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George Russell’s Mercedes W14 wishlist suggest zero-pods are here to stay.
George Russell has “a lot” on his wishlist for how his 2023 Mercedes will be, but a change of sidepod philosophy is not on there.
Thursday 5th January 2023 8:00 AM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Addressing a question from PlanetF1.com specifically on the zero-pod concept which made the W13 stand out from the crowd, at least aesthetically, the Briton said his team were prioritising other areas of the car to look at for 2023.
“I think our issues don’t really have a lot to do with the sort of sidepod philosophy,” Russell said. “We may be wrong, but I’m quite confident it’s not the reason for our lack of performance this year.
“To be honest, we’re focused on other features of the car as opposed to the sidepods necessarily.”
‘George Russell’s Mercedes W14 wishlist’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/george...-w14-wishlist/
Lewis Hamilton told he's been ousted as Mercedes No 1 by George Russell after poor 2022
George Russell edged out Lewis Hamilton in the 2022 standings.
14:56, Thu, Jan 5, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express
George Russell has taken Lewis Hamilton’s position as Mercedes' number one driver, according to F1 fans in a new poll. Thousands of supporters have said the seven-time champion's role at the team has diminished after his disappointing 2022. And over half of respondents in an Express Sport poll (57.6 per cent) feel Hamilton has now been overtaken by Russell at Mercedes. Meanwhile, Just 42.4 per cent still feel he is the main star as the Silver Arrows try to close the gap to Red Bull in 2023.
Russell admitted he would have been “incredibly proud and happy” to beat Hamilton in the standings ahead of the season. However, he hinted the result had lost some of its awe due to his P4 finish in the Drivers’ Championship. And over half of respondents in an Express Sport poll (57.6 per cent) feel Hamilton has now been overtaken by Russell at Mercedes. Meanwhile, Just 42.4 per cent still feel he is the main star as the Silver Arrows try to close the gap to Red Bull in 2023.
Russell admitted he would have been “incredibly proud and happy” to beat Hamilton in the standings ahead of the season. However, he hinted the result had lost some of its awe due to his P4 finish in the Drivers’ Championship. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff took a similar line after the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, claiming the standings were “irrelevant”. He explained: “They were not racing for a world championship. They haven't raced for victories apart from Brazil. I don't think for any of the team it matters whether they finish second, third, fourth or fifth." Russell enjoyed success early on with three podiums from the first nine races.”
‘Been ousted as Mercedes No 1’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ll-news-latest
Nico Rosberg rubs salt into Lewis Hamilton’s wound after George Russell impresses
George Russell finished two places above his teammate Lewis Hamilton in the 2022 drivers’ championship.
6 January 2023
by Jack Devonport
Formula1News
Former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg, who shared a tense and sometimes toxic relationship with Hamilton during his time with the team, has praised Russell for his start to life with Mercedes, claimed that his feats should not go under the radar.
“It’s his first year at Mercedes, an incredibly consistent year with such a difficult car,” said the German. “He finished top five in almost every race this year, it’s incredible, so you’ve just got to give your respect to that.”
“And with Lewis Hamilton as a teammate, to beat him over the course of a whole year, I think George just did a really incredible season, always fast. Lewis always has these special days, very often, when he’s just untouchable. And even then, George was always right behind him at the very least, and if not in front of him.”
‘Always right behind him at the very least’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/nico-rosb...ell-impresses/
Video: Hamilton and Russell tour Mercedes’ engine factory.
09:45 Fri, 06 Jan 2023.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week
Mercedes’ Formula 1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, accompanied by team boss Toto Wolff, recently visited the organisation’s engine factory in Brixworth. See what they got up to!
‘Mercedes’ engine factory tour’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...ngine-factory/
Betrayal: George Russell photographed partying with Lewis Hamilton’s nemesis
George Russell outscored Lewis Hamilton in his first season as a Mercedes driver last year.
3 January 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
Fernando Alonso and George Russell have shocked F1 fans by celebrating the New Year together, as the Mercedes driver shared a picture of the pair partying the night away via his Instagram account.
With Russell being 17 years younger than Alonso, and with the Brit being 24 years old, their friendship has come as a surprise to many; however, in the paddock it is very well-established.
Russell has often spoken very highly about the double World Champion, whom he enjoyed an excellent battle with at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix. On that occasion, Russell was attempting to claim a points finish for Williams, only for the wily old fox to snatch P10 at the Red Bull Ring for Alpine.
‘George Russell partying with Lewis Hamilton’s nemesis’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/betrayal-...ltons-nemesis/
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PERSONALITY TEST: Which F1 driver should you support in 2023?
The 2023 Formula 1 season is almost here and with 20 drivers on the grid, you might be wondering which one to root for – particularly if you're new to the sport.
07 January 2023
Formula One - Official Site
We've devised a not-at-all-scientific way to find out which driver you should support in 2023...
They're not just the fastest drivers in the world, but the greatest personalities in sport – just check out our Grill The Grid series for proof. So while they spent the off-season resting and training, we spent the time thinking up 10 pointed questions that will match you to your new favourite Formula 1 driver.
Perhaps this quiz will make you question your allegiances (we doubt it) or trigger a deep realisation that you have more in common with a certain driver than you think (again, we doubt it). Either way, scroll down to take the 10 questions, and make sure to share the results with your friends!
‘Not-at-all-scientific way to support a F1 Driver’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...raUWVyLnw.html
The extraordinary cost every F1 driver must pay to compete in 2023
7 Jan 2023
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net
F1 drivers will be hit with a colossal bill - just to compete in the 2023 season. There is a basic registration fee of €10,400 (£9,148 / $11,047) per driver, plus an extra €2,100 (£1,847 / $2,230) per point from the previous season.
This means Max Verstappen is faced with a staggering bill of more than $1m just to enter the 2023 season.
‘Extraordinary cost’;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/101855...y-compete-2023
F1 2023 predictions: The next move for the seven out-of-contract drivers
Saturday 7th January 2023 11:00 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Seven Formula 1 drivers, including seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, are entering the final year of their contracts in 2023. The futures of some drivers are easier to call than others and we’ve had a go at predicting whether the drivers – listed in the order in which their current teams finished in the 2022 Constructors’ Championship – will stay or go come the end of the year…
If Hamilton is to be believed, his signing of a new contract with Mercedes is an inevitability with the seven-time World Champion revealing in Mexico last October that he is planning to sign a new multi-year deal. The likelihood is that the new arrangement – set to take Hamilton into his forties – will be signed, sealed and delivered before the new season begins.
Yet with Hamilton having so much credit in the bank at Mercedes that any contract he signs won’t be worth the paper on which it is written, his future is potentially more delicately poised than it first appears and is likely to be determined by his and the team’s performances on track.
‘F1 2023 predictions’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-202...tract-drivers/
No more grid drops? Formula 1 to introduce new power unit penalty for 2023
Teams have been accused of making tactical power unit changes in recent seasons.
7 January 2023
by Jack Devonport
Formula1News
Every season each F1 team has a set number of engine components that they are allowed to use. Wear and tear, failures and crashes can all lead to a team having to change some of these components going into a race weekend, sometimes even going over the allowed limit.
Teams could be forced to serve a time penalty during the race of up to 30 seconds depending on how many components they have changed, meaning that drivers would suddenly lose track position during a Grand Prix, making it extremely difficult to recover the lost positions.
It has also been suggested that a points deduction could be the appropriate way to deal with such a misdemeanour, with points automatically being taken away from a drivers’ tally as soon as they go over the parts limit.
‘No more grid drops?’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/no-more-g...alty-for-2023/
Formula 1 driver could already be facing a ban in 2023
11:36 Fri, 06 Jan 2023.
by Asher Fair
Beyond the Flag (Weblog)
Due to FIA rules, one Formula 1 driver is already at risk of being banned from a race near the beginning of the 2023 season. Entering the 2023 Formula 1 season, 17 drivers have at least one penalty point to their name, with 15 of those drivers set to compete throughout the upcoming 23-race campaign.
Just five drivers — Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr., Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, AlphaTauri rookie Nyck de Vries, and Williams rookie Logan Sargeant — are totally unscathed heading into the new season.
The driver who leads everyone with 10 penalty points, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, is just two points away from being issued a one-race ban, as any driver who reaches 12 points must sit out the next race.
‘Facing a ban in 2023‘;
https://beyondtheflag.com/2023/01/06...cing-ban-2023/
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Lewis Hamilton contract latest: What's been said and could F1 superstar quit in 2023?
Lewis Hamilton is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract with his current deal expiring at the end of the year.
05:20, Sun, Jan 8, 2023
By Stuart Ballard
Lewis Hamilton's future in F1 remains a mystery with the seven-time world champion yet to officially sign a new contract with Mercedes. Express Sport brings all the latest updates from what has been said by both Hamilton and Toto Wolff on the contract and how long it could be.
“It won't be a huge time now, but I will definitely stay.” Toto Wolff echoed Hamilton's comments, but refused to put a timeline on when discussions will likely take place.”
He said: “Well, the job list is pretty long in what is needed to be done. But certainly, Lewis’ contract is one of the topics that we will tackle over the winter. But there is no firm deadline. Lewis is part of the team and the team is part of Lewis. There is no reason to not continue.”
‘Contract latest’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...-news-Mercedes
First details of the Mercedes W14 revealed
06 January 6:00PM
Author Paolo Filisetti
Co-author Luke Murphy
RacingNews365
Following their failure to capitalise on the regulation changes in 2022, what have Mercedes done to try and bring themselves back into contention? RacingNews365 technical expert Paolo Filisetti explains.
To understand whether the W14 the Mercedes car for the 2023 season will be a direct evolution of its predecessor, or otherwise, it is important starting from last year’s car. This approach makes even more sense, after recent statements from Toto Wolff, about its continuity in terms of visible shape, that contrast, at least partially.
The rumours supported also by sources internal to the team, that the W14, will be a conceptual revolution under many points of view. The Mercedes W13 was for most of last season a single-seater from which it was difficult to extract the potential.
‘Sources internal to the team’;
https://racingnews365.com/first-deta...s-w14-revealed
Wolff Praises Hamilton Mentality after Tough 2022 Campaign with Unpredictable W13
January 6, 2023
By Paul Hensby
The Checkered Flag
Wolff, the Team Principal at Mercedes, feels Hamilton’s personality traits were extremely admirable even if the team were unable to deliver him a car to challenge for his eighth World Drivers’ Championship, and he handled a tough season well.
“Extremely tough, because we have given him a tool that wasn’t capable of winning,” Wolff said on Formula 1’s Beyond the Grid podcast. “On top of that, the drivers had a car that was unpredictable, unstable, good at times, not good at others – not really something you can work with and develop.”
“But as a personality, how he has gone through the season is really admirable. There were times when the team felt down because of the non-performance and this is where he picked the people up and motivated them, and that is truly management and personality traits that I have not seen with a professional sportsman before.”
‘Personality traits were extremely admirable’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...edictable-w13/
Toto Wolff sends warning to Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc
George Russell claimed Mercedes' only win in 2022, with Lewis Hamilton having endured a woeful year.
7 January 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has warned Red Bull and Ferrari that the team’s 2023 car, the W14, is “full of surprises”, as the Silver Arrows look to get back to winning ways in the upcoming campaign.
Wolff revealed that the W14 interestingly looks the same as the woeful W13, but that it certainly isn’t the same as their 2022 challenger. “It’s full of surprises,” Wolff told reporters.
“I’m pretty much like you, I go into the wind tunnel and it looks like this year’s car but they say to me it’s very different underneath. It’s about the airflow, it’s about the weight distribution, it’s about the aero map. Our car fundamentally changed mid-year. We changed the concept but we couldn’t see anything on the bodywork.”
‘Full of surprises’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/toto-wolf...arles-leclerc/
Wolff reveals how Hamilton 'spectacularly lifted Mercedes'
Friday 6 January 2023 10:44
Ian Parkes
GPFans
Toto Wolff has hailed the "spectacular" ability of Lewis Hamilton to lift Mercedes during a torrid 2022 season. Speaking in an end-of-year interview with GPFans, Wolff said: "He rose to a level that went much beyond what Lewis was before, for the team, and in the car.”
"We all have our bad moments, and when one of us had it, then Lewis picked us up. I remember debriefings where he said afterwards, 'Guys, let's not be down. Let's pick ourselves up. There is more to come, more to win. Let's go!'”
"And the other way round. We keep supporting him when there is a tough session or a tough race as we had, so I would say spectacular team behaviour." Expanding on this, Wolff said: "I must say that before we would call drivers contractors, they come and go. But that is totally different with Lewis. He is a valuable and recognised team member.”
‘Rose to a level that went much beyond…’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/98...s-lifted-team/
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Gary Anderson: What each F1 team needs to improve for 2023.
The design and development process of the 2023 Formula 1 cars will have got under way long ago, and with launches only a month away it’s now down to the final crucial details and the build process.
9th Jan 2023, 06:50
By Gary Anderson
The Race
Once a car is up and running and you’ve competed in four or five races, you will know where you stand as far as performance is concerned. From there, it’s about ‘accepting’ that and pressing on with whatever developments might sort your problems. There’s no magic bullet, so while you might be able to put a temporary bandage on your problems, you will never fix them completely without a new car.
I use the word ‘accepting’ above, as many teams fail to do that. This delays everything, so while the development group should have been deciding on which direction to go in with the new car from about July last year, some wouldn’t have been getting on with it until much later. That can very easily compromise 2023.
‘F1 team improvements’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...rove-for-2023/
F1 2023 calendar ‘couldn’t have been put together much more expensively’
Sunday 8th January 2023 8:00 AM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com
Team personnel have bore their frustrations with the F1 2023 calendar with one director stating that it “couldn’t have been put together much more expensive.” The 2023 season will take place in 20 countries across five continents and while there had been hope for a regionalised order, those hopes have come to nothing.
There are particular egregious examples of Formula 1 failing to live up to its commitment to lowering its impact on the environment. A trip to Miami is sandwiched in between races in Baku and Italy. Meanwhile, the Canadian Grand Prix follows the Spanish Grand Prix and proceeds Austria. The last three races alone will require the team to travel 14,000 miles.
All of this comes at a time of increased focus on the human impact on the environment with scientists warning there is not much time left to prevent permanent effects of climate change. F1 have committed to greener ways of working such as with a sustainable fuel and being carbon neutral by 2030 but the 2023 calendar suggests that for now, this will remain a problem area.
‘F1 2023 calendar’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-202...dar-expensive/
Winging It F1 Podcast | Biggest F1 2023 Talking Points
January 8, 2023
By Nigel Chiu
Total Motorsport
New year, a new season of Formula 1 and the return of the Winging It F1 Podcast. Nigel Chiu, Adam Dickinson and Freddie Coates take a look at some of the key talking points to expect.
A new year of Formula 1 is ready to rumble with Max Verstappen and Red Bull looking to defend their titles from 2022.
‘Winging It’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/win...alking-points/
Ben Sulayem to Andretti-Cadillac F1 bid
2023 F1 season
Posted on 8th January 2023, 13:53
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says he is “surprised” by the “adverse reaction” to Andretti and Cadillac’s announcement that they will team up for a bid to join Formula 1 as a new entry.
“An 11th team means a 10% dilution for everybody else,” said Wolff. “If one is able to demonstrate that, then we should all be sitting at the table and cheer for such an entry. But that hasn’t been demonstrated yet.” However, in a post on social media today, FIA president Ben Sulayem expressed his view that the Andretti-Cadillac application was only a positive thing for Formula 1.
“It is surprising that there has been some adverse reaction to the Cadillac and Andretti news,” Ben Sulayem said. “The FIA has accepted smaller, successful organisations in recent years. We should be encouraging prospective F1 entries from global manufacturers like GM and thoroughbred racers like Andretti and others. Interest from teams in growth markets adds diversity and broadens F1’s appeal.”
“Surprised” by “adverse reaction”;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/01/08/...dillac-f1-bid/
Brutal failure of F1’s last influx of new teams is a warning
Jan 5 2023
By Edd Straw
Genuine new teams are a rarity in 21st century Formula 1, as despite regular rebadging of existing operations, the challenge of building up a constructor from scratch is almost prohibitively difficult. But with the FIA keen to open a formal process for expressions of interest, there’s the possibility that for the first time since 2010, multiple newcomers could join the grid in the coming years.
Four teams were granted entries as the 2010 entry expanded to 13 teams, meaning the F1 grid should have hit 26 cars for the first time since 1995. Infamously, USF1 collapsed before it ever participated in an F1 race, although Lotus Racing, Virgin and HRT made it. Or at least, they did for a time, as all had vanished by 2017.
The F1 political landscape was dramatically different back then. During the first decade of the 21st century, F1 mostly comprised manufacturer teams that drove independent teams to the brink of extinction. The OEMs invested heavily and built an enormous power base, leading to the threat of the GPMA (Grand Prix Manufacturers’ Association) breakaway that was a long brandished as a weapon in the battle between the teams, F1 and the FIA.
‘Brutal failure of F1’s last influx’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/bruta...-is-a-warning/
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Red Bull Should ‘Fear’ Mercedes in 2023 F1 Season: Marko.
According to Autosport, Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko spoke about next year's competition and named Mercedes as a bigger threat than Ferrari.
PUBLISHED Jan 8, 2023 11:17 AM
By Nico DeMattia
The Drive
Red Bull's dominant 2022 season was literally one for the record books, as both the team and its star driver Max Verstappen broke a few F1 records along the way to clinching both the driver's and manufacturer's championships well before the end of the season.
While Ferrari finished P2 in both the manufacturer's and driver's standings, it was a distant second. So distant, in fact, that Red Bull doesn't seem particularly afraid of Ferrari for the upcoming 2023 season. Instead, Red Bull is more concerned with another rival—Mercedes.
"I would say that we should fear Mercedes more," Marko said. "Mainly because they have an advantage over Ferrari in terms of strategy and reliability." Marko's feelings aren't without merit. Last season, Ferrari's cars and drivers were more than capable of being every bit as dominant as Red Bull but countless breakdowns and strategy missteps saw an incredibly promising team squander its chances of victory.
‘Mercedes as a bigger threat than Ferrari’;
https://www.thedrive.com/news/red-bu...1-season-marko
Helmut Marko reveals bizarre tradition about RB-19 development
Mercedes have shown that they have already fired up the W14 for the first time, sending a warning to Red Bull ahead of next season.
4 January 2023
by Jack Devonport
Formula1News
While Red Bull will be working with considerably less wind tunnel testing time than their rivals after the team were punished for breaching the 2021 cost cap, chief advisor Helmut Marko has revealed Red Bull’s strange tradition when preparing for a new season.
“We have a tradition at Red Bull that we don’t really finish the car until the very last moment,” said the Austrian. “But the concept of the car is already there. We can indeed build on a very successful 2022 car.”
“We are of course sitting with this reduction of hours in the wind tunnel, that means we have to work very efficiently as a team. All the things we try out have to hit the mark immediately.”
‘Bizarre tradition’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/helmut-ma...9-development/
Marko confident RBR's 'good basic package' can prevail again in 2023
03/01/2023 at 08:27
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Helmut Marko isn't expecting 2023 to be another walk in the park for Red Bull Racing, but the Austrian believes that the team's "good basic package" and F1's unchanged technical regulations leave it well positioned to prevail again this season.
"We are of course sitting with this reduction of hours in the wind tunnel," the Red Bull motorsport boss told Servus TV. "That means we have to work very efficiently as a team. "All the things we try out have to hit the mark immediately. "But fortunately, the technical changes for next year are not that big. It means we have a good basic package."
And Marko says RBR will rely once on its trump card – one Max Verstappen – to keep its momentum going in 2023. "The team also stays together and Max is still getting slightly better," he said. "As a result, we can go into the new season cautiously optimistic.
‘Good basic package';
https://f1i.com/news/463664-marko-co...n-in-2023.html
Retired F1 Champ Sebastian Vettel Might Be Destined for New Role at Red Bull.
As a driver, Vettel won four Formula 1 championships with Red Bull Racing. Now, according to Helmut Marko, a "top management" job could be next.
Jan 3, 2023
By Fred Smith
AutoWeek
Sebastian Vettel left Red Bull Racing for Ferrari in 2015, ending a seven-year partnership with the team and its Scuderia Toro Rosso junior program that produced 39 Formula 1 wins and four consecutive championships.
Vettel's stint with Ferrari was a relative disappointment, racking up 14 wins and no titles over six seasons before Vettel ultimately raced for two more years at Aston Martin. Now, about a month after retiring as a driver at just 35, Vettel may be on his way back to Red Bull.
That juicy rumor comes from none other than Helmut Marko, the long-time lead of the team's driver development program. Marko, whose legacy is built largely on both hiring Vettel and putting him in a place to succeed, told the German-language Sky Sports F1 that the team is open to a role for its former driver.
"Top management" job could be next’;
https://www.autoweek.com/racing/form...e-at-red-bull/
‘I’m pretty much at my best’ – Perez setting his sights on title challenge in 2023
09 January 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Sergio Perez believes he drove better than ever towards the end of the 2022 F1 season, form the Mexican is determined to carry through to 2023 and use to push for the championship.
Perez noted an up-and-down relationship with the RB18 as he reflected on the campaign, though feels his performances over the final sequence of flyaways – which included a victory and three further podiums in six races – stand him in good stead.
“I’m constantly working on it. I think it really depends on how comfortable I am at the start of the season with the car, as I was in the beginning of the season, then it slipped away,” Perez said of his form throughout 2022. I think as Formula 1 drivers, we are constantly working for new challenges all the time. But I do feel, at this time, I’m pretty much at my best. I really want to carry it on and start next year on a very high [level].”
‘I’m pretty much at my best’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...fOFTwcXl0.html
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Ferrari 'blocking' Mattia Binotto from joining another F1 team after getting rid of boss.
Mattia Binotto reportedly cannot join another F1 team right now after Ferrari parted ways with their former Team Principal at the end of the 2022 campaign.
19:55, Mon, Jan 9, 2023
By Fraser Watson
Daily and Sunday Express
Any teams planning to move for Binotto will have to bide their time, due to a reported contract clause that restricts him signing elsewhere.
Formula1a.uno have reported that Binotto and Ferrari have agreed on a 12-month 'gardening leave' period following his departure. The 53-year-old's contract wasn't due to expire until 2023, meaning he will technically remain bound to the Italian giants until it runs out at the end of this year.
However, Binotto will reportedly not have to do any work for Ferrari or even represent the team during this period. He has also reportedly been compensated financially for agreeing to the gardening leave, and it remains to be seen if he will target a return to the sport in 2024.
‘Gardening leave';
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...uctors-F1-news
Ferrari criticised for the ‘incomprehensible’ decision to let Mattia Binotto go
Friday 6th January 2023 5:00 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Former Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers has slammed Ferrari’s ‘incomprehensible’ decision to part ways with Mattia Binotto at the end of the 2022 season.
Albers, who made 46 F1 appearances between 2005 and 2007, has been left baffled by the changes at Ferrari and has hinted Binotto was the scapegoat for the team’s failure to sustain their strong start to the season. He told Dutch publication De Telegraaf: “I find it incomprehensible that Ferrari has parted with Binotto.
“Okay, officially he quit himself, but everyone knows how it works. I feel that a scapegoat was sought and someone’s head had to be taken off. Then you quickly end up with the team boss. “Still, Binotto has been instrumental in making Ferrari competitive again. Everyone forgets how bad that team was roughly a year ago.”
‘Ferrari criticised’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/ferrar...attia-binotto/
Ferrari stops Binotto from taking on F1 role until 2024 – report
16:21 Mon, 09 Jan 2023.
by Fergal Walsh
Motorsport Week
A report from formu1a.uno states that the Italian squad has upped its financial package to Binotto that extends his gardening leave from six to 12 months.
The Italian’s wealth of F1 experience could be valuable to other teams on the grid – or even organisations that will arrive in time for the new 2026 regulations. However, Ferrari has now blocked that possibility until at least 2024.
‘Gardening leave extended’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...le-until-2024/
Binotto might’ve been right about Ferrari’s biggest failing
Jan 2 2023
By Matt Beer
The Race
In what turned out to be his last media appearance as Ferrari Formula 1 team principal, Mattia Binotto was asked to identify the main lessons his squad was taking from 2022 and what it would change for 2023.
“I don’t think there is only one [lesson], because in the end our ups and downs were coming from different areas,” he began. “First, reliability. That’s our top priority because in order to win you need to be reliable and that has not been the case in the season, as a balance of the season itself.”
“The second is the speed of the car, because while we have been very competitive in quali, that has not always been the case in the race itself. And our race pace, whether it is from tyre degradation or pure race pace, was not sufficient for a better position.”
‘Main lessons his squad was taking from 2022’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/binot...ggest-failing/
Former Ferrari boss feels Audi shouldn’t let Mattia Binotto ‘get away’ from them
Saturday 7th January 2023 8:00 AM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com
Former Ferrari sporting director Cesare Fiorio believes Audi should do everything in their power to persuade Mattia Binotto to be involved in the German manufacturer’s Formula 1 project for 2026.
Binotto resigned from his role as Ferrari team principal at the end of last season after the Scuderia failed to capitalise on their strong start to 2022, with Max Verstappen and Red Bull storming to both World Championships.
Nevertheless, 2022 still represented Ferrari’s strongest season in years with Binotto’s work on the inventive F1-75 car crucial to returning the team to race-winning contention under the new regulations.
‘Audi should do everything in their power’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/former...attia-binotto/
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FIA president believes Aston Martin ‘are on the way’ to becoming a race-winning team.
FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem has backed Aston Martin to become Formula 1 race winners, saying they “should be able to do it” in time.
Tuesday 10th January 2023 11:45 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Under owner Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin are investing heavily in the Formula 1 team’s future with a new £200m “game-changing” F1 factory as well as a new wind tunnel.
However, the team has predicted it won’t be until 2025 that the effects of the infrastructure upgrades are felt out on track as the wind tunnel will only be operational midway through the 2024 season.Ben Sulayem reckons the P1s will come at some stage.
“They should be able to do it, they are investing for it, they are on the way and they have a driver ready like Fernando so I think so,” he told Motorsport.com. “But,” he added, “winning is very complicated. It’s the same with Ferrari. It’s not because they’re slow, management or reliability or both are also important.”
‘Becoming a race-winning team
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fia-pr...-winning-team/
Aston Martin want to reduce their ties to Mercedes
Aston Martin failed to improve in 2022, finishing seventh for the second year running since their introduction into Formula 1.
8 January 2023
by Jack Devonport
Formula1News
It is not uncommon for the smaller teams in Formula 1 to purchase parts from the front runners, as both teams look for a mutually beneficial relationship. Haas and Alfa Romeo enjoy this type of relationship with Ferrari while AlphaTauri obviously hold a strong partnership with their sister team Red Bull.
Since rebranding from Racing Point in 2021, Aston Martin have maintained a health relationship with Mercedes, being powered by the Silver Arrows and purchasing key parts such as the gearbox from Toto Wolff’s team. While Mercedes have been nothing but reliable in their partnership with Aston Martin, team principal Mike Krack has explained why it may be beneficial for his team to begin to go their own way and create their own parts.
“When you have the ability to make everything yourself, you can make things faster and if you can, make them also cheaper,” Krack told reporters. “It means that you can make more or you can have maybe one or two upgrades more than before due to time and also due to financial reasons. So from that point of view, I think it’s a good step.”
‘Reduce their ties to Mercedes’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/aston-mar...s-to-mercedes/
Aston Martin claim Nico Hulkenberg learned from former team-mate
Nico Hulkenberg's last season racing full-time in Formula 1 was in 2019 for Renault.
by Nick Golding
10 January 2023
Formula1News
Aston Martin Performance Director Tom McCullough has hailed the team’s former reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg as a “class act”, with Haas having received a “naturally gifted driver” for 2023.
With Hulkenberg having performed so well at such short notice, McCullough rates the new Haas driver as a “very talented” individual with “solid experience”. “He was thrown right in at the deep end at a time that we were scratching our heads a bit with a car,” McCullough said, quoted by RacingNews365.com.
“He obviously turned up in Bahrain, just straight into FP3, I think. [There was] not a lot of time, seat fit, compromises, straight in there. He’s a very talented, naturally gifted driver. You put him in a qualifying or a race situation and ask him to go extract the most out of the car, [and] he’s pretty good at doing that, whatever he drives and has driven over the years.”
“Class act”;
https://formula1news.co.uk/aston-mar...mer-team-mate/
Alonso voted F1's best 'new' signing
Sunday 8 January 2023 09:00
Sam Hall
GPFans
Fernando Alonso has been voted as the driver who will perform best at his new team in the coming F1 season after moving from Alpine to Aston Martin.
To find out, we asked GPFans readers 'Which driver will perform best at their new team in 2023?'.
Poll results
Fernando Alonso - 51 percent
Pierre Gasly - 17 percent
Nyck de Vries - 12 percent
Oscar Piastri - 11 percent
Nico Hulkenberg - six percent
Logan Sargeant - four percent
‘Best 'new' signing’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/98...s-poll-result/
New Silverstone Factory to be a ‘Game Changer’ for Aston Martin – Mike Krack
January 7, 2023
By Paul Hensby
The Checkered Flag
The Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team’s new Silverstone factory will be a ‘game changer’ according to Team Principal Mike Krack.
The new factory, which is due to open in May, will enable everyone to work under one roof without the need of using remote locations, while their own wind tunnel should be ready to use in 2024. “The fact that you can talk to people without having to arrange meetings, it facilitates the dialogue massively,” Krack is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com.
“The remote locations that we have, so you either need to pick up the phone or organise something, sometimes this is a natural barrier of more exchange. And the other thing is also logistics, we should not forget to bring things from left to right or A to B, it will be massively different and massively easier. From that point of view, I fully agree with using the word game changer, for team dynamics and logistics.”
‘Game changer’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...in-mike-krack/
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Williams to hold ‘season launch’ event on February 6th.
The team will hold a pre-season presentation, which is expected to included a livery launch, on February 6th.
2023 F1 season
Posted on 11th January 2023, 14:1511th January 2023, 14:17
Written by Ida Wood
RaceFans
Williams have announced the earliest date yet for a 2023 launch event, though it remains to be seen when their new car will be presented. Having been the last-placed team in the constructors’ standings four times in the last five years, Williams are in the process of making several changes ahead of the 2023 season in an attempt to improve their form.
Sargeant will partner Alex Albon, who is embarking on his second season with Williams – and fourth season in F1 – having scored half of the team’s points last year.
The 2023 season will mark the 10th season that Williams have used Mercedes engines, and the partnership has resulted in 16 podiums so far. Williams have now gone 216 grands prix without a victory, the longest losing run in their 46-year history. Testing for the new season will begin on February 23rd.
‘Season launch’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/01/11/...-february-6th/
Williams sets date for 2023 F1 livery unveiling
11th January 2023, 14:18
by Phillip Horton
Motorsport Week
That is five days before the next confirmed launch event, AlphaTauri, and a week before a host of teams are set to present their new cars. Williams has not communicated when its car for the 2023 season will be shown to the public.
The positions of Team Principal and Technical Director currently remain vacant at Williams following the departures last month of Jost Capito and Francois-Xavier Demaison respectively.
‘Livery unveiling’;
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...ery-unveiling/
Williams announce earliest 2023 car launch to date for early February
Wednesday 11th January 2023 2:11 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com
Williams have become the latest team to confirm their 2023 Formula 1 car launch plans, set for Monday 6 February at 2pm GMT.
As it stands, this would now make them the first team to unveil their 2023 colours to the world, with Williams confirming their launch will be live streamed on their official app and website.
The Williams statement said of the launch: “You’ll hear from our new F1 driver duo Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant, the supremely talented Williams Racing Driver Academy and, of course, we’ll reveal our 2023 livery.”
‘Williams announce earliest 2023 car launch’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/willia...23-car-launch/
Williams grabs launches pole
11/01/2023
NEWS STORY
Pitpass
As it stands, Williams will be the first team to reveal its 2023 contender, as the Grove outfit announces early launch date.
The wraps will come off the - yet to be designated - cat at 14:00 (GMT) on Monday 6 February.
‘Grabbing launches pole
https://www.pitpass.com/74369/Willia...-launches-pole
Divisive boss, abrupt exit: Has Williams suffered lasting damage?
11th Jan 2023, 07:11
The Race
Even before Capito’s departure, there were plenty of signs of discord within the team. Scott Mitchell-Malm’s concern is that the former Volkswagen motorsport chief’s brief period in charge of Williams has actually set it further back and given his successor a much bigger job.
“I’m worried about how much has gone on behind the scenes, in terms of: who else has left that is obviously less of a high profile headline departure?” said Mitchell-Malm.
“I’ve heard quite a few stories of the type of people that have either been removed over the last 12-18 months or who have just walked away – from all aspects of the Williams business as well, not just the race team but on the marketing and comms side, all the different elements of Williams.”
‘Divisive boss, abrupt exit’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/divis...asting-damage/
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A major F1 headache isn’t going anywhere in 2023.
Porpoising will continue to lie in wait, ready to catch out those who are too aggressive or easily taken in by appealing downforce figures that could be generated in simulation.
11th Jan 2023, 12:46
By Edd Straw
The Race
Porpoising dominated the first half of the 2022 Formula 1 season, but despite the progress made by teams in conquering it and the related bouncing problems, it is a spectre that will likely continue to haunt teams while the current ground effect regulations are in place.
Last year, it was about understanding and mitigating the problem and some teams, notably Mercedes, were fundamentally limited by porpoising. The extent of the difficulties caught many out, but with the knowledge built in 2022, there’s no reason for teams to be taken by surprise again. That’s why one of the key factors of F1 car design is going to be avoiding creating the conditions that lead to porpoising.
Porpoising can never truly be vanquished because the laws of physics are immutable. The mechanism is well understood and while there can be multiple triggers, in general terms it occurs at high speeds when the prodigious downforce generated pulls the car too close to the ground. There comes a point when either because of proximity to the ground – possibly even with the floor hitting the track surface – or the speed of the airflow beneath the underfloor, there is an aerodynamic stall.
‘Porpoising can never truly be vanquished’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/a-maj...where-in-2023/
23 Burning Questions to Ponder for the 2023 F1 Season.
Jan 10, 2023
By Phillip Horton
AutoWeek
It's never too early to start daydreaming about what we might see this coming Formula 1 campaign.
‘23 Burning Questions’;
https://www.autoweek.com/racing/form...023-f1-season/
WATCH: How the F1 technical regulations are changing in 2023
11 January 1:05PM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365
There are some major technical changes coming in 2023, as RacingNews365.com explains in this video. The breed of Formula 1 car introduced in 2022 was revolutionary as ground effects were harnessed for the first time since the 1980s.
Out went the old designs - which some drivers have said they preferred driving - for machines whose downforce is created by sucking the car to the track via strong 'Venturi tunnels' from the underbody.
One unintended consequence was that porpoising was back as well - with it being a very well-known side-effect of ground effect designs. Fortunately for Red Bull, chief designer Adrian Newey was around in the the 1980s - on the sportscar and IndyCar scene - and so had prior knowledge of how to ace the design, and more pertinently, what to avoid.
‘F1 technical regulations are changing’;
https://racingnews365.com/watch-how-...anging-in-2023
Road to Formula 1: 10 rising stars that you should keep an eye on in 2023
Wednesday 11th January 2023 7:00 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
As excitement builds for F1 2023, the same is true for the series below as a stacked line-up of young talent prepares to battle it out. For all the youngsters who start out on the daunting and very, very expensive ladder to Formula 1, only a small minority actually make it all the way to the point of calling themselves a Formula 1 driver.
As is to be expected, the quality of junior drivers ebbs and flows with time, but looking at the pool ahead of 2023 competition, it is hard to remember a time when so many star prospects are in action, all with the very real chance of emerging as a Formula 1-worthy racer.
So, if you were questioning whether or not the junior series will be worth watching in 2023, yes, they will be! And as you tune in, here are 10 talents who we recommend you keep a very watchful eye on.
‘Road to Formula 1’;
https://www.planetf1.com/features/10...s-2023-season/
Why does an American car-making giant suddenly want to be in Formula 1?
2023 F1 season
Posted on 6th January 2023, 13:377th January 2023, 10:28
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans
It may not have surprised many that, once FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced he would begin a process to bring new teams into Formula 1, the Andretti Group would be the first to confirm their interest.
None of the four current General Motors brands – Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC and Buick – have been seen in F1 before. GM did not need the world of grand prix racing to become one of the ‘big three’ American carmakers with annual revenues north of $127 billion (£107bn). GM president Mark Reuss referred to the “growing global appeal” of F1 in yesterday’s announcement. There is plenty of evidence of that, including rising television viewership and sold-out races.
Much of F1’s growth is happening in GM’s backyard. Entering its sixth year of US ownership, the Liberty Media-run series has successfully courted American interest by relocating race coverage to ESPN, launching the Netflix series Drive to Survive and adding further US rounds in Miami and, from this year, Las Vegas.
‘American car-making giant’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/01/06/...-in-formula-1/
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Frederic Vasseur tipped to do "big things" at Ferrari with 'no bulls***' approach.
Frederic Vasseur has been tipped to achieve "big things" in charge of Ferrari despite some reservations over his appointment.
21:21, 27 Dec 2022
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer
The Mirror
Vasseur's appointment as Ferrari team principal has divided opinion, but one former F1 driver is confident the Frenchman will be a successful hire for the Scuderia.
Former Formula 1 driver Giedo van der Garde is firmly among those who approve of the move. Giving his thoughts on the overall situation, he expressed the belief that Binotto jumped ship before he was pushed and backed Vasseur to deliver for the Scuderia.
"I think they gave him a choice: either we say we've thrown you out, or we do it in a nice way and you say you've resigned yourself," he said. "And so it ended up being the second one. But it was clear that he had to leave. He is a very nice guy and has built a very good car, but Ferrari did throw away some wins this year. And whichever way you look at it, he was responsible for that as team boss.”
‘'no bulls***' approach’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...cipal-28825147
Ferrari Vasseur agenda on first day in office
Monday 9 January 2023 10:57
Ewan Gale
GPFans
Fred Vasseur has now officially started as Ferrari's new team principal [from Jan 9]. Vasseur now finds himself as the fifth person to take on the most pressurised position in F1 over the past decade, so what are his priorities?
Strategy. Entering through the doors at Maranello, once Vasseur has dealt with the pleasantries associated with the first day on the job, one of his primary tasks is likely to be calling a meeting with strategy chief Iñaki Rueda. Reliability. This was a major limiting factor for Ferrari at the end of the year, with Binotto conceding the power units were turned down in order to save the components.
Budget cap. It is no secret Ferrari hit the budget cap ceiling midway through the past season, severely restricting its ability to compete in the second half of the year. Ferrari board. As evidenced by the turnover of the team principal post, Ferrari's hierarchy can be hard to please.
‘Priorities’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/99...day-in-office/
Pundit questions whether Fred Vasseur can cope with Ferrari’s ‘mystical forces’
Monday 9th January 2023 1:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
Dutch pundit Olav Mol has doubts about whether Frederic Vasseur is the right man for the role of Ferrari team boss, given the “mystical forces that work” within the Scuderia. But Mol isn’t so sure Ferrari have made the right decision.
“I do not know,” he told Motorsport.com when asked if Vasseur was up for the challenge. “He is in a larger organisation than Sauber when at Renault and it didn’t work out there. I seem to remember it was mainly because of all sorts of political things.’
“Then I think: Welcome to Ferrari. If there is politics anywhere, it is at Ferrari with all those mystical forces that work in the team and a family that has something to say. I don’t envy Fred in that respect, he may have grown in recent years. I wish him that success.”
‘Mystical forces’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/freder...stical-forces/
Formual 1: Vasseur starts a new era for Ferrari with big targets
05:43 Tue, 10 Jan 2023.
The Straits Times
LONDON – Frederic Vasseur started work at Maranello on Monday as the fifth Ferrari Formula One team principal in less than a decade and with the weight of history adding to a burden of expectation.
Only the second Frenchman to run the oldest and most successful team in the sport, Vasseur follows on from departed Mattia Binotto but with the giant shoes of compatriot Jean Todt yet to be filled.
Todt presided over a golden age at the Scuderia, arriving at the Gestione Sportiva in 1993 as general manager and embarking on a transformation that led to a period of domination with Michael Schumacher.
‘New era for Ferrari with big targets’;
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...th-big-targets
Time for Frederic Vasseur to fix Ferrari’s problems
Frederic Vasseur has worked with Charles Leclerc multiple times in the past, with the Frenchman having supported the Monegasque's junior career.
10 January 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News
Former Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur has officially started his role as the new team principal of Ferrari, following the resignation of Mattia Binotto in December. Vasseur joins Ferrari at a time when the Scuderia have real promise, should they play their cards right in the upcoming season.
Vasseur will take to Ferrari his ability to make bold decisions and make changes when necessary, with the Frenchman likely to be completely aware that the job he’s taken on has been likened to a poisoned chalice. The first thing he needs to address is the team’s power unit reliability issues, with the side having endured too many engine failures in 2022.
Vasseur will need to work incredibly hard to eradicate the team’s strategic errors, with Leclerc in particular having lost several victories following strategic blunders. The only other thing for Vasseur to do is to give Leclerc and Sainz the belief that they can win the World Championship, but most importantly, how to deal with the pressure.
‘Time to fix Ferrari’s probems’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/time-for-...aris-problems/
