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Aussie F1 great reveals Ricciardo failed to heed grim Red Bull warning.
“I was keen for him to stay in Red Bull,” Webber told ITV. “I think he knows that all those years ago I was trying to talk him into staying. But, obviously, he was keen to go to Renault at the time and then he went to McLaren.”
July 17th, 2023 1:23 pm
Staff Writers from News.com.au
Mark Webber has revealed Daniel Ricciardo, the man who replaced him at Red Bull Racing back in 2014, failed to heed his advice before the West Australian’s Formula 1 career nosedived. Webber won nine F1 races during his time with Red Bull before making way for Ricciardo, with Webber subsequently retiring from the category.
Now at the advanced racing age of 34, Ricciardo is back in F1 with Red Bull’s feeder team, AlphaTauri, and Webber believes he never should have left the energy drink’s stable. “The stopwatch never lies, you’re either giving pressure or you’re taking pressure. So now he’s back on the grid and obviously, he’s got to step up against (teammate) Yuki (Tsunoda) pretty quickly and hopefully he can perform well.”
‘Failed to heed grim Red Bull warning’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...0cd41927dad981
Brundle: Ricciardo ‘absolutely’ must beat Tsunoda at AlphaTauri
16:00 Fri, 14 Jul 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week
Ex-Formula 1 driver and experienced TV pundit Martin Brundle says beating Yuki Tsunoda should be the minimum expectation of Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri
Brundle reckons Ricciardo should be afforded a “one or two-race” period to enable him to get comfortable within his new surroundings and a troublesome AT04 car. However, he declares the pressure will then instantly be on the eight-time F1 winner to regularly out-perform new team-mate Yuki Tsunoda to reinvigorate his F1 career.
‘Absolutely must beat Tsunoda’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...at-alphatauri/
Helmut Marko warns Daniel Ricciardo after Red Bull chief rubber-stamped his F1 return
Ricciardo has been given a second chance in his F1 career after losing his place with McLaren at the end of last year and has 12 races to prove he still has the speed
13:06, 14 Jul 2023
Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror
After approving Ricciardo's return, following a successful test at Silverstone on Tuesday, Marko laid out the situation for the driver. "His lap times were competitive on three different tyre sets – if Ricciardo hadn't had the speed, we would have considered something else," he told De Telegraaf.
"But AlphaTauri is not in a good position, last in the constructors' standings, so we have to do something to bring something about. That often happens after a driver change, and Ricciardo brings new energy to the team.
"We have to see from Ricciardo how he compares to Tsunoda. I think Yuki is underestimated by a lot of people. The AlphaTauri is not the easiest car to drive, but Yuki has proven that it is possible to achieve good results."
‘A second chance’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...dbull-30467313
Will Ricciardo win in AlphaTauri gamble?
14 July 10:00PM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365
Daniel Ricciardo's F1 career looked over at the end of last season. The Australian lacked his effervescent mojo during his time at McLaren and was forced to settle for a berth at Red Bull as third driver, left only to cling onto hope that a competitive team would take a punt on him for 2024 onwards. So, having turned down back-of-the-grid outfits last year, the option to take over from the ousted Nyck de Vries is a curious move. Will it work out for Ricciardo?
So what must he do to reassert his position on the F1 grid to secure a competitive drive from next year? Simply put, Ricciardo has to beat Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver has been much improved this season after his first two years of experience in the sport, which were riddled with inconsistency and incidents.
Tsunoda's form this year led him to being named in the top three drivers of the year so far by his contemporaries despite scoring only two points in what has proved a difficult car to drive. De Vries' inability to match Tsunoda ultimately cost him his F1 shot, so this is the main goal for Ricciardo. Of course, there will be a bedding-in period in the two races before the summer break, but after that he has to put himself ahead of his teammate.
‘AlphaTauri gamble?’;
https://racingnews365.com/will-ricci...hatauri-gamble
Brundle tells Ricciardo what he MUST DO in 'high-risk' AlphaTauri move
Saturday 15 July 2023 06:57
Joe Ellis
Motorsport Week
Martin Brundle believes Daniel Ricciardo's move to AlphaTauri is an incredibly risky strategy to get back in F1. "It's high risk for Daniel in what is probably the slowest car on the grid," Brundle said to Sky Sports.
"He's got to beat Tsunoda, he's absolutely got to. He needs to edge him in quali and in the races, that's an absolute given as an expectation. Maybe he can outperform that car if he can massively outperform that car and get it somewhere near the top 10 and keep it there in the race, then maybe it will be his salvation in that respect."
'High-risk AlphaTauri move’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/11...ki-tsunoda-f1/
Ricciardo details Marko phone call: 'There was no question'
15 July 1:25PM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365
Daniel Ricciardo has revealed his reaction to the phone call from Red Bull Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko to offer him a return to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri. On how he reacted when he saw Marko was making the call, Ricciardo explained: "I was like 'ok, let's just hear what he has to say'.
"That's probably the best thing, because sometimes, you try to prepare yourself for 'what if he asks me this'. I didn't really need to think much about it. Being back in this family, I feel like I am kind of going through it all again - these are the calls I used to get and these are the moments they used to throw in front of us. There was no question I was going to say yes, it was just the reality of 'ok, it is going to happen pretty soon'."
"Getting back to Red Bull, the reception I had walking back into that team was overwhelming in a positive way. Getting back on the sim, I was a bit unsure how it would go, whether the car would feel like it used to, whether I was going to be 'like the old me'. Once I did a few sim sessions and started feeling like myself again, it brought me back to normal Daniel where I was falling back in love and ready to go again."
‘I didn't really need to think much about it’;
https://racingnews365.com/ricciardo-...as-no-question
Daniel Ricciardo reveals Red Bull expectations following AlphaTauri move
15 Jul 2023 12:52 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
Daniel Ricciardo has spelled out what the Red Bull bosses are expecting of him as he makes his way back to Faenza and to AlphaTauri. Ricciardo has been in Fazena for a seat fit and has also given an interview to Formula 1 where he detailed what the higher ups are expecting of him as he drives for a Red Bull outfit for the first time since 2018.
“Just be a legend,” he joked. “They expect results and performances. I think until I get in the car, it’s hard to define what that is. Is it a P8? Is it a P14? Obviously, there’s two races and then the summer break. I don’t think there’s a ‘you have to do this before August’ but I also don’t expect to get off to a slow start, I want to hit the ground running and try and use what I’ve learned in this time off.”
‘Red Bull expectations: Is it a P8? Is it a P14?’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/daniel...ns-alphatauri/
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Horner throws support behind struggling Perez.
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has insisted Sergio Perez continues to receive full support from the F1 Constructors' championship-leading outfit amid ongoing qualifying struggles.
18 July 7:30AM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365
His issues in qualifying have left mountains to climb in the Grands Prix, with Perez slipping back to 99 points behind teammate Max Verstappen in the Drivers' standings having been tipped to take the title battle to the Dutchman in the early stages of the year.
On Perez's poor qualifying form, Horner told media, including RacingNews365: "He just needs to break it now, he will do it in Budapest. The way he races, some of his moves [at Silverstone], particularly the one on Carlos Sainz was quite stunning.”
"His pace in the last stint, he was right there. It is frustrating for him that he is having to fight back all the time, but he has just got to sort his qualifying out on Saturdays. As a team, we'll do our best to support him."
‘Receive full support’;
https://racingnews365.com/horner-thr...ruggling-perez
‘He just needs an arm around his shoulder’ – Horner throws support behind Perez amid poor qualifying run
13 July 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has backed Sergio Perez to overcome his recent qualifying woes and put the topic behind him at the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix. Perez has failed to reach Q3 in any of the previous five events, including Q1 exits in Monaco and in Britain last time out, leaving him with damage limitation exercises on race days.
As such, Horner admitted: “You’re always looking for perfection in this business. Of course, we’re always trying to say, ‘Where can we better?’ In this instance, it’s like, ‘OK, where can we help Checo to achieve what he’s doing on Sundays on Saturday?’.”
But stressing that the whole team is behind Perez, he added: “I think he’s the type of guy that just needs an arm around his shoulder. You work with him and that’s what we’re doing. We’re supporting him, we know he can do it, we know he’ll get back there, and we’re just trying to make sure it happens as quickly as possible.”
‘Arm around his shoulder’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...R40TJkJxe.html
HORNER HAS REVEALED HOW RED BULL IS SUPPORTING PEREZ AMID QUALIFYING FAILURES
Red Bull F1 Team Principal, Christian Horner, has detailed what he believes is the best way to support and encourage Sergio Perez, given his recent run of poor qualifying form
July 12, 2023
Samuel Coop
FormulaNerds
Speaking with media, including FormulaNerds, after Sunday’s British Grand Prix, Horner broke down what Perez needs to do to get out of his Saturday funk. In a race in which double world champion Max Verstappen continued Red Bull’s 100% winning record in 2023, Perez’s absence on the podium was amplified.
It’s now five successive F1 race weekends that the Mexican has failed to reach Q3, let alone qualify near the top of the order. Time and time again, Perez is having to work his way through the pack on Sunday, compromising his final finishing position.
Without a 1-2 in five grands prix, in easily the most dominant car on the grid, Red Bull is starting to get heat for the 33-year-old’s rut. When asked about the issue, Horner pivoted to highlight the fact that Perez is still delivering the goods on race day.
‘Best way to support and encourage Sergio Perez’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/ho...ying-failures/
Christian Horner reacts to rumours that Daniel Ricciardo will take over Red Bull drive from Checo Perez
Sergio Perez's F1 title challenge had quickly faded away since the 2023 Miami Grand Prix
July 10, 2023
By Ed Spencer
Total Motorsport
Christian Horner has played down rumours of a Daniel Ricciardo comeback with Red Bull in Formula 1 2023. Ricciardo, who departed McLaren at the end of 2022, is set to undergo a three-day Pirelli tyre test for Red Bull after the 2023 British GP at Silverstone amid reports he could replace the underperforming Sergio Perez.
“It’s not something that we’re planning, that’s for certain,” Horner told selected media outlets, including Total-Motorsport.com. “So it was right to give him the opportunity this year to remain within the team and keep him around the sport. I think [it] would have been a loss to the sport for him just to disappear. “I didn’t recognise the Daniel of the last couple of years, so I’ll be very interested to see what kind of job he does on Tuesday… (AlphaTauri seat instead)
‘Christian Horner reacts to rumours’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...e-checo-perez/
Perez's admission that 2023 title fight is over
16 July 2:35PM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
Sergio Perez has voiced for the first time that he believes he cannot beat Max Verstappen to the 2023 Formula 1 title. After four rounds of the season, Perez was just six points behind Verstappen in the sister Red Bull, with both claiming two wins apiece.
"In Formula 1, only your position in Abu Dhabi matters," Perez told Spanish media during a Red Bull show run in Madrid. "I am not second In the World Championship by a miracle, I have won races and have had some bad races, but we have everything ahead of us. My objective now is definitely to be runner-up in the World Championship - and I am only thinking about the Hungarian Grand Prix."
‘2023 title fight is over’;
https://racingnews365.com/perezs-adm...-fight-is-over
Bernie Collins believes Red Bull shoulder some of the blame for Sergio Perez’s ‘shocking statistic’
17 Jul 2023 11:15 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Failing to make it into the pole position shoot-out five races in a row, Bernie Collins believes Red Bull shoulder some of the blame for what she called a “discrepancy” between the team and the driver.
Former Aston Martin strategy chief Collins believes Red Bull shoulder part of the blame for the driver’s Silverstone exit as, given that everyone on the team was aware of his current qualifying struggles, they should’ve done more to give him the “best possible chance” of progressing.
“100 percent,” she told Sky F1. “There’s too much to do in the race starting from not getting out of Q1, that’s guaranteed. In those conditions, improving conditions, to be the first person to finish a lap, I think when he first crossed the line he showed up P1 or P2 with the lap that he did. And then the lap times were tumbling, tumbling really quite dramatically, which is what always happens in those types of conditions.”
‘Bernie Collins believes Red Bull shoulder some of the blame’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/bernie...ez-qualifying/
Jaw-dropping net worth of billionaire Carlos Slim that backs Sergio Perez’s F1 career
16 Jul 2023
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net
Sergio Perez is under pressure - but he has a big-hitter in his corner. The Red Bull driver’s recent performances have come under scrutiny which will only intensify now Daniel Ricciardo has returned to F1 with AlphaTauri. Ricciardo had exclusively told Crash that he would accept an AlphaTauri drive if it gave him a chance at joining Red Bull.
But supporting Perez’s career is a fellow Mexican, the billionaire Carlos Slim. Slim, aged 83, is worth $102.4 billion - and is the eighth-richest person in the world. He is Mexico’s richest man, and made his wealth by owning Latin America’s biggest telecoms company.
‘Supporting Perez’s career is a fellow Mexican, the billionaire Carlos Slim’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/103141...ez-s-f1-career
Perez ‘couldn’t care less’ about ongoing talk around Red Bull F1 future
10:47 Sun, 16 Jul 2023.
Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Crash.Net
Sergio Perez insists he “couldn’t care less” that his future at the Red Bull Formula 1 team beyond this year is under growing speculation. But the six-time grand prix winner is not phased by the recent gossip, as he looks to turn around his qualifying struggles. “Yeah, fully. I couldn’t care less if I’m honest about that,” said Perez, when asked if he was ignoring all the speculation, as by Motorsport.com.
“I’ve been in F1 13 years, and I’ve seen it all. Not worried about any of that. I’m mainly focused on getting my season on track, and making sure I keep enjoying this.” Perez stressed he has retained the backing of both Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and motorsport advisor Helmut Marko.
“Yeah, I have full support from Helmut and Christian,” he said. “The whole team is fully backing me, and they know what I can do. They know my potential, and they are fully behind me. We’re making progress, because the pace is there on Sundays,” Perez said.
“I’ve been in F1 13 years, and I’ve seen it all’;
https://readmotorsport.com/2023/07/1...ull-f1-future/
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McLaren boss makes incredible fighting for VICTORY claim ahead of Hungarian GP.
"Our reasonable expectation was that we could be fighting with the four fastest teams by the end of the season.” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.
Tuesday 18 July 2023 15:57
Jay Winter
GPFans
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has revealed when he expects the team to consistently be fighting for consistent podium places and wins. However, before fans get their hopes up the McLaren boss believes the Hungarian Grand Prix will provide an opportunity to assess the true performance of the McLaren car.
Although the Hungoring may not play into the upgraded McLaren's strengths, Stella is eagerly anticipating the race in Eastern Europe, as he believes it will offer valuable insights into the team's performance.
"Our approach has always been that we need to push as hard as possible in development but with a logic and clear direction, and then we will see where we end up," said the Italian.
‘Fighting for VICTORY claim’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/11...an-grand-prix/
McLaren Team Principal Confident: Verstappen’s Reign in Formula 1 Could Be Over
July 17, 2023
Baylasportsf1.com
Max Verstappen’s dominant streak continues with six consecutive wins, spanning from the Miami to British Grands Prix. McLaren’s Team Principal, Zak Brown, expressed optimism about their recent resurgence and shared his confidence in McLaren’s ability to end Verstappen’s dominance.
Brown shared his thoughts during an interview at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, hinting at an exciting battle on the horizon: “The racing has been unbelievably close other than Max and even Sergio is in the mix.”
“I think it’s great time for F1 that in one weekend you have one team that’s second quickest and the following weekend they’re struggling to get out of Q1. That’s the competition that we’re looking for in F1, so someone will eventually catch Max. Hopefully it’ll be us, chances are it’ll be a handful of people.”
‘McLaren’s Team Principal, Zak Brown: Verstappen’s Reign in Formula 1 Could Be Over’;
https://baylasportsf1.com/mclaren-te...could-be-over/
Norris: McLaren weaknesses still ’70 percent not fixed’
Tuesday 18th July, 2023 - 11:03pm
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe
Lando Norris feels McLaren will soon be challenging for wins if it can eradicate a number of longstanding weaknesses inherent in the car. A raft of upgrades over the past two races in Austria and Britain propelled the MCL60 out of a congested midfield to clinch a front-row grid slot and a podium on merit as Norris netted second on both occasions behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
“There are still very good things that we’ve been able to carry through, such as high-speed performance but there are plenty of things to work on. If we really can tackle those bigger problems, which are more fundamental and not [helped] just by adding load, then I’m confident we can have a much more competitive car from race one in 2024, or this year.”
“So there are plenty of good things but there are still some issues we know of and are trying to tackle, but it’s complicated, takes time. Everyone’s working extremely hard and if we can make progress – as we made over the last few races with those certain things – over the next five, six months and into ‘24, I’m confident we can be a lot more competitive and fighting for some podiums and wins at some point.”
‘McLaren weaknesses still ’70 percent not fixed’.’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/07/18...-lando-norris/
McLaren boss threatens MORE to come after stunning British GP in bid to hunt down Red Bull
Monday 17 July 2023 15:12
Shay Rogers
GPFans
Despite a sluggish start to the year, McLaren have progressed leaps and bounds over the course of the last two rounds, doubling their points total for the season last time out in Silverstone.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 during the British Grand Prix weekend, where his drivers finished second and fourth respectively, Brown shared his gratitude for the team’s hard work. He said: “This is just the hard work of Andrea [Stella] and everyone at McLaren, all the men and women back at the factory and at the track. The upgrades and working and the team’s executing.
“I kind of feel like our season got started in Austria, which is a little late because everyone else showed up in Bahrain. Still a long way to go and [it] feels like we have good momentum.” However, Brown reminded fans that although they might be bringing further upgrades, that other teams won’t be resting on their laurels.
‘MORE to come’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/11...ades-red-bull/
To win or not to win, that was McLaren and Hunt's question
18th July 2023, 14:21
F1i.com
Anyone complaining about the lengthy time it sometimes takes for the stewards to rule on a driver's action might want to hark back to the 1976 British Grand Prix which took place on this day 47 years ago. The event was a two-part affair marked by controversy, chaos, a declared winner on the podium and another winner decided two months later!
It all started at Paddock Bend at Brand Hatch, as the field barreled down on the opening lap only for Ferrari team mates Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzino to collide with each other. The race was stopped as a result of the pile-up, with James Hunt's McLaren among the collateral damage provoked quite inadvertently by the Scuderia. Hunt drove away from the scene in his crippled car and turned into the back gate behind the pits where he parked his car.
The Stewards were unsure who would be eligible to restart the race, initially acting on the basis that any car which had not completed a full lap under the red flags would not be authorised to take part in the restart. This led to a contentious decision to sideline Hunt, which in turn led to mayhem in the grandstands, with beer cans landing on the track as the revolt took hold.
‘Beer cans’;
https://f1i.com/images/273919-win-no...-question.html
Hunt's F1 apathy and Prost's cunning: the 'different beasts' at McLaren
James Hunt and Alain Prost - two champions for McLaren that couldn't have been much more different. Former chief mechanic Gary Anderson recalls working with both of them, as F1 moved into a brand new age.
July 17th 2023
Author: Motor Sport
Motor Sport Magazine
It was a shootout that would decide McLaren‘s future F1 driver. On one side was Alain Prost, a European and French F3 champion. On the other was Kevin Cogan: a Formula Atlantic hotshot, who had the advantage of backing from the team’s sponsor Marlboro. Cogan was sent home after a back-to-back test at Paul Ricard in 1979, the timesheets showing that he was simply outclassed by Prost.
However, in our Engineering the Greats podcast series, then-McLaren chief mechanic Gary Anderson reveals that there was more than meets the eye, suggesting that Prost deliberately flat-spotted the McLaren’s tyres before handing over to Cogan in trademark calculating style; a minor act of sabotage, far from unknown in the world of Formula 1, which paved the way for Prost’s four championships.
Gary Anderson: “But the big thing was, he didn’t really want to be a racing driver, he just wanted to do something successful. When we went testing, the last thing James wanted to do was drive the car, because he knew when it came time to put in the lap – he would do it. It was what we know James Hunt as today – somebody who was living a life that he wanted to live and needed some of that stuff [racing] to bring him the – well the air stewardesses I think you might call it!”
‘Hunt's F1 apathy and Prost's cunning’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#
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Verstappen set to match Schumacher record in Hungarian GP.
Six wins on the trot eclipses Verstappen own previous best from last season when he won the French, Hungarian, Belgian, Dutch and Italian races and also took him past Lewis Hamilton's best of five straight.
18 July 2:30PM
Author Jake Nichol
Verstappen to match Schumacher? While Vettel is out on his own in terms of most consecutive wins thanks to the battering he handed out after the 2013 summer break, there is a three-way tie for second place on that list.
Alberto Ascari, Schumacher and Nico Rosberg all took seven straight chequered flags but only Schumacher did so during one calendar season - in his dominant 2004 campaign where he won 12 of the first 13 races, only missing Monaco after crashing in the tunnel.
MOST CONSECUTIVE WINS IN F1
Driver Wins Start End
Sebastian Vettel 9 Belgium 2013 Brazil 2013
Alberto Ascari 7 Belgium 1952 Argentina 1953
Michael Schumacher 7 Europe 2004 Hungary 2004
Nico Rosberg 7 Mexico 2015 Russia 2016
Max Verstappen 6 - ongoing Miami 2023 Britain 2023
Michael Schumacher 6 Italy 2000 Malaysia 2001
Lewis Hamilton 5 Italy 2014 United States 2014 , Eifel 2020 Bahrain 2020
‘Verstappen to match Schumacher?’
https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...n-hungarian-gp
Ominous warning for Red Bull rivals with Hungarian GP upgrade worth ‘0.2s’ – report
17 Jul 2023 5:15 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Red Bull could take another march on their rivals at the Hungarian Grand Prix where, already billed as the favourites, the RB19 could be up by a further “two-tenths of a second” per lap. The rampant RB19, the latest of Adrian Newey’s race-winning designs, has won all 10 of this year’s grands prix, including four 1-2 results, while also securing pole position in nine grand prix qualifying sessions.
Arguably the most complete package on the track, Newey and Co are not resting on their laurels with more upgrades scheduled to hit the track at the Hungarian Grand Prix. According to Auto Motor und Sport, Red Bull will have new bodywork at the Hungaroring with notable changes to the sidepods that “should be visible to the naked eye”.
“In the paddock, it was radioed that the industry leader was also looking at the competition, and there in particular at the Aston Martin with its deep groove in the sidepod,” the report stated. “Red Bull should expect a good leap from the upgrade, which probably includes even more areas.”
‘Ominous warning’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/red-bu...th-02s-report/
Ferrari has potential to make ‘much better use’ of its car with set-up changes
2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
Posted on 18th July 2023, 11:28
Written by Ida Wood
RaceFans
The key to unlocking the Ferrari SF-23’s pace is making the correct set-up decisions, rather than bringing more upgrades, says team principal Frederic Vasseur. The team has brought some significant changes to its SF-23 since the season began. However Vasseur believes they can make greater gains by optimising the package they have from race to race.
“I’m not sure that it’s development, It’s also set-up during the weekend,” Vasseur said following the British Grand Prix. “Because the development at one stage you will have a kind of asymptote with the upgrade that you will make one or two tenths with set-up and [with] the preparation of the weekend you can do more than this.”
“You can’t bring every single week upgrades on the car,” he added. “We will have parts soon but again if I have a look on the [most recent race] weekend, I think we could have done a much better usage of the car that we have.”
‘Can make greater gains by optimising the package’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/18/...et-up-changes/
IT'S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
17 July 2023
Chris Medland
Special Contributor
Formula One - Official Site
And just like that, we’re into the final pair of races before the summer break, but there’s no time to relax for the drivers with records to be broken, fierce battles to win and a returning big name with a point to prove. So here are some of the main talking points ahead of this weekend’s trip to the Hungaroring.
Daniel Ricciardo’s return: I’m sure you haven’t missed it, but if for some reason you tuned out from the latest happenings in the paddock after Silverstone then the big news over the past week is the decision from Red Bull to replace Nyck de Vries with Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri.
Red Bull chasing history: And speaking of Red Bull delivering, the team are on the cusp of breaking a Formula 1 record that has stood for some 35 years.
Where will McLaren stack up? When it comes to teams that might be able to prevent Red Bull from making history a new threat has emerged in recent weeks. And that threat comes from McLaren.
The overall fight for second: And if McLaren do manage to remain as competitive as they were in Silverstone, then that will provide a further headache for the rest of the chasing pack.
Lewis Hamilton’s contract talks: Off-track, one of the biggest storylines remains unresolved as we near the summer break with Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes yet to finalise a new contract for the seven-time world champion.
‘5 storylines’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...H6wZYrLTw.html
Mercedes confident Lewis Hamilton will benefit from key car change at Hungarian Grand Prix
Mercedes chief James Allison is hopeful a new upgrade to their car will help Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at the Hungarian Grand Prix
16:05, 17 Jul 2023
By Matthew Cooper Sports Writer
Mercedes upgraded their front wing for the British Grand Prix and Allison has revealed it "should improve the balance and performance of the car through the slower range of the corners". And with the course in Hungary "made up almost entirely of slower stuff", it should help Mercedes be more competitive. "The new front-wing is of course designed to make us go faster," Allison said. "That's why we do all our things.
"The specific characteristics of this new front-wing that we are excited about, is that it should improve the balance and performance of the car through the slower range of the corners. Now, Silverstone is famous for lots of things but lots and lots of slow corners is not one of them. What we took as a comfort from Silverstone is that in the slower parts of the track, we were looking pretty decently competitive. That's a tick in the box for this new front-wing.”
"But I guess it will only be when we get to Hungary, which is a track made up almost entirely of slower stuff, that we'll get to know for sure. Early sings are promising, the new front-wing seemed to do what we expected and hopefully it will bring us more at tracks which have a wider range of slow corners."
‘Key car change at Hungarian Grand Prix’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ssell-30487536
Aston Martin assess Hungary victory chances
17 July 5:00PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack has played down expectations for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix despite the race providing a chance for a rebound from recent struggles.
A return to a higher downforce configuration should help the team's prospects in Hungary, but Krack told media including RacingNews365: "We are realists, we always have been and we have never been dreamers.”
"We will look at the track and we will look at our car, how to set it up for that. If you look at the characteristic [of the track], it should play better into our car [strengths] than other circuits than we have been at."
‘EL PLAN: A chance for a rebound’;
https://racingnews365.com/aston-mart...ictory-chances
Hungarian Grand Prix: 5 great battles from the F1 archive
18 Jul 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Delve into the F1 archive to take a look at some of the greatest battles in Hungary.
‘5 great battles’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...875600578.html
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Verstappen expects Red Bull challenge: Lets see where we stand.
Max Verstappen is anticipating rivals to be closer to Red Bull at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Dutchman expects that gap to close to Red Bull at Hungary as they bring updates to the dominant RB19.
19 July 11:50AM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365
"The Hungarian GP is always an interesting one," said Verstappen. "Last year it was tricky to make the right calls with the incoming rain and colder temperatures, but as a team we remained calm and made all the right decisions. We have a couple of upgrades this weekend, hopefully they will do what we expect them to do so we can find extra performance for the upcoming races."
Verstappen is cautious about drawing to too many conclusions over whether Red Bull will show the same dominant pace. "Let’s see where we stand on a track where you run high downforce with relatively low speed corners," he said. "It’s an amazing track to drive and very technical as well. Definitely a place I always look forward to coming back to.”
‘Lets see where we stand’;
https://racingnews365.com/verstappen...where-we-stand
Wolff reveals Mercedes UPGRADES to deal with McLaren F1 pace ahead of Hungarian Grand Prix
Wednesday 19 July 2023 12:57
Matthew Hobkinson
GPFans
Toto Wolff has revealed that Mercedes will bring their "own steps in due course" to combat McLaren's sudden pace increase, as the team principal called on the Silver Arrows to bring the fight to their F1 rivals.
"We head to Hungary looking forward to tackling the double-header before the summer shutdown," he told in-house media. "It has been an up-and-down first half of the year, but we can take several positives. At Silverstone, we outscored our closest competitors. We executed well on race day. We were able to race to the podium and extend our P2 advantage in the championship.”
"The Hungaroring is a circuit that is quite different in nature to Silverstone," he said. "It will be interesting to explore how our latest upgrades perform in the long-radius, slow-speed corners. Hopefully we can have another strong showing this time out. We want to build on the positive momentum from Silverstone, and take the fight to our rivals."
‘Mercedes UPGRADES’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...an-grand-prix/
Podium a tall target for McLaren in Hungary
Wednesday 19th July, 2023 - 9:36pm
By Speedcafe.com
Speedcafe F1 editor Mat Coch suggests expectations need to be tempered this weekend as the Hungaroring offers a completely different challenge for McLaren. “McLaren’s pace at the British Grand Prix was all through Maggotts, Becketts, and into Stowe – it was all on that final part of the lap,” he observed in the latest episode of the Pit Talk podcast, a joint production between Speedcafe and Fox Sports.
Coch reasoned McLaren has typically been stronger at high speed, which is what played out in Silverstone. Changing that trait, he suggested, is not going to be the work of a moment. That is not to say the team hasn’t made progress, but that the nature of the Hungaroring, which features more low- and medium-speed content than Silverstone or the Red Bull Ring, is less suited to the MCL60.
McLaren will introduce the final tranche of its three-part upgrade package this weekend, with both Norris and Piastri set to enjoy the benefits it brings. Primarily, those are aimed at improving race pace.
‘Podium a tall target’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/07/19...en-in-hungary/
Track layout and updates give Aston Martin extra confidence for Hungary
2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
Posted on 19th July 2023, 8:1418th July 2023, 23:33
Written by Ida Wood and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans
The layout of the Hungaroring plus the latest upgrades coming for the AMR23 gives Aston Martin extra confidence heading into this weekend’s race. Team principal Mike Krack expects the track’s combination of low to medium speed corners plus short straights will suit their car. “If you look at the characteristic, it should play better into our car than other circuits that we have been to. Qualifying is key, especially in circuits where you struggle more to pass like the one that will come, although it is now a bit easier than it used to be.”
Aston Martin’s performance director Tom McCullough, believes the team “have got a good understanding of our own car and what’s the strengths of that car” which is allowing them to be judicious in their choice of upgrades. We’ve actually bought a lot of updates a lot of different times of the car. We’re going to continue doing that for a while.”
The development of the Aston Martin AMR23 has put more focus on qualifying performance, which is more important at the Hungaroring than most circuits. “We do, historically as a team, focus heavily on race performance,” said McCullough. “But you have to try and qualify well too, and at certain circuits it’s obviously more important than others.”
‘Aston Martin extra confidence for Hungary’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/19/...e-for-hungary/
Why all eyes won’t just be on Daniel Ricciardo at the Hungarian Grand Prix
19 Jul 2023 7:00 AM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Having shot into leading contention with their upgraded MCL60 at Silverstone, the Hungaroring is the true litmus test for McLaren’s performance level.
It was a Jekyll and Hyde type showing from McLaren, with the MCL60 having been outright poor for most of the first nine weekends of the year – only to completely eclipse the likes of Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin almost immediately after extensive upgrades were fitted.
McLaren, having shown up at testing and in Bahrain with a car they knew wasn’t going to do the job, bided their time as they developed an extensive upgrade package for the MCL60. While struggling to bring home points finishes, former McLaren driver and World Champion Mika Hakkinen posited the Woking-based team could make massive strides and perhaps even bring a challenge to Red Bull – a seemingly laughable suggestion just a few short weeks ago.
‘Challenge to Red Bull – a seemingly laughable suggestion’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/hungar...-2023-preview/
Hungarian GP a ‘good circuit to reset’ for Perez
Wednesday 19th July, 2023 - 1:34pm
By Speedcafe.com
“The pressure has now got to be on Sergio, doesn’t it?” asked Speedcafe F1 editor Mat Coch on the latest episode of the Pit Talk podcast. “Look a little bit further down the pit lane and the AlphaTauri garage has a big smile coming out of it; [Perez] is under pressure.”
“Every weekend he goes racing now, he has one less opportunity [to show his worth], so he has to take every one of them between now and the end of the season and basically show Christian Horner and Helmut Marko that ‘no, I’m your man’ – give them no excuse to look at Daniel. The only reason they’re looking at Daniel now is because he’s giving them that opportunity.”
‘Good circuit to reset’
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/07/19...set-for-perez/
Kevin Magnussen anticipates compelling qualifying at the Hungaroring: “Saturday is very exciting in Hungary always”
July 19, 2023
By Ashley Cline
The Checkered Flag
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen expects qualifying to be especially important at the Hungarian Grand Prix, as the “twisty” Hungaroring tends to prevent large amounts of overtaking. As the team has proven to be strong on a Saturday, Magnussen is excited to compete there and hopes to be competitive.
“I think the Hungarian Grand Prix is always a good one, the circuit is a tight, little twisty track. It’s kind of difficult for overtaking, but it puts more emphasis on qualifying, so Saturday is very exciting in Hungary always. Usually, not this year, it’s the last race before the summer break, so there is also that to look forward to. I’m looking forward to going there and hopefully we can be competitive.”
‘Compelling qualifying at the Hungaroring’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ungary-always/
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Race preview: Hungarian Grand Prix.
Round 11 of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship takes teams and drivers to Budapest, one of the most stunning cities in Europe, home of the Hungarian Grand Prix. F1Technical's senior writer Balázs Szabó delivers his race preview ahead of the Budapest race.
20 Jul 2023, 09:00
By Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical
Since joining Formula One, the Hungarian Grand Prix has been held continuously. The Hungaroring was built in eight months, less time than any other Formula One circuit. The construction work started in October 1985 and on 24 March 1986, the first race was held in memory of János Drapál, the first Hungarian who won motorcycle Grand Prix races.
When Formula One travels to the Hungaroring that is just a few miles away from Hungarian capital, Budapest, the weather is usually nice with high temperatures testing the reliability and physical conditions of the drivers. The 4.381km-long Hungaroring is one of the shortest on the current calendar. Drivers will need to complete 70 laps on Sunday to cover the entire race distance of 306.630km, giving fans sitting in the grandstands plenty of opportunities to witness the fastest racing cars in action.
Good mechanical grip and aerodynamic balance are accented around the twisty layout of the track. There is hardly any long straights on the Hungaroring, the flowing sequences of slow and medium-speed corners provide a real test of car balance and driver’s mental strength. Due to the high-number of corners, teams use the highest levels of downforce seen all year. Qualifying is vital at the purpose-built Hungarian track as overtaking is nearly impossible. FIA mandated two DRS zones, one placed on the main straight, the second one on the short full-throttle rundown to Turn 2.
‘Highest levels of downforce’;
https://www.f1technical.net/news/24098
Unforgettable Moments: Tributes, Drama, and Victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix
18:48 Wed, 19 Jul 2023.
By Theo Gayle
World In Sport (Weblog)
A Heartfelt Tribute: Before the race commenced, a poignant moment unfolded in memory of the late Jules Bianchi.
Start-line Drama: The race began with a burst of adrenaline as Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen showcased spectacular starts, outpacing the Mercedes drivers.
Hamiltons Turf Troubles: Lewis Hamilton, initially running in fourth position, encountered a challenging moment in the opening corners.
Maldonado and Perez’s Collision: Attempting a daring manoeuvre around the outside at Turn 1, Perez found himself with no room to manoeuvre on the exit, leading to an unavoidable collision. Maldonado’s actions resulted in three penalties, further fueling the drama.
Intense Racing Spectacle: Fans witnessed thrilling overtakes from Hamilton, Ricciardo, and Fernando Alonso as they battled for positions, making the race truly unforgettable.
Hulkenberg’s Front Wing Woes: Nico Hulkenberg faced a terrifying moment at the Hungaroring, as the harsh kerbs took their toll on his front wing.
‘Costly Contact After Safety Car, Raikkonen’s Disheartening Engine Failure, The Thrilling Finish, Vettel’s Victorious Moment’;
https://worldinsport.com/unforgettab.../?nowprocket=1
Ferrari issues Red Bull CHALLENGE ahead of new qualifying format for Hungarian Grand Prix
Wednesday 19 July 2023 20:27
Jay Winter
GPFans
In a quest to solidify their resurgence, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has set the bar high for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz for the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix. "Now we come to Budapest: for our part, we are determined to continue making progress," Vasseur told in-house media.
"Which began with the introduction of several technical updates on the SF-23. Even if Silverstone saw a dip in the upward trend, there were clear signs of progress in Canada and Austria. We believe that we now have a car that will allow Charles and Carlos to give their best at the Hungaroring."
‘Ferrari solidify their resurgence’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...g-change-rule/
Red Bull Set to Unleash Major Upgrades at Hungarian Grand Prix
18:48 Wed, 19 Jul 2023.
By Theo Gayle
World In Sport (Weblog)
Red Bull’s competitors are about to receive some unwelcome news as the dominant leaders of the F1 championship are gearing up to introduce a significant upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix. As reported by AMuS, a German publication, Red Bull is planning to implement visible modifications to their sidepod and bodywork design at the Hungaroring.
Red Bull is optimistic that this upgrade will grant them an advantage of approximately 0.2 seconds per lap. If successful, it could result in yet another effortless victory for Max Verstappen. As the European season nears its conclusion with only two races remaining before the summer break, teams are eager to implement any final upgrades before shifting their focus to next year’s car.
‘Red Bull Set to Unleash’;
https://worldinsport.com/red-bull-se.../?nowprocket=1
F1 will be spared European heatwave but may get more rain in Hungary
2023 Hungarian Grand Prix weather
Posted on 20th July 2023, 8:1419th July 2023, 23:02
Written by Ida Wood
RaceFans
Dangerous heatwaves are blasting large areas of Europe this week bringing temperatures in the high 40s. But the Hungarian Grand Prix will be spared those brutal highs. F1 could instead see another rain-affected event. If so, that may complicate F1’s planned test of its new ‘Alternative Tyre Allocation’ rules.
The strongest chance of drivers facing a wet track is on Friday, with thundery showers expected at the Hungaroring in the afternoon and at the end of the day. With an 80% chance of rain in the afternoon, both first and second practice could be affected. On Saturday the threat of rain will drop to just 20%, which may come as a relief to drivers after a string of rain-affected qualifying sessions.
Race day in Hungary is set to be the driest, warmest and sunniest of the weekend. Track temperatures will likely to be 10C or so higher than the 29C air temperature predicted for the race, and the 3pm start time means the race should end in similar conditions to the start of qualifying.
‘Hungarian Grand Prix weather’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/20/...in-in-hungary/
Albon managing Williams expectations in Hungary
Thursday 20th July, 2023 - 11:53am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Alex Albon is already managing expectations ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix following improved showings from Williams in recent races. “Hungary is a great circuit and one that we all love to drive around, as it has a great flow to it,” he said.
“We’ve just come off the back of three strong races, however, I think going into this week, we need to manage expectations slightly, as it’s not necessarily a track that should suit us. “Nevertheless, we’ll see how the upgrades perform around a high downforce track, which is something that hasn’t been the case in the previous three races.”
‘Managing Williams expectations’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/07/20...ns-in-hungary/
Where Ricciardo can strike in 12-race F1 comeback bid — including some of his best tracks
July 20th, 2023 3:49 pm
Michael Lamonato
This weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix is the first of 12 grands prix in which Daniel Ricciardo will attempt to prove he’s still deserving of a race-winning car. He’ll undertake this half-season audition in an AlphaTauri he’s never driven before and which is last in the constructors standings.
The challenge will be dialled up by Yuki Tsunoda, his new teammate, who’s in career-killing form after dispatching Nyck de Vries in just 10 races. But on Ricciardo’s side is a wealth of experience. He’s collected 15 podium trophies from the upcoming 11 established races — excluding the brand-new Las Vegas Grand Prix — including three famous victories, not least of which was that Italian Grand Prix win two years ago.
Such lofty results are off the table without the most unusual of circumstances this year, but if the goal is simply to steal some points, there’s plenty in Ricciardo’s history to suggest the hunt will be on.
‘12-race F1 comeback bid’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...7917b36f00f045
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Alpine confirm shock big-name departure on eve of Hungarian GP.
Two months after warning the Alpine Formula 1 team that there’d be consequences if results didn’t improve, Laurent Rossi has been ousted as CEO of the carmaker and replaced by Philippe Krief.
July 20, 2023
By Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport
After several years firmly in the midfield of the sport leading up to that, Rossi has seen a continuation of that form with Alpine recording fourth and fifth-place constructors’ championship finishes while they sit sixth in 2023. They’ve recorded several podiums and a shock win at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, but have been overtaken by Aston Martin in 2023 and look to once again be fighting McLaren for fifth.
“I would like to thank Laurent for his unwavering commitment over the last two years at the helm of Alpine,” Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo said in a statement. “Laurent has set out a clear and ambitious strategy for the brand. He has put Alpine in the best possible position to achieve its long-term goals, Alpine is now ready to enter a new phase of its development and to become a brand of the future.”
‘There’d be consequences if results didn’t improve’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-hungarian-gp/
Perez says “rough patch” began when he “lost trust” in car after Monaco crash
2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
Posted on 20th July 2023, 18:05
Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans
Sergio Perez has admitted he is going through a “rough patch” on track after he lost “trust” in his car after his Monaco qualifying shunt. Speaking to media ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Perez said his poor run of qualifying results are “not a concern” for him. “I think when you look at those bad qualifyings, there’s always been different situations that we haven’t dealt with as good as we should have dealt with them,” Perez said in response to a question from RaceFans.
“But there has always been some external factors. It hasn’t been pure pace, let’s put it that way. Certainly when you are not fully confident with the car… I think what happened in Monaco probably brought me a step back and it has taken me some time to fully trust the car the way I was doing it. And then you add the external factor with the changeable conditions and then there’s a bit more of a discrepancy.”
“I’m here because I know that I can do it, I’ve done it before. People just on the sofa forget that how much in the little details we are. You’ve seen it with other drivers, other teams – they’ve had difficult periods but they don’t have 20 replacements after each session, like they do with a Red Bull driver.”
‘20 replacements after each session’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/20/...-monaco-crash/
Ricciardo says AlphaTauri drive offers “best path” back to “dream” Red Bull seat
2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
Posted on 20th July 2023, 12:36
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
Daniel Ricciardo says regaining his seat at Red Bull would be a “dream” outcome from his return to Formula 1 with AlphaTauri. In contrast he has only had one day in AlphaTauri’s simulator to get used to their car. Although the AT04 shared the same Honda RBPT power unit as the Red Bull, it is unlike the world champions’ car in other ways. “It is different, for sure,” said Ricciardo, who recognised he needs to start afresh with their new car.
“It helps driving a good car because it gives you something to aim for in terms of development, set-up and where there is potential within these regulations,” he said. “But also, in saying that, I also need to erase a lot of that from my mind and just start fresh now with the AlphaTauri. This is it, this is what it is and we need to move forward from here.
“But I mean, the sim was good, but it was also important for me just to work with Pierre [Hamelin], who’ll be my engineer, just to make sure that we speak the same language, are on the same page, and we have that connection because that’s obviously really important as well.”
‘Dream outcome’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/20/...red-bull-seat/
Mercedes Gears Up with Upgrades to Take on Hungarian Grand Prix Challenges.
July 19, 2023
BaylaSportsF1
Toto Wolff has shared Mercedes’ strategic plans to counter McLaren’s remarkable surge in performance, emphasizing the need for the Silver Arrows to step up their game and confront their Formula 1 competitors head-on.
Moreover, Wolff emphasized the myriad of positives that the current F1 campaign has offered to the team. Toto Wolff, speaking to in-house media ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, stated: “We head to Hungary looking forward to tackling the double-header before the summer shutdown.”
Expressing optimism and drawing inspiration from their past experiences in Hungary, Toto Wolff conveyed his hope that his team would harness the power of positive memories to demonstrate their true potential to the teams in their midst.
‘Mercedes Gears Up’;
https://baylasportsf1.com/mercedes-g...ix-challenges/
First look at Red Bull’s second major F1 2023 sidepod upgrade
Jul 20 2023
By Rosario Giuliana
The Race
Red Bull has brought its second major sidepod upgrade of the 2023 Formula 1 season to the Hungarian Grand Prix. The new version is a more extreme evolution of the package introduced at April’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when a wider, shorter cooling inlet was introduced.
This was analysed in detail by The Race’s technical expert, Gary Anderson, who cited it as Red Bull’s biggest upgrade of the season and reckoned it was a more significant change than the team was letting on. That upgrade was certainly effective in increasing downforce and doing so efficiently.
The Hungary package means Red Bull now has a full letterbox-shaped cooling inlet. This creates space for the sidepod undercut to be more aggressive, increasing the airflow being taken around the sidepods and fed towards the rear of the car. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said after the Austrian Grand Prix three weeks ago that the Red Bull RB19 “is not that different” to how it was at the start of the season.
‘Second major F1 2023 sidepod upgrade’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/first...depod-upgrade/
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‘Show us what you’ve got’: Gauntlet laid for Ricciardo comeback but ‘no guarantees’ of Red Bull call-up.
Ricciardo will race for the first time in almost eight months after getting the call-up to replace the maligned Nyck de Vries as part of a 12-race plan to assess the possibility of a return to the senior team.
July 21st, 2023 6:43 am
Michael Lamonato
Daniel Ricciardo will try to push his Red Bull Racing dream out of his mind when he lines up on the grid at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix with AlphaTauri. “There is no point in me thinking about that,” he said, per Racer. “Obviously the dream is a Red Bull seat, but there’s no like, ‘This is what you need to do’.”
Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner says Ricciardo’s objective is to take Sergio Pérez’s seat in 2025, though speculation of an earlier switch will swirl for as long as the Mexican remains out of form in the best car on the grid.
Aussie eight-time race winner Ricciardo acknowledged the pressure was on to wipe clean the slate muddied by two woeful seasons at McLaren but said his aim was to remain focused on getting the most from his AlphaTauri package rather than become distracted by his long-term goals.
‘No guarantees’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...845225c8beb07c
F1 drivers welcome JUBILANT Ricciardo back to the paddock
Friday 21 July 2023 06:59
Shay Rogers
GPFans
It feels like a long eight months since Daniel Ricciardo last appeared on the F1 grid as a full-time driver at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but he returns this weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix – and his fellow drivers are delighted to have him back.
The ‘Honey Badger’ as he’s known by fans, was smiling in full force during Thursday’s media day for the Hungarian Grand Prix, revealing that in his time away from the sport he was able to spend time with friends as well as recharge his batteries. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton joked about the Australian’s reaction to not driving during the season, as he has attended all driver’s briefings with a smile.
“We talked with Daniel a bit earlier last week, and also with Nyck [De Vries] obviously," said Gasly. "I know them both. I think they’re two fantastic drivers and it’s great to see Daniel back on the grid and seeing what [is] up for grabs with him. He’s old enough and he knows Franz [Tost, the team principal] well enough to know what to do with him. I just think it’s great. He started there, he’s back there now. He still has plenty of years ahead of him and always enjoyed some battles with him on the racetrack.”
‘JUBILANT Ricciardo’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...piastri-gasly/
Hungarian GP: FIA Drivers Press Conference
20/07/2023
NEWS STORY
Pitpass
Group 1: Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen. Daniel, it's good to see you. How does it feel to be back?
Daniel Ricciardo: Thanks, it's good to be back. It feels... I don't know. It doesn't feel that foreign, like it feels familiar. I guess it hasn't been that long. It's good. Very good. A lot of people are happy so that's good as well.
Has your return to Formula 1 come sooner than you expected?
DR: Yeah, for sure. But I think getting back into the Red Bull family this year, it brings back a lot of old feelings and things that I was used to growing up and being part of that team or the Junior Team when I was younger. I think one thing, it was always like be prepared, you never know what's going to happen. Let's say, I didn't expect to maybe be in the car in Budapest, for example, but you never know. Surprised, but maybe not that surprised.
Struck up your old friendship with Helmut Marko as well...
DR: Yeah. It's been good. I've enjoyed this year in general, just going to the races and as I say, being back in the Red Bull family, I think it's been a lot of fun. It also personally gave me some time away, which I felt was definitely needed, and I probably expected the year off. Obviously I haven't got the whole year but I've actually felt like I've had enough time. It fuelled me, energised me and I'm definitely ready to go again.
‘Energised’;
https://www.pitpass.com/75689/Hungar...ess-Conference
2023 Hungarian Grand Prix: Weekend Warm-Up
20 Jul 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
Laura Winter, Alex Brundle and Sam Collins take a look at the latest news and forecasts ahead of the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.
‘Weekend Warm-Up’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...584594761.html
‘Cutthroat.’ ‘Brutal.’ ‘That’s how Red Bull works’: F1 drivers on de Vries’ sacking
2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
Posted on 20th July 2023, 23:42
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans
Nyck de Vries’ sacking just 10 races into his first full season as a grand prix driver is typical of Formula 1 in general and Red Bull in particular, according to several drivers. That’s how Red Bull do it,” said Lewis Hamilton when asked about the team’s decision to cut de Vries from its junior team AlphaTauri before the halfway mark in the season. Asked whether the decision reflected how F1 works, Hamilton replied: “I’d say that’s how Red Bull works.”
“It’s not the first time Red Bull has made decisions like this,” noted Valtteri Bottas. “They obviously follow their view what is the best. Obviously it’s really a shame for Nyck it was quite a short rookie season unfortunately. But also then it’s nice for Daniel he clearly wants to be back and now he’s got this opportunity. That’s F1, sometimes, pretty cutthroat.”
“It’s happened to many other drivers,” said Norris. “I know it’s happened in that team more than any other team. It is brutal because it’s someone’s career. I rate Nyck and I think he’s a very good driver so I feel like he’s not going to have a problem finding a seat somewhere else. But I guess it’s just your dream to be in Formula 1 and for it to kind of go so quickly… I also feel like it came very quickly for him, which is a very good thing, and sadly, it’s gone quickly too, which is a shame. To only have 10 races to perform, it’s not an easy task, I can tell you that. But Oscar [Piastri]’s come in, it’s his first season of Formula 1, he’s doing an extremely good job.”
‘Brutal’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/20/...vries-sacking/
Pérez driving to survive Ricciardo comeback; next step for Piastri, McLaren: F1 burning questions
July 21st, 2023 3:34
Michael Lamonato
Fox Sports (Australia)
The completion of the Hungarian Grand Prix will mark the halfway mark of this 22-race season, and the focus of attention is shifting. Rather than wonder whether anyone can catch Red Bull Racing and in particular Max Verstappen — that ship has long sailed — the question now is whether this dominant partnership can go all the way.
Daniel Ricciardo was the talk of the paddock at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the first race since he announced his F1 comeback after 10 grands prix on the sidelines. The Aussie says he’s targeting a return to Red Bull Racing by the end of his time at AlphaTauri, whether that’s 2025 or, potentially, next year if things go his way. “That’s the dream, but there is no point in me thinking about that,” Ricciardo said.
“Everything I felt driving the [Red Bull] last week is what I want from racing — to be in the moment, enjoying it and not thinking too far ahead. I know the car is going to have some limitations, but I’ve got to do the best with what I’ve got.” WILL SERGIO PÉREZ DRIVE TO SURVIVE? Hand in hand with Ricciardo’s comeback news is the pressure mounting on Sergio Pérez to reverse his stinking qualifying form and restore some credibility to his hold on the second seat at Red Bull Racing.
‘Pérez driving to survive’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...8d047d42a1fe31
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BREAKING NEWS: Red Bull's Sergio Perez loses control and smashes into a wall at Hungarian Grand Prix, just five minutes into practice, leaving his car crumpled as Daniel Ricciardo threatens his future.
• Sergio Perez lost control early in the first qualifying session at the Hungarian GP
• The Red Bull driver made an error, crashed out at turn five, and caused a red flag
• Pressure is mounting with ex-Red Bull ace Daniel Riccardo returning to the grid
Updated: 13:37, 21 July 2023
By Luke Power For Mailonline
Mail Online
Sergio Perez crashed early into the first Hungarian GP practice session to cause a red flag. After he dipped his left wheels onto the grass going into turn five, his car spun out and smashed into the barrier, leaving the front left of the Red Bull damaged. track marshals had to remove the car. The rookie error piles more pressure onto the Mexican with just two races before the summer break after Daniel Ricciardo returned to the grid with AlphaTauri.
Ex-Red Bull man Ricciardo said on Thursday that 'the dream is a Red Bull seat' while Perez, currently Max Verstappen's sidekick at F1's leading team, has insisted his future is in his own hands. Over the team radio, he said: 'I cannot believe this. I caught the grass on the outside, I think.' Perez sits second in the Drivers' Championship but has only been on the podium in one of the last five races, whereas Verstappen has won all five.
Pressure is mounting’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ns-future.html
(FP1) First Practice Results – 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
21st July 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
1. George Russell Mercedes -1:38.795
2. Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.359
3. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.218
4. Lando Norris McLaren +1.482
5. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.892
6. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +2.237
7. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +2.347
8. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +2.568
9. Logan Sargeant Williams Racing +2.621
10. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +3.911
‘Hungarian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the first practice session for this weekend’s 2023 F1 World Championship race at the Hungaroring’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp1-first-...and-prix-82761
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from first practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix
21 July 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
‘As it happened’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...j0TieiE4e.html
2023 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix - Friday Practice - LIVE UPDATES!
21st July 2023, 12:20
Reporting By: Harvey Orgill
Crash.Net
‘LIVE UPDATES!’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/live/2023-f...e-live-updates
Sergio Perez crashes in Hungarian GP practice as F1 pressure mounts on Red Bull racer
Perez would have been praying for a clean weekend in Budapest given his rotten run of form, and the extra pressure upon his Red Bull seat given Daniel Ricciardo's F1 return
12:38, 21 Jul 2023
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
Sergio Perez slammed his Red Bull into a tyre wall within minutes of the start of first practice in Budapest on Friday. The Mexican is under plenty of pressure right now, given his awful run of recent form. He has finished on the podium only once in his last five races – while his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen is on a six-race winning streak.
"I cannot believe this," he said to his race engineer, clearly emotional about yet another costly error. He went back onto the airwaves shortly afterwards to add: "I clipped the grass, I think, on braking – I just lost it." TV cameras cut to the Red Bull pit wall moments after the smash to show veteran team adviser Helmut Marko looking decidedly unimpressed. And team principal Christian Horner will also not have been happy to see one of his RB19s embedded into a tyre wall.
Horner said of the damage done: "It's frustrating to have had that off. We haven't got the car back yet but hopefully it's contained to the front right corner, which will hopefully be repairable in time for the next session. It's unfortunate. He just put a wheel on the grass and made a mistake into Turn 5. I haven't had a chance to speak to him yet – I will do after the session – but hopefully he won't have lost too much through this session."
‘F1 pressure mounts’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...ctice-30521221
Checo Perez crashes as George Russell tops wet Hungarian GP FP1
The slump continue for Red Bull's number two as rain curtailed all of the dry running
July 21, 2023
By Joe Ellis
Total Motorsport
George Russell topped a wet Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix FP1 as Sergio Perez crashed out just moments into the session. An early red flag for the Mexican’s shunt curtailed all dry running and a second for a spin for Carlos Sainz halted some intermediate laps too but Russell left it late to go to the top.
Oscar Piastri, fresh off the back of his best F1 result at Silverstone, was second fastest in the McLaren while Lance Stroll was third. Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso came next in the McLaren-Aston Martin fight.
Valtteri Bottas was sixth ahead of Charles Leclerc, Zhou Guanyu, Logan Sargeant and Nico Hulkenberg. Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Sainz didn’t set a lap at all as only 12 got a time on the board.
‘George Russell tops wet Hungarian GP FP1’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...garian-gp-fp1/
-
Hungarian Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc tops FP2 as Max Verstappen misses out on top 10.
Charles Leclerc signed off on Friday at the Hungaroring in P1, while Red Bull’s runaway Championship leader Max Verstappen did not even feature in the top 10.
21 Jul 2023 5:06 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
Leclerc’s 1:17.686 got the job done by the slimmest of margins as he claimed P1 in the FP2 session just 0.015s up the road from McLaren’s Lando Norris, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly completing the top three. With the Hungaroring having dried out nicely since the rain-impacted FP1, it was no surprise to see a busy track from the off as the teams and their drivers set about making up for lost dry-running time.
But, as Lando Norris and Logan Sargeant traded setting the pace in the opening minutes, Verstappen clearly was in no rush to head out as he watched the early action via the screens in the Red Bull garage. His team-mate Sergio Perez, after that embarrassing FP1 shunt, plus the Mercedes and Ferraris joined Verstappen in biding their time.
George Russell was the first to bolt in the Mercedes W14 which had an early controls issue, as Russell’s brake balance change attempt resulted in a strategy mode change. Norris meanwhile was having trouble with bottoming in the McLaren MCL60, even though he did not believe it was “hurting anything”, while Zhou Guanyu was giving Hamilton, now putting his Mercedes through its paces on the medium tyres, a frustrated hand wave over what he felt was a spot of impeding.
‘Biding their time’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/hungar...2-2023-report/
(FP2) Second Practice Results – 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix
21st July 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:17.686
2. Lando Norris McLaren +0.015
3. Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.232
4. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +0.248
5. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.359
6. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +0.372
7. Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo +0.399
8. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.419
9. Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo +0.422
10. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.496
‘Hungarian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the second practice session ahead of the 2023 F1 World Championship race at the Hungaroring’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/fp2-second...and-prix-82775
AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from second practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix
21 July 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site
‘AS IT HAPPENED’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...jWKkJJCmH.html
How F1 practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix unfolded
21st July 2023, 16:44
Reporting By: Harvey Orgill
Crash.Net
‘LIVE UPDATES’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/live/how-f1...-prix-unfolded
Leclerc edges Norris in Hungarian GP FP2 with Verstappen outside top 10
Nobody would have predicted this order, which would make for an incredible grid at the 2023 Hungarian GP
July 21, 2023
By Joe Ellis
Total Motorsport
Charles Leclerc led the way on Friday at the 2023 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix as Red Bull failed to stamp their authority. The Ferrari man set a 1:17:686 to go 0.015s quicker than McLaren’s Lando Norris and claim the top spot in FP2 as teams took different approaches to the session.
Red Bull and Mercedes didn’t do a proper qualifying simulation on soft tyres which left Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell outside the top 10. Two-tenths behind Norris was Pierre Gasly for Alpine, who didn’t set a time in the wet FP1 session, while Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon completed the top five.
Nico Hulkenberg was sixth ahead of the two Alfa Romeo’s – who didn’t do a soft tyre run either – with Fernando Alonso splitting Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. Carlos Sainz was tenth but some way off his Monegasque teammate.
‘Nobody would have predicted this order’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...utside-top-10/
Lewis Hamilton and co benefit as Red Bull secrets leaked at Hungarian Grand Prix
Red Bull could be hit with a double blow after Sergio Perez crashed out at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
17:04, Fri, Jul 21, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express
Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s other F1 rivals could steal Red Bull’s secrets after Sergio Perez’s crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Perez lost control of his car at turn five just minutes into Friday practice, smashing against the barrier and bringing out the red flags.
However, the team could face a double blow with Martin Brundle admitting teams were able to snap images of key Red Bull parts. It comes at the worst possible time for Red Bull who introduced new upgrades at this weekend’s race. Brundle told Sky Sports F1: “They were telling me a little bit earlier on that a very good number of them were able to photograph the underneath of the Red Bull when Sergio Perez crashed earlier on.”
“I’m sure that will be most useful to other teams and a lot of pain for Red Bull, with their updated car, to have that all photographed again." Red Bull suffered a similar fate after another Perez shunt at Monaco as the RB19 was lifted into the air.”
‘Red Bull secrets leaked’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-grand-prix
