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Saudi Arabia FP1: Leclerc off to a good start.
Charles Leclerc went fastest at the opening Free Practice session for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix clocking a lap time of 1:30.772 set on the Soft tyres.
Jad Mallak
25 March, 2022
Formula 1 resumed in Jeddah with FP1 for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Charles Leclerc leading the way, less than a week since the Ferrari 0ne-two season-opening race in Bahrain. Max Verstappen was second fastest for Red Bull, 0.116s off the Monegasque’s best time.
Valtteri Bottas continued the strong showing of Alfa Romeo, and took third place with a lap time of 1:31.084, and was followed by Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari, 0.055s further behind.
Pierre Gasly survived a brush with the wall midway through the session to take fifth fastest for AlphaTauri, 0.545s off the ultimate pace. The Frenchman’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda was sixth fastest in the sister car a further 0.188s adrift, and was followed by Sergio Perez, seventh in the RB18 who’s best time was 1:31.563 almost eight tenths off the pace.
‘Charles Leclerc Leads The Way’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...-a-good-start/
Leclerc quickest on Friday but ends practice early after brushing the wall
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix second practice
Posted on
25th March 2022, 18:4525th March 2022, 18:48 | Written by Will Wood
Charles Leclerc was quickest in the second practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but ended his running early after brushing the barriers.
Leclerc brushed the barrier at turn four, before driving slowly back to the pits after reporting an engine problem. He was able to successfully recover to the pitlane, but did not take any further part in the session. His team mate Sainz also had to bring his Ferrari back to the pitlane having hit the wall on the exit of the long hairpin of turn 13, sidelining him from the rest of the session also.
‘Leclerc Brushed Barrier And Ended Session Early’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/25/...hing-the-wall/
Why Ferrari drivers are unhappy with Saudi Arabia track changes
25/03/2022, 16:15
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Dieter Rencken
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc agree that the many changes made to Jeddah's Corniche Circuit are not impactful enough to improve safety and racing at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Speaking to members of the media in Saudi Arabia, including RacingNews365.com, Leclerc welcomed the changes, but believes that some areas of the circuit that needed improvements have been ignored.
Sainz: Our visibility doesn't improve. Leclerc's teammate, meanwhile, believes that the changes offer very little improvements to the safety of the circuit, suggesting that the feedback provided by drivers following last season's event has not been followed.
‘Track Change Impact Not Enough’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-ferrar...-track-changes
Bottas & Alfa Romeo eager to capitalise on Bahrain momentum in Jeddah
Ben Issatt
25 March 2022
Valtteri Bottas and Alfa Romeo hope to build on the momentum from Bahrain at this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
While many thought Bottas' decision to join Alfa from Mercedes would be a substantial backwards step, it has so far proven not to be the case with the Finn actually starting alongside former teammate Lewis Hamilton on the Bahrain grid.
And Valtteri is keen for the team to keep their current advantage for as long as possible. “It’s nice to be back in the car soon after a good result," he said of this weekend's race in Jeddah. "It gives us the chance to build on the strong performance we showed last weekend and fix the things that can be improved.”
‘Mercedes to Alfa Great Move’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...ntum-in-jeddah
‘I want to get in the fight as soon as possible’ says Hamilton, as Mercedes prepare to try fixes in Saudi
25 March 2022
Lewis Hamilton has vowed ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to try and get in the championship battle “as soon as possible” after a bittersweet opening race of the season in Bahrain.
“A huge amount of work has gone on in the past three days,” he added. “We're aware of the problems we have, but in terms of what's causing it, we're just working through it, trying to figure that out and how we can rectify it without losing performance – and ultimately gain performance.”
“But three days is such a short time between races, so it's not a huge difference here this weekend. But hopefully we'll have some things to try. And from a driver's perspective, that's exciting when you… get into the car, just trying something new and hoping it unlocks a bit of performance. But the others are still very strong.”
‘A. S. A. P. For The Championships Battle’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...VPGWJ9Y8l.html
Lewis Hamilton: Mika Hakkinen feels George Russell could 'irritate' team-mate
By George Dagless
Published: 24 Mar 2022, 10:31
Former Formula 1 world champion Mika Hakkinen has said that Lewis Hamilton may become irritated if the teamwork at Mercedes is not as good with George Russell as it was with Valtteri Bottas.
Despite that, though, Finnish F1 icon and double-world champion Hakkinen has said that if the teamwork does not continue or does not reach the levels it did when Valtteri Bottas was in the Silver Arrows’ garage, Lewis Hamilton might get irritated.
“I believe and I know from my experience that Lewis is relatively sensitive,” said Hakkinen during a video for Unibet’s YouTube channel. “He is a sensitive person. When Valtteri was Lewis’ team-mate, the teamwork was perfect. Now, the support he’s going to get from Russell… the teamwork could be lost. That’s where Lewis can become irritated.”
‘Irritation Possibilities’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87988008...tate-team-mate
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Ferrari’s double crash gives Mad Max boost as struggling Mercedes take step forward: F1 practice talking points.
What we don’t know is how this package goes over a race distance because both Ferrari drivers crashed before they could complete any meaningful race simulation.
March 26th, 2022 12:13 pm
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
Leclerc took a small but impactful bit out of the apex at turn four, breaking his steering arm, while Sainz grazed the wall at turn 13, likewise damaging his machine. Neither accident was repairable in time to resume the session.
It means it’s unclear how Ferrari will manage its tyres over a race stint, when lower downforce tends to mean worse wear. Ferrari had better tyre wear than Red Bull Racing in Bahrain, but it was running a notable step up in downforce.
Max Verstappen completed his long running untroubled and unsurprisingly was quickest of anyone over an 11-lap run on the mediums, which is expected to be the preferred starting compound. Though the soft offers better grip, degradation on the red-walled rubber will push drivers towards three-stop territory, and with overtaking difficult around street circuit, making the fewest stops is generally preferable to a theoretically faster strategy.
‘Ferrari Double Crash, Red Bull Untroubled Running’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...c7df6114f79f1e
Ferrari ahead again but driver errors on Friday could cost them in the race
2022 Saudi Arabian GP Friday practice analysis
Posted on
26th March 2022, 1:4126th March 2022, 1:45 | Written by Will Wood
For a while on Friday night it seemed the practice times at Jeddah Corniche Circuit would be relegated to an obscure statistical footnote to a race which never happened. However at the time of writing, despite the shock of a missile exploding a mere 10 kilometres from the track shortly after cars began lapping, all signs are the race weekend will continue as planned.
Two deceptively minor-looking brushes with the barriers for both Leclerc and team mate Carlos Sainz Jnr ultimately ended the Ferrari drivers’ second practice sessions early. While the two F1-75s will be easily repaired in time for Saturday’s final practice, both Ferrari drivers will rue missing out on their only opportunity for meaningful high-fuel race simulation runs.
Among those who did log some longer runs on the medium tyre, there was little surprise as to who appeared to look the strongest. Max Verstappen put in the best seven-lap representative stint of the field, with an average lap time of a 1’35.502, just over a tenth of a second quicker than team mate Sergio Perez’s comparative run in the second Red Bull.
‘Ferrari Long Simulation Runs Cancelled’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/26/...m-in-the-race/
Villeneuve baffled by McLaren MCL36 'screw-up'
Michael Delaney
25/03/2022 at 17:11
Jacques Villeneuve says he's baffled by McLaren's troubles, wondering how on earth the Woking-based outfit has managed to "screw-up" its new MCL36 so badly.
"How could McLaren screw this up?" Villeneuve questioned in a column for Dutch website Formule1.nl. "McLaren was the biggest disappointment of the weekend. Such an experienced organisation, so much knowledge and skill in car design, it’s unbelievable that they screwed up like that. It was really painful to see Ricciardo racing at the back."
Villeneuve was equally critical of Aston Martin's opening performance in Bahrain, although not surprised. "It’s as if they don’t know how to design a car anymore!" said the Canadian. "Their car doesn’t look good. To compete at the top it takes more than ambition and money, Formula 1 is a special sport. It’s not just about marketing and branding."
‘McLaren ‘Screw-Up’, Aston Martin Does Not Look Good’;
https://f1i.com/news/436201-villeneu...-screw-up.html
Ricciardo must ‘put own career to one side’ for McLaren
Date published: March 26 2022 - Michelle Foster
Daniel Ricciardo needs to “put his own career to one side” to focus solely on what is best for McLaren in their current struggles. That’s according to former F1 driver turned commentator Martin Brundle.
Brundle says the Woking team now needs help sorting out their issues and has backed Ricciardo to do just that. “It’s a difficult time for him,” Brundle told foxsports.com.au. “He’s been kicked in the guts, hasn’t he, which is a great shame.”
“Daniel’s got the talent and determination, I have no doubt about that. He’s got the touch behind the wheel. [But] you can’t out-drive a car if it’s not fully competitive. It’ll be telling now if he can dig deep and help. He’s got to help drive that team forward. That’s what he’s there to do. That’s why they wanted his speed and experience.”
‘Ricciardo To The Rescue’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/martin...reer-one-side/
Mercedes spent Friday trying and failing to rid W13 of problems
26/03/2022, 07:40
Mercedes have confirmed that, despite running a number of experiments during Friday practice in Saudi Arabia, they are yet to cure the problems facing their new W13 car.
Their biggest obstacle thus far has been finding a solution to porpoising, a downforce phenomenon that has been addressed successfully by most teams in the paddock. Mercedes are still struggling, however, and look set to continue to do so heading into qualifying and the race in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking late on Friday evening, Mercedes' Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin, explained: "We tried a few more experiments to understand the bouncing issue here, some which made it worse, some which helped, but we don't yet have a solution to make the problem go away. Overall though, a reasonable day, but, clearly, we still have a bit of work to do before we'll be troubling Red Bull or Ferrari."
‘W13 Solutions, Work In Progress’;
https://racingnews365.com/mercedes-s...13-of-problems
‘Easy gains’: Mercedes set to close gap to Ferrari and Red Bull in next two races
Mercedes are expecting imminent improvements to their car after a disappointing start to the 2022 season.
by Rob Kershaw
25 March 202225 March 2022
Mercedes trackside engineer Andrew Shovlin has revealed that the team have found some solutions to the problems that have thus far hampered them in 2022.
“We’re working race by race at the moment. The factory is primed to bring absolutely anything they can in the next few days.”
“We’re learning with every day. Every time the car is out on track, there is a lot of work going on in the factory, trying to understand the science of what is going on but we are learning every day and if we have got something useful to bring to Jeddah, we’ll make sure we can get it there on the car.”
‘Solutions Race-By-Race’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/easy-gain...ext-two-races/
Haas won't be P3 'for long' but target regular 2022 points finishes
Ben Issatt
25 March 2022
Haas is confident of remaining in the battle for points throughout the 2022 Formula 1 season, if not at the same level as in Bahrain.
The American outfit, who languished at the back of the grid last year, was the fourth-best team in the season-opener on a similar pace to Mercedes.
Magnussen's 10 points from Bahrain actually put Haas third in the Constructors' Championship behind Ferrari and Mercedes.
‘Haas F1: Third in the 2022 Constructors Championship’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...oints-finishes
Guenther Steiner – “Not the perfect day today but I think we can recoup”
By Darius Needham
March 26, 2022
After coming off of a great race result for the Haas F1 Team at the Bahrain Grand Prix, picking up 10 points through Kevin Magnussen, their weekend in Saudi Arabia for the Jeddah Grand Prix could not have got off to a worse start.
In free practice one, Magnussen completed just two installation laps before realising that he had an issue with his car which he brought back to the pits. It was later revealed that the VF-22 had suffered a hydraulic leak which resulted in the vehicle remaining in the garage for the rest of the session.
Haas’ Team Principal, Guenther Steiner spoke afterwards about the difficult day for the team whilst reflecting on Mick Schumacher’s solid performance. “Not the perfect day today but I think we can recoup tomorrow if we have a good day, it’s just that it could’ve gone better. Kevin had too many technical issues with the car but we’re working on it and will sort them out. Mick did a good, solid job.” said Steiner.
‘Haas F1 To Regroup’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...we-can-recoup/
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Saudi GP: Leclerc pips Verstappen, Mercedes P11 & P14 in Practice 3.
On his final flying lap, the Ferrari driver, who also led both sessions on Friday, would post a 1m29.735s to complete a practice sweep, leading the two Red Bulls by less than a tenth of a second.
Ben Issatt
26 March 2022
Porpoising issues appeared to be hampering Carlos Sainz as the Spaniard finished two-tenths back in third, ahead of Valtteri Bottas in fifth for Alfa Romeo. Both Alpines and both AlphaTauris also made the top 10 with Kevin Magnussen overcoming Haas' hydraulics problems on Friday to sit P8.
Outside that margin though was the two Mercedes' as their lack of straight-line speed left Lewis Hamilton 11th and George Russell 14th.
‘Bottas 5th, Hamilton 11th, Confirms Move To Alfa Romeo Correct!’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...-in-practice-3
Saudi Arabia Qualifying: Can Leclerc be stopped?
Editor
26 March, 2022
If Charles Leclerc’s form from the beginning of the 2022 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend is anything to go by, then it would be a tough job for the one – Max Verstappen – to stop him from getting pole.
Leclerc is in supreme form, gaining confidence from his F1-75, that even not his accident in FP2 on Friday could affect, and the proof was his FP3 best time.
Verstappen is up their too, but the reigning Champion has some demons he need to exorcise in Jeddah before he can take pole. Remember his lap last year? How it ended in tears?
‘Leclerc Unstoppable, Ferrari Dominant’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...eport-results/
Charles Leclerc sets the pace in final practice as Lewis Hamilton struggles
26/03/2022 | 15:21 PM
By Philip Duncan, PA F1 Correspondent, Jeddah
Lewis Hamilton finished only 11th in final practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the pace.
‘Leclerc Pace Setter, Hamilton Struggling’;
https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/ch...s-1280276.html
Leclerc shows why he has potential to challenge for F1 title
He and Max Verstappen relived their karting days, in 'a car capable of winning'
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mar 26th 2022 at 12:30PM
It took three laps in Bahrain for Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to show why he is a potential Formula One title contender, heading into this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Sure, the slick driver from Monaco won the season-opener last Sunday in style: from pole position and with the fastest lap.
But what really stood out was the way he went toe-to-toe with world champion Max Verstappen — his former teen rival from their karting days — and came out on top.
‘Leclerc On Top’;
https://www.autoblog.com/2022/03/26/...YbRXy7K2bxn6UA
Hamilton flounders, Leclerc clean sweep as F1 show goes on despite terrorist attack
Ian Parkes
Saturday 26 March 2022 15:05
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes emerged from final practice for the controversial Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as also-rans as Charles Leclerc made it a clean sweep ahead of qualifying.
Mercedes finished the hour-long session with the seventh quickest car given those ahead of the reigning constructors' champions, with Hamilton a lowly 11th fastest and almost a second adrift of Ferrari's Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
‘Leclerc Clean Sweep in Practice 3’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...rorist-attack/
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Sergio Perez on POLE at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Who could have predicted that?
Alesi: ‘Perez often disappears…it’s a fact’.
Sergio Perez did nothing to impress Jean Alesi in the Bahrain Grand Prix, the ex-Ferrari driver saying the Mexican “often disappears”.
Date published: March 25 2022 - Jon Wilde
‘Perez DISAPPEARS On Pole!’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/jean-a...en-disappears/
Martin Brundle brutally dismisses Max Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez
By WILL LANCASTER
13:46, Wed, Mar 16, 2022
Martin Brundle has dismissed any chance of Red Bull star Sergio Perez coming close to winning the 2022 Formula One Drivers' Championship with the season just days away from commencing.
Brundle believes that the Mexican has no chance of winning a title, citing Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton's prowess as the reason why. “For a whole season, no, I honestly don’t think so," Brundle said.
‘Perez Brutal Pole!’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ez-2022-season
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‘It feels amazing’ says Perez, after becoming first Mexican pole-sitter in F1 history.
A scintillating final lap in Q3 from the Mexican saw him set a benchmark time of 1m 28.200s to take his maiden pole – in his 215th race – by just 0.025s from Charles Leclerc, with Perez unable to hide his delight after qualifying.
26 March 2022
A sensational Saturday in Saudi Arabia saw Sergio Perez claim the record for the most races before taking a pole position – while the Mexican also claimed his country’s first-ever pole position in F1 with a stunning effort beneath the floodlights at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
“It feels amazing!” said Perez, who along with Verstappen failed to score at the season opener in Bahrain one week ago. “We come from a difficult weekend [in] Bahrain and the team has been pushing so hard back home in Milton Keynes, everyone is really positive and pushing hard so extremely happy for that.”
‘Sergio Perez Amazing Pole’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...92JTOxygS.html
Perez ‘could do 1,000 more laps and not beat pole time’
by Phillip Horton
26 March 2022, 21:54
Sergio Perez says he would not beat his Saudi Arabian Grand Prix pole time if he tried another 1,000 times, after grabbing top spot for the first time in his career. Perez overhauled Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz during the closing stages of Q3 at Jeddah to snatch pole position.
“Today was very special to me, I achieved the best lap of my life,” said Perez. “I feel like I could do another thousand laps and there is no chance I can get the same lap, with the amount of perfection and risk.”
‘Sergio: Best Lap Of My Life’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...eat-pole-time/
Perez hails 'lap of my life' to secure Saudi Arabian pole position
Issued on: 26/03/2022 - 22:28
Eleven years and 214 races after making his Formula One debut, Sergio Perez will on Sunday be the first Mexican to start from pole position when he lines up for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix thanks to the "lap of my life".
Exactly 11 years to the day since his first outing in Melbourne, Perez will bid for his third victory after out-pacing his Red Bull team-mate world champion Max Verstappen and both Ferraris in a dramatic qualifying on Saturday.
"Unbelievable! Yes! Definitely a great achievement for me," he enthused. "I am so pleased. This was something very really nice and really special too. The lap of my life at the place where it is most difficult to do qualifying."
’11 Years, 214 Races’;
https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...-pole-position
Sergio Pérez confident he can capitalise on 'perfect lap' and maiden pole
26 Mar 2022
Red Bull's Sergio Pérez is optimistic he can take full advantage of his first-ever pole position during Sunday's 2022 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
‘Sergio Pérez confident’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...499599195.html
Horner hails "mighty" Perez pole in Saudi Arabia
Paul Macdonald
Saturday 26 March 2022 20:30
Christian Horner described Sergio Perez's performance as "mighty" as the Mexican's thrilling final lap secured his debut pole for Red Bull in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
He said: "I'm just so pleased for Checo. He's worked harder than ever and that was mighty. The Ferraris put down such a competitive marker and for Checo to go and do that - I think it's only the second time he's out-qualified Max [Verstappen] - and to put in a lap like that here, it's an unbelievable performance from him.”
"The car this year is more suited to his style, it's not as quirky as last year's car. He's done a great job there. Saturdays, by his own admission, have never been the strongest part of his armoury. He's always come alive on race day. To deliver that kind of performance, at this circuit, will do him the world of good and we just need to convert that into a result tomorrow."
‘MIGHTY Perez Pole’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...-saudi-arabia/
Horner praises Perez’s pole lap at ‘hardest’ F1 circuit
by Fergal Walsh
26 Mar 2022, 20:02
“I’m just so, so pleased for Checo,” Horner told Sky F1 after the session. “[After] 215 races, it’s incredible.”
“He’s working harder than ever and that lap was mighty. We could see it coming, it was coming, it was coming, the Ferraris put down such a competitive marker.
“It’s the second time I think he’s out-qualified Max. To put in a lap like that here, the most hardest, most dangerous circuit that we go to, [it’s] an unbelievable performance from him.”
‘We could see it coming, it was coming, it was coming…..’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2022/...st-f1-circuit/
Perez takes Webber's record with pole spot
Alan BaldwinReuters
Sun, 27 March 2022 7:39AM
Mexico's Sergio Perez has claimed a Formula One record which Australia's Mark Webber may happily shed after taking pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Eleven years to the day after the first F1 grand prix qualifying session of his career in Melbourne, Perez celebrated his first pole position on Saturday. The 32-year-old produced the lap of his life to take the top slot for Red Bull for what will be his 215th grand prix start in Jeddah on Sunday.
Nobody else has ever waited so long for a pole, 'Checo' taking the record from nine-race winner Webber whose first, also with Red Bull, came at the 131st time of asking at the Nuerburgring in 2009.
‘Sergio Perez, Smashes Mark Webbers’ Record!’
https://thewest.com.au/sport/motorsp...spot-c-6218721
Leclerc and Sainz admit Ferrari were helpless to prevent Perez pole
26/03/2022, 19:55
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Mike Seymour
The two Ferrari drivers have moved to congratulate Sergio Perez after he became the first Mexican to claim a pole position in Formula 1.
The two Ferrari drivers crossed the line to claim a provisional 1-2 during the final moments of qualifying at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, impressed with their own laps. But then Red Bull rival Perez arrived seconds later to spoil the party, putting in a blistering-hot lap time of 1:28.200.
That lap was close to three-tenths of a second faster than his World Champion teammate, Max Verstappen, but was only three-hundredths of a second faster than Leclerc, who has admitted that he did all he could.
‘Both Ferrari Drivers Congratulate Sergio Perez’;
https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-an...ent-perez-pole
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Mick Schumacher tells fans he is 'ok' after horror 170mph smash: F1 driver - son of Michael Schumacher - posts smiling selfie from his hotel as he's released from hospital after Saudi Arabia Grand Prix crash.
But he posted smiling selfie on social media today with a defiant message that 'we'll come back stronger'.
By Olly Allen and Jamie Phillips For Mailonline
Published: 09:04, 27 March 2022
Mick Schumacher has told fans he is 'ok' in a smiling selfie from his hotel room as he is released from hospital following a horror 170mph crash during qualifying at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. The Haas driver, son of Michael, crashed into the wall on the exit of Turn 12 on the Jeddah circuit, with his car being torn to pieces.
The red flag was immediately raised to allow an ambulance on to the track, with Schumacher conscious and talking to doctors before being lifted from his smashed up car and taken to the medical centre before going on to a nearby hospital.
The shocking nature of the crash was shown as the Haas car broke in two as it was lifted off the track.
‘Mick Posts Smiling Selfie Picture’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...fie-hotel.html
Lewis Hamilton visits Haas HQ after Mick Schumacher flown to hospital in Saudi Arabia
LEWIS HAMILTON and Mick Schumacher were both central to the drama during a jam-packed day of qualifying in Saudi Arabia.
By CHARLIE GORDON
05:30, Sun, Mar 27, 2022
Shortly after the incident, Hamilton was snapped heading into Haas HQ to check up on the progress of the team's promising youngster. F1 journalist Claire Cottingham added: "Confirmation after I tweeted this [photo that] Hamilton popped down to check on how Schumacher was. A touching moment."
‘Lewis Visits Haas F1 HQ’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-prix-f1-news
Mick Schumacher speaks with mum after lucky escape from terrifying F1 crash
Mick Schumacher survived a horror crash in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian GP so before being taken to hospital for checks he spoke to his mum and F1 legend Michael's wife Corinna
BY Dan Burnham
• 20:05, 26 MAR 2022
Speaking to Sky Sports, team principle Guenther Steiner revealed Schumacher had spoken to mum Corinna before he was taken to hospital for precautionary checks. He said: "I didn’t speak with him directly. He's spoken to his mum. I spoke with his mum a few times and kept her updated.
‘Corinna Schumacher Kept Updated’;
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f1...crash-26564314
“Aggressive” kerb Schumacher hit should be changed before race, says Norris
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on
26th March 2022, 23:51 | Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
Lando Norris has called for immediate changes to the kerb Mick Schumacher hit when he crashed heavily in qualifying, which had already caused another major accident the day before.
Norris says the changes to Formula 1 cars for this year has made the kerb more hazardous. “I think with this era of cars, with how you have to run them and how they’re designed, some kerbs throughout the year might need to change, and I think this kerb is one of them,” he said in response to a questions from RaceFans.
F2 driver Cem Bolukbasi hit the same kerb during practice on Friday and crashed, suffering a concussion, which means he will also take no further part in the event. Norris said this was another example of the problem with the kerb.
‘Change The Kerb For Safety’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/26/...e-says-norris/
Max Verstappen hits out at 'very, very dangerous' Saudi track after Mick Schumacher crash
MAX VERSTAPPEN has slammed the Jeddah circuit following Mick Schumacher's horror crash.
By JOSHUA LEES
08:21, Sun, Mar 27, 2022
One of Schumacher’s fellow drivers in Verstappen was left angered by the incident and took aim at the ‘dangerous’ design of the Jeddah track, after it was modified for this year’s race. “Last year for me, personally, I was happy with how we went through the weekend in terms of crashes," said the Dutchman.
“In some places, if you lose the car like today with Mick and you go flat out into the wall it is extremely painful and very, very dangerous. Not only that, the straights are not entirely straight because they're all a bit blind. I don't understand why you need to design the track [like this] "If it's going to be flat out just design it straight. It's just safer for everyone."
Max Verstappen: Dangerous Design of the Jeddah Track’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...macher-F1-news
Schumacher discharged from hospital after frightening qualifying shunt
Sam Hall
Saturday 26 March 2022 22:05
Mick Schumacher has left hospital following the completion of precautionary checks after his heavy crash during qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Schumacher will take no further part in the weekend with the team formally withdrawing his car.
Mick Schumacher Discharged From Hospital’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...lifying-shunt/
Schumacher speaks out after being released from hospital
27/03/2022, 22:05
Mick Schumacher is now out of hospital, Haas have confirmed, following a horror crash during qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Posting on social media, Schumacher has assured fans that he is "ok" following the crash and has thanked them for their kind messages. He added that his Haas car "felt great" during the qualifying session and has vowed to "come back stronger".
Schumacher will play no part in tomorrow's Saudi Arabian GP, with Haas having already withdrawn both the driver and his car from the event. Schumacher will now have two weeks to prepare for the Australian GP, which is set to take place from 8-10 April.
‘Mick Schumacher Will Be At The Australian GP’;
https://racingnews365.com/schumacher...r-horror-crash
Steiner Confirms Schumacher will not race on Sunday after High-Speed Qualifying Crash
By Paul Hensby
March 26, 2022
Guenther Steiner has confirmed that Mick Schumacher will not compete in Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after his high-speed crash during Qualifying on Saturday evening.
With the session red-flagged, the Haas F1 Team driver was attended to immediately by the medical team before being taken to hospital for checks, with Schumacher potentially set to stay there overnight as a precaution.
As a result of this, and with his car needing a lot of repair work to be ready to race, Steiner, the Team Principal at Haas, has confirmed that Schumacher will not take to the track on Sunday despite having qualified fourteenth.
‘Guenther Steiner: Schumacher Not To Race As A Precaution’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...lifying-crash/
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Why Ferrari aren't concerned after losing pole to Red Bull.
Sergio Perez will start the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in pole position after his mighty Q3 lap snatched the glory away from Ferrari and Charles Leclerc.
27/03/2022, 07:40
Author Tom Leach
Co-author Mike Seymour
Mattia Binotto is bracing himself for red flags and Safety Cars that have the potential to shake up the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and believes Ferrari can be happy knowing their cars will start the race in second and third.
Red Bull's pole position no surprise to Ferrari. For Ferrari, it is no shock to see a Red Bull car starting ahead of them on race day, and Perez has all that it takes to turn that pole into a win, reckons Binotto. "Sergio is always a good racer. He's very fast and has got a very good race pace, so certainly, starting in pole, he can do it," Binotto told Sky Sports F1.
‘Ferrari Unconcerned’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-ferrar...le-to-red-bull
Leclerc plans ‘full attack’ on Perez and Red Bull
by James Phillips
27th March 2022
Ferrari ace Leclerc plans to attack Perez and Red Bull in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Charles Leclerc looked set to have two consecutive pole positions this weekend, after turning up the wick at the end of Q2.
Speaking after qualifying, Leclerc confessed he was “disappointed” to lose pole by the smallest of margins, acknowledging the risks Perez took to secure pole: “I’m a bit disappointed. Only two hundredths, it’s so close. I am pretty sure Checo’s lap is exceptional, I mean the last sector, pretty sure he took a lot of risk and was rewarded by it, and this is how it works on those city tracks.
Reflecting on challenging Red Bull in the race, Leclerc said he will planning a ‘full attack’ to take the top spot away from Perez. “I think on our side there is plenty to learn from this qualifying. Yes, it is full attack, as always. The race is tomorrow… so hopefully we can have a better day tomorrow.”
‘Full Attack’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/leclerc-pl...red-bull-78475
Leclerc “Confident for Tomorrow” After Another Strong Qualifying for Ferrari
By Joe McCormick
March 27, 2022
Leclerc is confident in his abilities, and will be hoping to overtake pole-sitter, Sergio Perez, in the race to take victory in Saudi Arabia. “We were quick in our race simulation this morning and I feel confident for tomorrow. A race in warm conditions, taking place at night, on a very fast and narrow street circuit – it should be an exciting one.”
Sainz seemed rather deflated when climbing out of the car in third, after putting his car on provisional pole at the start of Qualifying 3; but quickly explained that he didn’t feel as strong on new tyres. “Of course, the target will be to bring the pace of today’s quali into the race. We have saved several sets to give us different strategic options in case the race gets tricky as it did last year, so we’ll try to make everything work. Let’s race.”
Ferrari will be hoping to extend their constructors championship lead with another one-two finish tomorrow, and are certainly in a strong enough position for this to be a possibility.
‘Ferrari Confidence’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...g-for-ferrari/
Sainz reveals bizarre reason for qualifying struggles in Jeddah
Carlos Sainz's pace-setting lap at the beginning of Q3 was beaten by both Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc at the end of qualifying.
by Rob Kershaw
27 March 202227 March 2022
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz have revealed that he was unable to tap into the performance of new tyres in qualifying as his wait for a maiden pole position continues.
“The lap for P3 was pretty good, it was on a used tyre, because on a used tyre for some reason this weekend is giving me a better feeling,” he said after qualifying.
“The new tyre for me if very difficult [and] very tricky to handle and when I went on new [tyres] for the last run in Q3 I just didn’t have any rear grip and I struggled. For a used tyre it wasn’t that bad but again Checo and Charles beat me by a little so it’s still okay.”
‘Used Tyre Better Feeling’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/sainz-rev...les-in-jeddah/
Saudi Arabian GP: Emerson Fittipaldi makes Ferrari prediction for round 2 of F1 season
By George Dagless
Published: 27 Mar 2022, 11:11
Former Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi is predicting Ferrari to be the team to beat this evening at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“I’m sure Ferrari [will win,]” he said to Vegas Insider. “They got their act together better than anybody else before the season and it showed in the results in Bahrain.”
“This new aerodynamic package with the porpoising that was happening, in all the teams, it happened when you had ground effect cars many years ago and you could see Ferrari was the most, what I call, stable. Didn’t look porpoised, the back or the front.”
‘Emerson Fittipaldi: Ferrari Most Stable’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87988976...2-of-f1-season
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Szafnauer Thrilled with Alpine Qualifying – But “Only Half of the Job is Complete”
Team principal for BWT Alpine F1 Team, Otmar Szafnauer, is “delighted” with a fifth and seventh place start on the grid for Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, though remains realistic, claiming that the job is not completely finished.
By Joe McCormick
March 27, 2022
“We’re delighted with today’s Qualifying result with brilliant laps from Esteban and Fernando to put us well inside the top ten for tomorrow’s Grand Prix. We knew from the beginning of the weekend we had the pace to be very competitive, so to see the hard work from everyone at the team pay off is excellent,” says the new Alpine team principal for the 2022 season.”
Szafnauer claims that Alpine are going to work on the strategy for Sunday’s race overnight – “Only half of the job is complete, though, and points are only given out on Sundays. We’ve put ourselves in a great position to have a strong race and we’re looking forward to developing our strategy overnight to ensure both cars are very well placed and prepared to score points.“
“We also wish Mick well after a quite frightening crash during the session. We hope Mick recovers quickly and is in a position to race again soon.”
‘Get Well Mick Schumacher’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...b-is-complete/
“There is Still More Potential” – Alonso After Excellent Saudi Arabian Qualifying for Alpine
By Joe McCormick
March 27, 2022
Fernando Alonso remains competitive in seventh place. “First of all, the most important thing is that Mick is OK. That was a big shunt, and I am glad to see that everything seems to be fine with him,” the Frenchman claimed.
“It’s only the second race with this new car and to qualify in fifth and seventh is great and we should be very happy about today. We’ve built up well all weekend and I am happy how the car has improved during all the practice sessions. We’re in the mix to fight for a solid result tomorrow.”
“With these 2022 cars we keep learning every single time we leave the garage and I think there is still more potential for us to develop. The tyre degradation is still a little bit unknown for tomorrow and now we don’t have to use the tyres we qualified on in Q2, so it gives us more flexibility on strategy,” the Spaniard continued.
‘EL PLAN: More Potential’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ng-for-alpine/
Whitmarsh’s arrival prompted Szafnauer rethink
Date published: March 27 2022 - Frank Parker
Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has revealed his former employers Aston Martin wanted him to remain there, but Martin Whitmarsh’s arrival convinced him to move on. With fresh investment, the British squad opted to appoint former McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh as Group Chief Executive Officer – a role that oversees the Formula 1 team of the Aston Martin group.
It was a move Szafnauer felt would have reduced his influence on the team and the Romanian-American engineer, being a racer, wanted to have more of an impact. Thus Szafnauer ultimately moved to rival team Alpine following their own management restructure.
“Although they asked me to stay, I didn’t think it was appropriate for someone to come in and do 95% of your job and (I) do 5%,” said the Alpine boss. “I probably could have stayed where I was, taken the pay cheque to the bank every month. That’s not me. I’m a racer.”
‘Otmar Szafnauer: A Racer’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/otmar-...artin-rethink/
'Extremely strong' qualifying for P5 Ocon and Alpine
26 Mar 2022
Esteban Ocon is satisfied with "a great qualifying" for Alpine after finishing P5 on Saturday, two places ahead of team mate Fernando Alonso ahead of Sunday's 2022 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
‘P5 Strong Qualification For Alpine’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...661622195.html
Ocon eyeing podium after qualifying P5 with ‘extremely strong’ pace at Jeddah
26 March 2022
Esteban Ocon missed out on a podium in last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but this season he’s eyeing up a re-do after qualifying fifth on the grid for Alpine.
Asked if he had the “secret sauce” at Jeddah, given his prowess on this challenging circuit, Ocon replied: “I don’t know if I have the secret keys or sauce that you mean, but no, it was definitely a great qualifying for sure. I always say that here you need to let the horsepower go at the right time, and putting it together when it counts, and that’s what we did today.
‘Podium Aspiration For Ocon’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...YgVQtiH69.html
Fernando Alonso encouraged by Alpine qualifying performance
26 Mar 2022
Fernando Alonso has "full confidence" Alpine can be competitive on Sunday, after finishing P7 in qualifying ahead of Sunday's 2022 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
‘Alpine Encouragement’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...243163174.html
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Bottas explains how it feels to see Hamilton and Mercedes struggle.
"Weird" to see Hamilton struggling. "It is surprising to see them struggling, but it's also nice to be able to battle with them," the Finnish driver said.
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Dieter Rencken
Lewis Hamilton caused one of the biggest shocks in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with his exit in Q1. Meanwhile, former teammate Valtteri Bottas secured P8 in the Alfa Romeo, and the Finn is feeling positive about his new team.
Bottas admits that it was strange to watch Hamilton having difficulties with the car in Saturday's session. "It's weird to see," he told media including RacingNews365.com. "I would guess he had some kind of issue, I don't know."
Overall, Bottas feels very happy that he made the decision to join the Swiss outfit. "I think this was kind of the best case scenario for our first season together that I could ever imagine, with the information I had," the 10-time race winner explained. "I'm really happy with the decision I made, and I'm happy overall as well. So yeah, [I'm] enjoying it."
‘Valterreri Bottas Happy With Move From Mercedes To Alfa Romeo’;
https://racingnews365.com/bottas-exp...cedes-struggle
Valtteri Bottas “Pleased to be in Q3” For Second Week in a Row
By Joe McCormick
March 27, 2022
Valtteri Bottas has qualified eighth for Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, marking a second consecutive Qualifying 3 appearance for Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN. Progress has been excellent for the Swiss team, after spending the majority of 2021 fighting to get out of Qualifying 1.
Setting a lap time of 1:29.183, Bottas will start on the fourth row of the grid for the second race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, and is happy with Alfa Romeo’s consistency:
“I am pleased to be in Q3, especially with our performance: we were very consistent, made good progress in each session and got a good spot on the grid for the race. The main thing today, though, is that Mick is ok after the heavy shunt. We hope to see him back in a race car as soon as possible.”
‘Alfa Romeo F1 Consistency’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...week-in-a-row/
Valtteri Bottas confident Alfa Romeo 'in the fight' on Sunday
26 Mar 2022
Valtteri Bottas is encouraged by the consistency shown by his Alfa Romeo after finishing P8 in Saturday qualifying and is optimistic about challenging for points in Sunday's 2022 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
‘Consistency Encouragement’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...593728832.html
Saudi Arabian Qualifying “Confirms our Bahrain Result was Not a Fluke” – Alfa Romeo
By Joe McCormick
March 27, 2022
Frédéric Vasseur, team principal for Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN believes that the second consecutive Qualifying 3 entry for Valtteri Bottas and an impressive thirteenth place for Zhou Guanyu confirms that the good performance in Bahrain last weekend was not a one-off exception.
“First and foremost, the important news from the evening are about Mick Schumacher being ok after a very big accident. Full credit to the FIA for making these the safest cars in F1 history,” states the Alfa Romeo boss.
“It’s going to be a long race and we’ve seen tonight that this track doesn’t forgive any mistake: there are a lot of challenges, but also a lot of potential opportunities to take and it will be up to us to bring home a good result.”
‘Alfa Romeo Not A Fluke’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...ke-alfa-romeo/
Alfa Romeo working on fix for Bottas and Zhou’s “very poor” starts
2022 F1 Season
Posted on
24th March 2022, 8:2224th March 2022, 10:03 | Written by Hazel Southwell
Alfa Romeo is looking into how it can improve its performance at the start of races, after Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu lost more places than any other drivers on lap one in Bahrain. Bottas fell from sixth to 14th at the start while Guanyu slipped from 15th to 19th.
“Both cars experienced a very poor start,” he explained. “Then not only the start, but also trying to get grip and avoiding incidents during lap one.
“So that one definitely is an area that we’ll have to take some actions and try to understand a bit more, see how we can solve it or try to mitigate as much as possible for the next week because we don’t have so many days.” The next round of the championship takes place at Jeddah Corniche Circuit this weekend.
‘Working On A Fix’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/24/...y-poor-starts/
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Hamilton blasts Mercedes car as 'undriveable' in five-year low.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton described his Mercedes car as "undriveable" on Saturday after qualifying only 16th on the grid for Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Issued on: 26/03/2022 - 21:32
"Of course, I am very disappointed," said Hamilton, who apologised to the team.
"We have a serious issue – something in the set-up – and it was looking good in P3 (practice) so I tried to progress further in a similar direction, but maybe went too far.
"The car was so nervous it was undriveable."
https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...-five-year-low
“Can’t seem to improve, man”: How Hamilton’s “bolder” set-up gamble led to shock Q1 exit
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on
27th March 2022, 10:22 | Written by Keith Collantine
“We’re still experimenting with set-ups to find out where the sweet spot of the car is,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff explained in response to a question from RaceFans. “On Lewis’s side they went a bit bolder and the outcome was that basically they had no rear end in the car. And that explains that big lap time deficit.”
Hamilton was six tenths of a second slower than his team mate on the same rubber when he dropped out at the end of Q1. “I had no rear end,” he admitted while the qualifying session continued without him. “The car was feeling good in [final practice] and I made a couple of adjustments. But I had no rear end, the rear was so loose.”
Ahead of his final run, Bonnington’s feedback to Hamilton was much the same as it had been after his first, that he was trying to take too much speed into the corners.
‘Bolder Gamble’
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/27/...shock-q1-exit/
‘Balance of the Car’ Responsible for Hamilton’s Shock Q1 Exit in Saudi Arabia
By Joe McCormick
March 27, 2022
Lewis Hamilton surprised race fans around the world on Saturday, when the Briton was knocked out of the first qualifying stage in the dying moments of the session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit – qualifying sixteenth on the grid. The 2021 runner up has claimed that the setup of the car “went the wrong way tonight” as Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team continue to struggle with their W13 car.
Before analysing his qualifying performance, the seven-time world champion was quick to comment on the Qualifying 2 accident with Schumacher – “I hope Mick is OK, that corner is 170mph and it’s terrifying to see what’s happened – that’s the biggest crash we’ve seen at this track.”
“For me, I struggled with the balance of the car today, the rear end was snapping out and this isn’t where we want to be. We went the wrong way with the set up tonight and the car just wasn’t underneath me for this session,” Hamilton claims, after visibly struggling to keep the car stable during his onboard camera feeds.
‘Balance Of Car Wrong’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-saudi-arabia/
Button wonders what Hamilton will do after 'very strange' qualifying
27/03/2022, 15:10
Author Thomas Maher
Jenson Button is curious to see what Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will choose to do after only managing to qualifying 16th for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
One of Lewis Hamilton's former teammates is intrigued about the approach Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will have to Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with the seven-time World Champion only qualifying 16th for the race.
"It was a really, really strange qualifying session for him, [and] very unexpected for him, for the team and for the whole of F1 to see him that far down."
‘Very Strange Qualifying’;
https://racingnews365.com/button-won...nge-qualifying
Mercedes porpoising impacting more than just pace
Date published: March 27 2022 - Michelle Foster
George Russell says Mercedes’ porpoising issue is impacting more than just the W13’s pace, it is also a distraction for the drivers.
Russell believes a huge part of the problem is the W13’s porpoising, which is so extreme that it is forcing Mercedes to run at a higher ride-height which is costing them downforce. “It’s exactly the same as we’ve seen since day one,” the new signing told The Race.
“The only way to run is to raise the car very high. And obviously, with this ground effect car, we lose all of the downforce.”
‘W13 Woes’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...g-distraction/
Juan Pablo Montoya: George Russell could beat Lewis Hamilton in standings on one condition
By George Dagless
Published: 27 Mar 2022, 12:46
Montoya, speaking to Vegas Insider, believes that if the Mercedes isn’t quick enough to win the title this year, Russell could have the edge over Hamilton:
“If Mercedes is not as strong as to win a championship, absolutely. If Mercedes has a shot at the championship, no. I think Lewis is still going to beat him just because he has a lot more experience.”
“If the car is average, running fifth every week, I think George will still push like he wants to win where Lewis might be disappointed, and won’t care enough.”
‘George Russell Could Have The Edge’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87988981...-one-condition
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Verstappen wins after thrilling fight with Leclerc.
Max Verstappen took the chequered flag ahead of Charles Leclerc after an action-packed end to the race in Jeddah.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
by Emer Hedderman
27th March 2022
After a late Virtual Safety Car… …Verstappen had closed the gap and the fight for the lead was back in full flow. Verstappen did make the move and got into P1, but a couple of corners later Leclerc made used of the DRS and retook the place.
The following laps were full of action with both locking up at one point trying to make the other cross the DRS detection line first so that they, the car behind, could have the advantage. There was a bit of a breather then as the Red Bull dropped back but the reigning champion didn’t leave Leclerc alone for long. Three laps from the end and Verstappen made it into the lead again with a pass on the start-finish straight.
‘A Thrilling Fight’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/verstappen...-leclerc-78484
Race Results – 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
by Emer Hedderman
27th March 2022
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s 2022 F1 World Championship season opening race from Jeddah.
Results (Classification):
1. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing -50 laps
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.549
3. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +8.097
‘Results’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-resul...and-prix-78483
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Ain't No VER-Stopping Max! - Saudi Arabia GP Sunday.
Sunday night finally arrived at Jeddah, and with it the conclusion of a turbulent weekend for Formula One. And what a spectacle it was. Charles Leclerc led most laps, Max Verstappen never allowed him to relax…
March 27, 2022
By: Adil Muhammad, Unmesh Datta, Mikey McGuire
The two drivers who are emerging as the top championship contenders again squared off, delighting Formula One fans with another thrilling battle right up to the flag.
Plus, Lewis Hamilton started from the back of the pack, reliability bit teams hard – one before the race even started –, teammates squared off, and we eventually got one Turn 1 crash due to a divebomb. The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix had it all.
At the flag, Verstappen held on, defended his position brilliantly, and won the race from P4 on the grid, just 0.5 seconds ahead of Leclerc.
‘Thrilling Battle Up To The Flag’;
https://missedapexpodcast.com/articl...7/saudi-sunday
Verstappen beats Leclerc in frantic fight to the flag: 2022 Saudi Arabian GP report
March 28th 2022
Author Chris Medland
If Formula 1’s rulemakers could have picked two races to start the season to show they’ve got their new regulations right, they would probably have settled for the two they’ve just got. For the second race running, a thrilling battle between two of the sport’s brightest young stars lit up the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and for a few hours dispelled the unease at racing in Jeddah in the first place.
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc staged a second round of their Bahrain F1 battle at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with the Dutchman holding on for victory in an action-packed cat-and-mouse finale
‘Cat And Mouse Finale’;
https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...ian-gp-report#
Formula 1: Max Verstappen relieved at 'kick-starting' title defence in Jeddah
28/03/2022, 05:37
First Post
Leclerc congratulated his rival on his victory on their slow-down laps, but after two races remains the embryonic championship’s early season leader by 12 points.
Agence France-Presse March 28, 2022 09:48:41 IST
World champion Max Verstappen admitted he was relieved to secure his first win of the season after battling to a thrilling victory ahead of old rival Charles Leclerc in Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The 24-year-old Dutchman said it had been a difficult, but good race and it showed that this season’s title battle "will be super-close between the two of us" after he won by just half a second ahead of the Ferrari.
"It was a tricky one," said the Red Bull driver. "We were battling hard at the front and we just had to play the long game. They were really quick through the corners, but we were quick on the straight. "The tyres were wearing out quite quick around here so you could see, at the end, I think we just had a little more pace and I just tried to get by."
‘Tricky But Relieved’;
https://www.firstpost.com/sports/for...-10494461.html
Verstappen’s racing savvy and Red Bull’s strategy deny Leclerc a second win.
On-track, an enthralling exhibition of wheel-to-wheel racing between two of motorsport’s highest calibre talents.
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix review
Posted on
28th March 2022, 7:1028th March 2022, 7:17 | Written by Will Wood
Eventually, at the end of lap 46 with just four tours remaining, Verstappen judged his approach perfectly and swept by the Ferrari as they crossed the timing line and keep ahead through the opening two corners. Leclerc fought back hard to keep in touch with the Red Bull, but a yellow flag at turn one after Alexander Albon hit Lance Stroll compromised Leclerc’s opportunity to make a lunge into the corner.
Verstappen held on over the final two laps to successfully fend off the Ferrari and take the chequered flag for his first win of the season by a margin of just half a second at the end of what had been a true sprint finish for the pair.
“I’m very happy for Max and the team after the disappointment we had last weekend,” said Perez. “To get those results is really nice.”
‘
Red Bull Strategy’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/28/...-a-second-win/
Perez “had the race under control” until “bad luck” with Safety Car
Sergio Perez said “bad luck” with the timing of the Safety Car cost him a likely win in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver led the race from pole position until his pit stop on lap 14. Those running behind him were yet to pit at that point, and when the Safety Car came out soon afterwards it allowed them to pit and emerge in front of the former race leader.
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on
27th March 2022, 22:1227th March 2022, 22:13 | Written by Will Wood and Claire Cottingham
“Just bad luck, bad timing,” said Perez. “I felt I had the race pretty much under control and [then] came this incident from Latifi and basically it hurt me. It just came at the wrong point of the race for me. As a driver, there is nothing you could do. We have everything in place, plenty of margin for the undercut and unfortunately we couldn’t execute what what we should today.”
“I think we did everything throughout the weekend perfectly,” he said. “At the end behind Carlos, I think the car wasn’t as good as it was on the first stint. We did some adjustment going on to the hard compound, which probably hurt us a bit. And then, at the end, it was catching him up. Unfortunately we had the yellow flag and then he pulled away.”
The television coverage of the race gave the impression the timing of Perez’s pit stop was a reaction to Ferrari’s call for Charles Leclerc behind him to come in. However Perez said “I don’t think it was an early stop. I think they would have to have stopped a lap earlier. So I think it was the right lap to box.”
‘Bad Luck For Checo’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/27/...th-safety-car/
Sergio Perez underlines his class as he reflects on rotten Saudi Arabian GP misfortune
By George Dagless
Published: 27 Mar 2022, 20:42
Spare a thought for Sergio Perez this Sunday evening who had a potential third career Grand Prix victory taken away from him through no fault of his own at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The Mexican put his Red Bull car on pole for the first time ever on Saturday night and led away at lights out on Sunday evening, with him building up a nice little cushion ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. Indeed, things were going really well for Perez who was driving superbly and he looked to have the race under control, before the racing gods intervened.
Ferrari called Charles Leclerc in to pit and so Red Bull made the same call to Perez to cover that move but, at the last moment, the Scuderia opted to stay out once they saw the Mexican had come in. That may not have cost him in normal conditions but, moments later, the Williams of Nicholas Latifi was in the wall and a Safety Car was called, allowing the likes of Leclerc, Verstappen and Carlos Sainz to take to the pits and change tyres whilst the rest of the field was well off of racing speed.
‘Sergio Perez Underlines His Class’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87989105...-gp-misfortune
Leader Perez left ‘hurt’ by Safety Car timing
Date published: March 28 2022 - Maria Bright
Sergio Perez put in a sterling lap in qualifying and seemed to have the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in hand, until the Safety Car came out. Red Bull were confident in the undercut strategy so Perez pitted, and Charles Leclerc in second place at the time stayed out, but a Virtual Safety Car was called, and then the full Safety Car, which meant Leclerc could pit at no harm to his position.
As quoted by GP Fans, Perez said: “[It was] just bad luck, bad timing [and] I felt I had the race under control then came this incident with Latifi…Basically, it hurt me and came at the wrong point of the race for me. As a driver, there’s nothing you can do.”
“We had everything in place and plenty of margin for the undercut, unfortunately, we couldn’t execute what we should have today.”
‘Hard luck today but that's racing @SChecoPerez Still a strong weekend and good points in P4’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...ia-safety-car/
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Hamilton ‘glad everyone’s safe and looking forward to getting out’ of Saudi Arabia.
In brief, Hamilton: “I just want to go home”.
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on 28th March 2022, 0:01
Written by Hazel Southwell
Following a stressful and worrying Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where drivers stayed late into the night at the circuit on Friday night debating whether the event should go ahead, Hamilton said he was pleased to move on after finishing a disappointing 10th on Sunday.
“I’m so happy the weekend is done,” said the Mercedes driver. “I’m also just so happy that everyone’s safe, and just looking forward to getting out.”
Hamilton refused to be drawn on whether the race should go ahead next year, saying that for now: “I just want to go home.”
‘Getting Out!’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/28/...nd-up-28-03-5/
Lewis Hamilton and other F1 drivers unhappy at racing in Saudi Arabia
• Missile strike hit Jeddah 10 miles from the circuit on Friday
• ‘I am just looking forward to getting out. I want to go home’
• Giles Richards
• Sun 27 Mar 2022 22.38 BST
Lewis Hamilton and other drivers have made it clear they still have serious misgivings about racing in Saudi Arabia. Formula One is facing clear dissent and unease about the meeting’s future with Hamilton stating: “I am just looking forward to getting out.”
The weekend had been dominated by a missile strike that hit Jeddah on Friday, 10 miles from the circuit, and almost resulted in a driver boycott of the race. With distaste at the regime’s appalling human rights record and fears for the safety of their teams, it took a four-hour meeting on Friday night before the drivers were ultimately placated and persuaded to race.
F1 is enormously keen to keep racing in Saudi Arabia given the reported $900m contract they have to do so but the pushback from the drivers after this weekend is palpable. “Of course, I am relieved [to have got through the weekend],” said McLaren’s Lando Norris. “It is a nervous place to be and you are going to have these nerves.”
‘Nervous Place To Be’;
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...n-saudi-arabia
Lewis Hamilton makes his feelings clear about Saudi Arabia GP
By Daniel Hepburn
Published: 27 Mar 2022, 12:02
If there’s one man you listen to in the Formula 1 world, it’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. He made his thoughts about the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and its lack of human rights very known to F1 fans across the world, who would tune in and listen to the British driver when expressing his views.
Hamilton is commonly known to champion equality and human rights, but in Saudi Arabia they are still very behind, and this didn’t seem to sit right with Hamilton.
It’s got to the point that experts and critics have become to question whether F1 should even operate in countries with poor political views and Hamilton already knows his answer to that question.
“Just "Looking forward to going home"…man doesn't wanna comment on dramas!! Sir Lewis Updates’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87988987...audi-arabia-gp
F1 boss blocked Lewis Hamilton interviews after Saudi Arabia meeting
By LUKE CHILLINGSWORTH
13:28, Sun, Mar 27, 2022
Lewis Hamilton was reportedly banned from talking to the media after F1’s decision to continue with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. A missile strike hit just miles from the circuit on Friday afternoon before FP2 got underway. Finnish tabloid newspaper Iltalehti says Hamilton was stopped from talking to reporters by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
They claim: “Stefano Domenicali made sure Hamilton was not allowed in front of the microphones". After a disappointing qualifying session, Hamilton was asked his views on the crisis.
He said: “I’m not here to comment on that. We worked together as a group, we all discussed and made a decision as a sport.” The drivers cancelled their media commitments after the crisis and were embroiled in four-hour talks with F1 bosses.
‘Stefano Domenicali made sure Hamilton was not allowed in front of the microphones!’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-grand-prix
F1 will consider suitability of future venues with “rationality” after missile strike near Jeddah
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on 27th March 2022, 17:00
Written by Keith Collantine
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says the sport will consider any further response to the missile strike which put the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in doubt “in the right way.” Domenicali insisted the sport had put the safety of all involved before any other considerations.
“There’s been a lot of discussion, a lot of debate, but safety, security for all the people of our world is at the maximum level of attention to all of us. And there’s no discussion about it. It’s just the first priority.
“Of course, when you talk with the right authority, they have the responsibility for that in terms of the Ministry of Defence, the internal security. When we have received all the [as]surance that everything was under control the properly managed – and we need to rely on them because they have the responsibility for that – we inform the teams and the drivers and we move on.”
‘F1 Rationality’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/27/...e-near-jeddah/
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This year's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix deserves to be inscribed as one of Formula One's darkest moments.
Stefano Domenicali has been a fixture in the paddock for decades, but you wonder if F1's chief executive has any idea of the forces with which he is meddling by banking Middle Eastern riches so heedlessly.
Oliver Brown
March 28 2022 08:32 AM
Willingness to accept the sportswashing millions of the Middle East could soon come back to haunt the sport's chiefs
This sport has conjured many jarring juxtapositions in its time: think back to 1994, when, after Ayrton Senna's fatal accident, Martin Brundle was outraged that officials let the remaining cars speed past a pool of the Brazilian's blood. But there have been few spectacles quite so distasteful as staging motor racing next to a missile strike.
This year's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix deserves to be inscribed as one of F1's darkest moments, and not just because of the sunlight eclipsed by the nearby inferno.
‘Darkest Moments’;
https://www.independent.ie/sport/oth...-41494364.html
Rip-roaring Saudi GP action cannot make up for ridiculous decision to race in Jeddah.
Holding a world-famous sporting event in a country that is regularly attacked with missiles and drones is inexplicable in itself. That's before we even get onto the other reasons why a regime like the one in control of Saudi Arabia shouldn't be given such a platform to sportswash in the first place.
Mirror Sport's Daniel Moxon remains unconvinced about Formula 1 racing in Saudi Arabia despite the exciting action in Sunday's race
OPINION
By Daniel MoxonSports Writer
• 06:30, 28 Mar 2022
Friday gave us a very stark reminder of one of the many reasons why. The missile strike on an Aramco oil facility just a few miles from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, which occurred while cars were out on track for the first practice session of the weekend, caused many people from online fans to some drivers themselves to question if it was even safe to hold a race in the city.
But the question – rightfully – was asked about why it was deemed safe to race in a country that is regularly bombed in such a manner in the first place. After all, the missile that hit on Friday afternoon was far from the only time such an incident has occurred. Ever since the Saudis led the intervention in Yemen which began in 2015, the Houthi rebels have been attacking cities across the Kingdom.
We cannot be naïve and pretend that cash doesn't talk, but it's hard to stomach so many major issues being overlooked for the sake of a money-spinning sporting event. The list includes, but is not limited to, the country's terrible human rights record, its backwards and archaic anti-gay laws and shocking incidents like the killing of U.S journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
‘Sportswash’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...shing-26569249
Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc entertain, but shadow hangs over Saudi Arabian GP
Nate SaundersF1 Associate Editor
It was a strange F1 race weekend, with the 48 hours before the race dominated by a missile attack on an oil depot just 10km from the circuit. At one point, it looked like F1's 20 drivers would refuse to take part in the event, and after agreeing to race they have demanded F1 reevaluate its decision to continue to race in the country long-term.
It's clear the issue will not simply be left in Saudi Arabia when Formula One leaves the country in the next 24 hours. Drivers have already agreed to discuss the future of the race with F1 in the coming weeks, and hopefully talks can be productive.
‘Shadow Hanging Over Missile Attack’;
https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/3...udi-arabian-gp
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Formula 1 drivers to hold talks with bosses over future of race
28/03/2022, 12:34
By Matt Majendie
Formula 1 drivers are set to hold discussions over the future of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after agreeing to yesterday’s race going ahead.
Race winner Max Verstappen was among those to raise doubts about a return to the Middle East country next season. He said: “We had a lot of guarantees that of course it would be safe but, after this weekend all the drivers together, we will speak with F1 and the team bosses to see what is happening for the future.”
Further down the grid, Lewis Hamilton could not have sounded less keen on racing in Saudi again. Along with Sebastian Vettel, who missed the race because of Covid, he has been the most outspoken driver against the Saudi regime. It is thought that the seven-time world champion was one of the strongest voices pushing for the drivers to boycott the race in the wake of the missile strike by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
‘Doubts Raised About A Return’;
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/for...e-b990848.html
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Drivers to meet with Formula 1 bosses over concerns from weekend's race
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix went ahead as planned despite a rocket attack, claimed by Houthi rebels, on an oil facility less than 10 miles from the circuit during Friday's opening practice session
Last Updated: 28/03/22 1:27pm
The inclusion of Saudi Arabia on the Formula 1 calendar has been controversial since it first appeared ahead of the 2021 season due to the country's record on human rights.
Friday's rocket attack heightened concerns over the safety of the event too and although the rest of the Grand Prix passed off without incident, there are still questions the drivers want answering.
‘Answers’;
https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...-weekends-race
F1 bosses 'have NO PLANS to review' their £50m-a-year, decade-long Saudi Arabia Grand Prix deal, 'but have told them they must do more to convince drivers it's safe' after boycotts were threatened over a nearby missile strike
• Formula One has told Saudi Arabia that the kingdom needs to do more on safety
• F1 bosses have no plans to review their big Saudi Grand Prix deal, claim reports
• The country has a bumper £50million-a-year, decade-long contract to host races
• But there are wide safety concerns after practice was disrupted by a bomb blast
• It reportedly took a long meeting to persuade the drivers not to boycott the race
By Max Mathews For Mailonline
Published: 13:21, 28 March 2022
Formula One chiefs currently have no plans to review their bumper Saudi Arabia Grand Prix contract despite narrowly avoiding a driver boycott over safety concerns, according to reports.
Drivers had to be persuaded not to pull out of Sunday's race in Jeddah after Friday practice was affected by thick black smoke when an oil depot a few miles down the road was bombed by Yemeni Houthi rebels.
However, it was reported F1 chiefs are not planning to review the decade-long, £50million-a-year deal - one of the most lucrative in the sport - as things stand.
‘Decade-long, £50million-a-year, one of the most lucrative’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sp...a-GP-deal.html
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Horner hails 'very, very hard work' as Red Bull bounce back in style.
Red Bull's Christian Horner has praised his team for responding to the disappointment of their Bahrain double retirement, after Max Verstappen won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
28/03/2022, 07:00
"It was great to rebound after the disappointment of Bahrain," he told media, including RacingNews365.com, after the race.
"The team have worked very, very hard in the past week to understand and address, hopefully, the issues that we had.
"What a great race! It was a very strategic race for Max, not taking too much out of the tyres to make sure he had enough to attack at the end of the Grand Prix, and [we had] some great racing between him and Charles."
‘Red Bull Bounce Back’;
https://racingnews365.com/horner-hai...-back-in-style
Christian Horner lauds ‘patient’ Max Verstappen after thrilling F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix victory
Daniel Austin
Monday 28 Mar 2022 10:08 am
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has lauded Max Verstappen’s ‘patience’ after the Formula 1 world champion took a late victory at the thrilling Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Horner says that his driver’s patience was key to securing the win. ‘That DRS is so powerful down the straight that you can see neither driver wanted to get it,” he told Sky Sports F1. ‘They actually braked and accelerated back towards the corner, so what a great race! It was an exciting last few laps but, thankfully, we just had enough to bring it home.’
‘It was a very patient race from Max,’ he said. ‘He looked after the tyres until the end of the race and then, after that last [virtual] safety car, he really went for it.’
‘Maximum ‘Patient’ Max’;
https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/28/chris...o=newsnow-feed
Red Bull set for ‘significant time gain’ in fight with Ferrari for F1 title
Daniel Austin
Monday 28 Mar 2022 4:12 pm
Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko says that the team is set to bring a significant car upgrade to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix which could give it a crucial advantage in Formula 1 title race with Ferrari. Marko says that a significant boost should come at the Imola race which follows the Australian Grand Prix.
“The Ferrari is a car that is always fast, in all conditions [regardless of] temperature or tyres,’ Marko told Austrian TV station Servus. ‘Our car is definitely more difficult to tune, but we will lose some weight in Imola. That should give us a significant time advantage, time gain in other words.”
“I think we are in a good position, but we have an almost equal opponent in Ferrari. [Charles] Leclerc is driving absolutely flawless this season, so it will be an exciting year.”
‘Significant Boost’;
https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/28/red-b...itle-16359526/
Ferrari: Red Bull low downforce approach 'merits some analysis'
Michael Delaney
28/03/2022 at 17:49
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto says Red Bull's decision to opt for a low downforce configuration for Sunday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix "merits some analysis". "Max was on a slightly higher downforce level on Friday, and then he reduced it," Binotto explained, quoted by Motorsport.com.
"We decided ourselves to stay on a higher level of downforce, because we believed that was important for tyre degradation. But finally, in the race, the tyre degradation was very little.”
"I think that their choice somehow merits some analysis from our side. But overall, it's always a compromise. It's only a matter of details and the right pieces that can decide the race at the end."
‘Further Analysis’;
https://f1i.com/news/436874-ferrari-...-analysis.html
Marko shares details about 'significant' Red Bull update
28/03/2022, 15:15
As their battle with Ferrari continues, Red Bull are set to work on one of the key issues that has been affecting their car, according to team advisor Helmut Marko.
"The Ferrari is a car that is always fast, in all conditions [regardless of] temperature or tyres," Marko told Austrian media outlet Servus TV. "Our car is definitely more difficult to tune, but we will lose some weight in Imola."
Marko is reluctant to predict how Red Bull with fare at Albert Park (Australia), but is anticipating an exciting race all the same. "I think it will be more or less like here [in Saudi Arabia]," Marko added. "It's all about who can get the car set up in the best possible way. The track has suited us in the past, but it is difficult. It will probably be particularly exciting again."
‘Working On Key Issues’;
https://racingnews365.com/marko-shar...ed-bull-update
Horner 'concerned' after multiple Honda engine issues
28/03/2022, 11:30
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Dieter Rencken
Red Bull boss Christian Horner is hopeful of fixes being identified and put in place after a spate of engine-related issues for their sister team.
The Red Bull Powertrains-badged engine in the back of the AlphaTauri is identical to that in the Red Bulls and, worryingly, was already Tsunoda's second power unit of the season, after he suffered an issue with his first unit during Friday practice.
On top of that, Pierre Gasly endured a stoppage in FP3, and had also taken on his second power unit for the campaign following a catastrophic fire at the Bahrain Grand Prix. "Of course, we're concerned about it," Horner told media, including RacingNews365.com, when asked about the issues with the engines.
‘Hoping For Fixes’;
https://racingnews365.com/horner-con...-engine-issues
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Ferrari have been ‘beyond all expectations’ says Binotto.
“We have scored more points than Red Bull and Mercedes combined!” Mattia Binotto told motorsport.com.
Date published: March 29 2022 - Sam Cooper
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says even he has been surprised by the team’s performance in the opening stages of the 2022 season. After two races, Ferrari have taken 78 points from a total of 88 available and both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have been on the podium twice.
“I can say in summary we have collected 78 points out of 88 available – we have scored more points than Red Bull and Mercedes combined!” he told motorsport.com.
“The credit goes to a team that in three long weeks (we left for testing in Bahrain, then we stayed in Sakhir for the race and then moved to Jeddah) did a very solid job – the car worked, but also the pit-stops, the mechanics. In short, the strategies and engineering were of a high level. So I am very satisfied because we have collected so much, beyond all expectations.”
‘Scuderia Ferrari Scored More Points Than Red Bull and Mercedes Combined!’
https://www.planetf1.com/news/mattia...start-ferrari/
Binotto predicts how Ferrari/Red Bull battle will develop
28/03/2022, 16:45
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Dieter Rencken
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto reckons his team's close battle with Red Bull will come down to "fine details" as the season progresses. Asked where he felt the characteristics of the Ferrari and Red Bull differed, and how the Scuderia intend to take their developing knowledge of their opponent into consideration for future races, Binotto said that his team had made their downforce choice based on analysis.
The F1-75 has remained largely unchanged since it rolled out at the start of the first pre-season test in Barcelona, unlike Red Bull's RB18. The Milton Keynes-based outfit introduced a large update package for the final day of testing in Bahrain, which seemed to elevate their pace significantly.
But Ferrari are in no panic to respond with an upgrade package of their own just yet, with Binotto explaining that their calm approach is due to delaying spending as far into the season as possible in light of the budget cap. "It's not only a matter of when we'll be ready, but there's the matter of the budget cap and trying to make sure that we're not spending what we've got in the first races," he said.
‘Ferrari Spending Wisely’;
https://racingnews365.com/binotto-pr...e-will-develop
Red Bull guru Newey promises development war with Ferrari
28/03/2022, 10:45
Red Bull's Adrian Newey is expecting a close development war to play out between the team and Ferrari as the season goes on. After watching the fight unfold between Verstappen and Leclerc, Newey believes that the two teams were on a par in Jeddah.
"It was really tight, wasn't it?" Newey told Sky Sports F1 after the event. "The performance of our car and Ferrari's seemed to be absolutely identical through the whole race." In terms of what will give one team the edge going forwards, Newey is expecting development to play a key role.
"We saw it in Bahrain, we saw it here [in Saudi Arabia]," the Chief Technical Officer explained. "There seems to be so little to choose between the two of them. I guess it's just going to be a big development war now, but it's also a development war with one hand tied behind our backs, with the cost cap."
‘Develpoment War’;
https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-g...r-with-ferrari
Red Bull exposed Ferrari's 'bigger weaknesses' - Leclerc
Ian Parkes & Topher Smith
Tuesday 29 March 2022 15:25
Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari's weaknesses became "much bigger" when battling Max Verstappen's Red Bull for victory in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
On where Ferrari's deficit to Red Bull came from during the battle with Verstappen, Leclerc explained: "I think the point where we struggled the most is whenever Max got the DRS basically because our weaknesses were just bigger, the straight-line speed difference was much bigger.
"We were still quick in the corners, but not enough to have that margin to cover. So from that moment onwards, it was a bit more difficult for us."
Ferrari Weaknesses’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...esses-leclerc/
Charles Leclerc's post-race comments summed up how fans feel about exciting start to F1 season
By George Dagless
Published: 28 Mar 2022, 09:38
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has summed up how F1 fans feel about the new season with him saying how exciting the Saudi Arabian GP was despite him finishing second.
“Oh my god! It was not enough today. I really enjoyed that race,” he said after the chequered flag. “It’s hard racing but fair. Every race should be like this. It was fun, I’m of course disappointed, we wanted to win today.
“We had two very different configurations with the Red Bulls. We were quite quick in the corner, but slow in straights. It was extremely difficult for me to cover Max in the straight. Max did a great job, it was a fun race.”
‘Fun Race’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87989103...t-to-f1-season
Leclerc strongly denies suggestions of a Ferrari 'bluff'
29/03/2022, 13:40
Author Thomas Maher
Charles Leclerc has made clear that Ferrari didn't bait Red Bull into pitting Sergio Perez from the lead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Given that Ferrari's tactic appeared to be a masterstroke, the obvious question was whether their appearance in the pits - combined with the radio message to Leclerc - was actually bait to get Perez out of the way. Leclerc, though, denied such suggestions during the post-race press conference.
"No, no. We were ready to pit," he told media, including RacingNews365.com. "I mean, yes, we basically went for the opposite to Checo [Perez] in front, and he boxed that lap, so yeah, I think we did the right choice."
‘Ferrari Didn’t Bait Red Bull’;
https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-hi...-ferrari-bluff
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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits it is 'extremely painful' not to be part of Formula One's 'fun games' at the front, with his team well off the pace of leading duo Red Bull and Ferrari two races into the 2022 season.
Toto Wolff has conceded that Mercedes' drop in pace at the start of the Formula One season has left him hurting at not being involved in the championship battle.
By Dan Ripley for MailOnline
Published: 08:55, 29 March 2022
Lewis Hamilton could only finish 10th in Saudi Arabia, with George Russell fifth. Wolff admits to feeling pain having to watch the championship battle from the outside. “We have had the luxury of being right in the middle of those fun games for the last eight years,” the Mercedes boss was quoted to have said by GPFans.
'Actually luxury is the wrong word. We were right in the middle of those fun games in the front, and talking as a Formula One stakeholder we're benefiting from a great show that is really spectacular to look at.”
“On the other side, it is extremely painful to not be part of those fun games by quite a chunk of lap time deficit. We're not going to rest until we are back in the mix. It is no fun at all and an exercise in humility. It's going to make us stronger even though it's not fun right now.”
‘Extremely Painful’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...fun-games.html
The real reason why Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes can't keep up this F1 season
Tom Cary14:41, Mar 30 2022
When it was announced last May that Red Bull had nabbed another five Mercedes engineers for their new in-house engine facility at Milton Keynes, it was seen as a bit of a power play. Red Bull socking it to Mercedes, trying to topple the king. Following hot on the heels of Red Bull’s poaching of Ben Hodgkinson, head of Mechanical Engineering at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, as technical director of the project, it prompted a natural question: just how significant was this ‘brain drain’ from Brixworth to Milton Keynes?
Toto Wolff, Mercedes’s team principal, played it very cool at the time. “We have 900 or so employees [at Brixworth],” he said, calmly. “And if you’re fishing out 15 of these or so, that’s pretty normal. They went mainly after manufacturing staff so it’s not really performance.”
But there were whispers, too, that Mercedes were down on power. Hamilton and Russell were the only two Mercedes-powered cars to finish in the top 10, while the bottom six finishers all had Mercedes engines. Coincidence?
‘Brain Drain Coincidence?’;
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/motors...this-f1-season
Saudi Arabia weekend a “reflection of where we currently stand” – Mercedes’ Toto Wolff
By Paul Hensby
March 29, 2022
Toto Wolff reckons the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix result for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team highlighted just where the team are at this point of the season as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and tenth respectively.
Wolff, the Team Principal at Mercedes, says the results in Saudi Arabia mean the team have a lot of work to do to play catch up to the leading two teams, both in Qualifying and in the races.
“Today’s race was the reflection of where we currently stand,” said Wolff. “The performance gaps seemed to be similar in qualifying and the race, and clearly there is a lot of work for us to do in order to get into the fight at the front.”
‘Work In Progress’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...es-toto-wolff/
Villeneuve: Russell can handle the Mercedes, Hamilton not coping
Jad Mallak
29 March, 2022
Jacques Villeneuve believes that Lewis Hamilton is not coping with this year’s Mercedes W13, having had perfect cars for some time, while George Russell seems to handle it better.
“It will be interesting what the response will be in the team, because Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton are not used to this. We can say that competing for the prizes is no longer an option for Mercedes,” the Canadian added. “George Russell can still handle the car to some degree. Maybe that’s because of his years at Williams where he also had to drive a difficult car.”
“But Lewis Hamilton is not coping at all. He’s always had a perfect car, he never had to push because they were so much faster. In the race yesterday he did alright, but on Saturday he was nowhere to be seen,” the 50-year-old reflected.
‘Jacques Villeneuve: Lewis Hamilton Not Coping, Nowhere To Be Seen’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...on-not-coping/
Wolff explains "confusion" led to Hamilton "game over"
Sam Hall & Ewan Gale
Tuesday 29 March 2022 17:15
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has explained the "confusion" of Daniel Ricciardo and Fernando Alonso's failures that led to Lewis Hamilton facing "game over" at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion was knocked out in Q1 during qualifying but made amends through strategy early on at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, using a safety car period to continue on his hard tyres and make his way into the top 10.
looked like a late switch to mediums would consolidate much-welcomed points given the struggles experienced in the W13 over the weekend, before Hamilton was unable to make his stop when the pit lane closed as the McLaren and Alpine both stopped at pit entry.
‘Confusion’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...ton-game-over/
Hakkinen: There’s been a power shift in F1 in 2022
Jad Mallak
29 March, 2022
Former double Formula 1 Champion Mika Hakkinen reflected on the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and believes there has been a power shift within the sport, as Mercedes took a step back.
“After two races we can see that there has been a power shift in Formula 1,” Hakkinen said in his Unibet column. “We knew from the opening race in Bahrain that Charles Leclerc is looking incredibly strong at Ferrari, well supported by team mate Carlos Sainz. But now that Red Bull seems to have to have solved the fuel vaporisation problem which caused both cars to return from the first race, they are just as competitive.”
“Mercedes have a significant set of problems to fix if they are to catch up with Red Bull and Ferrari. They need to do it quite quickly because the top two teams are going to be pushing so hard on their own development.”
‘Mercedes Power Shift, Step Back’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...in-f1-in-2022/
Mercedes F1 Team Boss Toto Wolff Believes Poor Form Has Humbled Reigning World Champs
29 Mar 2022, 08:43 UTC ·
by Sergiu Tudose
With two F1 races already in the bag this year, it’s clear that Mercedes-AMG are struggling to keep up with Red Bull and Ferrari. In terms of pace, it’s like Ferrari and Mercedes have swapped places from where they were in 2021, leaving the German outfit in kind of a no man’s land.
This past weekend in Saudi Arabia, George Russell finished the race fifth, while Lewis Hamilton could only manage P10 after recovering from his first Q1 knockout in over four years. Don’t get us wrong, it’s not that Mercedes look like a midfield team now, but rather they don’t look like title contenders anymore – same as Ferrari last year.
“We’re not going to rest until we are back in the mix. But you’re absolutely right: it’s no fun at all. [It’s] an exercise in humility, and it’s going to make us stronger in the end, even though it’s not funny right now.”
‘Not Going To Rest’;
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/m...ps-185121.html
Wolff sends message to Mercedes' rivals: We won't rest until we're back
28 March 07:45
Author Thomas Maher
Co-author Dieter Rencken
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says it's "extremely painful" that his drivers aren't able to join in the battle at the front of Formula 1 as things stand.
Toto Wolff has vowed that his Mercedes team will not rest until they are able to rejoin the lead battle in Formula 1, having seemingly slipped from the pinnacle of the sport.
‘Vowed To Not Rest’;
https://racingnews365.com/wolff-vows...ack-in-the-mix
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Alpine drivers leave Saudi with contrasting fortunes after ‘intense’ wheel-to-wheel battle.
It was a tale of two races for Alpine on Sunday as Esteban Ocon finished sixth, just a tenth ahead of Lando Norris, while Fernando Alonso retired from the race and was left wondering what could have been at Jeddah.
28 March 2022
The Grand Prix began with a brilliant wheel-to-wheel battle between the Alpines, Ocon and Alonso jostling aggressively but cleanly before the Frenchman was told to back off by his team. And neither driver was sour about the situation, both clearly excited to take each other on around the high-speed street circuit.
“Yes it was good. Obviously very intense,” said Alonso. “We had also in Bahrain another fight so… My car for whatever reason today felt a little bit faster that Esteban’s car so I had relatively more pace, tried to overtake and pull away, which is what I did, and concentrate on Bottas – he was very fast as well.”
‘EL PLAN: Told To Back Off’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...zorHoXLe1.html
Alonso frustrated ‘two great races’ haven’t been rewarded
30/03/2022, 07:18
By Scott Mitchell
“I had two great races,” said Alonso. “One in Bahrain, but unfortunately with maybe the wrong strategy with the starting tyres that had been scrubbed that compromised my whole race, and also with an engine that was not great.”
“And now I was very fast in qualifying [in Saudi Arabia], very unlucky because some other people didn’t have new tyres in Q3 and the scrubbed set was the fastest.”
“So we had to overtake some cars and go back to our natural position this weekend, which was fifth or sixth. And then another retirement. I could be sixth or seventh in the championship and I’m not in that position,” he said. “And it’s not because we don’t deserve it. It’s just because we didn’t maximise the points.”
‘Two Great Races’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/alons...been-rewarded/
Alonso rues giving ‘points to other teams’ in Saudi
Date published: March 28 2022 - Michelle Foster
Fernando Alonso was left to rue his Saudi Arabian Grand Prix retirement, the Spaniard saying Alpine “gave points to other teams”.
Having spent the bulk of Sunday’s 50-lap grand prix ahead of his team-mate Esteban Ocon, the Frenchman P6 on the night, Alonso was on course for a solid points finish at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. But it all came to zero on lap 36 when he reported lost pace and reported “no power”.
“I don’t know exactly what happened, we are still investigating,” he told the official F1 website. “We lost power and eventually the car stopped so let’s see what we can find. “The race was good until that point, we were fast, we felt competitive and unfortunately we lost a lot of points.”
‘Points Given Away’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernan...r-teams-saudi/
Szafnauer happy to let Alonso and Ocon race each other
Date published: March 28 2022 - Sam Cooper
Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer said he is happy to let his two drivers continue to race each other following the showdown during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“It was fine, it was clean,” team principal Otmar Szafnauer said as per The Race. “It’s what the fans want to see. And we told them at the beginning, we’ll allow them to race.”
“We were losing a little bit more time than anticipated. That’s a little bit because of the track specific stuff here and a little bit because the cars can follow each other easier now, which was the aim of the new regulations. And because of it, if you can follow easier, you can start overtaking each other one lap after the next.”
‘Happy Racing’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/otmar-...arabia-battle/
Otmar Szafnauer delivers verdict after epic duel between Fernando Alonso & Esteban Ocon
By George Dagless
Published: 28 Mar 2022, 13:31
The early entertainment in the race around the Jeddah circuit was provided by the two Alpine drivers, as Alonso and Ocon squabbled lap after lap for position.
Indeed, in the end, it was Alonso who emerged victorious with Ocon told to hold position after Valtteri Bottas in the Alfa Romeo had closed up on them. Ocon had the last laugh, however, as he earned a P6 whilst Fernando had to retire and, post-race, Szafnauer said that he was happy with what he saw from the pair, and that the team had told them they were allowed to race at the beginning of the Grand Prix.
Szafnauer must have been a little nervous that the two were going to take each other off but, in the end, it was clean and certainly a spectacle to enjoy for fans.
‘Clean Racing’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87989262...o-esteban-ocon
-
"We can't be happy and therefore we're not," says Norris.
McLaren's inauspicious start to the season has had a detrimental effect on team morale admits Lando Norris, while insisting that the Woking outfit remains fully motivated.
NEWS STORY
30/03/2022
Determined to reclaim third spot from Ferrari and close the gap to Mercedes and Red Bull, McLaren's pre-season hopes appear to have been cruelly dashed as the Woking outfit lies eighth in the team standings.
"When you have points and you have success and you have podiums, then there's always a rise in morale," says Norris, who heads to Australia tenth in the driver standings.
"I don't think it's got worse," he insists. "I think there's expectations, of course, that's racing, we want to have success and do well. So we're never going to be as happy in P16 compared to if we were P8 or P7 or whatever, so there's always just a little bit of happiness gone.”
‘McLarens’ Expectations’;
https://www.pitpass.com/72154/We-can...ot-says-Norris
The good, the bad and the ugly of McLaren’s miserable start to F1’s new era
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
March 30th, 2022 6:13 am
If you replay qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix in slow motion, you can actually pinpoint the second Zak Brown’s heart rips in half. Dnial Ricciardo dealt the first blow, knocked out in P18. In an ambitiously hopefully moment Brown might have written it off to the Australian still recovering from COVID, but the knockout punch came only 15 minutes later, when Lando Norris was eliminated from qualifying in 13th.
In the space of about a week McLaren went from championship smoky to surprise backmarker, and though Saudi Arabia showed the car to be not quite as bad as Bahrain suggested, scrapping for minor points is a shatteringly long way from the target of regular podiums and victories. What’s gone wrong?
THE GOOD: February testing in Spain was a bright start for McLaren.
THE BAD: So when is a ‘good’ car not fast?
THE UGLY: McLaren’s shocker in Bahrain is unlikely to be repeated this season but is no less egregious for that fact.
‘THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY, THE MCL36’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...b5c926241d5fef
McLaren apologise to Ricciardo as double points finish evaporates
28 March 14:30
Author Thomas Maher
Daniel Ricciardo was a contender for a possible points finish as the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix reached its closing stages. Team boss Andreas Seidl was apologetic over letting Ricciardo down.
"We have to apologise to Daniel," Seidl said in his post-race debrief. "Without his mechanical failure we would have had both cars home in the points. We'll analyse the exact cause of his DNF when we're home."
"The end result was obviously not what I wanted, but this weekend was more promising and we performed better on this track," he explained.
‘Daniel Ricciardo Apology’;
https://racingnews365.com/mclaren-ap...ish-evaporates
Norris: MCL36 was in ‘exact same place’ as Bahrain
Date published: March 30 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Lando Norris says the McLaren MCL36 did not improve between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, the latter track just suited it more. It has been an underwhelming start to the season for McLaren, who after two rounds find themselves P8 in the Constructors’ Championship with only six points.
Asked during the F1 Nation podcast how much of a surprise that P7 finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was, Norris replied: “I mean, after last week (Bahrain) you would say it was a surprise. But this week our pace was much better, so maybe not the biggest. I’m happy with it. I feel bad that I have to be happy with a P7.”
“The car is in exactly the same position as Bahrain, that’s the problem. If we went back to Bahrain, we’d still be out in Q1 and we’d be fighting for 16th and 17th like we were.”
‘Feel Bad That I Have To Be Happy With P7’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...ck-comparison/
Lando Norris reveals stark visibility issues in late-race battle with Esteban Ocon
By George Dagless
Published: 28 Mar 2022, 09:57
Esteban Ocon and Lando Norris enjoyed an exciting battle over 6th and 7th place in the final moments of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday, with Norris revealing after the race he had the added the dynamic of not being able to see very well out of the car to deal with.
It was a thrilling finish to the race for the pair, and Norris has revealed that he found it hard to see out of the car in the fight with Ocon, thanks to the cars that are harder to see out of and the way the Saudi track is set up with high walls and a lot of blind corners.
“What also had me over here is because the visibility is so much worse, as soon as I braked, I couldn’t see where Esteban was because you can’t see as far left,” Norris said to Sky Sports after the race.”
‘Visibility Issues’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87989177...h-esteban-ocon
Ricciardo: Mercedes still got a bit to find in its power unit
Jad Mallak
30 March, 2022
Daniel Ricciardo believes Mercedes have still got to find more performance from their PU, as Mercedes-powered teams occupy the lower end of the grid after the first two races of the 2022 Formula 1 season.
“It’s no secret that Mercedes, let’s say, have still got a bit to find,” the Australian revealed, and claimed that Mercedes-powered teams are running lower drag setups to compensate for less power.
However, the Australian has faith that Mercedes can sort the PU out insisting: “Let’s say, in this situation, there are no better hands I would rather it be in.”
‘Got To Find More Performance’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...ts-power-unit/
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Gasly was “screaming with pain” from intestine over last 15 laps.
“The last five laps, it was just about surviving,” the AlphaTauri driver said in response to a question from RaceFans.
2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Posted on
27th March 2022, 22:5728th March 2022, 13:30 | Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
Gasly said he’d never experienced a pain like it before. “I had the feeling like every left turn there was someone stabbing me on the inside the intestine, so it was not nice.”
“It’s been the most painful last 15 laps of my entire career,” he added. “I don’t know what’s happened with my intestine, but I was dying inside the car. I was screaming because of pain.”
Despite his uncomfortable end to the race Gasly said afterwards he was “really happy” with his result, having dropped out of the top 10 early in the race but recovered to finish in the points.
‘Pain In The Intestine’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/27/...-last-15-laps/
AlphaTauri provide update on Gasly after extreme pain
29 March 12:50
Author Thomas Maher
AlphaTauri have offered a fresh update on how Pierre Gasly is feeling, after the French driver struggled with extreme intestinal pain during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Approached by RacingNews365.com for an update on Gasly's condition, and whether the potential reason for his discomfort had been identified, a team spokesperson confirmed that the French driver has since recovered fully.
"[It was] nothing serious, just some intestinal pain, but [now] all [is] OK!" they commented.
‘All OK’;
https://racingnews365.com/alphatauri...r-extreme-pain
Red Bull doesn't want to 'lose' Gasly - Marko
By GMM F1 | 5h
Dr Helmut Marko admits he is thinking about giving Pierre Gasly another chance at Red Bull's top Formula 1 team. The Frenchman, now 26, struggled alongside Max Verstappen in 2019 before his mid-season relegation, where he is now the solid team leader at the junior outfit Alpha Tauri.
F1 legend Gerhard Berger recently said Gasly is "good enough for another chance" at Red Bull, where the experienced Mexican Sergio Perez - Checo - is currently Verstappen's teammate. "Gerhard is right," Marko admits. "But at the moment we still have a contract with Checo.”
"We need to compare the performances of these two drivers. We still have until the middle of the year with Checo to do that." The latter comment implies that Perez's current one-year deal includes an option clause, which is typically activated by Formula 1 teams in the late summer.
‘Another Chance For Pierre Gasly’;
https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/formula...5.html?newsnow
'I trust the team' – Gasly backs AlphaTauri to solve reliability issues after problems in Jeddah
29 March 2022
AlphaTauri’s weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was a tale of contrasting fortunes for their two drivers as Pierre Gasly finished the race in P8, while Yuki Tsunoda stopped on his lap to the grid with a suspected drivetrain issue that ended his Sunday early.
“Not a big concern but clearly it is something we know [we’ve got to] improve, so I trust the team in finding the solutions going forward, it’s something we have to sort out together, but I am sure the team will find the right things to do for the rest of the year.”
Tsunoda, on the other hand, was frustrated... “It’s such a shame that we are having these problems two times in a row and for us it’s two rounds in a row. We cannot continue like this, we have to solve this issue as soon as possible, reliability issue, to have more consistent results.”
‘Reliability Problems’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...koMdnfaCV.html
Yuki Tsunoda urges AlphaTauri to improve reliability issues
By George Dagless
Published: 31 Mar 2022, 12:46
Yuki Tsunoda has urged his AlphaTauri team to try and get on top of the reliability issues they are having at the start of this new Formula 1 season.
That said, then, Tsunoda has urged his team to try and get on top of their current troubles. Speaking after the retirement in Saudi last weekend, he said:
“Even though I was starting P19, anything can happen, maybe it was possible to be in the points. It’s such a shame… in Bahrain, the race pace was quite good. From also my side, disappointed that I could not have the experience to improve myself, but it is what it is.”
‘Must Improve Reliability’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87990574...ability-issues
Gasly’s Points Overshadowed as AlphaTauri Reliability Gremlins Continue
By Nick Golding
March 30, 2022
Pierre Gasly’s first points of the 2022 Formula 1 season were somewhat overshadowed, as team-mate Yuki Tsunoda failed to start the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after yet more reliability problems to his AT03.
Tsunoda failed to even make it to the grid, after experiencing reliability issues on the way round to take his spot. Tsunoda’s weekend was ridiculed by reliability issues, the Japanese driver didn’t even take part in Qualifying after issues arose with his AT03.
Scuderia AlphaTauri Team Principal, Franz Tost, “It was a difficult race for us, it’s always disappointing when a car isn’t able to make it to the starting grid. We had a problem on Yuki’s car with the oil pressure, therefore we had to stop. We now have to go away and investigate what the reason for this was.”
‘Gremlin Ridden AT03, Difficult and Disappointing’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...lins-continue/
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‘The rest is just like powder’: Steiner reveals eyewatering cost of damage to Schumacher’s Haas.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will cost the Haas team somewhere in the region of $500,000 to $1 million.
by Rob Kershaw
31 March 202231 March 2022
“I don’t know money-wise as yet but these cars, between gearbox, the whole bodywork’s gone, radiator. [The cost is] between half a million to a million [dollars] I would say.” This will come out of Haas’ budget for the 2022 season which, for all of the teams, sits at $140 million, down from $145 million last year.
However, Steiner confirms that the engine and the chassis are all that survived the scary accident, and the rest of the car was irreparably damaged. “The chassis in itself doesn’t seem to be broken, the side impact structure… the engine also, I was told from Ferrari, seems to be okay, the battery pack as well, and then all the rest is broken,” Steiner said.
The Italian cautioned that the cost to put the car back together will be steep. “I think the cost is still pretty high because all the suspension is gone, except the front left. I think there’s still something on there. The rest is just like powder, carbon powder,” he explained.
‘Carbon Powder’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/the-rest-...umachers-haas/
Haas: More to lose then to gain from fixing Schumacher's car
Michael Delaney
27/03/2022 at 14:51
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says it "didn't make sense" for the US outfit to fix Mick Schumacher's car for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and risk compromising the team's next race in Australia.
While the 23-year-old was undergoing precautionary checks at a hospital in Jeddah, and with little chances of Schumacher scoring points in Sunday's event, Steiner made the wise call to withdraw his driver from Sunday's event and spare his team any further hardship in Jeddah or in two weeks' time in Melbourne.
"You could work all night and then find out you’ve compromised yourself so much because you did everything in a hurry," explained the Haas boss. "Then you end up with not all the spare parts in Australia, and then you have a little thing [happen] in Australia, and then you cannot race when you in theory should be in a better position. It doesn't make sense to me. It's just like trying too hard to call it."
‘Wise Call’;
https://f1i.com/news/436577-haas-mor...chers-car.html
Haas explain decision not to let Schumacher race in Jeddah
28 March 10:00
Author Anna Francis
Co-author Dieter Rencken
After undergoing checks in hospital following his high-speed crash in Saturday's qualifying session ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Mick Schumacher was later released, but Haas boss Guenther Steiner has explained why the team opted against entering him into the race.
Steiner says there were "too many unknowns" in letting Schumacher race Steiner says that there were multiple factors in deciding not to enter Schumacher into the race.
"We made the decision not to race with Mick," Steiner told media including RacingNews365.com. "There are too many unknowns, about how he will feel, and there's nothing to be gained."
‘Too Many Unknowns’;
https://racingnews365.com/why-haas-o...race-in-jeddah
“Spirits Are High” at Haas After Another Points Scoring Finish in Saudi Arabia
By Joe McCormick
March 30, 2022
Haas F1 Team principal, Guenther Steiner, has said that team morale is high at the moment, following a second consecutive points finish for the American racing team. With Kevin Magnussen finishing in ninth place at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Steiner says that Haas “cannot wait” for the first grand prix at Melbourne in three years, where they are hoping to get both cars into the points.
“It was a good day again and we got some points. Obviously, we planned to have more but we’re happy with what we got and as long as we keep scoring, we’re happy,” the boss explained.
“We started on a different strategy – on the hard tire – to most of the other teams and unfortunately the safety car came out at the wrong moment. Nevertheless, Kevin and the team fought back to get into the points which was fantastic to see again. Spirits are high here and we cannot wait to get to Melbourne to hopefully score some more points with both cars.”
‘Spirits Are High’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-saudi-arabia/
Haas can be “at the front of the midfield” with 2022 car – Steiner
RaceFans Round-up
Posted on
31st March 2022, 0:01
Written by Hazel Southwell
Magnussen’s ninth-place finish on a less than ideal weekend for Haas in Jeddah shows they can lead the midfield this year, says Steiner. “Kevin didn’t drive an F1 car for a year, comes here, has never driven here, has a miserable Friday we did three timed laps. Then he goes out there and does this time in qualifying and couldn’t do a better lap because of his neck. And in the race he said ‘the car is just doing what I want it to do’.
“Obviously, there’s always things to improve. But he said it’s really nice to drive if you’re so competitive, he said ‘I can challenge all the time.’ So the car is pretty good and then it’s down to having a good week and finding the right set-up and getting the best out of it. If we get the best out of it, I would say we are at the front end of the midfield.”
In the round-up: Günther Steiner says Kevin Magnussen’s pace shows Haas only needs a good week to score a big result.
‘Good Pace, Big Result’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/03/31/...nd-up-31-03-5/
Steiner confirms two Haas cars will run in Melbourne
Date published: March 28 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Haas principal Guenther Steiner assured that the team can field two cars in the upcoming Australian Grand Prix. Steiner was asked then if this meant Haas could still struggle to put a new chassis together for the Australian GP, but he assured that Haas will be back up to two cars for that race.
“In Melbourne yes, Melbourne is no issue,” he told Channel 4 when asked if Haas have the parts for two cars at the Australian Grand Prix. We decided not to go out there tomorrow [for the Saudi Arabian GP] and focus on Melbourne, Melbourne will not be an issue.”
Schumacher acknowledged that 20 years ago, a crash like that may well have had a different outcome for him, such is the safety advancements of the modern Formula 1 cars. Steiner also hailed F1’s safety work and is aware that they and Schumacher got lucky, but when asked if the Jeddah track was unsafe, Steiner argued that risk is a part of motorsport.
‘Two Haas F1 Cars Running In Australia’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/two-ha...australian-gp/
Haas reveal new nickname for Magnussen after impressive return
Yesterday, 14:30
Author Anna Francis
With Steiner having initially hailed Magnussen's performance in Bahrain as a "Viking comeback", the Team Principal admits he has slightly changed the phrase to suit his driver's condition in Jeddah...
When asked how Magnussen was feeling after the 50-lap race, Steiner told the F1 Nation podcast: "He was quite sore. "He wanted to play it how we are [like] a Viking. I called him the Viking with the weak neck!
"But anyway, he was sore and it's one of these things, especially on this race track with the high speed corners. If you haven't driven one of these cars for a year, I think it is very demanding."
‘Viking Comeback’;
https://racingnews365.com/haas-revea...ressive-return
Steiner reflects on how long Haas can remain competitive
1st April 2022, 09:30
Haas have found themselves battling much further up the field in 2022 than in recent years, and Team Principal Guenther Steiner remains hopeful that this can continue.
When asked on the F1 Nation podcast how much longer the team can maintain their current form, Steiner light-heartedly asked: "Why should it stop? Why do you think we cannot keep it going?"
Presenter Tom Clarkson responded that Haas may have fewer resources than the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari, but Steiner thinks that the budget cap introduced for 2022 is helping to balance the field out in this respect. "We are not competing at the moment against Ferrari or Red Bull, but I think we can keep growing where we are now," the team boss explained.
‘Why Should It Stop?’;
https://racingnews365.com/steiner-re...in-competitive
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Valtteri Bottas wants to rub salt in Mercedes' wounds as he targets fight with old team.
VALTTERI BOTTAS is keen to outperform his former team in Mercedes this season
By LIAM LLEWELLYN
06:57, Fri, Apr 1, 2022
F1’s Valterri Bottas is determined to beat Mercedes this season. The Finn left the Silver Arrows following the conclusion of the 2021 campaign after five years.
Bottas is keen to hit the ground running and believes his team have what it takes to give his former employers a run for their money. "We have what it takes to take on Mercedes and become the third power behind Red Bull Racing and Ferrari,” Bottas said. “That has to be our goal now."
"It's not just his speed," he told Speedweek.com. "It's mainly his attitude. He radiates so much positivity that the whole team gets involved." Speaking about his former team over the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix weekend, Bottas admitted he was surprised to see Merecdes struggling. “It’s weird to see,” he said following Hamilton’s elimination in Q1, as reported by grandprix247.com. “I would guess he had some kind of issue, I don’t know.
‘Bottas Determined to Bear Mercedes’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-team-f1-news
Mika Hakkinen raises concerns over Lewis Hamilton's 'very strange' Mercedes car
By STUART BALLARD
10:44, Tue, Mar 29, 2022
Mika Hakkinen felt it was "very strange" to see Lewis Hamilton struggling to battle his way through the pack at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Mercedes have begun the new 2022 season on the backfoot with Red Bull and Ferrari far out in front after two races.
"Mercedes have a significant set of problems to fix if they are to catch up with Red Bull and Ferrari," Hakkinen told Unibet. "They need to do it quite quickly because the top two teams are going to be pushing so hard on their own development.”
‘Very Strange Mercedes’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix
Bottas: Strong Alfa Romeo F1 form is “best case scenario”
Valtteri Bottas admits that the strong early form of his Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team in 2022 represents “the best case scenario” in terms of what he expected going into the season.
By: Adam Cooper
Mar 30, 2022, 4:50 PM
After losing his Mercedes drive to George Russell, Bottas had a choice between Alfa Romeo and Williams for this year, and he eventually opted for the Swiss-based team.
Bottas said the team can aim to take on Mercedes and lead the chase of Red Bull and Ferrari in the fight for the third-best team on the grid. "I think that needs to be the target now," he said. "We seem to be more or less in the same place as in Bahrain, even though I thought this could be maybe more difficult.
“I think aiming to be the best of the rest is a good motivation, and good targets. Hopefully, we eventually can fight for fifth position in the race. That would be a big step for us."
‘Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo Positive’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/b...-form/9458488/
Valtteri Bottas offers thoughts on Mercedes' current struggles
By George Dagless
Published: 28 Mar 2022, 13:15
Alfa Romeo and Haas look more like Mercedes’ rivals, as well as the likes of Alpine, and that just shows the kind of shake-up we have seen thanks to the new regulations in the sport.
Bottas, of course, is one man to be benefitting from that with him scoring points on his debut race in Bahrain for the team and also challenging again inside the top 10 before his car gave up on him due to overheating issues.
Clearly, the switch has worked out nicely for him and he admits it is strange seeing a team that he knows so well in Mercedes struggling.
‘Alfa Romeo Switch Working Well’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87989292...rent-struggles
Bottas was 'looking good' for P6 in Jeddah ahead of DNF
Michael Delaney
29/03/2022 at 09:53
Valtteri Bottas believes he was on track for a P6 finish in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix before a cooling issues ruined his efforts.
The Alfa Romeo driver had launched his race from eighth on the grid and then gained a position during his first stint on the medium tyre when he slotted himself between the dueling Alpine duo of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon.
He remained among the top-ten thereafter and reckons he could have targeted P6 but for a cooling issue that forced Alfa to retire the Finn's car on lap 36 of 50.
‘P6 Looking Good’;
https://f1i.com/news/436895-bottas-w...ad-of-dnf.html
Bottas retired from Saudi to save the engine
Date published: March 30 2022 - Michelle Foster
Alfa Romeo made the call to retire Valtteri Bottas’ C42 in Saudi Arabia to hopeful save him from a late-season engine penalty. Fighting for sixth place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the Finn pulled into the pits with on lap 46 to retire his Alfa Romeo.
He told F1 TV: “It was a good race until we saw the issue with the engine temperature, it started to go up. It was initially a small rise in the engine temp but that it was rapid and even with lift and coast and finding clean air it was going up to the point that the engine was at risk of failing. We retired the car to not lose the engine, that was the only option.”
He qualified inside the top ten, P8, and was racing for sixth place when he retired the car. “I think performance wise compared to other teams it felt quite similar to Bahrain,” he said. “I think we are fighting for sixth place more or less. It was good to see that even with this different track, more high speed, we are up there fighting. That gives me hope for the coming races and I think we are not in a bad place.”
‘Up There Fighting, Gives Hope’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/valtte...ngine-penalty/
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BLUNT “The fish always stinks from the head” – Ex-Formula 1 team boss hits out at Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll saying they’re ‘going nowhere’ under his leadership.
Aston Martin are ‘going nowhere’ under Lawrence Stroll, according to former Formula 1 team boss Colin Kolles.
Phil Spencer
31st March 2022, 2:49 pm
Speaking to SPORT1, Kolles said: “It won’t work anymore. You have a team owner who thinks he is the team boss, who knows everything better and thinks he should put his son up front with all his might.”
“For me, that is the completely wrong approach. The fish always stinks from the head. I can see the racing team going nowhere.”
“As long as Mr Whitmarsh is in charge and Mr Stroll doesn’t see that he should be staying at home and only giving budgetary guidelines and letting people work who know their stuff and get the right people to lead the team, it will never work in life.”
‘Stinking Fish’;
https://talksport.com/sport/motorsport/1076408/
“I don’t think he wants to drive”: Ex-team principal claims Vettel doesn’t want to return to Aston Martin
Former Force India team principal Colin Kolles has given his verdict on the current state of affairs at Aston Martin, insisting that owner Lawrence Stroll is too heavily involved in the operation.
by Rob Kershaw
30 March 2022
Kolles suggests that Vettel has no interest in returning from his COVID-enforced break to drive what looks a dire 2022 machine.
“I don’t think he wants to drive at all. He just doesn’t want to do that to himself,” he said in conversation with Sport1.
“It’s certainly a very daring thesis but I’m sure that he thinks a lot about whether he should still be doing what he’s doing.”
‘A Very Daring Thesis’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/i-dont-th...-aston-martin/
Ralf’s advice to Aston Martin: ‘Stick with Hulkenberg’
Date published: March 30 2022 - Jon Wilde
Ralf Schumacher has doubled down on his opinion that Aston Martin should keep Nico Hulkenberg as one of their race drivers. The 46-year-old Sky Germany pundit had said after the Bahrain Grand Prix that team owner’s son Lance Stroll should find himself a “different hobby”.
The four-time former World Champion should be available again for the Australian Grand Prix on April 10 and, therefore, The Hulk would naturally be the man to make way. However, Schumacher “hopes” to see Vettel back in Melbourne – but also says he would keep Hulkenberg in a race seat.
Aston Martin are enduring a poor start to the campaign having collected zero points from the first two races – they and Williams being the only teams yet to score.
‘Stick With Hulkenberg’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ralf-s...kenberg-aston/
Vettel on Saudi GP: ‘How independent can you be when you’re on the payroll?’
Controversy has surrounded Formula 1's decision to race in Saudi Arabia.
by Rob Kershaw
28 March 202228 March 2022
Vettel suggests that it is difficult to simply withdraw from commitments in a country, and sees the significance of making a tangible difference in the nations Formula 1 visits.
“How independent can you be when you’re on the payroll?” he told ARD in Germany.
“You can say ‘boycott, don’t even go there’. On the other hand, you can go there and represent our Western values, show our freedom and stand up for it.
‘On the Payroll’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/vettel-on...n-the-payroll/
Vettel - Why F1 missed four-time champion during illness
Ewan Gale
Friday 1 April 2022 11:45
Sebastian Vettel will return to the F1 grid for the Australian Grand Prix after missing the first two races of the season after contracting Covid-19. The German was absent from the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabian and was replaced at Aston Martin by Nico Hulkenberg.
Over the past two or three seasons, Vettel has put himself forward as a leading voice for the sport when it comes to sensitive topics. Firstly, as a Grand Prix Drivers' Association director, anything Vettel says when tackling issues and concerns carries weight.
He even held a karting event for women only in Saudi Arabia last year which was an incredible visual demonstration against human rights abuses in the Kingdom given that women have only recently been permitted to drive.
‘Vettel Returns’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...uring-illness/
Hulk: Vettel will need to ‘dig a bit deeper’ on return
Date published: April 1 2022 - Jon Wilde
Sebastian Vettel will “need to dig a little bit deeper” to make up for lost time this season says his Aston Martin stand-in, Nico Hulkenberg.
In Vettel’s absence, his fellow 34-year-old German – and junior by 47 days – Hulkenberg has deputised, finishing 17th and 12th respectively. Although he described himself after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as “the old rusty guy”, The Hulk’s results were more down to the car’s lack of competitiveness than his own driving.
“Obviously he’s lacking those two races so he will start a little bit on the back foot,” said Hulkenberg, quoted by Motorsport Week. “But I think, you know, he’s very skilled, very talented. I think he’s capable of catching up, but for sure he has a bit more work to do and he needs to dig a little bit deeper to try and make up for it.”
‘Digging Deep, Digging Deeper’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/sebast...deeper-return/
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Saudi Arabian GP: Double DNF for Williams racing.
Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi both retired from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
By Williams Racing
March 28 2022
After a tough weekend in the leadup to the 2022 Saudi Arabian GP the Williams Racing Team was remaining positive going into Sundays race. Well the race ended with just about the most disappointing result for the team with both Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi retiring. Nicholas would crash early in the race when his car was to snap into oversteer with the end result been the car being sent into the barrier.
For Alex he would attempt a pass on the Aston Matin of Stroll with the end result being the cars making contact and Alex coming away with a damaged right front wheel. Such was the dame that he was forced to stop at the side of the track. Simply said definitly not the result the team was hoping for.
On top of this disappointment was the announcement that Alex would receive a three grid place penalty in Australia as penalty for his part in his accident.
‘Double DNF’;
https://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s107/st203082.htm
Latifi branded ‘FIA industry plant’ after costing Perez victory in Saudi Arabian GP
Sergio Perez lost the lead of the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to a Safety Car caused by Nicholas Latifi.
by James Clifford
28 March 202228 March 2022
There was a slight sense of déjà vu at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last weekend, as Nicholas Latifi collided with the barrier and turned the race on its head. This follows on from the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December when Sir Lewis Hamilton was comfortably leading Max Verstappen in the dying moments of the race, and Latifi crashed at Turn 14, extracting the Safety Car.
“Latifi’s an FIA industry plant they’ve hired him for entertainment purposes,” tweeted Niran, a YouTuber and part of Lando Norris’ Quadrant group.
“His timing is immaculate,” replied one user, with another joking that he was “developed by Netflix,” who have become notorious for manipulating storylines to manufacture drama.
‘Timing Is Immaculate’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/latifi-br...di-arabian-gp/
Rosberg to return with Williams, Latifi gets demoted
Editor
1 April, 2022
The 2022 Formula 1 season just keeps on giving with the latest sensational news that 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg will return to the grid with Williams replacing badly-performing Nicholas Latifi.
The former Mercedes driver, who began his F1 career with Williams at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix, returns to the team with whom his father Keke Rosberg won his F1 world title.
The move comes about as Latifi, in the wake of a crash-packed first two rounds of the F1 season, realises he is a liability to the team and its development. The billionaire’s son stepped down to the role of Williams reserve to allow Rosberg to team up with newcomer Alex Albon.
‘April Fools’ Joke’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/04...-gets-demoted/
'I don't regret the move' says Albon – despite grid penalty for contact with Stroll
28 March 2022
Alex Albon has received a three-place grid penalty for April’s Australian Grand Prix as a result of his late-race move on Lance Stroll in Saudi Arabia and, despite the incident putting him out of the race, the Williams driver said he wasn't regretful.
Albon dived to the inside of Stroll into the opening chicane, spinning the Aston Martin driver out of P11 and ending his own race prematurely – also bringing out yellow flags in Sector 1 that impacted the lead battle between Charles Leclerc and eventual winner Max Verstappen.
After the race, a defiant Albon said: “It was a strong defence, but it's fine. I went for the move. Honestly, we are struggling because we are not great on the brakes, but I went for it. We were fighting for points at the end, and, at least… get some points on the table. I don't really regret the move – for me it was a racing incident.”
‘Racing Incident’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...PR6rrEPpu.html
Albon on Stroll Contact: “The points were almost there, and we had to go for it”
By Paul Hensby
April 1, 2022
Alexander Albon felt he had a ‘pretty quick’ car towards the end of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but the Williams Racing driver was unable to convert that into points as he ended the day in retirement after contact with Lance Stroll as the duo battled over eleventh place.
Despite the disappointing end to the race, Albon believes Williams do have a ‘decent car’ when they are able to get it into the right window, and it will be up to them to find that window early every weekend if they are to become genuine top ten contenders.
“We were trying to fight our way into the points at the end and I went for the move with Lance,” reflected Albon. “He made a strong defence and unfortunately, we made contact. We had to retire due to the puncture, but the points were almost there, and we had to go for it.”
‘Points Were Almost There’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-to-go-for-it/
JV: Latifi’s ‘rookie errors’ and Ocon’s ‘illogical’ fight
Date published: March 30 2022 - Michelle Foster
Nicholas Latifi is making “rookie errors rather often” says Jacques Villeneuve, but at least he provides “some excitement” in the grands prix.
“Nicholas Latifi’s accident was strange,” Villeneuve said in his latest Formule1.nl column. “He seems to make these kinds of rookie errors rather often.”
“It didn’t even look like an F1 accident, more like he was surprised by the new cars. Let’s put it this way – he always provides some excitement.”
‘Excitement, though, that Sergio Perez could have done without.’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/jv-lat...logical-fight/
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Formula One hits the jackpot in Las Vegas after sealing a deal worth £1BILLION over 10 years for a Grand Prix along the famous Strip starting in 2023, the biggest payday in the sport's history.
It is believed the race, held on Vegas' famous Strip, could generate around £100million per race
By Jonathan McEvoy for the Daily Mail
Published: 03:30, 31 March 2022
In a break with recent tradition, the 50-lap extravaganza will take place on a Saturday on one of the two last weekends in November, probably at 10pm local time — scheduling that guarantees F1 mass projection.
While Domenicali is cock-a-hoop at landing the fabled venue for the glamour it lends the sport, the financial rewards are eye-watering owing to the terms of the contract. Rather than receive a fee from the host city, as is usually the case, F1 will themselves promote the event.
Sources believe this could accrue more than £100million per race. If the arrangement lasts for a decade, as is minimally hoped, the billion-pound mark should be exceeded, making Las Vegas the most lucrative grand prix ever.
‘One Billion Dollar Race Series’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-1bn-deal.html
Formula 1: Huge announcement ends 38-year drought
by Asher Fair
2nd April 2022, 11:35
Formula 1 announced earlier this week that a street race will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada for the first time since 1982, and that wasn’t the only thing that got fans talking. After months of speculation, Formula 1 finally confirmed the addition of a third race in the United States to the 2023 schedule earlier this week.
In addition to traveling to Circuit of the Americas and Hard Rock Stadium for races in Austin, Texas and Miami, Florida, Formula 1 is set to travel to the famous Las Vegas Strip for a race in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Formula 1 has raced in Las Vegas before, but this race is set to be contested at a much different track. The Caesars Palace Grand Prix was contested around a 14-turn, 2.268-mile (3.650-kilometer) parking lot circuit in 1981 and 1982. It left the Formula 1 schedule and became a CART race in 1983 and 1984. The circuit for next year’s race is a 14-turn, 3.8-mile (6.116-kilometer) temporary street circuit.
‘41 Year Wait!’;
https://beyondtheflag.com/2022/04/02...-year-drought/
Peugeot mulling 2026 entry into Formula 1!
Michael Delaney
01/04/2022 at 08:19
The rumor mill is in full overdrive this morning in France, with whispers that Peugeot Sport is considering an entry into Formula 1 from 2026! Grand Prix racing's current power unit cycle will run until the end of 2025, after which the sport will usher in its next-generation engines, based on a less complex and less expensive regulation platform that that has attracted the interest of multiple manufacturers, including Porsche and Audi, and now Peugeot.
Formula 1's future power unit will likely no longer feature the costly and complicated MGU-H hybrid element, but will include an MGU-K component that will see its capability augmented to 350 kw/h (476 bhp) of power, a significant boost from the current 120 kw/h (163 bhp) threshold.
The increase in electrification is a key argument to attract new manufacturers and one that is highly apparently appealing to Peugeot, as well Formula 1's move to a 100% sustainable fuel from 2026.
‘Peugeot Sport Whispers’;
https://f1i.com/news/437039-peugeot-...formula-1.html
Drivers seeking to have a voice on where Formula 1 races
Phillip van Osten
30/03/2022 at 18:06
After last weekend's drama in Saudi Arabia, Formula 1 drivers are reportedly seeking to have an input on where the sport races in the future. The Grand Prix Drivers Association convened last Friday in Jeddah after the opening day of running at the track that was marked by a missile attack perpetrated by Yemen's Houthi rebels on a nearby Saudi Aramco oil storage facility.
The meeting that ran into the early hours of Saturday brought to the fore the worries of many drivers over the risks of racing Saudi Arabia.
The group ultimately decided to continue the race weekend, having received assurances from Saudi authorities and F1, but it was also promised by the latter that further discussions would take place in the coming weeks about the safety risks or the merits of racing in certain countries.
‘Grand Prix Drivers Association Input’;
https://f1i.com/news/436981-drivers-...a-1-races.html
Domenicali: 'No one can judge Formula 1's morality'
Phillip van Osten
28/03/2022 at 19:07
Stefano Domenicali says "no one can judge F1's morality" on the basis of its commercial relationship with Saudi Arabia, insisting the sport isn't blind to the controversies surrounding the country's presence on Grand Prix racing's calendar.
"No one can judge our morality, to be honest," argued F1's chief executive. "It is a matter of putting in place all the things that have to be considered.”
"Where is the line? That is the question. Our position, and it will always be, is that we believe that what we’re doing will have a very positive impact in all the political situations for the best of our life and at all levels. This will always be the consideration we will take for our future in the sport, all over the world."
‘F1’s Morality’;
https://f1i.com/news/436880-domenica...-morality.html
Morals be damned as F1 continues to dodge unpleasant Saudi truths
Organisers claim to bring positive impact but little evidence sport changes regimes
The drivers may be the stars of the show but when considering the fallout from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix they should have no illusions as to where they stand in the eyes of the people running Formula One. A sport which now declares its moral stance beyond judgment will have no fear of putting pay day before the men delivering the show on track.
Wed, Mar 30, 2022, 20:13
Giles Richards
There was clear distaste from some in even being in Saudi Arabia, expressed once more by Lewis Hamilton, who was blunt in noting at the end of the weekend that he was: “just looking forward to getting out”. That statement that will sit uncomfortably with the Saudi ambition of selling their state as a destination for the post-oil future.
Domenicali as good as spelled this out when when asked if there was a question mark over the future of the race in Saudi Arabia. “It is a matter of understanding the situation,” he said. “We are not blind, but we should not forget one thing: this country and the sport is taking a massive step forward. You cannot pretend to change a culture of more than a millennium in the blink of an eye.”
This is F1’s most hackneyed refrain, that they can effect positive change. Yet their argument is not backed up by any evidence. Jonathan Grix, professor of sport policy and politics at the Manchester Metropolitan University, argues the Saudis are sportwashing and that F1 is complicit.
‘Sportswashing Complicity’;
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/oth...uths-1.4840457
F1 star Lewis Hamilton reveals mental health struggles after Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
Ryan Young ·Writer
1 April 2022, 0:12 am
Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton spoke out on Thursday about his struggles with mental health, something he said he’s been dealing with “for a long time.”
Hamilton, following his 10th place finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday, wrote a message on his Instagram story on Thursday morning.
Hamilton’s post comes after a wild weekend in Saudi Arabia — where the race nearly didn’t happen at all.
‘‘Mental Health Struggles’;
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/f-1-star-l...5TMvzjyf1tsqWi
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Lewis Hamilton To Quit Mercedes For Better Team After 2022.
In a surprise move nobody saw coming, Sir Lewis Hamilton announced that he would not renew his contract with the Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 team.
April Fools' Day
by Gerhard Horn
Hamilton is not retiring, however. Instead, he signed a contract with Red Bull, replacing Sergio Perez. Perez's contract expires at the end of 2022, leaving a spot open for a top-tier driver.
Pierre Gasly must be highly disappointed, as he was the number one driver in contention for the coveted Red Bull spot. Gasly drove for Red Bull briefly in 2020 before being demoted to the team's red-headed stepchild, AlphaTauri.
According to Hamilton, the main reason behind the move is Max Verstappen. As Verstappen is the number one driver and Christian Horner's golden boy, Hamilton knows he'll play a supporting role in the 2023 season.
"That's what convinced me to move from a manufacturer to an energy drink," said Hamilton. "As the second driver, there's a 100% guarantee that I'll always be behind Verstappen. And even if I pass him while he's boxing, the pit crew will give me enough warning when he's coming up behind me."
‘Quiting Mercedes’;
https://carbuzz.com/news/lewis-hamil...eam-after-2022
Hamilton - F1 like a "theme park"
Ewan Gale
Friday 1 April 2022 16:30
Lewis Hamilton has likened F1 to a "theme park" and insisted the sport "never gets boring".
Asked if he ever gets bored of racing in F1, Hamilton explained: "I don't get tired of racing because there are so many elements to the job, it is not just racing and going round in a circle as people think. "You are working with a large group of people, there are photoshoots, you are travelling to all these destinations, there's a training regime.
"Then you get to do the fun part, which is the racing part which is like going to a theme park every weekend and riding a different rollercoaster. There are all these different tracks and you are finding new challenges so it never gets boring."
‘Rollercoasters In Theme Parks’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...-a-theme-park/
‘Superior engine camouflaged’ Hamilton’s bad weekends
Mercedes have been a considerable distance adrift of Red Bull and Ferrari so far in 2022.
by Rob Kershaw
30 March 202230 March 2022
Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher is enticed by the early indicators of George Russell’s competitiveness at Mercedes, but emphasises that the championship is far beyond them at this stage.
Mercedes have been a particular victim of the “porpoising” problem that the new ground effect aerodynamics pose, and that proclivity has opened a Pandora’s Box of multiple other setbacks as they scramble to try and find a rapid solution that will aid their ascent back up the order.
Schumacher is enthused by the dynamic at the Silver Arrows now that we have seen a glimpse of the 24-year-old’s auspicious potential at Mercedes.
“Russell is also showing that Hamilton has a teammate at eye-level, which will be exciting to watch,” he said. “Russell is not someone who will be content with his current position of the second driver.”
‘Pandora’s Multiple Setback Box’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/superior-...-bad-weekends/
How long will Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton's F1 2022 misery last?
Prior to the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season, the prospect of Mercedes being out of contention for wins was unthinkable, yet that is exactly where the German manufacturer finds itself after two races.
F1
Lewis Larkam
1 Apr 2022
Mercedes is struggling to get consistent performance out of its W13 challenger, which has been suffering from severe porpoising. The team is confident the car has inherent pace, but has been having to run with a compromised set-up that is masking the W13’s true potential in a bid to reduce the bouncing problem.
The Mercedes power units have also been curiously down on the straights, with both the works’ cars and its customer teams struggling in terms of top speed. But it is porpoising that is causing Mercedes the biggest headache.
"There's so many factors at play between the mechanical stiffness of the car and then the stiffness of the floors, the design of the floors, tyre pressures," Russell explained after the Saudi Arabian GP.
‘Mercedes Misery Struggles’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/999...22-misery-last
‘It’s not just pure talent’: Ex-Hamilton team-mate tips him to bounce back after abysmal Saudi GP performance
Heikki Kovalainen spent two years racing alongside Sir Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, winning the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix.
by Rob Kershaw
31 March 202231 March 2022
Sir Lewis Hamilton’s former McLaren team-mate, Heikki Kovalainen, is full of admiration for the Briton having spent two seasons alongside him. Kovalainen was out-qualified 26 times in 35 races by Hamilton in 2008 and 2009 as the now 37-year-old claimed a world championship and seven wins, including two in their abysmal 2009 campaign.
“Occasionally I could match him but over the full season I had to stretch every session to match him,” he told talkSPORT. “You can only do so much stretching and then you run out of energy and that was the case with me, I didn’t have enough margin in my capacity to do the times and the races that he did, so it was not easy.
“His level of performance is so high that even for super talents like Max [Verstappen] it requires a lot of effort, a lot of focus, a lot of energy, so it’s not going to be easy, not everyone can handle that, it’s as simple as that.”
‘Can Only Do So Much Stretching’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/its-not-j...p-performance/
Wolff on Mercedes and Hamilton’s struggles: ‘The overall picture is sobering’
Mercedes need to "regroup" after an extremely challenging opening two rounds of the 2022 season.
by Rob Kershaw
1 April 20221 April 2022
Toto Wolff laments that the outlook for his Mercedes team looks fairly dire at the moment, but he is determined to put in the hours and climb back to the top of the tree as soon as possible. Mercedes have struggled enormously with the new technical regulations, and have looked especially caught out by the new ground effect aerodynamics.
It is estimated by the Italian edition of Motorsport.com that the floor accounts for 60 percent of the downforce this season, which explains why the wing alterations made by the team in Saudi Arabia did not seem to help their cause in any way.
Team Principal Wolff is concerned. “The overall picture is sobering, and it’s clear that we need to continue working hard if we wish to deliver a stronger performance in Melbourne,” he said, as quoted by RacingNews365.com.
The Floor Accounts For 60 Percent Of The Downforce’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/wolff-on-...e-is-sobering/
Wolff: Hamilton and Russell would be ‘much closer’ to Ferrari and Red Bull if Mercedes could make this one change
Mercedes have struggled in the opening two rounds of 2022, but many in the paddock believe they could still mount a championship challenge this year.
by Rob Kershaw
2 April 20222 April 2022
Trackside engineer Andrew Shovlin has previously testified that there is “a little bit of everything” wrong with the Mercedes car at present, while Hamilton described his car as “undriveable” after an awful qualifying in Jeddah.
Mercedes have had to raise the ride height of the W13 in a bid to tackle the “porpoising” that has plagued the team this year, and Wolff believes this sub-optimal set-up is costing them a lot of time relative to Ferrari and Red Bull. “I think we are not running the car where we wanted to run it,” he explained.
“Therefore, it is very difficult to really assess what the lap time deficit is if we were able to run the car lower [to the ground]. I would very much hope that the gap is much closer to what we’ve seen [in Saudi Arabia], but there’s deficit everywhere.”
‘IF The Car Ran Closer To The Ground’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/wolff-ham...is-one-change/
Hamilton Russell not provided with 'what they deserve' by Mercedes - Wolff
Ian Parkes & Sam Hall
Friday 1 April 2022 04:00
Toto Wolff believes neither Lewis Hamilton nor George Russell has been given what they deserve by Mercedes so far this season.
Initially asked to assess the job Russell has done for the team so far this year after his move from Williams, team principal Wolff said: “I think he does a great job. But he is not given a tool to fight at the front where he and Lewis deserve to be.”
"They have both…George has proven that he has the ability of racing at the front but simply at the moment we are not providing him with the car, so I am very happy with his performance overall.”
‘Not Mercedes Needed To Fight At The Front’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...ercedes-wolff/
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Turrini: Feelings we had in the Schumi years are coming back.
So good has been Ferrari’s start to the 2022 Formula 1 season, that Italy is rejoicing at the prospect of the return of the “Schumi Years” writes Italian journalist Leo Turrini.
Jad Mallak
31 March, 2022
That is the view of respected Italian journalist, and Ferrari insider, Leo Turrini who spoke about the Ferrari situation in 2022 to Pit Talk on f1sport.it: “We saw a Ferrari that on two very different tracks was always competitive at the top. If it had won them both there would have been nothing to say. “A car that is fast on a single lap in qualifying, and that is also strong in the race. And I might add, also with a pit management that is absolutely up to the situation,” he added.
“To me, it feels like we’ve gone back 30 years,” he began. “Today I went for a ride on my electric bike in the hills above Maranello, and since I’m physically exhausted, at one point I had to stop at a bar for a drink.
“Four people arrived, and despite the mask, they recognized me and said: This is the good year! How wonderful! – It feels like we’re back to those feelings of the Schumi years,” the Italian revealed.
“When the season started you could see that Ferrari was very good. Obviously, you didn’t know how it was going to end. But this is beautiful. This has to be credited to the people who work in Maranello,” added Turrini, crediting Mattia Binotto and his team for producing two cars their young star drivers deserve.
‘Credit To Mattia Binotto And His Team’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/03...e-coming-back/
Ferrari 'much better prepared' for F1 development push – Binotto.
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says the Scuderia is "much better prepared" than in the past for the inevitable development war that will unfold this season in F1.
Phillip van Osten
01/04/2022 at 15:43
"Keeping up the level on a long season is a challenge, not just for us but for all the teams," said Binotto. "It’s true that our competitors have very strong development; in 2017 and ‘18 we lost a bit of ground.”
"But since then, in car design, we have improved our [wind] tunnel, technologies, processes and simulations and so today we are much better prepared than in the past to do a good job with development.”
"We [also] have a budget cap which will affect the rate of development – we need to make sure we have the right policy on that, as it could be a game-changer in the fight for development."
‘Ferrari Much Better Prepared’;
https://f1i.com/news/437080-ferrari-...h-binotto.html
Leclerc warns of "more to come" from Ferrari.
Charles Leclerc has warned Red Bull and Max Verstappen that Ferrari has "more to come" from the F1-75.
Sam Hall
Saturday 2 April 2022 10:00
I am happy with this start to the season for sure," explained Leclerc. "I am working well with the team and the preparation for the first race was very good. I feel good in general but there is definitely more to come.
"The thing I am happy about is not really the performance but I know exactly where I still need to work and what I need to improve to unlock more performance. So yes, on that I am happy."
It is still very early on in the season but let's say it has been a very good start to the season. As I have said many times, I think development will be key and we as drivers need to help the team in the best way possible to keep this competitiveness."
‘Development Will Be Key’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...-from-ferrari/
Leclerc does not watch past title battles to shape approach
Date published: April 2 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said he is not interested in watching past Formula 1 title battles to shape his own approach.
When asked by the media if he can watch and learn from past title scraps, Leclerc replied: “I actually didn’t watch that much of these battles, some of the races I’ve watched. “I think I learned more from my own experiences. Every driver has their own driving style, I have my own one.”
Leclerc does believe that he is “quite strong” in a wheel-to-wheel battle and reiterated that he learns from his own experiences instead of watching what others did. “I think in a wheel-to-wheel battle, I am quite strong and I always try to be better,” said Leclerc.
‘Learning From Own Experiences’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...n-experiences/
Ferrari drivers’ impact lauded in president’s letter
Date published: April 2 2022 - Henry Valantine
Leclerc took victory in Bahrain and both Scuderia drivers have finished on the podium in the first two races of the season, and currently sit as the top two in the Drivers’ Championship at this early stage – a fact which team boss Mattia Binotto admitted himself was “beyond all expectations” at the start of the year.
“With five podium results and third place in the Constructors’ Championship [in 2021], the Formula 1 season has produced some encouraging signs,” Elkann wrote in his open letter.
“But now the company is focused on the 2022 challenge, aware that with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz the Scuderia has the best pair of drivers on the grid, who have started the season well.”
‘Ferrari Beyond All Expectations’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...sident-letter/
Sainz details reasons behind "best experience" with new Ferrari
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
Friday 1 April 2022 13:35
Carlos Sainz has detailed the reasons why the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix proved to be his "best experience" with Ferrari so far this year.
Asked what he had discovered, he replied: "The technicalities and the specifics, I think they need to stay in the team for the sake of privacy and not giving away too much. It is something so specific and so technical that it will be very difficult to explain and I think we need to keep a level of privacy with these kinds of things.”
"But I can tell you it was the best experience this year so far, in terms of going to a track that 100 days before I was at with a super high level of confidence in last year's car. I was super quick in quali and in the race and I knew exactly what to expect from the car and what the car was giving me.”
‘Something So Specific, So Technical, That Needs Privacy’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...h-new-ferrari/
Leclerc’s eliminated doubts that might’ve derailed F1 title bid
Mar 31 2022
By Scott Mitchell
Charles Leclerc has been waiting for a car that allows him to show the full extent of his potential in Formula 1. At the start of the 2022 season, he has that car. Surprise surprise, he leads the championship for the first time in his career.
But he was a more nervous driver when he won at Spa and Monza in 2019. Leclerc made some small mistakes and in Italy got away with shoving Lewis Hamilton into the run-off area at the second chicane. He admits now: “There were some parts of the race where I wasn’t managing the situation very well and I felt a bit overwhelmed.”
Leclerc had a great command of the situation in the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he outwitted and outfought Max Verstappen. And he came very, very close to doing the same in Saudi Arabia, cleverly rebuffing Verstappen’s attempts before finally being outgunned by the Red Bull’s superior straightline speed. Leclerc: “Whether it will be enough or not to win the world championship, I have no idea. It’s still very early on in the season. But…let’s say that it’s a very good start.”
‘Very Good Start’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/lecle...-f1-title-bid/
Binotto: Leclerc driving at title-contending level
Date published: March 31 2022 - Henry Valantine
Mattia Binotto believes Charles Leclerc is currently driving at a level that can take him to a World Championship title. The Ferrari driver has diced with Max Verstappen at both races so far this season, the pair taking one win apiece as they have fought at the sharp end of the field.
The Monegasque driver signed a long-term deal with Ferrari as his future with the team was cemented, and Binotto says that faith placed in him was borne of the fact the team feel he has the talent to keep fighting at the top in a front-running car. “I think he is,” Binotto told reporters when asked if Leclerc is driving like someone who could be a title challenger, per The Independent.
“But it’s something I was expecting when renewing as well with him in the last year for up to 2024, because we know what he is capable of. I think he is simply demonstrating he is capable of fighting for the championship. No doubt he’s got the talent, he’s got the capacity. He is a very good racer and we are very happy with what he has proven in these two races.”
‘Title-Contending Level’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/charle...nding-driving/
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“Max – The Dutch Master”: Verstappen biography reviewed.
In ‘Max – The Dutch Master’, author Andre Hoogeboom takes a different approach, writing unashamedly in Verstappen’s corner and covering his triumphant 2021 championship campaign. This isn’t one for the sceptics.
F1 reviews
Posted on
3rd April 2022, 9:373rd April 2022, 12:59 | Written by Ben Evans
As only the second first-time Formula 1 world champion to be crowned over the last decade, it’s little surprise to see media interest in Max Verstappen reach an all-time high.
As F1’s hottest young property, ‘Max – The Dutch Master’ is not the first Max Verstappen biography to appear over the past few months. James Gray’s autumn offering provided a perfectly solid overview of Verstappen’s life and career prior to his title-winning season, whilst not having access to too many intimate sources.
Eschewing a strictly chronological structure, key moments from Verstappen’s life and career are dropped in throughout. Hoogeboom does a fine job in covering the key incidents, pivotal moments, and getting behind-the-scenes – particularly for the early part of Verstappen’s career.
‘Dutch Master’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/04/03/...aphy-reviewed/
Ex-F1 driver claims Verstappen defeated Hamilton despite having a slower car
Max Verstappen and Sir Lewis Hamilton went toe-to-toe for the 2021 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship.
by Rob Kershaw
3 April 20223 April 2022
Former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger has indicated that he does not believe Max Verstappen would have won the championship last year were it not for his belligerence on track, as Sir Lewis Hamilton had the faster car.
The 24-year-old claimed 10 race wins and finished on the podium 18 times in 2021, eventually wrapping up the championship in highly controversial circumstances on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Gran Prix following a bizarre Safety Car restart.
Berger is not sure he would have achieved the ultimate goal in the pinnacle of motorsport without his aggressive racing style. “Last year he had to be aggressive, because Lewis’ car was better,” said Berger. “If he had not been so aggressive, he would not have had a chance to win the championship in the end. So he did what he had to do.”
‘Beating Lewis’ Faster Car’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/ex-f1-dri...-a-slower-car/
Button: Verstappen most gifted in F1, but perhaps not the best
Phillip van Osten
03/04/2022 at 13:27
In Jeddah, when Button was asked to name by Sky Sports the most naturally gifted driver he had ever see, the Briton offered an unsurprising reply. "Max. It's just natural, isn't it?" said the 2009 F1 world champion who is actually quite familiar with the Verstappen lineage.”
"When you look at Max's parents, his dad raced in F1. I raced against his dad and my first points finish was in Brazil, in my second race. To get that point, I had to overtake his dad, Jos. You didn't want to get him upset. There was a little bit of aggression there.”
"He was an amazing talent, one of the best kart drivers ever, and still probably to this day. And his mother, Sophie, I was teammates with her in karting. She was a professional and one of the best in the world, so it's definitely in the blood."
"Max. It's just natural, isn't it?"
https://f1i.com/news/437182-button-v...-the-best.html
Exclusive: Newey reveals Verstappen's greatest strengths.
Speaking exclusively with RacingNews365.com, Red Bull's legendary Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey, has spoken about Max Verstappen's unique strengths as a racing driver.
02 April 12:00
Author Dieter Rencken
Co-author Thomas Maher
Cars penned by Newey have resulted in championships for the likes of Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and Sebastian Vettel. At the end of 2021, Max Verstappen was added to that list as he used the Red Bull RB16B to defeat Lewis Hamilton in the title fight.
"What makes any great sportsman?" Newey pondered as he sat down with RacingNews365.com during pre-season testing in Bahrain in early March. "Obviously, you have to have a unique genetic makeup that makes you good at whatever your sport is, so Formula 1 is [the] judgement of speed, reactions, balance, etc.”
"That gets you to a certain level and, of course, you see some drivers that are naturally very good, but don't perhaps achieve as much as they should do. And you see other drivers who are the opposite. I think Max is one of those ones that combines both – where he has an obviously tremendous natural ability, but he also has an inner determination and grit to him that shines through."
‘Max Verstappen's greatest strengths’;
https://racingnews365.com/exclusive-...test-strengths
Marko claims Red Bull poaching Mercedes engineers created ‘some difficulties’
Red Bull have remained at the front amid the changes to the technical regulations in 2022, while Mercedes have fallen back.
by Rob Kershaw
2 April 20222 April 2022
Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has been pondering the reasons as to why Mercedes have struggled thus far in 2022, and has suggested that their lack of pace is due to the new fuel blend as well as the engineers who have jumped ship.
Dr Marko supports Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s claim that Ferrari’s car is lighter than that of the Milton Keynes and Brackley sides. “I agree that Ferrari is a bit lighter than Red Bull and Mercedes,” he said, as quoted by the Italian edition of Motorsport.com.
“I can’t yet confirm when we will bring a lighter version to the track, today it is very difficult to take the weight off a car because there are budget cap constraints to always keep in mind, you have to find the right compromise,” he added. “But one thing is certain: this season it will not be possible to stay in the leading positions with an overweight car.”
‘Some Difficulties’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/marko-cla...-difficulties/
Mercedes: Christian Horner keeps coy amid Silver Arrows' struggles
By George Dagless
Published: 2 Apr 2022, 16:01
Christian Horner has said that he has ‘no feelings’ over Mercedes‘ current struggles and that he is focusing on the task in hand at Red Bull.
Indeed, whilst the Bulls have remained competitive for race wins, Mercedes have been replaced by Ferrari at the front of the field, with the W13 proving a rather difficult car for them to optimise right now.
“They are struggling. I have no feelings about their competitiveness. Obviously I’m focused on our competitiveness in what’s a very intense fight with Ferrari at the moment. I have no doubt at some point Mercedes will join that battle, but my focus is very much on our team.”
‘Red Bull Focus’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87991376...rows-struggles
Boardroom’s Formula 1 Beginner’s Guide to Red Bull
By Sam Dunn, Shlomo Sprung
Apr 03, 2022
It’s been a long and winding journey for the Red Bull F1 team since it launched in 2005. There’s been a lot of change, using engines from Cosgrove, Ferrari, Renault (which was re-named TAG Heuer for a year when the relationship hit a rough patch in 2015), and Honda. And of course, a growing list of drivers has come and gone.
But the one constant has been team principal Christian Horner, who’s managed the team since its inaugural year. Red Bull pulled the constructor and driver’s championship double four years straight from 2010-2013 with Sebastian Vettel before waiting nearly a decade to win the big one again.
An epic 2021 season ended with Max Verstappen besting Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes on the most controversial of final races in Abu Dhabi to win the Formula 1 Driver’s Championship.
‘Beginner’s Guide to Red Bull’;
https://boardroom.tv/red-bull-f1-team-verstappen-perez/
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Wolff demands Mercedes improve "unacceptable" performance.
“We need to fight [because] it is totally unacceptable where we are at the moment on performance," said Mercedes team principal Wolff.
Sam Hall
Monday 4 April 2022 04:00
During the years of Mercedes' dominance, Wolff maintained his fondness for competition and in 2020 claimed, "I would wish for nothing more than a strong competition."
Asked if this was still the case given Mercedes' current situation, Wolff explained: “I love competition and I have always loved competition. We had a really strong run of eight years where we were leading the pack.
“Not always, but we managed our way into the lead and this time for me feels a little bit like 2013 where we just weren’t up to the speed with the Red Bull and probably not also the Ferraris. "But we kept fighting and this is how I feel at the moment.
‘W13 Unacceptable’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...e-performance/
How long has Mercedes got to salvage its 2022? Our verdict
The Race.
4/4/2022, 07:42
Mercedes is adamant it’s nowhere near 2022 Formula 1 title contention given its performance gulf to Ferrari and Red Bull right now. But many are sceptical about its pessimism given that relentless run of championships under Mercedes’ belt. At what point do we count Mercedes out of this title fight?
GLENN FREEMAN: “IT MAY BE DOOMED ALREADY”
MATT BEER: “EXPECT SURPRISES, FROM MERCEDES OR OTHERS”
EDD STRAW: “HISTORY OFFERS MIXED MESSAGES”
MARK HUGHES: “NOT WHAT MERCEDES WAS BUILT FOR”
SCOTT MITCHELL: “THE ONE LUXURY THAT WILL QUICKLY RUN OUT”
SAM SMITH: “RECALL THE LAST MASSIVE F1 RESET”
VALENTIN KHOROUNZHIY: “RED BULL HAS BAILED IT OUT”
‘Their Verdict’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/how-m...2-our-verdict/
Mercedes face "deficits everywhere" – Wolff.
Sam Hall & Ewan Gale
Sunday 3 April 2022 04:00
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has conceded the team faces "deficits everywhere" after the first two races of the season.
Red Bull and Ferrari have been described as being "in a different league" by Wolff already this year and asked for a timeframe in sorting issues on the W13, the Austrian explained: “I think we are not running the car where we wanted to run it.”
"Therefore it is very difficult to really assess what the lap time deficit is if we were able to run the car lower. I would very much hope that the gap is much closer to what we have seen but there is deficits everywhere.”
‘Lap Time Deficit & Deficits Everywhere’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...rywhere-wolff/
Smedley: Mercedes first to admit they haven’t got it right
Reuters
4 April, 2022
Mercedes bungled their 2022 Formula 1 car, the W13, under the new set of regulations, and the sport’s Technical Consultant Rob Smedley said they would be the first to admit so.
Mercedes, winners of the last eight Constructors’ Titles, are busy playing catch-up due to aerodynamics issues with their cars, with team boss Toto Wolff describing their travails as going through an “exercise in humility”.
“The development phase of the car is at such an immature stage, the cars will change significantly from the first race to the final race… There’s going to be a very, very strong development curve on those cars.” Smedley, a former Ferrari race engineer, said it was brilliant for Formula 1 to have the Italian team, the “most iconic of all brands”, fighting at the front again.
‘Humility’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/04...-got-it-right/
Why Mercedes F1 Is Struggling To Land A Podium In 2022
by Chase Bierenkoven Formula One
4/4/2022, 02:20
If you had told us one year ago that the Mercedes Formula 1 team would be struggling to climb onto the podium in 2022, we'd have asked you for some of whatever you were smoking. Lewis Hamilton was on for his 8th World Driver's Championship, Valtteri Bottas was providing some of the most solid support we'd seen from him yet, and Toto Wolff was in full "Smug Austrian" mode.
If you haven't heard right now, one of the team's biggest struggles is "porpoising." Basically, that means the car is bouncing about more than a low-rider with air suspension. The air moving over the 2022 Mercedes Formula 1 car isn't behaving, causing the car's body to move up and down at speed. Understandably, that makes it hard to drive. How can you brake from 180+ mph when your feet are moving about against the pedals?
For now, Merc will have to count on the AMG ONE rivaling the Aston Martin Valkyrie on the streets, and not on their F1 cars winning on the track.
‘Merc Struggles’;
https://carbuzz.com/news/why-mercede...podium-in-2022
DC challenges Russell, Hamilton to improve Mercedes
Date published: April 4 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
With Mercedes not contending for wins, David Coulthard says George Russell and Lewis Hamilton must now speak up and take them back there.
With neither driver currently in a position to achieve their aims, Coulthard says this is where Russell, alongside Hamilton, must be the “voice” that takes Mercedes back to the top.
“His (George Russell) next job will be, along with Lewis Hamilton, to be the voice that enables his Mercedes team to develop a winning car.”
‘The Voice’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...ton-challenge/
How Toto Wolff fumed at Lewis Hamilton over car: 'Always difficult'
TOTO WOLFF FUMED AT HIS STAR MERCEDES DRIVER LEWIS HAMILTON, CLAIMING IT WAS "ALWAYS VERY DIFFICULT" TO MAKE DECISIONS OVER THEIR CAR IN RESPONSE TO CRITICISM FROM THE SEVEN-TIME F1 WINNER.
By CLIVE HAMMOND
12:50, Sun, Apr 3, 2022 | UPDATED: 17:48, Sun, Apr 3, 2022
Prior to the end-of-season race in Abu Dhabi last year, Hamilton and Mercedes chief Wolff appeared already on a collision course, as they fell out after the Turkish Grand Prix. Hamilton was left incensed with his team's decision for him to pit, despite holding a third place position with only eight laps remaining of the race.
As a result of the team's decision, Hamilton finished fifth in the race and lost his top spot in the overall rankings to Verstappen. But Wolff was adamant the right choice had been made but was critical of the timing of the move.
‘Still Fuming’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...otor-sport-spt
Mercedes don’t know if the W13 is ‘fast or not’
Date published: April 4 2022 - Michelle Foster
Andrew Shovlin says such is Mercedes’ porpoising problem that the team has no idea if their W13 is actually a fast car or not.
He told Motorsport.com: “That’s probably priority number one because that’s ultimately preventing us from running the car where we’d like to run it for optimum performance.
“What we don’t know is, if we could just magically make that issue vanish, where would we actually be in terms of car pace: is the car fast enough or not? And it’s very difficult to answer that question.”
‘No idea whether W13 is Fast’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/porpoi...-one-mercedes/
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Alpine’s Otmar Szafnauer – “It’s clear our car has the potential to fight for big points”.
BWT Alpine F1 Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer felt that the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix allowed the team to demonstrate their pace and potential to compete near the sharp end of the grid, with both Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso running in the points in Jeddah.
By Ashley Cline
March 30, 2022
“We have mixed feelings from today’s race and, in general, it’s another strong result, which underlines our competitiveness. It’s a great result for Esteban to finish in sixth place. He’s been solid all weekend and it’s good for him to convert a strong qualifying performance into a healthy bag of points.” said Szafnauer.
“We do have a taste of disappointment that we were unable to put both of our cars into the points with Fernando unfortunately retiring from the race after driving very well all evening. We’re investigating the issue to see what exactly has occurred.”
“Everyone at the team will continue to work hard on our return to Enstone and Viry to best prepare ourselves for Formula 1’s highly anticipated return to Melbourne in two weeks’ time. Well done to everyone at the team, we’ll keep pushing!”
‘Keep Pushing’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...or-big-points/
Alpine ‘not shy of anybody’ with new engine.
Esteban Ocon believes Alpine have produced a power unit worthy of competing against their rivals this year, and don’t fear racing anyone as a result.
Date published: April 2 2022 - Henry Valantine
Fernando Alonso recently said he is “much happier” with his Alpine this season, adding that the team feels as though it is in the right “ballpark” in terms of pace.
And now Ocon has got a couple of races under his belt in the A522 and has experienced how his car stacks up against the rest, and feels Alpine are in the mix in terms of raw power.
“Good. I mean, we didn’t have to be shy of anybody,” he said when asked by Motorsport.com in Saudi Arabia about the team’s engine performance. “As soon as I had the DRS open I could pass, I could overtake easily the Aston of Nico [Hulkenberg], Lando in the McLaren.”
‘Power unit worthy of competing against their rivals’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/esteba...-engine-power/
Alpine’s solo engine project ‘marginally better’
Date published: April 3 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Once the McLaren deal had concluded in 2020, Renault have supplied only Alpine since, the division of Groupe Renault which took over from their works team from 2021. That means Alpine are the only team on the grid with an exclusive engine, which team boss Otmar Szafnauer thinks offers a slight advantage as it removes the need to factor in the wishes of another team.
“I think it’s marginally better, but not much,” said Szafnauer, quoted by GPFans. “If two teams run your engine, just because if something goes wrong, sometimes it will go wrong somewhere else because of the installation and then you learn.”
“But we have one installation, there are benefits with that too. We have zero consideration for anybody else’s wishes and as much as the teams that supply three or four teams say ‘yeah, but we focus on our works team’, not so.
‘Exclusive Engine’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine...roject-better/
Alonso gets penalty-free engine change
NEWS STORY
04/04/2022
Following Fernando Alonso’s retirement from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Alpine engineers traced the cause to a disintegrating water pump as he takes on a new unit without penalty.
Like most retirements so far this season his team was unwilling to state the issue that sidelined the two-time world champion, and while it was initially thought to be engine-related it has now been revealed as being a disintegrating water pump. "It wasn't the engine, but a water-pump failure," team boss Laurent Rossi tells Auto Hebdo, "and that led to a lack of cooling and a host of problems, like the engine overheating, which triggered more troubles.
"Fernando managed to continue as the engine was working, although in less than ideal conditions," he adds. "But we preferred to stop him as the water pump was defective. "We've since identified the problem, and hopefully ii will be solved for Melbourne. It's related to some brand new engine components that haven't yet been fully validated, as is the case for all teams.”
‘Penalty-Free Engine Change’;
https://www.pitpass.com/72165/Alonso...-engine-change
F1 legend Fernando Alonso insists he WILL continue to race for 'at least two or three more years'... as the two-time world champion, 40, believes he still has 'A LOT to offer'
By Charlotte Daly For Mailonline
Published: 16:42, 30 March 2022
Formula One legend Fernando Alonso says he will continue to race for at least 'two to three more years' as he is enjoying life on and off the track. Alonso retired from the sport at the end of 2018, following four frustrating years at McLaren where uncompetitive machinery failed to give him any realistic chance of battling for world championships.
Alonso says he is still 'enjoying racing' and says he will continue on with his career for at least two to three more years. Speaking to DAZN, via Spanish publication Marca, Alonso said: 'I think that at least two or three years you will see me here. I won't drive forever. 'I still have a lot to offer. Right now I am enjoying Formula One a lot.
The Spaniard became the oldest driver on the grid after Kimi Raikkonen retired. However, he does not believe his age is a hinderance and instead his 'experience' would help him this season.
‘A LOT To Offer’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ree-years.html
Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull in Renault "ballpark" - Alonso
Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale
Thursday 31 March 2022 17:20
Fernando Alonso believes Renault's F1 power unit is now in the "ballpark" with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull after challenging for a strong result in Saudi Arabia.
Asked whether he was happy with the performance from the Renault power unit in his A522, Alonso replied: "Yeah, I think we are in the ballpark with the others.”
"We could battle on the straights with other people here and in Bahrain, so let's see. Hopefully, we need to keep investigating what happened with the engine in Bahrain, the engine in Saudi and make sure we have enough for the season."
‘Renault Power Unit In The Ballpark’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/78...llpark-alonso/
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Vasseur: Alfa now in ‘different world’ compared to 2021.
After their 2021 struggles, Frederic Vasseur is encouraged to see Alfa Romeo compete in a “different world” in the upper midfield this year.
Date published: April 4 2022 - Henry Valantine
Given that Alfa Romeo finished second-last in the Constructors’ standings last year, only ahead of Haas, their team principal was glad to be disappointed to come away from Jeddah empty-handed, after Bottas also had to retire.
“We were less than a tenth off P5 in quali [in Saudi Arabia],” Vasseur told Motorsport.com. “It’s quite encouraging for the team, because after Bahrain on a different track we showed that the pace is there, and that we can be there on every single track, and this is good for us.”
“But then it’s a shame to not score big points in this situation. I think that for sure we are a bit disappointed because we are leaving with zero, but on the other hand one year ago, we were nowhere, we were out in Q1. But now it’s a different world.”
‘Different Alfa Romeo World’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/alfa-r...fferent-world/
Bottas aiming for prolonged fight with Mercedes
Date published: April 2 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Valtteri Bottas has set his sights on fighting Mercedes to establish Alfa Romeo as the ‘best of the rest’ in 2022.
“I think that should be the goal now, it looks like we’re more or less in the same place as in Bahrain, although I thought this [Jeddah] might be more difficult,” Bottas told Motorsport.com.
“I think that aspiring to be the best of the rest is a good motivation, and good goals. I hope that in the end we can fight for fifth place in the race, that would be a big step for us.”
‘Fighting For Fifth Place In Each Race’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/valtte...ercedes-fight/
Bottas wants year-long fight with Mercedes amid 'surprising' problems
Ben Issatt
04 April 2022
Valtteri Bottas hopes Alfa Romeo can maintain a year-long battle with Mercedes after being "surprised" by their early-season problems.
Few imagined the Finn would find himself racing against his former team given their very different positions on the grid last year, but the combination of a strong Alfa and an underperforming Mercedes has meant just that.
“I’m very happy with the decision I made, and also in general, so yes, I’m enjoying it," he said. "If we can keep improving the car, there’s no doubt that in the future we should be able to always fight for Q3 and top ten, that’s good to see.”
‘Improving The Car’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...ising-problems
Budget cap hardest on Alfa Romeo - Monchaux
By GMM F1
Formula 1's budget cap is harder on Swiss-based Alfa Romeo.
That is the view of the Sauber-run team's technical boss Jan Monchaux, who told motorsport-magazin.com: "Have you ever been to a restaurant in Switzerland? "The problem is that the budget cap does not currently compensate for the differences in the cost of living between countries."
Indeed, the vast bulk of the F1 teams are based in the UK, with Ferrari and Alpha Tauri operating out of Italy. Sauber, on the other hand, have operated from the Zurich Oberland region since its founding by Peter Sauber in the early 90s.
"But compared to a team that might be based in England or Italy with the same number of staff, we have a relatively big payroll problem. "In the end, that eats up 20 to 30 percent and a lot of potential that would otherwise be in the car. That's the price of being at home here."
"Have you ever been to a restaurant in Switzerland?”
https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/formula...7.html?newsnow
Valtteri Bottas opens up on lessons learned at Mercedes and Alfa Romeo expectations
By George Dagless
Published: 5 Apr 2022, 11:48
Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas has said that he learned a great deal during his time at Mercedes and that he is expecting a positive campaign with Alfa Romeo having got his first two races under his belt with the team. “Obviously, I’ve learned how a championship-winning team works and what kind of mindset it needs. I’ve learned a lot about teamwork. I’ve learned a lot of technical knowledge. I think I’ve also learned to deal with setbacks.”
“Sometimes, I put too much pressure on myself. I’ve had many ups and downs and learned how to bounce back. And I think it’s just made me a lot stronger person overall. I almost feel nothing can really shake me.”
“I’m expecting a positive season for us as a team, but that will require a lot of work. I think it’s going to be a very rewarding feeling once we get the results that we want. I think that reward, that feeling that comes out of it, those moments are going to be the highlights.”
‘Very Rewarding Feeling Once We Get The Results’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87992119...o-expectations
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McLaren’s poor performance not just down to brake duct fix.
The compromises McLaren made to address its braking problem in pre-season testing are not the only cause of its uncompetitive start to the season, according to team principal Andreas Seidl.
2022 Australian Grand Prix
Posted on
6th April 2022, 7:186th April 2022, 7:21 | Written by Hazel Southwell and Claire Cottingham
McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl said the team’s focus would be on “understanding more the current strengths and weaknesses of the car” before this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. “We need to see which improvements we can make already for Melbourne,” he added. “At the same time I don’t expect big miracles there, we simply need a bit more time.”
The braking problem the team encountered for the first time in Bahrain forced it to run an interim fix at the opening two races. “In the time available it was the only solution we could bring to the car which is definitely not optimal in terms of performance,” said Seidl.
However, he admitted the team has other problems to resolve on its MCL36. “We simply lack grip, which is the result of missing mechanical grip and aerodynamic load on the car, which was [clear] on the race weekend in Bahrain,” he said. “Definitely not just an issue of the current brake ducts we’re running.”
‘Grip, Mechanical Grip, Aerodynamic Load & Brake Ducts’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/04/06/...rake-duct-fix/
Norris says McLaren have lost ‘a little bit of happiness’ after difficult start to season
05 April 2022
Lando Norris has conceded that moods have dipped at McLaren, who sit eighth in the championship ahead of this weekend’s 2022 Australian Grand Prix – but the squad are still motivated to push on and recover.
“You can't lie. If you have points and you have success and you have podiums, there's always a rise in morale… I think there’s expectations, of course, and... as racing people, we want to have success and do well.
“We're never going to be as happy [being] P16 compared to if we were P8 or P7 or whatever. So, there's always just a little bit of our happiness gone.”
‘A Little Happiness Lost’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...bxB9zHHdI.html
Ricciardo 'a big bundle of excitement' ahead of home race
Phillip van Osten
05/04/2022 at 10:48
The McLaren driver returned home to Perth last winter to spend some down time with his family and local friends. But racing on home soil is a "privilege" Ricciardo has solely missed these past few years.
"I'm excited to go home, definitely, it's been a while," said Ricciardo. "I've heard sales have been nuts and it's going to be an awesome atmosphere so I cannot wait. "It's personal to me because I am Aussie and it's a home one and that's a privilege, but every driver I speak to about Melbourne, they love it, they love it as an event.
"It’s exciting to go through the track changes as well this year, see what kind of racing that produces. So, just a big bundle of excitement."
‘Bundle Of Excitement’;
https://f1i.com/news/437258-ricciard...home-race.html
McLaren’s Andreas Seidl: “The team and I are excited to be back in Australia”
By Paul Hensby
April 5, 2022
Andreas Seidl says this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix will be a significant one as it will be Daniel Ricciardo’s first home race with the McLaren F1 Team, with the race back on the calendar after two years away following restrictions being in place due to COVID-19.
“The team and I are excited to be back in Australia after a few years, especially with the significance of it being Daniel’s first home race with McLaren,” said Seidl.
Seidl says the logistics of travelling to Australia from their Woking base has always posed challenges to McLaren, but they know they will be doing their best across the weekend, with an eye on scoring points with both Ricciardo and Lando Norris.
‘McLarens’ Australian Excitement’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-in-australia/
Audi reportedly close to securing McLaren stake in huge deal
Audi are pushing on with a bid to secure a stake in the McLaren Formula 1 team, and have recently raised their offer, according to reports in the German media.
Yesterday, 08:40
Author Dieter Rencken
Co-author Mike Seymour
Volkswagen Group brands Audi and Porsche have both been heavily linked with Formula 1 in recent times, and the rumours have only gathered pace amid the sport's recently-introduced budget cap and planned engine formula for 2026.
Back in December, RacingNews365.com revealed a letter from Audi bosses to former FIA President Jean Todt and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, which stated that the brand was almost ready to commit to an entry.
Now, German automotive newspaper Automobilwoche reports that Audi are offering 650 million euros - up from 450m - to land an initial stake in McLaren's F1 outfit, before potentially investing in the wider brand.
‘McLaren Bid’;
https://racingnews365.com/audi-repor...e-in-huge-deal
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Guenther Steiner Hoping for More Points at Haas’ Milestone 125th Grand Prix.
Steiner believes that the camp has a positive team dynamic and the new driver partnership is working well, with Magnussen able to use his previous experience in the sport to guide Schumacher, who is in his second season of Formula 1.
By Ashley Cline
April 5, 2022
Haas F1 Team Principal, Günther Steiner: “I think it’s realistic that we can aim for points in every race, at least for the first half of the season and then we will see if teams make big upgrades or if they gain a lot of pace. I’m optimistic that we can keep this form, we just have to try to score points with both cars.”
“First of all, yes, it was a rollercoaster and we’ve had a lot of downs on the rollercoaster ride over the six years but quite good ups as well. I’d say more than 50 percent of the people that were there at the first race are still with us, so that for me is an achievement. It’s been a very good ride, there’s been some challenges in the ride, but it’s been fantastic.”
‘Haas F1 Rollercoaster’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...th-grand-prix/
Haas adamant Schumacher’s confidence won’t be dented by Jeddah F1 crash
4th April 2022, 12:08
Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Haas Formula 1 boss Gunther Steiner doesn’t expect Mick Schumacher’s confidence will be knocked after his high-speed qualifying crash in Saudi Arabia.
Approaching the fast chain of corners at Turns 10/11/12 on a flying lap, Schumacher lost control of his car before slamming into the concrete wall on the left-hand side of the track. The hefty impact caused severe damage to his Haas F1 car and, after being taken to hospital for precautionary checks, Schumacher was found to have suffered no injuries.
“I don’t think that he’ll lose confidence,” Steiner said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. “Obviously now the target is set a little bit higher than last year. Last year there was no question at all, we contended to be 19th and 20th. Because that was where we were – consistently, by the way.
‘Confidence Won’t Be Dented’;
https://readmotorsport.com/2022/04/0...ddah-f1-crash/
Haas hampered by limited testing - Steiner
Sam Hall & Ian Parkes
Tuesday 5 April 2022 13:35
Guenther Steiner has warned there is 'more to come' from Haas with the team's performance limited at the opening races through a lack of testing. Haas has enjoyed a strong start to the current F1 season with Kevin Magnussen scoring points in each of the first two races with finishes of fifth and ninth in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Despite its pace, the VF-22 has suffered from poor reliability and team principal Steiner warned if the team can get on top of these issues and spend more time on track in free practice, results could improve further. "The biggest improvement will be the set-up because we haven't done enough testing," explained Steiner.
"There are still things to come. It's not that we have a bad set-up but I think there is still more in the car. If we had more time to work, it's not that the guys don't understand, it's just that we need to learn about it because in testing we did about half the mileage of the big teams, and in Saudi Arabia, with Kevin, we did three timed laps," Steiner added.
‘More In The Haas Car’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...sting-steiner/
Haas to think carefully about ‘over-rated’ upgrades
Date published: April 3 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Haas boss Guenther Steiner is keen to make sure any upgrades introduced by the team this season will be worthwhile.
“We will bring upgrades as well. People like to bring upgrades but if you bring upgrades, [they may be worth only] one, two, three points,” said Steiner, quoted by GPFans. “And if you bring upgraded parts, what does it actually do? That’s important for me.”
“If you ask an aerodynamicist at every grand prix they will bring a million dollars’ worth of upgrades for one point, so that needs to be managed under the budget cap more than anything else. With upgrades, I’m not saying nobody brings bad ones but they are a little bit over-rated.”
‘Over-Rated Upgrades’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/haas-2...rade-strategy/
Steiner: K-Mag ‘realised what he lost’ in year away from F1
Date published: April 2 2022 - Henry Valantine
Now he has returned to Formula 1, Guenther Steiner thinks Kevin Magnussen has matured and realised what he missed out on in his year away.
Steiner said it was good for him to have kept racing last year, and his time away from the top tier has left him more rounded as a result. “Yes, of course it hasn’t hurt him,” Steiner said of Magnussen’s IndyCar and sports car racing last year, quoted by Formula1.com.
“Obviously, he matured, he was out of Formula 1 and when you are out of Formula 1 you just realise what you lost and making it back in is like something… which I think he didn’t expect to do.
‘More Rounded As A Result’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/kevin-...a-1-year-away/
Steiner asks ‘Tom the expert’ why Haas can’t maintain form
Date published: April 1 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner turned the tables when the interviewer asked him how long the team can maintain their current form.
When F1 journalist Tom Clarkson asked Steiner how long Haas believe they can keep this run going, Steiner responded: “Why should it stop? Now I’m asking you, Tom the expert.
“Why you think we cannot keep it going?”
But to answer the question, Steiner is confident Haas can continue to compete in the midfield, citing the budget cap he feels has made it possible for teams to keep themselves in the conversation for points. “But I think we can keep going where we are now,” Steiner continued.
‘Keep Going’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/guenth...k-haas-doubts/
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Williams’ Dave Robson: “So pleased to be back” racing in Australia.
Williams Racing’s Head of Vehicle Performance, Dave Robson, is delighted to see the Australian Grand Prix back this weekend, for the first-time in two years due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
By Nick Golding
April 5, 2022
After a highly disappointing Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where both Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi retired, Robson is very happy to be heading back to Australia this weekend. Formula 1 isn’t returning though to the usual Albert Park Circuit layout, drastic changes have been made to the layout for this weekend, in the hope that overtaking is easier. This clearly wasn’t enough, as this weekend will see a whopping four DRS zones around the Albert Park Circuit.
Williams endured a horrific weekend at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit and a repeat simply can’t happen for the British team, Robson is hoping that it will be a cleaner weekend for the side.
“Following our difficult weekend in Jeddah, we are looking forward to a clean event here as we look to extract a little more potential from the FW44. The challenges here are different to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and so we will be open-minded and pragmatic with our approach.”
‘Four DRS Zones’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...-in-australia/
Williams: Tyres mean 'crucial' set-up compromise for Aussie GP
Phillip van Osten
05/04/2022 at 17:23
Williams head of vehicle performance Dave Robson says Pirelli's decision to skip a step in its compound selection for Melbourne implies a crucial set-up compromise for race day. Pirelli as opted to experiment at next weekend's Australian Grand Prix by nominating its C2 and C3 rubber but skipping its C4 and assigning instead its soft C5 compound to teams.
The tyre supplier's unusual range coupled with Albert Park's track revisions means that teams will be facing a few interesting challenges next weekend upon their return to Melbourne after a three-year hiatus.
Dave Robson : "Adding to the complexity of the weekend is a courageous compound choice from Pirelli, with the C2 and C3 compounds being the Prime and Option as they were in Jeddah, but C5 being the Qualifying compound here in Melbourne.”
‘Set-Up Compromise’;
https://f1i.com/news/437287-williams...-for-race.html
“The new track changes look promising” -Nicholas Latifi
By Nick Golding
April 5, 2022
After a bitterly disappointing Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Nicholas Latifi and Alex Albon are both looking forward to the returning Australian Grand Prix, at the Albert Park Circuit.
Latifi endured a terrible weekend in Saudi Arabia, which ultimately ended with him in the wall at the final corner during the race. The Williams Racing driver will be hoping for considerably better luck this weekend, as the Canadian sets his eyes on his first-ever Australian Grand Prix.
Nicholas Latifi: “I’m really excited to get my first taste of racing at Albert Park. I’ve not yet driven there with Formula One, although I did get to explore the venue in 2020 and I thought Melbourne was an incredible place. The circuit itself looks really fun, so to experience the whole event will be great. The new track changes look promising; I really hope it’ll improve the racing so we’re able to put on an exciting Grand Prix for the fans after they’ve waited for so long.”
‘First Taste, Track Looks Promising’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...cholas-latifi/
Williams is ‘actually a good car’ in the ‘right window’
Date published: March 31 2022 - Henry Valantine
Alex Albon believes if the FW44 is in a set-up sweet spot, Williams can be competitive in qualifying and races this season. Albon pinpointed the main issue of his car as being the lack of downforce available to him while driving, but he has managed to outperform Nicholas Latifi in the sister car through the year so far, making the most of what he has.
But despite Williams’ backmarking pace, the former Red Bull man thinks there is a particular place in which the FW44 can operate where it can be more competitive – but he added the caveat that the team need to find this set-up on a regular basis if they are to move forward.
“We lacked downforce,” said Albon. “The balance of the car can be tricky, but in the right window it’s actually a good car. “We were pretty quick at the end of the race, we just need to try and make the car more consistent and predictable.”
‘Finding the FW44 right window Set-Up Sweet Spot’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/alex-a...rmance-window/
Williams’ Dave Robson: “A very frustrating end to three weeks away from home”
By Paul Hensby
April 2, 2022
Dave Robson, the Head of Vehicle Performance at Williams Racing, admits the opening two races of the 2022 Formula 1 season have been frustrating for the team.
“A very frustrating end to three weeks away from home for the team,” said Robson. “We completed a one-stop race with Alex using the preferred hard tyre for most of the race. Alex did well to manage his tyres during a long stint and through several safety car periods. There was a lot of attrition at this event, which we were expecting, and Alex was nearly able to benefit.”
“He was able to race with Stroll and attack him on several occasions into Turn 1, but unfortunately in racing for eleventh, there was contact, resulting in a front right puncture for Alex and the end of his race.”
‘Frustrating’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...way-from-home/
Mansell selling Williams that Senna hitched a ride on
Date published: March 30 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Nigel Mansell is selling his famous Williams FW14 which served as a race winner for himself and a taxi for Ayrton Senna. It was back at the 1991 British Grand Prix that Mansell and Senna provided us with one of the all-time classic scenes in Formula 1.
Mansell was dominant on home soil in the Williams FW14, taking pole, leading every lap, winning the race and claiming the fastest lap. Senna meanwhile would run out of fuel in his McLaren on the final lap, leaving him to be classified P4.
But rather than Senna setting off on a trek back to the McLaren garage, Mansell was on-hand to give him a lift as on his victory lap, Mansell stopped to allow Senna to hitch a ride on his FW14 back to the pits.
‘Williams FW14’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/nigel-...williams-fw14/
BEYOND THE GRID: Mansell on battling Senna, overcoming adversity, and why his 1992 title win left him 'empty'
06 April 2022
The inimitable 1992 Formula 1 world champion Nigel Mansell is the guest on the latest Beyond The Grid podcast episode – and the former Williams and Ferrari driver recalls his success 30 years after his title triumph...
Mansell won his first and only F1 title at the age of 39 – making him the oldest driver to do so since Graham Hill in 1968. The Briton had spent years hunting for that elusive achievement and sealed it at the 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix. But how did it feel?
Thirty years later, he recalls: "Disbelief. 'Is it really true? Have we really done it?' Emptiness. Shock. It’s the flash of adrenaline where everything stands still. When something means so much to you, and you think you’ve actually done it and achieved it, and you’ve spent 40 years of your life attaining that – basically what happens, I think your brain upsurges to the point that your brain fuses. So when it fuses, there’s emptiness – because you can’t compute anything!"
‘Nigel Computing Emptiness’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...5wZ4RTku8.html
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Why Jackie Stewart thinks the Australian Grand Prix is ‘one of the great’ F1 races
Former F1 world champion Sir Jackie Stewart says it’s “really one of the great grand prix”.
7/4/2022, 03:17
Tom Elliott
Jackie Stewart: “I think the spirit of Melbourne is very high on the Grand Prix,” he said.
“There’s enormous enthusiasm. Of course you’ve had some great Australian Grand Prix drivers.”
Press PLAY below to hear why Sir Jackie Stewart holds the Melbourne Grand Prix in such high esteem
‘Australian GP Great’;
https://www.3aw.com.au/why-jackie-st...reat-f1-races/
George Russell and Toto Wolff issue Mercedes warning ahead of Australian Grand Prix
Callum McAvoyWednesday 6 Apr 2022 5:22 pm
Speaking in Mercedes’ Australia GP preview, the Austrian said: ‘At the moment, our track performance is not meeting our own expectations, but everyone at Brackley and Brixworth is focused on understanding the problems and finding the right solutions.
“Lewis and George are making an important contribution to the overall effort, providing feedback, spending time in the simulator and working together to help push us forward.”
“While there may be no ‘magic fix’, it is imperative for the team that they solve their key issue as soon as possible, as Russell points out.”
‘Mercedes Warning’;
https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/06/f1-ge...o=newsnow-feed
Will Mercedes' fortunes improve? F1 Australian GP talking points
F1
Connor McDonagh
7 Apr 2022
Mercedes upgrades on the way? Mercedes was expected to introduce its first significant upgrade of the season for F1’s return to Melbourne with the arrival of an all-new rear wing to reduce drag and potentially a newly-designed floor, though it appears to still have the same rear wing it had in Jeddah.
The update, which may not arrive until Imola or Miami, are aimed at combating its porpoising issues. The phenomenon has been at the heart of the W13’s problems so far in 2022, forcing Mercedes to run a compromised setup in a bid to reduce the bouncing effect.
Speaking ahead of the weekend, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: "At the moment, our track performance is not meeting our own expectations, but everyone at Brackley and Brixworth is focused on understanding the problems and finding the right solutions.”
‘Late nights at Brackley and Brixworth!’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/100...talking-points
'We still have plenty to learn': Toto Wolff predicts more Mercedes misery in Sunday's Australian Grand Prix as team boss admits they don't have a 'magic fix' heading into their third outing of the campaign.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits their poor start could continue in Melbourne
By Oliver Salt For Mailonline
Published: 15:30, 6 April 2022
Russell is one place above his Mercedes team-mate on 22 points, sitting behind Carlos Sainz Jr and Max Verstappen, and Wolff insists their sights are set on bridging the gap and moving closer to the top of the standings. 'We are in a learning race and the first two weekends have shown we still have plenty to learn,' he told Mercedes' official website.
“At the moment, our track performance is not meeting our own expectations, but everyone at Brackley and Brixworth is focused on understanding the problems and finding the right solutions. There won't be a magic fix for the next race weekend, but we're pushing to steadily bring gains over the upcoming races, to hopefully move us closer to the front of the pack.”
“Until then, we need to maximise each opportunity and make the most of the package we have.”
‘Mercedes Misery’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...magic-fix.html
Marko: If Mercedes control porpoising, they are back
Date published: April 5 2022 - Jamie Woodhouse
Red Bull’s Helmut Marko does not believe the Mercedes era is over yet, backing them to fight back if they can control their ‘porpoising’.
Speaking in an interview with Formel1.de’s YouTube channel, when asked if this was the end of the Mercedes era like Red Bull endured after 2013, Marko said: “You have to distinguish between the two cases. The post-2013 era coincided with the new engine rules and Mercedes had incredible dominance at that stage. They were up to two seconds ahead of everyone, but logically they didn’t show it.”
“Now, with the change of chassis and engine, the differences are not so big. Mercedes can no longer click and suddenly it’s a party for them. But the team are very well positioned and also have some really important people in the chassis area.
‘Mercedes can no longer click and suddenly it’s a party for them’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/helmut...ll-contenders/
Tech Draft: The Grand Prix in Adelaide always special for me
Mark Kay
7 April, 2022
With Formula 1 being in Australia this weekend, I thought of writing a different Tech Draft, about the sport’s history in my country that shaped my career, and how the Adelaide Grand Prix will always be special to me.
The first Australian Grand Prix (AGP) was contested on the Phillip Island road circuit in 1928 and the event has been held every year since then, with the exception of 1936, and the period 1940-1946 inclusive. Over the years the AGP has been held at 23 different venues in various guises of stand-alone events and as part of national and regional championships and series, such as the memorable Tasman Series of the 1960s and 1970s which attracted many F1 teams of the day to travel all the way down under.
However, it wasn’t until 1985 that the Australian Grand Prix became a proper FIA sanctioned Grand Prix when it was the final round of that year’s Formula 1 World Championship held on the most memorable Adelaide Parklands street circuit. The AGP has remained a fixture on the F1 yearly calendar ever since with the exception of the 2020 and 2021 events being cancelled due to the COVID pandemic, and in 1996 it was held at the Albert Park street circuit in Melbourne for the first time, where it has remained ever since.
‘Aussie Memories’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/04...pecial-for-me/
Verstappen: I’m there to race, not entertain crowds
Reuters
7 April, 2022
Max Verstappen is not willing to do more events on weekends, but would rather just race and entertain the crowds that way, instead of taking part in off track activities. The Formula 1 World Champion said he will try to keep his off-track commitments in check and focus on his day job as a racer, wary that his Title defense might suffer with too many distractions.
Verstappen said he felt sympathy for McLaren’s Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo, having seen him battle through busy schedules at his home Grand Prix when they were Red Bull team mates. “I always felt sorry for him because he was always so busy,” said Verstappen.
“He actually never really got to fully enjoy it. Maybe he manages it differently now but I remember when he was here it was tough, he was super busy in the week leading up to the Grand Prix. “So I hope for him that at least he can enjoy it a bit more now because I think it is very special to have a home Grand Prix,” he said.
‘Felt Sorry For Daniel Ricciardo”;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/04...ertain-crowds/
Pirelli explains thinking behind ‘step’ in Melbourne tyre compound choice
2022 Australian Grand Prix
Posted on
7th April 2022, 6:137th April 2022, 4:54 | Written by Hazel Southwell and Claire Cottingham
Pirelli has made a departure from its recent tyre selection approach this weekend in the hope of creating more varied strategies at the Australian Grand Prix. In recent years Formula 1’s official tyre supplier has invariably selected consecutive compounds for each race. However it has brought the C2, C3 and C5 rubber to Melbourne, skipping the C4, which was the softest tyre used at the last round in Jeddah.
In recent years Formula 1’s official tyre supplier has invariably selected consecutive compounds for each race. However it has brought the C2, C3 and C5 rubber to Melbourne, skipping the C4, which was the softest tyre used at the last round in Jeddah. Pirelli’s head of motorsport Mario Isola said the manufacturer wanted to create a larger gap in performance between the medium and soft compound tyres.
“During our tyre test we found that the delta lap time between the C3 and the C4 was quite small,” Isola explained. Pirelli expected between 0.4 and 0.5 seconds difference per lap between the two around Jeddah’s 6.174-kilometre track. Around the shorter Albert Park course, Isola said Pirelli expect the difference to be “less than 0.3” of a second. “So we decided to jump one level, that is always possible, and bring to Melbourne C2, C3 and C5,” he said.
‘Tyre Compound Decisions’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/04/07/...mpound-choice/
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Lewis Hamilton's hopes of Australian Grand Prix win rubbished by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has rubbished any suggestions that Lewis Hamilton can win the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. The Silver Arrows ace has fallen well short in the first two races of the season following a winter of F1 regulation changes and car upgrades.
By TOM PARSONS
14:18, Wed, Apr 6, 2022
Mercedes have failed to redesign their 2022 car in a way which keeps them competitive - and their struggles have been clear to see in the early stages of the new season. At the opener in Bahrain, Hamilton finished third - but only after Red Bull duo Verstappen and Sergio Perez were forced to retire due to power failure. And in Saudi Arabia, Hamilton suffered the ignominy of finishing 10th.
But, despite his team’s woes, Wolff insists he’s looking forward to the first Australian Grand Prix since 2019. “Now we head back to Melbourne for the first time since 2020 and will be racing in Australia for the first time in three years - that's too long for a city and country that are so passionate about F1,” Wolff added.
“We're looking forward to seeing the fans and the new track layout which promises more overtaking opportunities and faster lap times.”
‘Australian Win Rubbished’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-Bull-Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton braced for more misery in Melbourne as Mercedes rule out upgrades
07/04/2022, 12:12
Philip Duncan
Hamilton has already been cast 29 points adrift in the championship race
Lewis Hamilton is braced for more misery in Melbourne after his Mercedes team ruled out any major upgrades for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
Hamilton has already been cast 29 points adrift in the championship race after he finished only 10th at the second round in Saudi Arabia a fortnight ago…
‘Upgrades Ruled Out’;
https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/lew...-b2052760.html
Lewis Hamilton warned of 'vicious cycle' Mercedes are battling to overcome this season
By STUART BALLARD
11:01, Thu, Apr 7, 2022
Mercedes have a "huge problem" to fix with Emerson Fittipaldi warning Lewis Hamilton just how much work needs to be done to catch Red Bull and Ferrari. Ahead of pre-season testing, Mercedes were the team to beat having just clinched their eighth consecutive Constructors' Championship.
The cars will take to the track on Friday where Mercedes will hope to see some improvements. But Fittipaldi has warned Hamilton that Mercedes are currently in a "vicious cycle" which they're struggling to get out of. "Mercedes engines are down. They suffered a lot of performance in the first two Grands Prix," he told VegasInsider. "We know all the Mercedes teams are having a difficult time.
“Lewis Hamilton had a great race in Bahrain where he got the podium. With that car, Lewis should not be on the podium. They are struggling. The speed on the stretch is much lower. When you have less power from the engine, you sacrifice the aerodynamics. And then it’s a compromise of handling, as well.
‘‘Vicious Mercedes Cycle’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ian-Grand-Prix
THIS IS HOW MERCEDES EXPERTS ARE HELPING RED BULL
07/04/2022, 07:30
Catherine Micallef
Red Bull are currently in process of finalising their new engine factory, Red Bull Powertrains, which is rumoured to work with Porsche. This is after the German car manufacturer seeks to return to Formula One in 2026, the year new engine rules come into place.
Honda is still in the picture for Red Bull and in an interview with Formel1.de, Helmut Marko spoke about the project and its employees. “In parallel to this, of course, we need to set up our own production line. Our advantage is that we have a very versatile team. People from Honda have been hired to work on our project, some of the Red Bull staff have been displaced, and experts from Mercedes have been hired.”
The interviewer asked whether about 50 people were hired and Marko replied, “Actually the number is close to that, yes.” This came after Marko discussed Mercedes’ poor form during the first few stages of the season. He said, “I don’t have detailed knowledge of the situation at Mercedes, but those problems must have something to do with the new fuel.”
‘Red Bull Powertrains’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/re...arko-mercedes/
Lewis Hamilton faces extending long barren run at Australian GP as Mercedes low on hope
MELBOURNE has not traditionally been a happy hunting ground for F1 star Lewis Hamilton.
By CHARLIE GORDON
05:20, Thu, Apr 7, 2022
Lewis Hamilton may be helpless on his pursuit to end a barren run in Australia which has seen him fail to win the race for seven years. All voices coming out of the Mercedes camp suggest that the issues which blighted their weekend in Saudi Arabia are not going away any time soon, which threatens to leave them off the pace once again.
That will come as painful news for the 37-year-old in particular, given that he has failed to win in Australia since 2015. In terms of the current F1 calendar it is therefore Hamilton's standout bogey track, boasting a longer streak without him winning than any other.
‘Bogey Track’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rcedes-f1-news
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FP1: Sainz leads Ferrari team mate Leclerc in opening Australian Grand Prix practice session
Ferrari kicked off their weekend in style as Carlos Sainz set the pace in first practice for the returning Australian Grand Prix, with team mate Charles Leclerc slotting into second.
08 April 2022
The Spaniard clocked a 1m 19.806s on Pirelli’s softest tyre – the C5 – with Leclerc 0.571s adrift, the championship leader having run into the gravel on his out-lap and then backing out of his second attempt.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez – who caused one of two red flags when he lost a piece of bodywork – was third with a late quick lap on the soft, a couple of tenths ahead of team mate Max Verstappen, though the reigning champion set his quickest lap much earlier in the session.
McLaren showed a surprising turn of pace, after a challenging start to the season as they battle to get on top of a front axle issue, with Lando Norris in fifth and home favourite Daniel Ricciardo eighth.
‘Stylish Ferrari ‘Kick Off’!’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...Ua991cksl.html
Lewis Hamilton finishes only SEVENTH in first practice for the Australian Grand Prix as Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc claim a one-two ahead of Red Bull in Melbourne
By Philip Duncan, Press Association
Published: 06:47, 8 April 2022
• Mercedes were once again well off the pace at the Australian Grand Prix
• Lewis Hamilton finished seventh in first practice, 1.2 seconds off the pace
• His team-mate George Russell was 12th as Melbourne weekend got underway
• Ferrari set the early pace with Carlos Sainz ahead of Charles Leclerc
• Red Bull duo Sergio Perez and reigning champion Max Verstappen were next
‘FP1, Lewis Hamilton 7th’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...-set-pace.html
Russell demands "too tough" Australian GP calendar change
Ian Parkes
Friday 8 April 2022 07:00
George Russell has called for more thought to be placed on next year's F1 calendar after declaring it "too tough" on everyone in the sport that the Australian Grand Prix is a standalone event.
There is a significant buzz about F1's return to the country that has been devoid of a race since 2019 after two cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic, with an Australian sporting record crowd of over 400,000 expected over the three days.
"But having Melbourne in between races, especially as a standalone, is too tough for the teams and everybody. People came out on the Saturdays and Sundays to get acclimatised to the conditions, to the time zone change, and [now] it's just too much. It needs to be thought about more. There's no reason why we couldn't do a back to back with one of the Middle Eastern races.”
‘Tough’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/79...lendar-change/
Albert Park track changes will play into Red Bull’s hands, Leclerc predicts
2022 Australian Grand Prix
Posted on
8th April 2022, 7:05 | Written by Keith Collantine
Charles Leclerc believes the changes to the Albert Park for this year’s Australian Grand Prix will suit rivals Red Bull. The changes were made to create more overtaking opportunities at a track where passing has often been difficult. Leclerc suspects they will make a difference, but expects Red Bull will benefit from the alterations.
“Probably for our car I would have preferred to stay with the old layout, but that’s only from a performance point of view,” he said. “But I think for overtaking it will definitely be better. How much better is still yet to see. But it looks interesting. Turn six, seven will be quite challenging for us now. Nine, 10 we will arrive at much higher speed. So it should be it should be an exciting track.”
‘Red Bull’s Hands’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/04/08/...lerc-predicts/
Drivers fear for F1's heritage despite 'awesome' Vegas race
Issued on: 08/04/2022 - 08:04
Melbourne (AFP) – Drivers enthusiastically welcomed on Friday Las Vegas hosting a night-time Formula 1 grand prix, but voiced concern that traditional races in Europe could pay the price as the sport expands in new directions. Racing returns to 'Sin City' next year for the first time since 1982, becoming the third grand prix in the United States alongside Miami and Austin.
It is part of a concerted effort by the sport's US bosses to attract a new, younger audience, rather than relying on a traditional, ageing fanbase.
But they also said it was important to remember Formula One's history and tradition. France, Belgium and even Monaco are all seen as vulnerable races.
‘Sin City Grand Prix’;
https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...ome-vegas-race
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FP2: Leclerc leads Verstappen in second Australian GP practice session.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in FP2 ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Scuderia team mate Carlos Sainz on Friday at the Australian Grand Prix.
08 April 2022
Verstappen jumped to second with under 20 minutes left, his opening soft-tyred runs compromised by traffic, then a lock-up in Sector 3 before the Dutchman finally managed a more representative lap on worn tyres to finish 0.245s off Leclerc – and drop Sainz to third.
Alpine's Fernando Alonso put in a blistering lap to take P4 at Sergio Perez's expense, while Alonso's team mate Esteban Ocon was sixth – but three-tenths down on the two-time champion.
‘FP2 Results’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...iCvJFHCds.html
Australian GP: Leclerc quickest, Alpine impress in Practice 2
08 April 2022
Ben Issatt
Charles Leclerc ensured Ferrari completed a Friday double as he led second practice at the Australian Grand Prix. The Monegasque would be the only driver to go sub-1m19s around the revised Albert Park as the drivers completed intriguing soft tyre runs mid-session.
Max Verstappen prevented another Scuderia 1-2 in second for Red Bull, but it was a tricky hour for the Dutchman who needed multiple attempts to get a clean lap.
As has been the trait in the opening races, the top two teams are achieving their lap times in different ways with Ferrari holding an advantage in the corners while Red Bull are flying on the straights.
‘‘Fernando Alonso EL PLAN 4th’;
https://www.insideracing.com/formula...-in-practice-2
Leclerc quickest from Verstappen in second Australian practice
2022 Australian Grand Prix second practice
Posted on
8th April 2022, 8:16 | Written by Will Wood
Charles Leclerc set the overall pace in the afternoon practice session ahead of Max Verstappen at the end of the first day of F1 running for the Australian Grand Prix.
Leclerc’s quickest time of a 1’18.978 saw him go a quarter of a second faster than Max Verstappen’s best lap time in the Red Bull. Carlos Sainz Jnr was third fastest in the second Ferrari, with Fernando Alonso fourth for Alpine. The clouds had drifted over the Albert Park circuit between the end of first practice and the start of the afternoon session. Teams took to the track on the medium tyres for some early data in the slightly cooler afternoon conditions.
With 12 minutes remaining, the session was red-flagged after the front left wheel faring on Stroll’s Aston Martin broke off the car as Stroll rounded turn 12, falling onto the racing line. The debris was recovered and the session quickly resumed. Having had his first practice session cut short with a power unit problem, Sebastian Vettel was unable to take to the track at all in the afternoon.
‘Wheel faring and Power Unit problems’;
https://www.racefans.net/2022/04/08/...lian-practice/
All you need to know about Australian GP F1 practice two
08/04/2022, 08:28
By Josh Suttill
Key moments
• Leclerc fastest ahead of Verstappen…
• …but Verstappen has to back out of faster lap
• Alonso an impressive fourth
• Mercedes duo both outside of top 10
George Russell was the fastest Mercedes driver in 11th place. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton was only 13th. The duo were once again experimenting with set-up in the early part of the session, leading to a high level of porpoising and a loose rear of the W13, for Russell in particular before changes were made.
Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, who missed the first two races of the 2022 season, continued to suffer a nightmare Friday as his team was unable to change his power unit in time for him to get back on track following the issue that caused him to stop on track in FP1.
‘Mercedes Experimenting’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/all-y...-practice-two/
Australian Grand Prix: Ferrari strong again as Alpine impress in Friday practice
By George Dagless
Published: 8 Apr 2022, 08:21
Ferrari once again looked strong in Friday free practice for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, as Carlos Sainz and then Charles Leclerc topped the time-sheets in the two sessions at Albert Park.
The Scuderia have been a leading light so far this season with the performances they have shown, and it is they and Red Bull that look to have got the regulations nailed down most of all.
An interesting couple of sessions, then, and whilst Ferrari and Red Bull once again look good, could we see Alpine being the third-fastest? Or even mixing it for the front two rows on Saturday? Time will tell…
‘Alpine Impress’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87993181...riday-practice
2022 F1 Australian Grand Prix – Free Practice 2 results
08/04/2022, 08:01
Author RacingNews365 Staff
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc led Red Bull's Max Verstappen during second practice in Australia. Check out the full results from FP2 at Albert Park below.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in Friday's second practice session for the Australian Grand Prix, edging out Red Bull rival Max Verstappen.
Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez followed their teammates in third and fifth respectively, with the Alpine of Fernando Alonso slotting between them.
‘FP2: Full Results’;
https://racingnews365.com/2022-f1-au...tice-2-results
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Alpine: In good shape to get both cars into Q3, more to come.
While TV pundits argued that Alonso may have been in qualifying mode, or using low fuel, no matter what he was only half a second shy of the top time with Esteban Ocon a quarter second down on his teammate in sixth, suggesting there is pace in those Blue & Pink cars.
Paul Velasco
8 April, 2022
Fernando Alonso made no mention of claiming the fourth-fastest time in FP2 for the Australian Grand Prix, the Alpine veteran clearly has a solid package for the weekend in Melbourne, but team boss Otmar Szafnauer expects both his cars to make Q3 on Saturday.
Alonso made little of the surprising pace they found today: “We had some minor things that delayed us a little in Free Practice 1, but we still managed a pretty normal day for us. We completed a good amount of running and got a lot of information from both sessions. There are some balance issues that we need to solve, especially on the higher fuel runs.”
“I obviously saw the track yesterday, but I think the changes are positive and the lap is obviously much quicker now. I’m not sure if there will be more overtaking on Sunday, but let’s see.”
‘FP2, Alpine F1 4th Fastest, Pretty Normal Day!’;
https://www.grandprix247.com/2022/04...melbourne-fp2/
Esteban Ocon feeling upbeat as Alpine look strong in Australia practice
By George Dagless
Published: 8 Apr 2022, 12:30
Alpine driver Esteban Ocon could not deny that things are looking in good shape for him and his team ahead of the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. Speaking to F1, Ocon said: “It’s been pretty decent, obviously both cars are in the top ten for both sessions and we’ve discovered a lot on this track… [there are] some great challenges with some great fast corners and we look pretty okay at the moment but it is only Friday.”
“I think so, we tried a few things between the cars to optimise the aero platform through there and it seems to have worked but tomorrow is when we need to put it together and release the power.”
An intriguing session on Saturday awaits, then, and though you’d probably not expect to see an Alpine on pole for Sunday’s race just yet, it is clear that they are making good progress with their A522.
‘El PLAN: Pole’;
https://www.givemesport.com/87993335...ralia-practice
Alpine 'reasonably pleased' with strong Friday form
Andrew Lewin
08/04/2022 at 11:21
The Alpine team declared itself 'reasonably pleased' with their performance in friday's free practice sessions for the Australian GP, with Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon finishing in the top ten in both FP1 and FP2.
Sporting director Alan Permane: "In terms of our performance today, we can be reasonably pleased with the cars in both practice sessions. There’s still work to do, especially in extracting the most from the soft tyre on the first timed lap for qualifying.”
"We ran the medium and hard tyres with high fuel to assess race performance and this looked in line with our simulations. Overtaking will be difficult on Sunday so it’s essential to extract the maximum from all elements in qualifying.”
‘Reasonably Pleased’;
https://f1i.com/news/437655-alpine-r...iday-form.html
Alpine drivers braced for tight battle for Q3 spots despite strong Friday in Melbourne
08 April 2022
An encouraging turn of pace from Alpine in FP2 was met with cautious optimism from the two drivers, who expect qualifying to play a crucial part to their hopes in Melbourne.
“It’s been pretty decent, obviously both cars in the top 10 for both sessions,” Ocon said. “A lot of things discovered today on this track, some good surprises with the level of grip being much higher than before, the track being quite a lot smoother as well. Some great challenges with some great fast corners. We look pretty okay at the moment, but as you know I’m going to tell you, it’s only Friday.”
Despite the strong showing in terms of headline lap times, Ocon expects plenty of challengers to Alpine in the fight for best-of-the-rest behind Ferrari and Red Bull.
‘Plenty Of Challengers’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...nTz4FQ4q9.html
Fernando Alonso issues warning to F1 CEO and Liberty Media
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has recently suggested that the calendar could eventually consist of 30 races.
by Rob Kershaw
8 April 20228 April 2022
Fernando Alonso has warned Formula 1 that it needs to be careful not to overwork the teams as they mull adding more races to the calendar.
The teams are all based in Europe, and the constant travelling and unsocial hours naturally takes its toll on team members financially and mentally. Alonso has called for caution on the amount of strain F1 management place on the paddock workers.
“We need to be careful on the number of races. We should be on a limit, because for the teams it’s quite demanding, how the schedule and the calendar is now, especially we don’t have so many races in Europe anymore,” he said, as quoted by Autosport.
‘Overworking the Teams’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/fernando-...liberty-media/
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Lewis Hamilton demoralised as Mercedes woes continue at Australian Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton appeared deflated and frustrated with Mercedes still unable to bring in the changes needed to challenge further up the grid.
By STUART BALLARD
09:04, Fri, Apr 8, 2022
LEWIS HAMILTON ended FP2, 13th fastest with Mercedes struggling to find the right package for this weekend. And the seven-time world champion appeared dejected when asked to review the session.
Hamilton remains hopeful that better things are to come for Mercedes in the near future. But, for now, they're powerless to compete towards the front of the grid.
"I don't think it's going to be tricky to find our way back, there's just not a lot we can do," he added. "This is the way it is so we just have to drive with it.”
‘Deflation and Frustration’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-Prix-F1-news
Race director fires warning at Lewis Hamilton over ‘safety concerns’ ahead of 2022 Australian GP
Niels Wittich has reminded drivers of a ban on jewellery during races.
by Rob Kershaw
8 April 20228 April 2022
Race director at this year’s Australian Grand Prix, Niels Wittich, has emphasised that there is rule in place prohibiting drivers from wearing jewellery while racing due to safety concerns. The drivers’ race suits and undergarments are all required to be specifically flame-retardant to avoid adding to the risk of a fire during a crash.
The FIA placed “an immediate ban on the wearing of jewellery (body piercing and heavy chains) by race and rally competitors.” Sir Lewis Hamilton is often seen wearing jewellery in the paddock and sometimes even when in the cockpit, so it is conceivable that Wittich’s reminder was aimed predominantly at the Briton.
“The wearing of jewellery in the form of body piercing or metal neck chains is prohibited during the competition and may therefore be checked before the start,” he wrote in 5.1 of his notes ahead of this weekend.”
‘Jewellery Prohibited’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/race-dire...australian-gp/
Sebastian Vettel fined €5,000 for moped incident during Australian Grand Prix practice
Callum McAvoyFriday 8 Apr 2022 6:27 pm
Sebastian Vettel has been given a €5,000 fine after riding a moped around the Albert Park circuit after the first practice session for the Australian Grand Prix.
The four-time world champion was left stranded on track on Friday after his Aston Martin suffered engine problems and caught fire towards the end of FP1.
After helping to put the fire out, the German waited trackside until the end of the session before borrowing a moped from the marshals and riding it back to the pitlane via the track and not the designated, inner-circuit route, waving to the jubilant Melbourne crowds in the process.
‘€5,000 fine’;
https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/08/f1-st...o=newsnow-feed
F1 LIVE: Fears over ‘artificial race’ in Aus GP track swipe; Vettel cops bizarre scooter fine
April 9th, 2022 12:30 pm
Jacob Polychronis from Fox Sports
Many drivers gave an early tick of approval to track changes at Albert Park on Friday – but not everyone will be so easily won over at the Australian Grand Prix.
Former driver and Sky F1 pundit Paul Di Resta was critical of the new layout following practice, warning that the race is at risk of becoming “artificial”. “I’m not convinced on it to be honest,” he said on Sky F1. “I don’t think taking out the corners was the right call. 2022 is very different to 2019, four DRS zones is too much I think but I don’t want to see an artificial race.
Vettel explained the decision before he was penalised, saying he convinced the marshal to let him drive. “The guy came with a scooter and he said, ‘you can jump on the back,’ Vettel said. “I said, ‘can I drive it?’ Because I prefer to drive myself. “And then he handed me the scooter, so I said, ‘okay,’ and he said, ‘off you go.’ And I went. I mean, I would like to get the car back and not to have a problem in the first place. I’m not here to drive a scooter.”
‘Critical and Bizarre’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...d1e0b1ca665aa9
Ricciardo’s unexpected boost; Mercedes mystery deepens: What we learned from F1 practice
April 9th, 2022 10:06 am
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
STILL NOTHING TO SPLIT FERRARI AND RED BULL RACING. The all-important long-run data from second practice reveals the evenness between the front running teams. In fact it’s Red Bull Racing who stands atop the race simulation times on the favoured medium tyre, albeit by a fine margin.
IMPROVED NEWS FOR MCLAREN McLaren arrived in Melbourne knowing the track would be on the favourable side for its problematic car, but the evidence of free practice suggests the team may be in better shape than even in Saudi Arabia.
Daniel Ricciardo, who predicted he’d be able to target strong points this weekend, agreed the day had gone unexpectedly well for the team just two races after fielding the slowest car of all. “I think again realistically, [based on] our expectation of where we think we could be, it’s been a good day,” Daniel Ricciardo said, the Australian 1.2 seconds off the pace. At least we’re there. “Hopefully there’s not too much sandbagging going on with others. The main thing is I think we have a decent level of confidence with the car.”
‘Mercedes Mystery, Fine Margins, Unexpectedly Well’;
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...a1d249a3e6ac90
