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Haas deliver the 'unwritable story' as "spectacular" Magnussen continues fairytale.
Team principal Steiner was full of admiration for the fairytale turnaround the team has undergone and praised all involved in delivering its first points since the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix.
Topher Smith
Sunday 20 March 2022 21:15
Haas sacrificed its development in 2021 in order to focus on the regulation changes for this year and has been quickly rewarded as Magnussen qualified seventh before bringing home 10 points for finishing fifth in the race.
"What the whole team did, if you think about the last two years and then coming back like this, you cannot write a story like this in my opinion," Steiner told Sky Sports F1.
"The guys on the race track the last two years, they had tough times but kept their heads low, learned and the pit stops today were good.”
‘Team Principal Steiner Un-writable Story’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...ues-fairytale/
Magnussen thrilled with P5: I could see a Mercedes for the whole race!
20 March 18:20
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Dieter Rencken
Haas' Kevin Magnussen matched his best-ever finish for the American-led team by claiming fifth in his first race after returning to Formula 1.
"I enjoyed it a lot. It's so good to be back in this position," Magnussen beamed as he spoke with media, including RacingNews365.com, after the race. "A massive well done to the team for getting this car into this position. We were the strongest car in the midfield; I could actually see the Mercedes for almost the whole race.”
"I know we got the Safety Car at the end, so that helped a little with that, but it was just a different story to in the past."
‘Seeing The Mercedes The Whole Race’;
https://racingnews365.com/magnussen-...the-whole-race
Steiner: ‘You cannot write a story like this’
Date published: March 21 2022 - Sam Cooper
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner said “you cannot write a story like this” after Kevin Magnussen capped his return to the sport with a remarkable P5 finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Steiner was told by Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz they had missed his smile and the Italian-American replied: “I’ve missed it as well.
“Kevin did a fantastic job,” said Steiner. “For him, a comeback like this he wouldn’t have dreamt of I think. But things happen in life. A month ago it was a completely different scenario, now all of a sudden we are fifth.”
“He knows how to drive a car. There is a reason why we got him back – we want a little bit of credit for that as well. When we knew we needed another driver I think it was the right choice to make. He came back, he’s full of energy and you must think he didn’t drive an F1 car for 14 months, so it’s even more spectacular.”
‘Kevin Knows How To Drive A Car’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenth...in-grand-prix/
F1 Redemption: Haas Crushed the Midfield in Bahrain and Now Look Stronger Than Ever
21 Mar 2022, 10:33 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose
The Ferrari-powered Haas looked like the strongest team out there, behind only Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes. Alpine, AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo did well too, but none could match Kevin Magnussen’s pace in the Haas.
Magnussen finished the race P5, while his teammate, Mick Schumacher, finished a respectable P11. Now, if this was still 2021, the midfield would have looked a little something like this: McLaren, Alpine, AlphaTauri and Aston Martin. This year though, the Mercedes-powered McLaren and Aston Martin cars were nothing more than backmarkers, at least through one race.
‘Ferrari-powered Haas’;
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/f...er-184438.html
How Haas went from last to F1’s midfield benchmark
21/03/2022,
By Edd Straw
After an unconvincing first test in Barcelona, during which a series of problems restricted it to 160 laps over three days – the least of any team – Haas showed genuine promise during the Bahrain test. That wasn’t just with its headline lap times, set when it had the track to itself during its extra running to compensate for a freight delay, but also on its long-run pace.
The Haas led the midfield group, running as best of the rest behind the cars behind the top three teams – Ferrari, Red Bull and the chasing Mercedes.
“I don’t want to understand it – I want to live the dream,” joked team principal Guenther Steiner a few hours after this amazing result. We knew that we have a good car, we saw that yesterday, but you still need to deliver it and. The longest stint we did up until now was 18 laps in a row, so now to do 57 was quite an achievement.”
‘Haas Live The Dream’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/how-h...eld-benchmark/
Russell concerned Haas ‘had quite a pace advantage’
Date published: March 21 2022 - Michelle Foster
Bouncing his way through the Bahrain Grand Prix, George Russell went from P9 to P4 but only overtook one car – Kevin Magnussen’s Haas. And that was not an easy task, the Mercedes driver saying the Haas had “quite a pace advantage”.
“The only person I overtook was Kevin in the Haas and I think they had quite a pace advantage,” he told F1 TV. “I mean, it felt relatively good and easier to follow, but obviously the cars are much heavier and Bahrain is always a tricky race with the surface temperature.”
Mercedes’ pace in the W13 is being sorely hampered by extreme ‘porpoising’, the car’s zero-pod design said to be compounding the situation.
‘Haas Pace Advantage’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...ace-advantage/
George Russell says driving Mercedes car is 'like riding a ROLLERCOASTER' and admits that Haas 'had quite a pace advantage' after they ended their 28-race wait for a point in the Bahrain GP
By Olly Allen For Mailonline
Published: 17:37, 21 March 2022
• George Russell has compared driving Mercedes' W13 to riding a rollercoaster
•
• Mercedes struggled with excessive porpoising issues in Bahrain at the weekend
•
• Damon Hill says that the car's zero-pod design has compounded the problem
•
• Russell also admitted perennial strugglers Haas 'had quite a pace advantage'
•
• The US team ended their long wait for a point as Kevin Magnussen finished fifth
‘W13 Rollercoaster, Haas Pace Advantage’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rand-Prix.html
Why Haas F1 Team Is Biggest Surprise After the First Race of the F1 Season
Kevin Magnussen's incredible month of March continues with unlikely finish in Formula 1 Bahrain GP.
BY MIKE PRYSON
Mar 21, 2022
The Haas F1 Team, which was scoreless in 2021, is third place in the standings after one race with 10 points after Kevin Magnussen's clean run to fifth place in Bahrain that was good for 10 points. Teammate Mick Schumacher finished 11th to just miss scoring his first F1 championship point.
Haas had not registered a point for as much as a top-10 finish since Romain Grosjean's ninth-place finish at the Eifel Grand Prix at Nurburgring, Germany, on Oct. 11, 2020. Magnussen's finish was his best career finish in Formula 1 since a fifth-place finish for Haas in Austria in 2018.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner also seemed to enjoy the fact that he wasn't asked the same old "what went wrong today" questions after the Grand Prix. After last year's forgettable season and lack of power in his team's cars, it appears that the team might be on the right side of the equation this year. Three of the top four teams in the standings after one race—Ferrari, Haas and Alfa Romeo—are powered by Ferrari engines.
‘Haas F1 Biggest Surprise’;
https://www.autoweek.com/racing/form...ise-f1-season/
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Bottas encouraged by run to P6 in Bahrain after 'disaster' start.
Looking at the numbers, one would describe Bottas' race as nothing lost, nothing gained as the Finn crossed the finish line P6, the position in which he had qualified.
Phillip van Osten 21/03/2022 at 07:43
A flawless and consistent drive based on a three-stop strategy propelled the Finn back into the points mid-race, after which he benefitted in the final laps from the double retirement suffered by Red Bull.
A dismal launch off the line saw the Alfa driver conclude his opening lap a lowly 14th, which left him with a heavy workload on his hands for the remainder of the evening.
‘P6 Nothing Lost’;
https://f1i.com/news/435730-bottas-e...ter-start.html
Must-fix Alfa issue nearly ruined Bottas’s dream debut
22/03/2022, 07:13
By Edd Straw
Valtteri Bottas’s sixth place in the Bahrain Grand Prix was a dream result on his Alfa Romeo Formula 1 debut, but a recurring problem with starts almost derailed his race. This was caused by what Bottas described as a “vibration in the clutch” that afflicts the Alfa Romeo C42 on its starts.
Alfa Romeo head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar is hoping the team can fix the clutch vibration problem for this weekend’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. “We are still facing some issues with the starts with this new car,” said Pujolar. “And it’s something that we made some progress on, but still we are working on this area.”
“Both cars experienced very poor starts and then not only that, but also trying to get the grip and avoiding incidents during lap one [as a result].
‘Alfa Clutch Vibration’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/must-...s-dream-debut/
Wolff reveals Bottas messaged him after qualifying alongside Hamilton for Bahrain GP
Valtteri Bottas was one of the standouts in qualifying on Saturday ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
by Rob Kershaw
21 March 202221 March 2022
Team principal of the eight-time constructors’ champions Mercedes Toto Wolff revealed that Bottas messaged him after qualifying.
“He sent me a WhatsApp that said ‘look forward to racing you guys tomorrow’,” he said.
“I’m happy for him, for Valtteri, that he has made the move to Alfa, and he’s the lead driver. As far as I understand, he’s bringing his great personality to the team, and he’s energising the team.”
‘Bottas Racing The Mercedes’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/wolff-rev...or-bahrain-gp/
Bottas details Bahrain GP start issue that left him "a sitting duck"
Ian Parkes
Monday 21 March 2022 13:25
"I was not so confident going to the grid because 50 per cent of the starts we had in testing and practice were bad so it's something we need to work on," said Bottas.
"I just had big wheelspin, I cooked the rear tyres, still wheelspinning in third gear and then on the first lap I was sliding around and was a sitting duck."
Asked whether it was car related, the Finn replied: "It's a mechanical thing that sometimes we have this vibration on the clutch. It happens 50 per cent of the time, and when it happens it's quite easy to break the traction, so it's on the list and we're working on it."
‘Sitting Duck Clutch’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...-sitting-duck/
Bottas elated with double-points finish for Alfa Romeo after 'disaster' start in Bahrain
21 March 2022
Valtteri Bottas led a double-points finish for Alfa Romeo in the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix – and he was even more pleased with his performance given a “disaster” of a start that saw him fall from P6 to 14th on the opening lap.
“The start was definitely the weak point of the race and a bit of a disaster, just massive wheelspin off the line,” said Bottas. “I pretty much cooked the rear tyres and then I was like a sitting duck after the first lap.”
“Something to learn, something to look into, but when things stabilised it was a good recovery, good strategy, and a smooth race. I think we had decent pace, which is encouraging.”
‘Double-Points Finish For Alfa Romeo’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...7UGri5BPg.html
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Alpine upgrade is first hint of teams following Ferrari’s lead.
New sidepods Alpine brought for the first race in Bahrain include a modification right at the rear, with a raised edge that looks like it could be inspired by – and is certainly taking the same direction as – the aerodynamic philosophy of the Ferrari F1-75.
22/03/2022, 07:03
By Rosario Giuliana
It is clear that it is not an identical copy of the Ferrari F1-75 design, but it is a first approach that suggests Alpine is trying to take inspiration from the unconventional shape chosen by Ferrari on the 2022 car.
Is this a first indication that Ferrari’s solution can be copied by the adversaries? Or given the lead times in producing upgrades, that other teams were already coming round to the same conclusions as the team that started 2022 with a 1-2 finish?
‘Ferrari F1-75 Aerodynamic Philosophy’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/alpin...ferraris-lead/
Alonso makes Alpine demands after Bahrain GP qualifying
20 March 11:30
Author Michael Butterworth
Co-author Dieter Rencken
"Now it's up to us to develop the car as quick as possible. It's going to be a huge development for everybody and we need to be fast off-track, as well as on it.”
"We need to push the button now in the factories and try to make the new parts [come] to the circuit as soon as possible."
"There are good ideas already in the factory, but I think it's the same for everybody with the new cars; we will see in the first couple of months big changes on the cars," said Alonso. "We need to make them work and hopefully close that gap to pole position that is still too much – over one second."
‘Push Those Buttons NOW In The Factories!’;
https://racingnews365.com/alonso-mak...ain-qualifying
Esteban Ocon: “We can take positives from today’s performance”
By Paul Hensby
March 22, 2022
Esteban Ocon left the Bahrain International Circuit with confidence after moving up from eleventh on the grid to claim a seventh-place finish under the floodlights on Sunday evening.
The BWT Alpine F1 Team driver bemoaned contact with Haas F1 Team’s Mick Schumacher on the opening lap that left the Frenchman with a five-second time penalty to serve in his first pit stop, but he was able to put that behind him and drive strongly to score six points.
Team-mate Fernando Alonso admitted it was a tough evening under the floodlights for him, although he was happy to leave Bahrain with two points to his name thanks to a ninth-place finish. Alonso was one of those who struggled more with tyre degradation in Bahrain, with the two-time World Champion one of the earliest to make their first pit stop on Sunday as the performance of his soft tyres fell off the cliff.
‘EL PLAN: Taking Positives’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...s-performance/
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso Says Overtaking in F1 Is Still Difficult, Despite New Regulations
22 Mar 2022, 14:19 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose
After this past weekend’s exciting season opener in Bahrain, we now have a pretty good idea of where teams stand with these new F1 regulations in place. Ferrari and Red Bull look strong, Mercedes not so much, while McLaren and Aston Martin seem to genuinely be in trouble, pace-wise.
“Following was definitely easier. We spotted already in the test that it was easier to follow cars, but overtaking is still not as easy as it seems on TV,” said Alonso, as quoted by Motorsport.
“I met cars that I was two seconds faster [than] and I overtook in a few corners. And I also met cars that were two seconds faster than me and they overtook me in two or three corners. I think the tire is the biggest differentiating factor still, not the following. So, we need to see, we need to drive more races.”
‘Still Difficult Overtaking in F1’;
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/a...ns-184574.html
Similar 2022 F1 car designs leave Alpine boss suspicious
Mar 19 2022
By Scott Mitchell
Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer claims to have seen similar 2022 Formula 1 car designs that make him ask “how the hell did two independent teams come up with that?”
He has not named any teams but is sceptical that the unspecified ideas have legitimately been reached through completely independent design processes.
“I’ve seen solutions on a couple of cars, that you think how the hell did two independent teams come up with that?” Szafnauer said when asked by The Race about concerns from some teams that there are alliances on the grid that could circumvent the FIA’s strict rules on collaboration.
‘Similar Solutions Worrying Otmar Szafnauer’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/simil...ss-suspicious/
Alonso confident of "long game" Alpine success
Sam Hall
Thursday 17 March 2022 16:15
Fernando Alonso has explained Alpine is willing to play the "long game this year" with the "huge" developments expected across the season.
Using 2021 as evidence of his willingness to wait for success, Alonso added: “I remember here last year I retired the car and Esteban was P12 or P13 so zero points after Bahrain, and we won a race in Hungary and were enjoying the season.
"This year is going to be a long game to play and I’m confident we are going to have a good season.”
‘EL PLAN: Long Game’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/77...lpine-success/
Alpines’ Laurent Rossi – “What a fantastic way to start the season”
By Darius Needham
March 22, 2022
BWT Alpine F1 Team kicked off their season brightly as both Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso scored points in the season opening Grand Prix in Bahrain.
Alpine scored eight points at Bahrain and head into Saudi Arabia next weekend, sitting fifth in the Constructors Championship.
Alpine’s CEO Laurent Rossi talked about how happy he was with the result, praising the team for their hard work in preparation for the 2022 F1 season and on race day, as well as the drivers performances after a long and very tough race.
‘EL PLAN: Fantastic Start, Preparation and Driver Performances’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...rt-the-season/
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AlphaTauri have ‘Clearer Picture’ on what to Focus on after Bahrain Challenges – Egginton.
Yuki Tsunoda climbed from sixteenth on the grid to finish eighth to score points for the Faenza-based team, but Pierre Gasly was forced to retire when on course for the top ten due to a sudden catastrophic failure at the back of his AT-03.
By Paul Hensby
March 22, 2022
Jody Egginton says Scuderia AlphaTauri are ‘looking forward to the challenge’ of getting to the front of the midfield in 2022 after he oversaw a mixed bag of results in the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday.
Gasly’s retirement also compromised Tsunoda, who had just pitted, with several drivers able to jump ahead of him thanks to getting effectively a free pit stop. However, the Japanese racer was able to push until the end and claimed four points for the team.
Jody Egginton: “The competition in the midfield is looking very tight, and with the first weekend under our belt we now have a clearer picture on where we need to focus our attention to improve the AT03 in the coming events. We are looking forward to the challenge.”
‘AlphaTauri Clearer Picture’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...nges-egginton/
Yuki Tsunoda: “I’m quite happy with today, especially with the start”
By Paul Hensby
March 22, 2022
The Scuderia AlphaTauri driver admitted he was lucky to gain a couple of positions in the final few laps as both Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez retired whilst running inside the top four, but overall, he believed his had a strong day at the Bahrain International Circuit.
“I’m quite happy with today, especially with the start as I was able to make up a few places,” said Tsunoda. “I had a little bit of luck near the end, as some cars had failures, but overall I’m pleased with how today went.”
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do to be able to fight consistently at the top of the midfield, but we’re confident that we can develop the car to continue to improve our performance. We’ll go away and analyse the data from this whole weekend to try and find what our main limitations are ahead of the race next week.”
‘Continue To Improve Our Performance’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ith-the-start/
Yuki Tsunoda 'quite happy' to score points in first race of 2022 season
20 Mar 2022
Yuki Tsunoda is "quite happy" to score points in the first race of the new Formula 1 season, with the AlphaTauri driver securing a P8 finish in the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit.
‘Happy With The Points’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...094667705.html
F1 row: Franz Tost fumed at Yuki Tsunoda amid AlphaTauri struggles: 'This idiot!'
F1 STAR Yuki Tsunoda was criticised by his AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost in Drive to Survive, unearthed accounts show.
By CHARLIE BRADLEY
13:51, Fri, Mar 18, 2022
Tsunoda was inspired by 66-year-old Tost's fitness regime, to abandon his takeaway diet and video game lifestyle for a healthier routine. The Japanese driver jokingly told website The Race that Tost was in much better shape than him.
He said: "Because you guys don't know how fit Franz is. He's running like 10km from 5.30am which I've never done in my life.”
Tsunoda relocated to Italy from England to be closer to the team's Faenza base, and said he had trained harder over the off season and could feel the difference. He added: "If a 60-year-old man can do it, I think I should do, especially as I'm an athlete."
‘Tost's Fitness Regime Inspires Yuki Tsunoda’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...hrain-2022-spt
Yuki Tsunoda Finishes 8th in Bahrain GP
Bahrain International Circuit
Sunday, 20th March 2022
Round 1 of the Bahrain Grand Prix took place at Bahrain International Circuit. HRC, providing technical support to Scuderia AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda finishing 8th place.
‘HRC (Honda) Providing Yuki With Technical Support’;
https://honda.racing/rbr-sat/post/2022-rd01
Gasly’s car was a ‘barbecue’ after Bahrain fire
Date published: March 20 2022 - Henry Valantine
Pierre Gasly likened the back of his AlphaTauri to being like a “barbecue” after a fire stopped him from finishing the Bahrain Grand Prix.
He swiftly clambered out of his stricken car as it caught alight and quickly turned into a blaze towards the back of the AlphaTauri, with marshals on hand nearby with fire extinguishers coming quickly to put it out.
“There was pretty much a barbecue at the back of the car, so not the start we hoped for. It’s a shame because until then the race was amazing.”
‘Barbecue in Bahrain’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/pierre...auri-barbecue/
Gasly baffled by "strange" fiery end to Bahrain GP
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
Monday 21 March 2022 09:30
AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly has conceded it "strange" the issues that afflicted Red Bull Powertrains during a catastrophic conclusion to the Bahrain Grand Prix were not foreseen.
Explaining his own problem initially issue, Gasly said: "Just out of turn one, the whole car switched off. I parked it and then after it just caught fire. Clearly, there is something going on but what is strange is we didn't see it coming," he added.
"We need a bit more time to analyse but for us, between Red Bull and AlphaTauri, we lost big points. We were super confident after testing, we didn't have one single issue but it shows that this sport keeps you grounded all the time. You can never be overconfident about anything.”
Keep Grounded, Never Be Overconfident’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...to-bahrain-gp/
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Red Bull faced "worst nightmare" in "brutal" end to Bahrain GP – Horner.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has bemoaned the team's "worst nightmare" coming true in a "brutal" finish to the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
Sunday 20 March 2022 18:30
Red Bull entered the opening weekend of the season clear favourites for the win but having battled with Charles Leclerc for the lead midway through the race, Max Verstappen looked set to finish for second.
But in the laps leading up to a late safety car period, the reigning world champion's RB18 developed an issue that rapidly deteriorated, resulting in Verstappen pulling into the pits and retiring.
Sergio Perez was promoted into third but having fended-off Lewis Hamilton for the final podium position suffered an issue of his own on the final lap to complete a double retirement for Red Bull.
"[It was] a brutal finish to the race for us," said Horner;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...ain-gp-horner/
Mark Hughes explains the roots of Red Bull’s defeat
Mar 21 2022
By Mark Hughes
The suspected reason for the sudden loss of power in the Red Bulls late in the race is fuel cavitation – and, if true, that’s almost certainly a function of the team’s ambitiously compressed programme.
Fuel cavitation tends to occur as the last dregs of fuel are being pumped around near-empty tanks. As can be imaged, the fuel is heavily sloshed around because of the loads being fed into the car and no matter how well-designed the tank’s baffling system, the temperature of the fuel increases when this occurs.
At a certain point of temperature the fuel begins vaporise and there will be a vapour lock in the pump, the fuel pressure dives and the pump is briefly pumping fresh air. The sudden load changes as the system pressurises and depressurises (together with the excess heat inside the pump from the vaporising fuel) will tend to damage the pumps and eventually they can no longer feed fuel to the engine.
‘Fuel Cavitation Prime Suspect For Red Bull Defeat’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/mark-...-bulls-defeat/
Fuel for conspiracy theorists: Ex-Red Bull engineer predicts ‘fireworks’ if fuel pumps caused double DNF
Red Bull suffered a heart-breaking late double retirement at the season-opening 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix.
by Rob Kershaw
21 March 202221 March 2022
A former Red Bull engineer has predicted that there could well be an adverse reaction if it transpires that the fuel pumps are what caused the team’s double retirement at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix.
If the fuel pump was the fundamental cause of the problems, then a former Red Bull engineer, who worked in F1 for six years, has predicted this will cause quite the storm, as these are issued as standard.
“Ready for this one?” he tweeted. “If both Red Bull failures are the fuel pump, then get ready for fireworks. The fuel pump is a standard part supplied to all teams by the FIA and Magneti Marelli.”
‘Fuel Pump Fireworks’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/fuel-for-...ed-double-dnf/
Red Bull deny rumours about Verstappen and Perez's DNFs
21 March 08:30
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Mike Seymour
Red Bull have moved to deny rumours circulating about the reasons behind their double retirement from the Bahrain Grand Prix. Rumours have abounded ever since the end of the race – did both Red Bulls have enough fuel on board their cars?
The official statement from the Red Bull camp is that the issues were linked to the fuel pumps within their power units. These are standardised parts across the entire grid, and are manufactured by Italian company Marelli.
After a race in which Verstappen's car appeared to fall apart, as he encountered a shopping list of issues with his brakes, steering system and the eventually terminal fuel system problem, Red Bull are carrying out extensive investigations before the second race of the season.
‘Shopping List Of Investigations And Remedies’;
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-d...nd-perezs-dnfs
Red Bull hoping for rapid Saudi recovery from Bahrain "hangover"
Ian Parkes
Monday 21 March 2022 19:30
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has welcomed the fact the next F1 grand prix race is this weekend as he seeks an immediate cure for an horrific "hangover" sustained in Bahrain. The team was on course for a solid two-four finish with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez until late drama with the fuel systems in both cars forced them into retirement.
Suggested to Horner this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was too soon for the team to fully diagnose the problem in Bahrain, he replied: "I actually prefer it this weekend so I don't have to wait two weeks with the hangover of this result.
"The encouraging thing is we were within a tenth [of a second] of pole, we were fighting with Charles [Leclerc] for a win, it was great racing. The regulations look like they've created that better racing, and disappointed not to get the podium."
‘Recovering From A Hangover’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...rain-hangover/
Verstappen warns of the cost of lost points in "very tight" battle
Sam Hall
Wednesday 23 March 2022 07:00
Max Verstappen has warned the points dropped by Red Bull in Bahrain could be "very important" with the F1 title fight "sometimes very tight at the end".
Reflecting on the 18 points lost by way of retirement, Verstappen conceded: “It’s disappointing. "You always say to yourself and to the team as well that we have to score points. It doesn’t matter if it is first or second in the first race weekend.
Verstappen's race had already been made more difficult following his second pit stop when his Red Bull mechanics dropped the RB18 to the ground too quickly and bent a track rod. “The steering issue was not easy to drive [around] because of not having a feeling of what the car was doing because it was not natural," explained Verstappen.
‘Cost Of Lost Points’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...-tight-battle/
Ferrari Team Boss Says Red Bull Are Still Favorites for the 2022 F1 World Championship
23 Mar 2022, 10:13 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose
Despite a winning start in Bahrain, Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto still believes that Red Bull are the favorites to win the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship.
It could be that Binotto is just being cautious, seen as how Red Bull have looked just as strong as Ferrari during preseason testing and they employ the reigning F1 world champion in Max Verstappen. “I think that the others are very, very strong,” said Binotto. “They [Red Bull] have proved to be strong in qualifying. It was really a matter of details.”
“I think [on Sunday] it could have been so good, but maybe they had some reliability issues or something that is not perfect on their car for what we may understand from the radio communications. And they would have been very fast otherwise.”
‘Mattia Binotto: Red Bull Still Favourites’;
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/f...ip-184653.html
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Norris concedes McLaren ‘a long, long way off’ in 2022.
Norris and team-mate Daniel Ricciardo spent the race circulating among the backmarker group that included Aston Martin and Williams.
by Phillip Horton
20/03/2022
Lando Norris has admitted that McLaren is a “long, long way” off the pace in Formula 1 this season after a dire showing at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“This is where we are, quite simply, we just have to get a little bit used to it now,” said Norris. “Of course, over the last few seasons, there’s been a lot of expectation from us within the team but also everyone else watching and we just haven’t got it right at the minute.
“We’re a long, long way off, not a little bit, a long way. We’ve got to start fresh, figure things out, find solutions. Solutions don’t mean next week we’re going to be amazing but in months to come we need to understand what’s going on here and how to get better.”
‘McLaren Circulating Among The Backmarker Group’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...y-off-in-2022/
Ricciardo turned Bahrain GP into "test session"
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
Sunday 20 March 2022 22:00
Daniel Ricciardo has revealed his focus during the Bahrain Grand Prix was to switch from a race programme to a test schedule given McLaren's woeful struggles. Reviewing his race, Ricciardo said: "[It was] definitely tricky. I think as well, there is a lot to try and understand. I knew there would be.”
"It is the first race distance I have done this year and trying all compounds in the race, I think it was trying to treat it like a test session as well, trying to learn as much as I could each lap.”
"Obviously, we are lacking some pace. I think it is general, I don't think it is necessarily just one area. We lack a little bit of downforce and that is really the key."
‘McLaren Test Session’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...-test-session/
‘I’m expecting pain’: Norris warns things could get even worse for McLaren
McLaren endured a dreadful opening weekend of the 2022 season in Bahrain as they failed to score any points.
by Rob Kershaw
21 March 202221 March 2022
It was an excruciating evening for McLaren, and Norris warns that his team are going to need to brace themselves for more difficult races. “I’m expecting pain, and I think everyone needs to know there’s probably going to be a bit of pain,” he said.
“As McLaren, and myself, we expect a lot more, but it’s not what we have at the minute, we have to get used to it, we’ve been in this position a few years ago but we have to remain optimistic the team and everyone back at MTC [McLaren Technology Centre] can figure things out and we can get back on track.”
‘McLaren Pain’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/im-expect...e-for-mclaren/
Ricciardo concedes 'surprise' over McLaren struggles
Sam Hall
Monday 21 March 2022 18:00
McLaren endured a torrid F1 season-opening weekend with Ricciardo exiting qualifying in the first phase and neither he nor team-mate Lando Norris posing any threat to the top 10 in Sunday's race.
After leaving the first running of pre-season in Spain in February, McLaren had been tipped to take the fight to Ferrari. Asked if he was surprised by the result, Ricciardo conceded: “It is.”
"I’m always pretty reserved in testing and I know the reality of maybe getting to race one and things could look different, but I definitely did think that after Barcelona we would be in better shape. Maybe also this could just be a bogey track for us and maybe in a week’s time we will be looking better, but probably a bit more work to do.”
‘McLaren Have Work To Do’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...ren-struggles/
‘We don’t have a good enough car’ – McLaren drivers downbeat after point-less Bahrain GP showing
22 March 2022
McLaren drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris have been left to rue a poor performance at the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix, with Ricciardo admitting the MCL36 currently has “a few more weaknesses than strengths”.
Ricciardo – now in his second season with McLaren – said that the British outfit are a “long way” away from the podium and explained the challenges that were stopping the team from getting there.
Ricciardo’s team mate Lando Norris added that McLaren have a “lot of work” to do as he looked ahead to this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the second round of the 2022 season. “We just don’t really have a good enough car at the minute to do better,” said Norris. “We have a lot of work, quite simply, between us here at the track but also everyone back at MTC, who will be working hard as possible for next week, to try and bring some improvements, and figure out the car a little bit more, see if there is anything we are missing or we’ve gone away from or whatever.”
‘McLaren Car, Not Good Enough’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...6MLF3rUgK.html
McLaren must "get used to" lowly positon - Norris
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
Tuesday 22 March 2022 08:15
Lando Norris has insisted McLaren has to "get used to" its lowly position in F1's pecking order after a troublesome Bahrain Grand Prix.
"We are a long, long way, not just a little bit but a long way so we have got to kind of start fresh and try and figure some things out and at least try and find solutions. Solutions don't mean next week we are going to be amazing but in months to come, we need to understand what is going on here and get better."
"I am hoping this is as bad as it gets. It might not be but it could be. There is a lot of time. We have still got a whole season of development and figuring things out but it is not easy to do so. I think once we figure out what is wrong, it is all about implementing it and bringing upgrades and those parts to the car."
‘A Season Of Development And Upgrades’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...ositon-norris/
Norris has no idea if McLaren can improve
MARCH 23, 2022
Lando Norris says he has "no idea" if McLaren will still be among the slowest cars this weekend in Saudi Arabia.
"The car is difficult to understand and it's so easy to make mistakes, lock up wheels or lose control," top McLaren driver Norris is quoted by Auto Hebdo.
"What was positive? I don't know - the end of the race?"
https://www.grandprix.com/news/norri...n-improve.html
McLaren’s Andreas Seidl: “The team are analysing our performance from Bahrain”
By Paul Hensby
March 23, 2022
Andreas Seidl openly admits that his McLaren F1 Team did not start the 2022 Formula 1 season in the way they would have wanted, with neither Daniel Ricciardo nor Lando Norris finding themselves in the battle for the points in last Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
“The Bahrain Grand Prix was not how we wanted to start the season,” said Seidl. “It’s clear that we have work to do, so we’ll be working hard to bring more performance to the car as quickly as possible.
“The team are analysing our performance from Bahrain so that we can learn and improve, already starting in Jeddah.”
‘McLaren Analysis’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...rain%ef%bf%bc/
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‘Bulldozer approach’ has led to Aston Martin ‘disaster’.
Ralf Schumacher has dubbed the Aston Martin AMR22 “a disaster” and feels the team’s Toyota-like “bulldozer approach” to reaching the front may not work.
Date published: March 22 2022 - Henry Valantine
“The car is, so we hear, a disaster,” said Schumacher on AvD Motor & Sport Magazin on German TV, quoted by F1-Insider. “It has to be able to do everything you don’t need. And on top of that, apparently the team owner is now also sitting in the meetings and voicing how things should be done. If that’s the case, it gets really, really complicated.
“The team have lost the thread. They wanted to achieve too much too quickly and that simply doesn’t work in Formula 1. You can’t just take a lot of people and a lot of money, put them in a pot, stir it briefly and then something good comes out.
“The team wanted to take a bulldozer approach and that didn’t work at Toyota.”
‘Aston ‘Bulldozer’ Martin’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ralf-s...rtin-disaster/
Aston Martin removed paint in AMR22 weight struggles
Date published: March 24 2022 - Michelle Foster
Such is Formula 1’s weight issue this season that Aston Martin scrapped paint off the AMR22 to save “about 350 grams”. That’s according to the team’s chief technical officer Andy Green.
“Weight is a big, big issue,” Green explained as per Motorsport.com. “These cars are heavy by regulation, and to get down to the regulation weight, it’s a challenge.
“We went through the whole car from front to back, and we took paint off wherever we could. I think in total we saved about 350 grams.”
‘Paint scraping’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/aston-...ght-struggles/
Ralf Schumacher: Stroll should perhaps 'find a different hobby'
Phillip van Osten
23/03/2022 at 16:06
Ralf Schumacher believes Lance Stroll embarrassed himself in Bahrain when he was outqualified by Nico Hulkenberg and says the Aston Martin driver should perhaps consider a different hobby in life than F1.
Schumacher, who has taken over from Jacques Villeneuve as F1's harshest critic of Stroll, didn't hold back when judging the Canadian's performance in the opening race of the 2022 season.
"Stroll should ask himself whether he should find a different hobby," said the former Grand Prix driver. "It was really embarrassing. Nico did a good job."
‘Aston Martin Hobby’;
https://f1i.com/news/435922-ralf-sch...ent-hobby.html
Berger doubts Krack the man for Aston Martin
NEWS STORY
22/03/2022
Based on his experience of him with BMW in DTM, former-F1 star, Gerhard Berger is doubtful that Mike Krack is the man to turn Aston Martin around. "Let's see what can be done," he tells YouTube channel Formel1.de, "but when I watched what was done in DTM, I just don't see the way forward for Aston Martin with him.
"In all the years I've been there now, BMW has never been really consistently competitive," the Austrian continues. "You could see always, they'd be on the starting grid in a good position one day and they didn't know why they are were there today. Next day they would be in the end of the grid and they didn't know why they were at the end of the grid.”
"When you watch it and you see this over a longer period, you question the people behind it, and he was leading it, the project," adds Berger, who contested 210 Grands Prix with ATS, Benetton, Ferrari and McLaren.
‘Krack Aston Martin’;
https://www.pitpass.com/72058/Berger...r-Aston-Martin
Vettel may not return to Aston Martin ‘disaster’
ANDREW MAITLAND
MARCH 22, 2022
One unflattering take on the situation may be that Vettel is not overly incentivised to return to full health this weekend to race the uncompetitive 2022 Aston Martin. “The team has lost the thread,” former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher told Sport1.
“You can’t just take a lot of people and a lot of money, put them in a pot, stir them briefly and then hope something good comes out of it in Formula 1. Ralf says he has heard Aston Martin team members refer to the new green car as a “disaster” – and thinks the problem may be the billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll.
“I hear that the team owner is sitting in on all the meetings and saying how things should be. If that’s the case, then it will get really, really difficult,” he said.
‘Lots of Money + Lots of People (Then Stir Pot) = DISASTER’;
https://grandpx.news/vettel-may-not-...rtin-disaster/
The F1 challenge Aston Martin faces to recover from its poor start to 2022
Aston Martin Formula 1 team owner Lawrence Stroll didn’t have a lot to smile about after a frustrating weekend for the Silverstone outfit in Bahrain.
By: Adam Cooper
Mar 23, 2022, 9:41 PM
This season was supposed to see a resurgence from the team as it benefited from the expansion of the last couple of years, and the new regulations opened up an opportunity for those in the midfield to make a step.
Chief technical officer Andrew Green noted after qualifying the ride height and associated compromises alone are costing three-quarters of a second, even before any other performance deficits are tackled.
Green made it clear at the car’s launch that the AMR22 has been designed with some flexibility in mind, in case the team discovered that rivals had found more effective concepts, and had to copy them. Nevertheless making a significant change of direction won’t be easy.
‘Flexibility Designed For Recovery’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/t...-2022/9253872/
ASTON MARTIN’S F1 CAR COULD CHANGE MORE THAN ANY OTHER IN 2022
Mar 23 2022
By Scott Mitchell
Aston Martin has “all the options open” in developing its 2022 Formula 1 car, increasing the likelihood the AMR22 will undergo one of the biggest transformations this season. Upgrades will be a key theme in F1 this season with all-new cars putting teams on a steep learning curve.
Performance director Tom McCullough recently told media including The Race: “The car you’re seeing now is nothing like the car we have in the windtunnel.”
There is one rumour that Aston Martin could have a completely different sidepod and floor design for the second half of the year to maximise performance in this new ground-effect era.
‘Aston Martin: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!’
https://the-race.com/formula-1/aston...other-in-2022/
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Report: Alex P13 and Nicky P16 at season opener.
Both cars reached the chequered flag, with Alex Albon coming home in P13 whilst Nicholas Latifi was P16.
Published on
20 Mar 2022
“My first Formula One race with Williams went pretty well,” Alex said after jumping out of his car, adding: “It felt like we did a good job and really maximised what we had. I had a good start and managed to make up a few positions, so I was pushing hard.”
On the Pit Wall, our Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson, was left to reflect on a mixed afternoon at the office. “It has been a tough evening in Bahrain,” Dave said, adding: “But we got both cars to the end, and at times showed some reasonable pace.”
“Alex made a good start and made some places early in the race. Unfortunately, today we didn’t have the pace to hold on.”
‘Williams F1 P13 and P16’;
https://www.williamsf1.com/posts/ac4...22-race-report
“Thirteenth with no reliability issues is something we should be pleased with” – Alex Albon
By Nick Golding
March 22, 2022
On his return to Formula 1, Alex Albon left the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix having finished in thirteenth place, Williams Racing team-mate Nicholas Latifi finished sixteenth at the Bahrain International Circuit.
It was an overall solid weekend for Albon, who after making it to Qualifying 2 qualified in fourteenth place. The Thai driver enjoyed some battling during the race but was unfortunately unable to do anything about the faster cars behind. In the end the best Albon could salvage was thirteenth place, which in the weakest car on the grid is a good result to start the year with.
Albon was happy with how the weekend went, he’s especially happy to have made it to the end of the race without any reliability problems.
‘Williams FW44 Reliability’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...th-alex-albon/
P13 Alexander Albon happy 'to keep the McLarens behind' at Bahrain GP
20 Mar 2022
Williams' Alexander Albon was happy to "keep the McLarens behind" on his pay to a P13 finish in the 2022 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit.
McLarens In The Rear View Mirror’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...821536737.html
Alexander Albon: “The more running we do, the more we’ll understand this car”
By Paul Hensby
March 23, 2022
Alexander Albon will race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit for the first time this weekend, with the Thai driver one of only two drivers on the grid not to have raced their previously.
Albon believes the FW44 will suit the Saudi Arabian track better than it did at the Bahrain International Circuit, and he hopes for a much more competitive outing this weekend than last. He also says the more running the team do with the car, the more they will learn and, more important, the better they will be able to make it.
“I think it’ll be a track that is a bit better suited to the characteristics of the FW44; it’s smoother with more medium and high-speed corners, so I’m hoping we go well there.”
Williams FW44 Hoping For A Much Competitive Outing’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...tand-this-car/
“We didn’t have the pace to hold on” – Williams’ Dave Robson
By Nick Golding
March 22, 2022
Williams Racing’s Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson, highlighted after the race the positives which could be taken away from the opening round, as well as areas which need working on.
“It has been a tough evening in Bahrain, but we got both cars to the end, and at times showed some reasonable pace. Alex made a good start and made some places early in the race. Unfortunately, today we didn’t have the pace to hold on. However, we were able to race competitively with both the McLarens and the Aston Martins, which was an improvement from what we saw at the test last week.”
“There is more to come from the drivers and the car over the coming weeks, but this was a solid start for the whole team, and we are now looking forward to the very different challenges posed by Jeddah Corniche Circuit.”
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...s-dave-robson/
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Red Bull to strike back as chaos to dictate result - What to expect from Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
There is no doubt all involved with Red Bull would have been deeply hurt by the double retirement at the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Ewan Gale
Thursday 24 March 2022 12:30
Verstappen ran Leclerc close during a stunning battle mid-race but the Ferrari driver had enough legs to slowly pull away before the Dutchman's troubles started, initially with the RB18's steering before an apparent problem with the fuel system forced him into retirement.
With Perez experiencing a similar issue, the team will be hoping a deep dive over the past days has rectified the concerns. We saw last year an angry Red Bull tends to be an astonishingly quick Red Bull.
‘Red Bull Strike Back!’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...an-grand-prix/
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto puts pressure on Max Verstappen and Red Bull ahead of Saudi GP
RED BULL had a nightmare start to the 2022 F1 season, with both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez suffering car problems late in the race.
By FRASER WATSON
15:18, Thu, Mar 24, 2022
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has put the onus on Red Bull to perform in Saudi Arabia by insisting they are still "favourites" for the title despite the Scuderia's dream start in Bahrain.
“At first I think the others [Red Bull] are very very strong and proved to be strong in the qualification, it was really a matter of pace,” Binotto was quoted as saying by crash.net. “I think today they could have been stronger, but maybe there are some reliability issues that are not perfect on their car from what we understand from the radio communications.”
“But they would have been very fast otherwise. If you look at the stint of Max on used tyres, he was keeping up with the pace of Charles. We should not forget that they are the world champions and the favourites and what we must try to do is do our best."
‘Scuderia Ferrari Pressure’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...udi-GP-F1-news
Scuderia Ferrari Aiming to Make it Back-to-Back Wins This Weekend
By Nick Golding
March 24, 2022
Scuderia Ferrari go into this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on the back of not only winning the Bahrain Grand Prix, but having claimed their first one-two since 2019. Can they do it again this weekend at the incredibly fast and unforgiving Jeddah Corniche Circuit?
Leclerc’s Race Engineer, Xavi Marcos, is expecting the teams which have paid the most attention to detail with designing this year’s cars, to have an advantage this weekend.
“I think that, putting to one side the different car designs, whoever has done the best job in preparing for the season down to the smallest detail, will have a competitive advantage at the start. There are so many new elements involved and whoever has understood the new format better, especially the limitations involved, could have the edge for at least the first third of the season.
‘Ferrari To The Smallest Detail’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-this-weekend/
Lewis Hamilton could walk away if Mercedes remain third fastest, Martin Brundle claims
Hamilton couldn’t compete with the pace of the Ferraris in the season-opening race in Bahrain
Dan Austin
Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle believes Lewis Hamilton could walk away from the sport at the end of the year if Mercedes are unable to catch frontrunners Ferrari and Red Bull.
Despite Hamilton taking a podium in Bahrain last Sunday, Mercedes’ W13 challenger for 2022 is not yet as fast as the machinery developed by their biggest rivals. The Silver Arrows have won eight constructors’
‘Walk Away?’;
https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/lew...-b2043235.html
GARY ANDERSON: MERCEDES’ F1 ENGINE DEFENCE DOESN’T ADD UP
24/03/2022, 17:01
By Gary Anderson
Mercedes keeps saying it and all three of its customer Formula 1 teams ran higher-downforce rear wings in the Bahrain Grand Prix than the other engine manufacturers’ teams did. But from these pictures, I am not 100% sure that is correct.
It’s too big a coincidence for all of Mercedes’ power unit users to struggle with straightline speed just because they ran too high a rear wing level, especially with such visually different car concepts. Personally, I still suspect Mercedes has not got the best from its new power unit just yet.
‘Mercedes PU Doesn’t Add Up1’
https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...doesnt-add-up/
‘Definitely lacking’: Norris criticises Mercedes power unit but emphasises one key strength
Mercedes and their customer teams got off to a stuttering start to the 2022 season at the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend.
by Rob Kershaw
24 March 202224 March 2022
McLaren drivers Lando Norris laments the fact that the Mercedes power unit is struggling in comparison to Honda and Ferrari, but sees the silver lining in the fact that it also appears to be one of the more reliable packages.
He found during the race that the Mercedes engine did not deliver the same performance on the straights as he became accustomed to during his two race appearances with Racing Point in 2020.
‘Mercedes PU Struggling’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/definitel...-key-strength/
Mercedes mystery that needs solving as teams face 254km/h X-factor: F1 Burning Questions
March 25th, 2022 11:25 am
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
DOES MERCEDES HAVE A POWER PROBLEM?
Approximately 74 per cent of lap time here last year was spent on the throttle, making this a relatively power-sensitive circuit, though aerodynamic performance counted for more than expected based on simulation in 2021. Either way that could be bad news for Mercedes based on what we saw in Bahrain.
The team lacked the straight-line speed advantage it’s enjoyed in years past, and not only that, but so too did all its customer teams, with all the Aston Martin, Williams and McLaren cars the last six to take the chequered flag on Sunday.
Mercedes High Performance Powertrains spent a lot of the second half of last season addressing reliability issues with the power unit — you might remember the litany of engine penalties accrued by Valtteri Bottas and, eventually Lewis Hamilton. With engine development now largely frozen before a full lock-off in September, did the German marque fall behind as a result of its troubles?
‘The mysterious lack of Mercedes power and the greatest qualifying lap that never was’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...4e8e42f3af8ad0
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Red Bull expect no repeat of fuel pressure problem behind Bahrain double retirement.
“Both cars suffered from a lack of fuel pressure last weekend,” the RED BULL statement read. “The correct amount of fuel was in both cars, but a vacuum prevented the pumps from drawing fuel and delivering it to the engine."
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on
25th March 2022, 9:43 | Written by Will Wood
After the race, team principal Christian Horner confirmed that the problem suffered by both cars was one they had not experienced during pre-season testing.
“It’s something that we haven’t seen previously,” Horner said after Sunday’s race. “It looks suspiciously like the failures are related to each other. Looks like potentially an issue within the fuel system.”
The failures led to speculation that Red Bull could see a similar problem this weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. However, in a statement released by the team this morning, Red Bull said that they do not expect the problem to affect them again at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, and also dismissed rumours the team had not put enough fuel in the cars.
‘Red Bull Do Not Expect The Problem To Affect Them Again’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/25/...le-retirement/
Verstappen: I’ve lost wins, not the end of the world
Associated Press
24 March, 2022
Max Verstappen downplayed, ahead of the 2022 Saudi Arabian, Grand Prix the chances of his rivalry with Charles Leclerc turning sour, claiming that he has lost wins before, which is not the end of the world.
The 24-year-old said he and Leclerc had a tense relationship when they were teens but it is much improved now at the top level of motorsports.
“I never speak about these things with other drivers,” Verstappen laughed in a video interview. “I mean, it happens. I’ve lost wins, as well, and it’s not the end of the world, you move on. I think Charles is one of the most talented drivers in Formula 1 and he will win many more races.”
‘Not The End Of The World’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...-of-the-world/
Vettel to miss Saudi GP, Hulkenberg subs for Aston Martin
Reuters
25 March, 2022
Aston Martin confirmed that Hulkenberg will once again step in for Vettel, who is expected to be fit for the Australian Grand Prix that is scheduled for April 8-10.
“Hulk Hulkenberg will practice, qualify and race alongside Lance Stroll,” Aston Martin said on Twitter. “Nico coped well in Bahrain and we are sure he will do likewise in Jeddah.”
‘The Hulk Returns’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...-aston-martin/
The five big questions heading into the F1 Saudi Arabian GP
25/03/2022, 16:10
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Mike Seymour
Charles Leclerc leads the F1 World Championship for the first time in his career as the sport heads to Saudi Arabia for the second time in just over three months. The new F1 season continues this weekend with the teams and drivers having made the trip across the Middle East from the island of Bahrain to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the coast of the Red Sea.
The Bahrain Grand Prix provided plenty of answers to the big pre-season questions, but it has also offered up plenty of fresh ones with Ferrari flying, Mercedes struggling and Red Bull leaving empty-handed.
Have Red Bull cured their Bahrain issues?
Are Mercedes heading for two steps back?
Do Ferrari and their customer teams hold the winning formula?
Can Sainz close in on teammate Leclerc?
How will the new track changes alter the Grand Prix?
‘Five BIG Answers’;
https://racingnews365.com/the-five-b...ian-grand-prix
Hamilton urges Mercedes to match rivals’ “amazing performance” as soon as possible
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on
25th March 2022, 12:25 | Written by Keith Collantine
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes must make progress with their car quickly after seeing the performance of their rivals in Bahrain.
Hamilton said he is “realistic” about the challenge the team faces having started the season six-tenths of as second off the pace. “We have issues, we’re fighting to fix them. I think there’s a lot of potential within our car and we’re just trying to work as hard as we can to rectify them as quick as possible.”
“We’ve seen the amazing performance of some of the other teams, how close it is between all of us so I’m hopeful that we will improve. I have no doubt that I’ve got the best group of people behind me in order to come up with solutions and fix it and extract performance.”
‘A. S. A. P.’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/25/...n-as-possible/
WEEKEND WARM-UP: Can McLaren and AlphaTauri bounce back in Saudi Arabia?
25 Mar 2022
Will Buxton, Rosanna Tennant and Jolyon Palmer talk through McLaren and AlphaTauri’s ability to bounce back at this weekend’s 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and discuss Kevin Magnussen’s brilliant start to the Formula 1 season with Haas.
‘Bounce Back’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...565716923.html
Gary Anderson: Why Ferrari’s puzzling sidepods really do work
25/03/2022, 09:50
By Gary Anderson
When the Ferrari was launched, I said I didn’t understand its sidepod design as it didn’t appear to ‘join up’ in the middle. In my defence, to some degree neither did eight other teams because, save for Haas, everyone has gone for a more ‘connected’ and flowing design.
The Ferrari sidepod and underfloor leading edge is further rearward than on the Aston Martin, giving a little more space between it and the rear of the front tyre. This will reduce the effect of the turbulent wake behind the front tyre. Also, Ferrari’s outer splitter – or bargeboard replacement vane as it can be called – is much shorter. This means that the inlet to the underfloor is not so defined.
The Ferrari still has a sidepod design that doesn’t quite meet up in the middle, but it was intentional. By doing what it has done, it means Ferrari has a stronger outwash at the front of the sidepods and in effect a stronger in-wash at the rear of the sidepods. It may not have made sense at first, but all you can say about this sidepod concept is ‘forza Ferrari’.
‘Forza Ferrari, Scuderia Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...eally-do-work/
Sainz says he has tricks up his sleeve in push to catch Leclerc
25/03/2022, 11:50
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Dieter Rencken
Carlos Sainz could soon find himself fighting it out with teammate Charles Leclerc for the F1 World Drivers' Championship crown, should Ferrari claim another 1-2 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
After spending Tuesday and Wednesday analysing his own performance, the Spaniard is confident that he has a few tricks up his sleeve to help close the gap. "I was right there in the fight for pole in qualifying, and this was good news for me, because of the lack of feeling that I have with this car, and the lack of understanding that I feel I have," he said, speaking to select member of the media, including RacingNews365.com.
"But the fact is, I still need to work on the set-up, I need to work on my car understanding. I've done my analysis in these [last] two days with my guys and we have a couple of very interesting theories and a couple of very interesting things to try here. I don't think it's going to be a matter of [catching up in] one race but, a bit like it was last year, little by little, I'll chip away at it and get there.”
‘Little By Little, Chipping Away’;
https://racingnews365.com/sainz-says...-catch-leclerc
