schooling he could have had, maybe a year too long. But in any case, today the most relevant [thing] is that he’s a Grand Prix winner and a deserving Grand Prix winner.”

‘Difficult a decision it was for Wolff’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolf...ussell-regret/


'We are back' Toto Wolff makes 2023 promise to Lewis Hamilton after worst F1 season
Lewis Hamilton ended up sixth in the Drivers' Championship for his worst-ever finish in an F1 season.
00:03, Mon, Nov 21, 2022
By Stuart Ballard

Toto Wolff has promised Lewis Hamilton that he won't have to worry about a repeat of his worst-ever season in F1 heading into 2023 after the Brit ended the championship in a career-low sixth. Hamilton's retirement at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was Mercedes' first of the year, but summed up how their season had been in general. Mercedes were once again off the pace to Ferrari and Red Bull at the Yas Marina circuit.

"First of all, we're gonna put these cars in reception at Braxley and in Brixworth to remind us every single day how difficult it can be," Wolff told Sky Sports. "But thank you everyone, this is a character-building season. Not a blip for a race but a full season.”

"You keep pushing so hard, the engine came along really well and I'm proud of what we achieved there. On the chassis side there were more bad moments than good ones but the good ones were spectacular like a week ago. It made us feel how good it can be and now we're just pushing forward for next year. It's raw, it's bad and it's okay to feel like this but next year we are back."

'We are back';

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...x-F1-standings


Toto Wolff makes Mercedes F1 vow: In 2023, we are back at the front
20th Nov 2022, 3:57 PM GMT
Nate SaundersGeneral Editor, F1

Mercedes will put its troublesome 2022 car in the receptions of its two F1 factories as a reminder how difficult it is to win in Formula One, after Toto Wolff declared: "Next year, we are back." Mercedes F1 boss Wolff said the team's W13 car must serve as motivation for it to return to the front.

"To everyone watching today in HPP [High Performance Powertrains] and MGP... this is a character building season. Not a blip for a race but a full season. You keep pushing so hard, the engine came on so well and I'm proud what we achieved there.”

"On the chassis side there were more bad moments than good ones, but the good ones were spectacular, like a week ago. It made us feel how good it can be and now we are pushing for next year. It's raw, it's bad and it's OK to feel like that... but next year, we are back."

‘Toto Wolff makes Mercedes F1 vow’;

https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/3...023-back-front

2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"This was a nice way to finish a long, tough season".
20 Nov 2022 18:55 (UTC)
McLaren Formula 1.

As it happened
• After lights out, Lando has a good launch, gaining one position. Daniel drops one to P14
• Lando is passed by Russell for P7
• Lando pits for Hard tyres, responding to Ocon's pit-stop
• Daniel follows suit a few laps later, fitting the Hard tyres. He comes out in P18
• Lando slots back into P7, overtaking Vettel
• Daniel fights his way back up to P11, overtaking Zhou, Albon, and Tsunoda
• The second round of pit-stops begin, with Lando boxing for a fresh set of Medium tyres
• Lando slots back into P7, with Daniel in P9
• The fastest lap of the race is set by Lando with 1:28.391
• Daniel is passed by Stroll but holds off strong pressure from Vettel. Hamilton retires
• The chequered flag waves, with Lando in P6, and Daniel P9

‘As it happened’;

https://www.mclaren.com/racing/2022/...bi-grand-prix/


Daniel Ricciardo breaks down in final radio message to McLaren
November 21st, 2022 4:25 pm
Tyson Otto from News.com.au

New Video shows Daniel Ricciardo appearing to be overcome with emotion during his final radio message as a McLaren driver. The Australian was visibly emotional after the race as he heads into 2023 without a drive and without any certainty of ever returning to Formula 1.

He is leaving McLaren on a high after pulling off some overtakes to finish ninth in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Monday morning, while teammate Lando Norris finished sixth. Ricciardo celebrated with a burnout on the Yas Marina circuit as his race engineer told the 33-year-old it had been an “honour” to work together.

The emotion was running even higher when Ricciardo parked his MCL36M in parc ferme and prepared to exit the car for the final time. His voice appeared to break up in delivering his final message. “Alright guys, thank you,” he said. “I think you know how much I appreciate your efforts over the last two years, so thank you.”

‘Breaks down in final radio message’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...a58429cbb2511a


Daniel Ricciardo makes emotional exit from McLaren after admitting he might have starred in an F1 grand prix for the last time - as Aussie reveals details about his plans for next year
• Daniel Ricciardo makes emotional exit from McLaren with impressive finish
• Ricciardo finished in an impressive ninth for his last race with McLaren
• The Aussie signed off in style with a burnout on the Yas Marina circuit
By James Cooney For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 04:08, 21 November 2022

Following the race, he penned an emotional letter to his fans and also to McLaren. 'When you've been racing with a team, you're connected for life,' Ricciardo wrote.

'Sure, you switch teams, you move on, you change, but those connections you make are forever, whether it be with the mechanics, the engineers or any other team members I've worked with.”

'These people have poured everything in over this two-year period, and I won't ever lose the connections I've made here. There is a part of McLaren that I'll always hold close to me.'

‘Emotional exit from McLaren’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...race-ever.html


Daniel Ricciardo reveals message from ex-Red Bull teammate amid McLaren struggles
Daniel Ricciardo partnered Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull in 2014, in what was the German driver's last year at the Austrian side.
by Nick Golding
21 November 2022

Ricciardo revealed to the media that Vettel has called him “multiple times” this season to check-up on the Aussie, with the driver hailing Vettel as a “true friend”.

“I won’t go into detail in terms of what was said, but as a general comment, he’s picked up the phone multiple times this year and has just been a friend, shown care, checking in, as a true friend would do,” said Ricciardo. “To have friends like that is so important but it’s also not that common.”

“In terms of on the grid, we get on with drivers and you do build friendships, but to have that deeper level of friendship…some gestures he’s made this year and some of the kindness he’s shown towards me was in a way kind of unexpected. It’s just super nice of him.”

‘Vettel has called him multiple times’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/daniel-ri...ren-struggles/


Ricciardo confirms Red Bull return "close"
Monday 21 November 2022 14:16
Sam Hall

Daniel Ricciardo has confirmed only an "unforeseen" complication will prevent him from rejoining Red Bull for 2023. The Australian is now without a team after completing his last outing for McLaren at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

His desire to return to the sport in a competitive seat saw him consider reserve roles with both Mercedes and Red Bull, with Helmut Marko seeming to confirm a deal had been signed during the season-ending weekend.

But suggesting Marko had jumped the gun, team principal Christian Horner confirmed no deal had been signed with Ricciardo. Also denying any deal had been confirmed, Ricciardo said: "It’s getting close. I can honestly say unless something unforeseen happens, that’s what’s going to happen next year.”

‘Close’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96...d-bull-return/

Alonso ‘sad’ to finish Alpine journey with Abu Dhabi DNF.
Fernando Alonso says that finishing his Alpine Formula 1 career with a non-finish is a “sad” way for it to come to an end.
09:28 Mon, 21 Nov 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Alonso was in the fight for points at Sunday’s race in Abu Dhabi, before he was forced to return to the pits after Alpine uncovered a problem. It marked yet another reliability issue that Alonso has had this year, with engine issues plaguing his 2022 campaign.

“Disappointed, for sure,” Alonso reflected after the race. “Millions of people are disappointed now, fans… it’s the way it is. It’s been a very unlucky season in terms of… well, not unlucky, we are not prepared reliability-wise. I think it’s the sixth or seventh DNF.”

“A couple of races they don’t count it as a DNF. In Australia we had trouble in qualifying, Austria the car didn’t start in the Sprint Race and some other races we were not ready to compete. I’m a little bit sad to finish like that, but it’s the way it is.”

‘Alonso sad’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...abu-dhabi-dnf/


Ocon: Alonso a legend forever – but barbs ‘not so nice’
Nov 16 2022
By Scott Mitchell-Malm and Valentin Khorounzhiy

Alpine’s intra-team Brazilian Grand Prix controversy became a secondary consideration following its great performance on Sunday – but Esteban Ocon’s post-race comments suggest his displeasure with Fernando Alonso’s public comments has lingered.

The Brazilian GP Saturday sprint was a disaster for Ocon and the Aston Martin-bound Alonso, with team boss Otmar Szafnauer admonishing both in the aftermath for “having let the team down”.

Szafnauer believed Ocon could’ve given Alonso “a bit more room” as they entered Turn 4 side by side – Alonso tagged Ocon’s sidepod, which caused race-ruining damage – and indicated Alonso was at fault for subsequently running into the back of Ocon and damaging his own front wing on the main straight.

‘Legend forever – but barbs ‘not so nice’ ’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/ocon-...s-not-so-nice/


'Happy to end Alpine chapter', declares frustrated Alonso
20/11/2022 at 17:47
Andrew Lewin

Fernando Alonso signed off his tenure with Alpine F1 with yet another DNF, which the driver himself said pretty summed up his 2022 season. "Six DNFs," he continued. "There are facts that this year they’ve been against us a bit in car 14, but also [others which] didn’t count as a DNF like Australia in qualifying. The sprint race in Austria, I didn’t even start the race. Things like that.”

"I think there are nine or ten reliability [issues] which at this level is already not acceptable and they all happened to my car," he continued. “It’s been a very unlucky season in terms of ... Not unlucky, I think we were not prepared reliability-wise. So I’m happy to happy to finish this chapter and start tomorrow the seat fit with Aston Martin, Tuesday the tyre test and hopefully a new project with more luck.”

‘Frustrated Alonso’;

https://f1i.com/news/461409-happy-to...ed-alonso.html


Fernando Alonso: ‘Unacceptable’ Alpine reliability issues ‘all happened to my car’
Sunday 20th November 2022 6:00 PM
Jon Wilde

Fernando Alonso bemoaned yet another reliability problem as his time with Alpine drew to a disappointing close in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Spaniard’s second year back with the Enstone-based team took a major downturn in the final third of the campaign, partly due to issues with his car and also the internal dynamic since he announced at the start of the summer break he would be joining Aston Martin for 2023.

The first retiree from the season’s finale at Yas Marina, Alonso coasted into the pits under instruction from the team on lap 28 for his fourth retirement in the last seven races. But as the 41-year-old pointed out afterwards, the difficulties date back much longer, all the way back to Saudi Arabia in March, and he has ended 2022 ninth in the Drivers’ standings with 81 points, the same total as last year – and a much lower tally than would have reflected his competitiveness.

“Unfortunately, another engine problem,” Alonso told media including PlanetF1. “It has been a little bit the summary of the year. Unfortunately, in Car 14 always these things happen, so one more.

‘Always Car 14’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernan...ability-issue/


Alonso switches focus to Aston Martin adventure after "unacceptable" end with Alpine
Sunday 20 November 2022 17:18 - Updated: 17:19
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

“There were nine or 10 reliability issues which at this level is obviously not acceptable and they all happened to my car. So, I am happy to finish and start on Monday the seat fit with Aston, the tyre test on Tuesday, and hopefully, a new project with more luck.”

Alonso was held up behind Sebastian Vettel in the opening exchanges and did not commit to overtaking manoeuvres when behind the German, who was making his final F1 start. "I didn’t want to attack Seb," revealed Alonso. "I just wanted to do a few laps behind him and enjoy it."

‘Alonso switches focus to Aston Martin adventure’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96...ne-retirement/


'Disappointed' Alonso looking forward to Aston Martin challenge
Issued on: 20/11/2022 - 19:28
France 24.

Abu Dhabi (AFP) – Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso said he was "disappointed" for himself and Alpine’s fans after being forced into a mechanical retirement in Sunday’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Alonso is set to test for Aston Martin in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

“That’s the best thing today,” he added. “Tomorrow, starting with this project, with a seat fit, meeting a few people, then on Tuesday testing the car, will be hopefully a good chapter. All the bad luck of this year, hopefully, compensates next year!”

‘Aston Martin challenge’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...rtin-challenge


Alonso has first Aston Martin run in unbranded AMR22
22/11/2022, 05:47
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week

Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso has had his first outing with Aston Martin in Abu Dhabi. Formula 1 has stayed on at the Yas Marina Circuit for one day of post-season testing.

Each team is fielding two cars, with one car for regular racers as part of a Pirelli tyre test, and one for rookie drivers. Alonso appeared shortly after 09:00 local time for his first run with Aston Martin.
Alpine approved plans for Alonso to sample the AMR22 but the Spaniard appeared in an unbranded car.

Alpine is running its new recruit Pierre Gasly in the test, with his replacement Nyck de Vries testing the AlphaTauri AT03.

‘Alonso has first Aston Martin run’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...branded-amr22/


Tuesday run for Aston Martin vital due to short 2023 pre-season test – Alonso
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on
22nd November 2022, 0:0121st November 2022, 23:49 | Written by Keith Collantine

Tuesday test “gold” – Alonso. Alonso will make his debut as an Aston Martin driver in today’s test at the Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi. With only three days of pre-season testing per team allowed next year, he says it is a vital opportunity to adjust to his new surroundings.

“I think it’s going to be important, but it’s going to be more in terms of comfort. What the steering wheel, grip, buttons, pedals, these kind of things. “Next year we have only one day and a half in Bahrain and then you start a championship. So today, on Tuesday, it’s gold for these kind of things.

‘Tuesday test gold’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/22/...nd-up-22-11-5/

Post-season Abu Dhabi test: Ferrari end with 1-2-3; Alonso and Piastri debut.
The 2022 season may not have been kind to Ferrari, but their year did end on a high as they recorded a 1-2-3 finish in the post-season test.
Tuesday 22nd November 2022 2:04 PM
Jamie Woodhouse

Carlos Sainz set the pace on Pirelli’s 2023 tyres at the end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi, leading the way from Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s young driver Robert Shwartzman who delivered an impressive display, recovering from an early spin.

We also saw Fernando Alonso in Aston Martin machinery for the first time, while Oscar Piastri put in his first laps in the McLaren.

The Yas Marina Circuit remained busy with Formula 1 action as the teams and drivers dived into a dual-purpose test, running Pirelli’s 2023 tyre compounds and also conducting the traditional end-of-season Young Drivers’ Test.

‘Ferrari end with 1-2-3’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/2022-p...-dhabi-report/


Ferrari 1-2-3 on final day of 2022 F1 running
22/11/2022, 14:37
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Ferrari ended 2022 by topping Formula 1’s post-season Abu Dhabi test with its cars first, second and third in the times. The unusual 1-2-3 feat was achieved by race drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz sharing the day in the nominated ‘tyre test’ car, while Robert Shwartzman fulfilled the ‘young driver’ test requirement.

Abu Dhabi test times
Pos Driver Car Time Laps
1 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1m25.245s 65
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1m25.383s 56
3 Robert Shwartzman Ferrari 1m25.400s 116
4 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1m25.689s 130
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1m25.845s 76
6 Alex Albon Williams 1m25.959s 118
7 Logan Sargeant Williams 1m26.063s 82
8 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 1m26.111s 151
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1m26.263s 70
10 Liam Lawson Red Bull 1m26.281s 111

• aelfwald (Poster Comment);
Mattia: "This time next year Rodney, we'll be world champions"

https://the-race.com/formula-1/abu-d...ferrari-1-2-3/


Alonso and Piastri make new team debuts as F1 testing begins
Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri enjoyed their first outings with their new Formula 1 teams on Tuesday as the post-season test in Abu Dhabi got underway.
Nov 22, 2022, 5:57 AM
By: Luke Smith
Motorsport.com

Teams stayed on at the Yas Marina Circuit for Tuesday’s test, running from 9am to 6pm to give them a chance to complete some final runs with their 2022 cars.

Deals were struck for drivers to swap teams for the test, including two-time world champion Alonso, who appeared with Aston Martin for the first time ahead of his switch from Alpine in 2023.

Alonso was the first driver out of the pit lane on Tuesday morning, wearing blank overalls, a camo dazzle helmet design and a sponsor-less car livery due to his existing agreements with Alpine.

‘First outings’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...gins/10403536/


Carlos Sainz leads Ferrari 1-2-3 as five drivers debut for new teams in Abu Dhabi post-season F1 test
22 Nov 2022
Lewis Larkam

Carlos Sainz headed a Ferrari 1-2-3 on the final day of F1 2022 action in the post-season Abu Dhabi test.

All 10 teams ran two cars for the nine-hour test which took place two days after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit, with one car used to conduct Pirelli 2023 tyre testing and one for young drivers.

The Spaniard set a benchmark time with a 1m25.245s in the closing hours of Tuesday’s test, edging out his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc by 0.138s.

‘Abu Dhabi post-season F1 test’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/101788...season-f1-test


Sainz spearheads Ferrari 1-2-3 as F1 season concludes
Tuesday 22 November 2022 13:38 - Updated: 13:49
Ian Parkes

Carlos Sainz spearheaded a Ferrari one-two-three in the F1 season-ending test in Abu Dhabi. The nine-hour session at the Yas Island circuit, that just two days previously staged the final race of the year, was a two-fold exercise.

Each of the 10 teams fielded two cars - one for young drivers and the other to further aid Pirelli's assessment of its tyres for 2023. By the conclusion, Sainz was quickest with a lap of one minute 25.245secs, 0.138s ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, while Academy driver Robert Shwartzman was a further 0.117s adrift.

By comparison, two-time F1 champion Max Verstappen's pole lap in his Red Bull on Saturday was 1:23.824s. It was also a day for the teams to run their new drivers for next season following rare widespread agreement to allow them to switch to their rivals.

‘Ferrari 1-2-3’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96...one-two-three/

'Red Bull swerved the hazard of Perez beating Verstappen': Abu Dhabi GP analysis.
Sergio Perez may have had a better chance of beating Charles Leclerc if Red Bull had told his team-mate to let him through in the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But the team may not been wary of the consequences after unrest in Brazil, writes Mark Hughes.
November 21st 2022
Author Mark Hughes

Red Bull would of course have liked to have got Sergio Perez ahead of Charles Leclerc in the points table as the team had never before got a 1-2 in the drivers world championship. But when push came to shove in Abu Dhabi they didn’t want it enough to put Max Verstappen’s 15th win of the season in jeopardy.

As Perez in his second stint caught up to Verstappen, who was still driving a one-stop pace, so he was becoming vulnerable to a Leclerc undercut all over again. Ideally for Perez, Verstappen would have moved aside, allowed Perez on his way in order to build up the necessary gap over the slower Ferrari. The hazard of that for Red Bull was that it may have allowed Perez to have also beaten Verstappen – by way of strategy. Because there was no calling whether this was ideally a one-stop race or a two. Particularly after the events of Brazil, that was perhaps a prospect no-one really relished.

Afterwards Perez seemed sanguine about how things had panned out in a way which saw him beaten by a slower car, partly as a result of the team prioritising the smooth running of Verstappen’s race. But he wasn’t shy of pointing it out. “Ferrari and Charles did a fantastic race. They have great tyre management. And they were stronger than us, especially on that first stint where [my tyre] died towards the end. That made it a little bit tricky, our strategy. It was that second stint, while I was behind Max, Max was on a one-stop, I was on a two-stop, and then I ended-up not being able to, to maximise this stint, and I couldn’t push as much as we should have pushed on that second stint.”

'Red Bull swerved the hazard of Perez beating Verstappen';

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#


Perez felt Verstappen was hindrance at crucial point in Abu Dhabi
‎20‎ ‎November‎ ‎17‎:‎35
Author Jake Nichol

Sergio Perez believes that Max Verstappen inadvertently cost him time at a crucial stage of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Sergio Perez believes that Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen's pace in the middle stint of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was a key reason why he lost out to Charles Leclerc.

Perez was locked on points with Leclerc in the fight for P2 in the standings, with whoever finished ahead set to claim the runner-up spot. After the initial round of pit-stops, Perez was tucked up behind Verstappen thanks to the powerful undercut, sitting about two seconds behind.

He radioed into the team to ask them to tell the Dutchman to speed up, seeing as he was to employ a two-stop strategy. "I think it's how this sport really works, sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose," Perez explained to media, including RacingNews365.com, when asked about his feelings.

‘Perez felt Verstappen was hindrance’;

https://racingnews365.com/perez-felt...t-in-abu-dhabi


Sergio Perez claims Max Verstappen ‘held’ him up in Abu Dhabi.
Sergio Pérez was beaten to second in the Drivers' Championship by Charles Leclerc.
22 November 2022
by Nick Golding

Following the opening pit-stops, Pérez suddenly found himself under pressure from Leclerc, with Ferrari’s pace having been a real shock to Red Bull. The Red Bull driver perhaps had more pace in him than he was able to produce, after believing he was being held up by his team-mate.

“Yeah I’m being held up by Max [Verstappen],” Pérez told his team over the radio on Lap 29. Red Bull opted to put Pérez on to a two-stop strategy in the end, potentially so he could push to the maximum without someone ahead of him.

However, this strategy ultimately cost the driver second in the race and in the standings, as Verstappen and Leclerc both completed a one-stop strategy.

“Yeah I’m being held up by Max [Verstappen],”’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/sergio-pe...-in-abu-dhabi/


Helmut Marko defends Max Verstappen amid team orders feud as Sergio Perez misses out
Max Verstappen ignored Red Bull team orders at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
10:18, Mon, Nov 21, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Helmut Marko has appeared to defend Max Verstappen despite his decision to ignore team orders at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Marko claimed Verstappen handing the place over would have been “useless” after Sergio Perez missed out on beating Charles Leclerc to P2 in the Drivers’ Championship.

The Red Bull chief hinted Perez made an error and stressed he had pushed too hard during his stint. He explained: "We have to be satisfied. We actually did everything right in terms of strategy too. It was very tight in the end, but Perez made a mistake in the first phase of the race, he pushed too hard with his tyres and we had to pit him earlier than planned.”

“Later he tried to overtake Hamilton, but was immediately overtaken back. That cost him 1.3 seconds. We were surprised that Ferrari was able to pull off the one-stop strategy with Leclerc. That wasn’t actually in our plan.” Perez suggested he left around “two seconds on the table” during his second stint as he was being careful on his tyres. The Red Bull star eventually finished just 1.3 seconds behind Leclerc and probably would have passed him if he had a couple more laps.

"We have to be satisfied”;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...gio-perez-news


The factors that stopped Perez catching Leclerc in Verstappen's Abu Dhabi triumph
Nov 21, 2022, 9:19 AM
By: Alex Kalinauckas
Motorsport.com

Max Verstappen ended the 2022 Formula 1 season in fitting fashion with a dominant drive to victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But behind him, early season rival Charles Leclerc achieved his target of securing the runner-up spot with a well-executed a one-stop strategy to beat Sergio Perez, whose pursuit on a two-stop strategy was hampered by several critical factors

"It was all about tyre management." As dull a sentence as one can read about modern Formula 1, but with it dominant race winner Max Verstappen summed up the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix perfectly.

On his way to sealing a seventh 2022 pole, Verstappen had helped teammate Sergio Perez lockout the front row with faultless tow tactics. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc trailed in third and needed to head Perez in the race to beat the Mexican to second place in the drivers' championship.

‘The factors that stopped Perez catching Leclerc’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...umph/10403209/

Red Bull to celebrate record-breaking season in style.
To mark Red Bull's most successful season in F1, the team will host an event on December 10 in Milton Keynes, with Verstappen, Perez and team principal Christian Horner all in attendance.
Monday 21 November 2022 08:18 - Updated: 16:37
Sam Hall

The Red Bull 'MK Homerun' will take place between 12:00 and 15:00 GMT in the centre of the city with the Drift Brothers, a rare NASCAR demonstration and stunt riders Arunas Gibieža and Dougie Lampkin adding to the occasion.

“We are enormously proud to base our Technology Campus in Milton Keynes," said Horner. "Ever since we moved into the small factory that we started with in 2005, the local community has supported the team through all the highs and lows.”

"Red Bull has grown massively since then and this year’s phenomenal results wouldn’t have been possible without that support. It’s only fitting that we celebrate this record-breaking season with the community we cherish and in the heart of the city we are happy to call home.”

‘Red Bull 'MK Homerun' will take place between 12:00 and 15:00 GMT, on December 10, 2022’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96...container_test


Horner: We went through pain of losing, never lost belief
23 November, 2022, 08:05
Jad Mallak
Grand Prix 247

Christian Horner revealed that despite the pain of losing Red Bull went through after 2013, the team did not lose belief in their ability to bounce back, and so they did! Red Bull, after their ultra successful spells between 2010 and 2013 with Sebastian Vettel when they won four consecutive Formula 1 Title doubles, suffered from a dry spell as Mercedes utterly dominated the sport for seven seasons.

The energy drinks outfit loosened Mercedes’ grip over the sport last year as Max Verstappen won the 2021 Drivers’ Crown, the Constructors’ remaining at Brackley. However in 2022, Red Bull went one better and won both Titles and in dominant fashion, Verstappen clinching his second Title in Japan with four races to spare, the team securing the Constructors’ one race later in Austin, Texas.

After also winning the Abu Dhabi season finale with Verstappen, and despite missing out on the runner up position in the Drivers’ standing with Sergio Perez, Christian Horner spoke of his team’s season. “Well, what a year,” he began. “Unbelievable. To be sitting here having won 17 races, two Sprint races, five one-two finishes, drivers’ championship, constructors’ championship, we came close to getting first and second in the drivers’. It’s been an amazing year, amazing year for the team. The hard work that goes in behind the scenes, all the people that you don’t get to see here that have put a Herculean effort into this championship. It’s been immense,” Horner added.

‘Pain of losing, never lost belief. Herculean effort’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11...r-lost-belief/


Rosberg: Verstappen’s only getting started
23 November, 2022
Jad Mallak

Nico Rosberg hailed Max Verstappen for the season he delivered in 2022, claiming he’s only getting started and destined for more glory in the future. Max Verstappen won his second Formula 1 Title in 2022 after winning a record 15 races signing off and impressive campaign with a dominant win at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1‘s Any Driven Monday, 2016 F1 Champion Nico Rosberg hailed the Dutchman saying: “He is an incredible driver. “I think it’s easy to say even now that’s he’s going to be one of the best of all time, if you look at the statistics he actually even is now,” he claimed.

“He’s a double world champion with all of the race wins that he has, more than (Fernando) Alonso,” Rosberg added. “He’s already one of the best of all time and I think, he’s only getting started. He’s going to confirm that in the next decade, certainly. His level of driving is phenomenal and it’s great to witness that.”

‘Rosberg added. “He’s already one of the best of all time…”;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/11...tting-started/


Max Verstappen 'destroyed' Lewis Hamilton and is "already one of the best of all time".
Verstappen produced one of the most dominant F1 seasons ever in 2022 and is now in sixth on the all-time list of drivers, which has former champion Nico Rosberg purring.
17:37, 22 Nov 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer

Max Verstappen has already cemented his place as one of the greatest Formula 1 racers ever, according to Nico Rosberg. The former Mercedes comments came on the back of a remarkable year for Verstappen. The Dutchman romped to his second drivers' title by winning 15 of the 22 races, which also played a major role in his team securing the constructors' championship crown for the first time in almost a decade.

Nico Rosberg purring: "It is easy to say now he is going to be one of the best of all time which, even now, he already is if you look at the statistics. A double world champion with all the race wins that he has, more than Alonso now as well, so he is already one of the best of all time. He is only getting started so he is going to confirm that in the next decade. It is just incredible, his level of driving is just phenomenal. It is great to witness that."

Nico Rosberg purring: "We need to remember also, it is not like from the get-go this year that his car was miles quicker than everybody else," he added. "Ferrari was the quickest car when we got going at the beginning of the season and still he got these incredible 15 wins and really destroyed the opposition in that way. If you look at the points he scored, he had 145, 150 points more than anyone else, it is unreal. It is one of the greatest driving seasons we have ever seen."

‘Nico Rosberg purring: Max Verstappen 'destroyed' Lewis Hamilton’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...sberg-28558652


Why 'tyre whisperer' Perez has faced a new struggle in 2022
22/11/2022, ‎11‎:‎10
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Dieter Rencken

Sergio Perez feels that he has struggled with tyre management in 2022, despite previously being known for his skill in this area. Red Bull boss Christian Horner has shed light on the possible reasons for the issue. Perez has often been referred to as a 'tyre whisperer' in the past thanks to his skills at preserving rubber in a race. However, the Mexican admitted after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that he hoped to improve on tyre management in 2023 after grappling with the problem throughout the campaign.

This follows on from the introduction of larger 18-inch tyres in 2022. "I think what we've seen this year is that the margins are so fine," Horner told media, including RacingNews365.com. "[You can make changes such as] a tiny bit of ride height or a small amount of mechanical balance, and it'll have a dramatic effect on your tyre life." Horner admits that Perez's struggles with his tyres during the opening stint affected the rest of his (Abu Dhabi Grand Prix) race.

"I think that Checo has driven so many races where he's been fantastic on the tyres," the team boss said. "In this race, it was just the first stint that compromised him where the front right [tyre] started to grain, and grain quite heavily compared to both Charles and Max. That then put him out of sync where we had to pit, and that was on a very compromised one-stop [strategy], so the two-stop was the more attacking race."

'Tyre whisperer' Perez has faced a new struggle’;

https://racingnews365.com/why-tyre-w...ruggle-in-2022

Leclerc not ruling out Ferrari exit.
Charles Leclerc is not ruling out a move from Ferrari in the future.
NOVEMBER 23, 2022, 06:07
Grandpx.news

But Leclerc, 25, told France's L'Equipe that "mistakes can happen when you push to the max" - even if those mistakes ultimately triggered rumours that team boss Mattia Binotto could be ousted. "I've learned not to think about it and not to comment," Leclerc said.

"It doesn't necessarily mean changing people, but it's about the way communication works between engineers, which needs to be clearer," he added. Binotto said the important thing is that Ferrari made progress between 2021 and 2022. "Yes, we made mistakes, but you can hide that better if you have a fast and reliable car," the Italian insisted.

"2024 is far away," said Leclerc, hinting at his current deal's duration. "I have some time left with Ferrari. This team has always been my dream. My goal for the moment is to win with Ferrari, then we'll see. I'm happy here and I want to win with them."

"2024 is far away";

https://www.grandprix.com/news/lecle...rari-exit.html


Charles Leclerc refuses to rule out Mercedes move which could affect Lewis Hamilton
19:05, 22 Nov 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer
The Mirror

Charles Leclerc avoided giving a straight answer when asked if he would consider joining Mercedes in the future. Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff has previously said that he would not be against poaching Leclerc or Max Verstappen from their rivals if the opportunity presents itself. So far, such a move has been out of the question, but things might not remain that way forever.

Leclerc's current Ferrari contract expires at the end of the 2024 season and at the moment there is no obvious indication that a new deal will be struck any time soon. Lewis Hamilton looks likely to extend with Mercedes for now, but the fact remains he is in the twilight of his Formula 1 career.

With Mercedes forced to consider more long-term options, Leclerc's name has once again come up. Asked directly about his future in an interview with French outlet L'Equipe, the 25-year-old said he is happy with his current team for now – but did not directly say he would not consider moving elsewhere in the future.

‘Charles Leclerc refuses to rule out Mercedes move’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...-2024-28559497


Charles Leclerc asked about potential switch to Mercedes at end of 2024
Wednesday 23rd November 2022 7:30 AM
Jon Wilde

Charles Leclerc has understandably reacted with surprise to a suggestion that Toto Wolff is interested in luring him to Mercedes for 2025. Links between Leclerc and Mercedes have not been reported recently, dating back the best part of three years, the Monegasque being the driver on whom Ferrari are pinning most of their hopes for the foreseeable future.

But that did not stop a reporter for L’Equipe from putting the prospect to Leclerc during an interview. The 25-year-old racer, who gained three of his five Formula 1 wins during the 2022 campaign, was told Wolff had said that if Leclerc was free at the end of 2024 he would be delighted to welcome him to Mercedes.

Asked whether that was a move he would angle for, a surprised Leclerc replied: “2024 is a long time away and there is still a little time left at Ferrari. This team has always been my dream. “My objective at the moment is to win with Ferrari and then we’ll see. I am very happy with Ferrari and I want to win with them.”

‘Charles Leclerc asked about potential switch’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...2024-question/


Charles Leclerc opens door to replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes after Ferrari disappointment.
Charles Leclerc failed to challenge Max Verstappen for the title after a disappointing season.
09:18, Tue, Nov 22, 2022
By Luke Chillingsworth

Charles Leclerc has not ruled out ditching Ferrari for Mercedes in a hint he could replace Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has previously suggested he would be open for Leclerc to drive for the Silver Arrows.

Leclerc, whose contract expires in 2024, claimed he was happy at the Italian marque but left an air of uncertainty surrounding his long-term future. He told L’Equipe: “2024 is still a long time away and there is still a little time left at Ferrari. This team has always been my dream.

“My objective for now is to win with Ferrari. Then we'll see. I am very happy at Ferrari and I want to win with them.” His remarks come after Wolff assessed Mercedes could attract the best talent to their cars. In an interview ahead of the 2020 season, Wolff did not deny that he could be tempted to swoop for Leclerc or Max Verstappen.

‘Charles Leclerc opens door to replacing Lewis Hamilton’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...s-news-ferrari


Charles Leclerc Determined On “winning the title next year”
November 21, 2022
By Nick Golding

It was the perfect end to a mixed season for Charles Leclerc at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as a superb second-place finish sealed the Monegasque driver second in the Drivers’ Championship. As well as Leclerc claiming second, Ferrari sealed second in the Constructors’ Championship, something that was looking unlikely not too long ago.

It’s been an up and down year for Leclerc, who has arguably made too many errors to be a World Champion. However, he’s not entirely to blame after being the victim of several strategic blunders by his side. Work needs to be done ahead of 2023 to challenge for the “title next year”, something he’s determined to do after being “satisfied with out progress”.

“I want to thank the whole team, both back home at the factory at and at the track, for all their hard work and dedication. P2 in the Constructors’ means a lot and we don’t want to stop here. We have to keep our heads down and push as hard as we can this winter, with the target of winning the title next year.”

‘Determined On “winning the title next year” ’;

https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...tle-next-year/

Video: Binotto doubts – Baseless or no smoke without fire?
Ferrari hit back at speculation suggesting team boss Mattia Binotto could be replaced over the Formula 1 off-season last week, saying such rumours were “without foundation”. But is that the full story, or is something afoot?
24/11/2022, 08:08
The Race

In our (THE RACE) latest video, Glenn Freeman is joined by Ben Anderson and Scott Mitchell-Malm to explain the state of play and what could be gleaned in the paddock during last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale.

Frederic Vasseur, the Sauber-run Alfa Romeo squad’s team principal, was mentioned in connection with initial reports about a change at the top of Ferrari, but would he fit the bill?

The cases for and against sticking with Binotto, and who could replace him if Ferrari did decide to make a change – including some familiar faces from the past, as well as one current team principal who might be a better candidate – are also considered.

‘Baseless or no smoke without fire?’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/video...-without-fire/


F1 Podcast: Is Binotto's position under threat?
‎Charles Leclerc managed to finish ahead of Sergio Perez in the 2022 Drivers' Championship, but with Ferrari having thrown away several potential victories with operational errors and questionable strategy, will Mattia Binotto be replaced?
22‎ ‎November‎ ‎08‎:‎50
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Dieter Rencken

The final race of the 2022 Formula 1 season followed a similar pattern to several others this year, with Max Verstappen leading away from his pole position to score a record-extending 16th win of the season.

Behind Verstappen, Charles Leclerc took advantage of a good strategy call from Ferrari to leapfrog Sergio Perez into second place, thereby finishing runner-up in the Drivers' Championship at the Mexican's expense. But with Ferrari having made several operational errors and questionable strategy calls throughout the season, is team boss Mattia Binotto's position under threat?

Joining Michael Butterworth to discuss the key issues from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend is Dieter Rencken, Editorial Director of RacingNews365. With Perez needing to finish ahead of Leclerc to bag second place in the Championship, should Verstappen have done more in Abu Dhabi to back Leclerc up into the path of the Mexican?

‘Discussing the key issues’;

https://racingnews365.com/f1-podcast...n-under-threat


F1 Debates: Should Ferrari axe Mattia Binotto for Frederic Vasseur?
Rumours have surfaced that Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto will be replaced in January
November 21, 2022
By Adam Dickinson

Red Bull were the centre of attention leading up to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but Ferrari shot back into the spotlight as reports surfaced that the team are planning to replace team principal Mattia Binotto with Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur.

What have Ferrari said? Mattia Binotto rubbished the rumours, saying they were baseless and weren’t consistent with the conversations he’s had with Ferrari‘s Executive Chairman John Elkann.

“When there is such a big passion around it there is always certainly the passion but always as well a lot of criticism and rumours,” Binotto told the press. “Those are speculations, totally, with no foundations.”

‘F1 Debates’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...deric-vasseur/


Secret Mattia Binotto meeting with rival team boss sparks fresh axe speculation.
Fans have been calling for Mattia Binotto to be sacked following a disappointing year for Ferrari.
23 November 2022
by Jack Devonport

The rumour mill in Formula 1 is not just for drivers, as team principals, engineers and designer all make moves up and down the paddock as part of an ever changing sport. Ferrari have been heavily rumoured by Italian media to be on the hunt for a replacement for current team principal Mattia Binotto, following an underwhelming year for the Scuderia.

Ferrari have denied rumours that they are looking to replace Binotto, but there appears to be no smoke without fire as the Ferrari boss was spotted with Guenther Steiner and Frederic Vasseur, both team principals of Ferrari associated teams, in the paddock in Abu Dhabi. It has been suggested the Vasseur will make the move from Alfa Romeo to Ferrari, while Steiner may be forced to reshuffle his team at Haas as Ferrari look to headhunt some of their key staff.

Steiner has been quick to shut down any rumours surrounding the trio’s rendezvous, claiming that they simply shared transport back from the F1 commission, where many new additions to F1 were discussed. “Mattia just gave us a lift on the return from the F1 commission, that’s all,” said Steiner when asked about their meeting.

‘Fresh axe speculation’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/secret-ma...e-speculation/


Mattia Binotto responds to sacking rumours as McLaren boss linked to Ferrari
Ferrari released a statement earlier this week to rubbish claims that the team are set to axe Mattia Binotto.
by Jack Devonport
22 November 202222 November 2022

The reason that Binotto is taking most of the flack for Ferrari’s shortcomings this season is the nature of their failures, with woeful strategy calls seeing the team shoot themselves in the foot more times that they were genuinely beaten for pace in the middle part of the season.

Binotto was asked about the rumours prior to the Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, and suggested that releasing a statement of support was agreed to have been the best course of action. “Obviously when these speculations were out I had a chat with my chairman John Elkann, together we discussed openly what was the best way to move forward and we decided to release a statement,” he explained.

“That was maybe the best way to close any speculations and clearly those are speculations that are totally with no foundation, totally, with no foundations.”

‘No foundation, totally’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/mattia-bi...ed-to-ferrari/

Fernando Alonso believes in Aston Martin project as he embarks on fresh challenge.
Fernando Alonso says he is ready to do something special with Aston Martin as he sets out on his latest F1 challenge.
Published: 23 Nov 2022, 13:03
By George Dagless

The Spaniard is now into his 40s but his passion and commitment for and to driving and competing is undiminished, with him still eager to taste the glory of race victories and championships once more.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Fernando on the top step, owing to a tough period at McLaren before his exit from the sport for a bit, during which he had good success in endurance racing, before he returned with Alpine in 2021.

Formula 1 is where he wants to be and where he wants to be winning, though, and he genuinely believes that Aston Martin will be able to provide that opportunity in time, which is some nod to their ambitions as a team.

‘Fernando Alonso believes in Aston Martin project’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88087177...resh-challenge


Fernando Alonso in positive mood after first Aston Martin running
Published: 23 Nov 2022, 14:05
By George Dagless

Fernando Alonso was evidently happy with the running he got in for Aston Martin on Tuesday at the post-season Abu Dhabi test. Tuesday was the first opportunity for several drivers to link up with their new teams ahead of the off-season, and ahead of the 2023 campaign.

Pierre Gasly joined up with Alpine, Nico Hulkenberg spent time with Haas, Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri drove the Williams and McLaren cars respectively and Fernando Alonso got his first chance to drive the Aston Martin, with the sponsors taken off of the car.

e Spaniard heads to Aston with the firm belief that their ambition and potential will make them race winners and eventual championship contenders before he hangs up his gloves, whenever that is, and it sounds as though he is happy enough with the start they have made together, though he was driving the 2022 car that finished P7 in the standings this season and certainly not a car capable of winning Grands Prix.

‘Fernando Alonso in positive mood’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88086585...martin-running


Alonso appetite whetted after first taste of Aston Martin
Wednesday 23 November 2022 13:11
Ian Parkes

Fernando Alonso will head into the first season next year with his latest team with confidence soaring following a successful F1 test outing. Alonso completed 97 laps of the Yas Island circuit on his Aston Martin debut, and the two-time F1 champion could not have been happier with the experience, apart from considerable discomfort due to an ill-fitting seat.

But in terms of his initial feel with the car and getting to know the engineers and other race staff, the 41-year-old was enthusiastically happy.

"I'm much more optimistic now," said Alonso. "When I signed for Aston Martin, I was 90 percent happy. When they started improving and they finished the season on a high, I was 100 percent, now I'm 100 plus.”

‘Appetite whetted’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/96...etite-whetted/


Alonso’s test oddity highlights quirk of F1 driver swap rules
Nov 23 2022
By Scott Mitchell-Malm

It’s always fun spotting drivers turn up in new places, especially when we’ve got used to them in certain colours, although Fernando Alonso took that to the extreme in Abu Dhabi this week with Aston Martin, which had to run him in a completely unbranded car.

This was a very rare sight, even though it’s something Alonso has had to do before, when he got some early testing in with McLaren in late 2006, and for totally different reasons is something we saw earlier this year when Haas stripped back its car livery on the final day of the Barcelona test to remove its Uralkali sponsorship.

Alonso drove Aston Martin’s 2022 car in the first five hours of the Abu Dhabi test on Tuesday, ahead of formally joining the team in 2023. And the first thing everybody noticed about his first Aston Martin run was that the AMR22 was seen purely in its base colour scheme, with no sponsor logos or even the little Union Jack that usually adorns the tip of the nose.

‘Alonso’s test oddity’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/alons...er-swap-rules/


Pedro de la Rosa astonished by Alonso’s career longevity: ‘Fernando is not normal!’
Thursday 24th November 2022 8:15 AM
Thomas Maher

Pedro de la Rosa has said Fernando Alonso’s unrelenting motivation to race is what impresses him most as the two-time World Champion switches teams. De La Rosa flew into Abu Dhabi on Monday in order to join Aston Martin for the one-day test at Yas Marina, having recently taken up a role as an ambassador and advisor for the British team. It’s not the first time De La Rosa has worked with Alonso, having served as a test driver for McLaren in 2007 when the two-time World Champion moved across to the Woking-based squad after his title-winning seasons, as well as being Ferrari’s test driver in 2013 and 2014.

“What I’m really surprised about him is that, for example, yesterday, I arrived here, and he was doing the seat fitting,” De La Rosa told media, including PlanetF1, when asked about Alonso’s career longevity. “And he smiled, he said he viewed his motivation as exactly the same as the first time I worked with him back in McLaren in 2007. Exactly the same approach – exactly the same. Preparation, motivation, attitude, expectations, he’s a natural born racer.”

“His motivation, I would say, is the same or more than when he was… we’re talking about 15 years ago. This is what impresses me most about Fernando, because we can argue about his speed and everything, but the motivation, attitude at the end is what really is the biggest differentiator in any sportsman, especially at this age.”

‘Fernando is not normal!’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/pedro-...so-not-normal/

F1 2022 review: The 5 standout performers on this year's grid.
The 2022 F1 season provided us with plenty of drama, excitement and talking points, with Max Verstappen proving the cream of the crop in the end as he sealed a second world title.
Published: 22 Nov 2022, 15:17
By George Dagless

Time, then, to take a look at the five drivers that perhaps stood out more than anyone else this season and we have to start with the 25-year-old…
Max Verstappen: Is it fair to say we’re watching an all-time great in Max Verstappen? Perhaps it’s too early to judge but if you look at stats and stats alone then it is a conversation that should be had.

Charles Leclerc: Sure, Leclerc finished a distant P2 this year in the end but this was a season that showed he has it in him to win a world championship, make no mistake.
George Russell: Very few teammates outscore Lewis Hamilton so George Russell deserves full credit for doing just that this season.

Lando Norris: If there were any doubts about Lando Norris being a genuine star before, there are surely none now.
Alex Albon: Back in F1 after a year away and back to his very best, Alex Albon might not have a big points tally to write home about but don’t let that suggest he did anything less than a great job for Williams this season.

‘5 standout performers’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88086583...his-years-grid


F1 2022 season awards: Best race, most improved driver, biggest shock, and more as Max Verstappen takes title
Max Verstappen won his second F1 world championship, but who else takes home a gong at i’s F1 2022 season awards?
November 21, 2022 7:00 am
By Daniel Austin
Sports writer

This is how i saw the season as a whole…
Driver of the year: 15 wins. Two sprint race victories. Seven pole positions. 454 points. Plenty of records broken. Who else could it be than Max Verstappen?

Team of the year: Red Bull’s strategy team and pit stop crew barely missed a beat across 22 races. They fully deserved to win both championships for the first time since 2013.

Race of the year: British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where a breath-taking race saw Carlos Sainz take his first ever F1 victory ahead of Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton.

Overtake of the year: Sebastian Vettel hunted down Kevin Magnussen on the last lap and harassed him around the outside of every turn, before making the move stick with a daring dash around the high-speed right-hander before the penultimate corner. Superb stuff.

Biggest farce: The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was a joke. The safety of drivers was put at risk as an explosion at an oil facility occurred just six miles from the circuit…

‘Best individual drive of the year, Most improved driver, Most improved team, Biggest disappointment, Biggest controversy, Most shocking moment’;

https://inews.co.uk/sport/formula-on...19?ITO=newsnow


The final F1 2022 team-mate battle results
08:17 Mon, 21 Nov 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

The 2022 Formula 1 season officially came to a close on Sunday evening in Abu Dhabi, with the results finalising the team-mate battles from the 2022 season. Throughout the grid, there were close battles while elsewhere, one driver dominated their team-mate during the year.

In the qualifying head-to-head, Lando Norris from McLaren was the most dominant, as he out-qualified Daniel Ricciardo 20 times from 22 races.
The closest qualifying head-to-head was witnessed at Alpine, with Fernando Alonso just edging Esteban Ocon.

‘2022 team-mate battle results’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...attle-results/


The ten drivers ranked 11-20 in the F1 2022 season
Saturday 26th November 2022 8:30 AM
Jon Wilde

Part one of our driver rankings for the 2022 F1 season focuses on those in the ‘could have done better’ category.

To be fair, in some cases they were hamstrung to an extent by the machinery at their disposal, while others will know improvement is needed in 2023 – if they even have a chance to produce it.

Like an old-school chart show, here, pop pickers, is our countdown from numbers 20 up to 11.

‘Driver rankings’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/dr...1-2022-season/


F1 drivers react to their amusing 2022 pre-season predictions
25 Nov 2022
Formula 1.

The class of 2022 find out how good they are at guessing the future as their pre-season predictions are revealed.

‘F1 drivers react’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...044125866.html


2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.
25/11/2022, 07:20
Motorsport Forums

https://www.motorsportforums.com/sho...89#post1314189

Formula 1: Ranking every driver's season, including Verstappen, Hamilton & Vettel.
Formula One in 2022 saw a change in regulations, tyre sizes and tracks as Mercedes were usurped at the top of the standings for the first time in eight years.
Published: 21 Nov 2022, 11:01
By Sam Pearce

It was Red Bull’s season in 2022 who will go into the off-season full of confidence and drive to achieve the same results next season, but I’m sure there will be hungry horses and eager Silver Arrows on their tails. With the season now over, we’ve compiled a tiermaker of how all 20 drivers got on this season, ranking them from ‘simply faultless’ to ‘one to forget’.

‘One to forget’: Lewis Hamilton, Nicholas Latifi, Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, Mick Schumacher, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, Lance Stroll.

This is probably the most controversial category on the tiermaker, with plenty of drivers falling into this category. Starting off, we have Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time champion of the world. Any outcome that isn’t winning the title is seen as a failure for someone like Hamilton.

‘Ranking every driver's season’;

https://www.givemesport.com/88086218...amilton-vettel


PlanetF1’s 10 best drivers from the F1 2022 season
Sunday 27th November 2022 7:00 AM
Jon Wilde

You probably won’t need more than one guess at who tops the class of 2022, but which other drivers can look back at their season with most pride?

The latest F1 campaign did not produce widespread success across the grid, with only five individual race winners, yet there were nine drivers who achieved an average mark of over 7/10 for their performances over the 22 grands prix. Here’s our top 10 countdown.

‘PlanetF1’s 10 best drivers’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/10...1-2022-season/


From Lewis Hamilton to Pierre Gasly: Five drivers glad the 2022 F1 season is over
Wednesday 23rd November 2022 9:00 AM
Oliver Harden

With Red Bull winning all but five races in 2022 as Max Verstappen claimed his second successive World Championship, there wasn’t much for the other teams and drivers to shout about as the Formula 1 season ended in Abu Dhabi last weekend.

But who will be most relieved that the season is finally over? Here, we pick out the five drivers – from Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes to Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly – glad to see the back of 2022…

‘Five drivers glad the 2022 F1 season is over’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/le...22-f1-is-over/


Toto Wolff says 2022 didn’t have ‘any more or fewer games’ that a usual F1 season
Wednesday 23rd November 2022 11:45 AM
Michelle Foster

After a season in which porpoising and budget caps created headlines, Toto Wolff says politics in Formula 1 is “quite normal” as team bosses want to “protect” their own teams.

But while it may seem as if this year’s seen more political wrangling off the track than usual, Wolff says that’s not so, the Mercedes motorsport boss saying politics has always been a part of the game. “It’s about protecting your own team” he said as per the Spanish edition of Motorsport.com.

“I think we all do that, trying to stay ahead or protect ourselves or, in a way, understand where [team] policy is going. I think it’s quite normal. I don’t think there are more games or fewer games, everyone lives by their own rules, I think it’s quite normal.”

‘2022 didn’t have ‘any more or fewer games’ that a usual F1 season’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...litical-games/


Jolyon Palmer's Analysis: The defining stories of the 2022 F1 season
24 Nov 2022
Formula 1.

Armed with data, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer analyses the defining stories of the 2022 season, including the new regulations, Red Bull's dominance, Mercedes' woes and Ferrari's comeback.

‘The defining stories of the 2022 F1 season’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...938814740.html


2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.
25/11/2022, 07:20
Motorsport Forums

https://www.motorsportforums.com/sho...89#post1314189

Conclusions from the F1 2022 season: Max Verstappen unstoppable, Ferrari’s failure and more.
With 22 races completed, the 2022 season was not quite the longest campaign in Formula 1’s history – but with one driver winning 15 of them, it certainly felt like it at times.
Monday 28th November 2022 6:00 AM
Oliver Harden

Max Verstappen and Red Bull were very worthy winners of the World Championship, with the team taking both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles for the first time in nine years. So what did we all learn from F1 2022? Here are our biggest takeaways from the year…

Welcome to the Max Verstappen era. The most terrifying thing about Verstappen’s 2022? This may be just the beginning. With Verstappen and Red Bull well placed to potentially paint an era orange, one of F1’s greatest-ever seasons in 2021 looks increasingly like a bridge between one generation of dominance and the next. But, we will continue to live in hope.

‘Conclusions’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/co...raris-failure/


Charles Leclerc singles out his most painful moment of the F1 2022 season.
Charles Leclerc has revealed the loss of a victory at his home race at Monaco was the hardest pill for him to swallow in the 2022 season.
Saturday 26th November 2022 12:00 PM
Henry Valantine

The Ferrari driver had been leading in soaking wet conditions around the Principality in May, but while some drivers went straight from full wet tyres to slicks and others had pitted before him, Leclerc’s stop for intermediates was followed by an extra stop just three laps later for dry tyres.

This dropped the Monégasque driver from the lead down to fourth on the road at his home race, eventually finishing off the podium in an extremely disappointing afternoon which saw him lose a probable home win.

He vented his anger at the move after the race, saying over team radio: “No words. The season is long, but we cannot do that.”

‘No words’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...1-2022-moment/


Norris dissatisfied with solitary podium finish: “One isn’t enough”
2022 F1 season
Posted on 25th November 2022, 8:1424th November 2022, 22:10
Written by Ida Wood and Claire Cottingham

McLaren’s Lando Norris says scoring a single podium in 2022 “isn’t enough” for himself or the team. Despite taking home his second highest points haul from a season in his Formula 1 career, and his second highest championship position, by finishing seventh, Norris could not match his achievements of the last two years, including four podiums and a second place in a McLaren team win in 2021.

Norris only finished in the top five in three grands prix out of 22 but took third place at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Asked if being the only driver outside of Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes to score a podium meant anything to him, Norris said “a little bit”.

“A podium always means something,” Norris said. “It means something to me, it means something to the team, but one isn’t enough. One is like ‘we got lucky’ – you want to feel like you deserve to be there every time. We deserve to be there for sure, [but] we weren’t quick enough to be there. We were kind of way ahead of where we deserved to be.”

“One isn’t enough”;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/25/...e-isnt-enough/


Mercedes explain their ‘table of doom’ which predicted worst tracks for W13
2022 F1 season
Posted on 24th November 2022, 7:1525th November 2022, 9:10
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham

Mercedes referred to its internal metrics which predicted which circuits would be best and worst for its problematic W13 as the “table of doom”. The team began the 2022 Formula 1 season well off the pace of eventual champions Red Bull and their early rivals Ferrari. Although the team gradually made progress with the W13, even by the end of the season it found the car worked considerably better at some tracks than others.

This was highlighted over the final two rounds. Mercedes won at Interlagos but one week later at Yas Marina were only the third-quickest team. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed on Saturday the team’s “table of doom” had foreseen that swing in performance.

“We always knew that we need to be prudent and not set our expectations based on the Brazil result,” he told media including RaceFans. “I think that circuit perfectly suited our car and everything ran very, very smoothly. And Abu Dhabi in our ‘table of doom’ was one of the worst tracks.” The team’s chief strategist James Vowles explained the thinking which went into the “table of doom.”

‘W13 as the “table of doom” ’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/24/...-worst-tracks/


How many victory chances did Hamilton have in his first winless F1 season?
2022 F1 season
Posted on 23rd November 2022, 13:0623rd November 2022, 14:05
Written by Keith Collantine

Last weekend Lewis Hamilton ended a Formula 1 season without winning a race for the first time in his career. At the opening race in Bahrain, Hamilton’s Mercedes lost over a second per lap to the race-leading Ferrari and Red Bull. It was clear the W13 wasn’t going to win races any time soon.

But by the mid-point of the season the team were starting to lead grands prix, and on a weekend where the track and conditions suited them, and the stars aligned in their favour, victories finally started to seem possible. So how many chances to win a race did Hamilton have before the end of the season? And how many of those might he realistically have converted?

‘How many victory chances?’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/23/...ess-f1-season/


2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.
25/11/2022, 07:20
Motorsport Forums

https://www.motorsportforums.com/sho...89#post1314189

F1 2022 end-of-season report: Best driver, biggest surprise, most under pressure.
The 2022 F1 season was dominated by Max Verstappen as he secured his second drivers’ title, while Red Bull secured their first as a team since 2013.
29 Nov 2022
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Despite not having the quickest car for most of the season, Verstappen enjoyed a record-breaking campaign. Verstappen won 15 of the 22 races, taking the title with five races to spare at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Ferrari and Charles Leclerc should have made it a closer fight, but a combination of poor reliability and operational errors meant they never stood a chance. There might not have been an exciting battle for the major honours, but there’s still plenty to talk about as we look back on 2022.

‘F1 2022 end-of-season report’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/101...under-pressure


Podcast: 2022 F1 season review with Medland, Hughes and Smith.
22 races, 20 drivers and 10 teams — our experts look back over a dramatic 2022 Formula 1 season
November 28th 2022
MOTOR SPORT PODCAST

The season dawned with the launch of a new generation of Formula 1 cars and, 22 races later, saw Max Verstappen crowned world champion after a dominant season.

Relive the thrilling racing, dramatic moments and disappointments of the year, along with the key questions we’re left with after a whirlwind series of races.

Why did Ferrari’s challenge falter — and why won’t the team get the cure that it needs? How did Mercedes turn its season around? And what did Red Bull gain — or lose — from breaching the cost cap?

‘2022 F1 season review’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#


Ross Brawn on a stellar 2022 season, pride at seeing F1 ‘as strong as it’s ever been’ and his next chapter
28 November 2022
Ross Brawn
Formula 1 Managing Director, Motorsport

With the curtain falling in Abu Dhabi, Formula 1’s Managing Director of Motorsports, Ross Brawn, reflects on the 2022 season – which saw the introduction of revolutionary new cars and the second year of a brand-new cost cap – and his time working at Formula 1 with Liberty Media.

We had some great races during the season. We had the slow start from Red Bull; they stuttered a bit at the beginning. Ferrari made a great start and we then we witnessed the Red Bull fightback.

From my perspective the wonderful thing was the close racing, the greater entertainment, the greater heartbeat that we all felt so many times in races – and that was a real reward to me that we saw much better racing this year.

‘Stellar 2022 season’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...t85cwz4qL.html


Brawn still unsure what “optimum number” of sprint races is for F1
2022 F1 season
Posted on 28th November 2022, 17:02
Written by Will Wood

The number of sprint races on the Formula 1 calendar will double to six next year but the series’ outgoing managing director of motorsports admits he remains unsure what the ideal number should be.

Ross Brawn is retiring from F1 this off-season, bringing to an end a career of over four decades in the sport. He spent the last five years working with Formula One Management after its takeover by Liberty Media and has introduced major changes to the sporting side of Formula 1 in that time, including the budget cap and sprint races. Three sprint races were scheduled during each of the last two seasons. The format will expand to cover six of the 24 rounds on the 2023 F1 calendar.

Brawn told the official F1 website he isn’t sure how many sprint races F1 should hold in a season. “The sprint was an initiative which seems to have worked,” Brawn said. “We’re expanding to six sprints next year. “I don’t know what will be the optimum number we will settle at long-term. Some argue we should have it at every race. We’ll see if that is how it evolves. The sprint has certainly livened up the whole weekend and gives us a full three days of action.”

“Optimum number”;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/28/...ces-is-for-f1/


F1 drivers take a look back at their 2022 season predictions
Formula 1 predictions are hard to make, which makes it reassuring to see that even the drivers themselves are not all that accurate.
Tuesday 29th November 2022 6:00 AM
Sam Cooper

Regulation changes feature heavily: As we know, F1 drivers possess bundles of self-belief, so the makers of the predictions avoided each driver suggesting they would be World Champion by instead asking them first what racing in 2022 was going to be like.

Charles Leclerc is embarrassed at how boring he was: Leclerc’s season was anything but dull but the Ferrari man was disappointed by just how tame his predictions were. The 25-year-old predicted racing will be “exciting” to which he said “that was a very boring prediction.”

Drivers predict their party places: The drivers were also asked to suggest where they will be celebrating and Yuki Tsunoda and Latifi also took the opportunity to highlight their home races. Fewer f-words, Ferrari World Champions and “Full Send Operation!”
While Magnussen’s prediction of fewer f-words for Haas team boss Guenther Steiner did not prove correct…

‘Look back’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-dri...n-predictions/


The drivers who surprised RaceFans readers by beating their team mates in 2022
2022 F1 season
Posted on 28th November 2022, 12:49
Written by Keith Collantine

Red Bull: Prediction: 96% of readers expected Verstappen would finish ahead. Result: Verstappen 454 – 305 Perez
Ferrari: Prediction: 54% of readers expected Sainz would finish ahead. Result: Leclerc 308 – 246 Sainz
Mercedes: Prediction: 69% of readers expected Hamilton would finish ahead. Result: Russell – 275 – 240 Hamilton

‘Beating their team mates in 2022’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/11/28/...mates-in-2022/


2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.
25/11/2022, 07:20
Motorsport Forums

https://www.motorsportforums.com/sho...89#post1314189

Haas' Steiner to release book chronicling 2022 season.
Haas F1 boss Guenther Steiner has penned a book that will be released next April that gives a behind-the-scenes view of the US outfit's eventful 2022 season.
01/12/2022 at 13:51
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

Steiner's book is entitled 'Surviving to Drive' -- a tongue and cheek nod to 'Drive to Survive', the Netflix series on F1 from which the Haas boss gained cult status -- and promises to be "uncompromising and searingly honest, told in Steiner’s inimitable style". Haas' first campaign under F1's new regulations kicked off with a crisis during winter testing, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine compelled the team to severe its ties with sponsor Uralkali and Russian pay-driver Nikita Mazepin.

However, the first half of the team's season was also marked by the costly crashes suffered by Mick Schumacher, that compelled Steiner to mull over a driver change for 2023, a prospect that became effective with Nico Hulkenberg's nomination as Magnussen's teammate for next season.

"I don’t think I could have picked a more active year than this one in terms of documenting some of the many things a team principal has to go through in Formula 1," said Steiner. "I’ve never looked at keeping a diary before and while I like to look forward, it’s been fun to look back over this year proofing this book again and reflecting on the many highs and lows we’ve encountered at Haas F1 Team.”

'Surviving to Drive' -- a tongue and cheek nod to 'Drive to Survive';

https://f1i.com/news/462148-haas-ste...22-season.html


Guenther Steiner says football managers know nothing about pressure
Haas boss Guenther Steiner became a fan favourite following season one of Netflix's 'Drive to Survive' docuseries.
1 December 2022
by Nick Golding
Formula1News

The book titled ‘Surviving to Drive’ is all about how the fan favourite leads the American team, with the book effectively being a catalogue of diary entries from Steiner during the 2022 season.

Steiner was heavily criticised last season for the way he managed Schumacher, something which will perhaps be delved into in the book. The book is dubbed to take ‘fans on the thrilling rollercoaster of life at the heart of high-stakes motor racing’, through Steiner’s diary entries.

Given Steiner’s description of the book, it’s fair to say that fans are in for a fascinating read. “People talk about football managers being under pressure. Trust me, that’s nothing,” a quote from Steiner said. “Pressure is watching one of your drivers hit a barrier at 190mph and exploding before your eyes…”

‘Watching one of your drivers hit a barrier at 190mph and exploding before your eyes’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/guenther-...bout-pressure/


Mick Schumacher Crash Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2022

@gseric4721
In the 90's, that's career ending, and maybe even a fatality. This has to be one of the most dangerous circuits ever, but it's great to see that F1's safer than it's ever been.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3kxpG9Pb-E


Mick Schumacher crashes into the barriers in Monaco!

@nigelleyland166
That car swung as soon as he lifted, I'd not be surprised if the rear wheel energy recovery system did for him there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k49uz7HraD4


Mick Schumacher crash | FP1 | 2022 Japanese Grand prix

@MickPsyphon1
I'm glad he's ok! Aquaplaning at speed can really shock the hell out of anyone. It's as bad as hitting black ice, which I've done at highway speed. There's literally nothing that you can do when it happens, except wait for the vehicle to stop spinning and come to a halt somewhere safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt43UoyFErY


Steiner to publish behind-the-scenes book in F1 first.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner will become the first acting F1 team principal to release a behind-the-scenes book when 'Surviving to Drive' hits the shelves in April next year.
Thursday 1 December 2022 08:46
Sam Hall
GPFans

Transworld Publishers will release the book, which promises to provide a fascinating insight into a rollercoaster year for the team that saw the high of a first pole position in Brazil, and the complications of deciding to part company with both Nikita Mazepin during pre-season and Mick Schumacher at the end of the campaign.

"It's the hard work of everyone on our team that has returned us to the fight in Formula 1 and I can't thank everyone who's a part of Haas F1 Team enough for their efforts and dedication. I hope people enjoy this insight into our 2022 season and hopefully they'll come along for the ride in 2023 when we look to build on this year's success."

Steiner's popularity rose significantly due to his role in the Netflix docu-series 'Drive to Survive', something that is acknowledged in the naming of his book.

'Surviving to Drive';

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/97...-haas-f1-book/


Guenther Steiner’s tell-all book ‘Surviving to Drive’ set for release in 2023
Thursday 1st December 2022 9:45 AM
Thomas Maher

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner will release a behind-the-scenes account of the 2022 Formula 1 season, as he publishes his first book during the coming months.

Coming April 2023, Guenther takes readers inside Haas F1 Team for the entirety of the 2022 season in his first book ‘Surviving to Drive’, showing what takes place behind the scenes in running a Formula 1 team.

‘Guenther Steiner’s tell-all book’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenth...lease-in-2023/


2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.
25/11/2022, 07:20
Motorsport Forums

https://www.motorsportforums.com/sho...89#post1314189

Ten things you probably forgot about in F1 2022.
Think you know everything about the 2022 Formula 1 season? Take a look to see if you remember these 10 moments which may have slipped from your brain
December 1, 2022
By Nigel Chiu

Mazepin was meant to drive: Nikita Mazepin kept his seat for 2022 despite a very poor rookie campaign but was forced out of F1 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. VAR in F1: Yes you read that correctly, F1 used a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) system in 2022 which was called the Remote Operations Centre.

Super-sub Hulkenberg: When Sebastian Vettel tested positive for coronavirus on the eve of the Bahrain GP, there was only one person who could replace him, Nico Hulkenberg. Pink Alpine: Alpine unveiled a special pink livery when they launched their car in February as part of their new title sponsor BWT.

Missile strike during Saudi Arabian GP weekend: Second free practice session at the Saudi Arabian GP was delayed after a missile from Yemen’s Houthi rebel group hit an Aramco facility just a few miles away from the track. Norris’ brilliant podium: Lando Norris was the only non-Red Bull, Ferrari or Mercedes driver to stand on the podium which is a fantastic achievment.

‘FOUR more!’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/ten...orgot-f1-2022/


Podcast: How we picked our top 10 F1 drivers of 2022
10:09 Thu, 01 Dec 2022.
The Race

We explain the reasoning behind our ranking of the top 10 Formula 1 drivers of 2022 in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. The ranking is based on a combined vote of The Race’s F1 team, with all four appearing on the podcast to explain themselves.

Mark Hughes, Scott Mitchell-Malm and Ben Anderson join Edd Straw to sift through our top 10 and explain some of our more controversial choices. We also pick out the drivers who were close to making the cut and the reasons why they ultimately missed out.

‘How we picked our top 10’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/podca...ivers-of-2022/


Video: Why teams can’t escape F1 2022’s big problem
16:52 Wed, 30 Nov 2022.
The Race

Thought Formula 1 – and teams – had conquered porpoising? Think again, even if the big talking point of 2022 became less of a big deal as the season went on.

The reality is that the problems created by the biggest changes to F1’s chassis regulations in world championship history will never truly go away and, even if teams have understood plenty about porpoising, it’s still there waiting to catch them out.

In this video, we’re going to explain why that’s the case, what impact rule changes for 2023 will have and why it’s taking teams so long to understand and simulate a problem that first appeared in F1 more than four decades ago.

‘Can’t escape F1 2022’s big problem (porpoising?);

https://the-race.com/formula-1/video...s-big-problem/


TECH TUESDAY: The most improved, most innovative, best-developed, and most dominant F1 cars of 2022
29 November 2022
Technical contributors
Mark Hughes and Giorgio Piola

Most Innovative: Ferrari F1-75: Two of the biggest innovations of the season were to be found on the same car, the Ferrari F1-75. Its aerodynamics, with bluff out-washing sidepods and their unique upper surface channel, gave a great combination of floor and rear wing performance.

Most Improved: Haas: Haas went from a solid slowest in 2021 – 3.2% off the qualifying pace – to eighth-fastest and 2% off in ’22. It may sound relatively modest but represented the biggest performance gain on the grid and was the difference between being in their own race detached from the rest of the field to being able to mix it in the midfield, even heading it on occasion.

Biggest in-season development: Mercedes W13: Mercedes’ problematical W13 would routinely be half-a-minute behind the winner in the early-season races as the team struggled to understand and control its aerodynamic porpoising and mechanical bouncing problems. By the penultimate race, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were able to deliver the team a one-two result.

‘Biggest performance advantage: Red Bull at Spa’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...yXemkn6Gw.html


Alpine arrived at first F1 test "in shambles" before 2022 recovery
10:07 Wed, 30 Nov 2022.
Luke Smith
Motorsport.com

Alpine clinched P4 in the standings at the Abu Dhabi season finale, ending the year 14 points clear of McLaren and finishing as the leading midfield team behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.

It marked the team’s best result in the constructors’ championship since 2018, and was a big turnaround from its low-key showing in pre-season testing.

Reflecting on the season, Alpine chief Rossi was impressed by the team’s ability to outdevelop its rivals throughout the year and turn things around, conceding it was not in good shape at the initial pre-season test.

‘Arrived at first F1 test "in shambles"’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...very/10406270/


2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.
25/11/2022, 07:20
Motorsport Forums

https://www.motorsportforums.com/sho...89#post1314189

Toto Wolff found F1 2022 season ‘very hard to cope with’ at times.
Toto Wolff admitted the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix had been a microcosm of Mercedes’ season in some ways, showing it has been “very hard to cope” at certain moments.
18:16 Sun, 04 Dec 2022.
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Having caught up to Red Bull and Ferrari’s pace to a degree where they earned a one-two finish at Brazil at the penultimate race of the season, Mercedes fell away from the pace again at the finale at Yas Marina.

When asked if the year has been tough on a personal level as well, Wolff added: “Yeah, but I think it’s also a lesson in humility and understanding that sometimes things can go wrong, then I think this year is going to make us strong on the long term.

“We will never stop charging, but my perspective is not on one race, but it’s over five and 10 years or more, and that’s the objective.”

‘Never stop charging’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...e-2022-season/


Best F1 driver: 2022 Season Review Awards.
Max Verstappen may have won the 2022 F1 title, but was he the best driver of the year? Vote now
DECEMBER 1ST 2022
AUTHOR Motor Sport


Charles Leclerc: Charles Leclerc demonstrated his potential during his first year with Ferrari in 2019, taking a string of pole positions and scoring his first two grand prix wins at Spa and Monza.

Lando Norris: It’s hard to believe that Lando Norris has only just turned 23, given that he already has four full seasons with McLaren behind him, and has started 82 grands prix.

George Russell: No one could blame George Russell for feeling a little frustrated at having to spend three years at Williams, when two years or perhaps just one should have been enough to prepare him for life at Mercedes.

‘2022 Season Review Awards’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...-review-awards


Revisiting PlanetF1’s predictions for the F1 2022 season
05/12/2022, 07:19
PlanetF1.com

It’s that time of year again which all F1 writers dread…looking back at those silly predictions they had forgotten about.

You can read (laugh) at all of our predictions we made back in March here, or just go right ahead and follow the thrilling battle for P1, the podium spots and the haunted wooden spoon.

‘PlanetF1’s predictions for the F1 2022’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/pl...ons-revisited/


FORMULA 1 2022 SEASON REVIEW
11:02 Sat, 26 Nov 2022.
CHARLES CROOK
CitiBlog

To a degree, the 2022 Formula 1 season had the hardest of acts to follow. At the start of the year, new look race-cars and the sport enjoying a popularity resurgence thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive and a 2021 season that was dramatic enough on its own terms did provide hope of another fine year.

While Verstappen would win the title in 2022 to add to his 2021 crown, however, it wouldn’t quite be the same kind of fight. Verstappen’s 2022 season will go down as an incredibly dominant one, with the Dutch driver winning 15 out of 22 races as he just got away from all the challengers.

The 2022 Formula 1 season is ultimately a strange case. While it did have a dominant name that crushed the field, the ingredients were there for a better title bout. Red Bull delivered their end of the bargain with a strong car and lead driver, but Ferrari couldn’t match it, and it appears as though after the summer break, Red Bull found a way to maintain a strong advantage whereas Ferrari fell behind.

‘2022 season Review’;

https://citiblog.co.uk/2022/11/26/fo...season-review/


Top 10 Team Radio: 2022 Formula 2 season.
02 Dec 2022
Formula 1.

We count down the ten best team radio exchanges from the 2022 Formula 2 season, from Théo Pourchaire's joy in Monza to Enzo Fittipaldi claiming his maiden podium.

‘Stop Talking Mate’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...335935428.html


2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.
25/11/2022, 07:20
Motorsport Forums

https://www.motorsportforums.com/sho...89#post1314189

F1 STARS VERSTAPPEN, VETTEL AND RUSSELL WIN BIG AT 2022 AUTOSPORT AWARDS.
Formula 1's superstars claimed the bulk of the prizes at the fan-voted 2022 Autosport awards.
18:31 Mon, 05 Dec 2022.
Jay Winter
FormulaNerds

Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen hasn’t stopped winning after scooping up the fan-voted International Racing Driver of the Year Award for the second time in a row at the 2022 Autosport Awards. Retiring Sebastian Vettel took home the Gregor Grant Award for his lifetime achievements in motorsport, whilst George Russell claimed the Moment of the Year award for his first F1 Grand Prix victory.

Verstappen, who scored a record-breaking 15 wins from 22 races in 2022, took out the award for the best racing driver in 2022. The Dutchman claimed the prize ahead of F1 Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc, IndyCar champion Will Power and Formula E title winner Stoffel Vandoorne. The 25-year-old didn’t attend the ceremony but addressed the award show via a video message.

“Thank you to all the fans who voted for me for the second time in a row, coming alongside my second world title in a row. After a tricky start to the year, it was a real team effort to turn it around. All the hard work of the team, including some people sitting with you at the awards tonight, all deserve a big thank you. Have a good night and see you on the track in 2023.”

‘2022 Autosport awards’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/f1.../?nowprocket=1


All the F1 winners at the 2022 Autosport Awards, including prestigious trophy for Sebastian Vettel
Monday 5th December 2022 8:30 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Max Verstappen was the big winner at Sunday night’s Autosport Awards, the 2022 World Champion voted the ‘International Racing Driver of the Year’ by motorsport fans. Verstappen made history this past season, the Red Bull driver setting a new record for the most grand prix wins in a single season, 15, as he romped to a second World title ahead of Charles Leclerc.

Sebastian Vettel signs off with the Gregor Grant Award. The recently retired Sebastian Vettel was also acknowledged at the Grosvenor House on Sunday, named the winner of the ‘Gregor Grant’ award. The award recognises lifetime achievement in motorsport, the four-time Drivers’ Champion known not only for his on-track achievements but his off-track activism.

Russell won the ‘Moment of the Year’ award which is awarded to a standout moment from motorsport. His was his Sao Paulo Grand Prix win, his breakthrough F1 victory. Hamilton, meanwhile, won the ‘British Competition Driver of the Year’ award. Zhou Guanyu was named the ‘Rookie of the Year’, taking that ahead of head of Toyota’s World Endurance champion Ryo Hirakawa, IndyCar podium finisher Christian Lundgaard and F2 race winner Logan Sargeant.

‘All the F1 winners at the 2022 Autosport Awards’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-win...osport-awards/


Horner: Red Bull "firmly had a target on our back" off-track in F1 2022
Christian Horner believes Red Bull “firmly had a target” on its back in Formula 1 this year through the various off-track political battles that faced the team.
Dec 5, 2022, 10:20 AM
By: Luke Smith
Motorsport.com

Red Bull swept to both championships in 2022 as Max Verstappen scored a record 15 victories in a single season to clinch his second drivers’ title.

Sergio Perez finished third in the championship with two wins, helping Red Bull wrap up the constructors’ crown with three races to spare.

But Red Bull’s season was not without its setbacks, most notably when it received a $7 million fine and a cut on its aerodynamic testing for the next 12 months after breaching last year’s budget cap.

‘Target on our back’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...2022/10407981/


Parc Ferme: A [Red] Bullish 2022 Formula 1 review
Sean Stevens
1 December, 2022

The ‘Off Season is upon us, and for columnists like me, it often means an editorial drought of newsworthy events. However, it does allow us to reflect on what has transpired over the previous ten months and consider them in the calmer atmosphere of the winter break. A good place to start would be to look at some of the Teams and Drivers, and where better to kick off than the Formula 1 Constructor and World Drivers Champions of 2022 – Red Bull Racing.

The sum is greater than the parts… We can thank Aristotle for this piece of inciteful wisdom. Simply put, if you placed Max Verstappen in an Alphatauri, he would not have won the World Championship. If you put him in a Ferrari and Charles Leclerc in a Red Bull, Charles may have won the World Championship but probably not so definitively. Max would have registered more poles and wins in the Ferrari than Leclerc.

However, I can’t imagine how Max could ever have coped with driving for Ferrari as they were this year. There would have been a meltdown somewhere, probably involving Jos and a hammer! My point is, it is a combination of factors that aligned to deliver Red Bull and Max’s all-conquering season. None of the individual components could have delivered it on their own.

‘Parc Ferme’;

https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/12...view-red-bull/


Latifi: 2022 my worst season in F1
10:02 Mon, 05 Dec 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Nicholas Latifi has conceded that his 2022 Formula 1 campaign was the worst of his three in the sport. Following the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last month, Latifi parted ways with Williams, bringing an end to his stint with the Grove-based squad.

“I think it’s safe to say it’s been a very up-and-down year,” Latifi said. “My first two years were… I guess what you can expect, as the first two years in Formula 1: a rookie season is a rookie season. Second year, I think there was some really big improvements all across, all around, and I guess this year, as a team, collectively we took a step backwards and I just struggled to get on top of the car.”

“This year I would say ultimately was my worst year out of the three years in what was a crucial year for me to secure the future. So, I think that’s the reality of it. And it just didn’t work out in the end.”

‘Crucial year for me to secure the future’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...-season-in-f1/


2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.
25/11/2022, 07:20
Motorsport Forums

https://www.motorsportforums.com/sho...89#post1314189

'No competition in F1 2022 title race, so why is picking highlights so hard?'
The race results suggest a dull and predictable 2022 F1 season, but Chris Medland recalls a deluge of highlights and excitement in a year that bodes well for grand prix racing
10:50 Wed, 07 Dec 2022.
Author Chris Medland
Motor Sport Magazine

17 races won by one team, 15 of those by the same driver, and a pair of championships that were wrapped up long before the final round. The statistics suggest the 2022 season was a really dull one, but statistics don’t tell you everything, do they?

Feel free to accuse me of recency bias, but the Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend was full of excitement given the amazing pole position for Kevin Magnussen, and then George Russell’s impressive performance as Mercedes had the outright fastest car for the one and only time this season.

‘Team of the Year’ shortlist and wondered how a team that started the season with the fastest car, took the most pole positions but failed to fulfill its potential and ended up seeing its team principal leave can end up on there. But Ferrari’s step forward from a year ago was mightily impressive, and it did have races where it legitimately looked like the strongest outfit.

‘A deluge of highlights and excitement’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#


Five times F1 drivers out-performed their midfield machinery in 2022
16:05 Thu, 08 Dec 2022.
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

While most of the attention is on the front of the F1 field, there were a number of outstanding performances from drivers in midfield machinery. Here are five of the best from 2022.

Alex Albon – Australia. Alex Albon’s 2022 Australian Grand Prix will be remembered for his incredibly long stint on the hard tyres at the start of the race. Driving the slowest car on the grid, Albon went 57 laps to go from the back of the grid to finish 10th - picking up Williams’ first point of the year.

‘Five times F1 drivers out-performed their midfield machinery’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/101...machinery-2022


F1 fans vote for best overtake of 2022 season
08:42 Thu, 08 Dec 2022.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week

Formula 1 fans have decided on their favourite overtake of the 2022 season via an online poll.

Conducted by the official F1 account on Twitter, the winning overtake was awarded to Sebastian Vettel and his move on Kevin Magnussen on the final lap of the US Grand Prix. Over 31,000 fans took part in the online poll, with 57 per cent of people voting for Vettel’s move.

The other 43 per cent opted for Lewis Hamilton’s double overtake for second place on Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez at Silverstone. Hamilton took advantage of the squabbling that was going on between his rivals to sweep through at the final corner.

‘F1 fans vote for best overtake’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...f-2022-season/


Mercedes saw signs of W13’s deep flaws in its first run at launch
2022 F1 season
Posted on 8th December 2022, 18:329th December 2022, 6:19
Written by Keith Collantine

The shortcomings with Mercedes’ W13 which led to their least competitive performance for a decade were detected during the car’s very first run, the team has revealed. The W13 was launched at Silverstone on February 18th. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell drove the car for the first time that day.

The team’s head of trackside operations Andrew Shovlin confirmed that was when the team first realised the W13 was not performing the way they expected it would. “To be honest the signs were there from the very, very early running, even on the filming day that we did at Silverstone,” said Shovlin in a video released by the team.

The depth of the team’s plight became clearer over a pair of three-day tests which followed at the Circuit de Catalunya and Bahrain International Circuit. “We then went for three days in Barcelona and the car was not that competitive,” Shovlin recalled. “But we were expecting a big update that we were going to bring to Bahrain. That was the point that we realised that we had a serious issue, at that Bahrain test.”

‘Signs of W13’s deep flaws in its first run’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/12/08/...run-at-launch/


Exclusive: How Red Bull successfully adapted to F1's 2022 regulations
17:11 Thu, 08 Dec 2022.
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.com, Red Bull Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan explains how his team successfully adapted to F1's new technical regulations for 2022.

Did the team have any doubts it had chosen the right path during pre-season testing? "Within your own four walls, you look at the results, and you make your own judgment on how you proceed to have a car that's good in all disciplines and on all circuits," says Monaghan.

"We took our route, but you go to that first test and you think, 'Okay, have we actually made the right choices? Have we got to revise our choices?' Because it's only relative to the others that you're judged. Were our compromises at the start of the year correct? Not all of them. Did we evolve with it? Yes."

'Okay, have we actually made the right choices? Have we got to revise our choices?';

https://racingnews365.com/exclusive-...s-of-2022-regs


2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.
25/11/2022, 07:20
Motorsport Forums

https://www.motorsportforums.com/sho...89#post1314189

2022 SEASON REVIEW - get your free digital round-up of an amazing F1 year.
Check out our all-new digital review of the 2022 Formula 1 season, including features on how the radical rule changes mixed things up, the year's fascinating team-mate rivalries
09:33 Sun, 11 Dec 2022.
Formula One - Official Site

‘2022 SEASON REVIEW’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...H9ZQUP3IF.html


Motorsport Week’s top 10 drivers of the 2022 F1 season
10:46 Sun, 11 Dec 2022.
by Motorsport Week

The 2022 Formula 1 season came to a conclusion last month, with Max Verstappen rounding out the year with another victory in Abu Dhabi. The Dutchman enjoyed a strong campaign en route to his second title, but some of his rivals also enjoyed a positive year. Motorsport Week’s F1 journalists Phillip Horton and Fergal Walsh list their top 10 drivers of the season.

‘Motorsport Top Ten’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...022-f1-season/


F1’s paused rivalry echoes around its 2022 celebrations
09:13 Sun, 11 Dec 2022.
By Jack Cozens
The Race

“This year has been really, really enjoyable.” That’s Max Verstappen, speaking about his second Formula 1 world championship title, at the FIA prize-giving ceremony in Bologna on Friday.

It may seem like an obvious statement but there are also parallels to be drawn from those comments, and those from Red Bull team principal Christian Horner about Verstappen’s growth in 2022, and the atmosphere at this year’s gala compared to last year’s, skipped by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ Toto Wolff in the wake of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the way the 2021 title was decided.

It also served as a subtle reminder that needle remains between the two parties. That’s evidenced not just in those Red Bull remarks, which include Horner’s reference to the “heavyweight bout” that was the battle for the 2021 crown, but also in Hamilton’s own recent comments.

“This year has been really, really enjoyable.”;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/f1s-p...-celebrations/


F1 would end up ‘like WWF’ without the right governance – Ben Sulayem
2022 F1 season
Posted on 10th December 2022, 7:159th December 2022, 23:51
Written by Keith Collantine

The FIA must “be careful” to ensure it regulates Formula 1 correctly and not allow the sport to become “like WWF”, says its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The governing body has faced criticism over its administration of the championship following a series of controversies. At times there have been tensions between the FIA’s enforcement of its rules and F1’s desire to maximise the spectacle.

Ben Sulayem said administering F1 is always challenging and controversy is an inevitable part of it, but stressed the FIA must enforce the series’ rules correctly. “Formula 1, it is the pinnacle,” he said in a press conference at the FIA Gala yesterday. “Always you will find controversy in it, you will find the challenge, the teams are up to the limit there. They always want to find the way to go. So it is a challenging… every hour is challenging there.”

“And it’s healthy. It’s going so good. But you see us, as the FIA, we should also be careful. There is the side of the money, but the governance has to be right also.” He drew a comparison to World Wrestling Entertainment, formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation. “You cannot just have it without the rules,” he said. “You cannot have it without amending it, updating it.”

‘Like WWF!’;

https://www.racefans.net/2022/12/10/...e-ben-sulayem/


What led to F1 2022’s biggest teams’ championship slump
09:18 Sat, 10 Dec 2022.
By Edd Straw
The Race

The recent trend of AlphaTauri having a better car than its Formula 1 constructors’ championship position suggests continued in 2022. But while in previous years it had the performance needed even for an underachieving season to still produce a solid result, that wasn’t the case this year.
And yet, it seemed promising at the start of the year with rival teams casting admiring glances at the AlphaTauri STR03. The consensus was that the team had done a decent job in tackling the new regulations and it was expected to be a strong midfielder.

That wasn’t necessarily a misreading of the situation because the foundations were sound, but unfortunately, the team struggled to build on them. Even then, it had the seventh-fastest car on average pace over the season but could only manage ninth in the constructors’ championship – a drop of three places, its worst position for a decade, with 35 points scored compared to 142 in 2021.

‘Biggest teams championship slump’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-...ionship-slump/


2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.
25/11/2022, 07:20
Motorsport Forums

https://www.motorsportforums.com/sho...89#post1314189